3.5 stars..

It was a decent read, sort of predictable, characters were good together. It was hard to connect with the heroine and hero, but they got their HEA. Sweet read.

I have chosen not to read and review this title. I was really excited about it, but I was not able to get into the story and I did not relate to the main characters.

As always, I appreciate the opportunity to read this title.

Laura

Down With Love is the first book of a new series and I loved it. Kate Meader pulled me in from the first page. After reading the blurb for this book I knew I was going to love it.

Max is a partner in a law firm specializing in divorce. He believes in pre-nups and does not see himself ever getting married. When his brother is getting married and hires a wedding planner he is not going to make it easy on her.

Charlie loves to make peoples dreams come true and have the perfect wedding day. She never expected to meet the ever cynical Max. The banter between these characters was on point. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

The Story in 4 Sentences or Less: Max is a divorce lawyer who doesn’t believe in the forever kind of love, Charlie is a wedding planner who believes there is someone for everyone. Tension and sparks fly when these two meet and clash over what love really means. She’s planning his brother’s wedding and he’s the best man which means a lot of time spent together so what could possibly go wrong?





Like It? Hate it? Love it? Why? Down with Love wasn't the best read for me. I picked it up because I usually love Kate Meader’s books but I failed to notice that it was told in first person and I have such a hard time getting into books that are in first person. But it was more than that, I didn’t really connect with Max or Charlie. To me they wasn’t anything about either one that stood out to me or that made me go “Hey that’s pretty neat, me too!” I think they just hung on to their preconceived notions in a way that wasn’t relatable or fun to me. Max’s cynicism felt one dimensional, almost robotic and Charlie was at times a little too hearts and flowers for me to handle. Pretty surprising since these two ended up doing a personality switch towards the end.

Their romance fell flat for me too. It felt forced and at times a bit too cheesy for me to handle, and I found myself *gasp* skipping past the sexy times! I rarely if ever do that!

I could go on and on about what didn’t work for me here but it would be a lot of repetitious statements. I just couldn’t connect to these characters and I couldn’t buy into their romance.



Click It or Skip It? Skip It. My lackluster response to Down with Love shouldn’t put anyone off of Meader’s books, in fact I highly suggest her sports romances. Now those are really good.

I absolutely loved this book. Kate Meader is a go to author for me. Max and Charlie's story was unique, refreshing, and so exciting. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

If I could give this book a four and a half rating, I would! I'm always down to read books about lawyers falling in love. This book was beautifully written. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Loved the author's writing style as well--this was my first time reading a Kate Meader book. I think this book is the first in a series so I'm definitely excited to read the books that follow this one! I love how two interesting careers that are notorious for not falling in love actually come together--a divorce lawyer and a wedding planner.

I love how there is so much detail about the busy lives of both characters. Really got the feeling that I personally knew the characters.

Looking forward to the others that follow.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Down with Love had the potential to be a great love story.. but in the end, it was just okay. I loved Max and Charlie together but their wasn't anything special or exciting about their relationship. Max is a divorce attorney and doesn't have the same views on love as Charlie, who's a wedding planner and looking for Mr. Right.

Even though they view love differently, once they meet each other their views start to change. Max heart starts to grow three times bigger (like the grinch) and it's all because of our girl Charlie. Then there's Charlie who definitely saw Max as Mr. Wrong. Of course, he's determined to change her mind. Somewhere along the way he becomes Mr. Perfect for her and vice versa for him.

I honestly love enemies-to-lovers kind of books.. but this was just kind of fell flat for me. It was missing something.. but I just can't put my finger on it. Maybe its because they are getting too predictable for me.. or I've read way too many of them. I will still try book #2 though because I'm optimistic it will get better.

Max is a divorce attorney who comes from money and Charlie is his brothers wedding planner who doesn’t come from much. One starts a marriage the other ends it how could they ever work?

While you think these two wouldn’t work together you will be presently surprised by how well they do. Max and Charlie had a great dynamic and kept me wanting more. Once again Kate Meader has delivered a wonderful love story that you can enjoy a good laugh with as well.

Disclaimer: I have received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest opinion.

Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥 out of 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Heart Level: 💘💘💘💘💘 out of 💘💘💘💘💘

It has been said that one of the sexiest things to experience is the feeling of being truly seen...that feeling when someone really "gets" you. I think this book makes a great case for that quote.
For me, this was a great read. It has been a while since I have enjoyed a romance book as much as I did this one. It was a solid story, one that was equally endearing and complex. Usually, some books in this genre have what I call "artificial conflict" or "drama", which makes me tune out immediately. In this book, there is a cast of secondary characters that I was happy to "meet" and want more of.

While I adored Max and his multi-faceted personality and good looks, I identified tremendously with Charlie's need to hide some parts of who she is for fear of judgment. Because, really..who hasn't been afraid of being rejected ( or has been downright rejected) for having a less than perfect upbringing or past? Now to mention Charlie has anger issues and a trucker's mouth. That to me made her incredibly real and relatable because...Have you met me?

Charlie and Max have a lot in common, however, at first glance, their pre-conceived notions got in the way of them realizing that what they have is certainly real..and rare! Luckily, they got there in the end! I give this book a resounding five out of five and definitely recommend it if you're looking for an endearing read with enjoyable characters and a little bit of heat.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
I love Kate Meader's books and this is no exception. Her character driven story about Charlie and Max is a wonderful look at love from two vastly different perspectives.

Max is a high-powered divorce lawyer who sees what happens to couples after the "bright and shiny" wears off. His view of love is very cynical, and he has no use for people he believes exploits people's love for money – especially wedding planners.

Charlie loves helping people plan the wedding of their dreams. She likes knowing that she's had a small part in making their day – "their" day. For her, it’s all about making memories, something that the couple can share with their families years down the road.

Max's cynical attitude leads his brother to reluctantly share the news of his wedding proposal and introduces him to Charlie, their wedding planner. It bothers Max that his own brother has shared his concerns about telling him about his news with Charlie, enough so that Max acts like the cynical a$$hole that he's known to be in the courtroom.

As Max and Charlie's relationship develops, you can see how much Max struggles with seeing the world around him change. He's been hurt and duped, by people claiming to love him and it’s only after Charlie walks away does he realize that all change isn't bad.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the first in a new series by Kate Meader and has her winning style stamped all over it. I really am looking forward to the upcoming installments – and hope that she will be finding happily ever afters for the other partners in the law firm with Max.

The set-up is perfect, and we get some of the expected jabs and jibes between the two leads – Max, the love-averse divorce lawyer, and Charlie, the wedding planner for Max's brother's wedding. But there is only so much of the obvious, and lots of funny and original twists in their nature, their view points, and their expectations for the future. We soon learn that they are both people with bad track records with romance, but where Charlie still believes she will find the one, Max is doing all he can not to fall into that trap again. It makes for some interesting conversations, that is for sure, both before they succumb to their chemistry and afterwards too.

I loved the humour, the camaraderie, and the revealing of what a good guy Max really is – I love the idea of the PP and would have released a lot of my anger in there!!

Thank you, Kate Meader, for giving us the first in what I am sure will be another great series.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This book feels like a classic movie romcom. It’s the story of a successful divorce attorney who finds himself unwillingly attracted to his brother’s wedding planner. Max and Charlie are both beautiful and successful but while Charlie is a romantic, Max has facilitated too many messy divorces to believe in true love.

There is great chemistry between Charlie and Max in this story. I loved the banter between them and I enjoyed watching Charlie unsettle Max. Their relationship is fairly predictable but it is good fun watching them get over their hang-ups so they can finally be together.

Max and Charlie’s families and colleagues are wonderful and I loved the sense of fun in this book. I found Max’s easy privilege a little bit annoying at times and his career success at 29 is more than a little bit implausible. Fortunately, Charlie balances Max’s privilege and she forces him to be more self-aware.

This is an easy, fluffy, feel-good read with likeable characters, a little bit of heat, and some laugh out loud moments. It isn’t a complicated story, but it is a great summer holiday read.

I really enjoyed this book, it was super entertaining to read. If you enjoy this genre this would be one of the best I've read this past year. The two main characters had great chemistry and the best banter back and forth. I will definitely be continuing with this series. 4 big stars!

Max is a divorce lawyer who does not believe in marriage. Charlie Love is a wedding planner who believes in fairytale endings. So when Max and Charlie meet and they feel sparks fly what is the next move? Charlie is planning Max’s brothers wedding and knows that Max has a reputation as a player. She wants the real deal with romance and her happily ever after. Is Max willing to put his distrust of relationships aside and take a real chance on Charlie?

This is a great read and I really enjoyed the story and the characters. I would love to read more about them in the future!

Loved this one! (Even though there's no firefighters, hockey players, Texans, or chefs... ;))

Wedding planner Charlie (aka "Charles") and divorce attorney Max (aka "The Cynic (TM)") are just so much fun together. I loved their back and forth when they couldn't stand each other almost as much as when they did--okay, sometimes I might have loved it even more when they were making each other kinda crazy. What can I say? I'm a banter kind of girl.

And boy, can Ms. Meader do banter. :D Oh, and the little details, too--Max's love of old movies like Rear Window and An Affair to Remember (I cannot be the only person who had to see that one after seeing Sleepless in Seattle, right?) and seemingly throwaway comments like "Sure the Cubbies won the World Series a few years back, but no Chicagoan is comfortable being a fan of a winning team. We worked hard to earn out underdog status and it suits us" that show that she not only understands her adopted city, she also understands people.

(Though, seriously...you want to talk underdog status, Chicago? Try living in Buffalo , for pity's sake. But I digress...)

Max has two partners at his firm, former Brit Lucas (his Illegally Yours is next; woot!) and Grant, whose story we don't have hints about yet but I'm voting for a second chance romance from (fingers crossed!) which means at least two more series books to look forward to. They'll have quite the high bar to reach, though, trying beat Max and Charlie's story which had sigh-worthy lines like this one:

"His hand in mine is the hot fudge sauce on my sundae, the relish on my dog, the topper on my Christmas tree. His hand in mine is all I need."

but I'm sure Ms. Meader is up to the challenge. :)

Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

I've liked one or two of Meader's other books that I've read, but I couldn't get through this one. I absolutely couldn't stand Max. I don't like when books start out where the man (or woman) is busy objectifying every woman (man) they see and going on and on about how they want her (him) for just one night. I think there is a better way to get across that the person doesn't want or doesn't believe in love.

I'll definitely read another of Meader's books as I did enjoy some others, but this one I cannot recommend.

3.5-3.75 stars

I'm so excited that Kate's writing men in suits now after firefighters, hockey players, and chefs. Well, technically it's *again* since I'm pretty sure the heroes in her Texan series are suit-wearing billionaires,

but ANYWAY

I was a bit taken aback by the 1st person POV. Not my favourite, all of Kate's other books are in 3rd iirc, so it took me a while to get into the story, but I got used to it pretty quick.

It's a classic opposites attract trope with Down with Love--Max is a divorce lawyer, Charlotte is a wedding planner. Mismatched jigsaw puzzles, both of them.

Or are they, really?

I love the interactions between Max and Charlie. They challenged each other, and they also could get along with each other despite themselves. I love the classic movie debates! Scene stealers for me are Max's parents, who are still disgustingly in love with each other. I love it when they teased Max and Charlie in the kitchen during the joint bachelor/ette party.

The only reason why this didn't get a solid 4 from me is because it didn't make much of an impact on me compared to Kate's other books, but I still loved it a lot. The epilogue was so sweet it made me sigh.

Loved this book. Great chemistry and banter between the main characters. Secondary characters really added to the story. Story of opposites attract. Lots of steamy chemistry and good build up to the relationship.

Loved this one! (Even though there’s no firefighters, hockey players, Texans, or chefs… ;))

Wedding planner Charlie (aka “Charles”) and divorce attorney Max (aka “The Cynic (TM)”) are just so much fun together. I loved their back and forth when they couldn’t stand each other almost as much as when they did–okay, sometimes I might have loved it even more when they were making each other kinda crazy. What can I say? I’m a banter kind of girl.

And boy, can Ms. Meader do banter. 😀 Oh, and the little details, too–Max’s love of old movies like Rear Window and An Affair to Remember (I cannot be the only person who had to see that one after seeing Sleepless in Seattle, right?) and seemingly throwaway comments like “Sure the Cubbies won the World Series a few years back, but no Chicagoan is comfortable being a fan of a winning team. We worked hard to earn out underdog status and it suits us” that show that she not only understands her adopted city, she also understands people.

(Though, seriously…you want to talk underdog status, Chicago? Try living in Buffalo , for pity’s sake. But I digress…)

Max has two partners at his firm, former Brit Lucas (his Illegally Yours is next; woot!) and Grant, whose story we don’t have hints about yet but I’m voting for a second chance romance from (fingers crossed!) which means at least two more series books to look forward to. They’ll have quite the high bar to reach, though, trying beat Max and Charlie’s story which had sigh-worthy lines like this one:

“His hand in mine is the hot fudge sauce on my sundae, the relish on my dog, the topper on my Christmas tree. His hand in mine is all I need.”

but I’m sure Ms. Meader is up to the challenge. 🙂

Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Wow! Kate Meader delivers a knockout punch with Down With Love. It has romance with some steam, comedic interludes and thoughtful insight into relationships, both newly forming and long term marriages. At the heart of this story are Max, a divorce attorney, and Charlie, a wedding planner. Not just polar opposites, but living on different planets. One is a cynic while the other helps couples plan the beginning of HEA. The author made me laugh at the banter between Max and Charlie (as well as the baseball game insults to the umpire), stamp my feet (figuratively) at their hardheadedness and grow mushy when each confront their real feelings. Kate Meader delivers a superb book worthy of 5 stars!

Max Henderson is a divorce attorney, while Charlie Love happens to be a wedding planner. The two couldn't be more opposite, but while Charlie is planning a wedding for Max's brother they find that opposites do attract. I thought this was a great read. Charlie was a down to earth girl who tries to give couples a great start to their happily ever after, while Max is understanding of those divorcing from marriage.

I absolutely love these kinds of books and I get excited when it is the beginning of a new series! This is the kind of hate to love romance novels that keeps me warm at night haha. I loved this. I loved watching the characters grow and they are just so stinkin cute. Thank you for allowing me to review this book. This is just what I needed.