This was cute, cozy, and a fast read. Some parts did feel a little rushed, but that didn’t take away much from the reading experience. I had a good time reading this and would pick up other titles by this author.

I picked up The Incredible Kindness of Paper because, honestly, the cover was gorgeous, and the title had me intrigued. But I had no idea how much this book would actually get to me. It’s one of those stories that just makes you feel good!

The story follows Chloe, who’s always been the kind of person who believes in people. When she loses her job, she starts writing little notes of encouragement, folding them into yellow origami roses, and leaving them around the city. She has no clue how far-reaching this small act of kindness will become—or that one of her roses will end up in the hands of Oliver, her childhood pen pal and first love, who disappeared from her life years ago. What happens next is this beautiful mix of fate, second chances, and the kind of moments that make you believe the universe actually does have a plan.

What I loved about this book was how all these random people found a rose at exactly the right time, and you get to see how it impacts them. It’s not just Chloe and Oliver’s story, it’s about all these little connections, the tiny moments of magic that remind you how much kindness really matters in our lives!

At first, I wasn’t sure about the writing style… it kinda felt a little choppy…. but once I got into it, I loved how everything flowed. How all the different perspectives wove together & absolutely made the story become even more meaningful, therefore making every single character feel real, even the ones we only saw for a short time.

If you love books that make you believe in fate, in good people, and in those weird little “meant to be” moments, you need to read this. It reminded me of Matt Haig or Heather Webber’s books—hopeful, a little magical, and full of heart. Yeah, it gets sentimental, but honestly? I didn’t mind one bit. I finished it feeling lighter, happier, and really wishing these roses existed in real life.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this one. It was exactly the book I needed, right now! 😉

I will definitely bee reading Evelyn Skye! All things working as they should with fate, Devine intervention...whatever you want to call it. I absolutely adored the intersection of livers in this book. I loved the small snippets that showed the "near misses" of ships passing in the night that we never know about because of the impact of what could have been. I feel in love with the realness of the characters. And the "super natural" aspect was a treasure in this book.

Oh how I enjoyed my time spent with this book. Paper crafts make me so happy and I loved that Chloe made things of love from paper. I kind of figured out where this was going because it is a classic romance formula but I enjoyed the ride of how we got there. I mean who doesn’t love an origami flower? Oh wait, someone doesn’t, but read to find out who. I made paper bookmarks for people and I love how Chloe used her craft to make people smile too. I’m going to be recommending this one often.

Oh my goodness, the sweetest and most heartfelt story I've come across in a long time. I enjoyed this book so much. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was an enjoyable, sweet contemporary romance that kept me reading until the end. I loved the emphasis on kindness, making peoples' lives brighter (we need that more than ever now!), and especially how adamant Chloe was about not monetizing her special origami flowers. I thought the character of Zak was a little two-dimensional, and also the sex scene with Zak and Chloe in the beginning of the story was WAY out of place in a book within this genre. So if it's made into a movie, and it would make a lovely movie, that scene has to go!

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and publisher, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Incredible Kindness of Paper, by Evelyn Skye, is an enjoyable read of kindness and sharing. It kept my attention throughout. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

My mom loves origami. She even cut her own origami squares out of paper ... any paper, but leftover Christmas paper seemed to be a favorite. So when I saw the beautiful cover and title, I couldn't pass up The Incredible Kindness of Paper.

It all started with a pen pal. Chloe's class had an assignment to write to a pen pal. Two teachers in the Lawrence, KS district exchanged letters. Chloe (who whispered into the paper and communicated all that a crayon drawing couldn't) and discovered Oliver. The two had a great connection, until that was ripped apart when Oliver's family had to leave town without goodbyes.

Parts of this book were a little to magical. I like a little bit of serendipity, but the loss of the star is because there was a little too much for my liking. (Although the genre is Romance, Sci Fi & Fantasy, Women's Fiction. So this book really does fit.) This is a really sweet book. I wish it didn't have one scene and I'd give a copy of it to my mom. I wonder if she would notice if I ripped out one page?

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for approving my request to read The Incredible Kindness of Paper in exchange for an honest review. Not super long. 256 pages. Publication date is Aug 12, 2025.

This book hooked me from the beginning and I loved every second of it. It makes you want to spread your own kindness. Thank you for the arc!

Thanks for the review copy. This book is like a nice warm hug. I do wish it had instructions for folding an origami rose.

This book was a fun, lighthearted read. I liked the idea of spreading kindness and joy. I thought it was fun with the origami flower that passed between Oliver and Chloe. I enjoyed that Chloe didn’t want to monetize and she was truly just passionate about helping others. The relationship from childhood was so sweet and I loved the references to Lawrence, Kansas hehe rock chalk. I also was a fan that there wasn’t too much miscommunication and the third act “break up” was quick hahah I would recommend this!

Rounding up from 3.5 stars.

The Incredible Kindness of Paper explores themes of loneliness and human connection and finding optimism in the world, especially when it's not so easy to. With such a frame, it would be easy to look at the world through rose-colored lenses instead of recognizing how complex life is, and this book, well, sometimes, it's not always successful at avoiding an overly simplistic outlook but it does try and ultimately it does stress some important messages that are good to be reminded of.

The book tells the story of Chloe and Oliver (aka Clover), best childhood friends who grew to be each other's first love as teens before being ripped apart thanks to Oliver's mom, a con artist who had a fraud blow up and force the family to flee his hometown. The book shows flash backs so you can see how their friendship and love grew, which was very nice, but it's mostly focused on the here now in NYC, where they both live, lonely, unknown to each other. Chloe, facing some major life setbacks, starts writing positive little sayings on origami flowers that she leaves over the city, in turn inspiring other people and creating a community she sorely needs.

The part that resonated the most for me was how lonely we adults often are and how hard it is to create community now. I loved seeing Chloe put herself out there and choose to take steps to not feel so lonely, and encourage others to do the same. I also really enjoyed seeing how the relationship developed between Chloe and Oliver. They both felt believable as well, flawed adult characters with their own agency.

But there were several things I found frustrating about the book. While I appreciate the idea that trying to spread positivity through little notes is a good thing, I just can't buy into them being such life changers for so many people. Little pick me ups? Yes. But again, life is really complex with really big complex problems, and I just felt this part was a little too twee.

I also got frustrated at how Chloe was so determined to give grace to other people, even when they displayed some pretty truly toxic behavior, but then didn't seem willing to give that same grace to Oliver when they finally connected. Oliver also had some problematic blinders up, casting his mom as a terrible person and his father her poor victim, but then his father stayed with his mom and willingly kept his own kids homeless for several years instead of doing what was best for them. I also found some of the side characters (Oliver's mom included) to be a bit cartoonishly evil, although the author does at least make an attempt to provide them with more complexity with some success.

Finally, how in the world did Chloe not recognize her best friend for years after three full meetings?!? That was a big stretch.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Evelyn Skye’s novel The Incredible Kindness of Paper tells the story of Chloe and Oliver, childhood friends separated by unfortunate events. They reunite as adults, and the whimsical mystery force around messages in origami roses plays a part in how their story unfolds. The story is sweet, and kind, and uplifting. There are moments of meaningful insight regarding life in general for the reader to take away, many of which are beautifully written.

I really wanted to like this book. It has tremendous potential, and the unique plot idea hooked me in from the start. However, the novel in general feels… underdeveloped. A couple of glaring plot holes diminish the plausibility (magical origami is fine, but do we really believe that an inseparable pair of childhood friends from ages 6 to 16 might not be recognized by each other in their 30s?) and some of the structure of the story arc might be better served told in a different order. Additionally, much of the story feels more like a retelling of events rather than an experience of going through them. The characters tell us their motivations and histories, instead of showing us why they think what they do through actions. The reader doesn’t experience the story; they get a recap of events.

Even with those hiccups, it is worth the read; the book is really quite lovely. It just could be so much more with a good editor and some refining of the development. I will probably pick up a future novel by this author in the hope that her strength of writing grows with time.

“The Incredible Kindness of Paper” follows Chloe, a newly unemployed school guidance counselor, on her journey to spread kindness and positivity through origami roses. Author Evelyn Skye takes readers between past and present to follow Chloe, as well as her childhood best friend Oliver, who she lost touch with. As Chloe’s paper rose project spreads, the cast of characters grows. This book is great for those looking for an uplifting, easy read with a touch of romance.


As for my 2 star review, I just don’t think the writing style was for me. The premise of the story intrigued me but the execution didn’t speak to me. I felt that many of the things that happened were a bit too unrealistic (I just have something against characters speaking out loud when they are by themselves too often, just a pet peeve I have!) and a bit cliche. I related to the characters a bit but I would have loved to see even more depth.


Overall, if you’re on the fence about reading this book or if the plot speaks to you, I’d say give it a try. It’s a sweet book and you can tell the author made it with so much love. I also envision this being a hit as a movie on the Hallmark channel - maybe someone can make that happen? I’d watch!


Thanks so much to NetGalley/Aria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I can easily see this book becoming a best seller or being popular in a bookclub like Oprah’s or Reese’s. This story was so cute.

I really liked the writing style; it was captivating and well-written. The imagery and descriptions kept me entranced.

I also liked the plot. The interactions between characters was well established and I enjoyed seeing how things played out. Overall, a really cute story that is well written. I do think this could be a bestseller.

A story that beautifully showcases how small acts of kindness can impact others more than one could imagine.

Chloe and Oliver used to be inseparable. Known as "Clover," they did everything together. But one day, fate ripped them apart and left a hole in the other's heart. Throughout the book, small acts of kindness (and a little bit of magic) seems to tie the two back together. A moving story of connection, overcoming the past, and looking brightly toward the future. "A connection. A spark of sameness. A pause to remember we were all human."

While the story of "Clover" is told, Evelyn Skye introduces us to a dynamic cast of characters all brought together by small acts of kindness. This plot once again highlights how small acts can have immeasurable impacts on those around us. Another important theme present throughout the book is that you never really know what somebody around you is going through, or what they need in that moment, so one should always lead with kindness.

I was initially drawn to this book by the gripping cover art, and then the story line. I was not disappointed. This is a nice, feel good book. At times, the story line fell into place too easily/magically to be believable, but I was able to look past that for the sake of the broader theme and message.

I'm excited for this book to be released in August—this is the perfect book to gift to friends and family who may need an extra spark.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing me an ARC. It was an honor getting to read this book a little early :)

Thank you so much to Evelyn Skye, Atria Books and NetGalley! What a gift to receive an ARC this enjoyable.

The story woven through the streets of Manhattan of Chloe and Oliver feels like a warm hug. As Chloe begins looking for a way to fill some new free time she starts crafting yellow origami roses and putting messages inside. There is something magical about the messages Chloe writes and the words of hope she puts into the work find themselves in the exact hands of those that needed them. This is a beautiful story of loss, hope and love. Chloe’s childhood friend Oliver finds his way back into her life and maybe a sweet love story gets written too! Chloe sounds like the kindest, coolest gal I know. If we could all take a minute to pause and spread hope, we might find ourselves that much happier.
This novel has a nod to a Hannah Brencher memoir called More Love Letters. If you loved that, you will love this. Enjoy!

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book. I wanted to like it, it started out hopeful, but I just could not get over how coincidental and unrealistic everything was. There were too many unnecessary words and descriptions that added nothing to the story. Also, the random sex scene in the middle of an otherwise sweet story was strange.

Overall, I think this would have been better as a short story rather than a novel.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A delight from the first word to the last - a modern fable with vibes of Chocolat or The Lake House, a bit of magic, a bit of love, and a lot of belief in the energy of good. Uplifting in the best of ways with a complex and well developed story.

From the time they were in first grade Chloe and Oliver had the kind of friendship most people can only dream of. They started as pen-pals as part of a school assignment and through their notes back and forth--which were somehow imbued with magic that allowed Oliver to hear Chloe's words--their friendship blossomed. They became inseparable, each of them feeling like one half of the same whole. As they got older, their feelings deepened into more than friendship and they both felt that their relationship would continue to flourish and they would be each other's forever person. But then Oliver's world was yanked out from under him and he vanished overnight with his family.

The book is written in alternating perspectives of Chloe and Oliver and over the course of the story we come to understand what happened that night and in the years that followed as they separately tried to move on in spite of their broken hearts. They both end up in New York as young 30-somethings and through chance encounters they find themselves back in each other's lives, and once again, the notes they exchange start to work their magic.

The author's writing conveyed emotion beautifully and I quickly became invested in the story, feeling the love Chloe and Oliver developed for one another and also feeling the heartbreak when they were separated before their relationship could blossom into more. There were parts of the story that felt too simplistic and I found myself "exiting" the story in my head to think about that. As I approached the end of the book I found myself skimming over pages because I wanted to get back to the meat of the story, so I felt like there was a bit too much filler that was distracting at certain points in the book. And I felt somewhat let down by the ending because it seemed "overly-sweetened" and contrived. I was left wanting more. I felt like the characters who were so well-drawn at the start of the book had become one-dimensional at the conclusion.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and I commend the author's clean writing style and her ability to convey emotion through her words. It's a sweet story and while it may have its weak points, it will ultimately leave you feeling content. 3.5 stars