Paper Hearts
Paper Hearts
Courtney Walsh
Tyndale
Abigail Pressman would never have guessed that love notes penned on paper hearts by an anonymous couple could restore her belief in love. As a business owner in a quaint town at the base of the Rockies, she's poured everything into dreams of expansion . . . and resisting the matchmaking efforts of the Valentine Volunteers, who gather in her store to continue Loves Park's tradition of stamping mail with the city's romantic postmark.When Abigail is unwillingly drafted into the Volunteers, she encounters the paper hearts, a distraction that couldn't come at a worse time. A hard-to-read doctor has become Abigail's new landlord, and he's threatening to end her lease to expand his practice.As she fights a growing attraction to this handsome man crushing her dreams, Abigail is inspired to string the hearts in her store, sparking a citywide infatuation with the artsy trend. But when a new batch of hearts reaches the Volunteers, it appears something tragic has happened to the couple. Will uncovering their story confirm Abigail's doubts about love, or could it rescue her dreams . . . and her heart?
I'm not usually a fan of contemporary romance, but something about this cover attracted me (I think it was the colors), and I have been in a bit of a "chick flick" mood lately, so reading a book equivalent to that was kind of appealing to me at the moment. :)
I'm coming to the conclusion that all chick lit books remind me of Hallmark Channel movies. This one wasn't really as cheesy as I was expecting- it went deeper that I thought it would be- but it still had that "feel." It was a little reminiscent of You've Got Mail, as well. In fact, for the first half of the book I was really enjoying it. (also, there were two characters named Cecily and Gwen- The Importance of Being Earnest, anybody???)
By saying that I enjoyed the first half I'm not implying that the book spiraled downhill at the end or anything. It's just that I felt like it got too long; instead of falling in love with the characters the more I got to know them, I started to get a little tired of them. The whole "do-I-like-you-or-do-I-hate-you" thing felt like it was dragged out and I grew extremely frustrated with the way the male lead let a certain character completely run his life and trample over him. A few bits seemed a little inconsistent in regards to the characters, and while this book started off as a pleasant, perfect Valentine's Day read, I was tired of it by the time it was over.
It wasn't a bad book, and it took me a little while to be coherent with my reasons why I didn't like this book at the end as much as I liked it in the beginning. I'm sure many will enjoy it and it was charming. While it wasn't my favorite, if you're a fan of Christian romance, this is one you'll probably want to put on your list.
objectionable content: there is one kissing scene and *SPOILER* mention of a character who committed suicide*END OF SPOILER*
Rating: 7
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks for the review, Hayden! I'm definitely curious about this one and now I own a copy, I'll have to read it. :)
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