Loved this book! Great development and tension on both sides. Based on this novel, I would definitely pick up another book by Ms. Meader. She's got a fab take on contemporary romance.

4 STARS

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange fro an honest review

I really enjoyed this book! This is a bit surprising to me because I go into many romance novels with pretty low expectations, hoping they'll be good, but not expecting greatness. This book had surpassed my every expectation by not only having a great romance, but also having a terrifically written plot as well.

There were many things I enjoyed and I'll start with what probably was my favorite part: the characters. Both Max and Charlie were incredibly well-written as complex, multi-dimensional people. I enjoyed reading from both their perspectives and especially loved their interactions. The side characters were pretty great as well, and I particularly loved Gina and Lucas, whenever they popped up.

Helping to develop the characters was the fantastically done plot. The pacing was on point in order to help the relationship between the characters grow at a steady pace. Nothing felt to rushed, and my attention was held with bated breath, waiting for the two characters to finally get together. I also appreciated that every twist and turn in the book had purpose and wasn't just there to cause needless drama.

And of course, I loved the romance. There was the right amount of build-up. The perfect amount of tension. And wonderful development. Not to mention all the steamy scenes.

All in all this might be one of my new favorite romance novels of all time. Definitely worth the read!

Those unfamiliar with the American Songbook standard “Down with Love” (by Harold Arlen, who also wrote “Over the Rainbow”) will be cheated of how hilariously the lyrics of that 1930s classic align with the irreverent, sexy, sweet, flirty and fast-paced latest from Kate Meader, also titled “Down with Love.” I guess things never change. Here’s a taste of the tune:

“Down with love the flowers and rice and shoes
Down with love the root of all midnight blues
Down with things that give you that well-known pain
Take that moon and wrap it in cellophane”

But back to the story. In short order we are introduced to Max, a hot but disillusioned divorce attorney, and his brother James, over-the-moon in love and ready to marry fiancée Gina with the help of Charlie (Charlotte) Love, a wedding planner looking for love herself.

Although there is instant attraction between Max and Charlie, neither wants to like the other as they stand in opposition within what they term the “cycle of love.” One for happily ever after, one for ending a marriage.

They’ve both been burned by love. Charlie, from a troubled background, still believes in HEA, while Max is highly suspicious, although he hails from a loving, affluent, family. It’s a neat trick that Meader can spin our expectations until we’re to the point we’re wondering, which one exactly is the cynic, and which is the romantic?

In between we welcome non-cliché characters: family members of both H&h; besties of Max and Charlie we can only hope will have their own stories; and a great dog that steals scene after scene. Oh, and some classic Hitchcock, who of course directed suspense, surprise, snark and love in equal measures.

But in essence “Down with Love” is a story about marriage: pre-marriage, post-marriage, checked-out marriage and everlasting-marriage. Normally I am not a fan of authors beginning chapters with a quotation, a tweet or a song reference. I feel that’s lazy. Don’t tell me what to think, least of all in a cheat. But each chapter is headed up with little snippets regarding marriage. The intros are sometimes funny, other times crushing and other times just plain smart observations offered by the famous and the unknown alike who know what they are talking about.

Check out the Arlen song, and preferably pianist/singer Blossom Dearie’s cover. You will smile all the way through, just as you will reading “Down with Love.”

Enthusiastically recommended. ARC received for an honest review.

Down With Love is a typical rom-com. It was a good, quick read. I was a bit unsure at first as it was a bit wordy and found that I didn’t quite get the electric connection between Max and Charlie. It came together in the end. Again, I liked it well enough and thought it was okay, but I think this isn’t a book that I’ll remember.

This love story was good. It’s started really good but it kind of slowed down a little. I think if the story was a little shorter it would of been better.
What happens when you think you can’t find love again. Max is everything you don’t want.
Charlie is in love with the idea of finding love. When both worlds come together it’s a reality check for both of them. They learn that sometimes love takes time and it’s okay to not be okay all the time.

Down with Love by Kate Meader is Chic lit at it's finest!! This is book #1 in the Love Wars series and I can't wait to devour the rest of this series. What happens when a divorce lawyer & a wedding planner cross paths & sparks ignite? Charlie Love & Max Henderson are on opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to love and marriage but they sure can't seem to get enough of one another. This is a summer MUST, Down with love will be hitting the shelves in a store near you 8/7/18 be sure to mark your calendars now, this would be the perfect book to close out a summer getaway. I'd like to thank Netgalley & Ms. Meader for the opportunity for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Again, a must-read for this summer ladies ;). Be sure to check out my new blog for all my reviews and tops picks.

When a wedding planner and a divorce lawyer are put into forced proximity when the lawyer becomes the best man for his brother's upcoming wedding, the heat is on!

For those who have loved Meader's sexy Chicago romances, including hockey players and firemen, this will not be a disappointment. That said, this was decidedly sweeter? Still super sexy, but overall just a really lovely little romance without quite as much of the angst. It was nice to see an alpha male who loved to dress well, likes to cook his Hello Fresh subscription, and his willing to let you cuddle on his rooftop deck while watching classic films.

Loved it, I couldn’t put this down.... what happens when a handsome divorce lawyer meets a sexy wedding planner? Sparks fly? Excellent storyline and great characters......

This was my first book by this author and I’m now a fan! Absolutely loved this book. There were real and true laugh out loud moments. Max and Charlie are phenomenal, I fell for all the characters and want to know each of them! I want more! I think Grant and Lucas deserve their own books thanks for the great read!

This was a quick little read that would make a good summer romance recommendation. My only qualm was with the occasional patronizing attitude of the male MC, but I believe he worked that out with a bit of character growth. Would recommend!

He's a divorce lawyer and she's a wedding planner. Sparks fly.

I really enjoy enemies to friends romances if the exchanges are banter rather than bicker, and this was no exception. The standard tropes are here: they're both smoking hot, fighting attraction from the gitgo. But she sees him as a hardened cynic, busy tearing apart the relationships that she hopes to send off with lifetime good memories.

The attraction wins out first, of course, in time-honored lusty fashion, making this a fun beach read. But what I really enjoyed were the side characters. This one had the advantage of being a new series, so we don't have the usual overly coy aren't-we-happy scenes with former series couples in their delirious love (which can drag the pacing in their sameness, especially if you haven't read the preceding books); instead we get siblings and parents, each of whom is dealing with relationship issues.

I also liked the way Meader avoided the cliche of making her hero a shark lawyer out to hurt the female side of the divorce court. Instead, his specialty is older woman who've been dumped for a younger model as soon as the kids are out the door. Further, the heroine is not all bubbly and sweet, she has had a tough time as a teen and can be abrasive at times, though she tries hard to control it.

Into this switching up of usual roles mixed with traditional tropes were a lot of insightful comments on what makes a marriage last. I really enjoyed this aspect of the novel. You know what you're getting here, including the climactic misunderstanding, but the pleasure was in the examination of relationships, specifically long-term marriage.

Sometimes you read a recipe and like the ingredients, but the final dish just doesn’t work. This book has the ingredients I love, handled in a way that makes a perfect dish of a book. Divorce lawyer and wedding planner could so easily have been a trite, cliched story, but this version was rich and full of insight into what is the secret sauce that makes a relationship or a marriage work in the long run.
Often when both principal characters are strong, outspoken, and smarting from a past experience, you get an over the top, drama laden tale that ends up being sort of nonsensical. Both of these characters were strong, determined, and yet endearingly vulnerable. The push and pull of their relationship didn’t seem, forced or tedious; it seemed natural and necessary for them to progress. The entertaining relationships of the secondary characters, including Max's brother, his partners, and Charlie's parents, are each lessons in their own way to Max and Charlie about the difficulties, hard work and rewards of commitment.
But the best part of this book was the author's amazing way with words. The dialogue was sharp, witty, and natural. There was not a lot of extra, meaningless verbiage, and it was clear she chose her words carefully. And while it was as entertaining as any book I’ve read in this genre, funny and sentimental at times, it also left me with some thoughts to ponder about our relationships with friends, parents, and loves. I’ll look forward to the next in the series. I’d love to read more about any of these characters, including the parents!

This is the first of Ms. Meader's book that I haven't out right adored in a very long time. I enjoyed it - sure - but I felt the pacing was a little off and the whole work could have stood to be a bit shorter. I'll be posting a full review of this closer to publish date, but I will still recommend fans of contemps to pick it up.

Kate Meader is an automatic read for me whenever I see one of her books available for review and/or purchase. I first discovered her when I won a book on Goodreads. “Flirting with Fire” part of her “Hot in Chicago” series is one of my favorites. If you are recently discovering her, there are many series written by her. Her most recent is “Chicago Rebels.” Whether she is creating hockey players, firefighters, divorce attorneys or wedding planners Meader always writes interesting, multifaceted characters that are of all different backgrounds and races! So, kudos to her for that! To add to her already wonderful writing her storylines are always unique and intriguing. Once I start reading about one of her couples I can’t wait to see how their story will evolve and how the characters will work out their differences.
“ Down With Love” is not different! Our heroine, Charlie Love ( how fantastic is that name?) is a wedding planner. She is planning the wedding of the hero’s brother. Max Henderson is a divorce attorney and a sync when it comes to love. When they meet there is an instant attraction but Charlie is focused on finding her partner in life and she already has Max pegged as a bachelor that is enjoying being single. Max also jumps to the same about Charlie, although he finds her attractive he already “knows” about the type of person that she is. As Max and Charlie spend more time together they begin to realize that they are not over past hurts that they both have endured. They also realize that as they begin to get to know each other more, they are also more attracted to each other.
For me, this is a classic book by Meader. She writes about diverse characters ( yippee!). Her characters always evolve and she strips away the layers and we get to really see not only past events that shaped these characters but we, as readers, get to have a new way of looking at these characters. One of my favorite things about reading Meader is that she is so funny, her characters have such funny, witty and enjoyable dialogue! The scene with the dog in the park- so funny 😊 That is my teaser. The worst part of reading Kate Meader is that now I am counting down to her next book and already hooked on Grant and his ex-wife! Happy Reading!

A divorce lawyer and a wedding planner? Oh yeah, it works. Works so well that I devoured it in a matter of hours! Love this story, the characters, and yeah, I love this author. Setting the pages on fire while also adding in enough sweet romance to make you swoon is a hard thing to do, but Kate Meader always does it! Can't wait to see who goes to "war" next!

Max Henderson sees the ugly side of marriage…divorce. It can be an ugly process and he’s seen enough to make him put marriage under the “not happening” column of his life. Now his baby brother is deciding that marriage is going to happen for him and he’s actually using a wedding planner. Wedding planners are not at the top of Max’s list of favorites. However, Charlie Love seems to have placed herself at the top of Max’s favorites list.
Charlie Love, perfect name for a wedding planner, loves making wedding dreams come true; even when she has a nay-sayer like Max Henderson annoying the crap out of her. When she started planning his brother’s wedding she knew Max wasn’t going to be the easiest person to deal with but never did she expect someone so anti-weddings.
Okay so I have to say, when I first started this book, I HATED Max. Charlie constantly refers to him as “cynical” and that is the perfect description for him. Eventually you get into the meat of Max and well…..he’s not so bad. As a matter of fact, he’s pretty darned cool. Max is not your typical divorce lawyer, not that I really know what a typical one is. With him it’s not just about sticking it to the other party. Once you get to know him he’s a big ole softy and a romantic to boot. He’s been burned so naturally he’s trying to ensure that never happens again. But he didn’t intend on Charlie happening; he didn’t even see her coming. By the end of the book, I loved him!!! Charlie isn’t quite what you’d think. You’d think she was all “head in the clouds”, “in love with love”, “rainbows/unicorns/butterflied” but she’s not. She got an edge to her that makes her a force to be reckoned with when it comes to Max. She’s got some demons and some insecurity of her own to deal with that makes her want to stay as far away from Max as possible but these two just can’t stay away from each other.
I had a lot of fun reading this book; the dialogue and banter were right on point. The humor was there and the characters were great. I love it when the supporting characters have a real place in the story and I’m pretty sure there will be some stories coming about Max’s two friends Lucas and Grant. There were a few sections were things dragged a bit and I found myself wanting to skim but I stuck it out. Can’t wait to see what’s next.
Another great beach read.

Kate Meader scores a home run with this sizzling hot story of a jaded attorney and a bubbly wedding planner. The plot is fun. The characters attractive, steamy and hilarious. Great secondary characters and description of yuppie life in downtown Chicago make this story one you will want to stock your beachbag with! Don't miss this standalone!

This story was cute to start with. I did have some issues getting really into it though. I read about half of it and hope to come back to finish it in the future. It may have been me and not the book.

Down With Love was a very cute story! Fans of Emma Chase and Julie James will adore this cute tale. Any reader who inhales books with sexy banter throughout will really enjoy Kate Meader's work. I highly recommend it for a fun, quick, and flirty read that still packs a punch.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Down with Love is the first book in Kate Meader's new Love Wars series. While I was excited about this book from reading the blurb, I had a really hard time connecting with the characters. For some reason I was just not able to get into their story like I have with Kate's books in the past.

Charlie Love is a wedding planner and Max Henderson is a divorce lawyer. It's clear from their first meeting that they can't stand each other, but there is also a very evident sexual attraction. Max labels himself as a "forever bachelor" and Charlie had rough teenage years and she has a temper that still makes an appearance every now and again.

Because Charlie is planning the wedding of Max's brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law, the two continue to be in one another's orbit - even when they think they should be able to avoid the other person! As they spend more time together it becomes evident they aren't going to be able to outrun the attraction. Once they give in will it truly be one and done or is there a future out there for them that neither one is looking for?

The book was funny and sexy, I just wish I would have been able to connect more with the characters. I have no doubt that most people will be able to though and will thoroughly enjoy this latest offering from Meader.