February is about over, and thankfully I read the book for my 2023 Reading Challenge a couple weeks ago. Getting sick has delayed me in getting reviews done, but here we are playing catch up! I’m sorry to say this book by Courtney Walsh has been on my shelf for years. Yep, plural. I’m so glad I finally picked it up and read it! It was such a cute story!
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About the Book
Paper Hearts Author Courtney Walsh
Published by NavPress
on December 18, 2014
Genres: Fiction / Christian / Romance / General, Fiction / Romance / Clean & Wholesome, Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Pages: 416
Amazon | GoodreadsAbigail 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?
My Perspective
Why have I waited so long to read this book? That’s the first thing I thought when I got to the end. Walsh has penned such a lovely story here. It’s cute. Hallmarky. And yet it has so much more than that.
We have a man who is dealing with so much – the loss of his wife and the circumstances behind it (no spoilers here, you don’t find out until later in the book), raising a child on his own, dealing with an, um, pushy “love interest/business partner”. Oh that woman really irritated me. In fact, there were several times I just wanted to reach in the book and give her a good smack! But anyways….. Jacob’s character was so endearing. Sometimes a bit dense lol, but oh I loved his character. He was sweet without even realizing it. Wanted to save everyone essentially. Yes, he had his drawbacks for sure – which you learn as he mourns his past, but his character really grows throughout this story. Think of it like a Hallmark story with depth.
And Abigail. This girl is so strong, which sometimes made her own issues lol. But she really had a good heart and just wanted to keep her store alive. I really loved seeing her blossom when the paper hearts came on the scene. And side note – those are an AMAZING idea. I wish my hubby would be okay with doing that, but he’s not that guy lol. Anyways… she had her own growth story here and it really spoke to my heart. She needed to learn what God wanted for her life, and also essentially what she wanted for herself. Not what everyone else wanted or expected from her.
I’m so sorry it took my forever to read this, but boy am I glad that I did. I’ve been a fan of Courtney Walsh for awhile now, so it was no surprise that I absolutely adored this story. Highly recommend!!
Favorite Quotes
Who needs a man when you have shelves of beautiful books and dreams of growth and success?
Maybe, for once, she should stop trying to handle everything on her own and actually let God have some control in her life.
About the Author
Courtney Walsh is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of sixteen novels. She writes small town romance and women’s fiction while juggling the performing arts studio and youth theatre she owns and runs with her husband. Courtney is a Carol award winner and Christy Award finalist who has also written two craft books and several full-length musicals. She lives in Illinois with her husband and three children and a sometimes naughty Bernedoodle named Luna.
Connect with Courtney online at her website (courtneywalshwrites.com) or on any of these social media platforms:
Facebook.com/courtneywalshwrites
What interests you about this story?
I need to read this book, too. Great review!
Thanks! I wish we lived closer together, we could just share all the books!
That would be awesome!!!
I’m pretty sure I also have this book languishing on one of my bookshelves! need to pull it out and add it to the stack of books I actually have plans to read soon=)