This is the first book in Kate Meader’s Love Wars series and it’s a good, solid start.

A wedding planner and a divorce lawyer...sounds like the beginning of a classic joke! But in this case, it’s the trope of this book. Max and Charlie each have their issues with HEA, and they are cliche stubborn in their attraction and moving the relationship to it’s inevitable HEA.

I enjoyed this story and the repartee between Max and Charlie had me laughing. I recommend it as a good read for anyone who likes opposites attract stories.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely.

I loved reading Down with Love by Kate Meader, book one of her Laws of Attraction series, which is about sexy divorce lawyers and the women who can't decide if they should kiss them or kill them.

This story focuses on what happens when a hot-shot divorce lawyer, Max, tries to work with a high-powered wedding planner, Charlie. Max has a jaded view about marriage since he assists and advises people through their divorce and life after. Charlie is helping Max’s brother and his fiancée plan their wedding, which will occur in short time period. Plus Charlie believes in the fairy story of happiness, at least for the couples she works with.

I enjoyed how Max and Charlie were more alike than different, despite their jobs being at opposite ends of the marriage spectrum. Charlie wanted to find love but has yet to find the one for her. When she shares a kiss with Max, both are shocked at the sparks that occur. She is determined that whatever this is between her and Max can only be a fling. Max is surprised to find he’s interested in romance with Charlie. Now how can he convince her?

Ms. Meader wrote a wonderful and emotional story that is not to be missed. She drew me into the lives of her characters, making me forget the world around me. Down with Love is filled with witty banter, sexual chemistry, fun dialogue, and endearing characters. I highly recommend this book to other readers. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Opposites attract and chemistry explodes! With the latest series from Kate Meader, she gives a quirky twist on rom-com a try ... and doesn't disappoint! Her characters are fresh and entertaining, the story line was attention grabbing enough to entrench us quickly and keep us entertained throughout. I will admit to loving the drama of her sexy firefighters and hockey players slightly more, but I can dig the rom-com on occasion.

Max Henderson makes his living based on the ugly side of love. As a prestigious divorce attorney, he's seen just how bad it can get between two people who swore to be each other's everything just a short time ago. He's cynical enough about the institution of marriage that you'll never see him anywhere near it!

Wedding planner Charlie Love just happens to be planning a wedding that he is going to want to be involved in. He might not agree with it all for himself, but he's going to have to bite his tongue and agree to the things she and the bride and groom plan. Along the way, an attraction flares between the two of them and he just might find himself looking forward a forever after all when it's all said and done.

All the stars. RomComs. Do NOT underestimate them. So surprised at how much I loved this book.
I've read and loved quite a few of Kate Meader's books:. Hot in Chicago - book 2 & The entire Chicago Rebels series.
Down With Love is Book 1 in The Laws of Attraction series- and guess what? It's set in Chicago. And I LOVED it.
I was expecting all snarky humor. There is a lot of snark, but some real feels too.
Max- oh with a name like Max, guess who's the snarky one? He's a divorce attorney and partner in a very successful Chicago law firm. He's from a well to do family, but Max is making his own way.

Charlie is a wedding planner. She's also making her own way. She had a rough start. Her mom died when Charlie was 13 y/o and Charlie was put into the Foster Care "system". Charlie developed a temper and a big rebellious chip on her shoulder. Charlie got a big break at 14 y/o. Sully (Frank) and Donna Sullivan became Charlie's foster parents. They were a huge stabilizing influence on her.
There no flash backs about Charlie's younger years. Just references to it throughout the book. I think that in real life, I would be less understanding of Charlie's in your face attitude Ms Meader has such a way of explaining why Charlie got so tough. It seemed like a contradiction that she is so successful in planning such happy events.

I loved Max. I really liked Charlie and empathized with her and appreciated how far she'd come.
Max and Charlie start off with a little adversarial relationship. They are both shy of relationships. Both had bad prior relationships. Max was all set to be single his entire life. Then he met Charlie. He starts to soften his heart.

Charlie is open about looking for "Mr Right". She wants what Sully & Donna have. She promptly lets Max know that he's not in the "Mr Right" category. He's a love em and leave em guy. A guy that leaves out the love entirely.
Max's parents are great supporting characters (esp his Mom Susanne); as is Max's brother James.
The scene at the Cubs' game & Cubs jail was very funny. Charlie was really pushing it.
I loved this whole book. I didn't notice any slow parts. I was really into their witty banter. It seemed a little different from Ms Meader's other books. Max's POV was especially fun to read. LoA reminded me of a cross between Emma Chase and Lauren Layne books.

There's a heart tugging part with Sully & Donna in the last 25% that involves Max and Charlie. I did not find it distracting at all. I thought that it provided a lesson about realistic life partners' roles and expectations.
There's more to both Charlie and Max. I really enjoyed this book.
I have to mention a couple of tiny negatives: Max's legal papers at home- NO attorney would leave them where a dog could pee on them. Charlie held out a smidgen too long. Although.... she is stubborn.
Lucas, Max's British law partner is a little too wacky int this book, but I think that his book is next (YAY) and I'll get to find out what makes him tick.
Great ending and epilogue- so sweet... and snarky natch. 4.95 stars-rounding up to 5 stars!

How can someone annoy another person so much but feel attracted to them at the same time? That is how Max and Charlie feel towards one another. They are so different in many ways but have a lot of things in common. Standing on opposite sides of the momentous occasion that can occur in one’s life they find the love they were missing with each other. Absolutely brilliant and it will definitely make you laugh.

* * * * * ARC Received from Publisher/NetGalley * * * * *

I am a big fan of this author and was so excited to receive an ARC of this book! The author writes great banter. You pretty know what is going to happen, but it's just so much fun getting to the HEA.

The City of Chicago plays a starring role in the book and the author gets the details right, which is a big plus for me. I can't read any books of one popular romance author because she just mangled the details about Chicago.

I can't wait for the next installment in the series!

Previously I had only read Kate Meader hockey sports romance series books but that would have been a huge mistakes because Down with Love had me hooked more than the books in Meader's Chicago Rebel's series. Once I started Down with Love that was it, and I know I won't nor do I want to wait until Jan-2019 for Illegally Yours, book 2 in the same series. Before they are aware of the others occupation Max and Charlie are drawn to each other & have instant chemistry. But after they are aware of the others occupation, it becomes a `fight till the end' with each trying to 'one up the other' and it real makes this book one tremendously funny read! LOVED IT! The plot was believable but oh so crazy, the cynical divorce lawyer AKA the forever bachelor vs. the fairytale planning wedding coordinator. But, what makes this book is that it is not only told from dual POVs but includes tremendous laugh out loud, witty yet sarcastic banter! A wonderful rom-com that you won't want to miss in your Kindle library because yes you will want to read it again it was that engaging & funny! If you can't tell by now, I definitely recommend one-clicking Down with Love!

This is a first read for me by this author and man did I love this book. I laughed so hard and so much! Lol This is the story of Max Henderson and Charlie Love. Max is a divorce attorney and has seen and heard it all. He meets Charlie, the wedding planner for his brother's wedding and is less than thrilled at the idea of matrimony but quietly intrigued by Charlie. Both Max and Charlie have been burned by previous relationships but Charlie has an optimistic view on a happily ever after. This was an entertaining read for me and I loved the banter between the two, I will continue to read more by Ms. Meader. 4 solid stars****


****ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review****

4.5 stars - I treasure every dollar, so when it comes to deciding what book I'm going to buy I almost always check out the sample first. If you're like me, I caution you that the sample likely doesn't show enough. The hero can come off as sexy, for sure, but entirely too cocky to make for a romance I'd enjoy reading. It's not true! He has layers and depth and bruised emotions, but he's the full package. Buy this one, stick with it and you'll see what I mean.

I received an ARC of this book, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A wedding planner and a divorce lawyer! This is a story made for bristling sexual tension, scintillating banter and the inevitable fall. Another good one from Ms. Meader though with a few surprise twists that I didn't see coming.

Max Henderson is a divorce lawyer. He grew up wealthy but surrounded in love. His life experiences however have soured him on marriage and the happily ever after. When he finds out that the woman he's been eye fucking in the bar is the wedding planner his younger brother has hired to plan the wedding of the year he's taken aback but not enough to give up his pursuit of sexy times with her.
Charlie love came from a foster home background until she found the foster parents who made her believe in love and happily ever after. She desperately wants her own love story even as she brings a brides dreams alive on their wedding day. Max with his cynical attitude to love and romance does not fit into what she's looking for but the sexual tension between them is off the charts.
Max for all his hard bitten exterior is a marshmallow inside as evidenced by his gym and punching bag with mission impossible masks to allow his clients to release their anguish and pain and get all they can from their cheating spouses. He's also dedicated in his pursuit of Charlie and I really liked the small touches like the ready to cook meals for her parents and other thoughtful gifts.
All in all a great start to a new series from the author. I can't wait to see Max's partners get their comeuppance.

I have loved the other series written by this author but this one didn’t totally work for me. I don’t think it was the difference in 3rd person POV versus 1st person POV in this book, as I read and enjoy both. I fully admit I’m not a huge Rom-Com fan so I think a lot of this is me and not the book. The good - I enjoyed the characters, the supporting cast and families (something that I’ve loved in this author’s other books) and toward the end I did enjoy this one more. The not great for me - I almost gave up in the early part. I really struggled to get into this one (again romcoms are not my favorite but I do read books w some humor in them). I just felt the writing felt too forced or juvenile or something, but this may be totally normal for these types of books. For example - this line “Chicago is in fine fettle, along with its female denizens. Ladies are digging out their summer wardrobes and unleashing sexy arms and killer legs on a male populace that hasn’t seen skin in months”. And this one - “and we spend a couple of minutes nom-nomming while we catch up with the paused show.” all felt weird and annoying for me. For others these may not be an issue at all. But they didn’t feel like typical writing from this author to me at all. And I don’t enjoy this type of reading. I really liked the lawyer partners/friends and would like to see their stories but I’m not sure if I can handle this type of story again.

As a long time fan of Kate Meader, I had high expectations going into Down with Love. She has written a few of my favorite sports and blue collar contemporary romances and I was really looking forward to reading about a sexy divorce lawyer (Max) and a wedding planner (Charlie) falling in love. Unfortunately, the only thing I really loved about this novel was the gorgeous cover.

I think part of the problem was the first person narrative and the distracting breakdown of the fourth wall. I was immediately jarred because all my previous Meader reads were in third person. I think I could have gotten on board with the change if I did’t have to start the book in the hero’s head.

If I hadn’t received an ARC of this novel, I would have DNF’d the novel after chapter 2. It’s been a while since I’ve read a truly egotistical, self-congratulating, jerk face and I’ve realized my tolerance is very low. The way Max routinely objectifies women then talks about his own self-importance made me want to pull my hair out. I know that heroes are often

Charlie is the gorgeous wedding planner working on Max’s brother’s wedding. Cue forced proximity and enemies to lovers. One thing I did enjoy about Charlie was her unapologetic optimism about love. I also like that Meader didn’t hold any punches when it came to Charlie’s past. She’s had it rough and, completely understandably, has issues both with intimacy and her anger. I was rooting for her most of the book, unfortunately, I just was rooting for her to find someone else.

Charlie and Max had lots of witty banter and plenty of sexy times, but I was so turned off by Max’s attitude, I had a hard time connecting to the romance. I hate it when a hero resents a heroine for her wants and needs in a relationship. Charlie was upfront about wanting a committed relationship and Max pushed his own f-buddy agenda on her anyways.

Overall, I wanted to love this book and it fell so flat, so fast that I couldn’t connect with it. I am still hopeful for the rest of the series because Meader is truly a wonderful author. Fans of Lauren Blakely or Emma Chase might enjoy this novel, but I need to take a break from the over confident jerks.

Max Henderson doesn’t believe in happily-ever-afters, not in his line of business. Being a divorce lawyer, he has seen his fair share of marriages that have gone sour. Ordinary sane people seem to change once they are married. For this reason, Max is the love em and leave em type. He does not believe that love is all rainbows and glitter. He is a cynic. Max’s philosophy when it comes to dating is get in have fun and get out with no feelings involved.

While out with his brother James, Max is quite shocked when his brother announces his engagement to Gina after only dating for three months. What is worse is Charlie, their wedding planner. Max feels an instant attraction to Charlie, but he believes she is taking his brother for a monetary ride and Max is determined to not let that happen.

Charlie Love, owner of Perfect Day, issues a challenge of sorts to the cynical Max. Since, he doesn’t believe in matrimony and scoffs at the idea, she challenges him to support his brother James so his and Gina’s marriage can have a great start. Charlie also feels an attraction to Max, but she knows he will never be the right one for her. She is tired of just dating and wants to find “the one.” Something Max can never be.

So, what happens when a cynic like Max meets a woman like Charlie who is all about love and finding Mr. Right?

Down with love is the first book in the Laws of Attraction series about a team of lawyers who think they know everything about love, but in reality know nothing at all on the subject. I really enjoyed this story and felt it was the perfect blend of humor and romance between two opposites on the love spectrum who couldn’t be more wrong for each other. I could see and feel the attraction they have for one another, although both Max and Charlie never see it going anywhere past the physical part until feelings start getting involved.

I really loved Max even though he was not a fan of marriage. Did he believe in true love? Yes! But, he already has a failed attempt at love under his belt and he is not looking to go down that road again. Charlie also has been down this road before, but her ex-boyfriend made her feel like she was beneath him and when she meets Max she is afraid that he will not see her for the smart and capable go-getter she is. Charlie tries to keep her distance, but Max pushes all of her buttons and she can’t help but get sucked right in by his charms.

Down With Love is a charming and delightful romance that hooked me in right from the beginning. I love romantic stories where there is an opposites attract type of theme throughout. Kate Meader crafted two wonderful characters who are as different as night and day, but still can’t keep their hands off each other. It was fun to read their silly banter back and forth while rooting for them to find their happily-ever-after. I definitely cannot wait for the second book in this series to come out. I need to find out what happens with the other lawyers on the team!

What happens when the divorce lawyer who is against married runs into the wedding planner? Lots of tension, one upping and laughs.
When his brother decides to get married without a pre-nup Max is doing his best to support him. He deals with divorce everyday and knows how this can affect him, however his brother doesn't care. Max just keeps getting pushed into the planning and up close with Charlie.
This book had me cracking up just the way Charlie and Max went back and forth was priceless.

** I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

I seriously smiled the entire time while reading Down with Love. It elicits nonstop laughs and big, happy sighs due to its clever humor, topnotch banter, sizzling sexual tension and heartfelt romance. Charlie and Max are absolutely perfect together from the moment they meet and draw battle lines based on their professions and opinions of marriage. Neither particularly wants to be attracted to the other, but there is no denying they have chemistry in spades. As they circle and resist each other, they realize they have more in common than they imagined and begin to appreciate their differences. Down with Love could warm the coldest heart and induce the most stoic person to grin, and I can’t wait for more of this series from Kate Meader. ~ Mary Dubé, USA Today HEA

Max is a divorce lawyer who is thrown for a loop when his brother announces he’s getting married. Letting his own experiences color his perspective Max is less than thrilled when he meets the wedding planner, Charlie. The chemistry between them is off the charts and their witty banter made this book unforgettable. Down with Love is a hilarious rom-com that I could not put down. I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. If you like Emma Chase’s books, you’ll love this one!

Down with Love is a sweet story about how Charlie Love a Wedding Planner looking for love and Max Henderson a cynic Divorce Attorney who doesn’t believe in marriage; prove that opposites can fall in love. This story will just show that communication is always the best thing for any relationship.

This was my first book by Kate Meader; I found this book entertaining and enjoyable with every page. I love some good bantering between couples and Max and Charlie didn’t disappoint. Plus their sexy time together was steamy.

Looking forward to reading more books in this series!

Loved, loved this romcom!! Opposites that find their HEA with a few bumps in the way. Max Henderson, divorce attorney meets Charlie the wedding planner of his brother's wedding. There is a sexual chemistry that they can not deny.

This is a fun romcom that is told in the first person POV with plenty of witty banter between the two that will have you laughing out loud. Their sexual chemistry is hot. Plus, how could I resist true Cub fans!! I highly recommend this book. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.

The main characters are well developed. Charlie is a wedding planner and Max a divorce lawyer. Of course, Charlie believes in true love and Max doesn’t. But Charlie being a strong woman does not need Max to go along. There back and forth is fun and adds flavor to the story. It lacks the steamy scenes even though there is sexual tension. The enemies to lovers stories are my favorite. I will be waiting for the next book in this series. Hopefully with those steamy scenes were used to from this author.

I feel bad saying this but I judged this book before I even read it. I thought it was going to be a fluff book. A book that had zero plot and was heavy on the sex. Well, yeah, about that. Not what I thought it was going to be. 

Max Henderson is a cynic about marriage. A successful divorce attorney, he has seen what breaking up a marriage can do. It has jaded him against anything wedding related. So, he can't help but bait his brother's wedding planner, Charlie Love. She is opposite in everything. Or so he thinks. It isn't until he kisses her that Max realizes he's wrong about love. Will Max find his happily ever after with Charlie or will he blow it?.

I thought Max was a jerk when Down with Love started. I understand that he was cynical. 100% understand that but to rain on his brother's parade is something else. I wanted to smack him upside his head, hard. I didn't understand why he felt the way he did. His parents were still married and in love with each other. But the more I read his story, the more I understood what drove him to that place. All his clients are upper-middle-class women who were pushed aside when their husbands wanted a younger model. Max saw what a divorce could do to someone who wasn't expecting it. I understood then. But it didn't excuse his attitude towards Charlie the first part of the book. Another instance where I wanted to smack him upside his head. I knew he liked her but he acted like a jerk to her. His attitude changed after the kiss. He went from needling her to helping her with family issues. 

I loved Charlie. She was one of the more real characters that I have read to date. I did get a chuckle out of the thought of a wedding planner with an anger issue. But, when it was explained why she had an anger problem, my amusement turned to sadness. She also knew how to handle Max. Which was great because he needed to be put in his place every once in a while.

The romance between Charlie and Max did start off slow because of Max's attitude. But once they kissed, it gathered momentum. When they had sex, it was hot. The other sex scenes were hot but they didn't reach the levels of hotness that they had the first time.

The secondary storylines made this book. The one that made me laugh was the storyline involving Charlie's foster-father, the dog, and Charlie's foster-mother. I was giggling over it because of the assumptions that the foster-mother made. 

The end of Down with Love was your typical romance novel ending. But the epilogue more than made up for it.

What I liked about Down with Love:

A) Charlie

B) Charlie and Max's romance

C) The secondary storylines

What I disliked about Down with Love:

A) Max, at the beginning of the book

B) How Max treated Charlie pre-kiss

C) Charlie's anger issue

I gave Down with Love a 4-star rating. The book was enjoyable to read with hot sex scenes. Any of my complaints did not affect my star rating. 

I would give Down with Love an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is no violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Down with Love. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Down with Love.

All opinions stated in this review of Down with Love are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**