What do you think?
Rate this book
Love Walked In #1
Love Walked In
From the New York Times bestselling author of Watch Us Shine comes a “bewitching, warmhearted grown-up fairy tale about old movies, charming princes, and finding happily ever after in the place where you’d least expect it” (Jennifer Weiner).When Martin Grace enters the hip Philadelphia coffee shop Cornelia Brown manages, her life changes forever. But little does she know that her newfound love is only the harbinger of greater changes to come. Meanwhile, across town, Clare Hobbs—eleven years old and abandoned by her erratic mother—goes looking for her lost father. She crosses paths with Cornelia while meeting with him at the café, and the two women form an improbable friendship that carries them through the unpredictable currents of love and life.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 29, 2005
1052 people are currently reading
31528 people want to read
About the author
Marisa de los Santos
15 books3,120 followersMarisa de los Santos is the New York Times bestselling author of LOVE WALKED IN, BELONG TO ME, FALLING TOGETHER, THE PRECIOUS ONE, and her newest novel, which continues with characters from the first two, I'LL BE YOUR BLUE SKY.
Marisa has also co-authored, with her husband David Teague, two novels for middle grade readers: SAVING LUCAS BIGGS and CONNECT THE STARS.
Marisa and David live in Wilmington, Delaware with their two children, Charles and Annabel, and their Yorkies, Finny and Huxley. Marisa is currently at work on her sixth novel for adults, I'D GIVE ANYTHING.
Marisa has also co-authored, with her husband David Teague, two novels for middle grade readers: SAVING LUCAS BIGGS and CONNECT THE STARS.
Marisa and David live in Wilmington, Delaware with their two children, Charles and Annabel, and their Yorkies, Finny and Huxley. Marisa is currently at work on her sixth novel for adults, I'D GIVE ANYTHING.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,932 reviews
June 10, 2008
I finally met my match - an author that slowed me down! I'm a very fast reader - skimmer actually (you get more read that way), and the style and beauty of this book deserved to have every savory word read.
Clearly an accomplished writer in the craft of poetry, de los Santos conveys the flow and beauty of the written word in this novel.
In addition, she molds likeable, believable characters, and creates an intriging story.
I will read anything she writes!
Clearly an accomplished writer in the craft of poetry, de los Santos conveys the flow and beauty of the written word in this novel.
In addition, she molds likeable, believable characters, and creates an intriging story.
I will read anything she writes!
March 13, 2008
I would look at this book and read the back cover everytime I went to Borders. So, I recieved a gift card for Barnes & Noble so I went ahead and purchased this book. I'm not sure what I was expecting but I was a little disappointed with the development of the story of Cornelia and Claire. I found the frequent references to old romanticized movies and actors lame and completely over done. As someone who has a few film courses under her belt (but generally dislikes all romantic comedies with very few exception ie "Bringing up Baby" and "How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days"), I still found that I mostly had no idea what Cornelia was referring when she mentioned these "classic movies". I felt like classic romantic films 101 should be have been a prerequisite for reading this fluffy novel.
I also had a problem with the fact that all storylines and character choices seemed to easy and predictable. You saw them coming a 10 miles away and all plans and hopes just happened to work out perfectly. All loose ends were tied up tightly into perfectly happy endings, and that's fine. Who doesn't want like to feel a sense of some resolution afetr reading a book or seeing a film? But this was just so forced and unnatural. When the guy your dating for three months "forgets" to tell you he has a daughter and then she all of a sudden shows up when her mentally ill mother leaves, do you immediately become her surrogate mother? Do you just decide one day that you are in love with your sister's husband( who just so happens to have been your great friend all your life but married your sis and it just so happens that your sister leaves for her husband for some other man) and find out he's loved you since you were kids and your families are both fully supportive of you and him hooking up within days of learning that your sister left him? I seriously doubt it.. so unbelievable. There are more examples of this nonsense but there is no need to elaborate. If you see this book on the shelf don't even bother to stop..keep on movin'!
I also had a problem with the fact that all storylines and character choices seemed to easy and predictable. You saw them coming a 10 miles away and all plans and hopes just happened to work out perfectly. All loose ends were tied up tightly into perfectly happy endings, and that's fine. Who doesn't want like to feel a sense of some resolution afetr reading a book or seeing a film? But this was just so forced and unnatural. When the guy your dating for three months "forgets" to tell you he has a daughter and then she all of a sudden shows up when her mentally ill mother leaves, do you immediately become her surrogate mother? Do you just decide one day that you are in love with your sister's husband( who just so happens to have been your great friend all your life but married your sis and it just so happens that your sister leaves for her husband for some other man) and find out he's loved you since you were kids and your families are both fully supportive of you and him hooking up within days of learning that your sister left him? I seriously doubt it.. so unbelievable. There are more examples of this nonsense but there is no need to elaborate. If you see this book on the shelf don't even bother to stop..keep on movin'!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2019
It was strange, it was long and boring, at 1st. I got through it and loved it. Loved walked in and I loved that 2.
May 18, 2009
For the first two-thirds of this book, I was in love. The prose was so taut and engaging, I didn’t want to put the darn book down (even though I am technically supposed to be reading Emma). The cultural references alone (books, movies, music) were enough to keep me riveted. I loved the pert and unique language of the adult heroine: Cornelia. Also, the author was very adept at creating very different, very believable voices for the two protagonists: Cornelia and Clare.
So, when the last act came around, I was disappointed. I think the author had so much to accomplish in those last few chapters (especially with making the plot conform to the romance formula) that the writing was focused on accomplishing the end, rather than telling the end. Plot twists and turns abound in that third act, some, even, that I felt weren’t true to the characters.
Some other minor complaints: (1) The chapters alternated between Cornelia (in first person) and Clare (in third person). While I generally liked the technique, it was disarming to have to switch from first to third person every few pages. (2) All of the characters were unrealistically beautiful. (3) This isn’t related to the book, but I think Sarah Jessica Parker is all wrong to play Cornelia in the movie. Cornelia is described as five feet tall with dark, pixie-cut hair, with a face resembling that of Audrey Hepburn. Come on.
So, when the last act came around, I was disappointed. I think the author had so much to accomplish in those last few chapters (especially with making the plot conform to the romance formula) that the writing was focused on accomplishing the end, rather than telling the end. Plot twists and turns abound in that third act, some, even, that I felt weren’t true to the characters.
Some other minor complaints: (1) The chapters alternated between Cornelia (in first person) and Clare (in third person). While I generally liked the technique, it was disarming to have to switch from first to third person every few pages. (2) All of the characters were unrealistically beautiful. (3) This isn’t related to the book, but I think Sarah Jessica Parker is all wrong to play Cornelia in the movie. Cornelia is described as five feet tall with dark, pixie-cut hair, with a face resembling that of Audrey Hepburn. Come on.
June 14, 2012
Love Walked In centers on an unlikely meeting between two narrators -- Cornelia, a 31-year-old cafe manager, and Clare, the 11-year-old daughter of Cornelia's current boyfriend. What unfolds is a strange and at times hopeful narrative of relationships, connections, and love.
Cornelia's narrative is chatty -- like a girlfriend catching up on a whopper of a story --, but it's often over the top. The author uses Cornelia as a place to indulge in being in love with her own precocity, and it is more often irritating than cute. Clare's narrative is lovely and heartbreaking. It's hard not to want to reach into the book and envelope her.
The first half was wistful and hopeful, and I really enjoyed it. But the author sets up a scenario that cannot be easily resolved, and instead of going for a realistic or difficult scenario, she pulls out every ridiculous, contrived plot-twist imaginable in the second half of the book. I found myself floored in disbelief; not only was I incredulous, but I was also concerned about Cornelia's decision vis-a-vis Clare and dumbfounded at the idea that we were supposed to buy such a baloney-filled ending.
This book is great if you need a new kind of fluff to read, but know that the ending is going to be wholly bizarre. I was transfixed and yet felt like I was watching a car accident in progress.
Cornelia's narrative is chatty -- like a girlfriend catching up on a whopper of a story --, but it's often over the top. The author uses Cornelia as a place to indulge in being in love with her own precocity, and it is more often irritating than cute. Clare's narrative is lovely and heartbreaking. It's hard not to want to reach into the book and envelope her.
The first half was wistful and hopeful, and I really enjoyed it. But the author sets up a scenario that cannot be easily resolved, and instead of going for a realistic or difficult scenario, she pulls out every ridiculous, contrived plot-twist imaginable in the second half of the book. I found myself floored in disbelief; not only was I incredulous, but I was also concerned about Cornelia's decision vis-a-vis Clare and dumbfounded at the idea that we were supposed to buy such a baloney-filled ending.
This book is great if you need a new kind of fluff to read, but know that the ending is going to be wholly bizarre. I was transfixed and yet felt like I was watching a car accident in progress.
April 2, 2008
Reading, it is truly what I love to do. However, I do not like wordy books. By this I mean, when something can be essentially and beautifully written in say 10 words, why ruin it by writing it with 20. The story, its premise and its entirety are nice concepts which had the possibility of many things. Yet, I could not wait for it to end because the boos itself is so over-the-top wordy, I just wanted to scream. Perhaps it was just me, but some of the sentences were just painful because it was as if the author was just trying to see how many words she could fit in a sentence.
December 22, 2018
Love Walked In, by Marisa de los Santos, was referred to me by a dear friend. I am indebted to her for recommending such a wonderful read!
The author creates lovable and quirky characters involved in many versions of love.
Clare and Cornelia sucked me right into their story. I was totally devoted to them and their improbable friendship that carries them through the unpredictable currents of life and love.
An amazing storyteller!
The author creates lovable and quirky characters involved in many versions of love.
Clare and Cornelia sucked me right into their story. I was totally devoted to them and their improbable friendship that carries them through the unpredictable currents of life and love.
An amazing storyteller!
June 10, 2008
This is one of the best-written books I've read in years. From the first paragraph, I was hooked. The writing style was just fantastic. It far exceeded my expectations in terms of a first novel.
Cornelia is someone I think I would be friends with in real life. I found myself in her world through the vivid descriptions. It was almost as if the main character was inviting you into her life.
I didn't want to read it too quickly (and I couldn't put it down) because I felt like I had to savor every single word. Some people may feel the plotlines were predictable, but I would have to disagree. I would say that the story was comfortable due to excellent writing and that I didn't know what was coming because of the well developed characters and plotline.
Ms. de los Santos is a poet, a fact that shines through in her writing. This book was an absolute pleasure to read, and I can't wait to read "Belong to Me" to see how my Cornelia's life turns out... and to read whatever else this wonderful author puts out!
Cornelia is someone I think I would be friends with in real life. I found myself in her world through the vivid descriptions. It was almost as if the main character was inviting you into her life.
I didn't want to read it too quickly (and I couldn't put it down) because I felt like I had to savor every single word. Some people may feel the plotlines were predictable, but I would have to disagree. I would say that the story was comfortable due to excellent writing and that I didn't know what was coming because of the well developed characters and plotline.
Ms. de los Santos is a poet, a fact that shines through in her writing. This book was an absolute pleasure to read, and I can't wait to read "Belong to Me" to see how my Cornelia's life turns out... and to read whatever else this wonderful author puts out!
December 28, 2023
Less than twenty-four hours after I got the flowers, he called. Didn't just cal, but called from London, thank you very much. When I heard his voice, I could just feel the presence of scones and lemon curd on a tray net to him and the red double-decker buses lumbering by outside. (PG 39)
I liked that the story wasn't a typical girl-meets-boy love story. It was a story of falling in love with a little girl that needs to feel safety and guidance because her mom ditched her on the side of the road and a dad, who is dating the main character Cornelia, doesn't seem interested or caring toward his offspring.
Cornelia falls in love with Clare. It was sweet.
I didn't like Cornelia's obsession with falling in love with movie star lookalikes and it was weird that one of the characters dies in a convenient way for another main character. Story was okay and it wasn't the worst but definitely left me feeling "meh."
I liked that the story wasn't a typical girl-meets-boy love story. It was a story of falling in love with a little girl that needs to feel safety and guidance because her mom ditched her on the side of the road and a dad, who is dating the main character Cornelia, doesn't seem interested or caring toward his offspring.
Cornelia falls in love with Clare. It was sweet.
I didn't like Cornelia's obsession with falling in love with movie star lookalikes and it was weird that one of the characters dies in a convenient way for another main character. Story was okay and it wasn't the worst but definitely left me feeling "meh."
February 19, 2021
Every character in this book needs serious counseling.
Every. Single. One.
And I don't mean that in a general 'everybody should get counseling because it is super healthy' type way. I mean these people are crying out for help.
And I think that's supposed to give me warm fuzzies?
This actually is a well-written book. Marisa de los Santos writes beautifully. Long sentences and tangled emotions that shouldn't blend well together somehow do. It isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I found I enjoyed it. She shades everything in such a warm light that you ignore the seriously messed up behavior of the characters and just sit back and enjoy. This book barely clocks 300 pages but it feels like 600. Both because everything is unnecessarily drawn out and because the emotional journey you go on feels very filling. I liked her characters...sometimes. I particular appreciated when her 11-year-old behaved an 11-year-old (which wasn't always but...enough.)
It is just, the 11-year-old has an excuse for behaving irrationally. The adults in this book do not.
And that's why, as the story continued and the soap opera persisted, I found myself increasingly rolling my eyes over the characters' behavior. And then I reached that awful, so-called happy ending.
(Was it supposed to be happy? The characters are happy. But it is all so freaking messed up. Give me the bitter-sweet. Heck, give me the bitter. Don't expect me to buy this poorly crafted wonderland.)
This book tries so hard to rise above Hallmark that it instead becomes a soap opera. But less fun.
The story follows Cornelia, a self-centered 31-year-old who feels inferior to those around her because she works at a coffee-shop but also superior to everyone because she once started grad school.
Then there is Claire, said 11-year-old, who is always one paragraph away from an emotional breakdown.
These two meet and form a bond based primarily on Cornelia's desire for children and Claire's desperation for stability. Things happen. The end.
I repeat: EVERYONE NEEDS COUNSELING. Cornelia. Claire. Claire's Mom. Cornelia's Mom. Cornelia's sister. Cornelia's boyfriend. Cornelia's brother-in-law.
Especially her brother-in-law.
EVERYONE.
Every. Single. One.
And I don't mean that in a general 'everybody should get counseling because it is super healthy' type way. I mean these people are crying out for help.
And I think that's supposed to give me warm fuzzies?
This actually is a well-written book. Marisa de los Santos writes beautifully. Long sentences and tangled emotions that shouldn't blend well together somehow do. It isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I found I enjoyed it. She shades everything in such a warm light that you ignore the seriously messed up behavior of the characters and just sit back and enjoy. This book barely clocks 300 pages but it feels like 600. Both because everything is unnecessarily drawn out and because the emotional journey you go on feels very filling. I liked her characters...sometimes. I particular appreciated when her 11-year-old behaved an 11-year-old (which wasn't always but...enough.)
It is just, the 11-year-old has an excuse for behaving irrationally. The adults in this book do not.
And that's why, as the story continued and the soap opera persisted, I found myself increasingly rolling my eyes over the characters' behavior. And then I reached that awful, so-called happy ending.
(Was it supposed to be happy? The characters are happy. But it is all so freaking messed up. Give me the bitter-sweet. Heck, give me the bitter. Don't expect me to buy this poorly crafted wonderland.)
This book tries so hard to rise above Hallmark that it instead becomes a soap opera. But less fun.
The story follows Cornelia, a self-centered 31-year-old who feels inferior to those around her because she works at a coffee-shop but also superior to everyone because she once started grad school.
Then there is Claire, said 11-year-old, who is always one paragraph away from an emotional breakdown.
These two meet and form a bond based primarily on Cornelia's desire for children and Claire's desperation for stability. Things happen. The end.
I repeat: EVERYONE NEEDS COUNSELING. Cornelia. Claire. Claire's Mom. Cornelia's Mom. Cornelia's sister. Cornelia's boyfriend. Cornelia's brother-in-law.
Especially her brother-in-law.
EVERYONE.
June 6, 2008
After two semesters of doom and gloom novels, my soul needed verbal cuddling. I can see this book translating into a chick-flick, the type of movie mothers bring their daughters to and weep mercilessly halfway into the film. The title itself says it all.
I wasn't hooked immediately into this book, as I normally am with guilty pleasures...and here's why. The author didn't have a set voice she settled into. Her chapters alternated between Cornelia, a thirty-something cafe manager, and Clare, an eleven-year-old girl whose bipolar mom abandoned her. The Cornelia chapters were first-person POV, the Clare chapters were third-person. I think I understand why she did this--because getting into the mind of a child, and making it believable--is truly tricky. Hats off to her for trying it. The problem is, she didn't succeed. Clare is supposed to be a girl, ahead of her years, due to the turmoil at home, but I kept thinking of how even the most precocious eleven year old couldn't be THAT observant and insightful. Yes, children are more clever than we give them credit for, and do offer bits of wisdom we are surprised by...but I often doubted the authenticity of the Clare chapters.
The problem is, the Clare chapters were better written than the Cornelia ones. The description was more detailed, and quite beautiful at times; I'm sure that has to do with the fact it's third-person, not first, as it tends to be easier to write scenery in third person. But I found myself really enjoying the writing more in the Clare chapters, and the author's poetry background came through there. Although one thing I noticed--and this is a pet peeve of mine when an author chooses to tell the same story through different POV-- is that the chapters tended to be redundant. Clare would think something that Cornelia thought, and sure enough, next chapter, Cornelia would think it. Or Clare would assume something about Cornelia, or Cornelia would read something about Clare...there were no surprises between the two of them and their interactions. Everything was predicted for us, which, honestly, became boring after awhile.
I also felt like the author took the 'easy' way out of things at times. Things happened too conveniently--with Martin, with Mrs. Goldberg, with any character who existed only to make it 'easier' for Cornelia--that after awhile, I thought, "Of course. That WOULD happen."
Of course, these are all pretty harsh criticisms for an overall very sweet book. It did its trick and definitely gave me some warm fuzzies after I was done reading it. And the author is clearly sharp and well-versed on her old movies, and more than once, I wish I had Wikipedia next to me to look up her references. This is just a genre of book I don't normally read but I won't turn away from...and truth be told, I'll read another book of hers. Because who doesn't need warm fuzzies?
I wasn't hooked immediately into this book, as I normally am with guilty pleasures...and here's why. The author didn't have a set voice she settled into. Her chapters alternated between Cornelia, a thirty-something cafe manager, and Clare, an eleven-year-old girl whose bipolar mom abandoned her. The Cornelia chapters were first-person POV, the Clare chapters were third-person. I think I understand why she did this--because getting into the mind of a child, and making it believable--is truly tricky. Hats off to her for trying it. The problem is, she didn't succeed. Clare is supposed to be a girl, ahead of her years, due to the turmoil at home, but I kept thinking of how even the most precocious eleven year old couldn't be THAT observant and insightful. Yes, children are more clever than we give them credit for, and do offer bits of wisdom we are surprised by...but I often doubted the authenticity of the Clare chapters.
The problem is, the Clare chapters were better written than the Cornelia ones. The description was more detailed, and quite beautiful at times; I'm sure that has to do with the fact it's third-person, not first, as it tends to be easier to write scenery in third person. But I found myself really enjoying the writing more in the Clare chapters, and the author's poetry background came through there. Although one thing I noticed--and this is a pet peeve of mine when an author chooses to tell the same story through different POV-- is that the chapters tended to be redundant. Clare would think something that Cornelia thought, and sure enough, next chapter, Cornelia would think it. Or Clare would assume something about Cornelia, or Cornelia would read something about Clare...there were no surprises between the two of them and their interactions. Everything was predicted for us, which, honestly, became boring after awhile.
I also felt like the author took the 'easy' way out of things at times. Things happened too conveniently--with Martin, with Mrs. Goldberg, with any character who existed only to make it 'easier' for Cornelia--that after awhile, I thought, "Of course. That WOULD happen."
Of course, these are all pretty harsh criticisms for an overall very sweet book. It did its trick and definitely gave me some warm fuzzies after I was done reading it. And the author is clearly sharp and well-versed on her old movies, and more than once, I wish I had Wikipedia next to me to look up her references. This is just a genre of book I don't normally read but I won't turn away from...and truth be told, I'll read another book of hers. Because who doesn't need warm fuzzies?
February 20, 2009
I thought about putting this down around page 100 because I wasn't enjoying it at all. I decided to stick it out a little further, because I felt like the story was just starting to gain steam. By that point, I only had 150 pages left and figured I should just finish it. What a mistake.
I thought this book was terrible. What I hated the most was just her wordy, wordy writing. It was messy and all over the place and just too much. No one I've ever met talks like that and I'm fairly confident that no one thinks like that. She would use 30 words to say something that could have been said just as well (maybe better) in 10.
Also disliked the incessant movie references. I get it. You like movies. Who cares?
The characters were flat, the story was predictable and everything was just so effing cliche. And she even kept saying "I know this is going to sound cliche".... Why? You're an author, think of something different, something real.
Ugh.
Waste.of.time.
I thought this book was terrible. What I hated the most was just her wordy, wordy writing. It was messy and all over the place and just too much. No one I've ever met talks like that and I'm fairly confident that no one thinks like that. She would use 30 words to say something that could have been said just as well (maybe better) in 10.
Also disliked the incessant movie references. I get it. You like movies. Who cares?
The characters were flat, the story was predictable and everything was just so effing cliche. And she even kept saying "I know this is going to sound cliche".... Why? You're an author, think of something different, something real.
Ugh.
Waste.of.time.
July 27, 2009
So after that cynical, depressing Indian book I thought what I needed was some chick lit, and this was supposed to be more intelligent than average chick lit. Was it? Well, if continual annoying references to old movies (in which I have absolutely no interest), a slightly less hackneyed (perhaps) story line, and a heroine who’s making a valiant effort at having a Personality qualifies as more intelligent chick lit, okay, I’ll give it to you. I guess the fact that I didn’t close the book halfway through says something, although again, that may have simply been the contrast effect with the last book I read.
Cornelia, who’s just too perky, cute, and attractive (85 lbs.? An Audrey Hepburn lookalike? Don’t average-looking people ever have romances?), quipping snappily to the reader right and left, and constantly saying things like, “I know this is a cliché but…” (as if that makes it okay for the book to be filled with clichés), is a 31-year-old manager of a coffee shop (could we get any more hip? But never fear – she’s intelligent and deep too!) who falls instantly in love with a gorgeous male customer, who naturally falls right back in love with her and sweeps her off her feet and into a whirlwind romance, because of course he’s not only gorgeous but fun and romantic and the immediate chemistry is sustained and goes beyond the physical. Well, I guess if you’re 85 lbs. and impossibly cute, it can happen. For most of us, attraction develops a little more slowly and with a bit more complexity than that. But I guess I’m alone in preferring to read about a slow-developing, complicated romance over simplistic stuff like this. Which, incidentally, is why I never liked the old movies that Cornelia constantly references.
Then you have the classic Disney movie story line – precocious kid struggles with tragic circumstances, becoming an adult before her time, managing to need nurturing while not seeming needy, thus effortlessly getting people to love her. This plot is also a hackneyed one, though its appearance in a chick lit novel may be a bit more original. Maybe. I still found it an emotionally manipulative, obvious effort to tug at the reader’s heartstrings. The kid, Clare, is 11 years old with a suddenly manic mother and an apathetic father. The description of the mother’s mania was just too perfect, as if the author read a bunch of books on bipolar disorder and merged the descriptions of the manic phase into this one mother, whose onset appears rather sudden and immediate and who doesn't seem to be anything other than manic, ever (until the end, of course, when her medication has worked miracles). While the description was basically consistent with the more obvious symptoms of bipolar disorder on a superficial level, it seemed just a little too one-dimensional to me. Clare, of course, intuits that her mother is ill and manages to heroically structure her life despite this, keeping it a secret from friends and concerned teachers, trying and failing to get her father to help her.
Until her mother abandons her, and the two plotlines meet – aha! Cornelia’s new love, Martin, is Clare’s neglectful father! And now Cornelia can instantly fall in love with Clare, and out of love with Martin, just in time for her impossibly gorgeous brother-in-law Teo to walk in and instantly fall in love with both of them (don’t worry; we later learn that his wife has already left him even though every other woman in the world drops at his feet, and Cornelia and her sister are conveniently estranged anyway, so no complications there). Despite everything Clare has been through, she immediately takes to Cornelia and Teo, who both know exactly how to talk to her and what to say and do and not say and not do despite never having had children of their own, never mind how delicate it would be in any case to build rapport with a child in this situation. And thus, what could have been an incredibly complex situation works out just beautifully. A convenient death, a family who is just thrilled that one daughter’s marriage has broken up and their son-in-law is now with their other daughter (if you’re all so close-knit and happy, why are you feeling no conflict about what your newly divorced daughter must be going through?), a dying neighbor who leaves her entire estate to Cornelia even though she has children of her own (and no hard feelings from said children!), and Clare’s mother returns, on the right medication, remorseful and ready to return to motherhood, and even bonding with Cornelia and agreeing to make room for Cornelia in Clare’s life. I simply cannot believe that my cynical sister gave this four stars. I will give it two, because I finished it and because it is, perhaps, on the upper half of the chicklit continuum although that’s really not saying much.
Cornelia, who’s just too perky, cute, and attractive (85 lbs.? An Audrey Hepburn lookalike? Don’t average-looking people ever have romances?), quipping snappily to the reader right and left, and constantly saying things like, “I know this is a cliché but…” (as if that makes it okay for the book to be filled with clichés), is a 31-year-old manager of a coffee shop (could we get any more hip? But never fear – she’s intelligent and deep too!) who falls instantly in love with a gorgeous male customer, who naturally falls right back in love with her and sweeps her off her feet and into a whirlwind romance, because of course he’s not only gorgeous but fun and romantic and the immediate chemistry is sustained and goes beyond the physical. Well, I guess if you’re 85 lbs. and impossibly cute, it can happen. For most of us, attraction develops a little more slowly and with a bit more complexity than that. But I guess I’m alone in preferring to read about a slow-developing, complicated romance over simplistic stuff like this. Which, incidentally, is why I never liked the old movies that Cornelia constantly references.
Then you have the classic Disney movie story line – precocious kid struggles with tragic circumstances, becoming an adult before her time, managing to need nurturing while not seeming needy, thus effortlessly getting people to love her. This plot is also a hackneyed one, though its appearance in a chick lit novel may be a bit more original. Maybe. I still found it an emotionally manipulative, obvious effort to tug at the reader’s heartstrings. The kid, Clare, is 11 years old with a suddenly manic mother and an apathetic father. The description of the mother’s mania was just too perfect, as if the author read a bunch of books on bipolar disorder and merged the descriptions of the manic phase into this one mother, whose onset appears rather sudden and immediate and who doesn't seem to be anything other than manic, ever (until the end, of course, when her medication has worked miracles). While the description was basically consistent with the more obvious symptoms of bipolar disorder on a superficial level, it seemed just a little too one-dimensional to me. Clare, of course, intuits that her mother is ill and manages to heroically structure her life despite this, keeping it a secret from friends and concerned teachers, trying and failing to get her father to help her.
Until her mother abandons her, and the two plotlines meet – aha! Cornelia’s new love, Martin, is Clare’s neglectful father! And now Cornelia can instantly fall in love with Clare, and out of love with Martin, just in time for her impossibly gorgeous brother-in-law Teo to walk in and instantly fall in love with both of them (don’t worry; we later learn that his wife has already left him even though every other woman in the world drops at his feet, and Cornelia and her sister are conveniently estranged anyway, so no complications there). Despite everything Clare has been through, she immediately takes to Cornelia and Teo, who both know exactly how to talk to her and what to say and do and not say and not do despite never having had children of their own, never mind how delicate it would be in any case to build rapport with a child in this situation. And thus, what could have been an incredibly complex situation works out just beautifully. A convenient death, a family who is just thrilled that one daughter’s marriage has broken up and their son-in-law is now with their other daughter (if you’re all so close-knit and happy, why are you feeling no conflict about what your newly divorced daughter must be going through?), a dying neighbor who leaves her entire estate to Cornelia even though she has children of her own (and no hard feelings from said children!), and Clare’s mother returns, on the right medication, remorseful and ready to return to motherhood, and even bonding with Cornelia and agreeing to make room for Cornelia in Clare’s life. I simply cannot believe that my cynical sister gave this four stars. I will give it two, because I finished it and because it is, perhaps, on the upper half of the chicklit continuum although that’s really not saying much.
December 26, 2018
[3+] Another easy, enjoyable read by de los Santos.
March 1, 2018
Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos
3⭐️
I was going to give this book a 2 star rating but the ending was better. I was not a fan of Cornelia, I like Clare and Teo a whole lot more. As for the plot, it was predictable and that made it difficult to just read it and not skip ahead. I actually had to use the horrid audiobook to keep myself from skipping through the redundancies.
Besides the ok ending I also liked the classic movie and book references. These oldies kind of hindered Cornelia because she compared everyone to Cary Grant. I love Cary Grant. It’s hard to pick a favorite movie of his, I love An Affair to Remember and The Philadelphia Story and so many others. But the way Cornelia was going on and on and on about Cary Grant and how much Martin (whom I also didn’t like right away) almost made me tired of hearing about Cary Grant. Sorry. Did I just say his name. Again and again... like the way I kept hearing about him in this book?
So you see why this was almost a did-not-finish (dnf) read. I wouldn’t have finished this if I had read it on my own but this was for a personal and Play Book Tag challenge.
3⭐️
I was going to give this book a 2 star rating but the ending was better. I was not a fan of Cornelia, I like Clare and Teo a whole lot more. As for the plot, it was predictable and that made it difficult to just read it and not skip ahead. I actually had to use the horrid audiobook to keep myself from skipping through the redundancies.
Besides the ok ending I also liked the classic movie and book references. These oldies kind of hindered Cornelia because she compared everyone to Cary Grant. I love Cary Grant. It’s hard to pick a favorite movie of his, I love An Affair to Remember and The Philadelphia Story and so many others. But the way Cornelia was going on and on and on about Cary Grant and how much Martin (whom I also didn’t like right away) almost made me tired of hearing about Cary Grant. Sorry. Did I just say his name. Again and again... like the way I kept hearing about him in this book?
So you see why this was almost a did-not-finish (dnf) read. I wouldn’t have finished this if I had read it on my own but this was for a personal and Play Book Tag challenge.
June 30, 2017
3.5***
Cornelia, the “under-achiever” in her family, is the manager of a café. One day a Cary-Grant-look-alike walks in and her life changes.
This is a chick-lit, romance novel with great heart. The novel is told in alternating points of view: Cornelia, and Clare, an eleven-year-old with a chaotic home life. I loved them both, though I was somewhat incredulous at several plot points.
Clare is a wonderful child character – smart, observant, brave and caring, she is also frightened and fragile. Several of her chapters just about broke my heart. Cornelia is likewise smart, independent, caring and compassionate, if occasionally blind to reality. She does tend to rely too heavily on old movies to explain her life, or on which to pin her hopes for love. I’m reminded a little of the movie Sleepless in Seattle, where Meg Ryan’s character obsessively watched the Cary Grant / Deborah Kerr movie An Affair to Remember. (Note: several reviews have criticized the book for the references to these romantic movies of the ‘40s and ‘50s, because the reviewers had no experience with them, so didn’t understand the references. Not the case for me, however.)
De los Santos was known for her poetry before she published this novel. Her skill at poetic writing shows here. I loved some of her metaphors and descriptions. For example:
Getting the words right matters, but so did describing his voice when he talked and capturing the feeling that filled her as he spoke and after he spoke. She thought about the word “capture,” how it put a writer on par with a fur trapper or big-game hunter, and how it implied that stories were whole and roaming around loose in the world, and a writer’s job was to catch them.
The men in the story didn’t get as much attention as I might have liked, and they were not very well developed. The ending is also a little too convenient, but it’s a chick-lit romance, so I cut her some slack. It’s a solid summer-at-the-beach read.
There is a sequel: Belong to Me which continues Cornelia’s story. I’d read it previously, not realizing that this novel comes first. I don’t think it affected my enjoyment of either book, but readers should probably read them in order.
Cornelia, the “under-achiever” in her family, is the manager of a café. One day a Cary-Grant-look-alike walks in and her life changes.
This is a chick-lit, romance novel with great heart. The novel is told in alternating points of view: Cornelia, and Clare, an eleven-year-old with a chaotic home life. I loved them both, though I was somewhat incredulous at several plot points.
Clare is a wonderful child character – smart, observant, brave and caring, she is also frightened and fragile. Several of her chapters just about broke my heart. Cornelia is likewise smart, independent, caring and compassionate, if occasionally blind to reality. She does tend to rely too heavily on old movies to explain her life, or on which to pin her hopes for love. I’m reminded a little of the movie Sleepless in Seattle, where Meg Ryan’s character obsessively watched the Cary Grant / Deborah Kerr movie An Affair to Remember. (Note: several reviews have criticized the book for the references to these romantic movies of the ‘40s and ‘50s, because the reviewers had no experience with them, so didn’t understand the references. Not the case for me, however.)
De los Santos was known for her poetry before she published this novel. Her skill at poetic writing shows here. I loved some of her metaphors and descriptions. For example:
Getting the words right matters, but so did describing his voice when he talked and capturing the feeling that filled her as he spoke and after he spoke. She thought about the word “capture,” how it put a writer on par with a fur trapper or big-game hunter, and how it implied that stories were whole and roaming around loose in the world, and a writer’s job was to catch them.
The men in the story didn’t get as much attention as I might have liked, and they were not very well developed. The ending is also a little too convenient, but it’s a chick-lit romance, so I cut her some slack. It’s a solid summer-at-the-beach read.
There is a sequel: Belong to Me which continues Cornelia’s story. I’d read it previously, not realizing that this novel comes first. I don’t think it affected my enjoyment of either book, but readers should probably read them in order.
September 27, 2023
So many things to share about this book… fil review truly is coming this time lol
April 26, 2018
2.5 stars. Despite the witty, chatty, candid, smart, conversational tone, I was distracted from the story because of all the words. Too. Many. Words. It was a noisy book with all the words and book/movie references.....author seemed to be trying too hard. My apologies to readers who loved this book...it’s just not the right one for me.
For more reviews visit my blog: readingladies.com
For more reviews visit my blog: readingladies.com
Read
November 13, 2022I really kept pushing myself to read this one; I kept thinking it would get better. It didn’t, so I jumped ship at about halfway through. Just couldn’t get into the story.
June 25, 2008
Audio Version.
Written by a poet, Love Walked In described love, family, and womanhood in a beautiful heart-wrenching way.
I quote a section describing exactly, well almost exactly how I feel about my purpose as a mother. The main character's mother has just told her daughter about her life growing up with a mentally ill and alcoholic mother:
“I swore nothing like that would ever touch this family.” And her whole body tilted forward when she said it so great was her ferocity. It was the scene in Gone With the Wind, Scarlet raising her fist in the air, Georgia in ashes around her, the morning sun turning the world red. When she said that I understood, I saw the truth all at once, like an image in a movie scene-How this single statement, my mother’s resolve ran like a strong rigid seam through the foundation of this house through the supporting walls and wooden beams and through the upbeat normalcy of every day. My mother walked out then, and my father sat down beside me, staring into the fire.
“It’s what she’s been protecting us from all this time,” I said with wonder in my voice.
“Did you think all this was for free? Happiness isn’t what happens when you whistle along pretending bad things don’t exist… I know that’s what you think goes on in this house, but you’re wrong. Happiness is earned like everything else, it is achieved. The problem is that your mother made it look too easy, which is exactly what she wanted. “
Beautiful, touching story. I wish all humanity would be a little more like Cornelia in their treatment of children, strangers, and those in need.
Written by a poet, Love Walked In described love, family, and womanhood in a beautiful heart-wrenching way.
I quote a section describing exactly, well almost exactly how I feel about my purpose as a mother. The main character's mother has just told her daughter about her life growing up with a mentally ill and alcoholic mother:
“I swore nothing like that would ever touch this family.” And her whole body tilted forward when she said it so great was her ferocity. It was the scene in Gone With the Wind, Scarlet raising her fist in the air, Georgia in ashes around her, the morning sun turning the world red. When she said that I understood, I saw the truth all at once, like an image in a movie scene-How this single statement, my mother’s resolve ran like a strong rigid seam through the foundation of this house through the supporting walls and wooden beams and through the upbeat normalcy of every day. My mother walked out then, and my father sat down beside me, staring into the fire.
“It’s what she’s been protecting us from all this time,” I said with wonder in my voice.
“Did you think all this was for free? Happiness isn’t what happens when you whistle along pretending bad things don’t exist… I know that’s what you think goes on in this house, but you’re wrong. Happiness is earned like everything else, it is achieved. The problem is that your mother made it look too easy, which is exactly what she wanted. “
Beautiful, touching story. I wish all humanity would be a little more like Cornelia in their treatment of children, strangers, and those in need.
January 21, 2020
4.5 stars. At first I wasn't sure this one was going to live up the hype but I was quickly proved wrong. A poet by trade, de los Santos' writing is lyrical in the best of ways. Her descriptions of feelings and moments are beautiful without being trite or bogged down. This is both a heart-wrenching and heart-warming story about a little girl and the lives she changes. I'll definitely be continuing the series.
June 1, 2018
I debated on whether to give this book 3 or 4 stars. I landed on 3 because while the prose was beautiful in places, usually Clare's story, in other places it felt too wordy and disjointed from the flow of the story. There were a couple of places I felt like it made big leaps for the purpose of moving the story forward; however, I liked that the decisions made on behalf of Clare by everyone involved were for the right reasons. There were several references to movies which I enjoyed, but there were too many. I've noticed the same thing in several other books I've read recently, so it must be the latest trend with authors. This is one of the few books that made me feel like I had punched in the gut and had my heart singing at the same time which is why I nearly gave it 4 stars.
August 11, 2015
I picked up this book by accident, not having read anything by this author, and I am so glad I did! This story is to be read slowly so as to savor the author's writing style. It is a book about a single woman, a wonderful little girl, and a lot of love!
May 20, 2020
3 Stars for Love Walked In (audiobook) by Marisa de los Santos read by Alma Cuervo and Jennifer Ikeda. I thought this was going to be more of a romance. It’s ok, just not the book I was looking for right now.
July 12, 2009
Loved this book! One of my favorites in the genre! I got a pen to underline passages, the writing was so great.
May 11, 2020
Absolutely excellent story about a woman finding love and the young girl that comes into her life. Superb writing.
August 24, 2008
I really enjoyed this book, because it was beautifully written, and the story was a unique one. I was a touch disappointed by the ending, but what else is new? And again, in reflecting upon what the ending was, I'm not sure that I could find a more suitable one. I just didn't think that Cornelia would give up the house she inherited to Viviana and Clare. It was a huge self-sacrifice. This may sound odd, but I would have felt better if they would agreed to exchange some form of payment. I'm not being cynical, because I understand that love does and should transcend money, but the act just seemed a tad bit, and I mean a tad bit, over the top to me.
I also think that the book would have been slightly more interesting if Martin were still in the picture. If the death enabled Cornelia to get custody of Clare, then it would have been worth it. Yet I think without that occurrence, it would be interesting to see whether Martin was able to redeem himself, and if so, how he would have fit in the overall picture.
Don't let these picky points lead you to believe that I wouldn't recommend the book, because I whole-heartedly do! I love that it was set in Philadelphia, and I loved all of the characters, even Martin, because he represents the character of many other people who can't be selfless. Cornelia is a wonderful character. I would love for someone like her to be my friend. She is true to herself, loving and has a good head on her shoulders. And, Teo, what I can say? He is the perfect counterpart to Cornelia. I just adore the two of them as couple.
I am really looking forward to reading the sequel, Belong To Me. I'm hoping that the second book in the series will take the minor issues that I mentioned this review off of the table. Stay tuned :)
I also think that the book would have been slightly more interesting if Martin were still in the picture. If the death enabled Cornelia to get custody of Clare, then it would have been worth it. Yet I think without that occurrence, it would be interesting to see whether Martin was able to redeem himself, and if so, how he would have fit in the overall picture.
Don't let these picky points lead you to believe that I wouldn't recommend the book, because I whole-heartedly do! I love that it was set in Philadelphia, and I loved all of the characters, even Martin, because he represents the character of many other people who can't be selfless. Cornelia is a wonderful character. I would love for someone like her to be my friend. She is true to herself, loving and has a good head on her shoulders. And, Teo, what I can say? He is the perfect counterpart to Cornelia. I just adore the two of them as couple.
I am really looking forward to reading the sequel, Belong To Me. I'm hoping that the second book in the series will take the minor issues that I mentioned this review off of the table. Stay tuned :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2008
Sorry, Anastasia, this book sucked.
This is your typical chick lit novel where the single girl (Cornelia) meets the guy of her dreams, hates the guy of her dreams, and loves the guy who has been under her nose the whole time. In addition to the single girl, there is also an 11 year old girl, Clare, whose mother leaves her on the side of the road and her father (who happens to be Cornelia's dream man) doesn't want to take responsibility of Clare. So Cornelia steps up and decides to take Clare in. Its such a freaking impossible story that I just stopped paying attention after a while. I mean who goes on a couple of dates with someone and then decides "oh, I will take your daughter in, because you clearly don't know what you're doing."
She also compares reference librarians to cheese shop owners. "They talk about cheese--and not just cheese, but olives, charcuterie, pate and so forth, with that combination of offhandedness and passion more commonly associated with reference librarians. ('We all know The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, but have you tried Brewer's Phrase and Fable, Millennium Edition? Well, hold on to your hat; you're in for the ride of your life!')."
Fuck you, Marisa De Los Santos.
This is your typical chick lit novel where the single girl (Cornelia) meets the guy of her dreams, hates the guy of her dreams, and loves the guy who has been under her nose the whole time. In addition to the single girl, there is also an 11 year old girl, Clare, whose mother leaves her on the side of the road and her father (who happens to be Cornelia's dream man) doesn't want to take responsibility of Clare. So Cornelia steps up and decides to take Clare in. Its such a freaking impossible story that I just stopped paying attention after a while. I mean who goes on a couple of dates with someone and then decides "oh, I will take your daughter in, because you clearly don't know what you're doing."
She also compares reference librarians to cheese shop owners. "They talk about cheese--and not just cheese, but olives, charcuterie, pate and so forth, with that combination of offhandedness and passion more commonly associated with reference librarians. ('We all know The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, but have you tried Brewer's Phrase and Fable, Millennium Edition? Well, hold on to your hat; you're in for the ride of your life!')."
Fuck you, Marisa De Los Santos.
October 17, 2020
Rambling, wordy, repetitious, pretentious--you won't need a dictionary to define these words, just point to this short story that gets dragged out into a way too long book. At times it was an ordeal to slog through, requiring a great deal of perseverance to reach the end. There were whole chapters that added nothing but tedium, that could have been tossed out with the only aftereffect being a vast improvement. Take the first chapter--please--and that sex discussion in the cheese shop, seriously, what was the point? It wasn't even interesting the first time, so why rehash the same material in tedious detail in the next chapter? Tedious detail, that is another apt description of this book. Too bad the author never met my English comp teacher Miss Brown, whose primary rule was never use 47 words where seven words will do. The author's try-too-hard attempts at cutesy often failed, and her cutesy-wootsy overuse of old movie references was an epic fail, IMHO.
April 2, 2011
There’s a kind of holiness to love, requited or not, and those people who don’t receive it with gratitude are arrogant beyond saving…I held fast to that fact too, held fast and then, in the last seconds, let it go. I released my thanks into the air like birds, with the hope that, if they didn’t find Martin, they’d at least add themselves to whatever accumulation of goodness might be out there.
Love Walked In wasn’t what I was expecting, I was expecting something sweet and cute, and it was, but it was so much more. This is the type of book that you read for a light read, that has fluff and sweetness, but you come away with so much depth. It was achingly beautiful, smile inducing, thought provoking, with beautiful messages that delved into my mind. I just loved this book! It was such a beautiful treat, scrumptious and elegant, inquisitive, mouthwatering in its grace and beauty soaking the pages, infused in the characters minds that just bled onto me, melting my heart.
This book wouldn’t have made such an impact if not for the endearing, lovely characters. They were all so superb, with so much emotion and depth and feelings that I felt so acutely. I loved Cornelia for her look on life, for her love for the people around her, for her spunk, for her big heart inside her little body. I loved Teo for his, hmm, swoon worthiness, for his shyness, for his quality of listening to people and not saying what is expected, but letting them know that what they feel is right, because it’s what they feel, and to not be afraid to show it. And I loved Clare, for her sweetness, for her childlike nature, yet her adult like look on life. She see’s deeper than other eleven year olds, but her heart still cries out for her mother like any other child, despite what the mother does to them. Such a natural, binding feeling and instinct between any mother and daughter. I ached for Clare for her loneliness and pain, but I smiled at her for her strength and determination and love.
This book slowed me down markedly. Because I found the captivating need to savor every single word Marisa wrote. Each carefully constructed word chosen with such care. The prose was beautiful, strung into an oh so beautiful story that captured my heart. The writing was just so incredible, stellar, shining like a star in the bleak trials of life, shedding light into the characters lives, giving them something to love, to look forward to, to have a reason to not give up.
Marisa has a round about way of getting to the point she’s trying to show, but she does it skillfully, amazingly. I didn’t mind one bit her veering off course a little because of the added information. I became engrossed with these little details and stories, I lingered on every word, and when she finally got back to what she had started talking about before she went off on a tangent, the added details made the point she was getting to more meaningful, giving the point some background, supplying the reader with information that the character knew that we would have to know to really understand the point.
This book is just beautiful. It’s lovely, and sweet, and heartbreaking. It isn’t a stunningly brilliant read, nor does it have incredibly deep messages that will change your life. But it does have it’s moments of inspiration and depth, and so much love. It really is based on love, and that is partly what made the book so endearing to me. The love the characters felt and showed, the love they already had and knew, and the love that grew in their hearts as they met someone new. Hence the title. Love Walked In. Because love does walk in, several times in the course of the book, in different ways. Each character is affected by it, and made stronger and better because of the love walking into their life.
Content warning- There is swearing (almost to the point of taking the enchantment out of the story for me, as incessive swearing usually does when I read it in any book), and some talk of sex, but nothing explicit.
Love Walked In wasn’t what I was expecting, I was expecting something sweet and cute, and it was, but it was so much more. This is the type of book that you read for a light read, that has fluff and sweetness, but you come away with so much depth. It was achingly beautiful, smile inducing, thought provoking, with beautiful messages that delved into my mind. I just loved this book! It was such a beautiful treat, scrumptious and elegant, inquisitive, mouthwatering in its grace and beauty soaking the pages, infused in the characters minds that just bled onto me, melting my heart.
This book wouldn’t have made such an impact if not for the endearing, lovely characters. They were all so superb, with so much emotion and depth and feelings that I felt so acutely. I loved Cornelia for her look on life, for her love for the people around her, for her spunk, for her big heart inside her little body. I loved Teo for his, hmm, swoon worthiness, for his shyness, for his quality of listening to people and not saying what is expected, but letting them know that what they feel is right, because it’s what they feel, and to not be afraid to show it. And I loved Clare, for her sweetness, for her childlike nature, yet her adult like look on life. She see’s deeper than other eleven year olds, but her heart still cries out for her mother like any other child, despite what the mother does to them. Such a natural, binding feeling and instinct between any mother and daughter. I ached for Clare for her loneliness and pain, but I smiled at her for her strength and determination and love.
This book slowed me down markedly. Because I found the captivating need to savor every single word Marisa wrote. Each carefully constructed word chosen with such care. The prose was beautiful, strung into an oh so beautiful story that captured my heart. The writing was just so incredible, stellar, shining like a star in the bleak trials of life, shedding light into the characters lives, giving them something to love, to look forward to, to have a reason to not give up.
Marisa has a round about way of getting to the point she’s trying to show, but she does it skillfully, amazingly. I didn’t mind one bit her veering off course a little because of the added information. I became engrossed with these little details and stories, I lingered on every word, and when she finally got back to what she had started talking about before she went off on a tangent, the added details made the point she was getting to more meaningful, giving the point some background, supplying the reader with information that the character knew that we would have to know to really understand the point.
This book is just beautiful. It’s lovely, and sweet, and heartbreaking. It isn’t a stunningly brilliant read, nor does it have incredibly deep messages that will change your life. But it does have it’s moments of inspiration and depth, and so much love. It really is based on love, and that is partly what made the book so endearing to me. The love the characters felt and showed, the love they already had and knew, and the love that grew in their hearts as they met someone new. Hence the title. Love Walked In. Because love does walk in, several times in the course of the book, in different ways. Each character is affected by it, and made stronger and better because of the love walking into their life.
Content warning- There is swearing (almost to the point of taking the enchantment out of the story for me, as incessive swearing usually does when I read it in any book), and some talk of sex, but nothing explicit.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,932 reviews