Confession: We started this book only because we totally love Abby Craden’s voice performances. She
infuses a layer of depth to the narrative and effortlessly performs multiple
characters with such excellence that you just know which character is speaking.
Susanne Wolff is a business consultant who’s just
left a high-paying job because she’s had enough of bigotry and office politics.
Her mother asks Susanne to go to Freiburg while she job-hunts and try to help
save her paternal uncle, Norbert’s, stationery store, Paper Love, from shutting
down. Susanne has lost touch with the paternal side of her family after her
parents divorced and it’s been a long time since she visited Freiburg. When
Susanne turns up at the store in her professional best – clothes-wise and
attitude-wise – she is greeted by Anja Lamm, the store’s only full-time
employee. Anja and Susanne don’t start off on the right foot but know they got
to work together to save the store.
The differences between Anja and Susanne are very well done -- Anja: stationary geek, small-town lover, long-term relationship girl; Susanne: digital nerd, big city girl, workaholic with little time or space for relationships. The romance is very slow burn with a lot of mental ‘should-we-shouldn’t-we?’
pondering by both the MCs given that Susanne is certain to leave Freiburg soon.
The is no additional, unnecessary angst and Susanne’s womb-mate (twin) and Anja’s
best friend are quite delightful.
Craden doesn’t let down. She makes Freiburg charming and
stationary magical. Anja is an immediate hit. Despite the nine hours of
listening time, she manages to keep us engaged, hooked and invested in the
store, the stationary, the romance and particularly, Anja.
This is a soft, sweet romance.
⭐⭐⭐☆
