The Incredible Kindness of Paper

by Evelyn Skye

In elementary school Chloe Hanako Quinn is assigned Oliver Jones as her pen pal. Before sending her letter she also whispers a note into it…and he hears her. It is the beginning of a friendship that blooms into something more—that is, until disaster strikes.

Now more than twenty years later Chloe is a high school guidance counselor in New York City, but life is not what she dreamed it would be as she faces a layoff, rising rent, a situationship, and loneliness. Desperate for encouragement, she gives herself a pep talk via uplifting messages written on yellow origami paper that she folds into roses. When one of the roses accidentally finds its way to a neighbor in need of cheering-up, Chloe, feeling a desire to spread kindness and optimism, begins purposely leaving them around town.

Across the city, Oliver has picked himself up from the rough circumstances that forced him to leave everything behind as a teenager—including Chloe. Now a successful financial analyst, Oliver’s past continues to haunt him. But when the city is suddenly inundated with yellow origami roses, a specific one finds its way into his hands and changes his life forever.

Genres: Romance, Magical Realism, Fiction, Contemporary, Fantasy, Adult, Audiobook

256 pages, Hardcover

First published August 12, 2025

About the author

Evelyn Skye is the New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including The Incredible Kindness of Paper and The Hundred Loves of Juliet. She has also written for books for Netflix and Disney. Evelyn’s novels have been published worldwide and translated into sixteen languages.

Evelyn is a graduate of Stanford and Harvard Law School. She lives in California with her husband and daughter.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

I am going to echo the very words that Evelyn Skye's editor used: this book is a warm hug. It's a Hallmark Hall of Fame storyline full of coincidences and sweet messages, and pure love wrapped up in origami yellow paper.

Chloe and Olivier were childhood friends who promised to be more if Olivier's family didn't disappear in the middle of the night with no explanations. Now, years later, fate is about to give their love a second chance. But are they both willing to take that step towards forgiveness?

Such a sweet story. Once in and while, these plots find me, and my heart just sings with joy.

Truly lovely.

Expected Publication 12/08/25
Goodreads Review 07/08/25

[Jackie ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။‌‌‌‌‌၊|• invisible string, Taylor Swift

And isn't it just so pretty to think all along there was some invisible string tying you to me?

I had to put this TS quote here because while reading this book, I was getting major invisible string vibes. Chloe and Oliver even describe their connection as a string that's tugging them back to one another.

What to expect *⁀➷
➳ Childhood friends-to-lovers
➳ Second-chance romance
➳ Pen pals
➳ Grumpy x sunshine
➳ Magical realism
➳ Multiple POVs
➳ 3rd person POV

Synopsis *⁀➷
The Incredible Kindness of Paper follows Chloe, a 32-year old woman who just got laid off from her job as a high school guidance counselor. After an origami rose she makes, with some uplifting words written in the center, lands in the lap of someone who desperately needs it, Chloe starts leaving more roses throughout New York City. The roses start finding other people who desperately need them, one of them being her childhood sweetheart, Oliver. These two are drawn to the same places time and time again, and although Oliver recognizes Chloe, Chloe doesn't recognize him...

I love a good second-chance romance. This book had a lot of heart. I think Chloe could come off as a little naive sometimes, but she really is just trying to see the good in people. Oliver, on the other hand, is at a point in his life where he only sees the bad. He's so different from how he was when he was a kid that Chloe doesn't even recognize him. Honestllyyyy, I love that as a plot device. I love when only one person recognizes the other. It's just so much fun 💅

I do kind of hate when things go "viral" in a book (in this case, the origami roses - people just love 'em), but I'm trying to move past it. Mostly because I actually do really like the origami roses. Some of my favorite parts of the book were the small chapters where people found and read their origami roses. I'm such a sap and reading how much those words meant to them was so sweet 🥹

My only issue is that because this book was pretty short (clocking in at just 241 pages), the ending felt a little abrupt. I would have liked another chapter or two, or a little more breathing room in those last 20-40 pages.

Overall, this was a cute, short read. Sometimes I just want to feel like there's good in the world. Sue me.

Releasing: August 12th

➳ Thank you to Atria books for gifting me an early copy. All opinions are my own.

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
pre-read *⁀➷
I won this ARC in a Goodreads giveaway babbbyyyy. This looks so cute and I'm so excited to start reading it!!

[Debbie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ This was a sweet story about reconnecting with a lost love. Chloe and Oliver were childhood sweethearts separated when his family moved away.

Their story is told in alternating chapters by Chloe and Oliver going back and forth past and present. Both end up in NYC. Chloe finds herself unemployed and starts folding small yellow origami roses with feel good messages that “choose” their recipients. Oliver has a job at a high powered firm. Of course their paths cross!

This really is a feel good story and Chloe is almost too nice. The magical realism with the found roses is a little stretch. The happy ending is just as expected. But it was a quick read and a nice break from anything too tragic or heavy.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Angie Miale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, that was absolutely delightful. If you could use some positivity and hope in your life, read this book. It’s sweet, it’s corny, it’s second chance romance “it’s always been you,” with unexplained magic. I loved it.

[Heather~ Nature.books.and.coffee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really sweet romance book. The audiobook narrators did a great job of portraying each character. I loved the NYC setting in the present day. It's one of my favorite cities. The idea of spreading kindness throughout the city with the origami flowers was really cute! It's well written and has a nice message of kindness. I thought this was a hopeful and uplifting book. 

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

[Louis Muñoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. This feel-good book, in mostly good ways (but also some less-great ones), reminds me of the many Hallmark movies I have watched with my mom over the years, along with the many Spanish telenovelas we have also watched together. Like both of those kinds of shows, you sometimes have to suspend a fair amount of disbelief to fully enjoy what you're watching. This is especially true when you have a book that features some elements of magical realism; these drive some of the book's events but not in an overwhelming way.

My biggest criticisms of the book involve Oliver, one of the book's two main characters, who I didn't find as compelling or relatable as Chloe, the other main character and the book's beautiful heart and soul. These MCs met in the first grade and became inseparable friends growing up in Lawrence, Kansas, and then, at age 16, realized they loved each other. That budding romance was quickly cut short when Oliver's family disappeared suddenly, and now, 16 years later, they bump into each other in New York City, except... Oliver pretends he has doesn't know her, which, C'MON!, people don't change THAT much from 16 to 32! I always roll my eyes when characters in telenovelas don't recognize each other, and I call BS here as well.

All that said, I found this story a quick and lovely read. Moreover, we need more hope and kindness in the world, so any author/book that can help spread those, I strongly endorse and support. This warm hug of a book is a great antidote to the cynical, dark times we live in.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publishers for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

[Bekah Groop · Rating 3 out of 5]

A syrupy sweet story for fans of serendipity and second-chance love.

After losing her job, Chloe begins folding yellow origami flowers and writing encouragement inside them to hand out to people or leave places for others to find. Her flowers become a sensation, connecting people of the Big Apple and beyond, including reconnecting Chloe to her childhood love, Oliver.

There is some clunky writing at times and the serendipity often felt forced or too obvious. I also had a hard time believing that Chloe wouldn’t recognize Oliver if they had been best friends from ages 7-16, and then run into each other at 32…

That said, I’m a sucker for a grumpy/sunshine pairing. I also like that Zac, her situationship, is never villainized in Chloe’s eyes. This speaks well to Chloe’s overall positive and loving attitude that stays consistent throughout the story. While Oliver’s sour attitude is very off-putting initially, the author does a great job building his backstory gradually so you begin to feel compassion for him. Finally, I love the messages about avoiding monetizing kindness and reminding readers that most people are good, they might just need a little push.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC!

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. Be still my heart.. Chloe and Oliver.. if you enjoyed the movie Serendipity you’ll love this. Such an adorable, whimsical romance.. and Chloe’s spreading of kindness throughout the city with (yellow meaning “friendship”) origami roses noted with positive messages of encouragement to the receiver.. each rose finding who needs it most. Beautiful story. Loved this. ♥️
Pub. 8/12/25 🎧

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published August 12, 2025.

This is my first book by this author. I was originally drawn to the title and the beautiful book cover but the plot appealed to me as well since I’ve had a pen pal since first grade.

I had to get past moments of disbelief to enjoy the bigger picture: Chloe was spreading kindness via her yellow origami roses.

We meet a cast of characters who stumble upon a rose and find a hand-written message that is perfectly suited for them and actually changes their life.

This isn’t a rom-com. It’s more “rom-magical” if that’s a category. There are some emotional ups and downs as there are many subplots but overall I was left with this message: KINDNESS WINS. 💛

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Incredible Kindness of Paper by Evelyn Skye

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Atria books for this ARC.

This book was absolute perfection! The main character, Chloe, is instantly likable and will have you rooting for her thru out the entire story! This book will make you believe in the kindness of humans and magic! I loved this story and wish it were real life so I could run up to the characters and give them a great big hug!

This book will be available in August of 2025 and I will be recommending it to all of my reader friends!

[Kremena Koleva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Сигурно светът се крепи на прощаващите хора. На добродушните, които са се родили без лоша памет и шедра душа. Те обикновено дават втори шанс на пълните провали около себе си. Нова възможност на хората да получат прошка и след време да се завърнат към лошите си привички и недобри постъпки, продължавайки с провалите.
Има хора, които са родени с по- светъл поглед върху реалността. Осъзнават, че тя е сива, гадна и носеща риск, но пак търсят оправдание за оплесканите отношения и за социопатията наоколо.
Мисля си, колко разочароващо за такива слънчеви хора е да виждат сивотата на емоциите и самотата в погледите на другите около тях? Сигурно искат да намерят начин да създадат добри моменти и да раздават надежда? Клое успя да предаде оптимизма с изенадващи форми и сърдечни фрази. Успя да обърне възприятията за случващото се на все повече непознати. Но пътят за самата нея към преодоляването на разочарования и неуспехи, отхвърляне и самота, не беше без препятстви��.
Клое страшно много ми напомня за Луиза Кларк от " Аз преди теб " на Джо Мойс! Цялата цвят, ентусиазъм, усмивки и ведро отношение към всички наоколо. Топлотата в отношението на Клое към света идва от семейство й. Защото да обичаме себе си и другите е резултат от силната любов към нас на най - важните първи хора в живота ни. След това можем да отлетим от семейното гнездо, но сме взели доказателство, че любавта е по - силна от всичко!

* " Her mom and dad understood that sometimes people needed help fixing a situation gone wrong. Sometimes they just needed someone to listen but they would later solve the problem on their own. And sometimes words were no good, but a hug and a reminder that they were loved was the best thing a parent could offer. "
* But in the early days of getting to know someone, you made excuses for them. And it was good, actually, not to judge things as patterns before you had a chance to see the whole picture of the other person, because what they did might be oneoffs. "

[Katie Prouty · Rating 4 out of 5]

”…the paper flowers are supposed to be like a little gift, Chloe said. "Something kind in exchange for nothing, in a world where there's a price on everything else."

A heartfelt and uplifting read. A gentle reminder to readers that even in life’s heaviest moments, hope endures. With every page, you’ll find comfort, encouragement, and the kind of joy that brings tears to your eyes. A beautiful reminder that light can be found even in the darkest places.

"You know how to dance," she said.
"Not really. But if I'm going to make a fool of myself, I'd like it to be with you."

💛 THINGS AND STUFF 💛
-multiple pov
-dual timelines
-pen pals
-second chance
-grumpy x sunshine
-yellow origami roses
-kindness & goodness
-friendship & joy
-serendipity 🤝 you’ve got mail
-second chance romance
-“it’s always been you”
-#IsThisAKissingBook closed door.

Thank you atria books for the advanced copy!

[Melissa | bookswithbuzzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute love story with a fun magical realism twist! Was it unrealistic? Yes. But was it happy and feel good? Also Yes.

[Natalie Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet story with a lovely message. Reads like YA novel.

[Kayla • bookedblonde · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m sorry but I found this one too cheesy and unrealistic for me 🙈 I know it’s magical realism, but there were other parts that were too unbelievable for me to enjoy the story. & I’m all for happy characters that want to spread joy… but it gave off a little toxic positivity to me

However, I went into the story looking for a happy, light read, & it delivered as an easy 1 day poolside read. If you’re able to suspend belief and want a quick, magical, kinda grumpy/sunshine, kinda second chance, you might really enjoy!

[Alexa (Alexa Loves Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Incredible Kindness of Paper” by Evelyn Skye is a story about kindness and human connection. The premise is, two best friends from small town America destined to be life partners are ripped apart in their youth only to find each other as adults is told in the most unique way. You must suspend your belief or disbelief in magic and just let it go, as the moral of the messages and the magic are incredibly powerful. The ability to overcome life’s trials by the power of small acts of love and kindness feels pretty important in these current times. I loved this warm hug of a book, the messages will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you NetGalley and Altria for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Bethanie Free · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Evelyn Skye, Atria Books, and Net Galley for an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Chloe is in her early thirties and living in New York when she is suddenly let go from her job. Out of chaos and sadness comes an idea for a project. Her unending belief in the good of man had guided Clo so far in her life, maybe it could pull her up from the trenches once more.

Oliver is a mathematician who works in the banking sector, but even he couldn’t calculate the odds of how his life was about to play out. After leaving his childhood best friend behind to flee from the shadows of their past chasing his mother, Oliver gave up hope that happy ending existed for people like him so he chose instead to put his mind to a career he knew was a safe bet.

What do these two people have in common? A yellow piece of paper and more than they could imagine.

Oh. My. God! I LOVED this book more than I can put into words. Siri please play “Invisible Strings” by Taylor Swift. I initially was turned off by the choppy writing style, but as the book progressed I completely fell in love with the lay out of the book. It is hard to write a back and forth narrative like this and make it flow seamlessly and Evelyn Skye did it so beautifully and naturally. I’m probably going to try to find some more of her novels to add to my TBR, because wow, can she write.

One of my absolutely favorite parts of this novel was the one off character chapters that tied every invisible string back to Chloe and Oliver, Clover if you will. Getting to see how each person found their yellow rose and ended up back at Chloe is very indicative of how absolutely bright and magnetic she is as an MC. But every character had their own personality, background, and fully fleshed out storyline that a lot of people wouldn’t spend the time to build on side characters which made them feel so authentic and true.

Chloe. Wow, what can I say about her. I identified with this character so much. I also work very hard to make sure my interactions with others are a bright spot on their day and I also have heard the same thing. But she doesn’t let her hope make her naive, she is open to other’s opinions, but ultimately she trusts herself above all others, she makes mistakes and accepts responsibility for it. She is so human and such a great example of how we should be in the world.

I hope this book gets the success it deserves, because it is so incredibly written and such a unique and beautiful storyline.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book. I wanted to like it, and it started out hopeful, but I just could not get over how coincidental and unrealistic everything was. There were too many unnecessary words and descriptions that added nothing to the story. Also, the random sex scene in the middle of an otherwise sweet story was strange.

Overall, I think this would have been better as a short story rather than a novel.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[book bruin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

In The Incredible Kindness of Paper, a friendship and more begins with a pen pal assignment in elementary school. I knew I needed to pick this one up after reading the synopsis. The set up was so unique and I loved the overall message of how one small act of kindness can make all the difference in someone’s life. It was so interesting to see how fate pushed and pulled Chloe and Oliver together and apart. It was also fun to see all the different people woven into their story along the way.

The book started off really strong and I was hooked right away. The magical realism was a fun addition and the story unfolds through chapters in the present, as well as ones at various points in the past. Some chapters also focus on a specific side character and how the paper rose touches their life and intertwines with the lives of our main characters.

Unfortunately, the second half of the book felt choppier and more disjointed than the first. Scenes that showed the hand of fate in Oliver and Chloe’s lives were reduced to quick sentences telling us of a missed connection versus actually getting to experience those moments. It made the revelations less impactful. Oliver’s behavior when Chloe reappeared in his life also bothered me and I would have loved more grovel after everything that happened. The ending felt abrupt, but was very sweet. The entire book is filled with pining and longing, and not fully seeing the payout (perhaps in an additional chapter or epilogue), left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied. I still enjoyed this magical second chance romance, but not as much as I was hoping.

OW/OM notes: The FMC has a situationship (a non-exclusive relationship) with an OM for the majority of the book. There is a brief, on page (not detailed) intimate scene between them.

CW: job loss, financial insecurity, grief, con artist parent, incarcerated parent, breast cancer (past, secondary character), work related injury to parent resulting in permanent use of wheelchair.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Paperback

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.25/5)

Thanks to the Emily Bestler Books ~ Atria for sending me a #gifted copy of this one.

The premise is just lovely. However, this one was hard for me to rate, I loved the beginning and the end but my attention waned in the middle and I started to feel disconnected from the characters.

The ending 15% or so sucked me right back in because we get to hear more about what really happened to “end” the friendship between Chloe and Oliver (the MCs). I almost cried when everything wrapped up, so clearly I became invested again at some point.

That being said I am prob not the top audience for this book, I would say this is more for lovers of #sweetromance #magicalrealism and #destiny #fated kind of books.

Lastly, I would 100% bet that as a movie adaptation this book would do very well. I know I’d be excited to check it out.

Do you see what I mean!? Totally conflicted.

#TheIncredibleKindnessOfPaper #EvelynSkyE #EmilyBestlerBooks
#AtriaBooks #AtriaBooksInfluencer #UpcomingRelease #GoodBooks #SweetRomance #Coming-of-ageNovel #NewYorkNovel #Best-sellingAuthor #WhatAreYouReading #endlesstbr

[Maddie B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I loved Chloe and her values and kindness. The world really does need more kindness. She also made me want to get back into origami because it is something I used to love that I no longer do. It was quite the journey but I really loved the ending, it made me feel warm and fuzzy. Chloe shows a lot of personal growth throughout the book and so many of the messages she shared are good reminders for ourselves. I really encourage you to read this book if you are in need of an inspirational story and depiction of how small acts of kindness can turn into something much bigger and more impactful. Kindness matters and I hope that this book leaves you with the motivation to be kind to strangers because you never know who could use it! Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the eARC!

[Chapters of Chase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some books are gentle reminders of the kind of world we could live in.
Thank you, Atria Books, for the gifted copy of The Incredible Kindness of Paper {partner}

Genre: Fiction
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 8.12.2025
Pages: 256
Star Rating: ☆☆☆

The Incredible Kindness of Paper was a sweet, thoughtful read that left me reflecting on how powerful small acts of kindness can be—especially with the state of the world right now.

While I did enjoy the story, I couldn’t help but feel like it lacked some of the oomph I’d been hoping for. The pacing was quiet, almost meditative, which worked for the message but left me wishing for a bit more emotional punch.

That said, this book’s heart is in the right place. It’s a tender nudge to treat people with empathy and compassion, to listen more closely, and to extend grace where you can. And honestly, that’s something I think we could all use a reminder of right now.

Read if you enjoy:

💌 Uplifting stories

🌱 Character-driven storytelling

💭 Books that leave you thinking

______




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[Deb Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you #NetGalley for early access to review this book. This was an enjoyable read. You need to suspend reality when reading this novel. Chloe and Oliver are the main characters whose relationship spans decades. Origami brings kindness and humanity to the world. The concept of the book is needed in the world right now. The author did a good job of making the implausible believable. This is a solid, light, enjoyable read.

[Melissa Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review. 3.7* This is an absolutely lovely book that I could not put down. The Incredible Kindness of Paper is about lost and found love, fate, and optimism. As a self-professed romance hater, even I found this one to be “a warm hug.” While there were few surprises in this book, I found myself rooting for Chloe and Oliver anyway, happy for a chance to relax into this cuter than cute book.

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this so much that I probably would have read it in a day if I didn't have parenting to do! It is a warm snuggle, magical realism romance that was exactly the kind of story that makes me smile and tuck in. An incredibly kind (see what I did there lol) fmc and a mmc with a complicated past are drawn together repeatedly.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I regret letting this sit on my tbr for months--it's very sweet.

[Sarah Coldham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is *chefs kiss*

The whole premise of spreading kindness, things happening for a reason, and the connection of people in this book had my heart so happy!!!!! Just imagine if this is the way more of us lived our lives!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this book.

Release Date: August 12, 2025

[Deb Tietz · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little too syrupy sweet for me.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very sweet book with an interesting storyline!

[Sonya Loyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly the book I needed this week! Romance, growth, hope, love, healing, kindness, inspiration with a dollop of magical realism. ❤️