From the publisher:
For fans of Matt Haig and Clare Pooley, an enchanting novel about a pair of long-lost childhood friends who find themselves magically linked through origami flowers as adults—from the New York Times bestselling author of the “fresh, magical, and hopelessly romantic” (Sarah Addison Allen, New York Times bestselling author) The Hundred Loves of Juliet.
https://amzn.to/3YbzdVn
In elementary school, Chloe Hanako Quinn is assigned Oliver Jones as her pen pal partner. Before sending her letter, she also whispers a note into it…and he hears her. Little does she know it would be the beginning of a friendship that would bloom into something more. That is, until disaster strikes, and Oliver and his family disappear without a trace.
Now over twenty years later, Chloe is a high school guidance counselor in New York City. But life in the Big Apple is not what she dreamed it would be as she faces a layoff, rising rent, a situationship, and loneliness. Desperate for encouragement, she gives herself a pep talk via uplifting messages written on yellow origami paper that she folds into roses. When one of the roses unexpectedly finds its way to a neighbor in need of cheering up, a desire to spread kindness and optimism is sparked in Chloe, who begins folding more roses and leaving them around town.
Across the city, Oliver has picked himself up from the rough circumstances that forced him to leave everything behind as a teenager—including Chloe. Now a successful financial analyst, Oliver’s past continues to haunt him. But when the city is suddenly inundated with yellow origami roses, a specific one finds its way into his hands and changes his life forever…
Love, magic, and kindness blend beautifully in this uplifting novel by Skye (The Hundred Loves of Juliet). Childhood pen pals Chloe and Oliver form a deep bond, earning the nickname “Clover” as they grow inseparable. Their connection begins to blossom into something more—until Oliver and his family mysteriously vanish without a word, leaving them both heartbroken. Years later, a chance encounter reunites them. Recently laid off from her job as a school counselor, Chloe begins leaving yellow origami roses with inspirational messages around the city—an extension of a practice she once shared with her students. The roses quickly go viral, spreading hope far and wide. One special rose reaches Oliver, but he responds with skepticism, scribbling a note and trashing it—only for it to return to Chloe. An anonymous exchange begins, each unknowingly reconnecting with the other through these magical messages. As secrets are revealed and past wounds are healed, Chloe and Oliver find their way back to one another just as her roses capture hearts around the world.
VERDICT A heartfelt, feel-good story full of warmth, wonder, and romance. Perfect for anyone in need of a little extra hope.
I loved this book so much. Once again, Emily Bestler Books comes through for me. This imprint is home to some of my favorite books, and I’m adding this one to the list. This book is a lovely gift in the middle of the shit show that is life in America right now. Embrace it.
©Library Journal, 2025
8/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE INCREDIBLE KINDNESS OF PAPER by Evelyn Skye. Atria/Emily Bestler Books (August 12, 2025). ISBN: 978-1668081907. 256p.
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