‘The Lonely Hearts Book Club’ book review: Cliché but cute

I recently read and loved ‘The Library of Borrowed Hearts’ by Lucy Gilmore. I went to the bookstore to buy ‘The Lonely Hearts Book Club’, which was published before The Library of Borrowed Hearts, immediately after finishing it. I had assumed these were Gilmore’s initial works but was surprised to find out that she has a plethora of novels to her credit. Her writing is sharp and easy to read which makes her books such a breeze. But it can get a little repetitive if you happen to read her books back-to-back. I would still recommend both the books, with a slightly more emphasis on ‘The Library of Borrowed Hearts’.

Both the books have similar premises and I think readers will end up liking whichever they choose to read first more than the one they read next. For me, ‘The Lonely Hearts Book Club’ felt a little off as I had already read something similar by Gilmore. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. I actually loved the story and the characters, albeit some issues, are nice. We meet Sloane Parker who is a librarian in a small town. She strikes up an unusual friendship with Arthur McLachlan through insults and easy banter. Then one day, he doesn’t show up at the library and Sloane gets worried. She tracks him down, finds out that he had been unwell, and makes it her mission to bring some cheer into his lonely life.

She creates an impromptu book club, much to Arthur’s chagrin. Slowly, people start coming together as they find ways to connect with one another through stories they can relate to or those that give them a sense of peace or closure. Gilmore presents the story from different character’s perspectives, giving you insights that you otherwise wouldn’t have had. It makes for a wholesome and contemplative read.

What I had a problem with was that all the characters lacked spine. They wouldn’t stand up for themselves for the simplest of things and that was annoying. Sloane’s fiancé isn’t unkind but he is constantly putting her down in small ways and she just brushes them off. She finds excuses for his family’s (especially his mother’s) dismissive behavior towards her and never says anything. Arthur is grumpy despite people around him being really nice to him. It made me think who would put up with that day in and day out? When someone repeatedly hurts you, would you put aside your feelings and give your all to help that person? Some things felt really unrealistic. At times, I was shaking my head at the incredulity of it all.

But I would still recommend The Lonely Hearts Book Club if you want to read something light and fun. If you love books about books, then this is a good one. Things sometimes feel a little forced but the characters are interesting and you want to know how they will eventually resolve their personal issues. I’d give it a three out of five stars.

Fiction

The Lonely Hearts Book Club

Lucy Gilmore

Published: 2023

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Pages: 356, Paperback