Freya Sampson

Refined rating: 3.75 ⭐

This developed from 'I'm not sure if I can put up with this much longer, most the characters are just infuriating' - not you, Arthur; nor you, Ash - through 'I'm mildly intrigued' to 'now I'm invested and the characters are actually [kind of] alright, well, most of them'.

However, there are enough irritating characters left at the end of the book, even though one of them (Craig) gets a quarter of a redemption moment. I still think he's a massive duckhead. There's also show more his mum, Pamela - who should've been named Sharon or Karen, seriously.

That said, Arthur was charming enough to pull me in and keep me reading, and a couple of the other, more irritating characters, softened up over the course of the book. I wasn't a fan of Phyllis when the book started, but she grew on me massively the more her [personal] story arc developed. And our FMC Nora is ... complicated. I don't like doormats, especially not female doormats, but I [kind of] get why she behaves the way she does, and I appreciate where her story is going in the end. She still managed to drive me up the walls a few times, but it wasn't too bad, all in all.

The mysteries were intriguing and fun, with a few red herrings, and all the shebang any solid mystery novel needs (even though I had a hunch who the main culprit right after the initial incident occurred*).

Was it cosy? Well, that depends how irritating you'll find the cast, I guess. Or if you enjoy being irritated by characters in your entertainment of choice (I don't - I constantly get irritated IRL by people, I don't need that in my entertainment that's meant for relaxation, tyvm). Thus my verdict is: cosy-ish. It certainly was decidedly British, which is something I love and enjoy. There is hardly any better [cosy] mystery than a British [cosy] mystery.

If mysteries like Thursday Murder Club or Knives Out/Glass Onion are your thing, I'm quite sure you'll have a jolly good time with this one as well.

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* You might want to ignore that. I've always been exceptional at recognising patterns (it's part of the AuDHD deal, or so I've learned), and for a long time I didn't enjoy reading mystery or crime novels because of that. I usually knew "who dun it" after a couple of chapters. Which resulted in me finding them rather boring. These days I concentrate on the characters, the atmosphere, and the hows of them - the "how did they do it?" as well as the "how will they find out?". One gets older and wiser, or so one hopes. 😄 Even in reading - and writing - it is [more] about the journeys, not [so much] about the destinations. show less

I needed a sweet and swift alternative to the pretentious wankery that was Babel and this chick-lit-filler fit the bill perfectly! The plot is very much Hallmark does Mrs Caldicot's Cabbage War but I loved the characters, the humour and the heart. The brash Mrs B and sweet Stanley were two of my favourites, but WOW, do I feel seen, as the kids say, with June!

From the blurb, I knew I would like the story because I used to work in a library, but resigned when I was told I would have to take show more part in storytime/rhyme time with young children. No, thank you! I protested that kids can smell fear and only people who enjoy taking on parental duties should interact with them, but we reached a stalemate and so I left. Imagine, then, meeting shy and bookish June, who lives in her mother's house and prefers reading to venturing outdoors, being forced to take on a room full of kids (and their carers): 'What kind of library assistant couldn’t take a simple children’s session without almost crying?' I had an actual flashback to ten years ago and it wasn't pretty. We even share the same hair issues: 'She’d plucked up the courage to have it cut a month ago, and now she had a cropped curly bob, too short to ever tie in a bun again.'

June, however, is a fictional character who gets a happy ending, a better job and an inheritance. I can but dream! PTSD aside, I really enjoyed my time in Chalcot, and recognised some of the more positive elements of working in a library (mainly the books, I have to admit). Great writing, likeable characters and a slightly predictable but constantly entertaining story. show less

The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson seems like it's going to be light chick-lit about libraries, but turns into a profound meditation on loneliness, a spirited defense of the connective and egalitarian nature of the library as a center of community, and a relatable portrait of grief and regret... and then it punches you right in the feels. Yeah sure, there's a romance in there, but it isn't even the most important relationship. Excellent, but bring tissues!

I picked up Most Ardently Yours by Freya Sampson purely for the vibes and stayed for the absolute chaos.

We’re following Zoe, who’s an aspiring writer but has fully given up on her dream…while her trash ex is out here getting celebrated for his book.

She’s working at a literary-themed café reading romance instead of writing it... until she steals a very magical copy of Pride and Prejudice from a grumpy (but hot) bookstore owner… Nick. Because after reading it out loud.... a man show more claiming to be Fitzwilliam Darcy literally shows up in full Regency attire. And from there it's unhinged. In the best way.

We get Darcy discovering reality TV, chaotic hijinks, literary magic AND somehow… a love triangle where you’re torn between actual Darcy and a grumpy man who doesn’t believe in romance. And listen you do have to suspend disbelief a little, especially in the third act…but if you just go with it?
This is FUN.

At its core, it’s really about falling back in love with stories, with writing, and maybe even believing in your own happily ever after again.

Thanks to Zando, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Netgalley for the gifted galley. show less