The Secrets of Paper and Ink

GIVEAWAY

HARREL, LINDSAY
THE SECRET OF PAPER AND INK

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

A 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. Sophie 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 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 Review:

Interesting to note: By a whim of library randomness, I ended up with two very similar books, both were due back in a matter of days. I had to read them right away or risk going back on a long waiting list. The books? The Printed Letter Bookshop (reviewed yesterday) and The Secrets of Paper and Ink. Now I love a good bookcentric novel but I would have ideally preferred to spread them out rather than reading them back to back. But library due dates wait for no reader so I dived into a reading marathon and was pleasantly surprised to discover two uniquely different stories that tugged at my heartstrings and gave me lots to ponder.

My heart is still in full tilt-a-whirl motion as I sit down to try to share my thoughts on The Secrets of Paper and Ink. Have to say right off that it's indefinable. As in indescribably good. Harrel breaks boundaries and barriers with this utterly compelling story! Is it women's fiction? Yes! Is it contemporary romance? Yes! Is it historical romance? Yes! So, for readers who love a little romance in their women's fiction, this author delivers that and so much more!

The bookstore angle set me into twitterpated swoons of ecstasy! And it provides the perfect backdrop for this exceptional tale of love and loss and second chances. Set in present day, but linked to the past through letters and journals, Harrel meshes three women's lives into a glorious crescendo of healing and hope.

Three heroines. Three redemptive stories. Tough issues told with depth and compassion. Sophia, Ginny and Emily are overcomers. I felt instantly connected with each of them and read most of the book with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. I felt my way through pages of grief and guilt and fear but not into despair. Because...this...

"...I forge on through life, allowing my experiences and the Light within to shine ever brighter. For I am not the sum total of my experiences. I am much, much more because the Light has claimed me." (p 299)

Profound and compelling and so relevant. These characters and their stories have a permanent place in my heart and I was transformed right along with them. You can't ask more from a novel than that, can you?

"Life is more than a beginning, a middle, and an end. It's about the countless moments woven in between the lines, the growth, the pruning. Take these flowers, for example. I can't just sit around waiting for them to decide if they want to bloom or die. Growth won't happen without a little intervention. They were designed to bloom, yes, but circumstances and a harsh environment sometimes make it impossible for them to flower on their own. They can't prune themselves. And you can't prune yourself, dear." (p 201)

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Secret of Paper and Ink, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday July 13 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!