Libby Page’s 2026 novel, This Book Made Me Think of You, blends the conventions of the grief romance and bibliophilic romance genres. The story centers on Matilda “Tilly” Nightingale, a young editor who has stopped reading after the death of her husband, Joe. Her life changes when she receives a posthumous gift from him: One book per month for a year, delivered by Alfie Lane, the quiet manager of her local bookstore. As Tilly engages with Joe’s curated selections, she begins to navigate her sorrow and finds a new connection with Alfie and the community centered around his shop. The novel explores key themes including The Nonlinear and Individualized Nature of Grief, The Healing Power of Community and Connection, and Books as Agents of Personal Growth.

This guide refers to the 2026 Berkley edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide contain depictions of illness and death.

Plot Summary

On January 5, London bookseller Alfie Lane prepares to make a difficult phone call from his shop, Book Lane, to fulfill a promise made to a customer a year prior. Meanwhile, Matilda “Tilly” Nightingale, a senior editor at Splash Books, receives the call from Alfie while at the dentist. He informs her of an order placed by her husband, Joe Carter, who died six months earlier.

Confused and shocked, Tilly goes to the bookshop. Alfie explains that Joe arranged for her to receive one book per month for a year, starting on her birthday, January 5. He gives her the first parcel but, per Joe’s instructions, refuses to give her all 12 at once. Angry, Tilly snatches the book and leaves.

At her cottage, which is still filled with Joe’s belongings, Tilly remembers meeting Joe in a bookshop. He was an American who did not read, but they connected instantly. They were engaged to be married when he was diagnosed with cancer, and although they went through with the wedding, they never went on their honeymoon. She opens the parcel and finds a copy of Roald Dahl’s Matilda (1988) and a letter from Joe, encouraging her to start reading again, a passion she abandoned after his diagnosis. Initially resistant, Tilly eventually reads the book in one sitting and rediscovers the joy of stories.

The following month, after not hearing from Tilly, Alfie worries about his promise. At work, Tilly is assigned a high-profile memoir with her estranged friend, Rachel Harding, as the ghostwriter. Tilly’s sister, Harper, visits and urges her to clear out Joe’s things, which Tilly resists. A memory surfaces of her mother-in-law, Ellen Carter, telling Joe that Tilly was too “bookish” for their family.

Inspired by Matilda, Tilly visits the children’s section of her local library, where she runs into Alfie. He gently reminds her that her February book is waiting. They walk back to Book Lane together, and Tilly apologizes for her earlier behavior. Alfie shares that his father has also died.

At the shop, Tilly meets Alfie’s colleagues, Prudence and Blue, and receives her February book, Delia Smith’s 2009 book Delia’s Complete How to Cook. Joe’s letter encourages her to cook for herself. She makes macaroni and cheese, which triggers a memory of Joe building her a reading den and making the same meal to comfort her. She then builds a pillow fort for herself.

In March, Tilly collects Beach Read (2020) by Emily Henry. Joe’s letter reveals a surprise: He rebooked their honeymoon in Bali, which they cancelled after his diagnosis, for Tilly and Harper. In Bali, Harper pushes Tilly to have a holiday fling. At a karaoke bar, Tilly breaks down while trying to sing and flees to the beach, where she and Harper reconcile after Tilly asks her to stop trying to “fix” her grief.

In April, after receiving a large inheritance from Joe, Tilly quits her job. Her next book is Ernest Hemmingway’s A Moveable Feast (1964), and Joe’s letter hints at a surprise at the Shakespeare and Company bookshop in Paris. Inspired, Tilly books a three-week solo trip.

In Paris, a bookseller named Cécile gives Tilly a package from Joe containing a first edition of Ludwig Bemelmans’s Madeline (1939). Cécile invites her to a book event on grief, where the author’s words deeply resonate with Tilly. Afterward, she joins Cécile and other attendees, who have all experienced loss, and they form a supportive WhatsApp group called the “Paris Grief Gang.”

In May, Tilly collects her next book, Haruki Murakami’s What I Talk About When I Talk About Running (2007). Mistakenly believing Alfie and Blue are a couple, she suppresses her growing attraction to him. Inspired by the book, she signs herself and Harper up for a half-marathon. While training, she nearly collides with Alfie on his bike. She confides in him about her difficult relationship with Ellen, and he offers comfort.

In June, Tilly receives Margareta Magnusson’s 2017 book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. She attempts to sort Joe’s belongings but is overwhelmed by memories. She attends the Book Lane book club, and afterward, she and Alfie clean up together. He reveals that the shop belonged to his late father, and he gave up his own plans to take it over after his father’s sudden death.

In July, Tilly and Harper attend a pasta-making course in Tuscany over the anniversary of Joe’s death. Harper confesses that she and her boyfriend, Raj, have been engaged for a year. The trip ends in a major argument when Tilly discovers Harper secretly created a dating profile for her. Tilly leaves Tuscany early and cuts off contact with her sister.

In August, Tilly’s book is Helene Hanff’s Letter from New York (1992). She travels to Connecticut to visit Joe’s parents for his birthday. She and Ellen have a heart-to-heart and reconcile. Ellen reveals that Joe had decided to stay in London for Tilly, just as Tilly had secretly been planning to move to New York for him. The family scatters Joe’s ashes on the lake. Tilly then spends a few days in New York, where she runs into Liz Cohen, a publisher who previously offered her a job. Back in London, Tilly receives Harper’s wedding invitation and finally begins to clear Joe’s belongings.

In September, Tilly’s book is about wild camping. Alfie teaches her to pitch a tent. She and Rachel go on a camping trip to Scotland, where they endure a storm and fully reconcile after Rachel explains that her own past trauma with cancer is why she withdrew during Joe’s illness. Alfie surprises Tilly by picking her up from the airport and cooking her dinner when she returns.

In October, Liz Cohen offers Tilly a senior editor position in New York. Blue suggests Alfie and Tilly explore London together, inspired by her October book, a city guidebook. On their day out, Tilly learns Alfie is single, making their dynamic awkward. The half-marathon marks a turning point for Tilly and Harper. When Tilly injures her ankle near the end, Harper helps her walk the final miles, allowing them to talk through their issues and fully reconcile as they cross the finish line together.

In November, Alfie learns that the building housing Book Lane is for sale, and he cannot afford to buy it. He announces the shop’s closure. Tilly posts on social media about her “year of books” (11), and the shop’s plight goes viral. She and Alfie appear on television, where they almost kiss in the backstage waiting room before Alfie pulls away.

Tilly invites Alfie to be her date to Harper’s wedding. At the reception, they share a passionate kiss on a balcony. Immediately after, Alfie learns from Raj about Tilly’s New York job offer and, assuming she is leaving, departs abruptly.

Tilly arrives at Book Lane in early December to find a “CLOSING DOWN SALE” sign. The shop will close on Christmas Eve, and Alfie has retreated to his flat. On the shop’s final day, a huge crowd gathers. At the end of the day, John from the Paris Grief Gang announces that he is buying the building and will keep Alfie on as a tenant.

Alone with Alfie in the shop, Tilly tells him that she has turned down the New York job to start a freelance editing career. They confess their feelings and kiss. Alfie presents his own gift to her: a new “year of books” (393). That evening, Tilly opens her final book from Joe, a blank journal. His last letter encourages her to write her own next chapter.

Six months later, an Epilogue reveals Tilly is writing a literary travel column for The Times. A postcard from Kefalonia, Greece, pinned to the noticeboard at Book Lane, is signed from both Tilly and Alfie, confirming they are traveling together.