All Chloe wants is to make other lonely New Yorkers feel seen and understood for at least a moment. Sometimes, that moment becomes exactly what they need to make big life changes they’ve been desperate for.

Chloe cares little for money and fame, even when handed to her on a platter, which makes her easy to root for. Oliver was Chloe’s childhood best friend and first love when they were growing up in Kansas, until one day they in their teens when he completely disappears. But now, they are crossing paths in NYC, and he is somehow unrecognizable to her.

Coincidences start happening so often in this book I started to think it was too farfetched, until I remembered the magical realism element which somehow that makes the coincidences work.

Overall, The Incredible Kindness of Paper was as wholesome and sweet as a Hallmark movie, which isn’t usually my thing, but I honestly enjoyed this enough to give it a solid 4 stars. I found the story comforting and the ending satisfying. This one is worth the read!

Thank you to Atria Books for the ARC

Thank you NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well that was just sweet and delightful. Definitely not my normal genre or pacing for a book but sometimes you just need to stop and read something that’s sweet and innocent and cozy. Was the writing amazing? No. But the plot was sweet and unique and the heart was definitely there so I’m glad I got to sit and enjoy this one. It made for a nice palate cleanser between heavier books.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria / Emily Bestler Books for sending this ARC. This review is voluntary; all opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.5/5

The Incredible Kindness of Paper is an incredibly sweet read about a woman with an insatiable sense of positivity towards the world and how her small, random acts of kindness changed the world. Even though her life is not where she wants it to be, she never gives up on making it better for everyone around her, especially when she sees the positive effects her actions are having!

Normally I read things that are darker, more complicated, and tense, so this book was a breath of fresh air. Perfect for sitting outside on my brand new (to me) porch and just enjoying a gentle summer breeze. And also I told my mom I want an origami kit for Christmas, so there’s that.

This book features:
Multiple POV
Magical realism
The power of serendipity and positive thinking
Second chance romance
Friends to strangers to lovers
Not-so-unrequited love
Childhood friends
He falls first (kinda?)
Grumpy x sunshine

This had a very sweet message! I loved the idea of the origami roses telling people what they needed to hear. This story was uplifting and sweet. The perfect lighthearted read!

Thanks to Atria for the gifted copies!

In elementary school, Chloe Hanako Quinn is given Oliver Jones as a pen pal, and when she whispers into her letters, he can hear them. Twenty years later, Chloe’s life in NYC is in upheaval, and she decides to spread kindness and encouragement via paper roses to deal with hard times. And one just happens to find its way to Oliver…

This was such a sugary sweet read, reminiscent of Lauren Kung Jessen books. The touch of magical realism was just the perfect element to make this book hopeful and encouraging. I loved how Chloe and Oliver’s growth and personalities intertwined, were at odds, and finally came together for a beautiful ending to the story.

ARC Review

5/5 ⭐️

This was my firs book by Evelyn Skye and I absolutely loved it. I love long lost love and this book delivered that. This story of the power of connection and magical realism was so well done. Evelyn's writing was so good that I couldn't put this book down at times.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Chloe and Oliver are connected through a grade school pen pal project. Pen palling really resonates with my childhood self. They become fast friends and are later known as “Clover”, they are that connected. Something happens that leads to Oliver’s family fleeing town in the night. A series of unfortunate events gets in the way of Chloe knowing why, Oliver is just in the wind without an explanation.

Fast forward 15 plus years and Chloe is laid off from her dream job as a Highschool counselor in NYC. To pass time while Chloe recovers and regroups, she returns to a salve of youth creating origami flowers with positive messages inside. The flowers create a many good things in their wake, including a reconnection with Oliver, who is also in NYC. It’s magical and heart wrenching at the same time. Meanwhile, origami flowers become so much more, a savior as well as a future.

Sweet read.

Wow, this book truly makes you feel. The writing is rich with imagery, creating an experience that felt as vivid and immersive as watching a film. The plot unfolds with perfect pacing, each moment balanced and intentional. The concept is both unique and intriguing, capturing my attention from the first page to the last. This might just be my perfect book. I would recommend it to everyone looking for some comfort and hope.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books. This book is out Tuesday, August 12th!

⭐️: 3.25

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

If you’re looking for a short and sweet Rom Com worthy of its own Hallmark movie, then you’ve come to the right place. “The Incredible Kindness of Paper” follows our heroine Chloe as she navigates sudden unemployment in one of the most expensive cities in the world while also seeking fulfillment in her relationships and personal endeavors.

Major tropes: second-chance romance, miscommunication (mild), plot points of convenience,

Main thing I enjoyed: I liked the flashbacks to when they were kids.

Main beef: I cannot believe that Chloe would not have recognized Oliver those first few times.

Traditional format (digital) 📕

Synopsis in a sentence: this is a magical realism meets romance book about friendships, kindness, destiny, origami flowers and finding your one true love.

My thoughts: I absolutely adored this book! The characters, the premise and the message were the epitome of uplifting fiction. This is definitely going to be one of my favourite books of the year.

This book gave me all the feels and gets all the stars……..5/5!

Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for a digital ARC of this book. Opinions are my own.

After 16 years apart, childhood best friends and first loves find each other again with a little magical help.

Sometimes you just know a book has found you at the right time. That was the case with The Incredible Kindness of Paper. This feel-good story was exactly what I needed with everything going on in my life! There were so many reasons I LOVED this book but things that really stood out are as follows:

- Second Chance Romance - This is one of my favorite tropes, and there was nothing I wanted more than for Chloe and Oliver to get their opportunity to explore their feelings. Oliver's abrupt departure ended a beautiful friendship and left two people with broken hearts. This was their chance to set the record straight, heal, and see if that spark was still there.

- Friends-to-lovers - My ALL-TIME favorite trope. I was so happy we got flashbacks to learn about "Clover's" [Chloe + Oliver] history and watch them fall in love as kids. It was precious.

- Happenstance, coincidences, and fate? - The universe was working hard to get Chloe and Oliver back together, and there were so many times they were *this* close. It was exciting when their paths crossed and crossed again. And all those degrees of separation and connections delighted me as well.

- The flowers - The whole concept of the paper flowers was lovely. It seems like everyone has to do something for a reason, but Chloe just wanted to put a bit of kindness and joy into the world. She didn't want money or recognition. She didn't need to blast it across social media. Just seeing her flowers "find" the right people at the right time was enough for her, and it proves that it really is the little things that matter.

- Connection and Community - Skye really dug into the human element here showing the value of connection and community. It's especially wonderful to see in a place like NYC, a city of millions, where one can sometimes disappear in the sea of people.

- A touch of magic - I am a hardcore contemporary reader but do delight in small touches of magic particularly when they are as thoughtful and well incorporated as the ones here. These magical flowers were well utilized and such a fantastic and whimsical special touch.

Overall, I adored this book! This magical tale of hope, connection and kindness put a smile on my face and joy in my heart. Uplifting and filled with hope, this charming story tamed my inner cynic and left me walking on sunshine.

I've never read any of Evelyn's Skye's books, but I will be searching out other books of hers to read. This was a gem of a book, and I read it in two days which is quite unusual for me. There are only certain magical realism books that I am drawn to, and this is definitely one of those. You meet the main character, Chloe, on her last day of school counseling a student who lacks confidence. She gives him a pep talk and assures him the work he has to do this summer for his family will bode well on his college applications. She is so uplifting. The student leaves. It's the last day of school, and an administrator comes to tell Chloe she is losing her job. What a blow!

She has a roommate, supportive parents and an almost "boyfriend" who are there for her, but a number of unusual events occur that change the whole trajectory of her life. She is reminded of her best friend, Oliver, from grade school and low and behold they run into each other in Manhattan of all places. (They grew up in Kansas.) In grade school they were called "Clover" since they were inseparable. The story takes off from there and there couldn't be a better title for this book than "The Incredible Kindness of Paper." I highly recommend this book for a feel good read even though there are lots of ups and downs in Chloe's journey as well as her friends' journeys., My rating is a 4.5 which if you know math that rounds to 5 stars. Oliver is a math genius so that's a fun element to this book as well.

Thank you to NetGalley, Evelyn Skye and the publishers for allowing me to read this eARC for my honest opinions.

Serendipity, fate, soul mates. If you believe in it, this story is for you. A cheerful, feel-good book at its core, the magical realism element adds whimsy to a wonderful second chance romance/friends to lovers/grumpy sunshine story. Also an inspiring story about landing on your feet after things fall apart, I loved the way Chloe finds purpose again after her life falls apart. Chloe's fictional acts of kindness and how they inspired a movement offer a glimmer of hope in an increasingly dark reality.

Chloe Quinn, a high school counselor in New York City, is passionate about helping her students reach their full potential. But when budget cuts cost her job, she feels lost. She copes by folding an origami rose and writing an uplifting quote inside. After accidentally losing it, a beautiful chain of events is set in motion.

In separate chapters, we follow the lives of different people who find Chloe's roses and are touched by the messages within. Inspired by a quote she finds in her comfort book, Little Women—"I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship"—Chloe begins to intentionally fold more roses, leaving them for those who need a little bit of hope.

This book is like a warm hug. It's a hopeful story about the kindness of humanity, the magic of serendipity, and the power of creating your own community and "found family." The magical realism surrounding the roses is charming, and the story made me cry many happy tears. It has even inspired me to try and learn how to fold my own origami roses.

Evelyn Skye's “The Incredible Kindness of Paper” is a heartwarming story about how small acts can connect lives in unexpected ways. The story follows Chloe, a high school guidance counselor living in New York City, and her childhood pen pal Oliver, whom she lost touch with decades earlier. Chloe decides to start leaving origami roses with special messages written into them around the city, setting off a chain reaction of kindness that eventually brings her and Oliver back together.

Skye balances the sweetness of the story with emotional depth, and shows how an act of kindness can be a gift to one person while also serving as a lifeline for the giver. Chloe struggles with loneliness and uncertainty, which feel relatable, while Oliver’s past adds a layer of bittersweet mystery. The endearing history between the two gives the story an air of childhood nostalgia.

There is an element of romance that doesn't veer into being overly saccharine, and the narrative leans into hopefulness without ignoring life’s challenges. This is the kind of sweet, gentle story that leaves readers feeling lighter after they turn the last page.

This is a feel-good romance about two friends who lose touch when they are teenagers, only to find each other again halfway across the country in New York City. There's magical realism, redemption, forgiveness, and true love all nestled within the folds of an origami flower.

🔹 Can one random act of kindness change the trajectory of a life?🔹

As kids, Chloe and Oliver are assigned to be pen pals through their schools, and before long, their friendship blooms off page. Inseparable, they become known as "Clover." But then, when they're 16, disaster strikes.

Two decades later, Chloe is living in NYC as a HS guidance counselor. When she's laid off due to budget cuts, she tries to console herself by writing a little pep talk to herself inside a yellow origami rose. When the rose mistakenly ends up in the hands of a neighbor who desperately needed to hear the message inside, Chloe begins to make more and leave them throughout the city for others.

Meanwhile, Oliver is living in NYC as well. When a specific yellow origami rose winds up in his hands, things start to change...

🔹

What an utterly charming and uplifting read that envelops you like a hug! Chloe radiates warmth, generosity, and compassion. Oliver is a prickly pear with a guarded but tender heart. Even Zac, who had his obvious flaws, wasn't an overly bad character, which I appreciated. The found family and connected side characters along the way were lovely. Did this story border on cheesy at times? Sure. But you know what? It's allowed. With a touch of magical realism, it is overflowing with heart and hope and the reminder that even small acts of kindness can have a meaningful impact- something this world could definitely use more of nowadays.

This is a heart warmer that touched even this thriller fan because it's clever and it never gets twee. Chloe and Oliver were friends from the moment they met but just as things were about to turn romantic, Oliver and his family had to flee town because his mother was about to be indicted. Now, they're both 32 and living in New York. Oliver is using his math brain to work at a hedge fund and Chloe, well, Chloe just lost her job. She has, however, started making origami roses and scattering them around the city. People who find them find a life changing message inside and her roses become a movement. She resists efforts by her boyfriend Zack to monetize the roses and stays true to her goal of making people happy. There are coincidences, sliding doors, missed connections and then...no spoilers. I liked this because it unfolded like an origami and because it is so positive. It's been carefully plotted so that small details early on will be pop up later. And the characters are delightful. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I very much enjoyed this.

Thank you to Atria Books, Emily Bestler Books, and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

~4.5 stars~
This was such a heartwarming story! I loved the idea of Chloe’s origami roses, a random act of kindness that ended up bringing so many people together who were struggling or lonely. Everything was interconnected so intricately, and I enjoyed Chloe and Oliver’s story. Some aspects of the book are a bit magical, with flowers mysteriously appearing for certain people, but it worked well the way it was written. It had this feeling of fate, like an invisible string holding things together. This was a story that just left me feeling happy and hopeful. I really enjoyed reading it and would love to read it again in the future!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

I am going to echo the very words that Evelyn Skye's editor used: this book is a warm hug. It's a Hallmark Hall of Fame storyline full of coincidences and sweet messages, and pure love wrapped up in origami yellow paper.

Chloe and Olivier were childhood friends who promised to be more if Olivier's family didn't disappear in the middle of the night with no explanations. Now, years later, fate is about to give their love a second chance. But are they both willing to take that step towards forgiveness?

Such a sweet story. Once in and while, these plots find me, and my heart just sings with joy.

Truly lovely.

Expected Publication 12/08/25
Goodreads Review 07/08/25