Another thing I don't like: there is a scene toward the end (it may actually be an epilogue, or a last chapter) where Simon's cousin asks him to do something (I'll avoid spoilers). Simon, the far more likable secondary character in the romance, finds it endearing. Annoying, condescending, and a know-it-all. Let's start with the main character, Elliott. What did I find distasteful about it? I'm glad you asked. I must not have been paying attention, though, because on a second listen, I had a wildly different opinion and this ended up being the only book (so far) that I've ever 'demoted' into the generic directory. The Little Library originally went into the middle category I remember being pretty satisfied with my first listen, though I wouldn't have put it into my favorite category, either. Probably like many audiobook listeners, I tend to arrange the files I download into tiers: I have a directory for all the generic books I probably won't read again, another for books that are worth a second or third read, and then a directory for my favorites books I consider absolute classics. His books have plenty to tell him about history, but they give him no clues about a future with Simon. While romance blooms quickly between them, Elliott's not willing to live in the closet, and his best career prospects might take him far away. The project puts him in touch with his neighbors - for better and worse - and introduces him to handsome, charming Simon. In an attempt to manage his overflowing book collection, Elliott builds a miniature neighborhood library in his front yard. While his shattered knee recovers, he rethinks his job prospects and searches for the courage to come out to his close-knit but conservative extended family. Simon Odisho has lost a job as well - to a bullet that sidelined his career in law enforcement. He took shelter in his rural California hometown, where he teaches online classes, hoards books, and despairs of his future.

Elliott Thompson was once a historian with a promising academic future, but his involvement in a scandal meant a lost job, public shame, and a ruined love life.

Rattlesnake by kim fielding