“Where you are is home…”At age fourteen, Zelda Rossi witnessed the unthinkable, and has spent the last ten years hardening her heart against the guilt and grief. She channels her pain into her art: a dystopian graphic novel where vigilantes travel back in time to stop heinous crimes—like child abduction—before they happen. Zelda pitches her graphic novel to several big-time comic book … book publishers in New York City, only to have her hopes crash and burn. Circumstances leave her stranded in an unfamiliar city, and in an embarrassing moment of weakness, she meets a guarded young man with a past he’d do anything to change…
Beckett Copeland spent two years in prison for armed robbery, and is now struggling to keep his head above water. A bike messenger by day, he speeds around New York City, riding fast and hard but going nowhere, his criminal record holding him back almost as much as the guilt of his crime.
Zelda and Beckett form a grudging alliance of survival, and in between their stubborn clash of wills, they slowly begin to provide each other with the warmth of forgiveness, healing, and maybe even love. But when Zelda and Beckett come face to face with their pasts, they must choose to hold on to the guilt and regret that bind them, or let go and open their hearts for a shot at happiness.
The Butterfly Project is a novel that reveals the power of forgiveness, and how even the smallest decisions of the heart can—like the flutter of a butterfly’s wings—create currents that strengthen into gale winds, altering the course of a life forever.
#standalone
Other Titles by Emma Scott…
The Full Tilt Duet
“I’d love you forever, if I only had the chance.”
How to Save a Life
“Let’s do something really crazy and trust each other.”
RUSH
“Maybe was a sunrise on a new day. Maybe was hope.”
more
Absolutely beautiful story…Beckett and Zelda are one of the best couples ever..I couldn’t wait to finish it and was sad when I did…I have read several others by this author and have just added the rest of her books to my library
Emma Scott – you magnificent human!
I’m kind of annoyed at myself that it has taken so long to really get in to your work! “Rush” was my first book of yours to read, and then I had a long hiatus until a couple of weeks ago…. now I can’t get enough! My Amazon account is about to go ballistic!
“The Butterfly Project” follows the story of Zelda (from the Full Tilt duet). To be honest, Zelda never really meant anything to me in the first books, but oh my gosh – how I love her now.
I was sucked in really quickly in this story – and I think it was all because of Beckett. I adore Beckett. He is such a selfless character, with an amazing heart – which makes him all the more swoon worthy.
Zelda and Beckett’s connection is instant and it jumps off the pages immediately. The build up of their friendship and chemistry is mesmerising and leaves you chomping at the bit, for that first realisation and kiss.
I truly adored this book and it gave me all the feels.
Another amazing addition to the Emma Scott library, and another 5 star read. I’m starting to think that there is nothing less to be expected when you read work from Emma Scott.
This is a beautiful story of love, kindness, and most of all, struggling to forgive yourself. Emma Scott’s theme of how performing small acts of kindness makes a significant difference for the better in someone’s life resonates through this novel. Zelda and Beckett won my heart, along with each others. I loved this book.
(Can be read as a standalone.)
After I finished the Full Tilt series, I had to get my hands on this book about Zelda. This heartwarming story is a spin-off but it can be read as a standalone.
Zelda leaves her job in Las Vegas to follow her dreams in New York. She takes a risk to get her graphic novel published. But after three interviews, she only finds disappointment because her story lacks ‘heart.’
With her funds dwindling, her only option is to head back to Vegas. But fate leads her to Beckett Copeland.
Beckett Copeland is juggling two jobs. During the day, he is a bike messenger. At night, he buses tables at an Italian restaurant. It’s hard for him to get a decent job because of his criminal record.
As he is behind a little on rent for his tiny studio apartment, Zelda asks to be his roommate. This way she gets time to make some revisions, while Beckett doesn’t have to worry about his financial situation.
The tiny studio forces them to get close, and painful truths from the past come to light. Beckett helps her heart heal, and even helps her complete the novel.
I love the graphics in the story. It really makes this story unique. The romance between Zelda and Beckett grows smoothly and gradually. Before I knew it, I was so attached to the characters.
“A butterfly flutters its wings in Malaysia and the changes in air currents cause a hurricane in Florida. I love that idea. That even one tiny action can create an enormous effect.”
Oh Emma you are my rockstar!! I don’t know how i missed this book but oh such a nice surprise! Ms. Scott totally blew me away again with this beautiful and powerful story. She never cease to amaze me with her flawless writing, character depth and real stories. The one thing i love most about her books is they are not wishy washy instead they are real and that makes them so much stronger. Emma Scott brings an amazing, heart wrenching story about forgiveness and love that brings every emotion to the surface and will leave you thinking long after you finish. I absolutely love love this story so darn much!!
“You are my home. Where you are is home.”
I loved every line, every page, every chapter of The Butterfly Project! Zelda and Beckett are so hauntingly perfect for each other. Their loving hearts provide a safe haven for each other’s lonely soul, and the devastating events from their pasts become the artistic inspiration that could pave the road to a brighter future for the both of them. Two of my favorite characters, Beckett’s neighbor, Mrs. Santino and his unforgettable friend and coworker, Darlene, lingered in my mind and heart long after the last page of this magnificent story. This is by far, one of the best books I’ve read this year.
A story of two people, one grounded in harsh reality, one looking for closure in art, form a unique bond over pizza & ziti.
A down on the luck, his back against the wall Beckett Copeland is trying to just keep his head a over the water and deal with whatever pathetic cards life has dealt him. He finds himself taking a companion and cohabitant in his tiny studio apartment in bustling Brooklyn. There couldn’t be more lonelier souls surrounded by cacophony of noise and swarms of people in NYC. One misstep and his life has slipped downhill so fast that he feels weighed down, restricted and contained in a tight box of the city.
She’s carrying guilt of her own, unable to change the course of an event which up ended her life entirely.
They create book together and all their latent desires to alter life’s course, situations and consequences. Vicariously living through their characters.
But time travels in one direction only so they have to write their future instead, their own version of HEA.
The plot is simple, but their journey is frustrating and dejecting. pockets of sunny love peek from behind the dark clouds that are enveloping their livesand that’s what gives us hope that maybe they’ll find closure and peace at the end of it all
Bravo Emma. Nobody understands finer nuances of matters of the heart as you do.
It’s always a pleasure picking up your book.
5 stars for twinkling lights
Making my way back through Emma Scott’s backlist has me in tears and makes me smile. I absolutely adore her characters as broken and messed up as they are. I love how she weaves characters and places from other stories into each story in some way to make you smile. Both Beckett and Zelda have locks on their hearts and although not for the same reasons, they both feel such intent guilt that neither believes they deserve happiness and love. Finding your way through life when it seems there isn’t all that much to live for except the now can be daunting but with the right person and right people in your life, you can overcome seemingly insurmountable problems. I loved Beckett and Zelda so very much and am glad that I made the time to get to know them.
This was perfection as far as contemporary romances goes for me. Two broken people find each other in the big city. Both are good people with hopes and dreams, but for the hero, dreams are on the back burner due to a conviction for robbery when he was younger. Now he can only be a bike messenger. I even found that to be interesting, the job entailing all kinds of injuries and horrible weather and long hours. The heroine is a graphic artist that bet on everything she had to travel to the city, somehow thinking she could get her book published immediately. She is very talented, but then so are lots of others.
There’s some angst of course, but what good romance doesn’t have some? Setbacks occur and romance happens and I enjoyed every engaging moment of this read. I loved the writing, the pace, and of course, the characters. I listened and it was a good choice as I enjoyed the narration as well. Just an all around good read/listen.
Highly recommended to adult contemporary romance readers!
Emotional, heart-wrenching, pure goodness!
I give this lovely, emotional book all the stars. This was a slow burn romance about Beckett, a one-time criminal and Zelda, an older sister trying to get over what feels like her one mistake. Both characters start in the same place emotionally but together their journey pulls them up and out into a new world. This book has everything you want and need. The secondary characters grabbed your heart as well and you only wanted the best things for this group. A million stars for this Emma Scott book.
The Butterfly Project is the story of Zelda Rossi and Beckett Copeland. Two flawed souls who feel undeserving of love and happiness for different reasons. Their story is phenomenal. There’s romance, friendship, and the power of forgiveness. The banter between them was full of humor and their communication was clear and mature. They were mature and considerate despite the desperation of their own situations. Beckett is kind and selfless. Zelda is giving and brave. Both suffered from misplaced guilt, but they were able to heal each other. Told in dual POV, you connect and feel the story. Secondary characters are fleshed out and add to it making the story even more moving. The Butterfly Project gives you everything – friendship, second chances, hope, forgiveness, learning to move on and deep love. I thoroughly enjoyed reading a book that was well written and well told. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read something unique, magical and full of love.
There are only a few authors that can touch your heart with the simplist of stories and I know this is only my second Emma Scott book but she has this knack of just getting into your soul and never letting you forget her stories.
Beckett and Zeldas story is a beautiful story of a couple of people that are broken from thier pasts and are drawn together by circumstance and fate. I absolutely loved this couple who tried to keep away from each other thinking it was best but knew thier connection was too strong.
Beckett is one of my favourite characters he wasn’t alpha he was nasty he was just a nice guy with great manners who had made some life altering mistakes and lived in a world of regret.
Zelda was another character who I loved she wasn’t an annoying girly character she was stronger than she could give herself credit for and lived with memories that would never leave her. She was talented and I loved her never give up attitude.
Putting these characters together brought out the best in them and made this story unforgettable. I loved all the other characters in the books especially Darlenes story and yes I read forever right now ages ago and it didn’t click who she was but when I figured it out I fell in love with her even more. I loved Roy and Mary and by the end they just made me feel so full of love for thier characters.
This book was just amazing and I couldn’t recommend it enough. Emma Scott really knows how to tell a story and her writing is just so beautiful that I can’t wait to read more of her stories.
A massive 5 stats for this book that made me cry, laugh, be thankful for the life I have and really touched me. Thank you Emma Scott for this story.
Read in July 2017 and review is from then … I was recently introduced to Emma Scott and she is fast becoming a favourite author!
I loved this story of Zelda and Beckett. They were both struggling in their own way trying to move on with their lives. The story of how they do is beautiful. My heart went out to both of them. The secondary characters in the story are just as good and I adored Roy.
An amazing book and I hope you love it just as much!! Make sure to have the tissues ready!
Emma Scott never ceases to amaze me with her stories and her words. The Butterfly Project is no exception. I’m speechless! I’m also filled with so much love and appreciation for her talent and her brilliant mind to come up with a story like TBP.
Emma Scott knows how to paint a vivid picture. Every word, sentence took on a life of its own and created magic and I was spellbound. Her use of words is like a stroke of a paintbrush. It feels effortless and in that one stroke emotions comes pouring out from every single word of hers. It was intense when a single sentence or word would just hit me and I was fighting back tears or smiling like crazy. I love that about her words. They hit me when I least expect it and they hit me hard. Here with TBP it was the whole concept that hit my heart and soul to the core.
What Emma Scott has created with TBP is a story about life changing events and how an act of kindness or a person can maybe change that person’s life for the better. The story is about forgiveness, acceptance and change. I love a story within a story that has a deeper meaning and with Zelda’s comic book graphics and her story that’s exactly what I got. It was brilliant thought out and executed to perfection.
The characters Zelda and Beckett were phenomenal. As flawed as they were because of tragic events from their past they still had their humanity. They were both deeply affected by their pasts but never let that define them. I loved how their personalities broke through. An act of kindness like giving some change to a homeless man or giving food to your neighbors is huge gesture when you think of today’s society. But for Beckett it’s nothing. That’s just who he is as a person. Again, I like to think there’s also a deeper meaning to his actions. His existence prior to meeting Zelda was trivial and his everyday life monotonously boring. Zelda and her generous and kind heart and personality soon changed that and vice versa. She brought color and life to Beckett’s black and gray existence and he brought and became safety to Zelda’s world.
Their union was intoxicating and had such a profound impact on them both. Their friendship was fantastically well developed. How it and their journey progressed to more was flawlessly executed.
It’s no secret that I’m a huge admirer and fan of Emma Scott. She challenges me with her stories and her words. The Butterfly Project is another unique gem not to be missed. I strongly recommend it.
As Zelda says: “One small look, one smile or one word could alter the course of a life forever”.
This is truly what The Butterfly Project is all about. TBP will stay with me for a very long time if not forever when I hear the title or look at the magnificent cover.
5 BadAssDirtyYou’reMyHomeStars
I got this book in a book box a couple of months ago and it was just sitting on my self. I’ve heard great things about it so I put it on top of my pile knowing I’ll eventually get to it. I kept starting at the cover whenever I was by my self so I snatched it up and dug in. Wow, was this a great book. I just love Zelda and Beckett so much. The writing, storyline and characters blew me away. I finished this in a couple of hours, I could not put it down. Love, love, loved it!
I loved this book, I had read the Full Tilt duet so I fully expected to get the feels with this one too, but I had forgotten how beautifully she writes!
This is a story of two lost souls seeking their own version of redemption brought together by chance, or fate, neither looking for the other. Beckett is a kind and generous soul who in the past made a horrible mistake, a clear example of how circumstances make good people do bad things. Zelda is trying desperately to avoid dealing with a traumatic event in her past, drawn to one another they each help the other move forward. You are going to love them, and you are going to be willing them toward a happy ending! The words used to describe the emotions and thoughts of these characters will leave you overwhelmed.
Simple small acts of kindness are scattered throughout the story, showing how everyone can make a difference in someone else’s life with just a little effort, a much needed reminder in todays world of selfishness.
Watch out for Darlene too, another lost soul with a big heart you will fall in love with (hope she gets her own book!)
This book has all the emotions wrapped up in beautiful words, and the question is:
“When are you ever going to take a little bit of happiness for yourself?”
There’s a some magic sprinkled throughout this story. That feeling you get when you a finish an epic love story, you know the one – where your reading heart and soul are filled with inspiration, joy, and a satisfaction that runs so deep you feel the story in your bones. Where a dopey smile plasters itself on your tear-streaked face and your partner says “uh oh, that must of been a good one”. Yeah, that feeling. It’s woven through every single page of The Butterfly Project. The feeling of hope in the midst of desperation. The feeling of calm in the eye of a storm. The feeling that everything will be right in the world even when it is so very not right. Emma Scott delivers an EPIC romance and she does so with brilliance and an understanding of the good within people that’s inspiring.
With the utmost honesty and vulnerability, Emma Scott elevates romance to another level. She does it so well her stories are effortless. She does it by exploiting mistakes then turning them into the greatest strengths. She does it by slowly and precisely ingratiating you to the beautiful friendship her characters form. She does it by building implicit trust and sharing. This book reflects the raw nerves of human’s souls aching to let go of their guilt, of their past and be recognized as the counterpoint in another as pure and forgivable, as WORTHY.
4.5 fab stars!! What can I say about this book. It didn’t grab me for the first few chapters but then it took hold and I was hooked. I loved it. The book had all the feels and I cried and I do love a book that makes me cry. I loved the characters and the story was unique and there was lots of emotions and twists…. yeah I loved it!!
I have no words. Honest to God, I am at a loss. I’m just going to sit here for a bit and bask in the beauty that is The Butterfly Project and maybe I’ll be back later to string together some words that make sense.