The Finders Keepers Library, by Annie Rains

 

Publication April 16, 2024

Gotta admit, the cover is what made me click on this in the first place. I love books about books, albeit this one is a solid, Hallmark worthy romance with nuanced characters, so was an enjoyable read. Second chance love, learning to trust yourself and others, dealing with illness and death, and more, it checked off lots of our favorite romance themes. 

I won't detail the plot as my use of the term Hallmark worthy probably gives the overall progress away. What I will say is that main character Savannah Collins is dealing with lupus, which you'll learn a bit about as you read. Dumped by her boyfriend as a result, she's come "home" to Bloom, North Carolina, to  stay with her Aunt Eleanor/Ellie. Unknown to Savannah, Eleanor suffered a bad fall recently and had become a recluse of sorts. She still enjoyed people and her books, but had a phobia about leaving her home. Then a storm hits and seriously damages her Finders Keepers Library in her beloved rose garden. She's been helped along greatly by friends and neighbor Evan Sanders, who is raising his daughter June after the death of his wife. Savannah and he were childhood friends during her time in Bloom. 

I'm betting you see where this is going. Complications, of course, arise. On the plus side, there's a wedding to attend, the bride in a wheelchair, no less, and two more separate second chance romances blooming in addition to the roses. Oh, and an unhappy daughter, well, sad daughter, who wants to make everyone happy but can't figure out how to do it. The importance of seeking help is emphasized, with multiple viewpoints giving us the thoughts of the main characters, Savannah, Evan, and Eleanor. The viewpoint is given at the beginning of their chapters, btw, which also feature a literary quote appropriate for the action within. I enjoyed the variety they offered, never quite settling on a favorite though the idea that one needs to get busy living, not dying, seems to have stuck with me. 

Bottom line, although I don't read many romances anymore, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The plot did seem slow at times but even the slower moments ultimately played into the whole, so not complaints there. I liked all the characters and, of course, rather gravitated to Evan's daughter June since we share a name. True, you know the basics of the plots of Hallmark worthy books upfront but there's also a bit of a comfort to knowing all will be well in the end. Wouldn't it be wonderful if life were that way? You want to root for all these characters, including the less prominent ones who are well-fleshed out. Thanks #NetGalley and #Forever - #GrandCentralPublishing for introducing me to not just characters I could root for but the delightful town of Bloom. I'll definitely be on the lookout for more books by this author.