Debut novel about an assistant librarian who after the loss of her mother 8 yrs ago is still unable to find her own voice. A story about how she finds her way to speak up and move on. Good story, but not great. Kirkus:Eight years after her mother passed away, a young Englishwoman who's been living comfortably in the small routines of her solo life faces the closure of her beloved local library.Without her realizing it, 28-year-old June Jones has spent almost a decade of her life without changing. She works as a library assistant in the tiny village of Chalcot, lives amid the ornaments and books and mismatched furniture in the house where she grew up, and spends her evenings and weekends with her old friends¥that is, books. June is quiet, shy, and happy. She delights in helping the patrons who spend their days with her: Jackson Fletcher, the home-schooled 8-year-old eagerly seeking new books to read; Stanley Phelps, the dapper, tweed-suited elderly man who spends his days in the library; Vera Cox, the constantly complaining 80-year-old; Chantal, the teenager seeking a quiet space to do her school work; and others. The library is the heart of the community and the heart of June?s days and, indeed, her life since she began going there with her mother when she was young. But the council is making cuts, and six libraries are up for closure. The regulars, and the community as a whole, band together to try to save the library. Among them is Alex Chen, a kind, bookish solicitor from London who's returned to work at his family's takeaway as his father heals from hip surgery, and who befriends June. Author Sampson has created a gem of a book populated by vivid personalities and a story that weaves together heroes and villains, love and loss, mourning and growth as it follows June and the Chalcot community as they seek to save their libraryÂ¥which offers so much more than books.A delightful exploration of personal growth, inner strength, and the importance of family, friends, and love.

Anxious depressed girl gets out of her comfort zone to try and save the village library. It was cute but there are better versions of this story. ( )

I had to give this five stars, just because it put a smile on my face, made me laugh and made me cry really got to the heart and soul of what it means to be a book lover it also focused a lot on found family but in a contempory world. I love the save the day element. It does have a romance but def not the focus more of a women fiction read and a lot more of a focus on self discovery and and more of women read and if it had not been closely connected to the the books and library world i would not have loved this book as much but a very cute read! ( )

I had to give this five stars, just because it put a smile on my face, made me laugh and made me cry really got to the heart and soul of what it means to be a book lover it also focused a lot on found family but in a contempory world. I love the save the day element. It does have a romance but def not the focus more of a women fiction read and a lot more of a focus on self discovery and and more of women read and if it had not been closely connected to the the books and library world i would not have loved this book as much but a very cute read! ( )

What a charming story!

Twenty eight year old June has been working as a library assistant at the local Chalcot Library ever since her mother passed away from cancer almost ten years ago .Abandoning her own dreams of attending university and becoming a writer, June has never stepped out of Chalcot and maintains a very predictable (boring) routine of work and home surrounding herself with books and memories in the home she shared with her mother. Her late mother who worked in the same library as a librarian instilled in June a love for books and her place of work. Timid and shy she does not have many friends and her interactions are limited to her long time neighbor and the regular patrons of the library who are an interesting ,often trying, bunch of people with whom she is patient and kind.

When her beloved library is threatened with closure June bands with this group of friends to protest the closure even at the risk of losing her job. The fact that libraries are so much more than just a place to borrow or read books but a vital part of community is the message that pervades this novel. As the story progresses we see how June overcomes her shyness and grows into a more confident version of herself and takes control of her life .

With a delightful cast of characters and the right blend of sentiment, humor and wisdom Freya Sampson's The Last Chance Library is an entertaining, feel-good novel with much warmth and cheer. I started this after a few 'heavy' reads and it was just what I needed. For those of us who love to read books about books and libraries, this novel is a treat! ( )