This is a very thoughtful story that firmly straddles the chick-lit/contemporary romance line for me. The author does a fantastic job of painting letter pictures for the reader, and using that device to introduce and then draw us into the lives of the main characters, Meg and Reid. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever look at a sign again without trying to appreciate it, for more than its face value, even if it’s just a little.

If you’re like me, more of a contemporary romance fan, you get your first and greatest dose of sexy times around the 57% mark. It was at lot longer wait than I prefer, but it was a doozy and probably worth the wait! It’s never said, but I think Reid may have Asperger’s or something similar. There is a fair amount of sexy innuendo but not as much putting-out (actually narrated) as I like to read, hence the 4 stars. In every other way possible this book is perfection -/ seriously a master class on character development, setting the scene and full-on story immersion. There was also a twist or two that I didn’t see coming. I always like that!

I liked this one and would recommend it to a friend.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My twitter feed has been full of anticipation for Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn. I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Meg hand letters planners, invitations, wedding programs and such for clients. Her profile has recently gone up after being featured in the New York Times as The Planner of Park Slope. But as her professional profile has grown, she is losing her best friend for reasons she doesn’t understand and becoming blocked creatively. Reid Sutherland arrives at the stationary shop where she bases her business and confronts her about the code she included in his wedding program. The code spells out MISTAKE. Because of the code, the wedding never happened. Reid wants to know what Meg saw that made her send the message. Reid is a numbers guy. He sees patterns in numbers the way Meg sees signs in letters.

"I keep walking, head up, and I feel as if I’m counting, noticing signs I’ve never looked at before, and that’s saying something. It soothes me in the same way it did back then, when I learned the city by walking it, by paying attention. I learned neighborhoods letter by letter, sign by sign. It’s how I got inspired; it’s how I fell in love with the city but also how I learned to make it here. …There are signs, I’m thinking, to the invisible Reid who won’t get out of my head. You just don’t know how to read them."

They cautiously start spending time together, her looking for a way out of her creative block, him for distraction, both because they feel lonely and isolated. They begin exploring New York City together. Meg starts in a place where she is feeling adrift, but she takes responsibility for fixing what is wrong in her life and actively works to make her life the one she wants to live. Meg is the main focus here and the other characters, her best friend, Reid, her work friends and clients all start out a bit fuzzy around the edges but come into greater focus as Meg learns how to connect as herself without the polite cheerful mask she has worn. I loved that Meg had the experience of undermining herself and taking ownership of her actions and the consequences. Through taking off the mask of politeness she becomes happier and the people in her life become more real. It has taken me years of therapy to get anywhere close to this level of self awareness.

I had an unusual experience while I was reading, I started seeing the story in panels as if it were a graphic novel or an animation that was unfolding. I don’t usually see stories (this is why I love a good film or tv adaptation), I feel them but I don’t see them. Love Lettering comes out on December 31, and will be a lovely gift to yourself as you move out of the holiday season.

I love this book! Kate Clayborn is an author I trust to take me on an emotional journey and she does it again with Love Lettering. I wanted to wrap this book around me like a big warm blanket, curl up on the couch and live there forever.

The heroine, Meg, is so charming and made me laugh out loud with her inner dialogue. When I wasn't laughing I was smiling in anticipation of her next witty quip. Her personal journey through the book is so relatable and makes you want to stand up and cheer for each success.

This book is so many perfect things: a slow burn, a story of a woman coming into her own, and a study of relationships, especially female friendship. I was blown away by the depth of feeling the author communicated through humor. Anyone looking for a sign for what book to read next, consider this a flashing neon one.

Many thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonPublishing for the ARC.
#LoveLettering #KateClayborn

Just received a taste of this book and I absolutely can not wait for more . The characters are alive and I can see the scene play out so well. This chapter was graciously provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Edited 10/29
Received the complete book once again from the publisher and could not put it down . The sample chapter was the perfect tease for this fabulous book . Highly recommend!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for letting me read Love Lettering.
This book is so different to every romance I've read. Meg, the main character, expresses herself through her writing. Not only with what she writes, but also the way it's written. How the script is formed has meaning to her. She's a gentle soul who avoids drama and lives a fairly quiet life.
One day she takes a chance, and what follows is a reflective journey through New York with an unexpected guest. Meg is able to use this time to confront her feelings about her talent, friends and family, and the man she is learning about.
A beautiful, unpredictable story about life and love. A lovely reminder that everyone is different.
4.5 stars

I received a free copy of the complete book LOVE LETTERING by Kate Clayborn in exchange for an honest review. Meg Mackworth is an artist with letters; she’s famous for her hand-drawn custom journals and day planners. A year ago, Meg couldn’t resist hiding a message in a client’s wedding program. When the groom, Reid Sutherland, shows up on just prior to his one-year anniversary, Meg believes he’s there to purchase his wife a gift for their paper anniversary. He’s not. Reid found the message Meg couldn’t resist hiding in the wedding program and he wants to know how Meg knew his marriage would be a mistake. Meg is flustered and thrilled simultaneously. Though she never expected anyone to decode the message, Meg’s thrilled to find someone who understands her. As it turns out, Reid cancelled the wedding before it ever happened; he’s unhappy in New York and plans to leave as soon as he wraps up a project at work. Meg, who loves New York, offers to show Reid what she enjoys most about the city. Through a series of rocky dates where both Meg and Reid struggle with being honest with each other in a way that does not hurt the other, the pair come to understand each other in a way very few others can or do. This is a properly nerdy romance that will resonate with anyone who has struggled to connect to, interact with, and form emotional attachments to other human beings.

#LoveLettering #NetGalley

I had to DNF this book about 25% of the way through. I understood what the author was trying to do in terms of the stationary and calligraphy admiration of the main character. However, I just was struggling to care and the plot was just not as interesting as the author wanted it to be. Maybe I’ll give it another chance someday, but for now I have to sadly DNF.

Oh. This book. THIS. BOOK.

I adored Clayborn's last series, CHANCE OF A LIFETIME. I thought the premise was incredibly clever and the execution was brilliant. So when she announced that she was writing this one, I thought, "She's outdone herself." Hidden messages in hand-lettered programs, planners, and invitations? What an intriguing concept.

The book more than lives up to the concept. It's heartfelt, wise, and clever. Our heroine, Meg, is such a real person in all her talents and insecurities. She's experiencing success but somehow not feeling it, which is so very relatable. And Reid is a classic Clayborn hero. Reserved and guarded, but so tender underneath it all. Watching his walls come down brick by brick is so swoon-worthy.

The surprises in the book are the best: the type where in the midst of your shock you think, "But that makes SO MUCH SENSE!" I don't want to get into spoiler territory, so I'll leave that there.

The best compliment I can give a book is to say that I finished it and wanted to start it all over again. And I may do just that.

I was given an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Love Lettering was a lovely story, and I felt like I went through this life journey with Meg. She starts off in the novel feeling isolated from the people around her (especially her best friend who has become distant), and struggling with an artistic block. She's been trying to come up with a new idea for an upcoming work opportunity, but hasn't had any luck. That's when Reid Sutherland comes back into her life asking about a secret message Meg left on his and his ex-fiancé's wedding program.
After a rocky meeting, Meg and Reid soon find themselves hanging out and exploring New York together and looking for hand-lettered signs in hopes of getting Reid to hate the city a little less, and getting some inspiration for Meg.

It started off a bit slow for me, but Meg was a very likable character, and she grew on me fairly quickly. I have to say that one of the highlights of this novel was watching Meg open herself up to new friendships after years of keeping people at a distance. Also, seeing her and Sibby confront the issues of their friendship was such an important plot point. I thought it was so realistic. Sometimes people forget that as they grow, their friendships and relationships need to evolve as well if they have any hope in continuing them. I just really enjoyed the female friendships that were explored here.

Reid was a sweetheart. There were times when it felt like he wasn't a big presence in the novel. He was pretty reserved throughout, and we didn't get to see a lot of his personality until the second half of the novel. Of course, once we get to the main event, it all makes so much sense. And there was still enough shown of his personality to find him completely endearing. Reid held his cards very close, but he showed signs of being shy, nervous, and having a sense of humor that looked like it was dying to come out.

My only complaint would just be that I would've loved to have seen more of Reid after everything calmed down in the end. We got a small glimpse, but I'm greedy and wanted more lol.

Overall, another fantastic novel by Kate Clayborn that contains realistic and relatable characters.

Meg Mackworth, who makes a living from creating beautiful bespoke journals, made a mistake. One little hidden word in a wedding programme that she never expected to be noticed, has been. One year later Reid Sutherland turns back up in the shop to find out how Meg knew his wedding was doomed to fail.

I liked the journal/calligraphy concept to the book which gives it a very current theme and of course it's set in New York, which is always a winner in my mind.

I really liked how the characters were written and enjoyed the journey of Meg and Reid with their initial akwardness growing into something deeper. I also liked the added side to Reid's story which I thought was in keeping with his character. The ending wrapped up the story well.

Fantasy Film Cast: (Sometimes I see the characters as famous people, some even as characters they have played!) Zooey Deschanel as Meg and I saw Reid as Daniel Gillies (but as his character Elijah Mikaelson from The Originals)

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC

I absolutely loved this book! Read in 24 hours. The details of the story were unique. The characters were relatable and had so much to them, definitely not the flat characters you find in a lot of romance novels. Best I've read since One Day In December. I would 100% recommend this!