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Paper Hearts #1
Paper Hearts
Could the loss of her dream lead to her happily ever after?
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?
Paper Hearts was originally published in 2014 by Tyndale House Publishers
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?
Paper Hearts was originally published in 2014 by Tyndale House Publishers
392 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 18, 2014
395 people are currently reading
2835 people want to read
About the author
Courtney Walsh
37 books5,385 followersCourtney Walsh is a novelist, theatre director, and playwright. She writes low spice romance and women's fiction while juggling the performing arts studio and youth theatre she owns and runs with her husband. Her debut, A Sweethaven Summer, hit the New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller lists. She is also a Carol award winner and Christy award finalist.
A creative at heart, Courtney 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.
Visit her online at www.courtneywalshwrites.com.
A creative at heart, Courtney 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.
Visit her online at www.courtneywalshwrites.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 440 reviews
May 9, 2017
I've owned my copy for nearly two years and have tried several times to get through the first chapter. It was picked for me for the current "Hidden Gems" challenge, and when I picked it up this week, the characters just really jumped off the page, and I couldn't put it down. A lot of times I find contemporary novels boring because they are somewhat predictable, but there's a lot of stuff in this one that isn't. I literally stayed up late to finish, and read this all in one gulp!
February 6, 2015
Well, it happened. I found a contemporary romance that I can genuinely say I love. Do you ever tire of those books about people who have everything together? Their lives are successful, they're confident in everything they do, they meet, fall in love, and everything is perfect. Those types of books always make me feel inferior, and when you feel inferior to a fictional character, that's a bad sign! This is probably why I don't read much in the way of contemporary fiction because I always find the heroine too pushy, living in absolute surety of the universe and her place in it.
Not so for the charming and hesitant Abigail Pressman. Her father left her family when she was still a child, never giving a reason for his abandonment. In an ordinary town that might not be such a huge deal, but it's a very big deal in Loves Park, Colorado where everything revolves around true love and romance. If you've ever seen The 10th Kingdom with Kissing Town, Loves Park feels a lot like that. And for Abigail, still single at 30, the town is torture. It's not that she wants to get married because, frankly, she doesn't trust in marriage and true love. It's just that she feels like everyone in town is looking at her. She is, after all, one of the founding family's last remaining single women. Her business, while enough for her, is not enough for her mother, or for the Valentine Volunteers who are determined to marry her off. None of her wants and needs are taken into account, nor can anyone fix her lack of trust in the male sex. For Abigail, fairy-tale endings seem too good to be true because they are.
I love this. I love the realism of a young woman who is slightly awkward when she talks to men, who isn't even sure if she'd make a good wife or mother, and who is still single at 30. Because that's me. Oh, not the talking to men part, but I am cynical about the emotions that are supposed to swirl when a person is in love. I've never felt them, and so for me, it seems like that feeling is just a big phony. I'm sure it's not, but a part of me still thinks that way.
Paper Hearts is probably the best book I could have read for Valentine's Day this year. Every year my cynicism climbs, leaving me with even more of a clinical eye when I look at men. I am Abigail in many ways minus the bookstore, although believe me I wish I owned a bookstore! Almost everything she feels, I feel. Our past experiences keep us from feeling like we can trust in the opposite sex. Romance is a waste of time and a risk that's not worth the taking. But maybe, just maybe, because Abigail discovered it is a risk worth taking, someday I can take it too. She's an inspiration for me, and so I must sincerely thank Ms. Walsh for creating a character so truly relatable to who I am as a person and to where I'm at in my life's journey.
As for Dr. Jacob Willoughby, I at once both like him and dislike him. He's a man with a high moral standard, yet at the same time he allowed himself to be pushed around by a woman, not the heroine, who is obviously a money-grubbing man-hunter. He didn't stand up for Abigail a time or two, and he didn't stand up for himself until the very end. But I can forgive him because the man has literally been through hell in his personal life and he's scrabbling to make sense of both himself and God. His life is broken and he has to learn to pick up the pieces, hand them to God, and beg for them to be pasted back together. Like Abigail, Jacob is an inspiration because he is not perfect, he has failed at being a hero, and now he's just as tentative about relationships and love as she is. They have to learn to trust together, not apart, and that's what makes Paper Hearts such a beautiful and moving story. Just in time for Valentine's Day.
Plus, and this is a big plus for me, both Abigail and Jacob learn to rely on God. Both of them are Christians, but both of them are broken in different ways. Jacob full of self-loathing and mistrust and Abigail full of complacency and hesitation. It takes a couple of miracles and some serious moving of the heart to get them to lean on God once again, but once they do, their lives blossom. If there's one thing I've learned it's that God wants His children to talk to Him, even when I'm angry, hurt, confused, or maybe even unbelieving. Because at least that way I'm keeping the avenue of communication open. It was incredible to walk with Jacob on his road of forgiveness and reconciliation with his heavenly Father.
To conclude, Paper Hearts is a story for every person who's spent time lonely and unfulfilled. It's fascinating to read a book about a heroine that could almost be me, but I loved every second of it. Ms. Walsh has certainly written a winner in my book, and I'm already counting Paper Hearts towards one of my favorite reads of the year. I hope you'll take the time to give her novel a read, before Valentine's Day if you can manage it. It just might change your outlook, like it did mine.
Make sure to check out the BOOK TRAILER that Tyndale made especially for Paper Hearts!
- I received Paper Hearts from Tyndale House Publishers as a free copy in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.
Not so for the charming and hesitant Abigail Pressman. Her father left her family when she was still a child, never giving a reason for his abandonment. In an ordinary town that might not be such a huge deal, but it's a very big deal in Loves Park, Colorado where everything revolves around true love and romance. If you've ever seen The 10th Kingdom with Kissing Town, Loves Park feels a lot like that. And for Abigail, still single at 30, the town is torture. It's not that she wants to get married because, frankly, she doesn't trust in marriage and true love. It's just that she feels like everyone in town is looking at her. She is, after all, one of the founding family's last remaining single women. Her business, while enough for her, is not enough for her mother, or for the Valentine Volunteers who are determined to marry her off. None of her wants and needs are taken into account, nor can anyone fix her lack of trust in the male sex. For Abigail, fairy-tale endings seem too good to be true because they are.
I love this. I love the realism of a young woman who is slightly awkward when she talks to men, who isn't even sure if she'd make a good wife or mother, and who is still single at 30. Because that's me. Oh, not the talking to men part, but I am cynical about the emotions that are supposed to swirl when a person is in love. I've never felt them, and so for me, it seems like that feeling is just a big phony. I'm sure it's not, but a part of me still thinks that way.
Paper Hearts is probably the best book I could have read for Valentine's Day this year. Every year my cynicism climbs, leaving me with even more of a clinical eye when I look at men. I am Abigail in many ways minus the bookstore, although believe me I wish I owned a bookstore! Almost everything she feels, I feel. Our past experiences keep us from feeling like we can trust in the opposite sex. Romance is a waste of time and a risk that's not worth the taking. But maybe, just maybe, because Abigail discovered it is a risk worth taking, someday I can take it too. She's an inspiration for me, and so I must sincerely thank Ms. Walsh for creating a character so truly relatable to who I am as a person and to where I'm at in my life's journey.
As for Dr. Jacob Willoughby, I at once both like him and dislike him. He's a man with a high moral standard, yet at the same time he allowed himself to be pushed around by a woman, not the heroine, who is obviously a money-grubbing man-hunter. He didn't stand up for Abigail a time or two, and he didn't stand up for himself until the very end. But I can forgive him because the man has literally been through hell in his personal life and he's scrabbling to make sense of both himself and God. His life is broken and he has to learn to pick up the pieces, hand them to God, and beg for them to be pasted back together. Like Abigail, Jacob is an inspiration because he is not perfect, he has failed at being a hero, and now he's just as tentative about relationships and love as she is. They have to learn to trust together, not apart, and that's what makes Paper Hearts such a beautiful and moving story. Just in time for Valentine's Day.
Plus, and this is a big plus for me, both Abigail and Jacob learn to rely on God. Both of them are Christians, but both of them are broken in different ways. Jacob full of self-loathing and mistrust and Abigail full of complacency and hesitation. It takes a couple of miracles and some serious moving of the heart to get them to lean on God once again, but once they do, their lives blossom. If there's one thing I've learned it's that God wants His children to talk to Him, even when I'm angry, hurt, confused, or maybe even unbelieving. Because at least that way I'm keeping the avenue of communication open. It was incredible to walk with Jacob on his road of forgiveness and reconciliation with his heavenly Father.
To conclude, Paper Hearts is a story for every person who's spent time lonely and unfulfilled. It's fascinating to read a book about a heroine that could almost be me, but I loved every second of it. Ms. Walsh has certainly written a winner in my book, and I'm already counting Paper Hearts towards one of my favorite reads of the year. I hope you'll take the time to give her novel a read, before Valentine's Day if you can manage it. It just might change your outlook, like it did mine.
Make sure to check out the BOOK TRAILER that Tyndale made especially for Paper Hearts!
- I received Paper Hearts from Tyndale House Publishers as a free copy in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.
January 28, 2022
Keep the tissues close by as you are reading PAPER HEARTS by Courtney Walsh. She will have your emotions all over the place. Once I started reading, it was very hard to stop! The twists and turns made it impossible to put down, as I had to know what was going to happen to Abigail. Her father left her family when she was still a child, never giving a reason for his abandonment. In an ordinary town that might not be such a huge deal, but it’s a very big deal in Loves Park, Colorado where everything revolves around true love and romance. Abigail is the owner of the Book Nook, a bookstore in the quaint town. The bookstore is Abigail’s way of holding on to her father and expanding the store into the now-vacant mercantile next door might be the best way for Abigail to finally prove herself. What an awesome story. All of Courtney’s characters feel genuine and relatable and put your emotions on one heck of a roller coaster ride.
PAPER HEARTS is all about family and the past and the secrets that come out are heart tugging. It had me flipping through the pages like a woman on a mission. I had to know what was going to happen to Abigail and Jacob and all the secondary characters. In a secret match-making scheme, the Valentine Volunteers, the ladies who keep the tradition of stamping mail with the city’s postmark, attempt to pull Abigail into their little group. Jacob and Abigail couldn’t stand being in the same room, but over time they help each other and I loved watching them grow. I really wanted to reach in to the story and give them both a hug. The bantering between these two is hysterical and I was giggling out loud more than once. PAPER HEARTS is a heart tugging story that will hold you hostage until the very last page. Once you start reading, it will be very hard to put down!
PAPER HEARTS is without a doubt one of the best emotional books I’ve read in 2021. I was instantly emotionally invested in all of the characters. My heart broke for Abigail and for all she was dealing with. The elderly ladies in the Valentine Volunteers, while interfering in a good-hearted way, really know their stuff. Courtney Walsh really knows how to write about family drama, heartbreak, faith and forgiveness. I can not wait to read more by this wonderful and heart tugging author. I have only read a few books by this spot on author but I have many of her older books to read and that brings me so much joy and happiness to know they are waiting for me! She has the most beautiful covers! Check them out!!
PAPER HEARTS is all about family and the past and the secrets that come out are heart tugging. It had me flipping through the pages like a woman on a mission. I had to know what was going to happen to Abigail and Jacob and all the secondary characters. In a secret match-making scheme, the Valentine Volunteers, the ladies who keep the tradition of stamping mail with the city’s postmark, attempt to pull Abigail into their little group. Jacob and Abigail couldn’t stand being in the same room, but over time they help each other and I loved watching them grow. I really wanted to reach in to the story and give them both a hug. The bantering between these two is hysterical and I was giggling out loud more than once. PAPER HEARTS is a heart tugging story that will hold you hostage until the very last page. Once you start reading, it will be very hard to put down!
PAPER HEARTS is without a doubt one of the best emotional books I’ve read in 2021. I was instantly emotionally invested in all of the characters. My heart broke for Abigail and for all she was dealing with. The elderly ladies in the Valentine Volunteers, while interfering in a good-hearted way, really know their stuff. Courtney Walsh really knows how to write about family drama, heartbreak, faith and forgiveness. I can not wait to read more by this wonderful and heart tugging author. I have only read a few books by this spot on author but I have many of her older books to read and that brings me so much joy and happiness to know they are waiting for me! She has the most beautiful covers! Check them out!!
February 24, 2016
This was a sweet read. Although it was a very good Valentines Day read, I wasn't super impressed with the character development. My favorite aspect of the story was the Colorado location and the atmosphere of the the adorable local book store/ coffee shop. I liked the characters, I liked the story and there were a few moments that I began to feel like I was going to start really caring for the main characters, but then it would fall flat for me again. I liked it well enough to read the next in the series though.
Read
February 1, 2015Heartwarming! Paper Hearts is as much a treat as the delicious coffee the heroine serves in her book shop. Courtney Walsh's warm author's voice tells a story of a doctor and a bookstore owner, both living in a town centered on romance, yet both disillusioned by love. Like the matchmakers that surrounded the couple in the novel, I couldn't help cheering them on. A poignant, wry, sweet, and utterly charming read!
Big congratulations to my friend, author Courtney Walsh.
Big congratulations to my friend, author Courtney Walsh.
April 16, 2019
Kadın karakteri gerçekten çok sevdim böyle çaresizliğini iliklerime kadar hissettim sanki benden bir parçaydı ama jacob denen pasif herif kitabın bütün havasını,neşesini kaçırdı. Tam bir moron olan bu herifle bir ömür geçirecek olması Abigail'e olan duygularımı depreştiriyor (ühüüüü) yüzüne tükürmek istememin tek sebebi yaşananlara karşın o lanet ağzını açıp bir şeyler diyememesi pu senin suratına! evet bunun dışında kitap gayet güzeldi ama puanım üç salak jacob
February 25, 2016
Contemporary fiction is not my go to genre but I was influenced to read this by it's cute cover and the trailer I saw for it. Over all I liked the story but some things don't seem realistic to me and I have questions about somethings happening. For example the doctor's daughter received a broken leg in a car accident and it was mentioned then she basically disappeared from the story. The doctor's story didn't seem credible like how he wasn't practicing. He seemed way to unsure of himself to be a doctor.
March 23, 2023
I don’t re-read a lot of novels, because there are just so many good books out there waiting to be read for the first time. However, I finally came across a copy of Change of Heart which is the 2nd book in the series. I wanted to remember why I loved Paper Hearts so much when I read it 6 years ago.
Being that 2017 was a really difficult year for me, I hardly read any books, but now I know why this book resonated so much with me, and I am glad I could read it again at a happier time in my life.
Being that 2017 was a really difficult year for me, I hardly read any books, but now I know why this book resonated so much with me, and I am glad I could read it again at a happier time in my life.
January 9, 2015
You've Got Mail meets Letters to Juliet in the best possible way!
Happy, happy sigh. This reader was swept away by Courtney Walsh's delightful Paper Hearts. Abigail Pressman has a dream to expand her bookstore set in a tourist town in the Colorado mountains. All she needs to do is scrape together the funds to buy the building. Before she can do that a new doctor swings into town with the cash to buy her building. Before she really meets him, she knows he could threaten her future plans and happiness...not to mention her livelihood. Jacob didn't intend to destroy her life, he just wanted to create a new one for himself and his daughter. But then the Valentine Volunteers get involved -- think a Greek Chorus ala Letters to Juliet, and all kinds of shenanigans happen.
This book is rich with secondary characters who beg to have books of their own, yet keep from stealing the show. Abigail is the kind of heroine I would love to sit down with and share cups of her special Love Peak brew. And the paper hearts are an excellent reminder to keep an eye on my personal romance and ways to keep it alive through good and bad times.
This is a romance perfect for those who love a contemporary story filled with heart, characters you'll adore, and a romance laced with enough angst and ahhhs to keep you reading.
Happy, happy sigh. This reader was swept away by Courtney Walsh's delightful Paper Hearts. Abigail Pressman has a dream to expand her bookstore set in a tourist town in the Colorado mountains. All she needs to do is scrape together the funds to buy the building. Before she can do that a new doctor swings into town with the cash to buy her building. Before she really meets him, she knows he could threaten her future plans and happiness...not to mention her livelihood. Jacob didn't intend to destroy her life, he just wanted to create a new one for himself and his daughter. But then the Valentine Volunteers get involved -- think a Greek Chorus ala Letters to Juliet, and all kinds of shenanigans happen.
This book is rich with secondary characters who beg to have books of their own, yet keep from stealing the show. Abigail is the kind of heroine I would love to sit down with and share cups of her special Love Peak brew. And the paper hearts are an excellent reminder to keep an eye on my personal romance and ways to keep it alive through good and bad times.
This is a romance perfect for those who love a contemporary story filled with heart, characters you'll adore, and a romance laced with enough angst and ahhhs to keep you reading.
February 7, 2018
This was a really good contemporary romance, full of interesting characters, a beautiful setting, and some deep issues that were holding the main characters back. I enjoyed this sweet story. Sometimes I was frustrated with either Abigail or Jacob for their handling of a situation, however, they both grew throughout the story and all things became clear. I wish there had been an epilogue at the end of the book. I think it would have rounded it out nicely.
February 6, 2016
Such a sweet Valentine's Day novel!
Abigail and Jacob have different uses for the same prime downtown building space. Abigail operates a book store and Jacob has other plans. I loved how the author included bits of humor with Ursula and others throughout the novel.
I look forward to the next in the series.
Abigail and Jacob have different uses for the same prime downtown building space. Abigail operates a book store and Jacob has other plans. I loved how the author included bits of humor with Ursula and others throughout the novel.
I look forward to the next in the series.
January 4, 2016
Abigail Pressman’s dream is to expand Book Nook, the beloved store she inherited from her father. In Love’s Park, a town obsessed with love and all things romantic, being single is an anomaly, so her dreams for her store are her salvation. When the owner of the building sells the entire space to a doctor new to town, she fears her dream will never come to fruition. In a secret match-making scheme, the Valentine Volunteers, the ladies who keep the tradition of stamping mail with the city’s postmark, attempt to pull Abigail into their fold. Despite herself, Abigail is drawn to the stringed paper hearts that she discovers among the Volunteers letters, even as she is drawn to the handsome doctor next door. This doctor doesn’t match the “dream-killer” she wanted to picture in her mind, and Abigail begins questions if her dream is her dream at all or just a crutch to stop her from reaching for what she really wants. A new string of paper hearts appears, leading Abigail to believe that something tragic happened to the couple who wrote them. As she uncovers more of the mystery couple’s story, Abigail fears that it will confirm her worst doubts about love, or even scarier, set her life on a path to a new dream entirely.
Paper Hearts is a charming story. Walsh’s writing flows really well from scene to scene, and I loved the setting. The town almost felt like a character in and of itself and was so well-established on the outset of the story. I loved the small-town, everyone-knows-everyone vibe that stayed through the entire story. I really related to Abigail’s character, and I think most readers out there will. Not only is she a reader herself, she is artsy and quirky – someone I’d love to meet in real life. I could easily understand and empathize with her frustrations about the dreams for her store, and I wanted to see her succeed despite the obstacles she was facing.
Personally, I cared more about her personal struggles than the romantic aspect of the book, which may not have been the intention. While I found Jacob, the male lead, to be a genuine, empathetic character, I couldn’t entirely get behind their relationship. For me, it was hard to come to terms with the way it progressed; they were supposed to be enemies, yet they were falling for one another. There were times that it just didn’t work for me. When the conflict didn’t center on the external conflict keeping them apart, but rather their internal conflicts, I enjoyed the story more. They were more solid characters apart than they were together, and for romantic reads, I want the couple to be complete as individuals, but also believable as a couple. Even so, the later scenes between them are sweet, but not in a syrupy way at all. My heart was definitely smiling at those scenes.
There are also some strange shifts in point of view into the Valentine Volunteer meetings that some readers might find a bit jarring at first, simply because they are unexpected. The characters that comprise the Valentine Volunteers are actually quite humorous. The mixture of newly married, middle-aged and elderly “bah-humbug” ladies made for a funny combination, and once I realized that those shifts were coming, I fell into them easily.
The spiritual element is woven throughout the story in a natural way, and I could really relate to the idea that sometimes prayers are answered in ways you never expected, sometimes in ways that you had never thought to pray. I found myself rooting for both Abigail and Jacob to shed their past and give God control of their futures.
I definitely feel that Paper Hearts will be a hit for readers whose favorite genre is contemporary romance. Despite my few qualms about the story, the authentic setting and quirky cast of characters won me over. There is a lot of appeal here to recommend it to fans of this genre.
Favorite quote: “…the very best love stories are the ones that are flawed and full of forgiveness and pain and joy and challenges and happiness. All these things make up a love story, Abigail.”
Paper Hearts is a charming story. Walsh’s writing flows really well from scene to scene, and I loved the setting. The town almost felt like a character in and of itself and was so well-established on the outset of the story. I loved the small-town, everyone-knows-everyone vibe that stayed through the entire story. I really related to Abigail’s character, and I think most readers out there will. Not only is she a reader herself, she is artsy and quirky – someone I’d love to meet in real life. I could easily understand and empathize with her frustrations about the dreams for her store, and I wanted to see her succeed despite the obstacles she was facing.
Personally, I cared more about her personal struggles than the romantic aspect of the book, which may not have been the intention. While I found Jacob, the male lead, to be a genuine, empathetic character, I couldn’t entirely get behind their relationship. For me, it was hard to come to terms with the way it progressed; they were supposed to be enemies, yet they were falling for one another. There were times that it just didn’t work for me. When the conflict didn’t center on the external conflict keeping them apart, but rather their internal conflicts, I enjoyed the story more. They were more solid characters apart than they were together, and for romantic reads, I want the couple to be complete as individuals, but also believable as a couple. Even so, the later scenes between them are sweet, but not in a syrupy way at all. My heart was definitely smiling at those scenes.
There are also some strange shifts in point of view into the Valentine Volunteer meetings that some readers might find a bit jarring at first, simply because they are unexpected. The characters that comprise the Valentine Volunteers are actually quite humorous. The mixture of newly married, middle-aged and elderly “bah-humbug” ladies made for a funny combination, and once I realized that those shifts were coming, I fell into them easily.
The spiritual element is woven throughout the story in a natural way, and I could really relate to the idea that sometimes prayers are answered in ways you never expected, sometimes in ways that you had never thought to pray. I found myself rooting for both Abigail and Jacob to shed their past and give God control of their futures.
I definitely feel that Paper Hearts will be a hit for readers whose favorite genre is contemporary romance. Despite my few qualms about the story, the authentic setting and quirky cast of characters won me over. There is a lot of appeal here to recommend it to fans of this genre.
Favorite quote: “…the very best love stories are the ones that are flawed and full of forgiveness and pain and joy and challenges and happiness. All these things make up a love story, Abigail.”
January 20, 2016
Bu kadar çok seveceğimi düşünmemiştim.
Fazla bir beklenti içerisinde değildim ama beni şaşırttı.
http://www.hayalperestinzamanyolculug...
Fazla bir beklenti içerisinde değildim ama beni şaşırttı.
http://www.hayalperestinzamanyolculug...
May 15, 2016
SUMMARY: 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?
REVIEW: The first thing I have to say is I fell in love with this book because of the setting. Loves Park Colorado is in reality the town where I live Loveland Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains and about 30 minutes away from Estes Park which is park of the Rocky Mountain National Park. We are nicknamed the "Sweetheart City," and do have light posts with hearts on them and remail Valentine cards, wedding invitations etc with a heart shape stamped on them throughout the months of January and February with an entire team of volunteers helping to do all this. Ms. Walsh does an excellent job of bringing our small town to life.
This is my first book my Courtney Walsh, and I really liked her writing. Her characters were believable full of strengths, weaknesses, wishes, and needs. Abigail and Jacob are both hiding themselves away from previous hurts and letting life pass them by. They both have dreams of starting fresh but are working at cross purposes to one another. They are also both suffering from interference by outside people who think they know what is best for them. It's only when they both realize that the person they need to rely on is God that things begin to sort themselves out.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes modern Christian romance. I look forward to reading more by this author.
FAVORITE QUOTES: "She'd been so caught up in her self-pity that she'd failed to ask God to intervene--yet she'd blamed him when he didn't.
"..she wanted to treat people differently. Worry less about her own difficulties and focus on what she could do to love others."
"But the very best love stories are the one that are flawed and full of forgiveness and pain and joy and challenges and happiness. All of these things make up a love story."
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?
REVIEW: The first thing I have to say is I fell in love with this book because of the setting. Loves Park Colorado is in reality the town where I live Loveland Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains and about 30 minutes away from Estes Park which is park of the Rocky Mountain National Park. We are nicknamed the "Sweetheart City," and do have light posts with hearts on them and remail Valentine cards, wedding invitations etc with a heart shape stamped on them throughout the months of January and February with an entire team of volunteers helping to do all this. Ms. Walsh does an excellent job of bringing our small town to life.
This is my first book my Courtney Walsh, and I really liked her writing. Her characters were believable full of strengths, weaknesses, wishes, and needs. Abigail and Jacob are both hiding themselves away from previous hurts and letting life pass them by. They both have dreams of starting fresh but are working at cross purposes to one another. They are also both suffering from interference by outside people who think they know what is best for them. It's only when they both realize that the person they need to rely on is God that things begin to sort themselves out.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes modern Christian romance. I look forward to reading more by this author.
FAVORITE QUOTES: "She'd been so caught up in her self-pity that she'd failed to ask God to intervene--yet she'd blamed him when he didn't.
"..she wanted to treat people differently. Worry less about her own difficulties and focus on what she could do to love others."
"But the very best love stories are the one that are flawed and full of forgiveness and pain and joy and challenges and happiness. All of these things make up a love story."
May 17, 2016
I enjoyed this story so much! This was just was heart-warming story. Courtney Walsh did a great job balancing the light romance with heavier subjects in this book. I fell in love with the town of Love's Park and their love for all things valentines. and the Ladies of the volunteer group were my fav. This was a great story of not only romantic love but also trusting God with dreams despite the bad things that happen. this is definitely a great book to add to you collection
March 14, 2019
If you feel that the highest ambition for a woman is marriage, that any man would do, and that everyone you know is entitled to use any means at their disposal - fair, foul or humiliating - to help you reach that pinnacle of womanhood, regardless of your feelings and many requests to stop, then by all means read this book.
April 6, 2016
4.5 ⭐️
August 14, 2022
Not every book read is a winner. This one is 2⭐️⭐️
I don't really enjoy our main character. She is not likeable. Half the time I can't remember out hero's name. And then the sister is Kate but the evil jealous woman with a vendetta against Abigail is Kelly---both are in the life of our Hero and it took me half the book to remember who was who.
Then I had flames...the flames...flames on the side of my face.... don't get me started on the "forgive yourself" scene where he doesn't forgive God for life circumstances...but then God tells him it's not that it's "you need to forgive yourself..." 😳 show me in scripture where any of that is?!
It was a Hallmark version of You've Got Mail with nods to the movie, but it was botched in my opinion. So many things.... just ugh.
Oh! And um, I would have appreciated a heads up about suicide being part of this story. Just saying.
I don't really enjoy our main character. She is not likeable. Half the time I can't remember out hero's name. And then the sister is Kate but the evil jealous woman with a vendetta against Abigail is Kelly---both are in the life of our Hero and it took me half the book to remember who was who.
Then I had flames...the flames...flames on the side of my face.... don't get me started on the "forgive yourself" scene where he doesn't forgive God for life circumstances...but then God tells him it's not that it's "you need to forgive yourself..." 😳 show me in scripture where any of that is?!
It was a Hallmark version of You've Got Mail with nods to the movie, but it was botched in my opinion. So many things.... just ugh.
Oh! And um, I would have appreciated a heads up about suicide being part of this story. Just saying.
Read
January 7, 2015Full disclosure: didn't finish this one; but you might!
Will appeal to readers of Melissa Tagg, Becky Wade and Susan May Warren
The Gilmore Girls-esque setting and eccentric characters as well as the plotline's perfect fit as a possible Hallmark movie ( not to mention the winning cover) are enough to recommend it to readers of Christian Contemporary Romance.
Will appeal to readers of Melissa Tagg, Becky Wade and Susan May Warren
The Gilmore Girls-esque setting and eccentric characters as well as the plotline's perfect fit as a possible Hallmark movie ( not to mention the winning cover) are enough to recommend it to readers of Christian Contemporary Romance.
February 20, 2025
This was such a sweet read for Valentine’s Day! I liked the writing and enjoyed the characters. I feel like I haven’t seen Paper Hearts around much, but I think it was such a sweet read and definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a good romance story. I look forward to reading Change of Heart soon!
Content:
Talks of death, grieving, suicide, car crashes, domestic abuse, hospitals, injuries
3.5 ✨
Content:
Talks of death, grieving, suicide, car crashes, domestic abuse, hospitals, injuries
3.5 ✨
May 19, 2022
I'm in love with the paper hearts idea! 🥰🥰
This was a nice surprise. I only picked up because Just Look Up was really good and I wanted to try another novel by the author. Both main characters were really interesting, had a compelling backstory and the romance was adorable.
I'm def reading Courtney Walsh backlist"
This was a nice surprise. I only picked up because Just Look Up was really good and I wanted to try another novel by the author. Both main characters were really interesting, had a compelling backstory and the romance was adorable.
I'm def reading Courtney Walsh backlist"
March 13, 2016
Abigail Prrssman, owner of The Book Nook, has lost hope in finding a lasting relationship. Having been dumped by a long term boyfriend, and experiencing the hurt of her parent's divorce, she tells herself she is content with her life. But being single is hard in a town that celebrates love and markets romance to the many tourists who visit the small town of Loves Park, Colorado. When a new doctor, Jacob Willoughby, buys the building housing her bookstore to open his practice she is devastated by the possibility of losing her store. Jacob is looking for a new start, but has been unable to forgive himself for being unable to save his wife. Abigail feels an attraction to the handsome Dr. Willoughby, but has mixed feelings about his plans for the building. When she begins to hang the paper hearts sent to the Valentine Volunteers of Loves Park, people are inspired by the sentimental expressions of love. No one knows who the couple is who mailed them to the town post office. What an inspiring way for a couple to express their love.
I liked Abigail for her vulnerability, spunk and kindness to others. But I thought Jacob was weak, and allowed others to control his actions, making him rather unlikeable, which took away from their budding romance. The book has characters that are not perfect, and they each grow through grace and redemption, but I would have preferred Jacob to have a bit more backbone.
I do plan to read the next book in the series, as I liked how the book ended.
Really 3.5 stars.
I liked Abigail for her vulnerability, spunk and kindness to others. But I thought Jacob was weak, and allowed others to control his actions, making him rather unlikeable, which took away from their budding romance. The book has characters that are not perfect, and they each grow through grace and redemption, but I would have preferred Jacob to have a bit more backbone.
I do plan to read the next book in the series, as I liked how the book ended.
Really 3.5 stars.
February 20, 2015
What do you get when you cross a spunky bookstore owner and a handsome, single, new-in-town doctor who moves into her building: one delightful read! Some quirky characters and funny situations in the first half make this feel like a light read, but it grows in depth as it touches on some deeper issues from the main characters' pasts which affect their faith and ability to love. Throw a cute little girl into the mix, plus the setting of a town with a perpetual Valentine's theme, and the result is a sweet romantic read. 4.5 stars
April 11, 2023
Such a great enjoyable read! I really love Courtney Walsh's books and this one did not disappoint. Romance... angst... past hurts... unforgiveness... betrayal...healing... love... are just some of the themes covered. The characters were fun and endearing.. even Ursala! I love the idea of the paper hearts! Uniques and fun!
One warning for those who might be triggered... the subject of Suicide plays a role in the story. Handled well and appropriate, it still might be problematic for some.
One warning for those who might be triggered... the subject of Suicide plays a role in the story. Handled well and appropriate, it still might be problematic for some.
June 8, 2016
At first I was not into this book. I thought it was like something I could have written myself (or worst, something like Nicholas Sparks books..sorry..), but after the fourth chapter I really liked it, and changed my mind. It was a nice reading after all. I was hopping a little more dramatic and full of romance, but it was ok.
February 20, 2015
I loved the cover of this book, and the story didn't disappoint! I'm not a huge fan of contemporary romance, but I must admit I fell in love with this read. The biggest reason why is because the focus wasn't the romance. This book went so much deeper. Each character had problems with which they were struggling. I loved Abigail Pressman. Her character creeps right into the readers heart. I could so identify with her wanting to follow her dreams, yet still trying to figure out what they are. This book will make you laugh and make you cry. The characters in this story seem so real, the plot is much deeper than I expected, and the ending will thrill. This was my first read by Courtney Walsh, but I don't expect it to be my last. I'm not a romantic reader, but this book had much more to offer than that. I highly recommend this read. I was given this book through bookfun.org for my honest opinion which I have given.
January 3, 2015
I saw a few negative reviews for this book, so I wasn't expecting to enjoy it.
However, I really liked it.
I liked the characters of Abigail and Jacob. They were flawed and while often misguided, I liked them.
I loved the little town and the idea of the paper hearts was a fantastic way to weave the story together.
Overall, it's a cute, sweet read of a couple of people who need to let go of the past so that God can do something with their futures.
I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.
However, I really liked it.
I liked the characters of Abigail and Jacob. They were flawed and while often misguided, I liked them.
I loved the little town and the idea of the paper hearts was a fantastic way to weave the story together.
Overall, it's a cute, sweet read of a couple of people who need to let go of the past so that God can do something with their futures.
I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.
February 6, 2017
Full review on Faithfully Bookish http://www.faithfullybookish.com/revi...
The small, touristy, love-obsessed, Rocky Mountain town of Love Park completely captured my imagination. Historic buildings and busy little ladies groups are just the beginning of this community’s charm. The conflicting emotions, meddling grannies, and characters in need of healing forgiveness gave me warm fuzzies and a longing for more Love Park adventures.
I won this title in a giveaway. The opinions expressed are my own.
The small, touristy, love-obsessed, Rocky Mountain town of Love Park completely captured my imagination. Historic buildings and busy little ladies groups are just the beginning of this community’s charm. The conflicting emotions, meddling grannies, and characters in need of healing forgiveness gave me warm fuzzies and a longing for more Love Park adventures.
I won this title in a giveaway. The opinions expressed are my own.
June 14, 2015
This book was incredible. The romance and the suspense combined for a perfect book. I loved the history of the small town and cute romance that was happening with in it. This book made me laugh on numerous occasions. I have to say my favorite character was Ursula, she seemed like mean and pushy person....but turned out to be someone trying to help others find love. This was adorable and an absolute must read.
February 7, 2016
What a sweet story! I really liked how both Abigail and Jacob learned to let go of their fears and learn to trust in the Lord's perfect plan for their lives. I also was intrigued by the story of the paper hearts, and how the Valentine Volunteers came together to help a friend (even if the methods were sometimes hilarious!).
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