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Paper Love
Falling in love wasn’t part of the plan in this lesbian romance from best-selling author Jae.
Susanne Wolff isn’t thrilled when her mother sends her all the way across the country to Freiburg to save her uncle’s stationery store from bankruptcy. Freiburg is too provincial for her taste, and besides, pen and paper are outdated anyway.
Anja Lamm, Paper Love’s only full-time employee, takes an instant dislike to the arrogant, digital-loving snob who’s supposed to be her temporary boss.But thanks to a meddling cat, a business trip to a stationery fair, and an armada of origami boats, Anja soon starts to see beneath Susanne’s aloof exterior, and Susanne discovers how sexy pens and notebooks can be—at least when Anja handles them.
As the end of Susanne’s three-month stay approaches, will she stick to her plan to leave, or will she open her heart to more than just paper love?
Susanne Wolff isn’t thrilled when her mother sends her all the way across the country to Freiburg to save her uncle’s stationery store from bankruptcy. Freiburg is too provincial for her taste, and besides, pen and paper are outdated anyway.
Anja Lamm, Paper Love’s only full-time employee, takes an instant dislike to the arrogant, digital-loving snob who’s supposed to be her temporary boss.But thanks to a meddling cat, a business trip to a stationery fair, and an armada of origami boats, Anja soon starts to see beneath Susanne’s aloof exterior, and Susanne discovers how sexy pens and notebooks can be—at least when Anja handles them.
As the end of Susanne’s three-month stay approaches, will she stick to her plan to leave, or will she open her heart to more than just paper love?
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 15, 2018
197 people are currently reading
1,399 people want to read
About the author
Jae
101books3,587followersJae is the author of twenty-four award-winning romances between women. She lives in the sunniest city of Germany, near the French and Swiss borders. The writing bug bit her at the age of eleven.
She used to work as a psychologist but gave up her day job in 2013 to become a full-time writer and a part-time editor. As far as she’s concerned, it’s the best job in the world.
When she’s not writing, she is an avid reader of sapphic books, indulges her ice cream and office supply addictions, and watches way too many crime shows.
She used to work as a psychologist but gave up her day job in 2013 to become a full-time writer and a part-time editor. As far as she’s concerned, it’s the best job in the world.
When she’s not writing, she is an avid reader of sapphic books, indulges her ice cream and office supply addictions, and watches way too many crime shows.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 279 reviews
August 16, 2018
Like most people I’m a huge Jae fan. I thought this book was good and I would recommend it. However, I do have to note that I struggled a bit with this. Usually I fall in love with Jae’s books almost instantly, but that was not the case here. It really wasn’t until the second half of the book that I started clicking with the story. The second half really improved my enjoyment and is why I can still rate this 4 stars instead of the 3 or 3.5 I thought the book started out as.
This book takes place in Germany, in a little stationary shop. Susanne’s uncle runs the shop with his star employee Anja. However, the shop is not doing well and will have to close soon. Susanne’s job is fixing businesses that are failing. While trying to stay professional Susanne can’t help being attracted to Anja. Will Susanne be able to save the family business and Anja’s dream job?
I would call Susanne a mini ice-queen. I like ice-queen romances quite a bit. The slight issue I had here was instead of feeling like Susanne was thawing, I felt she had a personality transplant. By the second half of the book, Susanne felt like a totally different character than the beginning. I liked this new character, but it didn’t feel like her character grew, it felt like a new character was suddenly in her place. She even started looking differently in my mind which was an odd thing that doesn’t normally happen to me. On the other side Anja was consistent and very likeable the whole book.
This book is a sweet romance. The angst is very low. What I did really like was getting to know Germany a bit. I know nothing of Germany except for the one year of the language I took way back in high school. And considering I’m part German, it’s a place I always wanted to visit. Jae did an excellent job of making the setting an important part of the story. The small city of Freiburg, that this takes place in, sounds wonderful.
When it came to the romance, I thought it was well done. The chemistry is not in your face, but it is there and feels authentic. The relationship was sweet and the sex scenes, while not spicy, I still thought they were pretty good.
While I did struggle to connect to this story, I ended up enjoying this. Not one of my favorites by Jae, but this still is a book I would recommend to romance fans.
An ARC was given to me by YLVA for a honest review.
This book takes place in Germany, in a little stationary shop. Susanne’s uncle runs the shop with his star employee Anja. However, the shop is not doing well and will have to close soon. Susanne’s job is fixing businesses that are failing. While trying to stay professional Susanne can’t help being attracted to Anja. Will Susanne be able to save the family business and Anja’s dream job?
I would call Susanne a mini ice-queen. I like ice-queen romances quite a bit. The slight issue I had here was instead of feeling like Susanne was thawing, I felt she had a personality transplant. By the second half of the book, Susanne felt like a totally different character than the beginning. I liked this new character, but it didn’t feel like her character grew, it felt like a new character was suddenly in her place. She even started looking differently in my mind which was an odd thing that doesn’t normally happen to me. On the other side Anja was consistent and very likeable the whole book.
This book is a sweet romance. The angst is very low. What I did really like was getting to know Germany a bit. I know nothing of Germany except for the one year of the language I took way back in high school. And considering I’m part German, it’s a place I always wanted to visit. Jae did an excellent job of making the setting an important part of the story. The small city of Freiburg, that this takes place in, sounds wonderful.
When it came to the romance, I thought it was well done. The chemistry is not in your face, but it is there and feels authentic. The relationship was sweet and the sex scenes, while not spicy, I still thought they were pretty good.
While I did struggle to connect to this story, I ended up enjoying this. Not one of my favorites by Jae, but this still is a book I would recommend to romance fans.
An ARC was given to me by YLVA for a honest review.
April 1, 2019
I'll admit that the last batch of books by Jae I haven't been too taken with and I think I'd have a similar feeling towards this one EXCEPT it was helped by the fact that I consumed the audiobook version read by Abby Craden.
As books go, this is a straight forward, slow burn romance that is more of a gentle journey. The conflicts are created by one of the mains being an ice queen and an ongoing battle of city mouse vs country mouse between our leads. Angst comes in the form of wondering if the beloved "Paper Love" stationary store can be saved and also a looming deadline where the ice queen wants to go back to the city.
The story takes place in Germany which provides an interesting backdrop.
I didn't find anything earth shattering here but, as always, Jae invested in building the characters and their story arc and the book overall has a solid base. I listened to "Paper Love" slowly over several weeks and Abby Craden's voice lends a lot to make it a soft and entertaining read.
Little side notes: One of the leads and a supporting character are bisexual and biphobia was handled really well, the love interests are in their late 30s, and this audiobook is currently available on Scribd.
As books go, this is a straight forward, slow burn romance that is more of a gentle journey. The conflicts are created by one of the mains being an ice queen and an ongoing battle of city mouse vs country mouse between our leads. Angst comes in the form of wondering if the beloved "Paper Love" stationary store can be saved and also a looming deadline where the ice queen wants to go back to the city.
The story takes place in Germany which provides an interesting backdrop.
I didn't find anything earth shattering here but, as always, Jae invested in building the characters and their story arc and the book overall has a solid base. I listened to "Paper Love" slowly over several weeks and Abby Craden's voice lends a lot to make it a soft and entertaining read.
Little side notes: One of the leads and a supporting character are bisexual and biphobia was handled really well, the love interests are in their late 30s, and this audiobook is currently available on Scribd.
August 9, 2018
I received an ARC of this book from Ylva Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
While not a favorite book by one of my favorite authors, the book is still quite enjoyable � for many reasons. Possibly largely due to just what it sets out to do: tell a female-female romance set in Germany involving only Germans. It was quite fun to bump into the unknown (to me).
While I did, for the most part, like both of the main characters, neither really ‘clicked� for me. Unfortunate, but that happens.
The main characters being: Susanne Wolff and Anja Lamm. Susanne is an aging, currently out of work (by her own choice) business consultant. Wolff also has a non-identical twin sister. Lamm is a long time employee of a stationary store, the same store owned by Wolff’s uncle. Both women, if I recall correctly, are somewhere in their thirties (Anja is somewhere around 36 or 38 and Susanne might be slightly older . . . or not, I forget now).
The book opens with Susanne dreading a question her mother always asks this time of year: New Year’s resolutions. Because she knows she’ll have to admit to quitting her job (with her resolution being finding a new job). I’m not sure why that is/was a ‘must� thing for Susanne to admit, but it did push things along. Since that got a completely unexpected response from the mother � who said that it’s great (or something like that) because her Uncle (no not that one, the other one, the one on your father’s side of the family (being the father’s brother)) needs help trying to save his business. Serious and immediate help � as in, the place will probably close within three months without some help, any help (and so it’s great that a highly skilled, clever, etc. etc. business consultant is there available to try to help . . . for free).
Certain problems, though, to how this isn’t really ‘great� � Susanne has a seriously bad attitude about the whole thing before anything even was learned about the situation (Susanne really didn’t want to have to be forced to go to some middle of nowhere German city to try to help; plus a) Susanne is not at all knowledge about the industry her Uncle’s shop is in (pens/stationary/etc.) and b) does nothing to learn about the industry before arriving in the city).
Right, but let’s move on, mostly because I just shook myself awake to continue typing � not a good position to be in � obviously I’m going to have to wait for night three before I fully polish an actual review (ETA: I said this jokingly, but I fell asleep two paragraphs after this one and then there’s a really long string of �2’s that I’m not sure how to interrupt; in other words, we are now in night 3).
Other point of view character is the quite short (it’s important¬) Anja Lamm (Wolf & Lamb, get it get it? (it is, like, one of the first comments that pop up . . . uh, somewhere in the book)). Lamm has spent the last, oh, . . . darn, I can’t remember. Spent the last ‘really long time� being an employee at Uncle Nobby’s store (I do not recall if that’s actually the guy’s name, but that’s what I read every time his name came up, so that’s the name I stuck on him (which, for all I recall, might actually be his name in the book)). Lamm’s late thirties and really, and I mean really into pens, and stationary, and all that (seriously, she is, to the point she’s super giddy and bouncing around like a ferret on sugar when she learns she gets to go to the Paper . . . um, convention).
As expected, there are other minor characters, though the ‘most important� other characters are Miri (sp?), Anja’s lesbian friend (which I mention because I forgot to mention that Anja is bisexual); ……� (ETA: and here’s where I fell asleep. Um, let’s try to reconstruct this now?).
I’m not sure why I said it was expected. Mmphs. Stupid need to sleep.
Right, so, there are some good minor/side characters in this book � characters that help push the story along. Including Miri, Lamm’s best friend, and Frenzi (seriously I cannot recall the non-identical sister’s name, but it . . . wasn’t that, I think I started with an F though). Oh, and I suppose I should include Uncle Nobby (may or may not be his name) since that’s the person who owns the store to which Wolff went to try to save, and Lamm works at.
Also important is a small cat. Lovely cat. Lovely interaction with cat. Though there were times I was sad when Wolff kept tossing the cat outside and/or not letting the cat inside (it’s not her cat, but a neighbor’s cat � said neighbor just gave birth and the cat and the child are not getting along).
*looks at notes* Right right, there’s a ton of kissing in this book � either a tease or a warning, depending on if you like or care to not involve yourself with graphic depictions of wet germ filled mouths interacting with each other (‘Scientists at Harvard School of Dental Medicine have discovered more than 615 different types of bacteria that can live in the mouth, tongue and throat making it the dirtiest place in the human body.� � what, the sister is a dentist, I figured I could pull up a quote from dentists)
*goes back to looking at notes, realizes other tab is still locked in on germs, flees screaming; goes back to notes* In addition to the many sloppy graphic kissing scenes, there are also many scenes of a graphically sexual nature.
Right. So. I enjoyed the book, but I find that it is the second favorite of the new Ylva books I’ve read. I’ve read two new Ylva books.
Rating: 4.37
August 8 2018
Behind the spoiler tag are my notes I wrote three nights ago after I finished the book.
While not a favorite book by one of my favorite authors, the book is still quite enjoyable � for many reasons. Possibly largely due to just what it sets out to do: tell a female-female romance set in Germany involving only Germans. It was quite fun to bump into the unknown (to me).
While I did, for the most part, like both of the main characters, neither really ‘clicked� for me. Unfortunate, but that happens.
The main characters being: Susanne Wolff and Anja Lamm. Susanne is an aging, currently out of work (by her own choice) business consultant. Wolff also has a non-identical twin sister. Lamm is a long time employee of a stationary store, the same store owned by Wolff’s uncle. Both women, if I recall correctly, are somewhere in their thirties (Anja is somewhere around 36 or 38 and Susanne might be slightly older . . . or not, I forget now).
The book opens with Susanne dreading a question her mother always asks this time of year: New Year’s resolutions. Because she knows she’ll have to admit to quitting her job (with her resolution being finding a new job). I’m not sure why that is/was a ‘must� thing for Susanne to admit, but it did push things along. Since that got a completely unexpected response from the mother � who said that it’s great (or something like that) because her Uncle (no not that one, the other one, the one on your father’s side of the family (being the father’s brother)) needs help trying to save his business. Serious and immediate help � as in, the place will probably close within three months without some help, any help (and so it’s great that a highly skilled, clever, etc. etc. business consultant is there available to try to help . . . for free).
Certain problems, though, to how this isn’t really ‘great� � Susanne has a seriously bad attitude about the whole thing before anything even was learned about the situation (Susanne really didn’t want to have to be forced to go to some middle of nowhere German city to try to help; plus a) Susanne is not at all knowledge about the industry her Uncle’s shop is in (pens/stationary/etc.) and b) does nothing to learn about the industry before arriving in the city).
Right, but let’s move on, mostly because I just shook myself awake to continue typing � not a good position to be in � obviously I’m going to have to wait for night three before I fully polish an actual review (ETA: I said this jokingly, but I fell asleep two paragraphs after this one and then there’s a really long string of �2’s that I’m not sure how to interrupt; in other words, we are now in night 3).
Other point of view character is the quite short (it’s important¬) Anja Lamm (Wolf & Lamb, get it get it? (it is, like, one of the first comments that pop up . . . uh, somewhere in the book)). Lamm has spent the last, oh, . . . darn, I can’t remember. Spent the last ‘really long time� being an employee at Uncle Nobby’s store (I do not recall if that’s actually the guy’s name, but that’s what I read every time his name came up, so that’s the name I stuck on him (which, for all I recall, might actually be his name in the book)). Lamm’s late thirties and really, and I mean really into pens, and stationary, and all that (seriously, she is, to the point she’s super giddy and bouncing around like a ferret on sugar when she learns she gets to go to the Paper . . . um, convention).
As expected, there are other minor characters, though the ‘most important� other characters are Miri (sp?), Anja’s lesbian friend (which I mention because I forgot to mention that Anja is bisexual); ……� (ETA: and here’s where I fell asleep. Um, let’s try to reconstruct this now?).
I’m not sure why I said it was expected. Mmphs. Stupid need to sleep.
Right, so, there are some good minor/side characters in this book � characters that help push the story along. Including Miri, Lamm’s best friend, and Frenzi (seriously I cannot recall the non-identical sister’s name, but it . . . wasn’t that, I think I started with an F though). Oh, and I suppose I should include Uncle Nobby (may or may not be his name) since that’s the person who owns the store to which Wolff went to try to save, and Lamm works at.
Also important is a small cat. Lovely cat. Lovely interaction with cat. Though there were times I was sad when Wolff kept tossing the cat outside and/or not letting the cat inside (it’s not her cat, but a neighbor’s cat � said neighbor just gave birth and the cat and the child are not getting along).
*looks at notes* Right right, there’s a ton of kissing in this book � either a tease or a warning, depending on if you like or care to not involve yourself with graphic depictions of wet germ filled mouths interacting with each other (‘Scientists at Harvard School of Dental Medicine have discovered more than 615 different types of bacteria that can live in the mouth, tongue and throat making it the dirtiest place in the human body.� � what, the sister is a dentist, I figured I could pull up a quote from dentists)
*goes back to looking at notes, realizes other tab is still locked in on germs, flees screaming; goes back to notes* In addition to the many sloppy graphic kissing scenes, there are also many scenes of a graphically sexual nature.
Right. So. I enjoyed the book, but I find that it is the second favorite of the new Ylva books I’ve read. I’ve read two new Ylva books.
Rating: 4.37
August 8 2018
Behind the spoiler tag are my notes I wrote three nights ago after I finished the book.
August 11, 2019
So I have decided that I like Abby Craden's narration of books. I think I will just have to lean on listening to hers going forward for good audio book experiences.
Paper Love is a sweet romance. Susanne begrudgingly travels to Freiburg to. help her uncle's failing business. Anja has worked with Susanne's uncle for years. Their working relationship starts off a bit rocky when Susanne misreads one of Anja's responses as homophobic. Together, they will try to save niche stationary/journal/pen store.
This had everything I like in a good romance. A rocky start. One of the characters being a bit cold and aloof. Being forced to work together. Cute scenarios that push their proximity to one another. Fighting against falling.
Their dialogue was on point. Mature. No contrived miscommunication. Just two women navigating their life challenges together.
I liked the supporting characters as well. Anja had a fun best friend. Susanne had a sister that she would refer to as her wombmate since they were twins. Really cute.
I was a little confused in regards to the Uncle. I could have sworn that he was nudging the two of them toward being together and so was completely surprised when he confronted Susanne in a negative manner later in the book. It felt a bit inconsistent/conflicting to me.
There was some explicit intimate scenes. They were sexy. For the record, I agree with Anja about shower sex being overrated.
Overall, you just can't go wrong with a Jae book.
I recommend this to people who like to read about romance, Germany, superstitions, BMW of pens, crowded trains, and paper boats.
Paper Love is a sweet romance. Susanne begrudgingly travels to Freiburg to. help her uncle's failing business. Anja has worked with Susanne's uncle for years. Their working relationship starts off a bit rocky when Susanne misreads one of Anja's responses as homophobic. Together, they will try to save niche stationary/journal/pen store.
This had everything I like in a good romance. A rocky start. One of the characters being a bit cold and aloof. Being forced to work together. Cute scenarios that push their proximity to one another. Fighting against falling.
Their dialogue was on point. Mature. No contrived miscommunication. Just two women navigating their life challenges together.
I liked the supporting characters as well. Anja had a fun best friend. Susanne had a sister that she would refer to as her wombmate since they were twins. Really cute.
I was a little confused in regards to the Uncle. I could have sworn that he was nudging the two of them toward being together and so was completely surprised when he confronted Susanne in a negative manner later in the book. It felt a bit inconsistent/conflicting to me.
There was some explicit intimate scenes. They were sexy. For the record, I agree with Anja about shower sex being overrated.
Overall, you just can't go wrong with a Jae book.
I recommend this to people who like to read about romance, Germany, superstitions, BMW of pens, crowded trains, and paper boats.
September 26, 2018
This book is in my recommended books of the month
This is a slow-burn romance between Susanne Wolff, a business consultant, and her uncle's stationary shop employee Anja Lamm. When Susanne is urged to try to save 'Paper love', a small shop located in Freiburg, her relationship with Anja gets off to a rocky start. Can they learn to trust each other to keep away 'Paper love' from bankruptcy? Will their budding friendship develop into something more?
This love story has the unexpected setting in a stationary store within the also unexpectedly beautiful background of Jae's home city of Freiburg (Germany). I have to admit that I knew nothing about this place so I googled it and discovered a hidden gem. You should do it too. Kudos to the author to put this incredibly charming city on the lesfic map. Her depiction of Freiburg in the narrative is evocative and flows naturally like the water in the city's typical small canals known locally as Bächle. It's a refreshing change from the usual lesfic scenery.
There are apparent contraditions in this novel. Susanne Wolff (German for wolf) embodies the succesful city executive focused on her career while Anja Lamm (lamb) is idealist, laidback and provincial. Digital and paper worlds war against each other as the two women try to find a way to rescue 'Paper love' from commercial disaster. Eventually they find that their common ground doesn't need to disregard one but to complement each other. Slowly, as their relationship progresses, Anja discovers the importance of business planning and online marketing while Susanne (and most of us readers) discovers the sexy side of stationary. There are no big dramas or angst, the story flows with the simplicity of two very different people getting to know each other and fueling their attraction in that contrast. Even the characters' sexuality is diverse, as one is a lesbian and the other bisexual. In that regard, Jae gives a good insight on biophia and prejudices against bisexuals without forcing the issue to the reader.
The secondary characters are well rounded, specially Susanne's 'womb mate', Anja's best friend and Muesli, a cute little kitten. Jae as always delivers a well written, entertaining and original story.
Overall, a feel good slow-burn romance set in a charming city. 4.5 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
This is a slow-burn romance between Susanne Wolff, a business consultant, and her uncle's stationary shop employee Anja Lamm. When Susanne is urged to try to save 'Paper love', a small shop located in Freiburg, her relationship with Anja gets off to a rocky start. Can they learn to trust each other to keep away 'Paper love' from bankruptcy? Will their budding friendship develop into something more?
This love story has the unexpected setting in a stationary store within the also unexpectedly beautiful background of Jae's home city of Freiburg (Germany). I have to admit that I knew nothing about this place so I googled it and discovered a hidden gem. You should do it too. Kudos to the author to put this incredibly charming city on the lesfic map. Her depiction of Freiburg in the narrative is evocative and flows naturally like the water in the city's typical small canals known locally as Bächle. It's a refreshing change from the usual lesfic scenery.
There are apparent contraditions in this novel. Susanne Wolff (German for wolf) embodies the succesful city executive focused on her career while Anja Lamm (lamb) is idealist, laidback and provincial. Digital and paper worlds war against each other as the two women try to find a way to rescue 'Paper love' from commercial disaster. Eventually they find that their common ground doesn't need to disregard one but to complement each other. Slowly, as their relationship progresses, Anja discovers the importance of business planning and online marketing while Susanne (and most of us readers) discovers the sexy side of stationary. There are no big dramas or angst, the story flows with the simplicity of two very different people getting to know each other and fueling their attraction in that contrast. Even the characters' sexuality is diverse, as one is a lesbian and the other bisexual. In that regard, Jae gives a good insight on biophia and prejudices against bisexuals without forcing the issue to the reader.
The secondary characters are well rounded, specially Susanne's 'womb mate', Anja's best friend and Muesli, a cute little kitten. Jae as always delivers a well written, entertaining and original story.
Overall, a feel good slow-burn romance set in a charming city. 4.5 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
November 16, 2019
*sigh* I need to plan a trip to Freiburg now.
Jae's love for her town really shows in this book. She did such a good job painting a picture of its people, food and customs that I didn't really care all that much about the relationship between Anja and Susanne anymore.
Granted a large part of the reason for that was because this is not just a slow burn, it's slower than a sloth on Ambien. What kept the book interesting however were some of its secondary characters. Franzi and Miri in particular were a breath of fresh air and provided small moments of levity between bouts of "OMG the shop is doomed".
I'm trying to think of anything else that really stood out in this novel but other than its stunning location and the wonderful secondary characters all I can think of is.. there's a cat called Muesli.
I wouldn't call the book uneventful because Anja and Susanne have their hands full trying to save the shop but everything that happens is fairly predictable. They both tackle the shop's problems with an efficiency that's almost... German! Ok Jae, I see what did there :)
Oh and if you haven't already read this, good luck with the 101 German words and phrases you will encounter in this book.
Overall rating for this one is a 3,5*.
Jae's love for her town really shows in this book. She did such a good job painting a picture of its people, food and customs that I didn't really care all that much about the relationship between Anja and Susanne anymore.
Granted a large part of the reason for that was because this is not just a slow burn, it's slower than a sloth on Ambien. What kept the book interesting however were some of its secondary characters. Franzi and Miri in particular were a breath of fresh air and provided small moments of levity between bouts of "OMG the shop is doomed".
I'm trying to think of anything else that really stood out in this novel but other than its stunning location and the wonderful secondary characters all I can think of is.. there's a cat called Muesli.
I wouldn't call the book uneventful because Anja and Susanne have their hands full trying to save the shop but everything that happens is fairly predictable. They both tackle the shop's problems with an efficiency that's almost... German! Ok Jae, I see what did there :)
Oh and if you haven't already read this, good luck with the 101 German words and phrases you will encounter in this book.
Overall rating for this one is a 3,5*.
January 18, 2019
“Paper Love� is a wonderful, feel-good story of two thirty-somethings finding unexpected love.
Fresh off quitting her job as a business restructuring consultant, 38yo MC Susanne is pressed by her mother into helping an uncle with his failing stationary store: Paper Love. She storms in rather imperiously, determined to do what ever is necessary, including firing long-term employee, the cute 36yo Anja, or even shutting the store down. After all, who uses 2,000� fountain pens and fancy paper in the modern smartphone world?
Actually, Susanne storms into the store with wet boots, having accidentally stepped in a Bächle. Susanne certainly doesn’t want to hear about the local belief that she is now destined to marry a local Freiburger!
As our MCs begin working together, their back and forth between balancing the personal touch and the bottom line is delightful! Narrator Abby Craden is absolutely terrific for all the voices, including that of the cat, Muesli!
While there is insta-attraction between our MCs, there is also insta-dislike. Their path is a fun slow build romance, and both fight their growing attraction for much of the book. Susanne is determined to spend no more than six weeks in Freiburg, and has no interest in a long-distance relationship. Anja loves Freiburg, and has no desire to have a short-term fling and a broken heart.
At the 64% mark, they finally kiss, and Anja decides to tell her live-life-as-an-adventure best friend, Mary:
Hahahahaha!!!
On their first night of almost having sex, Anja asks to postpone things because it’s the last day of her period. What a rare moment of realism in lesfic! Cuddles abound for the night!
Many elements of “Paper Love� reminded me of Georgia Beers� “Blend�, where two women are forced to work together at a family-owned winery, and argue over tradition and modernity.
The MCs were very likable, their family members and friends were fun, the cat was great, and the book cover was absolutely fantastic!! I will certainly re-listen to this book! 5*
Fresh off quitting her job as a business restructuring consultant, 38yo MC Susanne is pressed by her mother into helping an uncle with his failing stationary store: Paper Love. She storms in rather imperiously, determined to do what ever is necessary, including firing long-term employee, the cute 36yo Anja, or even shutting the store down. After all, who uses 2,000� fountain pens and fancy paper in the modern smartphone world?
Actually, Susanne storms into the store with wet boots, having accidentally stepped in a Bächle. Susanne certainly doesn’t want to hear about the local belief that she is now destined to marry a local Freiburger!
As our MCs begin working together, their back and forth between balancing the personal touch and the bottom line is delightful! Narrator Abby Craden is absolutely terrific for all the voices, including that of the cat, Muesli!
While there is insta-attraction between our MCs, there is also insta-dislike. Their path is a fun slow build romance, and both fight their growing attraction for much of the book. Susanne is determined to spend no more than six weeks in Freiburg, and has no interest in a long-distance relationship. Anja loves Freiburg, and has no desire to have a short-term fling and a broken heart.
At the 64% mark, they finally kiss, and Anja decides to tell her live-life-as-an-adventure best friend, Mary:
“I kissed her. I kissed Susanna.�
She expected Mary to stumble to a halt and stare at her, but her friend waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, that’s nothing. I slept with her sister.�
Now Anja was the one stumbling to a halt and staring."
Hahahahaha!!!
On their first night of almost having sex, Anja asks to postpone things because it’s the last day of her period. What a rare moment of realism in lesfic! Cuddles abound for the night!
Many elements of “Paper Love� reminded me of Georgia Beers� “Blend�, where two women are forced to work together at a family-owned winery, and argue over tradition and modernity.
The MCs were very likable, their family members and friends were fun, the cat was great, and the book cover was absolutely fantastic!! I will certainly re-listen to this book! 5*
May 16, 2022
This is my 28th book by Jae. I've not been too much of a fan of her '18 releases though. Her first was a fake dating rom, which never really works for me. This one is an Ice Queen as well as a transitory MC. I know that Ice Queen's are loved by many folks out there. Although I'm not sure why, as they're usually not pleasant to be around, but it is what it is. They're popular. Just not by this reader. Couple that with the transitory plot device and it really gives me the 'whatevers' when the rom arc starts to hit. I have very little to no buy in to the MC's happiness by that time. So, again, not necessarily the authors fault, it's just that those plot devices don't work for me.
Considering that the transitory arc, ie, the MC is destined to leave in xyz days/weeks/months/whatever is present for the majority of the book, it tends to draw out way too long. I was really tired of all the, I can't/won't/shouldn't push pull. It seriously gets tedious.
What did work for me however was the secondary character of being in the author's backyard in Germany. The locale was done very very well, the vernacular (with what of it you can do in English) as well as the nuance of a location that you can very easily tell the author knows a lot about. And it definitely showed.
I loved Anja as an MC. I thought she was great all around. Somewhat adorkable yet pretty danged grounded. Definitely someone I could hang out with. Really liked her character.
Susanne? Meh.
Susanne's sister Franzi and Anja's friend Miri were great secondaries and could have used their own story. Unfortunately I think I would have liked their story better TBH.
FWIW I did enjoy the last 25% of the book though.
Considering that the transitory arc, ie, the MC is destined to leave in xyz days/weeks/months/whatever is present for the majority of the book, it tends to draw out way too long. I was really tired of all the, I can't/won't/shouldn't push pull. It seriously gets tedious.
What did work for me however was the secondary character of being in the author's backyard in Germany. The locale was done very very well, the vernacular (with what of it you can do in English) as well as the nuance of a location that you can very easily tell the author knows a lot about. And it definitely showed.
I loved Anja as an MC. I thought she was great all around. Somewhat adorkable yet pretty danged grounded. Definitely someone I could hang out with. Really liked her character.
Susanne? Meh.
Susanne's sister Franzi and Anja's friend Miri were great secondaries and could have used their own story. Unfortunately I think I would have liked their story better TBH.
FWIW I did enjoy the last 25% of the book though.
August 7, 2018
Highly-driven business consultant, Susanne Wolff, walks out of her job she realizes the bigotry isn’t going to change. Fortunately, her mother has a job for her and not one she’s thrilled with. Her uncle Norbert’s stationery shop, Paper Love, is failing in the face of new technology and her mother thinks Susanne’s business skills could turn it around. The challenge of turning around the business looks less complicated than dealing with her uncle’s assistant, Anja Lamm, who seems to be entrenched in Paper Love both professionally and personally.
This is a really gentle, slow-burn romance with adults behaving like adults. It’s a lot shorter than most of Jae’s novels and also a lot less complicated. It’s nice to read a story set in a more unusual location (Germany) and the author’s love of Freiburg, her home town, shines through. The characters are deeper than their names suggest although I did have a giggle at the Wolff and the Lamm. There are also great secondary characters in Franzi, Susanne’s twin and Miri, Anja’s best friend.
And then there’s the stationery. You know, collecting stationery and using stationery are two completely different hobbies and I do both, much to my wife’s consternation. This was a really easy book to like; romance and stationery.
Book received from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
This is a really gentle, slow-burn romance with adults behaving like adults. It’s a lot shorter than most of Jae’s novels and also a lot less complicated. It’s nice to read a story set in a more unusual location (Germany) and the author’s love of Freiburg, her home town, shines through. The characters are deeper than their names suggest although I did have a giggle at the Wolff and the Lamm. There are also great secondary characters in Franzi, Susanne’s twin and Miri, Anja’s best friend.
And then there’s the stationery. You know, collecting stationery and using stationery are two completely different hobbies and I do both, much to my wife’s consternation. This was a really easy book to like; romance and stationery.
Book received from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
February 24, 2019
Let me start by saying I’m a big fan of Jae.
Unfortunately I didn’t feel that this is her work! I was so bored throughout the book, didn’t feel any chemistry between the characters or the supporting characters. The ending was so predictable and rushed. From a business standpoint since this is a big part of the story, it was very poorly researched and executed! Issue: You have a suffering business? Solution: create an online store! Seriously ?
Unfortunately I didn’t feel that this is her work! I was so bored throughout the book, didn’t feel any chemistry between the characters or the supporting characters. The ending was so predictable and rushed. From a business standpoint since this is a big part of the story, it was very poorly researched and executed! Issue: You have a suffering business? Solution: create an online store! Seriously ?
June 12, 2019
Stands up in Cherry Poppin' Anonymous. Hello, my name is Farah and I finally lost my audiobook cherry to Jae's Paper Love, narrated by Abby Craden at the age of 42. Why I chose it as my first was because she narrated Ask, Tell by EJ Noyes so I had to familiarize myself with her voice before listening to it. Ms.Craden was an excellent Susanne and Muesli the cat. I wonder if there's any animals in Ask,Tell.
It was challenging to find the perfect device to listen to the story. I used the headphones first but 2O minutes later - snores, ear buds - less than 2O minutes - snores. Bluetooth speaker - snores and a bit of drool ...
F this! I ended up sticking with the phone speaker and
やっ� - yatta! - I did it!
I can't help myself from associating Paper Love to The Shop Around The Corner (You've Got Mail, Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks) especially when Shopgirl reaches out to NY152 on how to save her gorgeous bookshop. Huge congratulations to Jae for the stationary shop setting. As a parent, the stationary shop is like a second home and I'm thankful that the one we are one foot away from moving in, opens at 7am and closes at 11pm.. Perfect for the "Ohh I just remembered that I need......... for school"
So Paper Love is a workplace - small town - hate to love romance. I should be extremely happy, as it has most of my favorite trope but due to some big misses, it ends up being just an okay read. Anja and Susanne are in their 3Os, successful in their careers, nice enough ladies but compared to most of the het/gay YA leads that I've spent time with, the YAs are much more confident when it comes to affairs of the heart. Anja always want to play it safe while Susanne suffers from daddy issue so the push - pull element is quite frustrating and boring.
On the business side, it's quite interesting as two different minds battling to prove their ways/ideas are better while fighting off whatever feelings they have for one another and Jae scores another big point by not turning the shop into an instant success after Susanne and Anja finally get on the same page.
Jae also makes me think hard when she writes this scene. Anja comes over for a Valentine's dinner date at Susanne's. Susanne asks her to keep an eye on the lasagna in the oven while she takes a shower. So I'm thinking, if I am in Anja's apron.. Will I take the risk of eating medium rare / burnt vegan lasagna or join Susanne in the shower.
Lasagna - NAKED GF in the shower.... Decision, decision, 🤔
If you have Scribd, then do have fun with the audiobook but to spend USD9.99 (unless you're a hardcore Jae fan) it's better to invest your money on other books.
BTW, I like Anja more because she hates black forest cake and she calls Susanne, Young Padawan once. Thank you Tere, for the audiobook listening tips.
Attention dear shoppers - Ask,Tell( audiobook ) by E.J. Noyes, narrated by Abby Craden is now available on Scribd.
It was challenging to find the perfect device to listen to the story. I used the headphones first but 2O minutes later - snores, ear buds - less than 2O minutes - snores. Bluetooth speaker - snores and a bit of drool ...
F this! I ended up sticking with the phone speaker and
やっ� - yatta! - I did it!
I can't help myself from associating Paper Love to The Shop Around The Corner (You've Got Mail, Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks) especially when Shopgirl reaches out to NY152 on how to save her gorgeous bookshop. Huge congratulations to Jae for the stationary shop setting. As a parent, the stationary shop is like a second home and I'm thankful that the one we are one foot away from moving in, opens at 7am and closes at 11pm.. Perfect for the "Ohh I just remembered that I need......... for school"
So Paper Love is a workplace - small town - hate to love romance. I should be extremely happy, as it has most of my favorite trope but due to some big misses, it ends up being just an okay read. Anja and Susanne are in their 3Os, successful in their careers, nice enough ladies but compared to most of the het/gay YA leads that I've spent time with, the YAs are much more confident when it comes to affairs of the heart. Anja always want to play it safe while Susanne suffers from daddy issue so the push - pull element is quite frustrating and boring.
On the business side, it's quite interesting as two different minds battling to prove their ways/ideas are better while fighting off whatever feelings they have for one another and Jae scores another big point by not turning the shop into an instant success after Susanne and Anja finally get on the same page.
Jae also makes me think hard when she writes this scene. Anja comes over for a Valentine's dinner date at Susanne's. Susanne asks her to keep an eye on the lasagna in the oven while she takes a shower. So I'm thinking, if I am in Anja's apron.. Will I take the risk of eating medium rare / burnt vegan lasagna or join Susanne in the shower.
Lasagna - NAKED GF in the shower.... Decision, decision, 🤔
If you have Scribd, then do have fun with the audiobook but to spend USD9.99 (unless you're a hardcore Jae fan) it's better to invest your money on other books.
BTW, I like Anja more because she hates black forest cake and she calls Susanne, Young Padawan once. Thank you Tere, for the audiobook listening tips.
Attention dear shoppers - Ask,Tell( audiobook ) by E.J. Noyes, narrated by Abby Craden is now available on Scribd.
August 11, 2018
I am a huge fan of Jae’s work, she is an author that I will read automatically without even looking at the synopsis of the book. Her work is always good. As I have said over and over again she is an author you can count on to deliver you a quality read time every single time. Paper Lover, her latest novel is a good book, not my favorite of Jae's work but I did enjoy my time with it.
Susanne Wolff is an all work no play kind of lady. She grinds away for a boss that treats her less than because she is a woman while giving her male co-workers the better assignments. this business consultant goes in and tells companies on the brink of collapse what they can do to turn their business around to profitable. When we first meet Susanne, she has just quit her job. She could not take the blatant sexist treatment anymore. Her mother, tells her she can use her skills now to help her Uncle Norbert save his small stationary store in Freiburg. And off she goes on another assignment that she does not want and that seems hopeless, but her family loyalty propels her to try nonetheless for a total of twelve weeks then she is coming back to Berlin.
Anja Lamm is Uncle Norbert's right hand at the store, Paper Love. She loves stationary and pens. She loves her job. She is an adorable character that is a bit geeky and totally loveable.
You can basically guess how the plot is going to go. Businesswomen meets shop assistant, they get off on the wrong foot, become friends, friends turns to more even though businesswoman must head back to the big city in a set amount of days. There is nothing wrong with that, it’s a good story. You have well thought out characters in a beautiful setting with a solid beginning, middle, and end. To me, this one did not have Jae's special touch. There is nothing that sets this book apart from a dozen others that have the exact same plot. This is a light sweet romance, one I am glad I read, but not one that will leave a lasting impression. My rating is 3.75 stars.
Susanne Wolff is an all work no play kind of lady. She grinds away for a boss that treats her less than because she is a woman while giving her male co-workers the better assignments. this business consultant goes in and tells companies on the brink of collapse what they can do to turn their business around to profitable. When we first meet Susanne, she has just quit her job. She could not take the blatant sexist treatment anymore. Her mother, tells her she can use her skills now to help her Uncle Norbert save his small stationary store in Freiburg. And off she goes on another assignment that she does not want and that seems hopeless, but her family loyalty propels her to try nonetheless for a total of twelve weeks then she is coming back to Berlin.
Anja Lamm is Uncle Norbert's right hand at the store, Paper Love. She loves stationary and pens. She loves her job. She is an adorable character that is a bit geeky and totally loveable.
You can basically guess how the plot is going to go. Businesswomen meets shop assistant, they get off on the wrong foot, become friends, friends turns to more even though businesswoman must head back to the big city in a set amount of days. There is nothing wrong with that, it’s a good story. You have well thought out characters in a beautiful setting with a solid beginning, middle, and end. To me, this one did not have Jae's special touch. There is nothing that sets this book apart from a dozen others that have the exact same plot. This is a light sweet romance, one I am glad I read, but not one that will leave a lasting impression. My rating is 3.75 stars.
February 11, 2019
3.5 Stars.
As I've come to expect, Jae has put out another well written book. I loved the setting, because I love Paper & Pens. At the iconic Pasadena, CA bookstore Vroman's, they had a separate Stationary and Pen store next door to the main bookstore (largest in So. Cal). I pictured Paper Love to look like Vroman's store - in the center were dark wood and glass cases filled with pens and fountain pens - sorta like jewelry cases. Around the rest of the store was various stationary and other gift items. (I still use my favorite coffee cup from them that has a beautiful calligraphic initial L on it). At one time I did a lot of calligraphy, however I'm out of practice. But I still love a nice pen. I read that Vroman's closed the Pen store and incorporated within the bookstore. I looked at their online store and they are selling a Mont Blanc pen for the bargain price of $3,900! After reading this book, I went to amazon and bought a top rated fountain pen for under $50.
As to the romance, Samantha Wolff is sent to Freiburg by her mother, to help save her Uncle Nobby's store, Paper Love. Samantha just quit her job as a business consultant who would revamp businesses. (or something like that). Anja Lamm, was Nobby's only full time employee who worked there for many years. Anja loved the store and was an expert on all things pens and stationary. They of course didn't hit it off right away as Anja was old school pens and paper and Samantha was all digital.
The good - all things pens and paper talk, Muesli the cat, the relationship between Samantha and her twin sister Franzi, both MCs were likable, learning about Freiburg, Germany and just having it centered outside of an English speaking country (ie. US, Britain etc.) was a plus.
The Bad - nothing really. Just that it was a predictable, enemies to lovers romance. I didn't dislike it, but I thought it dragged a bit in some parts. So I ended up stopping and starting. I did find it unbelievable that they didn't at least have a single page website with the address and phone number for people to find the store. A minor quibble.
As I've come to expect, Jae has put out another well written book. I loved the setting, because I love Paper & Pens. At the iconic Pasadena, CA bookstore Vroman's, they had a separate Stationary and Pen store next door to the main bookstore (largest in So. Cal). I pictured Paper Love to look like Vroman's store - in the center were dark wood and glass cases filled with pens and fountain pens - sorta like jewelry cases. Around the rest of the store was various stationary and other gift items. (I still use my favorite coffee cup from them that has a beautiful calligraphic initial L on it). At one time I did a lot of calligraphy, however I'm out of practice. But I still love a nice pen. I read that Vroman's closed the Pen store and incorporated within the bookstore. I looked at their online store and they are selling a Mont Blanc pen for the bargain price of $3,900! After reading this book, I went to amazon and bought a top rated fountain pen for under $50.
As to the romance, Samantha Wolff is sent to Freiburg by her mother, to help save her Uncle Nobby's store, Paper Love. Samantha just quit her job as a business consultant who would revamp businesses. (or something like that). Anja Lamm, was Nobby's only full time employee who worked there for many years. Anja loved the store and was an expert on all things pens and stationary. They of course didn't hit it off right away as Anja was old school pens and paper and Samantha was all digital.
The good - all things pens and paper talk, Muesli the cat, the relationship between Samantha and her twin sister Franzi, both MCs were likable, learning about Freiburg, Germany and just having it centered outside of an English speaking country (ie. US, Britain etc.) was a plus.
The Bad - nothing really. Just that it was a predictable, enemies to lovers romance. I didn't dislike it, but I thought it dragged a bit in some parts. So I ended up stopping and starting. I did find it unbelievable that they didn't at least have a single page website with the address and phone number for people to find the store. A minor quibble.
April 3, 2019
Susanne normally advises large international companies but when she quits her job in frustration her mother sees an opportunity. She sends her to Freiburg to save her uncle's struggling stationery business.
In Freiburg she immediately butts heads with Anja, her uncle's one full time employee and resident expert on fountain pens.
Paper Love is a sweet, charming love story about two women who on the surface are very different. But it's more than just a love story. Freiburg is a character in this book and so are the fountain pens.
It's one of those books that make you want to visit the location and dare I say it, buy a pen.
In Freiburg she immediately butts heads with Anja, her uncle's one full time employee and resident expert on fountain pens.
Paper Love is a sweet, charming love story about two women who on the surface are very different. But it's more than just a love story. Freiburg is a character in this book and so are the fountain pens.
It's one of those books that make you want to visit the location and dare I say it, buy a pen.
December 20, 2023
I enjoyed this story, though parts of it were a struggle. The setting shines (though I had to look up to picture a Bächle) and the characters and their relationships were intriguing. I liked Anja, in particular, but Susanne grew on me, too. Plus, it was fun that their last names were German for "Wolf and Lamb" and on the surface you'd almost have to say they fit.
That said, while the personalities of the characters were awesome, their motivations annoyed me. I enjoyed their initial misread of each other that had them at odds. And I like that they both learned relatively quickly that the other had more depth than they had supposed. Once past that, though, there's really only one conflict for the rest of the story and it just got old. Also, it was a really glaring negative motivation* so the plot had to counter that huge inertia as well. I can't tell you how tired I got of hearing how Susanne planned on moving back home to Berlin in a couple months and-then weeks.
Fortunately, Jae is storyteller enough that I didn't have a difficult time staying engaged. Some of that is the vibrant side characters (including a side romance with Susanne's twin and Anja's best friend). And some of that is getting to know Freiburg (though I'm not sure the store at the heart of the plot actually works, economically-speaking). And some of that was just how well these two characters fit each other.
So this is a strong four-star read that could have been higher with motivations that weren't a constant drag on the plot. So this is another great read from the author and I'll definitely be looking for more.
A note about language: I don't know Jae's background, but her English is natural and idiomatically solid. She's also obviously very familiar with the language and culture and people of her home (she almost certainly lives in Freiburg based on her GR bio). But some of the things the characters say sounded very English and I couldn't think of analogs in German. I mean, I haven't lived there in ~28 years, so I'm not going to say she messed anything up. Just that I couldn't think of equivalent German for some of the idiomatic expressions . The only example that stands out was when Susanne's sister tells her "TMI". Is there a German equivalent of that that's used to shut down too-explicit descriptions of love/sex/whatever?
A note about Audiobook: Related to the above, the narrator was very good with the German words and seemed to have a natural accent when reading them. There isn't a lot of German in the story, but enough that it was clear that Abby Craden was either very careful or personally knowledgeable.
A note about Steamy: There's a single explicit sex scene and some play and discussions that might add up to another. So this is the low side of my steam tolerance and I actually liked how well-integrated the intimacy was with the characters and their personalities. I particularly liked the non-sex sleep-over and how that played out with where they were as a couple. Very well-done, I think.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. a bit back (or, if that link doesn't work, ) and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
That said, while the personalities of the characters were awesome, their motivations annoyed me. I enjoyed their initial misread of each other that had them at odds. And I like that they both learned relatively quickly that the other had more depth than they had supposed. Once past that, though, there's really only one conflict for the rest of the story and it just got old. Also, it was a really glaring negative motivation* so the plot had to counter that huge inertia as well. I can't tell you how tired I got of hearing how Susanne planned on moving back home to Berlin in a couple months and-then weeks.
Fortunately, Jae is storyteller enough that I didn't have a difficult time staying engaged. Some of that is the vibrant side characters (including a side romance with Susanne's twin and Anja's best friend). And some of that is getting to know Freiburg (though I'm not sure the store at the heart of the plot actually works, economically-speaking). And some of that was just how well these two characters fit each other.
So this is a strong four-star read that could have been higher with motivations that weren't a constant drag on the plot. So this is another great read from the author and I'll definitely be looking for more.
A note about language: I don't know Jae's background, but her English is natural and idiomatically solid. She's also obviously very familiar with the language and culture and people of her home (she almost certainly lives in Freiburg based on her GR bio). But some of the things the characters say sounded very English and I couldn't think of analogs in German. I mean, I haven't lived there in ~28 years, so I'm not going to say she messed anything up. Just that I couldn't think of equivalent German for some of the idiomatic expressions . The only example that stands out was when Susanne's sister tells her "TMI". Is there a German equivalent of that that's used to shut down too-explicit descriptions of love/sex/whatever?
A note about Audiobook: Related to the above, the narrator was very good with the German words and seemed to have a natural accent when reading them. There isn't a lot of German in the story, but enough that it was clear that Abby Craden was either very careful or personally knowledgeable.
A note about Steamy: There's a single explicit sex scene and some play and discussions that might add up to another. So this is the low side of my steam tolerance and I actually liked how well-integrated the intimacy was with the characters and their personalities. I particularly liked the non-sex sleep-over and how that played out with where they were as a couple. Very well-done, I think.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. a bit back (or, if that link doesn't work, ) and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
February 25, 2019
ARC received from YLVA in return for an honest review.
I’m a big Jae fan, she writes well, her characters interact and get to know each other, and her setttings are interesting. That said, this isn’t my favourite of hers.
The story is set in Germany, where Anja works at a stationery store owned by Suzanne’s uncle Nobby.. It’s not doing well so Suzanne comes to help out. Anja is lovely, sweet, and kind, but Suzanne is standoffish, and cold. For the first 1/4 of the book she insists that she and Anja refer to each other as ‘Frau�. Seriously, I don’t know any grown ups that refer to each other as Mr/Mrs/Miss in a work environment. It was weird and off putting. Thankfully Suzanne thaws a bit by the half way point and is much easier to take in the second half of the book.
The two leads spend pretty much the entire book together, so there’s no ‘wham bam� here. There’s also no real drama. And you’ll learn a lot about stationery too. Everything is sweet and light. It’s a nice romance, with no real angst and I enjoyed that, but it also dragged a bit, especially the first half. As I said, not my favourite of Jae’s, but even her average books are worth a read. 3 stars.
I’m a big Jae fan, she writes well, her characters interact and get to know each other, and her setttings are interesting. That said, this isn’t my favourite of hers.
The story is set in Germany, where Anja works at a stationery store owned by Suzanne’s uncle Nobby.. It’s not doing well so Suzanne comes to help out. Anja is lovely, sweet, and kind, but Suzanne is standoffish, and cold. For the first 1/4 of the book she insists that she and Anja refer to each other as ‘Frau�. Seriously, I don’t know any grown ups that refer to each other as Mr/Mrs/Miss in a work environment. It was weird and off putting. Thankfully Suzanne thaws a bit by the half way point and is much easier to take in the second half of the book.
The two leads spend pretty much the entire book together, so there’s no ‘wham bam� here. There’s also no real drama. And you’ll learn a lot about stationery too. Everything is sweet and light. It’s a nice romance, with no real angst and I enjoyed that, but it also dragged a bit, especially the first half. As I said, not my favourite of Jae’s, but even her average books are worth a read. 3 stars.
June 1, 2020
Big fan of Jae, seriously I am - cross my heart and hope to die (ok, maybe not die 🙂). I’ve loved and really really liked what I’ve read so far by Jae.. But Paper Love was a miss...for me at least. It was a little mundane, a little boring, angst-free ride. The bright side is Freiburg (now added in my bucket list) and the witty dialogues/banter from the supporting characters, Miri & Franzi.
November 5, 2018
I usually love books by Jae but I have to be honest and say that the reason I have waited so long to review this book is that I just didn't connect with it. I don't normally take so long to read this authors book but this time I had to put the book down a few times and read other books before I could get back into it.
I felt that the first half of this book was a bit too slow paced and I didn't connect with the characters. The second half of the book is much better but by then I had lost interest and only finished the book to find out the end.
I felt that the first half of this book was a bit too slow paced and I didn't connect with the characters. The second half of the book is much better but by then I had lost interest and only finished the book to find out the end.
September 22, 2018
ARC received from YLVA for a fair review.
I've read almost all full-length novels by Jae with one or two exceptions. I generally like her work a lot, but I couldn't finish this book. The characters are extremely formulaic and bland, and the setting doesn't interest me. So I leave this with two stars. There wasn't anything that bad here to warrant a single star rating, but there's nothing good about this read either. Definitely not for me.
I've read almost all full-length novels by Jae with one or two exceptions. I generally like her work a lot, but I couldn't finish this book. The characters are extremely formulaic and bland, and the setting doesn't interest me. So I leave this with two stars. There wasn't anything that bad here to warrant a single star rating, but there's nothing good about this read either. Definitely not for me.
August 15, 2018
A slow burn romance, where a digital aficionado business consultant, Susanne Wolff, meets the stationery geek Anja Lamm. After walking out of her last job in Berlin, where she lives, Susanne's mother urges her to help her uncle Norbert to save his stationery shop in Freiburg. Only reluctantly she agrees. There she has to work with the employee Anja, and their start was everything then promising. Ice queen meets passionate stationery lover. I had to smile over the choosing of the names Wolff (in English wolf) and Lamm (English lamb). Will this story be about the big bad wolf and the helpless lamb?
The story is a well written and enjoyable slow-burning romance. Susanne and Anja are real women, which also behave like adults. The dialogues are mature and good with no miscommunication and the romance is sweet. The secondary characters, especially Susanne's twin sister and womb mate Franzi and Anja's best friend Miri, are completing the narrative very well. And there is Müesli, the kitten, a heartwarming cuddler. The story itself isn't that complex than others from this author, but it is an enjoyable sweet read.
The setting is located in the southern part of Germany, and for me, it's nice to have a story playing in an area I know a little bit. It's only about 3 hours away from where I live. You can feel the love Jae feels for her hometown. The writing is as usual by this author exceptional.
Highly recommended to the slow romance fans.
My rating 4 stars.
Thanks to Ylva for receiving an ARC for an honest review.
The story is a well written and enjoyable slow-burning romance. Susanne and Anja are real women, which also behave like adults. The dialogues are mature and good with no miscommunication and the romance is sweet. The secondary characters, especially Susanne's twin sister and womb mate Franzi and Anja's best friend Miri, are completing the narrative very well. And there is Müesli, the kitten, a heartwarming cuddler. The story itself isn't that complex than others from this author, but it is an enjoyable sweet read.
The setting is located in the southern part of Germany, and for me, it's nice to have a story playing in an area I know a little bit. It's only about 3 hours away from where I live. You can feel the love Jae feels for her hometown. The writing is as usual by this author exceptional.
Highly recommended to the slow romance fans.
My rating 4 stars.
Thanks to Ylva for receiving an ARC for an honest review.
February 19, 2022
An excellent read!
Being a writing materials geek, I really liked the atmosphere inside Paper Love. I could very well imagine all the lovely items. I loved the dynamic, their uncertainty, the inner struggle and the humor. The writing is easy to read and the main characters are vulnerable and very likeable. An excellent sweet romance between a digital snob and a stationery geek. Highly recommend.
Being a writing materials geek, I really liked the atmosphere inside Paper Love. I could very well imagine all the lovely items. I loved the dynamic, their uncertainty, the inner struggle and the humor. The writing is easy to read and the main characters are vulnerable and very likeable. An excellent sweet romance between a digital snob and a stationery geek. Highly recommend.
January 7, 2024
4 stars
Well, I lived in Germany (albeit not Freiburg) for years and I do love good quality fountain pens and stationery, so the book gets points from the get go just for that.
The story itself was decent too and I quite liked all the characters, so this was an enjoyable experience.
Well, I lived in Germany (albeit not Freiburg) for years and I do love good quality fountain pens and stationery, so the book gets points from the get go just for that.
The story itself was decent too and I quite liked all the characters, so this was an enjoyable experience.
May 20, 2019
The story was good, but the town of Freiburg and the stationary/pen store Paper Love stole the show. The mains started as enemies turned into friends/girlfriends. Once on friendly territory, there was nice caring and tenderness. Found the secondary characters to be more endearing than the mains tough. The cat was terrific and just as nervy as any cat should be!
Listened to this one, narrated by Abby Craden, can’t go wrong.
The cover is fantastic!
Rounded up to 4 stars.
Listened to this one, narrated by Abby Craden, can’t go wrong.
The cover is fantastic!
Rounded up to 4 stars.
October 13, 2018
As a stationary enthusiast, I knew this book was right up my street.
Anja works for her boss and friend at a local stationary shop in Freiburg. Unfortunately, she isn’t aware the shop is failing and only finds out the truth when her boss� niece, Susanne arrives to make some very tough decisions about the shop. Anja is instantly attracted to Susanne but isn’t so crazy about how she views the community of Freiburg, as well as the shop itself.
They battle with feelings but the spark is there and they’d be silly to not see what could happen� But Susanne will go back to Berlin and her life soon so is there any point?
The story was solid and I like the idea of them saving this little shop that was always meant to succeed. I really enjoyed Anja's character and think she was really something special with her naïve ways and bubbly appearance. And when she is with Susanne, the chemistry between them is definitely there.
This is probably not my favourite book of Jae’s and I found I just didn’t connect with the characters like I normally do in Jae’s novels. In saying that, it did still have some beautiful moments and had all the little Jae touches that make it special.
I would however been keen for Jae to write a follow up story on Miriam and Franzi. They were both major highlights for me and their relationship seemed fun and at times, I wished we had more depth into them as characters.
All in all, a nice sweet romance from Jae
3.5 stars
Anja works for her boss and friend at a local stationary shop in Freiburg. Unfortunately, she isn’t aware the shop is failing and only finds out the truth when her boss� niece, Susanne arrives to make some very tough decisions about the shop. Anja is instantly attracted to Susanne but isn’t so crazy about how she views the community of Freiburg, as well as the shop itself.
They battle with feelings but the spark is there and they’d be silly to not see what could happen� But Susanne will go back to Berlin and her life soon so is there any point?
The story was solid and I like the idea of them saving this little shop that was always meant to succeed. I really enjoyed Anja's character and think she was really something special with her naïve ways and bubbly appearance. And when she is with Susanne, the chemistry between them is definitely there.
This is probably not my favourite book of Jae’s and I found I just didn’t connect with the characters like I normally do in Jae’s novels. In saying that, it did still have some beautiful moments and had all the little Jae touches that make it special.
I would however been keen for Jae to write a follow up story on Miriam and Franzi. They were both major highlights for me and their relationship seemed fun and at times, I wished we had more depth into them as characters.
All in all, a nice sweet romance from Jae
3.5 stars
August 9, 2018
Paper Love is another addition to Jae’s “Love in the Workplace� series. Out of work business consultant Susanne Wolff is sent by her mother to the quaint city of Freiburg Germany to help her Uncle Norbert save the family stationary store aptly named Paper Love. Susanne is reluctant to leave her home of Berlin but agrees to help for three months only.
Susanne meets Norbert’s employee Anja Lamm and a series of miscues and misunderstandings takes place. This becomes a slow boil romance with a ticking clock attached.
The home city of Jae becomes as much a character as Susanne and Anja. Freiburg is in the wine district which fringes the Black Forest area of Germany. It’s no car allowed city centre and historical background creates a wonderful setting for this story.
The secondary characters of Susanne’s twin sister Franziska and Anja’s best friend Miriam round out the story quite nicely. They are both quite lively and humorous.
Jae never disappoints in telling a story. Paper Love is engaging and entertaining from the first page.
Susanne meets Norbert’s employee Anja Lamm and a series of miscues and misunderstandings takes place. This becomes a slow boil romance with a ticking clock attached.
The home city of Jae becomes as much a character as Susanne and Anja. Freiburg is in the wine district which fringes the Black Forest area of Germany. It’s no car allowed city centre and historical background creates a wonderful setting for this story.
The secondary characters of Susanne’s twin sister Franziska and Anja’s best friend Miriam round out the story quite nicely. They are both quite lively and humorous.
Jae never disappoints in telling a story. Paper Love is engaging and entertaining from the first page.
April 3, 2019
I read this book shortly after it came out (!). I always like Jae’s books, though some a little bit more than others and her earlier books moist. I always buy her books as soon as they are published. This one was a 4 star for me, good but not one of my favourite books by Jae. Still, I’ll read it again sometime. Recommend.
October 20, 2018
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*
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*
August 3, 2024
Oh! Jae - how do you do it, time after time? I loved the story - I'm a bit of a pen / stationary geek so what is there not to like? Superb stuff - thanks! PS: Love the cover picture!
PPS: My fav book ever? If not, close.
PPS: My fav book ever? If not, close.
June 22, 2021
I listened to the audio book and maybe that was why I had a little trouble. I could have read this book in German and that would have been natural for a native but I wanted to listen.
The book is enchanting. How Freiburg and the little shop are described shows that someone who loves stationary and obviously the town as well has shown the book. If she doesn't, she has faked it well. :)
I always love the concept of the building up of love, of becoming friends first and then realizing there is more. And I like the two MCs.
The only thing that lessened my enjoyment of the story was the surrealism of listening to an English pronunciation of Bächle, Freiburg, Anja, Norbert. But I'll admit it was cute too.
The book is enchanting. How Freiburg and the little shop are described shows that someone who loves stationary and obviously the town as well has shown the book. If she doesn't, she has faked it well. :)
I always love the concept of the building up of love, of becoming friends first and then realizing there is more. And I like the two MCs.
The only thing that lessened my enjoyment of the story was the surrealism of listening to an English pronunciation of Bächle, Freiburg, Anja, Norbert. But I'll admit it was cute too.
June 27, 2021
Suzanne is a digital-loving business consultant who has been sent from Berlin to Freiburg by her mother to find a way to save her uncle’s stationary store. Her uncle’s sole employee Anja is her polar opposite and a rocky beginning ensues. I gotta say this is among the sweetest contemporary romance’s I’ve ever read. It might even be at the top of the heap. Audiobook Note: The audiobook is narrated by Abby Craden and is as wonderful as one would expect from anything narrated by Abby Craden.
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