When I first saw this book, the cover attracted me and the blurb made me think it'd be a rom-com. It was! It had all the cute, sweet moments and banter but I didn't expect a past trauma.

Mercy our FMC doesn't believe in love and happily ever afters. She thinks that's not something she would have in her life bcoz of something bad that happened when she was eight. Now she's met Brooks, a single dad with an ex-wife involved in his life, she is thinking of things she once thought wouldn't be on the plate for her. They have met each other some years back and had a benefits thing going on but now they meet again and sparks fly and they want to know each other fully clothed. The communication is something I enjoyed in this book. Mercy acts unapologetic and Brooks is accepting. Their bond grew beautifully. And both love music!

This book has the best adult found family. Loved how they all were there for her throughout and also pulled her leg all the time.

And the book has the cutest references from favourite series.

I felt like this story could make a good movie. With so many scenes clearly written, I think this can easily be made into a movie.

Even though I felt a little slow in between, I enjoyed the story overall. I've to check the author's previous books bcoz I liked the heroine's parts in this one.

This was a nice read. Mercy Alexander and Brooks Hudson meet again for the first time in 5 years after two months of weekly hook-ups. They are instantly attracted to each other and decide to date. Mercy is a musician who's cautious about love, and Brooks is a police officer who's used to being dumped. I'm honestly amazed by the fact that Mercy plays five musical instruments, and I understand why she loves music so much – music heals. It helped her escape from her tough life.

Not the main focus of the story, but it gave me a glimpse into the hook-up culture. I didn't know people used fake names, but I guess that makes sense. I thought the origin of Mercy's fake name was hilarious. It made me chuckle. I mean, who wouldn't when the name is Lemon Rockefeller?

I like the way Brooks and his ex-wife Norah raise their daughter Alijah together. It's so healthy. If possible, it would be nice if all divorced couples could prioritise their child like this. Of course, they didn't part on bad terms, which is why they can still remain friends and co-parent comfortably even after finding other partners. I'm just glad that they found an arrangement that doesn't negatively impact the mental health of their daughter or deprive her of either parent.

The story also talks about soulmates, though it merely establishes that Norah, who's a psychic and is usually accurate, said Mercy was the one for Brooks. I find it quite funny how Norah keeps trying to help Brooks date. It's wholesome in a way. It's nice to see an ex-couple being so supportive of each other. Norah's tarot card reading was very interesting. I liked that part.

I enjoyed reading it, but it wasn't spectacular, per se. I liked certain aspects of the book, but it's not splendid. For some reason, it felt as if the book has too much dialogue. I'm not sure if that's the case or if it only felt that way because I was getting a little bored reading. Either way, the writing certainly could have some improvement. Regardless, I think this is a nice book that people may like. It's just not a favourite for me. I recommend this book to people who like reading romance stories with the insta-love trope.

I well and truly loved this page turner. Mercy is single and finding it hard to resist single Dad Brooks. I adored Brooks little girl, she is super adorable. I could really see this book as a movie it would be a blockbuster. My imagination was running wild and I could easily picture the scenes. The author has done a wonderful job of describing the settings and the feelings of the characters. I literally could not get enough and will be on the lookout for more from Aimee Brown.

While they’re not listed as a series, this definitely goes with the last book I read by this author, He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not. Mercy is best friends with Hollyn from that book. This book had some of the best banter, some funny situations, great characters, but also some really deep, emotional background stories.

First of all Brooks was really the perfect guy. It was crazy to think that any woman had dumped him, because he really just was exactly what I think I’d want in a guy. I mean tattoos, single dad, really just a great guy in every way. His relationship with his ex-wife was really fun too. Her premonitions and when she just happened to show up at the restaurant Mercy and Brooks had their first date at added a lot of fun to the story. We didn’t spend a ton of time with him and his daughter together, but it was still sweet when we got the chance.

Mercy had a lot of great friends and found family. Her big brother and his husband were the best family. Her best friend’s mother kind of adopting her as well, what a fun mom. And then there was Hollyn’s brother River, who was her roommate, he was great too. It sounds like his story will be next. Now Mercy had a really tough back story. And once we found out what Brooks did, I had a feeling there was going to be a connection. I really like the way the author handled that too. Nothing done that would just create drama. Everyone handled any “reveals” like I feel real people would do.

A sweet, fun read, and like with the last book, I’m looking forward to more by this author in the future!

I received a complimentary copy from Bookouture and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This book is perfect for readers that love a romance between two scarred humans looking for love. The book follows Mercy who doesn't believe in love and a single dad chasing happy ever after but failing dismally. The author did a great job of making us fall for the characters and the story line. It was hard not to love the characters as they were well developed and the story line quite relatable. The romance is cute but the book also tackled how humans have flaws.

I enjoyed the previous story “He loves me , he loves me not” and was excited to read Love notes after I’ve seen the beautiful cover and description.
Mercy has to overcome her childhood trauma and Brooks is a single dad who in my opinion is too good for his own sake, but he’s your perfect cinnamon roll hero.
They don’t seem to fit at first glance , but as soon as their interactions start to pick up, everything runs smoothly. There are a few heartbreaking moments that made me sad for Mercy but I’m glad the author gave her the closure she deserved.
It’s a beautiful, heartwarming slow burn romance story that will fill your heart with lots love.

Love Songs was hard to start - the first chapter was convoluted and confusing, numerous characters and names were mentioned but not introduced. I almost DNF. I skipped ahead to chapter two and from then I was hooked - the hilarious, witty dialogue between characters had me LOL. I raced through and finished the book in two days. Can’t wait to read more!

I DNF’d this one after 25%. I struggled to get into the story, which is odd because I typically love second chance romances. I think these Brooks and Mercy just weren’t fleshed out enough as characters, and attempts to describe them just didn’t hold my attention. Not for me, but that doesn’t mean it was a bad book!

Was not expecting for the story to be an emotional one, really enjoyed reading. That cute illustrated cover had me fooled. I read through my tears toward the end. The side characters were so good, did not take away from the main MCs. The relationship between Brooks and his ex-wife is a positive one, his kid is great. Mercy and Brooks together just makes sense. The whole book is amazing I’m going back to read Hollyn’s book because I need more Aimme Brown in my life.

4.50 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the E-Arc. I was ready for a deep emotional book because I breezed past some reviews but this was not. It was a heavier rom-com but I was totally digging it. I loved the MMC he was a total DILF and I dont use those words often. I loved the concept of the book and the story. I laughed so much with all of the friends who all had their own spotlight without taking anything away from Mercy and Brooks. Im booking my flight to Portland to go see if I can steal Brooks away from Mercy loved since I loved him so much. I finished this in 24 hrs while adulting it was just such a smooth read cant wait to read more from the author.

3.5 stars//

Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Aimee Brown for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

<i>Love Notes</i> follows Mercy Alexander, a woman who does not believe in love or happy endings, and Brooks Hudson, who is the exact opposite. After a short friends-with-benefits phase under fake names, Mercy and Brooks lose contact until years later when they meet in a bar and sparks fly once again.

I really enjoyed this one actually. The first book in this series, <i>He Loves Me He Loves Me Not</i>, was a fun read, but definitely missed the depth of the characters in this one. Mercy is a very relatable character with an intense background story. Her character development was so precious and I truly believe she is such a well done FMC. Brooks, on the other hand, was missing something. I don't know why I just didn't connect to him. He had his moments, but most of the time, he was just there, yknow? I did love his relationship with his ex-wife and how it was actually a healthy one. We don't usually see that done in books so it was a great addition. I also loved the musical elements and adorable little Alijah :,) The insta-love with little development was one of the main flaws in this book that brought it down a few stars for me. The part where Mercy tackled her past and got her closure to move past it was the part that kept me hooked, surprisingly.

Overall, it is an enjoyable easy romance read, with a bunch of popular tropes, such as friends-to-lovers, second chance, he-falls-first, single dad, etc... I do think with better editing, it has a lot of potential for a higher rating. Definitely worth a read though!

I am almost speechless.. this story was truly beautiful and perfect, it will make you swoon and laugh and it will feel like you are right there!! It is a closed door romance but the sexy banter makes it perfect!!

Mercy and Brooks have had a past friends with benefits romance and after 5 years they meet again and both have love at first site even if they don't realise it at the time. Seeing their love grow as they work through their past together makes you fall for their relationship right away. Their communication is on point, but I wish we seen more of their texting conversations when it was just mentions that they had talked everyday.. I so invested that I wanted to know what they talked about! I loved every part of these too that I need another book just for their relationship!!

I was happy to see Dax and Hollyn from he loves me he loves me not in this book and all the new side characters that we got to meet were so perfect! I want to be in their friend group and to be with all the different personalities that make this story feel so good.

Tropes:
** Single Dad
** Love at first sight
** Second chances
** Musicians
** Dual POV
** Funny Side Characters

Love Notes was a sweet and touching romance. Mercy and Brooks were a unique "opposites attract" relationship. She was the epitome of one night stands and no strings attached relationships whereas Brooks was the consummate relationship addict. Mercy had an innate fear of opening herself up to another person and giving them the power to hurt her whereas Brooks craved the closeness that a monogamous relationship would provide. Could these two find happiness together when their goals are so far apart?

Mercy and Brooks are such wonderful characters. They are both well developed and there's real meat to their backstories. It all really helps to enrich the story and keep the reader engaged. In addition, Ms. Brown did a wonderful job in creating strong side characters. I loved Mercy and Brooks' friends and Brooks' quirky ex-wife is a hoot. Overall, this is a fun and heart-warming story.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

This book was such a treat! I loved seeing Brooks and Mercy's relationship blossom and flourish throughout the story because the two had such electrifying chemistry. You could really tell the absolute love and admiration that Brooks had for Mercy, and I loved getting the opportunity to read the chapters in his point of view. I also loved all the little side stories with Mercy's dad, Brook's child, as well as the whole "she's your soulmate" craziness. The part that I absolutely loved the most though was Brook's reaction to ✨ the thing ✨. I was so worried that he was going to keep it a secret and it would all bubble and blow up, but it didn't and he was honest and up front and GOSH it was great. The ONLY thing that I wish this book had more of was 1) spice and 2) conflict. It almost seemed as if things went TOO well for our main characters, and I admit, I would have liked to see a little more angst. Overall though, I really loved this story, and I will defo be recommending this to friends.

A big thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Two people thinking they don't deserve love and won't ever be able to find it again. I found this such a nice juxtaposition of light-hearted fun characters and there darker more realistic elements and trauma. I also really liked that this touched on aspects that you don't find a lot such as more amicable divorces and single fathers. The only downside was I found this to be a really slow burn and I usually prefer romances to be a bit more fast paced, however that is just me and apart from this the writing and characters were great and this is a really nice romance.

I'm sorry, I had to DNF this book. I'm sure the story would work for someone else but I read up to half of the book and I could not get into it. There were way too many characters from the get go which was very confusing and even the main characters I just could not grasp what they were about because there was just too much going on. Between the band, the parenting, the ex wife, the bartending, the music classes, the father in jail, the previous hoook up. I think it'd be fine if some of this was introduced as it went, but this was ALL introduced in the first 5 chapters and left me thoroughly confused. i tried reading on to see it untangle but by half point it didnt seem worth it.

It was my first Aimee Brown book, and I loved it, just couldn’t put it down. It’s pure perfection, probably because everything is well-balanced. For instance, Mercy’s background story is heavy, but the humor helps a lot to keep reading. All the characters are fun, and I miss them. The story is original, with no billionaire CEO or alpha male. Here Mercy is a classical musician, and Brooks is a cop and a single dad with a bad streak in his dating life. In the beginning, it was a little difficult to keep track of all the different characters, but very quickly, the writing helped me to follow easily.
Although Love Notes is definitely a romance book, it’s different from most romances. I could strongly feel the sexual attraction, and even relish the dirty jokes, but there weren’t graphic sexual scenes going on for pages. Everything was left to the imagination, and I loved it.
Love Notes will release on March 23, 2023, and you don’t want to miss it!

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

"Love Notes" hits all the right notes if you're looking for a heartfelt romcom that will make you laugh, cry, and squeal in equal measure. Mercy and Brooks are absolutely perfect for each other, and I'm not usually one for 'love at first sight' (although I do feel this book uses that trope in a more effective, less saccharine way which makes it incredibly effective.)

This book will be perfect for fans of the single dad trope who are looking for lots of tension in their romances. There is a slightly darker storyline with Marcy's father going to prison, so please take care with your TWs if that's something that may affect your reading experience!

Thank you to @netgalley, @bookandtonic, and @aimeebrown for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was so cute! The FMC, Mercy was a bit of a lovable mess and it made me absolutely adore her. She was down to Earth and had her own baggage she was dealing with but was still a force to be reckoned with. Brooks, the MMC, complimented her perfectly. They were surrounded by a quirky cast of characters that helped them along the way. There were quite a bit of characters and at times it was hard keeping track of them all. I had to go back and reread some parts in order to figure out who was who.

I loved that there was realistic, funny AND honest dialogue. They were very open with who they are and what they were going through. Basically a take it or leave it mentality that was refreshing to read. They were clear and transparent with each other which is not often something you see in a romance story but it was still entertaining to read. I honestly wish more stories were like this. I'm a sucker for witty banter and this book had it in spades. I genuinely enjoyed it. This book is part of a series and I definitely want to go back an read book one because this was so enjoyable.

I adored this book. I have to thank Bolwood books and Netgalley for this opportunity. I was feeling so there, so present. I fall in love with the main characters. Two people thinking they do not deserve more love. But they both have really special friends around. They had many things in common. And also an one night stand few years ago. But this second time they meet everything is different. They both feel something nom thinkable and are afraid of not seeing the other anymore. They are so cute, funny and sweet melt down without really steamy scenes.