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About the Book

Title: The Secrets of Paper and Ink

Author: Lindsay Harrel

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Release date: February 26, 2019

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

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.

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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.

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 Sayon 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.

Through the depths of emotions comes a book so powerful that readers will have a hard time putting the story away. I read it in one sitting because it captured me right away. It is hard not to become attached to the characters as they draw you into their struggles. I love time-slip stories and this one is the best I have read. The author threads three characters through time and attach them forever in history. The beautiful way the author slips from past to present is seamless. I became committed to one time period and didn’t want to leave. The characters are three young women who all are looking for what we all desire. They want to be accepted and loved.

Emily is such a sweet person who has loved Edward ever since they were children. They have always claimed to just be friends, but Emily has ached over Edward for years. I loved how they would hide letters and other things at their special tree. Wouldn’t it be so romantic to have a special place where you find a note from that special someone? I could picture the tree with its branches that spread out in anticipation of secrets hidden among its beauty. Emily and Edward are two people who have hidden their feelings from each other. Can Emily’s dream of becoming an author ever come true? Will it be to late for them to find happiness when a wedding looms over their head? Will one marry to please their family or find the courageous to follow their heart?

Across the pond we meet Ginny. She has a wonderful bookstore and until a few months ago, a happy marriage. It was heartbreaking to see Ginny feel inadequate to make the bookstore a success without her husband. Her heart is crushed when her husband leaves her. Finding out that you were never loved by your husband crushes Ginny. I loved getting to know the dynamics of Ginny as she was growing up. She has always had this sense that she never was good enough, never as smart as her siblings and a disgrace to the family . My heart went out to her as this burden of rejection as followed her all her life. Will she discover how much she is loved by God? Can she let go of the past and allow someone to show her how valuable she is?

I saved Sophia's story for last. This woman was who I felt a connection to. She has a great practice as a therapist for women. When she faces a tragedy in her life, it is too much for her. She takes time off to heal and try to understand how she allowed a man like David in her life. He was sweet at first but suddenly became this demanding and abusive husband. His death shakes her to her core. She is free of him but her guilt of feeling this way takes over her life. It's time for a change. This is where Emily and Sophia's lives intersect. The perfect setup for Sophia is waiting for her across the pond. She rents a room from Emily and works in her bookstore to help pay the rent for her little apartment above the store. It was just what she needed. Her love of books is refreshing . I could relate to her because she escapes into books like I do. They allow us to forget everything and find adventure in stories. Her discovery of Emily's writing from so long ago intrigued her. Emily' strength is what Sophia admired They both suffered a loss but Emily was able to move forward. Can Sophia find the truth behind the manuscript she found of Emily's?

The ending is one that made me linger long after I read the last word. I don't want to leave this story but I know it will never be far from my heart. We all have hopes and dreams. One word, one sentence, one moment in time brought three women together to find healing, forgiveness and the knowledge that they are worthy to be loved.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.