The Heartwarming Love Coloring Book by Gaynor Carradice

I don’t ever remember being this overwhelmed in previous holiday seasons but y’all, this year has been a doozy. Between work, holiday events, shopping and unexpected medical emergencies, this has already been A Month. I’ve had to let so many non-essential things fall to the wayside this December, including my weekly art sessions, while I tried to prioritize the things that I do in community and not just for me.

So I was extremely relieved to be forced, after a fashion, to finally work on this delightful coloring book. Don’t get me wrong, I love coloring, and especially coloring Gaynor Carradice’s adorable line drawings. The forty-five pages here truly run the gamut of heartwarming love, presenting all sorts of scenarios in which the love of sweethearts, family and other people dear to us are depicted using cute woodland animals in the coziest scenes. There are pictures without characters, too, for when you just want to think of a comforting place or object (or, perhaps, you want to give yourself a little self-care because you deserve love, too.)

The lines are large and bold, helpful for those who don’t want to strain their eyes or cramp their hands, with the added benefit of leaving space for more intricate patternwork if you like to add your own flair to the drawings. Speaking of space, there are generous borders for each single-sided, oversized sheet, allowing you to cut out and frame any particular masterpieces you create.

When I first sat down to evaluate the book, I brought both colored pencils and markers. I couldn’t find the crayons I wanted, but figured two of the three mediums recommended in the book would be plenty to test the paper with. I have to say, tho, that using the colored pencils alone was so soothingly hypnotic on the smooth paper that I had to essentially force myself to break out the markers at the end in order to test the bleed. There was no bleedthrough at all using Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens: unsurprising given the generally high quality of all the coloring books I’ve had the pleasure of working on from Adams Media.

And honestly, it was so nice to be able to take some time out of my day to do this while multitasking another of my community efforts, (especially one that was mildly provoking.) Art is so soothing for me, and the deceptive simplicity of this piece really helped my brain both calm down and revel in the sheer joy of color. One thing I’ve learned from my beloved Sennelier Monday Lives is to embrace putting color on the page, and this was a very relaxing way to do it, even if the amount of detail does involve more thinking than you’d expect. It’s a nicely instinctual sort of thinking tho, one that relies on harmony and contrast and vibes instead of anything more complex.

This is the perfect all-ages coloring book for all skill levels. It was exactly the boost I needed in the middle of a hectic holiday season with dreary weather outdoors, and makes a lovely gift for anyone who believes in love.

The Heartwarming Love Coloring Book by Gaynor Carradice was published December 16 2025 by Adams Media and is available from all good booksellers, including