After last year's Valentine’s dance, Ella was in a car accident and forgot everything that happened the 11 weeks leading up to the dance. When this year’s dance rolls around, the last thing Ella expects is to be sent on a scavenger hunt to reclaim her memories.

Full disclosure, I chose this book without reading the synopsis because I was looking for a Valentine's book. As soon as I saw that it was part of the Underlined collection, I didn’t feel the need to look any further into it before purchasing. Underlined books have never let me down before, why would they now? Be not confused, this book did not let me down, I am just setting the scene… So I start reading and immediately think, I have read this book before… Girl leaves dance early and gets in a car crash, girl loses memory, girl finds out she broke up with her boyfriend prior to the accident, girl allegedly had started dating somebody else during the forgotten time… Very familiar. So then I go and read the summary on the back of the book. Okay, the story I remember did not have a paper heart scavenger hunt… Interesting. After extensive research I believe the other book I had read previously is The Secret History of Us By: Jessi Kirby. I have since also learned that the whole memory loss thing is a book “trope,” if I am using that term correctly. So look out for an amazing blog post about books in this category, I am feeling inspired.

Back to 11 Paper Hearts. Can I say down right adorable!?! I loved it! I loved the scavenger hunt. I loved Andy and his constant Sherlock and Watson comparisons he was making as they were looking for each heart. I loved who they picked as the person behind the scavenger hunt. As more time has passed since I finished the book (like two days), looking back I am remembering more “clues” as to who was behind it that I completely disregarded as I was reading. I figure if I were to read it again I would probably pick up on more.

One part of the book I was a bit confused about was her relationship with Pete. In the beginning I was under the impression that they had been the “it” couple at school, but then she had broken up with him prior to the accident. Well back in the present time, she decided to give him another chance, they go out and after their date she says in her internal monologue, “And just like that my first real date is over.” Are you trying to tell me they were the “it” couple of the school and had never been on a real date! What were they doing? We are talking about high school Juniors at the time of their first relationship. It’s not like they were middle schoolers who “date,” you know what I mean. Are we saying that they never went to a movie? Out to dinner? Hung out after a sporting event? It doesn’t matter though, cuz team Andy all the way!

Anywho, I enjoyed this book so much that I promptly searched up Kelsey Hartwell to see what other books she has written. Well prepare to be disappointed, this is it. This is the only book she has written. It came out in 2021… So I am not too hopeful that there are more on the way. But hey, you never know. I highly recommend this book as a Valentine/Romance read!