Hearts in Circulation

A stalled bookmobile sparks unlikely chemistry between a bubbly librarian and a curmudgeonly mechanic in this charming contemporary from Monzon (Checking Out Love). Since receiving a liver transplant at 12, Hayley Holt has been determined to “pay it forward.” Now 29, she’s eager to start her library’s bookmobile program serving nearby rural areas of Tennessee. Problems begin on her very first run when the bookmobile’s engine quits and a rockslide blocks her return route. The local mechanic—tall, stoic Levi Redding—says she’ll have to wait until the road’s cleared and begrudgingly invites her to stay in his spare room until then. Things get off to a rough start: Hayley’s constant chatter irritates Levi, whose sensory issues make it hard for him to spend extended periods of time with people. The pair begin communicating via letters left around the house, leading Levi to share more about his sensory processing challenges and Hayley to open up about her survivor’s guilt, faith struggles, and fears of needing a new transplant. Despite some clichéd prose (“Her future no longer had to be shadowed by ominous dark clouds”), the letters add a charmingly old-fashioned twist to the grumpy/sunshine trope. Bookworms will find the balance of heart and humor hard to resist. (Nov.)