The Secrets of Paper and Ink by LIndsay Harrel Book Review and Giveaway



ABOUT THE BOOK
Lindsay Harrel presents a powerful story of healing, forgiveness, and finding the courage to write your own story.
A year after the death of her abusive fiancé, domestic violence counselor Sophia Barrett finds returning to work too painful. She escapes to Cornwall, England—a place she’s learned to love through the words of her favorite author—and finds a place to stay with the requirement that she help out in the bookstore underneath the room she’s renting. Given her love of all things literary, it seems like the perfect place to find peace.
Ginny Rose is an American living in Cornwall, sure that if she saves the bookstore she co-owns with her husband then she can save her marriage as well. Fighting to keep the first place she feels like she belongs, she brainstorms with her brother-in-law, William, and Sophia to try to keep the charming bookstore afloat.
More than 150 years before, governess Emily Fairfax knew two things for certain: she wanted to be a published author, and she was in love with her childhood best friend. But he was a wealthy heir and well out of her league. Sophia discovers Emily’s journals, and she and William embark on a mission to find out more about this mysterious and determined woman, all the while getting closer to each other as they get closer to the truth.
The lives of the three women intertwine as each learns the power she has over the story of her life.

Title: The Secrets of Paper and Ink   Author: Lindsay Harrel
Genre: Women’s Fiction   Release date: February 26, 2019
Publisher: Tyndale
Click here to purchase your copy.

MY REVIEW

Sophie Barrett, a counselor, abusive husband who recently passed away and has spent a few months recovering from a breakdown. One of her patients is a victim of abuse causing Sophia to decide to make a life change. She travels to Cornwall England where she meets Ginny Rose and her estranged husband, Garrett Rose. Sophia helps them with running their small bookstore. While going through the books she ran into an old journal from the 1850s, belonging to Emily Fairfox. 

In her journal, she expresses how she dreams of becoming a published author and is deeply in love with Edward Elliott, but can't have him because is arranged to marry a high society lady. 
While researching more about Emily Sophia falls in love with William. How will these three women's stories play out? Will they get what they want? 

The Secrets of Paper and Ink touches on some serious topics: domestic violence, abandonment, and infidelity. 
Harrel did a wonderful job connecting Emily's story with the present day characters (Ginny & Sophia). She had vivid detail descriptions of the locations, the characters which allowed me to easily be transported into their life. The story is well throughout and left me with so many emotions. 

Even though this book is listed as a Christian Fiction it didn't feel like it. I say this because it wasn't preachy. The story didn't feel like it was made to preach the word of God, instead, it was relatable. It had flawed characters. It showed love, forgiveness and life struggles. This book was very heartwarming. I could see this being made into a Hallmark film. I would highly recommend reading this book. 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lindsay Harrel is a lifelong book nerd who lives in Arizona with her young family and two golden retrievers in serious need of training. She’s held a variety of writing and editing jobs over the years and now juggles stay-at-home mommyhood with writing novels. When she’s not writing or chasing after her children, Lindsay enjoys making a fool of herself at Zumba, curling up with anything by Jane Austen, and savoring sour candy one piece at a time. Connect with her at LindsayHarrel.com.

A GUEST POST FROM LINDSAY

With every book I write, it seems God has something new to teach me. That certainly was true of The Secrets of Paper and Ink.
Lately, I am learning more and more about the power of our words. I’ve become more conscious of the words I speak over myself as well as what I say to other people. It’s more than “positive thinking”—the words we say ultimately contribute to the stories we weave, and I want my story to be as positive and hope-filled as possible, regardless of my circumstances.
I’ve also become much more aware of the lies that I tell myself—“you are not worthy, you are not enough, you will never achieve what you want to achieve”—and the need to replace those lies with the truths that God says about me. I have listened to Lauren Daigle’s song You Say on repeat lately, and it has become a theme not just of The Secrets of Paper and Ink, but one in the story of my very life.
So while I may not have experienced everything my characters have—I’ve never suffered emotional abuse, or been ostracized by my family, or been orphaned and alone in a world that seems against me at every turn—I have learned alongside them. I set out to write a book that would draw readers closer to the true healer and hope giver, and I ended up being drawn closer myself.
And that, to me, is the true power of story.

GIVEAWAY

To celebrate her tour, Lindsay is giving away a copy of Lindsay’s first book The Heart Between Us!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! 

BLOG STOPS
The Avid Reader, February 26
The Power of Words, February 26
Carla Loves To Read, February 26
Blogging With Carol, February 27
Carpe Diem, February 28
Andy Carmichael, March 1
The Becca Files, March 2
Emily Yager, March 3
Genesis 5020, March 4
Stories By GinaMarch 4
Simple Harvest Reads, March 5 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)
Mary Hake, March 5
Remembrancy, March 6
Pause for Tales, March 7
Book by Book, March 7
The Lit Addict, March 9
Bigreadersite, March 10
Henry Happens, March 11
amandainpa , March 11


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