Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the E-Arc in exchange for my honest review.
This book will be published August 12, 2025.

I could not put this book down. It had a hint of magic to it which is what captured my attention from the summary of the book.

Isn’t the cover vibrant too?

This story is a great sweet, romance with a hint of magic, realization of truth, kindness making a difference and a second chance.

It is a must read.

I am definitely going to get a physical copy of this book.

I enjoyed the characters, their connection with each other, the yellow origami roses and even the storyline was really, really good! It’s a kind, light, romance read.

I will say there were a few moments that took me back in time during the late 90s and early 2000s! I really loved that and made my heart happy along with all the good moments in this book.

I am not giving away what those moments were. You need to get it and read it.

Pick it up in August and you won’t regret it!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

Evelyn Skye is an amazing author. I love her style of writing and her characters always feel captivating regardless of plot or world. I enjoyed the plot of this story and how emotional and captivating it was!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review. 3.7* This is an absolutely lovely book that I could not put down. The Incredible Kindness of Paper is about lost and found love, fate, and optimism. As a self-professed romance hater, even I found this one to be “a warm hug.” While there were few surprises in this book, I found myself rooting for Chloe and Oliver anyway, happy for a chance to relax into this cuter than cute book.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Incredible Kindness of Paper is such a sweet, feel-good story about hope, connection, and second chances. I loved the idea of Chloe and Oliver starting as childhood pen pals and having this magical little bond, only to be separated by life—and then somehow finding their way back to each other years later. The yellow origami roses were such a cute and creative way to show how small acts of kindness can make a big difference, not just for others, but for yourself too.

Evelyn Skye does a great job weaving together a little bit of magic, a little bit of romance, and a lot of heart. Chloe was such a relatable character, and I found myself rooting for her the whole way through. Some parts of the story felt a little slow in the middle, but honestly, the payoff at the end made it totally worth it.

If you’re looking for a heartwarming read that feels like a hug, The Incredible Kindness of Paper is it! Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this early!

This is a wonderful, delightful story that would have been easier to finish
the last page had I not possibly been just a bit tearing up, while also
laughing a little. What a life affirming story with a perfect ending. This
is perfect for a long flight since I read it today, with snacks and Diet Coke
so I did not put the book down.
Chloe and Oliver are perfect, the storyline just delightful and these
characters evolved well during the adventures.. Jennifer was not
redeemed in my eyes, though Olive did a sweet bit in his attempts
to (again) be free of her in his life. The conclusion is perfect.
My thanks to Simon & Schuster, Atria Books and Emily Bestler
Books for the copies of this book for review purposes.

The Incredible Kindness of Paper is a book so sweet you may need to visit the dentist after reading. 🤭

Our FMC Chloe embarks on a quest to spread kindness throughout NYC by creating and distributing origami affirmations throughout the city. This leads to her serendipitously encountering her childhood/teenage first love (whom she doesn’t recognize🤔) and a second chance romance subplot.

While this story is full of positive messages that are easy to get behind, it was hard to suspend my disbelief and get fully immersed. I’m left with general good vibes about the book, but have no plans to reread in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC, which I received in exchange for my honest review. 💛

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for allowing me to read an ARC of The Incredible Kindness of Paper by Evelyn Skye in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely beautiful! This was such a captivating story of the power of even the smallest act of kindness, believing in the good in people, and the "invisible red string theory"! Delightful and believable characters with a touch of magic.

I loved this book and look forward to reading more by Evelyn Skye.

I recommend everyone read this book!

I was absolutely thrilled to get an early copy of this because I adore Evelyn Sykes writing. One Hundred Loves of Juliet is one of my faves from the last several years! While this novel had an interesting premise and sweet start, it fell flat for me. I expected more from the storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria books, and Evelyn Skye for the chance to read this ARC! I have enjoyed every one of Evelyn’s books I’ve read so far, but this one is such a timely message that so many people need to be reminded of now. I loved how the characters lives tied together in seemingly meaningless ways that end up bringing them all to the right place at the right time. It’s a great reminder than it’a the small acts of kindness that stick with us the most.

This book has the tiniest hint of a second-chance romance that was not overpowering the rest of the story.

3.75 stars

I loved the premise of the book and the way the community came together. I loved the different perspectives and seeing how one small act of kindness can transform someone's life. I'm not usually one who likes a lot of POVS, but I found it worked for this, because it was brief all in all, and they were well interspersed. Unfortunately, I found the two main characters harder to really connect to, especially Oliver. I understand why he was the way he was, I empathized with his trauma, but I still didn't like him for most of the book, and I didn't really see the chemistry between him and Chloe besides their history. I really liked Chloe for most of the book, but I did find her naivety to be frustrating at times when it seemed obvious that she should have seen the negative actions and effects of certain moments. I appreciated how she stood her ground against certain things, and I liked the magical realism, as it added a bit of whimsy.

Overall, though, this was a simple book with a simple but powerful message, one that we could use today. We all need more kindness in this world, and it can start with us.

Thank you to NG and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was just a little too sappy for me. I’m sure it will find its audience and be cherished, but I couldn’t finish it.

The Incredible Kindness of Paper is nothing like i've ever read before. I thoroughly enjoyed it! I want to thank Evelyn Skye, Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and Netgalley for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 ⭐️

I really enjoyed some aspects of this book- like the magical realism and second chance plotting. However, it was a lot to follow at times and felt a bit scattered. My attention was not kept and it made it difficult to stayed interested! I did enjoy the positive and uplifting spirit we see from Chloe, it was so sweet. I think this is a quick and decent read it just didn’t stick out to me. It has been mentioned in other reviews, but I did find it hard to believe she would not have recognized Oliver. I wasn’t bought into Chloe and Zac either, some things felt a bit off centered.

I couldn’t stop smiling while reading this book! It made me remember my childhood days and being with best friends and all we would do. The joy and innocence of being a kid.
As the book continues, it reminds you of how growing up can be, life happens, you lose touch with people and you change. As with real life, there are good times and bad, and you feel an emotional connection with the main characters, as possibly it is you or someone close to you. Through the use of origami paper roses with messages of hope and joy inside, the main character, Chloe, inspires a movement of good which spreads around the world. Every moment of reading about another character who needed a “pick me up” moment in their life and then suddenly finding a yellow rose with just the right message for them, was a reminder that even the smallest things we do for others, makes a difference.
You can’t go wrong reading this book.

Thank you Atria Books for providing this ARC book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

For anyone who likes Clare Pooley, The Incredible Kindness of Paper brings seemingly unconnected characters together in very creative ways. Where Pooley will make you wonder for a bit how her characters are connected, Skye is right up front with it. I enjoyed getting to the meat of the story so quickly, and the magic of the paper flowers is just perfect at the end.

The book follows Chloe, a woman living in New York who's kind to a fault (::cough:: Zac is a jerk Chloe, run! ::cough::). After recently losing her job, she takes solace in making origami roses with messages of encouragement inside, in an attempt to uplift the people of the city, while finding her own path to healing.

Oliver has been so traumatized by his childhood after being torn from Chloe at 16 years old, he's become a grouch that hides behind walls he's built very high.

When the paper roses bring them together, it's nothing short of magic.

Aside from Zac and how Chloe handled him, the rest was perfect for a feel good read, if you need a pick me up, or a pallet cleanser. Highly recommend.

I requested this book on a whim, and thank goodness Netgalley and Atria Books let me read a digital ARC of it, so thank you, thank you to them both - this book made my day. My week. Could be in my top for the year (I know, it's early, but I loved it).

From the first page to the last, I loved ALL of it. I predict it flying off the shelves, and I think it should be sold with a set of yellow origami papers and a rose tutorial because you can't read it and not want to make some yourself and spread some JOY.

This book is sweet and cozy, romantic without really being a romance novel, and full of characters you want to root for. I'm sure there are those that think it's cloyingly sweet, and that's ok, too - but I think we all need to start our day with a little sugar every once in a while, like Chloe. This is the perfect palate cleanser in a time where there seems to be less and less joy and brightness being spread in the world.

3.5 stars

In The Incredible Kindness of Paper, a friendship and more begins with a pen pal assignment in elementary school. I knew I needed to pick this one up after reading the synopsis. The set up was so unique and I loved the overall message of how one small act of kindness can make all the difference in someone’s life. It was so interesting to see how fate pushed and pulled Chloe and Oliver together and apart. It was also fun to see all the different people woven into their story along the way.

The book started off really strong and I was hooked right away. The magical realism was a fun addition and the story unfolds through chapters in the present, as well as ones at various points in the past. Some chapters also focus on a specific side character and how the paper rose touches their life and intertwines with the lives of our main characters.

Unfortunately, the second half of the book felt choppier and more disjointed than the first. Scenes that showed the hand of fate in Oliver and Chloe’s lives were reduced to quick sentences telling us of a missed connection versus actually getting to experience those moments. It made the revelations less impactful. Oliver’s behavior when Chloe reappeared in his life also bothered me and I would have loved more grovel after everything that happened. The ending felt abrupt, but was very sweet. The entire book is filled with pining and longing, and not fully seeing the payout (perhaps in an additional chapter or epilogue), left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied. I still enjoyed this magical second chance romance, but not as much as I was hoping.

OW/OM notes: The FMC has a situationship (a non-exclusive relationship) with an OM for the majority of the book. There is a brief, on page (not detailed) intimate scene between them.

CW: job loss, financial insecurity, grief, con artist parent, incarcerated parent, breast cancer (past, secondary character), work related injury to parent resulting in permanent use of wheelchair.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

The Incredible Kindness of Paper
A Novel
by Evelyn Skye
Five stars!

If you love a sweet romance, a little magic, a community of misfits who become family, and an overall uplifting book, this one’s for you!

Chloe is incredibly optimistic, but it isn’t annoying because she knows that about herself. She isn’t gullible, just prefers to expect the best out of everyone. She is very altruistic and while life doesn’t always hand her roses, she makes her own. (pun intended) I loved how she brought a community of people together (much like Claire Pooley), and I love the believability of her magic.

The characters are well written people you’d like to have in your life. Oliver, the other main character, is almost the opposite of Chloe, but with good reason. The way their story unfolds seems inevitable, although while you’re reading it’s just amazing how everything comes together. I haven’t read Evelyn Skye before, but will be checking out her other books!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you to NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Evelyn knocked it out of the park with this. This is my third book of hers that I’ve absolutely loved. Chloe is so easy to root for, and Oliver my dear boy…I just wanted to give him a hug throughout the whole book. If you enjoy a book that’s about magic and doing good things for people, this is the one for you.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.