Ljubezenska knjižnica

by Sarra Manning, Maja Lihtenvalner (Translator )

Kaj ko bi lahko šla na zmenek s svojim najljubšim knjižnim junakom?


Vse izposoje so na odgovornost izposojevalca.

Po vrsti katastrofalnih zmenkov se Tess Hardy sprašuje, ali bo sploh kdaj našla moškega svojih sanj – ali pa ta obstaja le na straneh njenih najljubših romanov. Zato se preprosto ne more upreti vabilu na obisk Ljubezenske knjižnice, dvesto let stare ustanove, ki obljublja zmenke z njenimi najljubšimi romantičnimi junaki v resničnem življenju!

Toda privlačni vodja knjižnice Gabe Sharma deluje neznansko zagrenjen in odločen, da bo knjižnico obdržal pod ključem. Takoj ko Tess stopi v čudovito stavbo, natrpano s knjigami, ji postane jasno, zakaj – v zraku ne visi le prah … temveč tudi čarovnija. Tukaj lahko zares popije pijačo s Heathcliffom, večerja z Rochestrom in se stisne k svoji edini pravi literarni ljubezni, Darcyju.

Obstaja pa ena sama težava: Gabe. Odločen je namreč, da bo pokvaril prav vsakega od njenih zmenkov! In kako to, da se Tess veliko bolj zabava ob prepiranju z Gabom kot pa ob spogledovanju s katerim koli od svojih knjižnih junakov …?

Genres: Romance, Adult, Books About Books, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary

396 pages, Hardcover

First published June 25, 2026

About the author

Sarra Manning is a teen queen extraordinaire. She spent five years working on the now sadly defunct J17, first as a writer and then as Entertainment Editor. She then joined the launch team of teen fashion bible Ellegirl, which she later went on to edit and has consulted on a wide range of youth titles including Bliss, The Face and More.

Sarra is now editor of What To Wear magazine. She's also been a regular contributor to ELLE, The Guardian, ES Magazine, Seventeen, Details and Heat and wrote the Shop Bitch column for Time Out. Sarra lives in North London with her dog Miss Betsy

Reviews

[Rachel]

To me, You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me -- despite its unwieldy title – is an absolute classic, not just of romance fiction but of fiction in general. It takes place over a long enough period of time for the character development to be believable, and Neve has fraternal, familial, and collegial relationships that also change and grow alongside her romantic one. Just like, you know, a real person. I keep bringing it up in every recent Manning review because the contrast is STARK.

I don’t know what’s worse in the modern era of romance novels: characters with a squad of minion besties who only exist to gas them up at unilaterally convenient intervals, or characters with no real sense of relating to any other human in the world besides their love interest. How many times have I yawned over a female MC who works in media/PR/publishing/the creative industry and has a gay male workmate who doubles up as their main friend? Tessa has one scene – one! – with her ‘narcissistic’ mother and then there’s a whole denouement involving going low-contact with her – a denouement that moreover involves her ex’s new girlfriend – that is presumably supposed to be satisfying. It’s not, because we don’t spend any TIME with Tessa’s mother. We get a lot of steam-of-consciousness about Tessa’s insecurities, which she blames on her mother, but no evidence of them in real time, any more than there’s evidence of how they affect her in practice. Just lots of inner whining.

I am not sure when this was supposed to be set, because it reads as unbelievable that any journalist in 2026 cares about ‘legacy media’ when the legacy media in question is a weekly, one-city tabloid. Given how even the likes of the Washington Post are losing legitimacy, this doesn’t track. A ‘journalist’ isn’t, to me, someone who writes opinion pieces. That’s a blogger, and Tessa should be grifting on Substack. I mean, it’s super handy that she has a roommate who is very financially successful, never at home, and functionally celibate, but that’s not a reliable long-term option. Of course it’s all fixed because ‘reader she married him’ but Gabriel’s family legacy is also haemorrhaging money and excuse me if I don’t think dirty money from oil billionaires is the answer. This mainly speaks to the story’s utter lack of interest in anything bar getting these two characters together, like grumpy and sunshine pieces of lego being smash-cut together. Never mind that of the two Tessa is by far the grumpiest.

The Love Library concept is so deeply flawed. The Sharma library has for question mark number of centuries been able to access both writers of and characters in books (no distinction is made between them, or between the ‘character’ of the writer versus the real person). This resource has been mainly used by dry academics, and was apparently of no interest whatsoever to the wider world until Ella decides to let people date romantic heroes. To quote a romcom heroine the book forgets to cite, 'As IF!'

WHY does copyright apply? I mean I know why in Doyleian sense, Manning doesn’t want to get sued by Emily Henry, but why in a Watsonian sense does it matter? Many of these books/characters predate the concept of copyright!

Most importantly: why would anyone want to date someone they KNOW is a time-limited, emotion-limited option? Ella burbles on about how enjoyable early dating is with your now-husband, which is a very married-brain take. In 2026, NO ONE ENJOYS DATING. EVERYONE HOPES THIS DATE WILL BE THEIR LAST. Why would ‘Mr Darcy’ be BETTER when you KNOW HE HAS A WIFE AT HOME? (I mean, excluding for polyamorous people, but they generally have a better time anyway and probably wouldn’t use this service.)

That’s even before we consider what happens to the CHARACTERS afterwards. Do they forget you immediately? Does it all happen off-page, or explain backstories? There’s a whole tragic love story to be found in these concepts but it never gets off the ground because Manning is too busy giving Lit 101 takes on ‘Rochester is a bad guy, actually!!!’ and ‘Mellors was probably a creep’ while lazily peddling a crossed-wires storyline between Tessa and Gabriel. ftlog, that ONLY works in SINGLE POV.

Basically my feeling is – and has been for a few books now – do better. Because Manning CAN. For some reason she seems to be actively degenerating her skill so it will be MORE like Emily Henry. Emily Henry whose prose is as grey as a rock and whose characters are flat as cardboard and whose whole effect on the romance genre has been one of painting a beautiful period home Millennial greige. WHY would you WANT this (I mean aside from money)? It’s dispiriting in the extreme. It took me two weeks to read what should have been a breathless two-day read. There’s also a lot of insalubrious sentence structure that should have been weeded out by a stringent editor and which makes the prose read as even weaker and more amateur that it already is.

tl;dr FUCK DUAL POV AND ONE EMILY HENRY IN THE WORLD IS ABSOLUTELY SUFFICIENT!!!

[Elea]

Soooo cute! It was a bit hard to get into it at first but once the chemistry between the two main characters is here, it's so good!

[Anna]

Fucking Darcy.

[Becky]

4.25 - Sarra Manning never misses!!

[Cait]

Audiobook arc from netgalley review
What i liked:
The fat baby, the yearning, the concept. Understanding that modern book boyfriends aren't usable material made it fun to imagine which ones would work & the cover is gorgeous. I did enjoy the fmc she was goofy and likeable.

What i didnt like:
The concept sounded really fun and the cover seems like something i would love but the writing was just a touch too silly/cringe millennial in places for me. I could feel the yearning and the love building between the two characters but then it just felt like they needed a third act break up quick lets throw in miss communication for a grand gesture.

Nit picky bits:
One too many mentions of HP for a book that clearly wanted to show how progressive it is. Don't say you're against transphobia and then name drop HP like 6 times felt a bit like which side are you on there are so many other books that would have worked

[Shakira20]

Really well written but I didn’t really like the characters. Too much stereotypes and too cliches for me.

[Ajita]

Okay, listen, this would make for a great film. Imagine two contemporary British leads and an amazing cast of cameos for the classic fiction characters

[Phantom Clover]

this was gonna be a four star read but then the phrase "...put her shoulders back so her breasts were breasting to the best of their abillity" was written down and it just kept. going. downhill. from. there

[𝒮𝒽𝒶𝓃✨🪩]

4.5 ⭐️
Such a cute concept, kept me engaged all the way through

[Holly]

4.25 stars

[Eileen Cassells]

I received this proof and by the time I got around to reading it I had completely forgotten what the book was about so I went into this blind.

This book was not what I expected and at first I was a little confused about the concept of The Love Library. However, the more I read the more intrigued I was and it had me thinking what it would be like to meet my favourite book boyfriends for a few hours and go on a date with them (Hellooooo Xaden Riorsion 😂😉).

I loved the vibe between Gabe and Ella, as twins and colleagues they really made me laugh. I think Gabe turned out to be my favourite character he was so grumpy, yet dramatic and fun all rolled in one.

When Gabe and Tess met they rubbed each other up the wrong way and it was clear that they both felt a disdain toward each other. I had a feeling that Gabe’s behaviour towards Tess from the get go was laced with secret admiration and want but it was a slow burn I was desperate to add fire to!

The Love Library dates that Tess went in really made me laugh and it was a clear case of be careful what you wish for! I thoroughly enjoyed the structure of the book and the character development throughout. The relationship ships between the characters were genuine and it was nice having moments from both Tess and Gabe.

A really cute concept, not what I expected but it was good fun!

[Sue]

Tess Hardy is just about ready to give up on love. A broken heart, and endless disastrous dates have shown her that no one can live up to the standards her book boyfriends have led her to expect, especially her perfect man Fitzwilliam Darcy, from the pages of her favourite Jane Austen book, Pride and Prejudice. Her work life is not much better. Writing tedious advertorials is very far from the career as a features writer she was hoping for eight years ago.

When Tess gets an unexpected invitation to try out a brand new dating experience at The Love Library, based in a 200-year-old institution that claims to offer the chance to date heroes from romantic literature, she is intrigued. This might just be a way to solve her dating problems, and give her something to write about a bit more worthy than ergonomic walking shoes.

Philosophy lecturer Gabe Sharma has inherited the job of Head Librarian at Sharma's Academic Library, a post he is required to share with his feisty twin sister Ella. As much as he loves his sister, their ideas about finding ways to save the 200-year-old building and its precious contents are most definitely not on the same page. He is pretty sure Ella's new initiative, The Love Library, is not the answer, in fact he thinks it will be a disaster, and is determined to find a way to sabotage it.

The story unfurls from the perspectives of Tess and Gabe, as Gabe sets about making sure Tess' dates with the great and not-necessarily-good male icons from romantic literature go awry. Cue the most hilarious rom-com ever to spring from the very talented pen of Sarra Manning, pitting real life against literature's classic love stories.

Tess discovers that the swoon-worthy male characters she has hither-to thought of as romantic are not really fitted to modern dating - especially the likes of Heathcliffe, Rochester, and Oliver Mellors - but she still holds out great hopes for her hero-in-tight-breeches himself, Mr Darcy, even when she finds herself developing feelings for grumpy Gabe. Meanwhile, Gabe realises he is becoming attracted to Tess too, and that he has a lot of work to do on the romance front if he stands any chance against the ultimate love rival, Darcy.

Manning's Love Library concept is absolute genius. The glorious thread of magical realism, celebrating classic love stories, weaves deliciously through a sizzling romance between Tess and Gabe that is filled with heat. If you worship at the altar of Jane Austen and the classics, you will find this a delight, especially the Pride and Prejudice theme - and there is plenty to tickle the fancy of lovers of contemporary romance books, films, and popular culture too. The love story themes are given fabulous depth through Tess' struggles with self-confidence, and Gabe's enlightenment when it comes to the struggle between head and heart, and there is also oodles of stuff about friendship, family, and coming to terms with the past.

I had already bought a copy of this book, as Sarra Manning is an auto-buy for me, but actually ended up listening to the excellent audio book narrated by Imogen Wilde - which turned out to be one of my favourite listens of the year. Imogen's narration is spot on, whether she is voicing Tess, Gabe, or troublesome heroes of literature. A must if cleverly wrought rom-coms in audio format are your bag.

I cannot remember the last time I chuckled so much at a rom-com, and still found myself reduced to a sobbing mess when the ending rolled around. There really are not enough superlatives to describe how wonderful this is. Get yourself to The Love Library now!

[Amy Capewell]

If you’re a reader then chances are you’ve daydreamed about meeting one of the characters from your favourite books…imagine that you could spend an afternoon in the company of the hero or heroine from the books on your shelves. A magic key, a simple command and…poof! Mr Darcy sitting on your sofa with a cuppa.
What if that really could be possible? Welcome to The Love Library.

Let’s get one thing straight - Tess is not ok.
Her career as a feature writer has stalled and she’s found herself shunted into writing advertorials for walk-in showers and corrective shoes. Her boss is a micro-managing nightmare who seems to be blocking any chance of promotion.
Her mother is constantly putting her down and she can’t stop herself from watching the numerous TikTok uploads of a nail-clacking health and lifestyle influencer who’s now living with Tess’s git of an ex boyfriend, who unceremoniously dumped her just weeks before her 30th birthday.

And of course a level of self-confidence can only be described as subterranean.

Tess is also a single gal about town. There’s only one problem - Tess doesn’t want to be a single gal. She’s tried it all, the apps, the parties the set-ups and even one disastrous blind date with her mother’s dentist’s nephew.
Quite frankly, she’s had enough of unsolicited dick-pics and she’d quite like to meet a nice guy…surely that’s not too much to ask?
So when an invitation lands in her inbox inviting her to trial a new dating experience called The Love Library Tess decides to give it a whirl.

It sounds too good to be true - a date with her favourite men from literature. Not actors, not high-tech holograms but the actual person from her favourite stories. But can love really be found with a fictional character who, just like Cinderella, isn’t allowed out of their pages past midnight? Enter Gabe Sharma, not a book character but the socially withdrawn, incredibly grumpy (joint) Head Librarian - a leading expert in philosophy with an aversion to fiction.

The Love Library is a thoroughly enjoyable book, that once I picked it up I found hard to put down. The main protagonists are likeable and the story moves at a decent pace that will keep you interested, without giving you a chance to get bored. I think it’s fair to say that from the outset you’ll have a pretty good idea about what’s going to happen (if you’ve ever read any kind of romance book before), but there’s just enough doubt thrown into the mix to keep you wondering about the ending. It’s a light, endearing and well-written contemporary romance that will wrap you up in a warm hug.

This was the first book I’ve read by Sarra Manning but I highly doubt it will be my last - I’m already looking forward to picking up my next read from this author.
I would highly recommend The Love Library to any contemporary romance readers.

Book clubs will enjoy debating which characters from literature they’d like to meet and how those characters might react to life in the twenty-first century.
There is a sprinkling of adult language throughout, including a singular use of the c-word and one rather passionate sex-scene - none of which seem forced or gratuitous but feel natural as part of the plot.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for providing an advance copy of The Love Library for me to read and review. The Love Library will be published in June 2026.

[Renee]

⭐⭐⭐✨
3.5 stars, rounded down to 3.

The Love Library by Sarra Manning — A journalist discovers a mysterious library where she can meet the romantic heroes of classic novels, giving her the opportunity to step beyond the pages and encounter the fictional men she's spent years idealising.

This had such a fantastic premise. As someone who loves books, the idea of being able to meet characters from classic novels immediately grabbed me. Who wouldn't want the chance to meet Mr Darcy in real life? Unfortunately, while I loved the concept of The Love Library, I couldn't help feeling that so much of its potential was wasted.

Because the library is limited to books that are out of copyright, the encounters are predominantly with characters from classic literature. We get Heathcliff, a character from The Great Gatsby, Mr Darcy and, delightfully, Winnie the Pooh. The Winnie the Pooh interlude was actually one of my favourites. But overall, I kept wanting these encounters to feel more magical than they did. Instead, so many of them were deliberately disappointing, with the reality of these old-fashioned fictional men failing to live up to the romanticised versions our main character had created in her imagination.
I understand what Manning was doing with this. Part of the point is that fictional men aren't necessarily going to translate particularly well into modern relationships, and that idealising romantic heroes can make the perfectly good, real people standing in front of you seem inadequate by comparison.
It makes sense thematically. I just wish the book hadn't sacrificed quite so much of the magic of its premise to make that point. Being able to meet characters from beloved books is such an incredible idea, and every time one of those encounters left me disappointed, I felt like another little piece of that potential had slipped away.

Ironically, I ended up enjoying the real-life romance more. I liked the love interest and enjoyed watching their relationship develop from two people who didn't particularly like each other, through the growing chemistry between them, into something more. Unfortunately, I liked our main character considerably less. She could be selfish, frustrating and so wrapped up in herself that there were moments when I genuinely stopped caring whether she figured out what was right in front of her. Part of me wanted her to get there, while another part was thinking, if you're going to be this ridiculous about it, maybe you don't deserve him anyway.

Still, the pacing worked well and this was an easy, quick read. Even though I wanted considerably more from the Love Library itself, I enjoyed the book enough to keep turning the pages and there were some genuinely fun moments along the way.
Ultimately, this is one of those frustrating books where I liked it, but I could see the much better book it might have been. The premise had so much potential for something clever, romantic and genuinely magical, and I just don't think the execution quite lived up to it.

That said, there was enough here that I'd happily try another book by Sarra Manning. This one didn't entirely deliver on its brilliant premise, but I enjoyed it enough that I'm certainly not writing the author off.

[Linda Hill]

Tess Hardy is looking for love.

Yes! Yes! Yes! The Love Library is absolutely brilliant. I didn’t so much read it as gulp it down. It might just be the most perfect example of enemies to lovers in modern commercial romantic fiction that I’ve read.

The slightly magical premise of a library where readers can borrow characters from books is superb and the right side of believable to make the story so engaging. (Let me take out Angel Clare and give him a piece of my mind!) And I thought naming the protagonist Tess Hardy was inspired!

Tess is fantastic. Self-deprecating, overweight and frustrated by her job, with a mother not slow in pointing out her faults, she embarks on a quest to find romance, borrowing men from out of copyright fiction. Tess is, like so many of us, unable to see her positive attributes too, so that she is relatable and endearing. Her ability to empathise with others and to give them her whole-hearted attention made me want to climb into the pages and hug her. I especially loved the moments in the story where food is involved for Tess because they felt so real.

Gabe is the perfect romantic hero too. Darcy-like to some extent with his somewhat rigid approach to running the inherited library with his twin sister Ella, he is never mere pastiche. I adored that he is also a philosophy professor because the blend of life lessons from the great thinkers positioned alongside the fictional lessons in books illustrates what those of us who read romantic fiction already know – all life is to be found between the pages of a book. Both Tess and Gabe are a little prejudiced against one another’s approaches, but it’s that finding of common ground that makes the story so engaging.

Of course there’s the expectation of a happy ending, especially when Pride and Prejudice forms the backdrop of The Love Library’s actions, but the route to that ending is fabulously entertaining. The humour (meet Mellors), the heartbreak, the fizzing attraction between Tess and Gabe all mean that it’s impossible to put the book down. There is some strong language and occasional moments to bring a blush to the reader’s cheeks, but these elements are in perfect balance to enhance the plot and just perfect in execution.

It’s quite hard to define what wonderful romantic fiction The Love Library is. Filled with hope over expectation, literary and philosophical reference, brimming with humour and a passionate understanding of real people, I thought it was excellent. I’d defy anyone who loves romantic fiction not to adore it too. Don’t miss it because it is a truth (about to be) universally acknowledged that a reader in possession of the need for a superb romcom must be in want of The Love Library by Sarra Manning! Sensationally good!

[Fallon Turner]

3.5⭐️. This was my first read by this author and I was attracted to the book by its premise (a romance set in a magical library) and very pretty cover! Having now finished my read, the best way I can describe it is the magical realism of Ashley Poston meets the romcom goofiness of Sophie Cousens, which made for a fun combination. Like Poston’s books, the magical element isn’t really explained, the characters (and you as the reader) are just along for the ride! In this instance, our FMC Tess receives a mysterious email inviting her to visit The Love Library. As a 33-year old who feels unlucky in love and who isn’t happy in her career, she decides to check it out and, upon arrival, meets the handsome but grumpy co-owner, Gabe, who seems reluctant to support his sister (and co-owner’s) scheme - to have Tess go on real-life dates with some of her book boyfriends (provided the books are old enough that the copyright has expired) which Tess will then write about as promotion for the struggling library. Nevertheless, they come to an agreement and, as they start spending more time together, Gabe begins to realise that he doesn’t want to be setting Tess up with any dates unless they’re with himself!

If you are happy to put aside your scepticism and not think too deeply about the plot holes then this is an entertaining read. The real highlight for me was Tess’ dates (Heathcliff and Winnie the Pooh being two particularly notable ones 😂) and I enjoyed the grumpy/sunshine contrast of our two main characters (Gabe had the crotchety old man persona down pat!). That being said, Gabe did annoy me at the start - he was very judgy about Tess not immediately buying into the magic of the book boyfriends…what normal person would immediately believe the man they’ve conjured up for a date is a real life book character?! 🤷‍♀️🙈 I think the one thing that stopped me enjoying this more was the romance itself. Tess and Gabe do spend time together but because a lot of the book is focused on the library and Tess’ dates with famous literary men, there’s not a lot of time spent really building up the relationship and chemistry between the two of them - that element felt like it was mostly telling, not showing. As a result, I wasn’t really invested in the romance; however, there were lots of laugh out loud moments and I like the character growth that Tess goes through over the course of the book. A fun, easy read/listen.

This book is written with dual POV and I would have loved for it to have been dual or duet narrated; however, the narrator (Imogen Wilde) did a great job bringing the story to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC of this book.

[Kristina Griffiths]

So this dropped in my letterbox yesterday morning and I read right the way through to 1:30 in the morning as I could not leave this book alone!
It has been a while since I've read a book in a day and also since I've done a marathon read like this ,as a teenager I would devour books like this pretty much all the time .

So I had this book on pre order as I do with any sarra manning book because next to Tolkien she is my favourite author.
It was really refreshing to have a modern book that wasn't 90% smut! This book was fun , it was whimsical without being childish.

We have our two main characters Tess and Gabe. And what I love about Sara's writing is that she knows how to make a relatable character, there is a line where she is describing Tess having a panic about going out as she is a girl that loves wearing midi dresses..... but only shaves her legs to her knees as let's face it if you can see it does it matter? And I've never felt more seen 🤭 as that is something I totally do!

I digress, this story is set in a library which is fantastic anyway but it's not a normal library NO IT IS A MAGICAL LIBRARY. They offer a service where you can date a character from a book, but it's not an actor or a cgi version as Tess comes to find out , no it is the actual physical character from the stories.

So we have several failed dates, we have heathcliff and several other characters that once they step off the page thier appeal is less then endearing! Which I think is such a lovely nod to the fact that real love is not easy, and especially modern love. Book girlies we dream of having our book boyfriends come to life, but when It comes down to it the real romance is our relationships where the little silly things matter. The making sure there's a drink on your bedside table. Or picking the blue M&Ms out because they taste different.


There is a few lines in this book I loved one being

As Chekhov had written -I'm wearing black because I am in mourning for my life-

And if you know as a Sarra manning stan this is a line edie says in diary of a crush french kiss.

There is also a line saying I am made up of books

Which I think is beautiful, becouse I do believe that we take parts of our loved characters and weave them into our beings, as a teenager I loved Sara's characters and they became part of me.

All in all I highly recommend this book! My question to you is who would you call out of a book to date? There's only once choice for me .... "hello mr Frodo Baggins "💜

[Joanne]

The Love Library is the second book I’ve read recently where a book boyfriend steps out of a book and into the real world and I absolutely loved it! (Most Ardently Yours is the other in case you’re wondering). I listened to this audiobook in just four days which is most unusual for me. It was the audiobook equivalent of a page-turner! Imogen Wilde was a fantastic narrator bringing energy and vibrancy to the characters and really capturing the feel of the main character Tess.

Tess Hardy wonders if she’ll ever meet anyone who measures up to the romantic heroes she finds in books. After writing a newspaper article about her disastrous dating life, she’s invited to visit The Love Library where she’ll have the opportunity to go on a date with some of her favourite book boyfriends. She can’t resist although, of course, doesn’t really imagine it will actually be for real. Despite joint head librarian Gabe’s disapproval, Tess gets to meet some of literature’s biggest names such as Heathcliff, Mr Rochester and of course Mr Darcy!

It was great fun reading about Tess’s experiences with the literary leading men. As you might expect, they weren’t necessarily what she expected and their historical ways and attitudes didn’t quite translate to what a modern woman is looking for in a man. I never did like that Mr Rochester! The three men I’ve listed above are mentioned in the book details but I won’t tell you about the other literary characters Tess meets so you can have the fun of encountering them for yourself.

Of course, a relationship with a book boyfriend is never going to be real but the fiery relationship between Tess and Gabe never looked that likely to turn into anything either. Enemies to lovers anyone? I loved all the references to books, characters and films through the book, often reflected in something the characters said or did.

This was such an enjoyable book! It was fun, flirty and just fabulous really. Who would you want to meet if you could meet a book boyfriend? I think for me it would have to be Mr Darcy although Colonel Brandon (in the guise of Alan Rickman) would come a close second. On that note, could someone press this book into the hands of Richard Curtis please because it would make a fabulous rom-com film!

[˚₊‧꒰ა Nayse’s Bookshelf ໒꒱ ‧₊˚]

DNF at 36%.

This was one of my most anticipated reads. It was my first book by this author, and it had been sitting on my Goodreads TBR for months, so the moment it came out, I picked it up and sadly, I’m disappointed😭

Also, let’s be honest, the cartoon cover is gorgeous. I absolutely love it. And that’s saying something because I’m starting to get a little tired of cartoon covers, but the color contrast on this one is just so pretty!!!

But let’s get to what actually matters. Why did I DNF it???🤔 Well my friends, I just couldn’t connect with the story💔 especially the characters. And to be even more specific, the FMC. I really couldn’t, guys. I wanted to. I really did. I gave it multiple chances, but at no point did the story grab my attention enough to keep me invested.

I tried reading it and couldn’t get into it. Then I switched to the audiobook, and that didn’t help either. I will say, though, I really liked the narrator’s voice. Her accent is so nice, and I’d honestly love to listen to her narrate another book so, the audiobook itself wasn’t the problem either. The problem was the character herself. I just didn’t like her. At times she came across as pretty hypocritical, and she made comments that, in my opinion, were completely unnecessary. Without getting into specifics, I think some of those comments lean into stereotypes and harmful misconceptions, and that really threw me off.

As for the MMC, I couldn’t connect with him either. I honestly didn’t care about him at all, and I never felt any real chemistry between them. Nothing about their relationship made me want to keep reading or listening!!! And since I didn’t want to end a month that had been so amazing reading wise with a book I was clearly going to hate, I decided it was best to stop😌

I haven’t seen anyone mention the things that stood out to me in their reviews yet. So if this book gets more attention and you happen to come across this review, please leave a comment or send me a message if you felt the same way. I seriously need someone to talk to about this book because right now I have no one who understands my frustration. So please, let me know I’m not the only one😭

[Emma Alvey]

Being able to go on a date with one of your bookish romantic heroes sounds like a great idea. But would it really live up to your dreams? That’s what writer Tess Hardy is about to find out in The Love Library. Tess wants to find her happy-ever-after, but the only decent men she can find are the ones in the books at Waterstones. So when she receives an email from The Love Library, offering her the chance of a real-life date with one of her favourite literary love interests, she is intrigued. After all, her book boyfriends never let her down. But Tess doesn’t count on Gabe, the handsome Gabe and Tess immediately clash and, as she embarks on yet more disastrous dates, the pair keep fighting - seemingly oblivious to the sparks that are flying between them.

Magical, heartwarming, hot, witty and uplifting, this charming enemies-to-lovers romcom is the perfect read for book lovers. I think most of us have daydreamed about stepping into the pages of our favourite book or wished a romantic hero was real so I was intrigued by the premise of this one. Wonderfully written and cleverly plotted, Sarra Manning brings those daydreams to life perfectly while making them a cautionary tale. I loved all the bookish references and the varied cast of characters that Sarra selected for Tess’s dates. And I can’t share this review without mentioning the wonderful narrator, Imogen Wilde, who brought the story to life in vivid technicolour with her fantastic performance.

Tess and Gabe are the perfect example of the grumpy/sunshine trope and I loved their contrasting characters. Their attraction was obvious from the start so I was shouting at them to just realise they were meant for each other from early on. And then there’s their sizzling chemistry. Talk about sizzling. I listened to the audiobook and just as it got really steamy my son and his girlfriend came downstairs and I was so embarrassed I had to stop the book! It will certainly make you blush. I also liked that Sarra doesn’t give her readers their romantic payoff easily and takes things in unexpected directions that were so much fun to read.

[Maddie Cameron]

The Love Library is, without question, the worst book I have read this year. What began as an intriguing premise quickly devolved into a frustrating combination of shallow characters, nonsensical plot development, and a romance so devoid of chemistry that I struggled to understand why I was supposed to care.

The introduction to the library and its supposedly mythical abilities was painfully superficial, much like the majority of the story.

Tess is 33, divorced, and apparently possesses no personality beyond hating herself. Her relentless self-deprecation is presented as quirky and relatable but quickly becomes exhausting. Rather than depicting a woman struggling with insecurity in a meaningful way, the book seems to use her complete lack of self-worth as a substitute for character development. The repeated references to her “eating her feelings” are casually incorporated into her characterisation, presented as a quirky personality trait rather than addressing the clear eating disorder she is struggling with.

Gabe was somehow even less compelling. An educated, philosophical librarian sounds promising on paper, but there was nothing beneath the surface. His jealousy and inability to communicate might have been intended to create romantic tension, but instead made him irritating and emotionally immature.

And then we reach the final chapter, where the book somehow manages to make everything worse. Tess acknowledges that she needs to learn to love herself, which could have been the beginning of some genuine character growth. Instead, within the same conversation, she essentially abandons that revelation and launches herself into another relationship with a man she has known for approximately 24 hours, because apparently that is what self-love looks like now.

Ultimately, The Love Library takes what could have been an interesting premise and surrounds it with plot holes, underdeveloped characters, and a supposedly “hot and hilarious” romance that is neither.

I wanted a magical library. I got 350 pages of women being told that their problems can be solved by falling in love with a man.

[coala]

Darcy, Bücher und ein ziemlich gutes Date

Tess Hardy ist überzeugt, dass die Männer ihrer Träume vermutlich nur in Büchern existieren, doch dann entdeckt sie die Love Library, in der Bibliothekar Gabe mithilfe eines magischen Tricks Literaturfiguren zum Leben erwecken kann. Plötzlich sind Dates mit Heathcliff, Mr. Rochester und natürlich Mr. Darcy möglich, doch die Begegnungen zeigen schnell, dass auch literarische Traummänner ihre Macken haben. Und ausgerechnet mit dem wenig romantischen Gabe entwickelt Tess eine ganz besondere Dynamik.

Die Idee hinter der Geschichte ist einfach herrlich und sorgt für viele unterhaltsame Momente. Besonders schön ist dabei der spielerische Umgang mit bekannten Literaturfiguren, denn wer Bücher liebt, dürfte hier einige amüsante Anspielungen und Wiedererkennungsmomente finden, wobei die Herren aus den Romanen durchaus nicht immer so traumhaft sind, wie man sie in Erinnerung hat. Tess und Gabe bilden dabei einen sympathischen Gegenpol. Ihre Gespräche und kleinen Wortgefechte machen zunehmend Spaß und gerade die langsame Entwicklung ihrer Beziehung sorgt für die schönsten Momente. Anfangs braucht die Geschichte etwas, um richtig in Gang zu kommen, danach funktioniert die Mischung aus Humor, Romantik und ein wenig Magie aber immer besser. Nicht jede Figur und nicht jeder Handlungsstrang überzeugt gleichermaßen und manches wirkt etwas klischeehaft. Insgesamt lässt sich das Buch jedoch sehr angenehm und leicht lesen und die Geschichte hätte tatsächlich das Zeug zu einer amüsanten und romantischen Verfilmung.

Eine unterhaltsame Liebesgeschichte mit einer originellen Buchidee, viel Humor und einem sympathischen Romance-Anteil, in der nicht alles perfekt ist, aber die Mischung macht Spaß.

[Ellis]

4.5 stars
I was immediately drawn to the interesting concept of this magical romance and even though it took a good few chapters for me to get into it, once I did, I was fully on board.
In many ways it feels like a cinematic rom com coming to life on the pages, which I adored. And I always appreciate a dual POV.
Having it be set in London and traipsing along streets and through areas that I've visited myself only added to my enjoyment.
Both Tess and Gabe are likeable, even if he appears to come off as quite surly and standoffish. Through actions rather that what he says, we can see that he cares about Tess and is a genuinely good guy.
The bookish dates were interesting, too, and it will certainly make you think twice about swooning for Heathcliff or Rochester anytime soon.
The first date with Heathcliff, in particular, throws you into the action while offering up a funny take on modern dating.
As a bit of a cynic myself when it comes to real life relationships and love, who also adores and consumes so many romance books and movies, I could understand where both Gabe and Tess were coming from.
And at the end, I really cared about both and them and was urging them to be together.
I especially liked seeing Gabe consuming all things romance, and how he began to understand Tess on an even deeper level by doing so, while he was heartbroken.
I am a big believer that all men should be made to read outside of their comfort zones, so I really liked this and how it wrapped up.
Watching Tess believe in herself more, and stand up for herself at work, was great too.
I will say, I wasn't a huge fan of the main sex scene. I'm sorry, but the word hole should never be used in what is meant to be a steamy/sexy encounter.
Quite a few of the words in that moment seriously gave me the cringe.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Itzy Morales]

4.25 rating

Someone make this a movie immediately!! I beg!

As always, a magical realism romance is one of my favorite genres to read and this did not disappoint! I was immediately hooked with the idea of a magical library service that allows you to bring to real life, a character from a literary text. I mean, come on! Tell me you wouldn’t get the chance to meet Peeta Mellark, Edward Cullen, or Mr. Darcy!

Tess is our 30 something year old gal who genuinely has the worst luck when it comes to dating, is stuck in a horrible job, and is in love with the one man she can’t have, Mr. Darcy. After another tragic date, Tess is offered the chance to ‘date’ some book boyfriends by The Love Library institution but with some stipulations, of which make for some surprising and interesting dates.

Gabe is our moody, grumpy, and devilishly handsome co-head librarian is completely against The Love Library but can’t truly put a stop to it as his twin sister, the other co-head librarian, wants to give it a shot. Now, stuck and forced to work along side one another, we see how Gabe and Tess form a bond through some terrible literary dates. And this is where the fun begins and let me tell y’all, it is absolutely hilarious and completely endearing.

And let me just say, I absolutely loved the chemistry between Tess and Gabe! Truly, such sweet and tender moments that they had but also so real and passionate. I adored them! Also I seriously need someone to make this into a movie with Raymond Ablack as Gabe and Nicola Coughlan as Tess.

Thank you to Orion publishing for the ARC.

[katie]

I really wish I loved this more because the premise sounded amazing, but something didn’t quite hit right for me unfortunately.

The entire concept of the Love Library requires suspension of disbelief - which is fine as that’s how magical realism works! - but I found it quite confusing that nobody ever offered any kind of explanation for why or how things worked.

I couldn’t quite grasp how “real” (or not real) the fictional characters were once in the real world, which just took me out of the story a bit. The interactions between Tess and her book boyfriends were quite cringey at times and I felt a lot of the language throughout the book was very millennial - a lot of cliches and dated stereotypes. It would have been cool to see a more inventive interpretation of some of the characters and their viewpoints!

The series of dates, although a fun concept, were a little rushed and there wasn’t much time in between to develop the central romance between Gabe and Tess, meaning I wasn’t very invested in their happily ever after.

I did, however, love the idea of the Love Library in principle and I especially loved what it turned into by the end (the Winnie the Pooh scene was a highlight). Overall, it was a light fun read with a great concept that I didn’t feel was as well executed as it could have been. I do wonder if I’d have enjoyed it more as a physical read rather than audio, but I’m still not sure it would change my rating.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Isabell]

Tess, our relatable FMC is thoroughly tired and frustrated by modern dating. When she gets the unique opportunity to date famous heroes from literary fiction, it seems like a dream come true. After all, going on a date with romantic icons like Mr Darcy or Heathcliff sounds perfect in theory—but in reality, it leaves a lot to be desired. This book demonstrates that hilariously and perfectly. Tess is a true romantic at heart, and you can't help but root for her throughout the story. Her low self-esteem, fueled not just by romantic disappointment but by professional setbacks as well, makes her incredibly empathetic. You genuinely hope this bizarre experience will help her find the fire in her belly again.

Enter our MMC, Gabe—a delightfully stuffy Head Librarian (/assistant), and Philosophy Professor. He clashes with Tess from the very beginning in a lovely, fizzy way as he is fiercely opposed to his family’s historic library being used for superficial romantic pursuits. What follows is a series of wonderful shenanigans, including a delighted encounter with a bear and Gabe’s subconscious attempts to sabotage Tess’s literary dates as he starts falling for her without even realising it.

If you love the "grumpy x sunshine" trope, academic settings, and a healthy dose of bookish humour, pick this up immediately. It’s a lovely, whimsical reminder that sometimes the perfect man isn't trapped in a 19th-century novel—he's right in front of you. 4⭐️

[lena_likes_to_read]

I think that what this book is selling the dream of every reader is. To spend an afternoon with your favorite book character, to see them in real life, it would be a dream come through. That is also the case for our main character Tess.

Tess is done with dating. All the apps aren't working and old fashioned meeting someone on the street isn't happening for her. Her last hope arrives in the form of an email from the Love Library. They promise her a date with her favorite literary man.
After two disastrous dates, she starts to give up on the idea of the library. That is, until Gabe, the head librarian, convinces her to give it one last chance.

Gabe, a philosophy professor and someone who doesn't read fiction novels, will try everything to give his library a second wind. He will even read fiction and study up on its male heroes so he can give Tess the dates with the most eligible bachelors (or in some cases, questionable men). But maybe he likes Tess more than he thinks, because he will not give her the one date she really wants, the one with Mr. Darcy.

Throughout this experience, Tess and Gabe get to know each other better. They go from literary adversaries to something more. Tess starts to wonder if she maybe has to look for love outside the pages. Maybe love can be found in the friendship we made along the way?

Thank you Sarra Manning and Netgalley for the e-ARC. All thoughts are my own.

[Hannah]

Tess wonders if she will ever meet the man of her dreams or if he only exists in the pages of her novels. So when she is invited to visit The Love Library, an old institution that offers dates with her favourite romantic heroes, she can’t resist. But grumpy librarian Gabe tries to prevent anyone from entering the library and soon Tess discovers its magic; that she really can get dates in real life with the characters from her books.

Having grown up reading this author’s YA books and them being a favourite of mine at the time (and enjoying the one adult one I previously read) I could not understand why I hadn’t read more of this author’s later books. This concept was fantastic, I was really drawn into the premise of a magical library and enjoy books within books. The idea of bringing characters from literature to life sounded really fun, especially with the romantic spin. This ended up an entertaining, light hearted read, however I found that it was slower than I had hoped and I found myself not fully invested in the story, likely as I didn’t connect to the characters, while also feeling young adult at times.

Even though I had some niggles, I still appreciate the original concept and think it was a well written story. This would be great for those looking for an amusing romance with a magical edge. I am interested to see what other ideas this author comes up with. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

[Kat]

I was really pulled into the idea of this book; it felt like a really original and fresh idea, and whilst I had fun reading this, I struggled to connect with the writing style and characters. I wish we got to know more about the library itself and how it functions. I enjoyed seeing great literary heroes within a modern landscape and had a good laugh at their surly dispositions when confronted with modern technology.

Tess was an interesting character, and I wanted to see her come into her self-confidence more; it felt like she had only just begun to during the last few pages. Gabriel was a sweet, yet often misguided character. I loved seeing him go through his romance era and change his whole view on life afterwards. Once again, I wanted more from them as a couple and to see more displays of communication between them. Some really great scenes showcased this connection of theirs, and we really got to see how they felt towards each other and the chemistry that they had despite trying to quell it.

A fun and easy-to-read romance with a fresh concept. Whilst I have a couple of reservations, I had a good time reading it, and loved the scene at the end (very reminiscent of classic rom-coms!)

A big thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[booksellerreads]

I want to thank Jonathanball Publishers for a proof copy. All opinions are my own. This is my first Sarra Manning novel.

What if you could date your favourite book boyfriend?

The concept pulled me right in. I mean, a magical library that can bring characters into the real world, and you can talk or date them?😲

One important thing is that they have to be public domain...

I struggled in the beginning with who is narrating, but once I had the hang of it, it read better😅

Tess is struggling to find the one. After numerous failed dates, an intriguing email lands in her inbox, inviting her to the Love Library. Naturally, she thought it was a joke.

Enters Gabe, joint head librarian, he is stern, loves philosophy, and doesn't really understand the concept of love.

This didn't feel like an enemies to lovers, even though there is bickering and date sabotaging (not enough to give it flesh), grump x sunshine, yes.

I did connect with Tess in some aspects, like emotionally eating and lacking self-confidence, and I'm happy she got over the hurdle.

Gabe grew on me. He had the emotional sense of a teaspoon, hard to express his feelings.

The chemistry was okay.

Spice: 🌶

I enjoyed the dates with the book 'boyfriends', but there simply wasn't enough to say there were sabotages as the story was slow pacing.

It was a nice cosy romance. I'll probably reread this again in a few years.