This was a pretty good read though I do feel it fell into the dreaded first book of a series lull. It had its really great moments and then it had its really low points as well.
The plot was a great one...divorce attorney falls for wedding planner, such completely opposite careers yet there is a balance between the two characters in this book that makes their differences work. The whole Mitzi and Lucas plotting to hoist the dog on Max I felt was unnecessary to the larger scheme of things in this book.
I was hoping for a little more insight into Charlie’s parents relationship...how did things inevitably get rectified between them??? I was hoping to see these things even if in the background.

Overall this was a pretty good book, it held my interest but not a book I would reread in the future.

Our two main characters find themselves on the opposite ends of marriage. For wedding planner Charlie Love it's all about romance and that special day. Meanwhile for Max Henderson divorce attorney, when love has faded it's all war. Just so happens Charlie will be the wedding planner for Max's younger brother. I am a huge fan of enemies to lovers and this story definitely begins that way. Both characters are hardworking in their respective professions and very likeable. Max is more than his playboy ways and the same can be said about Charlie. Both have sides that they have kept hidden.
The first two chapters moved a little slow with the banter between the two feeling forced. Also there are similarities between this book and another wedding book that bothered me. Overall I really did enjoy the book..

I have to say, I really enjoyed this book. I liked both Max the divorce attorney and Charlie the wedding planner a lot. They were fun and engaging and entertaining. I thought the banter, when there was some, was extremely witty and well done. If I have one complaint its that both characters seemed to inside their heads at times. I could have done with less exposition and more dialogue.

Anyway, I still very much enjoyed the book and I'm assuming the rest of the series is about Max's two friends/partners, Grant and the charming British guy whose name escapes me. I hope Grant's is a second chance romance with his ex-wife - I'm a sucker for those kinds of stories.

The first in Kate Meader's new Love Wars series DOWN WITH LOVE pairs a divorce attorney with a wedding planner in a classic rom-com opposites attract situation. The heroine, Charlie Love (not crazy about that name--it tripped me up several times as I kept confusing her with the hero) is planning the hero (Max)'s brother's wedding.

Max is pretty much a typical player, with some cynism about love and marriage from his profession as a divorce attorney while Charlie is more optimistic about love and marriage.

Meader does a good job writing banter and dialogue, in a style reminiscent of Lauren Blakely's writing. Ultimately, I didn't find either Max or Charlie all that interesting or investing. In the end, I didn't really like them that much. I did like the supporting cast better so I'm looking forward to the next book.

All in all, this was a relaxing beach read and I recommend it for some light reading in your beach chair.

This is my first book by Kate Meader and I can't believe I waited so long! The cover drew me in and it matches the inside perfectly! It's full of snark, sass and a witty yet cynical man - plus it's set in Chicago one of my favorite places.

Max doesn't believe in love. Why? Because he's one of the most sought after divorce attorney's in the city. Jaded should be Max's middle name. Charlie is the maiden of love. Her business, The Perfect Day, is a premiere wedding planner. She's planning Max's brothers wedding and they are thrust together into a crazy plan!

I laughed and swooned so much through this book! Max is so funny with his attitude and Charlie gives it right back to him. This group is the kind that a girl would love to have in real life.

I can't wait to read the next in this series...

Down with Love by Kate Meader is an over-the-top sexy contemporary romance that will have you laughing from page one.

If Max, the hero in this story, wasn’t a fictional character he’d totally win an Oscar for his A+ cynicism, quickly followed by Charlie’s quick wit. Yes, the divorce lawyer and wedding planner trope may sound cliche as heck, but trust me that this story is far from it.

It’s not that Max doesn’t believe in love, he’s actually been head over heels for someone who didn’t reciprocate his feelings. He’s not against falling in love, but he’s just careful now.

Charlie is in love with love and lives vicariously through the weddings she plans. She goes above and beyond what her clients expect of her. She’s been nursing a broken heart and Max is everything she doesn’t need.

Sparks fly the moment these two meet. Their banter is incredibly funny and sexy, and when they finally give into their attraction…let’s just say things only get better and go in a direction neither one expects.

This is my first time reading Kate Meader and I’ll say I’m now a fan. Down with Love is the first book in this new series, and will be out this August. I’m already anxiously waiting for book 2 in the series, and have no clue who’ll be the main characters. Regardless of whose story it is next, the secondary characters in book 1 are extremely likable so I’m positive the next book will be as good as this one.

This is the first book that I have read by Kate Meader. The only word that I can think of to describe this book is WOW !! I was hooked at the very first sentence of this book. I absolutely loved Max and Charlie. From the moment they meant the sparks were flying between the two of them. They both were very stubborn and refused to give in to what each of them wanted. What they both wanted was each other forever !! It took some doing and some meddling friends and family. It took a lot of wrong turns and hurtful words. I loved every second of it. This book had it all and I really hoping that Lucas's and Grant get there own books. Let me tell you I am 100 percent certain that their books would be just as amazing as this one. Thanks so much NetGalley. I voluntarily reviewed this book in exchange for an honest review.

It is always amazing how the opposites attract story can be played. I was hooked into these characters right away. The slow realease of explanations about how each character became the way they are was keeping me turning the pages as fast as I could. I was not putting this book down, that is for sure. I will be on the look out for more by Kate Meader!

This is my first book by this author and it definitely will not be my last. Max Henderson is a divorce attorney who’s been burned in the past. Charlie is a wedding planner who’s had her own relationship issues. These two are a match made in heaven. The chemistry between them jumps off the pages. I have recently gone through a divorce and would have loved to have had an attorney like Max! He’s definitely not your average divorce attorney. I look forward to reading more books by this author! 5 STARS,
“Advanced Reader Copy kindly provided by Netgalley”

What happens when you are a promising divorce lawyer and your brother wants to get married. Well Max finds himself drawn to, Charlie, the wedding planner. Everything Max is against is want Charlie stands for. Watch as they slowly break down walls and get close to each other. Will they last despite how they feel about each others professions.

What a great book! This is a new author for me, and I absolutely love a story that is well written, full of witt, sassiness and humor throughout the book. This book has that and more, Max is a high level divorce attorney whose younger brother has just popped on him that he’s getting married to his dream woman. Of course given what Max does for a living, he’s a bit skewed on the santuray of marriage, especially when he meets the wedding planner who will be in charge of his brothers nuptial bliss, Charlie Love. I adored the banter back and forth with these two characters, and when they finally make the plunge into some pretty hot and steamy love making, it’s truly off the charts. Loved Sully and Donna, Cujo was pretty funny, and loved the guys at the firm, the punching palace was hysterical and actually a great idea. Max and Charlie are two people who have pasts that keep them from feeling like they deserve to be happy in the love and marriage department, but find out it’s worth finding out together than apart.. Well worth the read.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book

This book was only okay. I'm not the biggest fan of hate to love story lines, so I already know I'm not the main market for these books. I kind of wish it had more interactions with their family members. I think the next books might also be interesting though.

I'm Down with Pretty Much Anything written by Kate Meader. Her style and characters all resonate with me. She weaves a story that you feel you can belong in. Her people could easily be your people they are so relatable. After her series' mixing the worlds of restaurants/fire fighters/politicos/hockey players, all based in Chicago (great city btw), she has added the legal eagles into the group. Her background facts are spot on with her locale and professions. It's nice to read about places you are actually familiar with -- and even if you aren't, you clearly get the picture! Max is a divorce lawyer with a major chip on his shoulder, Charlie plans glamorous, glorious weddings for the people who still believe. Charlie's newest client, unbeknownst to her, is Max's brother. Max, being who he is, plans to make sure Charlie doesn't do anything to take advantage of, or otherwise control his brother and/or this wedding. The story has the making a major cliché, but Kate does not allow that to happen. These two people have real world problems with their personal lives, family, careers, etc. They fight, they deny, they do everything they can to keep to their own beliefs. But, the spark is there waiting to be allowed to ignite! Kate has once again woven a tale you wish you were invited to. I want to hang with these people and be part of their group. Get this book and join Kate's world. After reading one of Kate's books I guarantee you too will get sucked in. I'm already anxiously awaiting the next in this series.

This is the start of what seems like it is going to be a really sexy and enjoyable series! I loved this book, it is full of so much heart and soul and love which is ironic given the title! What better opposites to pit against each other than a super sexy divorce attorney and a very sassy wedding planner. It's such a great match! Talk about opposite ends of the love and happily ever after spectrum. Smart, witty and sexy dialogue with some very steamy depositions between Max and Charlie certainly made this a light and easy read that I couldn't put down.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

Down with Love was our first book by author Kate Meader. Although the synopsis sounded similar to other books in this genre, it still sounded like a fun light-hearted read. Plus we normally love the friends to enemies storylines.

However, Down with Love was a bit predictable. We enjoyed some of the flirty and fun banter between the main characters, but honestly we were also a little bored with the storyline and we didn't find a great connection between the two main characters.

We will definitely try other books from this author, but this one wasn't for us.

This book was ok for me, I think I was expecting to laugh a little more but I didn't. We meet Max who is a commitment phobe player and a hater of all things weddings. He ends up meeting the wedding planner who is going to plan his brothers wedding Charlie. They are instantly attracted but they are total opposites in their beliefs, him having been burned before and also being a divorce attorney doesn't believe it can last. Charlie is looking for the one, since her last relationship bombed she is wary of the next guy. Max is intrigued so he goes after her, this is the part that kind of bugged me, I understood a little why Charlie was wary but she needed to get over it.

This book was so good!! I loved so much about it. The blurb initially drew me in because of the career choices the main characters had: a divorce attorney and wedding planner. I was intrigued by this idea and wondered how it was going to work.
This book was so different than other romance books, in that I felt it was a lot more realistic towards love than others I’ve read. It spoke a lot of marriage because of their chosen professions. Most books I’ve read don’t really touch much on marriage, but mostly the falling in love and romance, not the ever after. But, it doesn’t pretend a good marriage is something easy anyone can do. It makes you realize how much work people put in their marriages. I found this so refreshing for a romance novel. Don’t get me wrong it was still very lighthearted, and funny but had a lot of depth to it as well. It also had great marriage and divorce quotes at the top of each chapter which I definitely highlighted several.
The main characters had a great first meet. I loved the banter and chemistry between them. They both had a really great backstory, which made them very likable. The author also introduced the characters for the rest of her series, and gave a short backstory on them. I can’t wait to read the next book!
As a former Chicagoan, I loved all the city talk! And as a huge Cubs fan myself, I adored the scene with the game and how she heckled the umpire. I was laughing hard at this scene!
My only problem with the book was that while there were alternating chapters with viewpoints from both main characters, it actually felt like one person speaking. I found it really hard to figure out who was speaking and had to flip back through to see.
Overall, I really liked this book and would absolutely recommend this to everyone! Looking forward to the next in the series!

* ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Down with Love is the first book in the Love Wars series. Single, fierce wedding planner on the hunt for a husband meets cynical divorce lawyer dead set on never getting married. These two opposites keep meeting through twists of fate and not so subtle matchmaking attempts by their loved ones making for plenty of opportunities to ignite sparks. The premise of the story is sweet and there were some cute, funny scenes. However, as much as I was looking forward to reading this book, the writing style was not one I could embrace. I kept having to walk away from the book, especially in the beginning chapters, so I struggled to find the rhythm of the story. I am not a fan of characters that speak to the reader as I feel it cheapens the story.

I'm hoping by the time I finish writing this review I'll know what I'm rating this one because I'm definitely wavering between a two and a three.

<i>Max Henderson hit on me pretty hard at that bar a week ago and turned cool when he found out who I am and what I do for a living. But I suspect he's gotten over his initial gripe. After all, why allow principles to get in the way of the needs of your penis?</i>

DOWN WITH LOVE, the first of Meader's new series, matches up a divorce attorney with a wedding planner. I wouldn't call this a hate to love, or even enemies to love, but it's definitely an opposites attract situation. They are thrown into each other's orbit when Max's brother, James, proposes to his girlfriend and their three-month-out wedding requires mega planning which is a job that Charlie (who has the last name Love and I still don't know how I feel about it) is more than capable of handling.

"<i>It's hard to determine where we stand with the whiplash of moods you present, Max. One minute I'm the matrimonial Antichrist, the next I'm a damsel in distress.</i>"

This was fairly typical 'redeem the player' fare, with that fun -- though becoming a bit predictable -- trope of having the woman turn the man's casual ways back on him; which has him not only questioning his past behaviour but also forces him to admit that maybe the reason he's bothered by said casual behaviour is because he's feeling.. feelings.

"<i>I'm not really dressed for dinner. I thought I'd just--</i>"
"<b>Wham-bam the hell out of me, then leave me a boneless mess curled up in a fetal ball on my floor?</b>"
"<i>On your bed. I'm not completely heartless.</i>"

There were times that I was really enjoying some of the banter and the dynamic between these two, and other times I felt I had read it all before and yawn I was bored, which ultimately made me realize that while this was a perfectly decent rom-com(ish), it just didn't offer anything new or get me invested in the characters. DOWN WITH LOVE was at turns really aggressively sexual in the case of both characters' fantasizing about the other, then also trying to play things off sweet or sassy -- even throwing in some emotional layers in the case of dead parents, foster system, childhood stutters, and not so great past dating history -- and while I found them both sympathetic at times, I don't think I really liked either of them. The supporting cast was fun, though, so maybe the next <i>Love Wars</i> book will be more my style.

<i>I know it's a cliché to want what resists you, but as she already thinks I'm a cliché, then I'm okay with playing that role.</i>

If you're a fan of some Blakely-style fourth wall breakage, or rather a fan of Blakely in general, enjoy a good opposites-attract & redeeming the player trope, and also baseball, you'll like this one. I just expected to laugh more or, if I couldn't get that, I just wanted to <b>feel</b> more.

2.5 "Netflix has broken up more marriages than you'd think" stars

I love how Kate took two characters who seemed to be total opposites but deep down were truly the same! Both max and Charlie found what they needed without having to give up who they are! Through each other they were able to bring out the best of one another while also finding out how to compromise on the worst!

I love how both Charlie and max when faced with obstacles found ways to pull through and make those obstacles work in their favor!