Hidden In The Pages

by Mindy Haig

When his mother unexpectedly died just before Christmas, Jantzen Burke's world fell apart. He lost his father to his grief and the cold grandfather he never knew came to stay. Lonely and afraid Jantzen looked to his grandfather for some comfort, but instead of sympathy he was given a journal with a magical power; the power to find his perfect match.A decade later, Jantzen's life is in status quo. His time is spent running the company his father signed over to him, finishing his education and maintaining an empty house. His only companion is the stranger who writes back to him in the journal, the person he's promised his heart to though he's never seen her face. But one day an accidental meeting changes all he thought life had planned for him. Suddenly comfort wasn't enough. A decision had to be made. Would he break the promise he'd made and take a chance on love or was his fate tied to the words in the journal?

Unknown Binding

First published October 27, 2013

About the author

I am a graduate of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. I was born and raised in New Jersey so I am very much a city slicker. I moved to Florida to marry my sweetheart after college and marveled at how little there was to do and how much one had to drive to do it! But due to a job change and an abrupt move, we settled in Austin Texas where the motto is 'Keep Austin Weird' and I try my best to uphold it!
I am the mother of 2 great kids and though writing has always been a pursuit I was interested in, being a Mommy got in the way for quite a few years. I decided I would give it a fair shake in 2009 and I haven't been able to quit since. I have 7 novels, a book of short stories, and 2 novellas available. I also have 10 additional started novels in various stages of gestation. I have a hard time stopping my ideas and when a seemingly great idea hits me - typically just as I am attempting to fall asleep - I am compelled to start an outline.
My 2 great talents are:
1. My remarkable ablilty to remember names - which has served me well.
2. My ability to remember lyrics from every song I ever heard in the 70's and 80's - which has not helped me in the slightest.
I have a quirky sense of humor and sometimes TV commercials crack me up.
I like the notion of things being 'meant to be' or somehow touched by the unexplainable. I also like the effect music has on one's state of mind and the memories a song can recall.

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through the pain and losses in life, sometimes we look in all the wrong places for the magic of love, renewal and hope. Mindy Haig’s Hidden in the Pages is a tale of emotional turmoil and the need for comfort when frustration is all one feels. Patrick and his son, Jantzen both lost the magic of love when Jantzen’s mother died. For Patrick it was a downward spiral into a mental abyss that ripped him out of the life he had made. Brilliant, successful and a creative genius, the loss of his soulmate also caused him to lose the son he had so dearly loved. Jantzen became the family rock, far too much responsibility for a young boy, with no outlet. That is when a journal became his connection to his thoughts and a girl who stole his very soul. There was magic in that journal, but had it become his emotional crutch for years? His angel lived in that journal, they corresponded, they shared, but they never met. When Zoie bounced into his life, he was torn between the fantasy of his journal and the flesh and blood woman in front of him. He wanted the magic his parents had, but he wanted Zoie.

Follow Jantzen and Patrick’s journey to healing through love, to believing in its magic and the magic the journal held, even if it was to teach about taking a step into the unknown with no guarantees.

Mindy Haig has created magic of her own in a tale that will bring tears to a stone. Not a fast-paced adventure, this is romance, past, present and future at its very best. Savor each page, the struggles and the triumphs as two flawed men learn to live in the real world.

I received this copy from Mindy Haig in exchange for my honest review.

Publisher: Mindy Haig (November 19, 2013)
Publication Date: November 19, 2013
Genre: Romance
Print Length: 236 pages
Available from: Amazon |  Barnes &  Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Scott Toney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hidden in the Pages is heart touching and simply brilliant. At first glance this appears to be a love story about Jantzen Burke, a young man who has tragically lost his mother and seeming lost his father because of that, and a girl he is destined to love whom he writes to in the pages of his journal. It is about that, and there is so much more depth there.

But what makes this story stunningly wonderful is Jantzen’s father, Patrick, and the struggle within his mind. I’m not going to give away this book’s secrets. They are truly ‘Hidden’ in its ‘Pages’ but this is one you don’t want to miss.

If you love Romance, if you love Haig, or just one of these, you will get lost in this incredible, heart enthralling read. I can’t wait for Haig’s next release.

[Melissa Cheslog · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be one of the most heartfelt story's I have read in a while. Mindy Haig always writes with such a clean honesty that makes the reader cheer on all the characters in her story. This is the story of Zoie and Jantzen. Jantzen has been writing to his one love in a journal that was given to him when his mother died. He has been running his father's company, going to school and looking after his father for quite some time. Zoie is a girl in his English Lit class, that unknown to him has a crush on him. His father is finally starting to come back to the land of the living and that is also causing Jantzen to be wary. This story is not to be missed.

[Magic Within the Pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewer: Angie - Magic Within The Pages
Rating: 5 Stars

Hidden in the Pages is a touching story of magical love, loss, and family. It’s a story that has you believing in true love, everlasting love, and fate. It is told from the POV of Jantzen, a lonely young man, forced to grow up too soon, who questions if he will ever know the love his parents had, and Patrick, a father who struggles to live life, after his true love dies. Their relationship, most times with the son taking care of the father, is touching and real.

When Zoie enters the picture it seems that Jantzen’s dreams have been answered, but their relationship seems to bring him just as much heartache as it does joy. He dreams about her, day and night, but has promised himself to the girl he was fated to in the journal that has been passed down through generations of his family. This was his Angel, the girl that he could write to as a young boy, when his mother died and his life was turned upside down. His guilt about feeling love for Zoie, when his fate is waiting for him with Angel, has him wondering if the journal is a blessing or a curse.

Patrick has always struggled with what his doctors labeled Bipolar disorder. That was until he met the love of his life. They married, had a son, and had what he had always dreamed of, until she died unexpectedly. It was all too much for him and he abandoned his family and business to live the life of a homeless person. This was the only way he knew to stay close to the love he lost. His son, now in college, visits him daily and is running the business while Patrick is ‘gone,’ but it is soon evident that things must change.

I was touched by the love story and cried over the relationship between father and son. It had me looking at mental illness and homelessness in a different light. Their story touches your heart. It also leaves you wondering, “If you knew that there was someone ‘fate’ had promised you, but you met someone else you fell in love with, which would you choose; fate or your heart?”

*ARC Received in exchange for an honest review*

[Amber Karas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hidden In the Pages
by Mindy Haig


When I started to read this book, I instantly fell in love with it. Although it was quite similar to Ms. Haig’s previous book, The Wishing Place, it was different. (If you haven’t read The Wishing Place, you should! It’s great!)

The book started out with the main character, Jantzen,, going to visit his billionaire father under a bridge. His father was extremely depressed after the death of his wife five years earlier. While his father lived under a bridge that was within sight of his house, Jantzen was raised by his grandfather, who gave him this magical book that allowed him (like his father and grandfather before him) to write to his soul mate. The book would erase everything after just a day and would not let either one of them tell each other their name or where they lived.

As the story continues, Jantzen gets confused. He made a promise to the girl in the book that he would wait for her, but starts to fall in love with a girl from school. He tries to fight his feelings for her, but fails.

While Jantzen is busy running the family business, going to school full time, and falling in love, his father sees his late wife. She asks him to pull himself together because their son needed him. She tells him that his time with her is coming to an end. Soon before she leaves him forever, he meets this girl and learns to be happy again. He even goes back to work at the company.

I absolutely loved this book. While it was a joy to read, it left me frustrated because I was so anxious to know if Jantzen would ever meet the girl in the book. (I will not spoil the book for you). I was immersed in the book, like I was a living, breathing part of it. I felt the pain Jantzen felt, as well as the confusion and determination of his father.

In conclusion, I would definitely recommend this book for fellow readers. I would rate this book an A+. If you ever get the chance to read this book, please, take the chance! You won’t be disappointed!

[Nerd Alert · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Hidden In the Pages”
by Mindy Haig


When I started to read this book, I instantly fell in love with it. Although it was quite similar to Ms. Haig’s previous book, The Wishing Place, it was different. (If you haven’t read The Wishing Place, you should! It’s great!)

The book started out with the main character, Jantzen,, going to visit his billionaire father under a bridge. His father was extremely depressed after the death of his wife five years earlier. While his father lived under a bridge that was within sight of his house, Jantzen was raised by his grandfather, who gave him this magical book that allowed him (like his father and grandfather before him) to write to his soul mate. The book would erase everything after just a day and would not let either one of them tell each other their name or where they lived.

As the story continues, Jantzen gets confused. He made a promise to the girl in the book that he would wait for her, but starts to fall in love with a girl from school. He tries to fight his feelings for her, but fails.

While Jantzen is busy running the family business, going to school full time, and falling in love, his father sees his late wife. She asks him to pull himself together because their son needed him. She tells him that his time with her is coming to an end. Soon before she leaves him forever, he meets this girl and learns to be happy again. He even goes back to work at the company.

I absolutely loved this book. While it was a joy to read, it left me frustrated because I was so anxious to know if Jantzen would ever meet the girl in the book. (I will not spoil the book for you). I was immersed in the book, like I was a living, breathing part of it. I felt the pain Jantzen felt, as well as the confusion and determination of his father.

In conclusion, I would definitely recommend this book for fellow readers. I would rate this book an A+. If you ever get the chance to read this book, please, take the chance! You won’t be disappointed!

[Angie Voss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hidden in the Pages is a touching story of magical love, loss, and family. It’s a story that has you believing in true love, everlasting love, and fate. It is told from the POV of Jantzen, a lonely young man, forced to grow up too soon, who questions if he will ever know the love his parents had, and Patrick, a father who struggles to live life, after his true love dies. Their relationship, most times with the son taking care of the father, is touching and real.


When Zoie enters the picture it seems that Jantzen’s dreams have been answered, but their relationship seems to bring him just as much heartache as it does joy. He dreams about her, day and night, but has promised himself to the girl he was fated to in the journal that has been passed down through generations of his family. This was his Angel, the girl that he could write to as a young boy, when his mother died and his life was turned upside down. His guilt about feeling love for Zoie, when his fate is waiting for him with Angel, has him wondering if the journal is a blessing or a curse.


Patrick has always struggled with what his doctors labeled Bipolar disorder. That was until he met the love of his life. They married, had a son, and had what he had always dreamed of, until she died unexpectedly. It was all too much for him and he abandoned his family and business to live the life of a homeless person. This was the only way he knew to stay close to the love he lost. His son, now in college, visits him daily and is running the business while Patrick is ‘gone,’ but it is soon evident that things must change.


I was touched by the love story and cried over the relationship between father and son. It had me looking at mental illness and homelessness in a different light. Their story touches your heart. It also leaves you wondering, “If you knew that there was someone ‘fate’ had promised you, but you met someone else you fell in love with, which would you choose; fate or your heart?”

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has the point of view of two people, Patrick and Jantzen who are father and son. Jantzen has had to look after himself, his father's business and try to keep his dad save after his dad he's a complete breakdown after his wife die unexpectedly.

Hidden in The Pages is a love story different from what I've read before, I like the idea of finding your one true love in the pages of a magic journal, but I felt very sorry for Jantzen, he was just so unhappy. Even when he thought he could put aside the journal , he felt huge amounts of guilt.

Patrick, the genius, who just couldn't cope, lives under a bridge, and has visits from his dead wife. I liked Patrick, he was very well written. I liked how he could be swept away by colour. And it pleased me that even with how he was , he still loved his son, he could be quite playful at times as well. It made me laugh at how he kept trying to get to drive his old Porsche. And Jantzen just kept saying no!

The other characters were good, I loved Zoie, Jantzens sort of girlfriend, and I loved the kids she looked after as well. This book had a lot of feel good factor going on, and how it takes a lot of effort to overcome mental illness. There needs to be support of people who care. The three of these people were all suffering, and lonely. But this doesn't mean it was a depressing book, far from it. I loved it.

[Terri Mcneal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hidden in the Pages is an amazing book! This is the first of Mindy Haig's books that I read and LOVED it! This is a story of a young man, Jantzen, who's been handed a difficult and lonely life. His mother passes away when he was young, his genius, yet mentally ill father abandons him to live under a bridge, which leaves his cold Grandfather to raise him. At the age of 16 he takes over his father's company and continues to go to school full time.His Grandfather gives him a magical journal that connects him to his future soulmate. When he writes in the journal, his soulmate can write back yet it won't pass on any identifying information. He promises himself to her and keeps waiting to meet her. He meets a girl, Zoie, at college and falls in love with her but feels guilty for his feelings because he's promised himself to his soulmate from his journal. Jantzen's father, Phillip, struggles with the loss of his wife, but decides it's time to reenter his more "normal". How Mindy Haig weaves such a beautiful story from such loss and loneliness is magical and fills one with hope. I absolutely loved this book and look forward to reading some of her other books!

[Barbara's Book Obsession · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hidden In The Pages is a moving, emotional journey of hope, love, tragic events & magic. Jantzen is the main character of the book. We follow his life from the time his mother dies when he is young, & the subsequent loss of his father Patrick due to his mental illness & grief. Jantzen has to grow up fast & take on a lot of responsibility. He is given a magical book to write in which will bring him comfort, frustration,& is suppose to help him find his true love.

Haig brings to life Jantzen's pain, hope, frustrations, loneliness, & his ability to love through it all. In Patrick's case Haig takes the reader on a vivid journey through a mind tortured with mental illness & a loss which is so heartbreaking.

For me this book was about love, love lost Patrick & his wife, love destroyed Patrick & his father & mother, love unfailing Jantzen & Patrick, & new love between Jantzen & the girl in his magical book.

I would definitely recommend this book. I laughed, cried, & very much enjoyed the journey! I hope you will too.

[Miria Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a wonderful read. It has two love stories in one book and intertwined them brilliantly. Absolutely sweet and touching , Jantzen's story is about hope, growing up, love, being lonely, unspoken feelings and desires, and friendship . There's also Patrick, Jantzen's father. His story is that of madness, art, colors, genius, redemption and unspeakable amounts of grief. Both stories have a lot to do with a magic journal in which fated lovers get to write to each other , but never know where the other is. 
Full of magic , fairy dust and tons of elements that make this story a great one , Hidden In The Pages brings that little bit of fairy dust to ordinary lives. 

[Rebecca Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Star



This story will have you believing in true love, and happily ever after. With a magical book that helps you find your one true love. This story is told from Janten's point of view, and starts out with a visit to his father. I loved the character interaction, and the real life drama.

[My Secret Book Spot · Rating 5 out of 5]

One thing I've truly enjoyed about Mindy Haig's writing, and this novel is no different, is that she has such unique, fresh concepts as the basis of her books. After you've read voraciously for twenty years, you find yourself dragging through one of a few "patterns" of plots and it gets harder and harder to find a new, interesting concept that sparks your love of reading again. Hidden in the Pages is a lovely story about a journal that allows you to find and connect with your soul mate, however, you can't share any identifying facts. Jantzen and his father Patrick experience the mystery and wonder of the journal as it's passed down through the men in their family. Sometimes it brings comfort and laughter while other times it is a burden to carry through their daily lives. This tale really shows how living your life in the here and now is just as important as planning for your future.

[Mindy Haig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hidden in the Pages is a fiction romance about learning to love after a great loss and loneliness. It 's about the desire to make that one special connection with that person who is meant to love you. The story is told in alternating first person accounts by Jantzen Burke and his father, Patrick and while Jantzen strives to make a future, Patrick must let go of his past. I hope you will give it a look!