Review: The Secrets of Paper and Ink by Lindsay Harrel

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About:

Brought together by a charming bookstore in England, three women fight to defy expectations, dream new dreams, and welcome love into their lives. 

As a counselor, Sophia Barrett is trained to help people cope with their burdens. But when she meets a new patient whose troubles mirror her own, she realizes she hasn’t dealt with the pain of her recent past. After making a snap decision to get away for the summer, Sophia moves overseas to an apartment above a charming bookstore in Cornwall, England. She is hopeful she will find peace there surrounded by her favorite thing: great literature. 

Bookstore owner Ginny Rose is desperate to save her business without asking for help from a husband who’s decided to take a break from their marriage. Ginny never imagined she’d be solely responsible for keeping afloat her husband’s dream, but the unexpected friendship with her new renter has her feeling more optimistic. Between the two of them—and Ginny’s brother-in-law, William—the bookstore might stand a chance. 

Then Sophia finds a notebook in the bookstore that contains journal entries from Emily Fairfax, a governess who lived in Cornwall more than 150 years ago. Sophia learns that Emily harbored a secret passion for becoming an authoress—as well as a deep love for her childhood friend, Edward, whose station she dared not dream to touch. 

Eager to know more of Emily’s story, Sophia goes on a quest—dragging Ginny and William with her—to discover the heart of the woman behind the beautiful entries. Soon Ginny’s need to save the bookstore becomes more than a way to save her marriage, and Sophia finds new purpose of her own. Together they find that sometimes both heartache and hope can reach across the centuries.

My Thoughts:

First off, I think that The Secrets of Paper and Ink is my favorite book title, ever. There is just something so mysterious about it and as I read the story within, the title kept running through my head. What are these secrets? Do they have some sort of power? Do they change someone’s destiny?

This story is about three women, the lives they have lived, the ones they have dreamed about, and the reality. Two present day women who meet each other at pivotal moments of their lives and gain a beautiful sisterly friendship. The third woman is from the past. Her name is Emily and her story has been found and it has enraptured the attention of Sophia Barrett a counselor who has been through some very traumatic life moments.  Sophia is a lover of books, stories and she has decided to take a long overdue break from her life and do something out of the box to distance herself from her past, business, and memories. She decides to rent a room at a bookstore in Cornwall and help out by working in it.

Ginny Rose is the bookstore owner, who is living her husband’s dream not hers. She is an American who came as a newlywed with stars in her eyes and a deep love for her husband. And then he changed his mind.

As Ginny and Sophia become friends each open up about what is going on in their lives. Their men in their lives give this story a touch of romance and a hope for new beginnings when previous dreams have been shattered. What really pulls this group of people together is saving the bookstore and Emily’s forgotten story. I really enjoyed going into the past Cornwall and seeing the trials that Emily had to overcome in her family and the hard choices she had to make about love.

This story ended the only way it could, beautifully and is certainly one for the keeper shelf. Full of heart and friendship and deep abiding love, it is one that will stick with me for a long time.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

(Please Note: I will repost this review on March 7th along with a tour giveaway)