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Comparative form is lieber. This is how we study usually :
gern, lieber, am liebsten
On this site , it's given: https://www.verbformen.com/declension/adjectives/lieb.htm
lieb, lieber, am liebsten
So, which one is the correct version?
Additional question, lieber means prefer and rather. Hence, I think it is adverb. But, I have come across the question and answer in B1 Netzwerk book wherein lieber is considered as adjective in comparative form.
Both versions are correct. We encounter here two words that happen to have the same comparative:
You are right, »gern« is an adverb, and it belongs to the very small class of comparable adverbs. The vast majority of adverbs is uncomparable. Only four adverbs can be compared.
There are only two adverbs in German language that have regular comparison forms:
wohl – wohler – am wohlsten
oft - öfter - am öftesten
It is a matter of discussion if »öfter« and »am öftesten« are part of standard German. But they exist in colloquial German.
The other two comparable adverbs are:
bald – eher – am ehesten
»Bald« has borrowed its comparative and superlative form the word »ehe« which today is only used as a subjunction (»Du must gehen, ehe meine Frau heimkommt.«) but in earlier times also was used as an adverb (outdated: »Aus dem ehe schmächtig Jüngling ward ein stattlich Herr.«)
gern – lieber – am liebsten
Also this adverb has borrowed its comparative and superlative form another word, but in this case this other word is still in use. It is - as you found out - the adjective (not adverb!) »lieb«.
