Paper Hearts (Hearts, #2)

by Claire Contreras

I lost her. No, I didn't lose her. I threw her away. She was my best friend. I was never supposed to fall in love with her. I was careless. She was heartbroken. I thought I was doing fine. But here she is, years later, forced to work with me, reminding me why I fell in love with her in the first place. And this time I'm going to do everything in my power to never let her go.

• ISBN10: 098641672X
• ISBN13: 9780986416729
• Publish Date: 4 September 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Claire Contreras
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 394
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 stars, rounded up for all the feels this book supplied

"Real love stories never end."

Jensen broke my heart in Torn Hearts, but he won me back in Paper Hearts.

"Is this beating?" I nodded slowly. "Then I still want you."

I love second chance love stories, and loved how Mia and Jensen are reunited, while working on a second chance love story for a magazine. There is so much tension, and angst, and so many beautiful moments. Jensen put his heart, right on his sleeve, and I swooned, and swooned. I also fell more in love with this group of friends. I loved their interactions and the banter left me laughing.

I hope to read Vic's story soon.

[Eve1972]

Bleh, didn't like the H, or the fact that the h felt like she had to apologize!

[Cocktails and Books]

I knew going into Mia and Jensen's story that this wasn't going to be easy. It wasn't, but Claire Contreras made me believe that love truly does win, with a little bit of work and understanding to get there.

Mia and Jensen have a very complicated past. They loved each other passionately, but didn't fully commit to each other while they were on opposite sides of the country. And then the unthinkable happens. Jensen's action destroy Mia's trust in him and their relationship, which in turn breaks each of them. And several years later, they are both still carrying the scars from that time.

Claire Contreras always does a great job of reeling the reader in. Immediately I was immersed in Mia's emotions and thoughts as she made her temporary move to NYC. Her feelings about Jensen and how she would deal with him when they finally ran into each other were almost another secondary character. They were strong, overwhelming at times and heartbreaking at others. At her core, Mia was truly decimated by Jensen's actions. She understood how their relationship was back then, that they were on a "break", but Jensen picking the way he did broke her, more than she ever let on to anyone else. As a reader, I never questioned how Mia felt about Jensen. I knew she still loved him deeply.

The problem came down to trust. Could the Jensen now, undo the damage that Jensen then did.

It was a tough battle for Jensen. Through he weekly column (which the author ingeniously sprinkled throughout the book) we knew exactly what Jensen's feelings were about all sorts of things Mia. How much he still loved her and though of her as the sweetheart of his life. How much he was sorry for what happened and prayed he could get her passed all of it. But he was never sorry for his daughter. He just needed to figure out how to get his two loves to meld together. Jensen never gave up. He never let an opportunity go by to make sure Mia understood how he felt. And when he knew she needed space to figure things out, he gave it to her. But he also vowed to fight....which was the one thing he didn't do before.

I loved this book. As heartbreaking (and sometimes frustrating) as it was, I was a little bit in awe of true love winning. Of finding a way, no matter how messy, for Mia and Jensen to spend the rest of their lives together. It took an army of their best friends and Mia's parents, but when it mattered Mia trusted her gut, Jensen and love to see them through.

[whisperingchapters]

This review was originally published on Latte Nights Reviews.

I hadn't even finished reading this book when it made it to my 2015 favorites without a second thought! I thought Kaleidoscope Hearts was amazing but this?! BLEW ME AWAY! Half the time I was trying not to cry and the other half I was aw'ing a lot. I think I exceeded my limit of saying "aw". I made 29 highlights in this book. That's probably the most I've highlighted in my life. There's even a long paragraph included in those highlights because this book was life... This book IS life. Let me try to explain why I loved this book so much but seriously, you HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK! For you to feel everything I felt while reading this wonderful book, you have to buy this book as soon as it comes out because you will not regret it. Jensen will have you falling in love with his words, his story... Just everything. This second-chance romance has made me feel what I haven't felt with others. It's been hours since I read this book and just writing this paragraph it's making me want to cry because this book is safely tucked in my heart forever.

Jensen and Mia have known each other since they were young—they were best friends. Both fell in love but Jensen had to go away to college. While in college, he made a mistake that left Mia extremely heart-broken and she walked out of his life. Years later, Mia gets a temporary job where Jensen works and they see each other again. Their feelings arise stronger than ever and they now have the opportunity to try again. But Mia is still very broken over the mistake Jensen made and it's going to take a lot for Mia to forgive someone who shattered her heart into tiny pieces.

She walked to the door and looked back at me one last time, her eyes trailing all over my face and down my body, and I just knew this was goodbye. I don't know why I expected anything more.*

ensen is not perfect. He made a huge mistake that even broke me but I forgave him quickly. I probably wouldn't have forgiven him so fast if it had happened to me but we get to read his column in the newspaper and he is so vulnerable with his words and so open about his love life and "the girl who got away" that I couldn't help but love him. The moments he spends with Mia are so magical. He gives her everything that he is, he shows how vulnerable he truly is so she can see he is deeply sorry wants a second chance. All the while, he is so devoted to her and romantic towards her. He really gives her his all.

“Some say I loved her to the point of madness, bordering on obsession […] Perhaps they’re all right. Perhaps I am mad. And if that’s the case, to be frank, I don’t give a damn. What I know is that she sets me on fire […] you'd see the trails of blaze she left behind. [...] I’d rather live my life in flames than be numb without her.”*

I loved Mia's character. Even though her heart's been shattered, she continues to live. Does she have her weak moments? Absolutely, but she doesn't stay home moping around all day and night. She spends time with family, friends and goes to work. I do have to admit there came a point where I got frustrated with Mia—it was near the end of the book. I know Jensen broke her heart but she constantly would break his even when he was putting everything on the line for her. I do understand where she's coming from but I was still upset because the guy was really trying and giving it his all for her.

What I don't understand is fighting for somebody time and time again, and proving that you'll be there no matter what, and having them give up. Just like that.*

Before reading this story, I read it's prequel Torn Hearts and I knew I was in for heart-ache and tears with those only 8 chapters. Paper Hearts started right where Torn Hearts left off so I'm glad I read these two books one after the other. This book is a second-chance romance like no other. It will have you laughing at some quotes these characters come up with but mostly, it will leave you breathless, wanting more of this beautiful story that I can't seem to get enough of. Claire's writing in this story was magical. There're no other words for how wonderfully written this story is. The pacing and the dialogue was  near perfection. I mostly loved Jensen. He is a writer and his words seem to come to life. If a man like him talks to me like that, I'd probably become pudding at his feet.

"And I say to you, Mia Bennett—my photographer, my eyes, the girl of my dreams, the villain in my nightmares—that everything I owe, I owe to the night you let me look into your eyes and see the possibilities the world had to offer."*

I mean, when a man talks to you like that, you'd probably melt as well. This is a very well-written compelling story. One that will break your heart into pieces but it will slowly mend it as you go through these characters' journeys. I will never forget this story. I never forgot about Kaleidoscope Hearts so I'm sure I will NEVER forget this story that meant so much to me. It really is a 2015 favorite.

"Real love stories never end."*

*Quotes taken from advanced copy which may not end up in final copy.*