Freya Sampson Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Freya Sampson is a USA Today bestselling English author of romance, contemporary, and fiction books. She is best known for her novels The Lost Ticket and The Last Chance Library. Before switching to full-time writing, she worked as an executive producer for Channel 4. She is a Cambridge University graduate with a history degree and a Faber Academy graduate. She’s a London resident living with her husband, their two kids, and an antisocial cat.

The Last Chance Library

This standalone story centers around the life of a library assistant and her unwavering zeal to fight for her local library under the threat of getting shut down. June Jones, the protagonist, is the library assistant who never left her hometown and still lives in the same home where she spent her childhood years, even after her mom died.

Her mother worked for the same library, and June inherited everything, including her library maintenance skills. Even though she’s a quiet and shy woman, everyone in the community loves her, and she’s always willing to help the locals pick the best books based on their preferences. She works dayshift, and she enjoys reading books at night, living a quiet and isolated life. But for June, everything is about to change.

At a local town meeting, the people are informed that the local libraries are bound to get shut down due to a lack of funds. It’s imminent that the Chalcot Library won’t be spared either, and many of the local folks who spend most of their time in the library decide to retaliate and fight the possible closure. June is on their side, but since she’s got a job at the library, she is threatened with getting fired if she sides with the group. At first, she steps back, despite the cries for help from the patrons she’s known all her life. However, June is forced to drop her fears and join in to help the group when the heat turns up.

We are then introduced to Alex Chen, Jen’s boyhood school friend who returns to the rural town to help his father, and a slow-burning romance begins between the two. He’s the man who convinces June to fight, for he strongly believes in her and shares the idea that she should fight for what she believes in. But soon, June finds herself slowly falling in love with Alex, especially after he helps her overcome her anxiety. Still, she mistakenly thinks that Alex has a girlfriend, and their relationship takes backstage. Will June realize the truth about Alex and win him back?

Freya Sampson does a fantastic job creating a story that incorporates romance and the theme of fighting for what one believes in through her protagonist, June. Alex is a lawyer and secretly helps the group fight against library closure. Sampson also brilliantly wove quirky supporting characters who loved June and were her daily clients at the library.

The overall story is both heartwarming and humorous. Freya Sampson illustrates the importance of libraries in the community- as a place to research, study, get information from books, hang out and talk to people.
The diverse set of characters, including Vera, Marjorie, and Chantal, are all intriguing as they try their all to help prevent the closure of the local library. It also includes behind-the-scenes themes of corruption and how some of the most powerful forces around us play an important role in determining what happens in the society.

The Lost Ticket

The Lost Ticket is a sweet, uplifting, and inspiring story. We meet 29-year-old Libby, who’s been dumped by her boyfriend of 8 years. Not only did Libby work for him at his business, and he thinks it was a good idea for her to move out of their home and, at the same time, take a forced leave from work. With nowhere to go and without any source of income, she moves to live with her sister’s family.

She boards the number 88 bus, where she comes across 82-year-old Frank. He spent most of his life in the film industry and established a successful career, but there’s someone Franks wants to thank. Someone he never forgot from the time they met sixty years ago. The person was a young woman he met on the number 88 bus, and he was sure he wanted to get to know her better. The woman gave him her phone number written on the ticket stub, and the two made arrangements to tour the National Gallery art museum.

Unfortunately, their plans never matured as Frank lost the ticket, and that was the last time he ever saw the woman. He had thought about the woman over the years and even searched for her whenever he visited the town. Now that he’s retired, he rides the same bus every day in hopes that he will see her again.

With her red hair and her plans of attending art school before her parents ruined her plans, Libby sparks the memories Frank had of his girl on the bus. With a grieving and heartbroken heart, Libby vows to find the woman and inform her of the impact she had on Frank’s life. And to help her in her search is Dylan, a hooligan she meets. Along the way, we get the chance to meet with other supporting characters, reminding us that it’s the everyday people and events that make life meaningful.

Freya Simpson does a fantastic job of creating a story that has depth to its characters. It’s a story that gives meaning to life, showing that kindness is everywhere, only if you don’t wear blindfolds to people who appear different from what you think is right. And an encounter with a stranger can transform one’s life for the best. The sweetness in this story is unique and not the sugary too sweet type; instead, it’s one that’s both satisfying and inspiring.

The Lost Ticket is a perfect reminder that good people exist in the world, people who put the needs of others first.