The Secret of Paper and Ink
By Lindsey Harrel
5 stars!

Book blurb:
A year after the death of her abusive fiancé, domestic violence counselor Sophia Barrett finds returning to work too painful. She escapes to Cornwall, England—a place she’s learned to love through the words of her favorite author—and finds a place to stay with the requirement that she help out in the bookstore underneath the room she’s renting. Given her love of all things literary, it seems like the perfect place to find peace.

Ginny Rose is an American living in Cornwall, sure that if she saves the bookstore she co-owns with her husband then she can save her marriage as well. Fighting to keep the first place she feels like she belongs, she brainstorms with her brother-in-law, William, and Sophia to try to keep the charming bookstore afloat.

More than 150 years before, governess Emily Fairfax knew two things for certain: she wanted to be a published author, and she was in love with her childhood best friend. But he was a wealthy heir and well out of her league. Sophia discovers Emily’s journals, and she and William embark on a mission to find out more about this mysterious and determined woman, all the while getting closer to each other as they get closer to the truth.

The lives of the three women intertwine as each learns the power she has over the story of her life.

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The heart of a writer bleeds onto these pages like ink onto paper.
Lindsey Harrel does it again by writing real characters, with real flaws, that need a very real Lord and Savior.
Finding your worth in Jesus is what rings true in this novel.
With a dual timeline we get to watch as Sophia and Ginny research Emily and we gain insight firsthand as we travel back to the 1800s to watch Emily as its happening.
Of the three main characters I was most intrigued by Emily. The author did a great job at the historical part of the book. I felt immersed in the time period and it had a Jane Eyre vibe to it.
I enjoyed traveling to Cornwall in this book and love that a lot of time is spent inside a bookstore! A sign of a good author is when i need to put the book down to look up more about Cornwall and a certain author that a main character says is her favorite. And the gentlemen in this book is swoon worthy without going to far.

I highly recommend this book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A delightful book that kept me utterly enthralled until the very end. I loved how it wove 3 story lines together, 2 from the present and one from the past. I also liked the character development. Each character had her own struggles and grew from them. There were a few things I wasn't overly fond of but overall it was a well written engaging book.

This is the second novel written by Lindsay Harrel I've read this year. I love how her characters are compelling young women who are just discovering how strong they truly are. The Secrets of Paper and Ink was a great read that kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed the perspective from three different women's viewpoints and how the story took the reader from the 1800's to the present and wove together the stories of these three women. I enjoyed the descriptive scenery from England. I highly recommend this book, especially to any women who may be experiencing a lot of life change recently.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Sometimes forgiveness is the most difficult thing a person can do. Forgiving others...and forgiving ourselves. In this story, Sophia, a women's therapist and book lover, is trying to move on from her abusive fiance's death, but being in the same places every day is making that very difficult. She decides to take the summer, leave Phoenix, Arizona and go to Cornwall, England to visit the place her favorite author wrote about. She finds an apartment to stay in, above a book store no less, and is required to help out while she's there.

Ginny Rose co-owns the bookstore Rosebud Books with her husband who has left her "to figure some things out" and desperately needs help. Her store isn't generating enough money to sustain itself and the bank has just denied Ginny a loan to help her get on her feet. So the arrival of Sophia, who has many great idea's of how to help, is perfect timing!

While going through piles of old books that have been donated or sold to the store, Sophia finds a notebook with a story written by someone named Emily Fairfax. Sophia is instantly hooked and decides to see if she, along with Ginny's brother-in-law and lit professor William, can find out more about the story, Emily, and why she feels such a connection and familiarity to the words in the notebook. As they search for Emily, Sophia opens up to William and the two become close.

Although this all takes place within a three month period, their relationship feels very organic and not rushed. The beauty of friendship is a very strong theme of this book along with the pull we can feel from words on a page. It's a connection to another person, sometimes a person who lived long ago! I really enjoyed this story. It grabbed my interest right away and I never felt like the story slowed. I couldn't wait to see if they would find out who Emily Fairfax was, if Sophia and William would figure out a way to stay together, if Ginny would keep the bookstore or move on to her real love of culinary school.

A wonderful, heart-warming story! I look forward to what comes next from Lindsay Harrel!

I received a complementary of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Interesting read set mainly in Cornwall, with the chapters flitting between the modern day stories of Ginny and Sophia, and the historic story of Emily. Well written and easy to keep track of what was happening, although it was fairly easy to work out Emily alter-ego early on in the book.

Lizzy started writing her novel despite it not being acceptable for anyone let alone women in this time in England. Her best friend, a man several steps above her social means. A century later, another woman, Sophia tries to get beyond her fiance's violent behavior toward her. She wants to return to her counseling position at a women's center. Unable to accomplish this she searches online to find a position to work with books, her other great interest. Our third lady, is from Cornwall, England. Ginny is running her husband's used bookstore. He has left her yet she feels if the bookstore succeeds, he may return to her. Sophia connects with Ginny and her brother's -in-law to pull the store and the women's lives back together. In an old box of book donations Sophia discovers Lizzy's unpublished novel.

sat down to read this book and meant to only read a few pages.  And I just kept reading! I was captivated by the letters that were exchanged between Emily and Edward in the beginning of the book.   Jumping into Sophia's modern day story was equally as captivating!  Sophia's situation was unique and heartbreaking, yet I really enjoyed her as a character.  I loved how all of the story's were connected and how Sophia drew inspiration from Emily's journal to face some of her own adversity.  

I was surprised at many points in this book that things did not go as I expected they might.  I am not giving any spoilers!  However, I truly appreciated the realistic approach to how things in life sometimes aren't as expected and I think because of those circumstances these characters had growth that really added a richness to this story.  After finishing this book I really appreciated the journey from the first to the last page and how everything played out.  This book is so well written.  The characters feel real and as a reader I was able to really connect with their hurts and find joy in their triumphs.  And a story set in Cornwall is always more enticing if you ask me!  I really enjoyed this book!  This was my first novel by Linsay Harrel and it won't be my last!  I would definitely recommend this book to Historical romance fans or contemporary romance fans!  Because you get the best of both worlds in this novel!

After loving The Heart Between Us I was excited to read Lindsay’s next book. This was my second split-time novel to read and the back and forth between the two different timelines was written seamlessly. Lindsay tackles the tough issues of abuse, divorce, and love lost in the lives of three women who all find their common connection in the setting of Cornwall, England.

I would classify this novel as "historical romance". I enjoyed the interaction with the characters . If you are a fan of historical, contemporary romance, you will enjoy this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.


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THE SECRETS OF PAPER AND INK by LINDSAY HARREL takes place in Cornwall over two parallel time frames - the present, and 1856 when Emily Fairfax wrote her journal, a copy of which Sophia Barrett finds at Rosebud Books in Port Willis, where she is spending three months in order to get over a bad and abusive relationship.
An avid reader, Sophia is fascinated by Emily's story, especially as she has been advised by her best friend to write a journal herself in order to sort through her feelings and tell her story.
Ginny's brother in law, William, also an avid reader, is fascinated with Emily's story, and even more so with the beautiful Sophia, and he helps in her search.
Ginny is part owner of the book shop, but books are not really her passion - she went into it with her husband, Garrett, and has been left with a business that is not making ends meet while he is off in London "finding himself"!
It is a lovely book, with the written word playing an important role. Emily's story starts with her and Edward exchanging letters at their special tree and it is obvious that writing is very important to Emily.
I am not going to tell you any more as I don't want to spoil the read for you, except to say it is a heartwarming story, sensitively told, with a strong Christian message.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Thomas Nelson. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Some Contemporary Romance bores me to tears. Predictable plot. Not original idea. You always know how the story is going to end. That is why I usually don't pick up this type of genre. But I have found some that I enjoy. Becky Wade. Deborah Raney. Beth K. Vogt. I have tried Lindsey Harrel's second novel, The Heart Between Us, and it wasn't my taste at all. But her third novel, The Secrets of Paper and Ink, sounded interesting, so I took another chance for Harrel to change my mind.
Harrel does have a good grasp on how to write a novel. She understands the mechanics of writing a good story. She does have her characters transform by the end of the novel, which I believe is the most important aspect to writing a good novel.
But . . . the plot didn't really wow me. I did enjoy watching Sophie travel to London where she decided to take a journey of self-discovery. She needed to learn how to move on from an abusive relationship and learn to find herself again. I did enjoy how Harrel created a wonderful book addict in Sophie, which resounded with me. Being an avid bookworm, I could empathize with her completely as she flipped through the number of books and wanted to help Ginny with her bookstore and her broken relationship. While there are two contemporary timelines, Harrel added a historical backstory that Sophie tries to solve by the novels end. I actually liked the historical story better than the contemporary ones.
A contemporary romance has a predictable romance where two characters meet and overcome obstacles where they decide, usually, to spend the rest of their lives together. In this novel, nothing different from this plan. William and Sophie follow the path to love by the end of the novel. They have a shared love of books.
Overall, The Secrets in Paper and Ink by Lindsay Harrel might be right up the alley for fans of Contemporary Romance but the predictability of the story and the three point of views didn't really grasp my attention. I think fans of Robin Lee Hatcher, Melissa Tagg, Kara Issac, and Becky Wade might enjoy the novel.
I received a complimentary copy of The Secrets in Paper and Ink by Lindsay Harrel from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

This novel intrigued me from the start as each individual woman faced her own battles and became stronger because of it. I also enjoyed the historical implications and the ties to Cornwall. Great read.

Although a bit wordy at times, the author creates good connection between her reader and her characters so that they can feel the emotions the hero and heroine struggle with throughout the book. For lovers of historical romance, I recommend this book.

The Secrets of Paper and Ink is an incredible story of 3 inspirational women, Emily, Sophia and Ginny. I could empathize with each of their stories and absolutely loved their journey to self discovery. From the very first page until the last sentence, I was hooked. Thank you Lindsay Harrel for using & sharing your talents with paper and ink.