Book Recommendation – Hearts in Circulation by Sarah Monzon

Book Description:

Can a rundown bookmobile be the vehicle that brings two unlikely hearts together?

Little Creek’s bookmobile is more of a death trap on wheels than a vehicle of literary delights, and circulation librarian Hayley Holt is afraid it’s going to careen down a mountainside with her in it. Yet she sees it as a way to serve her community and be worthy of the liver transplant that saved her life as a child. However, her fears come true when the bookmobile breaks down and a rockslide traps her in the small hollow of Turkey Grove.

Reclusive mechanic Levi Redding lives in tiny Turkey Grove to get away from people. He can handle getting the bookmobile running again, but the endless chatter and unsettling touches from the vibrant librarian leave him overstimulated. When forced proximity leads to a misunderstanding, a note of apology begins an epistolary friendship, proving that sometimes the happiest of endings aren’t contained within the bindings of a book.

Sarah Monzon pens a charming contemporary rom-com for fans of books about books, the forced-proximity and grumpy-sunshine tropes, and pen-pal romances.

Narelle’s Thoughts:

I enjoyed reading Hearts in Circulation, the second book in Sarah Monzon’s Checking Out Love series set in Tennessee. Hayley is a small town librarian who has the job of driving the old bookmobile donated to the library by the mayor. Her maiden journey in the bookmobile doesn’t go according plan. Mechanical issues and a natural disaster leave Hayley stranded in a small and remote mountain town.

Levi is a reclusive mechanic who rescues Hayley and the bookmobile. He has sensory issues and prefers to avoid people. Their meet cute is charming and memorable. He’s grumpy for a reason and she’s the sunshine extrovert who challenges him to move outside his comfort zone. Hayley has her own emotional baggage to unpack. Their romance is sweet and I loved how their shared love of literature led to adorable communications via notes and letters.

I recommend Hearts in Circulation to contemporary romance readers who like opposites attract and grump sunshine romances with forced proximity, instalove, bookish characters, and relevant faith elements in the story.