Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos

This story really centers around two main characters; Cornelia a 31 year old single woman who is hopelessly romantic and actively looking for her fairytale come true and then Clare, and 11 year old Clare who has been abandoned by her emotionally unstable mother living out a nightmare of her youth.

I really enjoyed the storyline and idea of this book. I thought the emotions conveyed on both parts were realistic and relateable. A lot of reality and growth was shown in Cornelia's character and a lot of hope and healing through Clare's. The only thing that I found difficult was the constant switching of view points every chapter. One chapter was from Clare's viewpoint and the next from Cornelia's. At times it was a bit confusing, especially once the characters had met and are experiencing the same scene from their own perspectives. But even that didn't deter me from tearing through this story.

I finished it while on vacation last week and had a hard time putting it down. Very touching and wouldn't be at all surprised if this became a movie.

Description: A tribute to classic film and true romance, Love Walked In tells the story of two women – one older, one younger – and the unexpected ways in which their lives are forever changed by chance.

For thirty-one-year old Cornelia Brown, life is a series of movie moments, and "Jimmy Stewart is always and indisputably the best man in the world, unless Cary Grant should happen to show up." So imagine Cornelia's delight when her very own Cary Grant walks through the door of the hip Philadelphia café she manages. Handsome and debonair, Martin Grace sweeps Cornelia off her feet, becoming Cary Grant to Cornelia's Katharine Hepburn, Clark Gable to her Joan Crawford. Meanwhile, on the other side of town, eleven-year-old Clare Hobbes must learn to fend for herself after her increasingly unstable mother has a breakdown and disappears. With no one to turn to, Clare seeks out her estranged father, and when the two of them show up at Cornelia's café, the lives of Cornelia and Clare are changed in drastic and unexpected ways. A cinematic and heartfelt debut that pays homage to the classic Cary Grant/Katharine Hepburn romantic comedy The Philadelphia Story, Love Walked In is sure to win over critics and readers of contemporary fiction.

Rating: ****

Recommend: For sure.