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    Love Walked In
    Love Walked In
    Love Walked In
    Audiobook11 hours

    Love Walked In

    Written by Marisa de los Santos

    Narrated by Alma Cuervo and Jennifer Ikeda

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    When Martin Grace enters the hip Philadelphia coffee shop Cornelia Brown manages, her life changes forever. But little does she know that her newfound love is only the harbinger of greater changes to come. Meanwhile, across town, Clare Hobbs-eleven years old and abandoned by her erratic mother-goes looking for her lost father. She crosses paths with Cornelia while meeting with him at the cafE, and the two women form an improbable friendship that carries them through the unpredictable currents of love and life.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMar 6, 2008
    ISBN9781440781896
    Love Walked In
    Author

    Marisa de los Santos

    Marisa de los Santos is a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning poet with a PhD in literature and creative writing. She lives in Wilmington, Delaware, with her family.

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    Reviews for Love Walked In

    4/5

    786 ratings70 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I really loved this book. I couldn't figure out how the two stories connected. When they did, I was hooked. How appropriate is the title! I particularly liked the old movie references and the way the narrator comments on the writing style while addressing the reader in second person.
    • 2/5
      Narrated by Alma Cuervo and Jennifer Ikeda. Aughhhhh! Cornelia does way too much navel-gazing and is the most annoying character ever. Jennifer Ikeda voiced Cornelia's parts and very effectively made me gag at Cornelia's most aggravating "you know what I mean?" observations. I only hung with the torture to see what becomes of Clare's bipolar mother, and by then, just finished the damn thing. Plus you can hear Alma Cuervo's tongue unstick whenever she takes a breath. I had to adjust the treble to make it less obvious!
    • 5/5
      Lovely read! Heartwarming, about good people doing the right thing. You fall in love with the characters!
    • 5/5
      The writing in Love Walked In is so beautiful that you almost forget there is a story in there. You just want to keep reading the words. Being a long time Cary Grant fan I was initially drawn in by Cornelia meeting a dreamy man who looked exactly like Cary Grant and seemed just as suave. But the story is so much more than that. It’s about friends and family, both the good and the bad. And about neglect, whether it’s intention or benign. And how things – and people – are not always what you think they are and wish they would be. And how sometimes they are more than you would ever have expected. The bottom line is that this is a spellbinding love story that you will become completely immersed in. Not just romantic love but all kinds of love, and all kinds of characters you can’t get enough of. Love Walked In is full of beautiful phrases and movie references and humor and is a great read that I highly recommend.
    • 4/5
      3.5 starsCornelia works in a cafe and meets someone whom she starts dating. Clare is 11-years old and having a hard time with her mother, as her mother seems to be acting very odd. Clare knows something is wrong and is afraid her mother is sick. The book started ok for me, but got better. It was ok at the start while I got to know the characters and what was going on. It really picked up for me in the middle after Cornelia and Clare met, but I have very mixed feelings about the ending. I’m settling on rating it “good” at 3.5 stars.
    • 4/5
      3.5***Cornelia, the “under-achiever” in her family, is the manager of a café. One day a Cary-Grant-look-alike walks in and her life changes. This is a chick-lit, romance novel with great heart. The novel is told in alternating points of view: Cornelia, and Grace, an eleven-year-old with a chaotic home life. I loved them both, though I was somewhat incredulous at several plot points. Grace is a wonderful child character – smart, observant, brave and caring, she is also frightened and fragile. Several of her chapters just about broke my heart. Cornelia is likewise smart, independent, caring and compassionate, if occasionally blind to reality. She does tend to rely too heavily on old movies to explain her life, or on which to pin her hopes for love. I’m reminded a little of the movie Sleepless in Seattle, where Meg Ryan’s character obsessively watched the Cary Grant / Deborah Kerr movie An Affair to Remember. (Note: several reviews have criticized the book for the references to these romantic movies of the ‘40s and ‘50s, because the reviewers had no experience with them, so didn’t understand the references. Not the case for me, however.)De los Santos was known for her poetry before she published this novel. Her skill at poetic writing shows here. I loved some of her metaphors and descriptions. For example:Getting the words right matters, but so did describing his voice when he talked and capturing the feeling that filled her as he spoke and after he spoke. She thought about the word “capture,” how it put a writer on par with a fur trapper or big-game hunter, and how it implied that stories were whole and roaming around loose in the world, and a writer’s job was to catch them.The men in the story didn’t get as much attention as I might have liked, and they were not very well developed. The ending is also a little too convenient, but it’s a chick-lit romance, so I cut her some slack. It’s a solid summer-at-the-beach read. There is a sequel: Belong to Me which continues Cornelia’s story. I’d read it previously, not realizing that this novel comes first. I don’t think it affected my enjoyment of either book, but readers should probably read them in order.
    • 5/5
      I almost didn't finish this but was glad I persevered as it was one of the loveliest books I have read.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this novel and read the sequel, but it's not so well done that Id give it a five. I read it as a lighter read.
    • 4/5
      Very nice, light love story. Makes me want to read the next one, which I read first, again.
    • 4/5
      Cornelia believes she has found the man of her dreams when Martin walks into the coffee shop she manages and they begin a relationship. Alternate chapter feature Clare, an unnaturally (in my opinion) precocious 11 year old, who is trying to cope with the fact that her mother is mentally unwell and failing to care either for herself or for Clare. Eventually Clare's situation reaches a crisis and it emerges that Martin (Cornelia's Martin) is her father and he is forced to step up and take care of her.The Cornelia chapters, which are told with a lot of humour and a certain amount of detachment were a good contrast and welcome relief to the Clare chapters, which were very sad. Cornelia referred constantly to vintage films, almost all of which I have not seen/cannot remember and this became tiresome. The character of Martin was very well done - I spent about 50 pages shouting "But Clare DID phone him for help" at the book. The ending was a bit messy; things would get settled and then rearranged and I just wanted people to stick to a plan - any plan. The joke about Clare's brothers complaining that they had bagged Teo next was very amusing.
    • 5/5
      A complete surprise!! I expected a chick-lit forgettable romance, what I found was not a forgetable romance, tho' this still may be considered chick-lit! Love blooms it's beautiful fragrant blossom between two strangers and between two childhood friends and in this amazingly touching story, you just can't be sure how the author is going to pave the path of this story until you are reading the words.
    • 5/5
      This is a must-read book! If you're thinking that this is your typical love story, chic-lit book then you're wrong! It is a love story but the focus is not on romantic love between a man and a woman but more of love between "friends", love between mother and daughter. You have to read this to truly appreciate it. Apart from a great story line it also has great characters (consistent characterization) and great writing style. I would recommend this to everybody!
    • 1/5
      Couldn't finish this book. It didn't make much sense and it was boring. Not engaging at all. I was extremely disappointed as the summary made it sound so interesting.
    • 5/5
      I reread this book recently and will definitely add it to my "regularly reread" pile. I like the characters; they are really alive and believe that the result of the author crafting each sentence before she moves on to the next one results in these types of characters (she talked about this on the Goodreads interview a month or so ago).

      I thought the ending was good, but there are parts of it that could have been better or differently written. The mother comes back and that is a good thing, but the way the living arrangements were worked out was a little confusing and I don't think it fit well with the rest of the story. Perhaps that is the nature of the type of situation that was being described.

      I would like to see de los Santos write a prequel that talks more about Cornelia's life growing up. I am looking forward to reading her newest book.
    • 4/5
      This was a beautiful story about a girl name Clare and a young woman named Cornelia and how they came together. Very reminiscent of Secret Life of Bees by Margaret Kidd. Those who liked it will get a similar story of a girl finding her way and then finding a family outside the traditional sense. Thrilled to find a new author to read and look forward to delving into her other books.
    • 3/5
      I picked up this book because I was looking for something absorbing and light; something that my waning attention span could handle. "Love Walked In" is not a bad book, but it is the sappiest love fest I have ever walked into. Too sappy to be believed. Distractingly sappy. But sweet as well. Melissa De Los Santos is not a bad writer. She paints lots of lovely images and creates characters who I truly liked and rooted for--even though they were ultimately too perfect to be believed. I don't regret reading it, but I feel the need to read something slighty more weighty now, something to balance out the super sweet treat I just metaphorically ingested. You dig?
    • 4/5
      A nice romance that isn't a "romance novel". Kind of like eating a butterscotch sundae--it's awesome up until the last spoonful, and then you hate it a little bit, but you know you will eat one again.

      This would be good to recommend to one of those people who can't stand any explicit sex whatsoever but still like a good romance.
    • 5/5
      I loved the way each consecutive chapter always changed to the different character's point of view, and how it's so engaging. It really brought the curiosity out of the reader. The author lets the characters' be individual and realistic, which is awesome. The way the author writes out the settings really lets you imagine where it is, how it looks like, the atmosphere, everything. I wouldn't recommend this to primary students, which is kind of funny because I'm not that old either, but still, it's definitely a must read. I can't wait to read the sequel.
    • 4/5
      This is an amazing book, but I must caution you. I had to read almost half of the book before I started loving it (and it is not a very long book). Initially, the main character is so childlike and annoying, but she becomes one of the nicest characters that you will come across. Don't give up on this special book. Once you finish this one, follow up with its sequel, Belong to Me, which is engaging from the very beginning.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. I love the story, the cleverly evolving plot, the characters, the altering chapters, the language and the grace of a delightful read!
    • 4/5
      One of the first books I read after being done with school and reading textbooks! I fell in love with the characters. Very witty, comical, heartfelt and heartbreaking read, but it is a must!
    • 5/5
      It's taken me a while to review Love Walked In, but I remember this from my first reading: it was my very favorite book of 2006. It is one of those books that I have 2 copies of - a hardback (because I want it to last forever and I live in Louisiana where paperbacks tend to rot) and a paperback (for convenience when I am on the run and need something smaller to read at the dentist's office and in coffee shops.) Love Walked In begins with an over-the-top scene: a man who looks like Cary Grant walks into Cornelia Brown's coffee shop and begins a Cary Grant-worthy flirtation, all charm, clever word-play, and witty allusions. It just so happens that Cornelia Brown loves Cary Grant, charm, word-play and clever allusions (and really, who doesn't?) But things become more complicated when charming Martin produces an unsuspected eleven-year-old daughter, a fierce, bitter adolescent who has a clearer idea than all the adults around her of what love REALLY means. Marisa de los Santos has a Dorothy-Sayers-like mastery of scintillating wordplay - Cornelia's narration and character dialogues sparkle even in their darkest moments. But she also has a rare and altogether lovely tenderness for her characters - even for characters who turn out to be deeply flawed. I love an author who loves her characters, because she makes me love them too. The truth is, I want to borrow de los Santos's witty, vibrant heroine and bring her home with me. She can tell me disarmingly self-deprecating stories and make me laugh and we can watch The Philadelphia Story together for the millionth time. In return, I will give her my best parenting tips and we can talk about the tragedy of mental illness. I loved this book. I'm betting you would too.
    • 3/5
      Love walked in -- an exploration of many kinds of love, peppered with references to classical movies and standards songs. There were moments this book pleased me enormously, but those moments were separated by long passages I found tedious and was tempted to put the book down. But I persevered, and the book is done. Because I did like some sections (especially the movie references), and I liked the character of Clare, the 11 year old in the story, and Cornelia's mother, who comes in the latter part of the book, I'll give it a 3 star rating. Good for a beach read, but didn't hold up, for me, when curled on the couch at home.
    • 3/5
      Kind of a long read. It goes by a little slow as your waiting for the story to unfold. Overall interesting and worth reading, but more of a food for thought type of book than my usual inspiring fun read.
    • 4/5
      A great story about finding love in the most unconventional ways. Definitely a roller coaster of emotions of highs and lows throughout the whole book, esp with the unexpected twists and turns. Most of it was predictable, but the unexpected was really unexpected (at least for me). Would have been 5 stars but I sometimes found the lengthy prose to be cumbersome to read. There were times when I found that the tangents took me away too far and the intertwined movie/book references were overwhelming (only because I didn't know all of the references, but really wanted to!). However, it did keep me interested and I finished it quickly (2 days) because it was hard to put down. It was such a lovely story about the love between a woman and child that just warms the heart and you hope the story will just linger in your mind for just a little longer.
    • 4/5
      For a review, the most helpful thing I could write would be "please stay with this past at least the first 9 chapters". This advise was given me also at a time I would have closed it up and walked away. I had the advantage of audio and book and it mattered none in the beginning. The style of each chapter changing between Cornelia, the tiny cafe manager who was almost more in love with love than anything else, and the character of the sad little 11 year old Clare was definately my style. Yes, I knew the two worlds would collide, I suppose, at first, I did not respect Cornelia's "breakdown" and adjective outburst of everything as I was anxious to get to the plot. Later, Cornelia's wistful nostalgic personality, I found very endearing.There are many character gems in this story that the author developed, it appears, almost seamlessly. Cornelia's best friend, Linny, is a riot, Cornelia's two brother's when described were perfect for sporty guys' guys. And yes, let's not forget to mention Mrs. Goldberg, who could be a seperate story altogethter.I ended up connected to these characters and wanting "what would be best" in this suspenseful little chic lit. Now I'm ready to pick up Santo's next book.
    • 2/5
      this book is kind of boring in the beginning but come chapter 5 it gets pretty good.
    • 4/5
      De los Santos strikes an amazing balance in telling the very difficult story of a child on her own as her mother decompensates in front of her. The pathos of her brave journey is balanced by the wonderful and wacky spirit of the woman who steps in to befriend her in the crisis. I loved the passion and humanity on all sides in this story, and knew it was a wonderful feat when the author could still make me laugh out loud at the same time that so much tragedy was unfolding.
    • 4/5
      I thought "Belong to Me," - the sequel to this book - was one of the best books I read all year. So I felt I had to read the “prequel” even though ordinarily I hate reading books out of order. And I wondered, would it be possible for me to be objective about these characters that I already loved, described by a writer who already showed me her impressive talent? I can’t actually answer that hypothetical. All I can say is that I found the first book a bit less polished and some of the characters not as roundly drawn, but these are quibbles in degrees, not inches or yards. In short, I found the prequel almost as enchanting as the sequel, and am happy to say it was not “ruined” at all by having read the second book first. In fact, after I finished Love Walked In, I went back and read Belong to Me again, just because it was so good, and I wanted to see how the books flowed in order! Cornelia Brown, a thirty-one year old underachieving café manager, came to Philadelphia because her favorite movie was “The Philadelphia Story” with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. She spends her time watching old movie romances and developing her talent for quick and witty repartee. She tells us that her life – her “real” life – began when a Cary Grant-look-alike named Martin Grace walked into the café one day, and she handed him her telephone number. In alternate chapters, we hear from Clare, a precocious eleven-year old who lives alone with her ethereally beautiful but mentally unbalanced mother. When the mother abandons Clare, Clare seeks out her estranged father, who coincidentally happens to be Martin Grace. Martin comes to the cafe with Clare and asks Cornelia for help with caretaking, especially since he goes out of town a lot.At the same time, Cornelia's brother-in-law, Teo Sandoval, shows up at the cafe. Teo, great looking and kind, is a doctor, and seems to know just how to handle children.Clare is even more instantly drawn to Teo than she is to Clare, although there’s a bit of girlhood crush in the mix. But she bonds with them both, and while she wants her mother back, she can’t conceive of a life without Cornelia and Teo.How does it all come out? Well, of course I can’t tell you, but I can be fairly sure you will fall in love with Clare as much as Cornelia did, and that you will want to get to know this “good and brave” little girl and learn the effect she has on all of those around her.Evaluation: This is an intelligent, entertaining, well-written story about all kinds of love – from platonic to romantic to lustful to maternal to the love between two good friends. I highly recommend this as well as the sequel, Belong to Me.
    • 4/5
      A romance but not cheap and gushy, this novel begins with alternate chapters about the two main characters who eventually meet and alter the course of each other's lives dramatically. Both Clare and Cornelia are strong females that author de los Santos developes with humor and pathos. A good read. Affirmations galore.