Published 25th June 2026 by Orion.
From the cover of the book:
After a series of dating disasters, Tess Hardy wonders if she'll ever find the man of her dreams - or if he only exists on the pages of her favourite novels. So when she's invited to visit The Love Library, a 200-hundred-year-old institution which promises dates with her favourite romantic heroes in real life, Tess can't resist!
But handsome head librarian Gabe Sharma seems grumpily determined to keep the library under lock and key. And as soon as Tess steps into the beautiful building crammed full of books, she realises why - it's not just dust in the air... it's magic. Here she really can grab drinks with Heathcliff, dine with Rochester and cosy up to her one true literary love, Darcy.
There's just one problem: Gabe. He's determined to sabotage all of Tess's dates! And why is it that she has more fun fighting with Gabe than flirting with any of her book-bound suitors...?
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Tess Hardy is just about ready to give up on love. A broken heart, and endless disastrous dates have shown her that no one can live up to the standards her book boyfriends have led her to expect, especially her perfect man Fitzwilliam Darcy, from the pages of her favourite Jane Austen book, Pride and Prejudice. Her work life is not much better. Writing tedious advertorials is very far from the career as a features writer she was hoping for eight years ago.
When Tess gets an unexpected invitation to try out a brand new dating experience at The Love Library, based in a 200-year-old institution that claims to offer the chance to date heroes from romantic literature, she is intrigued. This might just be a way to solve her dating problems, and give her something to write about a bit more worthy than ergonomic walking shoes.
Philosophy lecturer Gabe Sharma has inherited the job of Head Librarian at Sharma's Academic Library, a post he is required to share with his feisty twin sister Ella. As much as he loves his sister, their ideas about finding ways to save the 200-year-old building and its precious contents are most definitely not on the same page. He is pretty sure Ella's new initiative, The Love Library, is not the answer, in fact he thinks it will be a disaster, and is determined to find a way to sabotage it.
The story unfurls from the perspectives of Tess and Gabe, as Gabe sets about making sure Tess' dates with the great and not-necessarily-good male icons from romantic literature go awry. Cue the most hilarious rom-com ever to spring from the very talented pen of Sarra Manning, pitting real life against literature's classic love stories.
Tess discovers that the swoon-worthy male characters she has hither-to thought of as romantic are not really fitted to modern dating - especially the likes of Heathcliffe, Rochester, and Oliver Mellors - but she still holds out great hopes for her hero-in-tight-breeches himself, Mr Darcy, even when she finds herself developing feelings for grumpy Gabe. Meanwhile, Gabe realises he is becoming attracted to Tess too, and that he has a lot of work to do on the romance front if he stands any chance against the ultimate love rival, Darcy.
Manning's Love Library concept is absolute genius. The glorious thread of magical realism, celebrating classic love stories, weaves deliciously through a sizzling romance between Tess and Gabe that is filled with heat. If you worship at the altar of Jane Austen and the classics, you will find this a delight, especially the Pride and Prejudice theme - and there is plenty to tickle the fancy of lovers of contemporary romance books, films, and popular culture too. The love story themes are given fabulous depth through Tess' struggles with self-confidence, and Gabe's enlightenment when it comes to the struggle between head and heart, and there is also oodles of stuff about friendship, family, and coming to terms with the past.
I had already bought a copy of this book, as Sarra Manning is an auto-buy for me, but actually ended up listening to the excellent audio book narrated by Imogen Wilde - which turned out to be one of my favourite listens of the year. Imogen's narration is spot on, whether she is voicing Tess, Gabe, or troublesome heroes of literature. A must if cleverly wrought rom-coms in audio format are your bag.
I cannot remember the last time I chuckled so much at a rom-com, and still found myself reduced to a sobbing mess when the ending rolled around. There really are not enough superlatives to describe how wonderful this is. Get yourself to The Love Library now!
The Love Library is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.
Thank you to Orion for granting me access to the audio version of this book, via Netgalley. I also purchased the paperback.
About the author:
Sarra Manning has been a voracious reader for over forty years and a prolific author and journalist for thirty.
Her many novels, which have been translated into numerous languages, include Unsticky, London With Love and The Last Days Of Summer. Sarra has also written a number of YA novels, and several light-hearted romantic comedies under a pseudonym.
She started her writing career on the iconic Melody Maker and Just Seventeen and has written for The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, ELLE, Grazia, Stylist, You Magazine and Harper's Bazaar. She is currently the Literary Editor of Red Magazine.
Sarra lives in London surrounded by piles and piles of books.
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