Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book! I read it very quickly because I couldn't wait to see what happened next. This story involves three main characters. Sophia Barrett is a women's counselor who has just suffered through some very painful life events. In an effort to heal, she decides to go to Cornwall, England. She rents a room from bookstore owner Ginny Rose, in exchange for helping in the bookstore. Ginny is also going through a hard time. Her husband has left her because he needs a "time out." Ginny is struggling to keep the bookstore afloat. Sophia and Ginny become fast friends. When Sophia finds an old notebook belonging to Emily Fairfax (who lived about 150 years ago), the quest to find out more about her begins. Several story lines, but the author does a good job of putting them all together. Highly recommend!

I read Ms. Harrel’s last book and enjoyed it, but I absolutely loved this one even more!!!! This is a fantastic must-read book! This book is a split time book, but also revolves around three main characters. Each character is going through something difficult and the reader is able to see their journey as they deal with life. Sophia is a counselor who has experienced a loss that is complicated. After realizing that she is not ready to continue with her life as she knows it, she decides to go to England for the summer. She rents a room and works for Ginny. Ginny is a bookstore owner who is trying to make ends meet. She needs a renter to help her financially. Sophia is a book lover who is excited to work in the bookstore. Together, they work to build the bookstore into a reputable business. As they search through boxes, they come across a journal from the 1800’s. The author, Emily, details life during this time and how she is trying to get a book published. Together all three journey to discover what life has for them and how to learn to live again. I highly recommend this book! You will discover it is amazing and you will not be disappointed!
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, this is my own opinion.

The written word can change lives in profound ways. This is an amazing, heartwarming and at times heartbreaking story. From hidden letters to broken relationships, the life of each character is shared with the reader. There are times when I read a book and I know the story will stay with me forever. This is one of those books. I received a complimentary copy of the story. This is my own personal opinion. No review was required.

This is an astute novel about discovering one’s self. I loved the intermingling of the past with the present. This book brought forth many emotions for me, and that is rare. When that happens, you know that a book has found it’s purpose. Thanks to Thomas Nelson and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a well written, beautiful story, about three incredible women. Ms. Harrel has a special way of weaving two couples from the present and the past, and a flawless way of connecting them.
This story is about love, forgiveness and faith and it is book-ended by romance.
I picked up The Secrets of Paper and Ink and it grabbed me by the heartstrings from the first page. I could not put it down. For me this was a very emotional read. Often I found my self in tears. Ms. Harrel does an excellent job of covering some heavy topics in this story. From Sophia's domestic violence, from a prior abusive fiance, Ginny's abandonment and husband's unfaithfulness, and Emily Fairfax, a Victorian governess from Cornwall England, who knew two things. She wanted to become a published writer and she was in love with her childhood best friend, who was an heir and well above her station in life. All three of these ladies struggled with adequacy issues.

For me this book was perfection. It had several of my favorite things. It takes place in England, it is about a book store and old books, There is the mystery of a personal journal, published or not, that is the question. Solving this mystery and putting the puzzle pieces together. Also Ginny's obsession with her stress baking and desire to go to Culinary School.

There is a quote from Emily at the end of the book,“Today, I choose not to leave Emily Fairfax behind but to take her with me as I forge on through life, allowing my experiences and the Light within to shine ever brighter. For I am not the sum total of my experiences. I am much, much more because the Light has claimed me. I started writing because I though it would save me, but ultimately it is not our deeds that have such power. For we can never do enough with only our own strength or even the borrowed strength of other people. It is to another strength we must look, to first build and then to sustain us.”

I don't know if I did this book justice with my review. It was hard to put into words the emotions it evoked in me. But I truly enjoyed it and believe you will too.
I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Lindsay Harrel writes tight knit prose with consistent plot movement and exquisitely developed characters. They have real life problems and face real-world dilemmas.

Her cast in The Secrets of Paper and Ink contains few players, but they are so likable they become friends (with one exception).

Sophia Barrett is a woman's counselor who had experienced her own tragedy and cannot remain in her office--she has too much of her own healing to do. When she finds an ad for an apartment in Cornwall that includes working at a bookstore for part of her rent, she has to at least try for the apartment.

Ginny Rose is the American owner of a bookstore in Cornwall, England. She is having difficulties making ends meet so she advertises an apartment that is upstairs from the store. The resident will help out in the store in lieu of part of the rent.

Emily Fairfax is the author of a journal from the 1800s that Sophia finds while cleaning out one room of the bookstore.

Garrett Rose is the estranged husband of Ginny who moved out to "go find himself" in London.

William Rose is Garrett's brother who helps Sophia track down the author of the journal and all the information about her that they can find.

Steven is a friend of Ginny's and Garrett's (although, he's not liking Garrett's actions of late) and helps Ginny to figure out ways to make the bookstore more profitable, and he helps her to update her website.

Lindsay does a wonderful job of making it easy to envision where the characters are, and to understand their motivations for all of their actions. One thing she does is to note her previous book. This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a journal found in a dusty bookstore.

I want to thank Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read and review this book and to NetGalley.com for providing the galley I read.

I originally chose this book because of its setting—I’m going to England soon— but this is a story about people and feelings and hope in the midst of the chaos we call life. It is beautifully written and the story threads connect in a unique way. I would very much enjoy meeting the characters in this novel. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for the free review copy. All opinions are my own. 

What a book this was! First off, I really, really enjoyed how Harrel was able to tackle such a hard topic in a book. She didn't make it go away easily. I loved that the author took the time to make the Sophia go back and forth on wanting to solve her issues. I could relate to the problems she faced - the wanting to avoid it because working through would be painful. I loved the vulnerability and rawness of this character. 

Also the setting is fabulous. I think the town sounded charming and being right on the coast in England, couldn't be any better for healing. 

I also enjoyed Ginny and her character. I liked how, she too, had to work through tough issues and struggled with identity. Her process was also slow going, which again I loved. I really applaud Harrel for tackling these issues and taking the time to really develop the feelings surrounding them.

If you like books with hard issues, a little romance, the English countryside, and books - I highly recommend picking up this book.

Thank you for the early copy.

I liked the formatting, the switch between past and present. I would recommend this to people who enjoy adult fiction with well-done plots/characters.

I don't know that I have read a book that spoke to me as deeply as this one. It is hard to even describe it. I was sitting in a public place, reading and was struggling to hold back tears. For me, that is something that meant it touched me somewhere beyond the surface. 

I loved the story, both the modern and historical. The author did an incredible job of capturing the novel location, but also the hard topics that she touched on. Domestic Violence, abandonment, and discovering oneself all are packaged in this book, but don't assume this is a heavy story. It is one of those books that you will want to give as gifts to other book lovers. 

This book is released Feb. 26, 2019 It is available for preorder now! I would highly recommend it. 

"The Secrets of Paper and Ink"

I obtained this book from the publisher through NetGalley. The opinions contained are my own.

Forgiveness is hard to do sometimes weather its forgiving others or forgiving ourselves. Sophia tries to get beyond her fiance's violent behavior toward her.

This was such a beautiful story about three brave women.
At the beginning, the title caught me, and then from the first page i stepped inside the story and i felt no longer just a reader. In a way, i felt connected to the women of the story.
Sophia was trying to get over an abusive relationship. Ginny, trapped inside her husband's dream, wanted just to find where she really belonged. Emily, a governess in the Victorian England, wanted nothing more than to become a published author, something almost impossible for the women of her time. Three women connected by the journal left by Emily.

Maybe the story is not exactly unheard of, but it had something in it that drew me in. I think many readers will find a particular aspect of the characters to feel connected to. I loved the story of Emily the most. She was a strong woman.
As much as i enjoyed the story, i find myself now with little to say. Let's just say that it is a journey worth taking.

Sophie Barrett loves working as a licensed counselor at a women’s counseling center, until the unexpected death of her fiancé sends her into a tailspin. On a whim, she rents a flat rate above a bookstore in Cornwall—the country where Robert Appleton, one of her favorite 19th-century English authors, lived and wrote. When she arrives, she discovers more than she expected—an intriguing literary mystery.

Ginny Rose struggles to keep the Rosebud bookshop open—she never wanted to run a bookstore, but keeping it alive financially seems like the only avenue to brining her husband back. Garrett has gone to London to ‘find himself,’ and Ginny vows to do whatever it takes to keep his dream (and their marriage) alive. Both seem doomed until she puts an ad on line for a flat for rent and her summer guest shows up.

Both women seek healing, but are they ready to seek healing from the One who pursues their hearts. Along the way, Sophie learns the power of words to heal—both for the one who writes them and the one who reads them.

Harrel weaves a beautiful tale of love, recovery, waiting, and words into this modern tale with flashbacks to an earlier century.

I really enjoyed this novel. A bit of historical fiction mystery, romance and contemporary mixed together involving books. What more could you want?
We follow three women finding their own path in life after their love dies, cheats or marrys someone else.
I loved that all the women came out stronger, although they all ended up having a happy ending finding a new partner. I usually don't like it if the ending is too perfect, but I didn't mind in this case. Nice and fluffy.

Triggers for abusive relationships.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC.

I Loved this book! I loved reading The Secrets of Paper and Ink! A heartwarming story across the continents and generations, set in a book store with a main character who LOVES books! You'll be hooked reading this story and seeing it unfold :) Lindsay Harrell is an author to watch!

This book was hard to put down! I loved the story in the past and that it went differently then I thought it would, and yet was satisfying. I wish I could say the same of part of the modern story. I was disappointed some things were not resolved. Over all though, a smashing book.

I don't want to write a review yet. I want to send a comment to the publisher, which NetGalley used to have on the same screen as the review and now they don't. So now I have to write 100 characters here first.

The Secret of Paper and Ink
By Lindsey Harrel
5 stars!

Book blurb:
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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The heart of a writer bleeds onto these pages like ink onto paper.
Lindsey Harrel does it again by writing real characters, with real flaws, that need a very real Lord and Savior.
Finding your worth in Jesus is what rings true in this novel.
With a dual timeline we get to watch as Sophia and Ginny research Emily and we gain insight firsthand as we travel back to the 1800s to watch Emily as its happening.
Of the three main characters I was most intrigued by Emily. The author did a great job at the historical part of the book. I felt immersed in the time period and it had a Jane Eyre vibe to it.
I enjoyed traveling to Cornwall in this book and love that a lot of time is spent inside a bookstore! A sign of a good author is when i need to put the book down to look up more about Cornwall and a certain author that a main character says is her favorite. And the gentlemen in this book is swoon worthy without going to far.

I highly recommend this book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A delightful book that kept me utterly enthralled until the very end. I loved how it wove 3 story lines together, 2 from the present and one from the past. I also liked the character development. Each character had her own struggles and grew from them. There were a few things I wasn't overly fond of but overall it was a well written engaging book.

Sometimes forgiveness is the most difficult thing a person can do. Forgiving others...and forgiving ourselves. In this story, Sophia, a women's therapist and book lover, is trying to move on from her abusive fiance's death, but being in the same places every day is making that very difficult. She decides to take the summer, leave Phoenix, Arizona and go to Cornwall, England to visit the place her favorite author wrote about. She finds an apartment to stay in, above a book store no less, and is required to help out while she's there.

Ginny Rose co-owns the bookstore Rosebud Books with her husband who has left her "to figure some things out" and desperately needs help. Her store isn't generating enough money to sustain itself and the bank has just denied Ginny a loan to help her get on her feet. So the arrival of Sophia, who has many great idea's of how to help, is perfect timing!

While going through piles of old books that have been donated or sold to the store, Sophia finds a notebook with a story written by someone named Emily Fairfax. Sophia is instantly hooked and decides to see if she, along with Ginny's brother-in-law and lit professor William, can find out more about the story, Emily, and why she feels such a connection and familiarity to the words in the notebook. As they search for Emily, Sophia opens up to William and the two become close.

Although this all takes place within a three month period, their relationship feels very organic and not rushed. The beauty of friendship is a very strong theme of this book along with the pull we can feel from words on a page. It's a connection to another person, sometimes a person who lived long ago! I really enjoyed this story. It grabbed my interest right away and I never felt like the story slowed. I couldn't wait to see if they would find out who Emily Fairfax was, if Sophia and William would figure out a way to stay together, if Ginny would keep the bookstore or move on to her real love of culinary school.

A wonderful, heart-warming story! I look forward to what comes next from Lindsay Harrel!

I received a complementary of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.