Author: Evelyn Skye
Published: August 12, 2025 by Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Format: Kindle, 256 Pages
Genre: Magical Realism
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Blurb: In elementary school Chloe Hanako Quinn is assigned Oliver Jones as her pen pal. Before sending her letter she also whispers a note into it…and he hears her. It is the beginning of a friendship that blooms into something more—that is, until disaster strikes.
Now more than twenty years later Chloe is a high school guidance counselor in New York City, but life 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 accidentally finds its way to a neighbor in need of cheering-up, Chloe, feeling a desire to spread kindness and optimism, begins purposely 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.
My Opinion: This is the kind of book you reach for when the world feels heavy and you need a gentle reminder that love, especially the enduring kind, can still win. Evelyn Skye’s The Incredible Kindness of Paper is a sweet, heartfelt story that wraps you in warmth and hope. It’s a happily-ever-after read, and sometimes, that’s exactly what we need.
I first discovered Skye through her Crown’s Game duology, which captivated me with its lush fantasy and emotional stakes. So, when I saw her name attached to something new, something that leaned into magical realism and women’s fiction, I was curious. What she’s crafted here feels like a genre blend: part women’s fiction, part young adult, with a dash of magic and a whole lot of heart.
At the center are Chloe Hanako Quinn and Oliver Jones, childhood friends whose bond runs deeper than most. They meet as kids, and it’s clear from the start that their connection is something rare. But life intervenes, tearing them apart before they can even understand what they’ve found. Years later, fate nudges them back together, and the question becomes: can love survive time, distance, and heartbreak?
Skye doesn’t make it easy for them. She throws in all the classic obstacles: misunderstandings, missed chances, emotional wounds, but you never doubt that Chloe and Oliver are meant to find their way back. Their journey is tender, frustrating, and deeply satisfying. Even when the pacing stumbles or the prose repeats a beat or two, the emotional core stays strong.
This story is about resilience, about the kind of love that waits patiently and returns stronger. It’s also about the small magic in everyday life, the kind that lives in memory, in paper, in the quiet moments that shape us. If you’re looking for a feel-good read with emotional depth and a touch of whimsy, this one delivers.
Now more than twenty years later Chloe is a high school guidance counselor in New York City, but life 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 accidentally finds its way to a neighbor in need of cheering-up, Chloe, feeling a desire to spread kindness and optimism, begins purposely 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.
My Opinion: This is the kind of book you reach for when the world feels heavy and you need a gentle reminder that love, especially the enduring kind, can still win. Evelyn Skye’s The Incredible Kindness of Paper is a sweet, heartfelt story that wraps you in warmth and hope. It’s a happily-ever-after read, and sometimes, that’s exactly what we need.
I first discovered Skye through her Crown’s Game duology, which captivated me with its lush fantasy and emotional stakes. So, when I saw her name attached to something new, something that leaned into magical realism and women’s fiction, I was curious. What she’s crafted here feels like a genre blend: part women’s fiction, part young adult, with a dash of magic and a whole lot of heart.
At the center are Chloe Hanako Quinn and Oliver Jones, childhood friends whose bond runs deeper than most. They meet as kids, and it’s clear from the start that their connection is something rare. But life intervenes, tearing them apart before they can even understand what they’ve found. Years later, fate nudges them back together, and the question becomes: can love survive time, distance, and heartbreak?
Skye doesn’t make it easy for them. She throws in all the classic obstacles: misunderstandings, missed chances, emotional wounds, but you never doubt that Chloe and Oliver are meant to find their way back. Their journey is tender, frustrating, and deeply satisfying. Even when the pacing stumbles or the prose repeats a beat or two, the emotional core stays strong.
This story is about resilience, about the kind of love that waits patiently and returns stronger. It’s also about the small magic in everyday life, the kind that lives in memory, in paper, in the quiet moments that shape us. If you’re looking for a feel-good read with emotional depth and a touch of whimsy, this one delivers.
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