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stephasselin – :
Who thought writing with a pen could get as intense as it gets in Jae’s latest novel Paper Love?
Paper Love is the story of Suzanne, who just quit her job as a business consultant, mostly because she felt she would never get her potential recognized in the sexist environment she worked at. Once the news is out, she gets forcibly asked by her mother to help her uncle try to save his stationery store business. Reluctant at first to help yet another family member to maintain their business open, she gets more than she bargained for when she gets her foot wet in the Bächle next to her uncle’s store on her first day. Anja Lamm a stationery geek, who has been a loyal employee of Paper Love for many years, feels threatened when the digital-loving ice queen Frau Wolff sets her now-wet foot in the store and starts looking through the business in detail, making suggestions that could cost her job.
What starts as an impossible working relationship between two strong-willed women, turns into a great complicity to save what is left of Uncle Norbert’s store. With Anja’s knowledge of the stationery world and Suzanne’s ability to handle the digital one, once united, they are a force not to reckon with. Will their many late nights working be enough to save Paper Love?
I remember in the middle of April, Jae had asked her followers on Twitter: How many of us still use pen and paper? Back then I thought I knew what my answer was but after reading Paper Love, I find myself mysteriously wishing to buy an expensive refillable pen and try my hand at writing on a quality paper. The details are so well written that writing on a paper could almost feel like an intimate action.
Paper Love is another great success from Jae. Her characters are as usual loveable, mysterious and with a complexity rarely seen in books. It almost feels as if she knows them privately before she writes about them. I loved the fact that both protagonists hold a certain animosity against the other at first, which made the romantic part of the book come in as a great surprise. Another great surprise was once again the mention of a character from one of Jae’s previous books, Jenna Blake. Every time the author writes a new story, I am waiting for the little link between her characters, because there is always one somewhere, only a sentence, or a name, but it is enough to make me satisfied.
What astounded me the most in this book is the city the action takes place in. Knowing Jae is from Germany and having her characters be on her side of the world for once is great. I felt as if it made the story even closer to her heart and the lake she mentioned a few times in the books is a special place to her. I also liked the use of a few German words, about three, that I had to google to understand what they were, because of the German name, but it wasn’t enough to make me stop reading, it’s just that my curiosity needed to put an image to the words.
Paper Love is a great book that will keep you up at night, turning pages, urging the characters to act as you wish they would. Once again, Jae’s writing did just that. Every book I find myself reading makes me respect this author greatly. I recommend it as one of her best yet, along the lines of Perfect Rhythm, Something in the Wine and Just for Show.
Rainbow Moose’s Reviews
**I received an ARC in exchange of an honest review**
PH – :
I loved to right from the start!
The funny loveable, character’s drew me in straight away- Anja, Uncle Norbert, Susanne and Franziska. I enjoyed the play on their names..Wolff and Lamm which conjured the exact picture of how Susanne and Anja interacted with each other. After getting off on the wrong foot, Susanne and Anja slowly get to know each other surrounded by the amazingly picturesque village of Freiburg.
The local legend of “If you accidentally step into a Bachle, you’ll marry a local guy and live happily ever after in our beautiful city” was always in the back of my mind whilst reading Paper Love.
Another great story and book by Jae. I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.
charles_barsaga (verified owner) – :
I couldn’t wait to buy this book from Amazon so finally gave in and bought it before it was published there.
I love Jae’s books, I always think that no matter the character the romance always feels earned to me.
Perfect Rhythm was probably the book that ruined romances for me though because I don’t think any book has yet to overcome the connections I felt from that novel. (First book that I ever almost completely could relate to one of the main characters)
While Holly and Leontyne are my favourite couple followed by Lana and Claire, I just had to read this one about stationery xD
There was quite a lot of information here or at least enough information to link it to the stationery industry and I enjoyed learning about it. One could really identify with some of the thoughts of Susanne especially in the introductory stages. Herr Wolff was I felt, the audience surrogate while Anja was to persuade the audience.
But I couldn’t help but feel there was a certain disconnect. Perfect Rhythm had conflict that was tied into the romance and to me, that felt like a romance that was solidly earned by the end and was completely satisfied by how the main duo finally got together. (Both wanting and not wanting a sequel xD)
Just For Show had an inciting incident that tied the main characters together quite strongly, the push and pull was wonderful, even though I usually hate that sort of thing in romances.
But although the ‘save the business’ aspect was enough to get the characters working together and it made sense. Its resolution wasn’t as impactful for me compared to Jae’s other stories. I’m not entirely sure why it felt like the subplot resolution wasn’t as powerful as the romance unlike the previous two books I mentioned. Perhaps it could be that I couldn’t quite get behind Susanne’s wanting to save the business? Or maybe there should have been a scene or two that could show Susanne in her element more near the beginning? *shrugs*
I still loved the book though. Herr Wolff and Herr Lamm were absolutely adorable together and there were some lovely sexual tension laced scenes containing stationery xD
As always, I look forward to the next book released :3
blondi987 – :
‘Paper Love’ by Jae is a cute and enjoyable workplace romance that is typical of most of Jae’s slow burn romances. It is just the type of book that I would take to the beach or out in the garden to lose myself for a while in a love story.
The story is about Susanne Wolff, a currently unemployed business consultant who is sent across the country to the small city of Freiburg to help save her uncle’s failing stationary store. She is not happy about this for several reasons including the fact she is a totally digital loving person, she knows nothing about selling stationary, and has no desire to be in Freiburg any longer than she absolutely has to. When she does get to her uncle’s store called Paper Love, she meets Uncle Norbert’s only full time employee, Anja Lamm. Of course sparks fly from the very first meeting and we have our sweet romance really begin.
While I would have to say that this is not the best book I have read of Jae’s, it does have many good qualities. One of them is the setting of the story. Freiburg is Jae’s hometown and her descriptions of the city and surrounding area are superb. She made me want to run out and buy a ticket to Freiburg so I could see these places for myself. I also learned quite a bit about the stationary business and especially the specialty pens that are very expensive. I do love to smell the pages of a good notebook or journal, especially the leather bound ones so I could relate to that also. And I loved the names she gave the main characters (Wolff and Lamm).
I did enjoy the book. I believe it would make a good summer/vacation type of read for those of you who love a good light workplace romance.
Karola – :
***free ARC
Another great book by Jae, I loved it from the start. The mix with the german words are real fun to read. Jae really knows how to write a love story, with twists and turns, funny moments and also times you start to think about things a little harder. That‘s what makes her books special, it‘s not just a read through the book. There‘s always something that has a deeper meaning.
Kitty Kat – :
‘Paper Love’ is set in the city of Freiburg, a place where local folklore says stepping in a Bachle, an ancient water channel running through the streets, results in marrying a local and living there forever. High powered business analyst Suzanne doesn’t believe a word of it. We meet this Ice Queen as she temporarily moves to Freiburg to help her Uncle Norbert save his ailing stationery business. There she meets his assistant Anya, who is more like a daughter to Nobby. Neither woman is looking for a fling but sometimes love has a way of changing our best laid plans.
I loved seeing how Suzanne and Anya began to enjoy each other’s company. Suzanne just needed someone to warm her up – the Ice Queen soon began to melt. Anya wasn’t one to take risks with her life but sometimes you just have to make a leap, take a chance. Or you can spend your whole life wondering. She was sweet and caring and deserved to be happy with her forever someone. But would it be Suzanne?
The story being set in a stationery shop was fascinating but it has left me with one problem. I think I’m even more hooked on beautiful stationery and journals than I was before, so Jae is going to cost me a fortune on my new obsession. She has ignited in me a serious stationery addiction. Thanks Jae!
‘Paper Love’ was a wonderful love story in a very different and unique setting. It was beautifully done and Jae never fails to leave me with a happy, joyful feeling in my heart. Highly recommended.
Jane Shambler – :
So I am officially gobsmacked. Jae has not only done it again but she even managed to make stationary sound sexy. Come on who does that????
After I read this book I have started to take more notice of stationary. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. I guess having one of the lead characters a total stationary geek really helps. Well she managed to get me interested in stationary. That gets 5 stars on it’s own.
It’s a really good read. It keeps you interested throughout. Something so easy can literally make your heart sing. Also not all first impressions are right.
So I’m off to the next stationary conference…….! only kidding. Enjoy.
*ARC provided by publisher via Ylva Publishing*
lobster – :
This is a stationery geek romance and I thoroughly loved it. It’s well written and well paced, just as you’d expect from a Jae novel, but there’s one novelty that especially delighted me: it’s set in Freiburg, Germany, which is Jae’s hometown, as I understand it. Now, I don’t mind stories being set elsewhere but as I’m German myself, I’m always happy to every now and then pick up a book that’s set in a surrounding I’m familiar with. I’ve been to Freiburg a couple of times and I saw it all very clearly as I joined Susanne and Anja – the ‘Bächle’, the Münsterplatz, the weekly market etc., and I loved it!
I hugely enjoyed the stationery geek-outs throughout the book because I’m a stationery geek, too. I love fountain pens and notebooks and I can spend hours and hours in shops like Paper Love, of which there are not enough, sadly. You can tell Jae loves all of this, too, her descriptions and details are spot on and a delight to read.
‘Paper Love’ is a perfect, easy holiday read that keeps you well entertained until the end – and I mean ‘easy read’ in the best of senses; it’s not shallow or stupid at all. It flows nicely without major angst or nailbiting, although not all’s well and sweet. There’s misunderstandings and seemingly incompatible mindsets, there’s brain vs. heart…in short, just the right amount of salt to make you enjoy the slow-burning romance even more.
Highly recommended. 5 of 5 stars.