Christie Chapman is a single mum who spends her days commuting to her secretarial job in London and looking after her teenage son, Finn. It's not an easy life but Christie finds comfort in her love of crafting, and spends her spare time working on her beautiful creations. From intricately designed cards to personalised gifts, Christie's flair for the handmade knows no bounds and it's not long before opportunity comes knocking.
Christie can see a future full of hope and possibility for her and Finn - and if the handsome Max is to be believed, one full of love too. It's all there for the taking. And then, all of sudden, her world is turned upside down.
Christie knows that something has to give, but can she really give up her dreams and the chance of real love? Will Christie find her happy ending in . . . Paper Hearts and Summer Kisses.
It's been ages since I have read a book from Carole Matthews and I don't really know why that has been the case. I really enjoy her books and there was a time when I first discovered her writing many years ago that I literally gobbled up her books one after the other. Paper Hearts and Summer Kisses, her latest book, has been sat languishing on my Kindle for far too long and so I decided to give it a go. No sooner had I gotten past the first chapter when I was reminded just how much I love Carole's books and why this coming September she will have written 30 books in twenty years and has such a loyal following of fans. This book just embraced me like a warm hug and didn't let me out of its hold until I reluctantly finished the last word. I just got such a good feeling from it and from the main characters that I soon settled quickly into the flow of the story. All the characters were so perfectly written and the sense of a supportive family, of love and friendship and striving to get through the worst of times against all the odds came across so well. It was an uplifting, cosy read with warm loveable characters that had me kicking myself over the fact I left it so long to actually read it.
Christie Chapman is a single parent to 15 year old Finn, having been divorced from Liam for five years. They are a tight unit of two and this togetherness really radiates from the pages. What a joy to read of a mother/son relationship that doesn't involve a grumpy teenager who doesn't connect with their mother at all instead barely uttering two words to her unless to start a fight over going out etc. I was so glad to read of something different and the special bond and relationship shared between Christie and Finn was just beautiful. Finn had such respect for Christie knowing she was on her own and doing the best she could for him. She couldn’t always provide everything he may have wanted but she does what she can and endures the daily two hour commute back and forth to London to work all for him. Christie absolutely adores Finn and I know you'd think of course she would he is her son but the way Carole wrote this story showed Christie would bend over backwards for the light of her life. Finn is what makes her get up at the crack of dawn every morning even though at times she would rather remain huddled under the duvet. Amidst her life of routine and predictability Finn is the one thing Christie knows she can be proud of.
Despite being a single mum Christie had the most fantastic support from her parents. They couldn't do enough to help Finn and herself and in other books it may have come across that Christie was taking advantage of her parents but here it didn't in the slightest. It just felt like the rapport shared between Finn and Christie extended to her parents and it was just so lovely to see. Her Mum and Dad provided plenty of laugh out loud moments and were quite frank in their humour, yet at all times they were there with a kind word for Christie to boost her confidence. They looked after Finn whenever needed and when the worst happens they don't fall apart instead gather themselves together with even more strength of character and love than before and this cemented my feelings that they were just a wonderful couple who always wanted the best for their daughter.
Christie always seemed to be so tired with her commute. There was a brief 'flirtation' as such with a fellow companion on the bus journey but I felt it could have been left out of the book. This was the only slight thing I wasn't overly keen on in the book. She is a PA in a legal firm but can't say she loves her job. It helps pay the bills but is it really what she wants to be doing for the rest of her life especially if it means an endless routine that by the weekend leaves you dog tired and not fit for much else bar sitting on the sofa. Christie's real passion lay with paper crafting an indulgence she shares with her mum. I don't know much about paper crafting bar watching shows on QVC years ago when they used to feature it. So all the terminology was new to me but Carole didn't make it feel like I was getting a lesson in all things paper craft and it became interesting to see how Christie could lose so many hours making beautiful cards and other bits. Christie really came to life when she could spend time creating and crafting. It put to the back of her mind that little niggle of doubt and discontentment that there was things she had always wanted to do but now will never be afforded the chance to do so.
Thanks to the secret actions of her mother opportunity presents itself at her door in the form of handsome American Max Alexander. He runs a crafting business creating all the paper and equipment you could ever need. He wants to branch out into the UK market and employs Christie to create crafts from his materials. Christie can't believe her luck and before she knows it she is whisked away to America for training. Whilst there it's like her dream has come true and life on the bus is but a distant memory. Things on the romantic front take a slight turn for the better too. It was brilliant to see something positive happening for Christie as I felt she was a worrier and carried burdens on her shoulders. She never allowed herself to relax and enjoy the moment and take time for herself. Max on the other hand I didn't know what to make of him, it all just seemed to good to be true that things would happen so quickly for Christie with her crafting. I just had this sense/ feeling about him but I really was foolish to do so. I thought he had ulterior motives and that it would cause nothing but heartbreak on a personal level and real upset on a professional level for Christie. I couldn't have been more off track and felt really guilty for feeling this way and this never happens me with a book. Regrading the situation with Finn, I had my suspicions as to what was going on and was proven correct but this storyline was handled with tact and sensitivity and the way it was dealt with and the emotions that spilled forth were realistic and very apt.
Paper Hearts and Summer Kisses was an absolute pleasure to read from start to finish. I haven't connected with a book so well for a long time and I just fell completely in love with the characters. It is an emotional read at times but is balanced to perfection by the abundance of humour and not to mention all the paper crafting. It was clear how much Carole enjoyed writing this book and I even saw it feature in the top five of her favourite books that she has written. It's definitely a book that I wouldn't hesitate to recommended and despite the fact it took me some time to get around to it, it only means I have a shorter time to wait for her next book as Christmas Cakes and Mistletoe Nights will be with us near the end of October.
Many thanks to Little Brown UK for my copy of Paper Hearts and Summer Kisses via NetGalley to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
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