This contemporary romance/romcom had such an interesting premise and I wasn't quite sure I would like it - letters? Signs? But like it I did. A lot. The author is a beautiful writer, but more than that, the characters were so easy to root for. Reid and Meg were an adorable couple with realistic backstories and conflicts. It was a slow burn with a steamy payoff. I also really enjoyed the subplot between Meg and her BFF Sibby. I will definitely read more from this author.

When I first requested this title it did not emphasise that I would receive the first chapter only, and once I read to the end of that first chapter, I was hooked. The balm to that wound was the note that those who had read the first chapter would receive and email telling them how to get hold of the full book once it was available. I had expected to fall head first into this book, but I didn't. The first half to three quarters of this story were very slow and difficult to get through. I found myself distracted by something else every ten pages or so. I carried on though, and one morning woke up at 8:30, opened up the book and the next time I looked at the clock it was 11:30 - I'd hit *that* point. Hurray.
Meg and Reid's story is not a conventional one, but at its heart has some very important plot points, arguably these are better than the central romance. I never quite felt the connection between Meg and Reid as deeply as they seemed to. There is an interesting twist that does somehow explain that, and does lead to one of the lovelier moments in the book. The link between love lettering and that moment is very clever. I felt the hurt between Meg and Sibby quite deeply, experiencing something similarly painful myself. I thought the development of the relationship between Meg and Lark was also quite lovely and had a natural feel to how certain things were resolved.
Overall, I am glad to have persevered and I did enjoy the last quarter of the book once the plots truly started to unravel. There were times I felt the author was trying to be too clever with the way things were written and as such I lost sight of important notes. The whimsical and poetic tones were a bit too much for me, and I think that's why I struggled so much at the beginning of the book. This definitely improves towards the end,
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kate Clayborn is a new author to me and I am mesmerized by her writing style. Her characters are complex and their evolution is realistic and well-paced. Her writing, with wonderful descriptions of calligraphy that add to the narrative and mirror Meg's feelings and thoughts, felt poetic, artistic like the calligraphy she describes. Reid's clothes and appearance are also a reflection of his inner states. I experienced this book, and it was wonderful.

Having read a couple of other books by Ms. Clayborn before, I knew going in that her writing style is a bit different: more like taking an introspective stroll through the park than a fast ride on a highway. Thus, I expected it might seem a bit slow at first, but I knew if I hung in there, the story would pick up, grab ahold of me, and not let go. And that's exactly what happened. Once Meg and Reid's friendship/relationship took off, I could not put this one down. I was anxious to see how things would play out for them and what the angst would be. I wasn't expecting what it was, and kudos to the author for the unexpected twist. I don't see many of those anymore. The background story between Meg and Sibby added an interesting dynamic as well. I very much enjoyed the book overall, and I know that the unique story will be one I remember for a long time.

A sincere thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing an ARC for review.

Kate Clayborn really wow’ed me with Love Lettering! This isn’t your average romance novel- it’s quirky, unique, and absolutely captivating! I found the premise of this book very fresh and original and I loved the fact that this novel played out like like a movie in my mind! Kate Clayborn surprised me with some well placed twists and turns—great pacing! Love Lettering is a 4.5 star read that would make a fantastic way to ring in the New Year! I haven’t read Kate prior, but I am so excited to read more from her! Love Lettering is most definitely a MUST READ!

Not quite a four but much better than a simple three stars. This book is all about serifs and sans serifs and more importantly growing as a person, standing up for yourself, and learning how to forgive. I thought the couple in question, Meg and Reid, both developed as characters and both dealt with some real, real-life challenges. Meg's fractured relationship with her best friend particularly made me anxious (I might still be a bit mad at Sibby) and I thought the reason for their estrangement was excellent and felt true. Additionally, the uncertainty in Meg and Reid's relationship made total sense. Love a love story where the people are actual adults and grapple with realistic problems rather than manufactured ones.

The twist toward the end was also well-done and unexpected. Love a good and not conventional surprise. Sometimes the handlettering details felt a bit heavy-handed but that might just be me. The love story was pretty well developed, and I appreciated how Reid started to soften up the more he got to know Meg.

From start to finish this book just BLEW ME AWAY. The emotional depth. The learning to be brave and the raw honesty. The connection and INTIMACY… an intimacy that starts long before anyone’s clothes come off. (But don’t worry. Clothes do come off !) Love Lettering is creative writing at its best and a legitimate work of art.

*blows dusts off Eng Lit degree/expired Language Arts license*

Really though. Really. From a Literature with a big L perspective this book is so impressive. I think it moves the bar for romance as a genre and pushes the limits for what it can be and where it can go. The way she uses the letters and font like living things, like characters themselves…it is CAPTIVATING. Like book magic.

And the way KC uses POV… I’m trying to put my finger on it…she crafts this story if we are literally watching Meg’s thoughts. It’s sometimes not entirely linear (just like actual human thought) but it’s never for a moment disjointed or awkward or confusing. It’s wonderful. Such unique, skillful storytelling.

Also. I’m grateful for the psoriasis rep. I was recently diagnosed with a form of psoriasis so this was nice to see.

Do not miss Love Lettering. I am officially seeing the world in whimsically swirling letters and fonts. And it’s a glorious, happy thing, indeed.

Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for the chance to review an advanced copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kate Clayborn is a gifted author and I loved her books about the 3 women winning the lottery together. So it pains me a bit to admit I had a really hard time getting into the book. Meg is an artist; she uses calligraphy and such (hand lettering) and has become quite well known for it in New York. This has caused a bit of a rift between her and her best friend/roommate.

One year ago Meg inbedded a message in a wedding program, she thought only she could see it. But one day Reid Sutherland (the intended groom) appears at her work, asking her how she knew the relationship would fail. As a mathematician he discovered the code. In short: Meg and Reid start to discover the signs of New York together. For Meg, as a way to get over het creative block and for Reid to look differently at the City he is intending to leave in just a couple of months (so, no time for love).

The first part of the book fell flat for me. There was a lot explaining about Meg's work which did not engage me and so it took a while to enjoy the story. The story does get more interesting later on and the author has a way with words, but for me this is not her best work, unfortunately. I will however be on the lookout for her next book(s).

Kate Clayborn is at the top of her game with this one. Spectacular writing, with deep, deep POV in the first person (if first person isn't your favourite, don't worry; you feel so much that you're in Meg's head that you don't even notice that you are), really beautiful metaphors about lettering and signs, the opposites-attract (letters/numbers) romance, the struggles around friendship and connection. Because we only get Meg's perspective, Reid is a bit of an enigma, but it works, especially as Meg's keen observations (which Clayborn does so well in her other books, and here as well) peel back the layers and reveal who he is. It starts a bit slow, but it's laying the foundation for...not a slow burn, but a gradual deepening of feelings between Meg and Reid before they admit them. This is next-level romance writing.

I couldn’t believe that I’m giving three romantic story with full of signs, shining with its bright lights of big city but unfortunately full of conspiracy and action parts, unexpected twisty turn of the story shattered my soft, swoony plot stars!

When I read the excerpt of this book I cursed a few times, because it ended with a sweet cliffhanger and I thought I had to read this book ASAP.I wanted to devour it so passionately!!! I couldn’t give my soul as a payment method(most of my reviewer readers already know I sold it to Tom Ellis, later I learned he was not even real Lucifer, he was a bloody fictional, six-packed character!) but finally my waiting was over, I got my hands into this precious thing.

Meg is a skilled artist, designing innovative, original custom journals and one day one of her client’s fiancée stops by at her office and shows her the wedding program she’d designed for them. He insists there was a secret code written there says: “MISTAKE” (He is a mathematician so he loves to crack codes or maybe he is a crack-head!)

As it seems like it is an obnoxious, weird claim, Meg confesses him he is right and after that she explains him about the things she observed about he and his fiancee’s attitudes throughout their meeting. Before they say their goodbyes, Meg finds out Reid is about to live the city because he hates NY.

Meg’s guilt feelings and her undeniable attraction to Reid helps her to form an idea on her mind. She needs an inspiration to design a special project for a job opportunity and Reid could help her with his logical, realistic, direct approach. She could also convince him to discover the city and the things he may love about big apple.

Reid reluctantly accepts her offer and their big journey turns into an enjoyable game to find the signs and form different letters into meaningful words. So far the book seems like a delicious, different, entertaining rom-com, right?

Meg is the representative of right part of the brain, creativity, artistic skills, dreaming, optimism are her strongest virtues. And Reid is a quiet representative of left part: mathematics, logic, reasoning, analytic thought.
They complete each other so perfectly and of course their shyness towards each, the words they didn’t tell, the feeling they didn’t share, make you want to scream at them: “come on guys, you’re perfect for each other!”

Of course I was waiting for the angst but the final surprising twist was a little overrated and exaggerated for me. I felt like I wasn’t reading a soft, sweet, swoony book and I started to read a thriller with its big schemes and conspiracy theories. That part of the book didn’t fit all the letterings, magical signs, finding the glamorous love in the middle of the chaotic, crowded, dirty, cosmopolitan city of the earth! So I got really disappointed and I wished the author found another solution or big surprise that can be easily recovered from.

Still I loved those characters and next visit at my NYC, I’ll start to take photos of the signs and play the game as like the characters did. I loved the concept and inspirational feelings that book gave me. If I could ignore the last third part of the book, I can give my four stars without thinking. So I still want to read more books of the author because she knows how to write about pure feelings and pour them down with proper, lyrical, soul brushing words.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for sharing this romantic ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review.

A good book is the one that keeps me up at night. And I did spend two nights reading this one, not being able to put it down! I enjoyed it a lot, almost until the end. I wish it had a more elaborate ending, as I feel it was quite abrupt. Or maybe this was just me, not wanting to part with the characters. All in all, I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington Books for providing me with an e-book copy in exchange for my honest review!

A 5-star review- I'd call that a sign.

Meg knew something about Reid even before he knew it. But Reid read her sign, and now wants answers. Meg is at crossroads of her own and on a whim decides to give Reid a chance. That chance is what leads them down an unexpected journey, that is equal parts fun and insightful.

There were so many instances in this book that made me reflect on life as a whole. The complexity of relationships and the evolutions that the protagonists went through made the story realistic. None of them did things that were out of character and they stayed true to themselves even when that was difficult to do. Of course, this doesn't mean the book was predictable, it was quite the opposite and after a long time, I couldn't see the twist coming. The book spoke a lot about signs and reading it truly felt like a sign.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. Thank you to the author and publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Luanna

When I first got approved for the book, it turned out to just be an excerpt. But, just from that excerpt, I realised that I really wanted to read the full book. Imagine my surprise when I received an email saying I was approved to read the book! And it was good! I really enjoyed this book, and not just because I’m a font nerd. I enjoyed that the characters are all a little zany and that they turned the mundane into something fun. Already pre-ordered for a few of my friends as their holiday gift!

Publisher's description: Meg Mackworth’s hand-lettering skill has made her famous as the Planner of Park Slope, designing custom journals for New York City’s elite. She has another skill too: reading signs that other people miss. Knowing the upcoming marriage of Reid Sutherland and his gorgeous fiancée was doomed to fail is one thing, but weaving a secret word of warning into their wedding program is another. Meg may have thought no one would spot it, but she hadn’t counted on sharp-eyed, pattern-obsessed Reid . . .

A year later, Reid has tracked Meg down to find out how she knew that his meticulously planned future was about to implode. But with a looming deadline and a bad case of creative block, Meg doesn’t have time for Reid’s questions—unless he can help her find her missing inspiration. As they gradually open up to each other, both try to ignore deepening connection between them. But the signs are there—irresistible, indisputable, urging Meg to heed the messages Reid is sending her, before it’s too late . . .

*********
I requested Kate Clayborn's "Love Lettering" from NetGalley a while back and I was disappointed when I realized what I requested was only an excerpt. I was hooked with the first line: "On Sunday I work in sans serif." And by the end of the first chapter, I wanted to keep going. I will admit that I might have been biased in part because I'm kind of a print geek. I was a journalism major, worked with a magazine, love all facets of printing (especially the smell of a press room), so even though Meg does hand-lettering as opposed to machine printing, her artist brain really appealed to me. She experiences the world in fonts, and I kinda love that.

Reid, on the other hand, sees the world in numbers, and although you wouldn't think that Reid's factual world and Meg's whimsical world would mesh, they seem to come together so perfectly.

This book is a romance, and it follows the standard pattern of a romance novel. What's important to make something like this stand out is the execution - the character development, the back stories, the interaction between the leads - and I really didn't think there was anything not to like about this. This story made me smile -- a lot.

I would recommend this to my friends. I would buy this for my friends. And I would read it again. Swoonsh!

When I received the 1st chapter of Love Lettering a couple of months ago, I absolutely couldn't wait to read the whole book! The 1st chapter got me HOOKED! Unfortunately, the whole novel didn't completely live up to the hype for me.

I would say the first 60% got a tad boring and I was ready to give up. 60-80% had me intrigued with some great chemistry between the main characters and the final 20% was a very pleasant surprise!! I would give it a solid 3.5 stars based on the interesting and unexpected ending.

Although this wasn't my favourite book, I really liked Kate Clayborn's writing style and will definitely pick up more of her books!

Thank you to Kensington Books, NetGalley, and Kate Clayborn for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Clayborn's writing and characterisation is absolutely amazing. The romance between the two main characters is definitely adorable, but the way that they deal with the baggage that they both bring to the relationship is the strongest part of the book. It feels realistic and relatable when it comes to the issues that they deal with, however it never veers into angst territory with the story staying mostly light and enjoyable.

Clayborn manages to weave together a love story that's also about finding your place in the world. All the while promoting the wonderful and unique things about New York City.

Such a great read.

I loved the main two characters Meg and Reid, each with their own quirks and issues. She loves letters and he loves numbers, and between the they play a series of games with hidden messages. Some unexpected twists in the story keep in entertaining.

NetGalley shared the first chapter of this book a couple months ago. I was so sad when I realized it was only a chapter, and immediately pre-ordered the full book (release date is 12/31/19). NetGalley and Kensington just released the full length book on NetGalley (in exchange for an honest review- thank you!) and I immediately bumped this the top of my TBR list. It was worth it!

I love the romance genre with the guaranteed HEA. And, more importantly, I enjoyed Meg and Reid's story. It's hard to explain Meg's career, but I will try- she hand-letters all kinds of items for people. She used to do wedding invitations and now does personalized date books and calendars for people. She stopped doing weddings because sometimes her decorations/calligraphy didn't go as planned. Reid's wedding invitations were one of those times. Reid finds Meg a year after his she worked for him and his fiancée. He is hoping for some answers.

Meg sees signs wherever she goes- both actual signs with all kinds of lettering and more metaphorical signs about her life. As she and Reid spend time together, we get to explore with them. I liked the new perspective on signs and fonts; I will definitely be a little more aware of signage now. This was a fun read. I will definitely look into Clayborn's backlist.

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.