Love on Paper out now from Joy Revolution; 320 pages
Content Warning: Death of a parent, divorce
About the Author: “Danielle Parker is a young adult author from California. Danielle holds degrees from U.C.L.A. and U.C. Berkeley. A high school English teacher for a decade, Danielle’s talent was helping reluctant readers find their favorite books. When she’s not writing, she’s at the park with her young son. Danielle, her partner, and their toddler now live in the Pacific North West where she is always thinking about dessert” (Bio from author’s website).
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When Macy Descanso gets accepted into a prestigious writing seminar, it is with the hope that she will write the story she knows exists within her and establish an author identity independent of her famous writer parents. When goal two is quickly derailed after her roommate, Fern, instantly recognizes her as a Descanso, Macy hopes to focus all her energy on completing her first goal. However, her literary journey is complicated by the introduction of a romance-based writing contest, which is sponsored by the late author Betty Quinn and a love interest of her own—a young man named Caleb Bernard, who is none other than the son of her parents’ writing nemeses. To complicate matters further, attendees of the seminar are drawn into a mysterious quest to uncover the late author’s prized final manuscript. As the seminar nears its end and the competition to uncover this manuscript intensifies, Macy must face her complex feelings toward her family, her work, and Caleb in order to tell her story honestly.
If the works of Emily Henry have taught me anything, it’s that books about people falling in love while writing books will draw me in every time, and Love on Paper was no different. I was instantly intrigued by the premise and the writing-seminar setting. While there was a lot to love about the novel, it fell short in a lot of its promises. The book’s overarching message, that everyone has a beautiful story within them that deserves writing, was lovely and one that resonates with readers and writers alike. However, parts of the narrative and characters felt underdeveloped. It was challenging to connect with the characters emotionally, and because of this, some of Macy’s revelations and resolutions did not have as powerful of an impact as they could have. The short time frame of the novel also made it difficult to connect with the characters, and the decisions Macy and Caleb made regarding their feelings towards each other felt rash. Additionally, the mystery component of the novel fell flat for me. At times, uncovering the manuscript seemed to be the primary goal of the characters, while at other moments it was placed on the backburner. By the end of the novel, I still didn’t have a solid grasp of why it was so important for these writers to solve this puzzle related to an author they didn’t have a strong connection to. Despite its flaws, Parker’s novel is a heartfelt and enjoyable read that touches on important themes of grief, healing, and individuality.
Sam Parker, Pine Reads Review Social Media Manager