I loved this book! 😭 I immediately adored Mercy with her tough exterior & soft heart. Add sweet, single father Brooks into the mix? I was sold.

I loved the quirky, hilarious side characters & the fated aspects of this book. If you are someone who wants to believe everything happens for a reason, this book is for you! 💘

Read for:
🎶 Music lovers
🎶 Grumpy x sunshine
🎶 Witty banter
🎶 Right person, wrong time
🎶 Soulmates + fate
🎶 Friends references
🎶 All the lovable characters

TL;DR: This book was a joy, go read it!

Thank you so much to @netgalley, @bookandtonic, & @authoraimeeb for this great eBook!

this was such a fun read!! it gave me everything i was looking for in a book!! i'm so thankful to netgalley that i got to read this one early. it was a pure delight and everyone should read it!!

Love Notes follows Mercy Alexander and Brooks Hudson’s journey from former hookups to full fledged love. As a child, Mercy suffered sever trauma that left her emotionally stunted. Her inability to accept and give love to men left her resigned to the fact she would spend her entire life alone. Until a late night encounter reintroduced her to Brooks. As an undercover cop working the case that has haunted her for decades, Brooks is just the man to teach Mercy that no matter what dark secrets lurk in her past, everyone is deserving of love.

To say I enjoyed reading Love Notes by Aimee Brown, would be an understatement! Brown does a phenomenal job of creating flawed characters such as Mercy, and turning them into ones the reader both loves and roots for. The built in drama also felt reminiscent of true crime shows I binge watch.

The only downside to this book is that I didn’t know about or read He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not first. While this book is not technically a part of a series, it appears that it would have been helpful. I will definitely be picking up a copy to remedy that.

Special thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

I won’t lie, I almost gave up on this book. Because of the nicknames. Mercy is short enough. It does not need a nickname.

But I’m glad I didn’t.

What I love most about this book is that there was the opportunity for a giant misunderstanding leading to a third act break up. But Aimee Brown *didn’t take it*. It was wholesome through and through. And I really needed that.

Mercy and Brooks have such a lovely relationship and such a natural way of communicating with each other. That kind of made up for how awkward I felt like the supporting characters were.

Mercy Alexander doesn't believe in love while Brooks Hudson can't figure out where he keeps going wrong with love. They meet and Mercy can't figure out why she gets a flutter when she sees Brooks and why she can't get him out of her head. Mercy needs a man to show her what love can be like and Brooks needs a woman who appreciate the man that he is.
This was such a great love story. Brooks is a great character and such a great guy in the story. Mercy is a great character too and I liked how fun she was. Overall I loved this book and would highly recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

I read this as a standalone, and it can absolutely be read this way but it does go hand in hand with her previous book. This book had some great banter and I really enjoyed the character development. I found the audiobook version of this book and listened along as I read, and it was great. Thank you netgalley for the ARC copy

Book boyfriend - check, single dad representation, check, cute funny moments - check, love story you wish would happen to you - check. Romantic comedy perfection - check check! Brooks is the kind of man you wish you would encounter in your daily existence and Mercy is a lucky human for finding him. I swear every romance I read my standards just get higher and higher.

I was prepared for this to be cute, upbeat, and fun. Love notes, does try for those things.

Ultimately, I didn’t have a problem with the premise and writing of this book so much as I found the characters really off putting. They didn’t have much chemistry in my opinion, and separately I just didn’t really identify with either one. They were both a bit flat in their development. Almost too ‘perfect’ if that’s what the author was going for?

I wouldn’t say no to giving Aimee Brown another shot. I did think her first book was better than this one. Unfortunately though, this gets a no from me

Narrated from the POVs of Mercy and Brooks this book delivers so much warmth and hope for a woman who doesn’t believe in love and a man who doesn’t believe in fate until…

Brooks is a fabulous single dad who will make your heart melt. His relationship with his six-year-old daughter, Alijah, is so adorable. I mean this guy sings to her when she has a nightmare, he dresses in tutus, and he lets her win at miniature golf. And then there is his endearing captivation of the woman he had a fling with several years ago who has been serendipitously popping up in his life at unexpected times. He is vulnerable because the women he dates keep dumping him. He has it bad for Mercy, and it is unbelievably charming to watch him slowly woo her while being his kind and generous self. Add in the fact that he is an undercover detective with the drug and organized crime unit who is working a case with Mercy’s despicable and vile father who is in prison for murder. Brooks’ integrity and good character shine as he helps Mercy with her mission to heal from her horrible past by confronting her estranged father. Did I mention Brooks’ tattoos? Sigh…

Mercy is a talented musician who plays five instruments and co-owns their company Love Notes with her best friend, Dylan. The company includes a music shop where they “sell and rent instruments, book gigs, give lessons, and do private work for musician hires in their recording studio”. In addition, they have a side gig as a stringed cover duo and they also play at weddings and funerals. How cool is that? Mercy has a large shoe collection and a wicked sense of humor despite her traumatic past. She thinks love is a joke and has lived her life meeting one-night stands under an alias, Lemon Rockefeller. For someone who only wanted to be loved by her father, the one man who doesn’t deserve her, she only has to look at her friends and her brother who have her back no matter what. But she needs closure and with Brooks’ assistance and unbound respect and love she is able to finally heal and say those three little words to the only man who gives her butterflies.

I adored the assorted, quirky, and lovable secondary characters. I don’t know who I loved more: Mercy’s hilarious man-boy roommate, River, or Brooks’ unfiltered best friend Ozie. They both had me ROTFL. Also, Mercy’s half-brother Edie is her rock who gives her sound advice and has an excellent sense of fashion. Norah, Brooks’ ex-wife is a fun, quirky character with psychic abilities and, of course, I can’t forget the adorable Alijah who loves her daddy and can play a mean version of Kermit the Frog’s Rainbow Connection on the ukulele.

I am so delighted to recommend this wonderful love story about confronting your past and finding the one. The characters are well-developed and intriguing and the plotline is realistic and fun.

Thank you to Ms. Brown for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

The story of Mercy and Brooks. A fun read, full of great charcters. Looking forward more books from this author.

From the very first chapter, I knew that this book would be a favorite and I was right! I enjoyed everything this book had to offer. I might have taken a few more days in finishing it but let’s blame work with that. If I had the time and attention span, I could read it quicker.

Let’s talk about Mercy, for someone who owns a music store and teaches little kids to play instruments, she is carrying a huge baggage behind her. I adore how resilient and inspiring Mercy has been to everyone around her, despite her past. It just sad that her pass made her hard and lose faith in love and marriage. It does really take meeting a stranger to make you change your entire perspective in everything. I’m glad Mercy met Brooks, again, at the right time, when she finally needed it. I love how she changed to become better and faced her past face on (with a little alcohol, of course!).

Brooks is weird, in a cool way. Imagine still having you ex-wife calling you at wee hours of the day to share her weird visions and dreams. But with all that, I love that he didn’t close the doors for their friendship, after falling out of love. The way Brooks cared so much about Ali, his daughter, you know he’d do the exact same thing when he meets the one. And he did care so much for Mercy, which I deeply adore. I love that he gave up a case just to protect Mercy and not have a conflict of interest and ruin both the relationship and his job.

All in love, I enjoyed this book and would really want to pick the author's other books and upcoming books.

Thank you NetGalley and Aimee Brown for this ARC!

This book! This book!! Absolutely loved it!! Looks like these are what I love to read.!

Thank you @rararesources and @AimeeBrown for being part of this tour and reviewing this book. Love Notes is the first book have read from Aimee Brown and it is great read. I liked the characters Mercy and Brooke and how you see them grow through there romance . This is wounderful and heartwarming story and i found it so easy to get into . Mercy seems a lovely person and i did really warm to her straight the way Great plot and characters and was not disappointed by the end. If you love romance comdey you will love this and it did mske me smile. I did enjoy following there story. 5 stars

This book was so so good. From beginning to the very end. I loved the characters and the plot line so much. I love how they knew each other prior under different names and then decided to give their love a chance. Their chemistry was undeniable from the very beginning. I highly recommend this to anyone. It was so good.

I am a sucker for the why do our paths keep crossing and somehow we’re connected due to these other random relationships and coincidences story line. This book had that in spades. These two main characters have had a rough history in life and love, but connect over their shared love of music which made for a heartwarming story. Brooks is desperate for love, and Mercy believes love doesn’t exist for her. I also loved that the characters were older, in their 30s which I so seldom see.

This was an easy read despite some of the heavy topics with loveable side characters. Towards the halfway mark the story itself got a little lost as the pacing wasn’t quite on track, and the use of side character real names/nicknames was getting lost on me. The FMC best friend also seemed to have a big role in the book so I almost thought this was going to be a love triangle trope for a bit. Despite that, I did really enjoy how the author highlighted what a healthy co-parent relationship looks like when you’re divorced, raising a daughter, and wanting to find a new relationship.

Read if you enjoy
Single dad trope
HEA
Second chance romance
Insta love/lust

Thank you to Aimee Brown, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my review.

This was a delightful read that explores the complexities of love and family while dealing with personal trauma and struggles. The story follows the lives of Mercy and Brooks, two flawed and cynical characters who reconnect years after a short fling. The chemistry between them is slow-burning and palpable, and the author does an excellent job of building up the tension and chemistry between them. Mercy is not looking for love which is made clear from the moment she is introduced in the story so getting to see her fall fast and hard for Brooks was adorable.

One of the things that stood out to me about this novel was the well-developed characters. Mercy and Brooks are relatable, and their struggles with their traumas and issues are authentic and believable. The author also does a great job of weaving in side characters, who add depth to the story and help move the plot forward.

The novel's pace is steady, and the plot is well-crafted, with enough twists and turns to keep me engaged until the end. The story is not just about the romance between Mercy and Brooks, but also about their individual journeys and growth, which made the story all the more compelling. I truly enjoyed Brook's fatherhood journey and loved his interactions with his daughter.

The author's writing style is engaging and emotive, and she has a knack for drawing the reader in and keeping them invested in the story. I appreciated the closed-door/fade-to-black romance, which felt appropriate for the story and added to its charm.

Overall, "Love Notes" is an enjoyable read, with well-crafted characters, a compelling plot, and a satisfying ending. I would highly recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance and those looking for a heartwarming story with relatable characters. It's a solid 4-star read that is well worth your time.

Books like this are why I love reading romance. As always, author Aimee Brown delivers a satisfying read that kept me turning pages all night. Well done!

3.5 stars.

"Love Notes" by Aimee Brown is an interconnected standalone. It starts strong enough with two cynical-in-love and flawed characters in their 30s (LOVE!) reconnecting after a fling that happened many years prior. The love force is strong with them when they find their way back to each other, and the insta-love connection is slow-burning and palpable for the first 40-50% of the book. This is not a light, fluffy story, but one with quite a few stakes and traumas to uncover (between the main female character Mercy's father issues, main male character Brooks's job-related trauma, and both Mercy and Brook's relationship woes). Unfortunately, I thought this story lost quite a bit of steam around the halfway mark. From there, there is an almost frenzied rush to the end of the story, so it feels like stuff gets lost in the fray. There are a lot of side characters to keep track of, and I kept getting them mixed up. I definitely thought Dylan was going to be a wrench in Brooks and Mercy's love story. The depth and connection kind of peters out after a while. I did love the relationship between Brooks and his young daughter, as well as the maintained friendship between Brooks and his ex-wife. More of that in romantic fiction, please! I hate it when exes and present partners are pitted against one another. This is a decent book, but it's not my favorite of the year. Be aware that this is a closed-door/fade-to-black romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, Aimee Brown, and Boldwood Books! for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.

Love Notes by Aimee Brown is cute and entertaining. Two rather cynical characters, convinced they’re unlucky in love, reconnect and find sparks are flying. From start to finish it felt as if we knew exactly where this was headed. Sometimes those are the best kind of reads as you can enjoy the story and know there will be a good ending. It was entertaining and definitely made me smile.

Aimee Brown’s Love Notes is a charming, emotional and enchanting contemporary romance that cannot fail to pluck at the heartstrings.

Mercy Alexander does not believe in love and thinks that love at first sight is something to be found between the pages of romantic novels – it certainly does not happen in real life. Mercy is a firm believer in keeping her heart firmly under lock and key and she does not plan on ever letting anyone breach the defenses which she has built around her heart, so why can’t she stop herself from wanting to get close to single father Brooks Hudson?

When it comes to his love life, Brooks Hudson simply cannot catch a break. Despite the fact that he’s a good father to six year old Ali, a supportive co-worker and a respected colleague, Brooks is constantly being dumped because he is too nice! Since when is being kind and respectful a crime? Will Brooks every find somebody who can appreciate all his good qualities? Or should he just resign himself to a lifetime spent having his heart broken?

When Brooks and Mercy meet, there is an immediate flare of attraction. It looks like the happy ending they have both been yearning for could be within their reach – until Mercy’s past rears its ugly head again. Can Brooks prove to Mercy that she’s the only girl for him? Is a future for the two of them possible? Or will their fledgling love affair hit a stumbling block they simply will not be able to recover from?

Aimee Brown combines humour, pathos, warmth and sensuality in an irresistible romantic tale that ticks all the right boxes: Love Notes. A funny, heartwarming and enjoyable page-turner about second chances, letting go of the past and forging forward into the future, Love Notes is a terrific romantic tale guaranteed to leave readers everywhere wanting more.