**Disclaimer: I received an ARC of Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.**


This Book is so beautifully written! There are many moments throughout Love Lettering that are just lovely. It's such a captivating love story that uses art and the power of art to describe love. This Book is all encompassing and I felt like I was wrapped in a warm blanket all throughout Love Lettering. A must read.

I loved this book! How cute and actually charming (books that have charming in their descriptions aren’t usually very charming). Meg was a unique main character in that she was a calligrapher, which is such a nice change from marketing person which is so frequent in these rom-coms. Meg’s story was so well told and didn’t focus only on her romantic relationship, which I loved, but really dove into many different relationships women tend to have (best friend, daughter). I gave this 4 stars because some of the descriptions were above me and I had to google a lot of typography definitions. It made it hard for me to imagine the characters. But otherwise the story was wonderful.

Love Lettering follows Meg Mackworth, famously known as the Planner of Park Slope. Know for her hand-lettering skills, Meg designs custom journals, artwork, and wedding invitations. When former groom, Reid tracks Meg down for hiding the word “mistake” in the invitations for his wedding, she enlists his help in a project, and the two form an unlikely friendship. But Reid is planning to leave New York by the end of summer unless Meg can convince him to stay.

One of the things I really loved about Love Lettering was how it was not at all predictable. Sure there was a cute love story there, but the overall plot did not follow the usual course. It’s a story about two lonely people who fall in love over a series of scavenger hunts in New York City.

It started strong, drawing me in right from the beginning with its whimsical nature, but slowly lost steam as it tried to develop into a story. It almost had the feel of a short story lengthened into a novel. While it dragged a bit in the middle, it reached a point in the story where it all came together and that made it worth the wait.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the review copy!

First I want to thank NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this opportunity! I was really looking forward to this book. I kept seeing it everywhere and the more I heard about it the more I wanted to read it. I had read so many positive reviews before starting this book. I found this book to be slow and too descriptive for me. I love some description to help build the story but this was just too much. Too much time is spent on describing Meg's thoughts about almost everything and everyone she encounters. I felt there needed to more development on the relationship between Meg and Reid. The book does have the potential, just wish that there were more Meg and Reid.

Kate Clayborn’s newest romance novel, Love Lettering, will have you looking at signs everywhere you go! Known as The Planner of Park Slope, hand-lettering icon Meg Mackworth is busy designing beautiful custom journals for New York City’s elite. She also has a knack for reading signs that other people miss. Like when she sat across from Reid Sutherland and his gorgeous fiancée, and knew their upcoming marriage was doomed to fail. But no one would notice the secret word that Meg wove into their wedding program, right? She hadn’t counted on sharp-eyed, pattern-obsessed Reid.
When Reid tracks Meg down after a year to find out how she knew that his life would implode on him, Meg doesn’t have an answer. She’s already too busy dealing with a looming deadline, a broken friendship, and a bad case of creativity block. That is, unless Reid can help her find inspiration among the city she loves and he hates? As the two begin to form a connection, both Meg and Reid try to ignore the fact that their friendship might be turning into something more. But the signs are there—irresistible, indisputable, urging Meg to heed the messages Reid is sending her, before it’s too late.
Simply put, this is a really inventive and unique story! The emphasis on words, letters, and numbers really makes the story stand apart from other romance novels. As many readers and writers probably know, using the right words can make or break the meaning behind them. This novel shows how words, letters, and numbers affect people in different ways. The games Meg and Reid play are so interesting to read about and the way Clayborn describes the letters Meg sees is detailed and beautiful. The reader can really visualize the letters and see the beauty of Meg’s world.
What also makes this novel stand out is the fact that it’s not just a love story; it’s a story about a woman trying to reevaluate her priorities and they way she approaches hardship in her life. The romance aspect of the novel was sexy and fun and watching Reid and Meg both open up to one another is so much fun to read about, but Reid and Meg’s connection only helps to make their faults and insecurities shine.
The whole setting of New York City and Brooklyn really solidifies the idea that New York is a city where anything is possible. Where two adults can walk around taking pictures of old street signs and not turn a single head; where a celebrity and a calligrapher can become friends; where someone can run away from one scandal and end up running into another one; where someone can find love and create her own family when her biological one is in shambles. Overall, this is a great story that will inspire anyone to follow their dreams and take destiny into their own hands. Sometimes, following the signs will lead you on the right path.

I stayed up late finishing this book. That is a rare occurrence these days. So while I don’t think this was perfect, it was consuming. It was intricate and interesting and unique.

This is the story of Meg, a hand letterer who is having a bit of a mid-life crisis. She has a big career opportunity and is having a creative block and is lonely, with her best friend drifting away. This has a romance but Meg was central to the story as it is told from her POV entirely. I do prefer a less one-sided story with greater interaction between the hero and heroine, but Clayborn weaves magic here and drew me in. Reid, the hero, was lovely. He was shy, reserved, awkward. He was honest, caring and patient. While I loved Meg, I would have enjoyed Reid’s POV too. Their attraction was clear from the start, and how they overcame their self-imposed obstacles was a fun journey.

So, I have been sitting on this review for a week now. And I haven’t been sure what I wanted to say. These things come easy sometimes, others not. I guess it’s a not this time. What I know is that Kate Clayborn is an amazing writer. Her writing moves me in small or significant ways every time I read her stories. This was no exception.

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. This is my honest opinion.

This is my first Kate Clayborn book and I found it to be quite enjoyable. It was unique in its use of codes with numbers and letters as a back story. Meg, a talented calligrapher and "letterer" runs into one of her former clients, Reid. Meg had worked for Reid and his fiancee months before on their wedding program. Reid confronts her about the hidden code placed in the program which spelled out MISTAKE. He wants to know how she knew his marriage wouldn't succeed.

From this shocking meeting, Meg and Reid continue to float in and out of one another's lives and gradually enter into an unofficial "project" together. Over the course of time, they each learn how much the other means to them. Meg is in the process of trying to expand her career by growing her independent company into something with much more exposure. Reid is a quantitative analyst who understands numbers better than he sometimes relates to people. Their differences and insecurities often lead to misunderstandings between the two. On paper they appear to be very different, but they are actually a perfect match.....you could say the numbers definitely add up in their favor.

This was a sweet romance with a twist along the way that I didn't see coming. I enjoyed Ms. Clayborn's writing style and look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and Ms. Clayborn for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Really cute, if predictable, story about a woman who does hand lettering and calligraphy work who accidentally on purpose hides a message in a clients wedding program that the wedding is a mistake. The would-be groom confronts her after the wedding is called off and they end up connecting and eventually end up cultivating a friendship and then a relationship.

The characters are flawed, but in believable ways for the most part, and their development throughout the story is really good. Enjoyable, easy beach read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc!

Meg, a whimsical artistic letterer, and Reid, a serious analytical no-nonsense man, meet for a second time when he confronts her about how she knew his relationship would fail. They both have an underlying connection of looking for signs and decoding messages.

I’m not going to lie, I had a hard time getting into this book. I’d say until I hit the 25% mark I was struggling, lots of letter references. I was trying to wrap my brain around all the letter descriptions. Meg is having a creative block and she convinces Reid to help her sort it out.

I’m so glad I stuck it out though because it was such a good love story! They truly learn about themselves and discover each other. It’s a slow building relationship where they learn what makes each other tick. They’re both so different but it’s written so well you appreciate how they complement each other perfectly.

I loved her reference to Reid as being very masterpiece theater. Since I like historical fiction, I got everyone one of the references and they cracked me up. I can completely visualize how Reid was acting.

I was hooked in how they shared their lives with each other and their bond grew. This book had substance and a real story underneath that so many romances don’t have. It was so well written and I couldn’t put it down at the end. The beginning was a little abstract for me but I understand the purpose of it in defining Meg. LOVED this story and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Kensington & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I want to write a love letter to Kate Clayborn to thank her for writing "Love Lettering."

Sounds cliche and horribly pun-y, but it's true. So consider this review my love letter.

I am in love with this story, head over heels in love.

It's mid-December and I'm considering not reading another book this year because I kind of want to 2019 with this book that I absolutely freakin' adore.

"Love Lettering" is the story of Meg Mackworth, a twentysomething who has become the 'Planner of Park Slope' because of what she creates with lettering and designer in planners, journals, and at one point, wedding invitations and programs. She's an artist. An artist who puts a bit of herself in her work. An artist who might've left a secret message in a wedding invitation for heiress Avery Coster and Wall Street 'numbers guy' Reid Sutherland. That message was MISTAKE.

They don't get married, Avery and Reid. And Reid wants to know what, and how, Meg knew.

This question leads to the story of Meg, of Reid, of Meg & Reid. And it is an amazing story. It would've been so easy to make this story simply a romance, but Kate Clayborn didn't do that. She created three stories in one, because Meg and Reid are their own fiercely independent people who hide things and keep secrets, to protect themselves and to protect each other, and hold back until just the right time for things to go from one step to the next.

The story is in turns funny (Meg's inner monologues are hilarious because they are so relatable), mysterious (whatever is happening to Reid makes your heart clench for him before you even know), heartbreaking (the things that happened to Meg and Reid are not things they deserved), endearing (you can't help but become wholly invested in rooting for these too), and satisfying (it's all good, all perfect in it's own Meg & Reid way in the end).

"Love Lettering" is, at it's heart, a story of friendship. A story of what friendship can be, a story of how friendship can evolve and grow. A story of how sometimes you have to fight with every fiber of your soul for friendship, and how that fight is worth it.

This book is, easily, one of the best I've read this year and I hope very much that you'll read it too.

(Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advance copy of "Love Lettering" in exchange for an honest and original review.)

Received an Advanced Reader's Copy from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Love Lettering was both wonderfully whimsical and supremely quotable. There's not a single page that that I turned without quoting or laughing or having my heart moved at least a little. There are those few books that make you feel like you're curled up beside a fireplace with your favourite drink cupped between your palms as you lean in conspiratorially, speaking in soft tones and silent laughter with a close friend. 

Love Lettering is one of those books. 

What I loved about Meg and Reid was that they represent real people, with real flaws, real problems, real insecurities, real doubts and pain. They're real people in a real world, however, they just see things we don't always see. The book is snowflakes upon snowflakes of signs; the ones you see, the ones you miss, the ones you love and the ones that scare you. A woman who loves letters and a man who loves numbers and the story of how these two characters find where the love they have for their respective glyphs fit into their lives and in turn, how these two fit in one another's lives. 

This book is a fantastic read on how to work on relationships, but it's so subtly done that it fits beautifully in the unravelling of the story. Some of the secondary characters have some very very crucial role in Meg's understanding of what a healthy relationship looks like. I love how Meg actively works on what she has learnt. It's what all of us would do, when we find a healthy solution to something that has been plaguing us all our life. We'd insistently work on it, trying to find how this solution fits in our life and how we can change some of it to suit our needs. 

Sometimes while reading about Meg and Reid you feel like you're cradling a newborn baby in your arms for the first time in your life, or caressing the wings of a butterfly or holding gently the wrinkly soft hands of your grandparent. The vulnerable beauty of that is evident in both of them and their interactions and it makes something soft and sweet bloom inside you that you want to protect, cherish and hope for in your life. 

There are certain people in this book that upset you, certain things that hurt and being more used to characters that lash out, hurt and spiral, we're a little shaken with how different it is in Love Lettering. In the beginning you want them to just cut their losses and leave, but would we do that in our lives? To people we've known and loved with all our heart? I wouldn't. I would try. I would speak, put effort and try again. Meg is gentle in a way most of us probably are in real life, perhaps that's why it took me a moment to ease myself into the pattern. 

Love Lettering is definitely not a predictable read. It takes you by the horns in the most gentlest way possible. But when your world turns on its head, whether gentle or not, it is always evident. Five stars. I highly recommend it. 

Happy reading!

5 Swoonsh Stars!

This is my very first Kate Clayborn read and if the rest of her library is half as good as Love Lettering, I'm destined to become a devoted reader.

Love Letting was told in a single-POV by the heroine Meg. Fortunately, with Meg's apt and expressive voice, I never felt that I missed Reid's POV. I quickly fell for him and his regal poise, brusque honesty, and insecure tics, all shared through Meg’s keen observation. As for her, Meg’s character stirred a reaction in me and I simply felt like I understood her. I may not have ever had the exact thought processes as Meg in relation to her artistic pursuits, but I got how her artistry infiltrated her view of the world. I was fascinated by her compulsion to assign letters, shapes, and lines to what she saw and to what she felt, emotionally.

Together, Reid and Meg are best described as lovely. After a somewhat complicated beginning, the couple chose to become (mostly) transparent with each other. It was a reader’s delight to experience this couple's journey without the miscommunication and omissions that so often plague couples in contemporary romance. Therefore, the angst and conflict were more authentic and less manufactured by unnecessary drama.

The entirety of Love Lettering was a leisurely-paced, slow burn romance and it was EVERYTHING! If a book is going to move at a slower, but consistent pace, it needs to keep me invested with interesting details, meaningful characters, and graceful prose. LL had all of that along with some delicious swoon, witty banter, sweet friendships, and a convincing twist.

Aside from everything positive that I've already highlighted, the grandest compliment I can bestow is this: Kate Clayborn doesn't feel the need to spell out every thought or contemplation in a character's head, but allows the smart reader to draw the right conclusion by showing through physical actions and responses. I absolutely love when an author treats the reader with above par intelligence and doesn't relay redundant information or stay in a character's head beyond what is obviously necessary.

For me, Love Lettering was unequivocally original and enchanting. It was near perfect in it's pacing, writing, and story arc along with a sweet romantic reward. Absolutely, sigh-worthy!

Meg and Reid meet cute - sort of- when she designs the program and other materials for his wedding to Avery, a wedding that doesn't happen but Meg doesn't know that when Reid shows up at the shop she works out of to show her that he's found the word "mistake" in her work! HAH! Against all odds, these two- an artist and a math guy in banking - built a special and deeply romantic relationship. I admit to not understanding the game they play with signs throughout NYC but that didn't matter- the heart came through. I learned a bit about calligraphy (I'll never look at Bloom Where You Are Planted the same way too!). There are some terrific supporting characters (why is Sibby acting oddly? what about Lark- love Lark!). Reid's not a relaxed person- but there's - heads up - a lengthy very steamy part (and another shorter one later). This isn't a straight line romance and there's one heck of an interesting twist near the end. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

I've read the first chapter/excerpt from NetGalley and I need this book, like, now-ish, please and thank you.

Okay, having read the entire book (as a free preview, because apparently wishes do come true), I enjoyed this, but I guess I was hoping for more of a magical realism aspect.

The tour of New York was fine, but the twist was just a little Deus ex FBI for me. You thought he was engaged to be married? Psych, just kidding. No baggage here, totally a nice guy doing more than his Civic Duty.

I loved this book. The writing was just, well breathtaking. There is really no other way to describe it. Meg is one of my favorite heroine's of the year--compelling, flawed and oh so very real and lovable. And Reid is the perfect match for her, no matter how they struggle. The best romances are those where the main characters HAVE to be together, where the reader roots for them because there is no other option and Love Lettering completely accomplishes that. The book was just fabulous and brilliant and cannot recommend more.

Love Lettering was the first book by Kate Clayborn that I've read. I had originally been given access to the first chapter and it had me intrigued. Lately I've been really enjoying easy, light reads and this one was exactly that... and you know what, it didn't disappoint! I loved how New York City was basically a character in its own right. Given I'm planning my first trip to NYC in the near future, all of the details of the walks through the city really resonated with me. Overall, I enjoyed this book and thought it was an interesting, unexpected plot line. Also, Meg's job made me want to buy how to books on lettering. Anyway, if you enjoy light, easy to read romance, this is a fun one. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and was so excited to read it after seeing multiple positive reviews on my social media! I jumped right in and while I loved the characters the author developed, I found it a slow read as it was very descriptive, to the point where I was skimming to get to parts about the characters and dialogue. Reid’s character was such a pleasant surprise as the story went on, I was somewhat shocked with the twist near the end. Overall, it was a good story.

I read the many positive reviews before beginning the book and was really looking forward to reading my ARC copy of Love Lettering. I found it to be slow and actually too descriptive. Too much time is spent describing Meg's thoughts about almost everything and everyone she encounters. More emphasis should have been put on the developing relationship between Meg and Reid, the main characters. The book has potential ....just wish that there was more about Meg and Reid. Sorry to have to say that I am very disappointed because I really wanted to like this book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and I am happy to give my honest review.

I love Kate Clayborn and was very excited to get this book. The publisher teased me with the first chapter and I couldn't wait to dig in more. It's such an interesting concept for a book and felt very much like a Meg Ryan romcom.

Meg is a hand-letter artist who designs planners, invitations, and other fun stuff. She has been feeling stagnant in her career and creatively blocked when a former client calls her out on some subliminal messaging in his wedding program. Reid, the disgruntled ex-groom, wants an explanation so he can move on with his life after his failed engagement. He is a staid and stoic mathematician on Wall Street and she decides to become his friend.

They slowly and deliciously fall into a relationship, first as friends. They walk New York city playing games in finding signs on businesses. The whole book is wonderfully worded with descriptions of letters and the feelings those words create.

I loved Meg and Reid together. I loved seeing Meg grow into her own with her friends and coworkers, learning how to fight for the relationships that mattered most. I loved Reid's growth into feeling more in control of his life and his choices. I was surprised by the big moment that kept these two apart which made it even more satisfying to see how they worked it out.

This is one of my favorite reads of this year and one I definitely recommend. It mixes a bit of nerdy with letters and numbers with two characters who deserve the love they find in each other. It was a delightful book that I can't wait to read again.

Love Lettering" is an original piece of work filled with secret codes and messages (my favorite portions of the book), flawed characters and symbolism that made this downright unputdownable.

It's like wow. I am pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this. No joke. I had previously read some reviews and anticipated the worse with this one but I was nearly knocked off my feet with this uniquely written contemporary romance concept. The characters' storyline was refreshing and the pace was painful on the intake but gradually started to improve chapter by chapter. I kid you not, my eyes glued to my screen, taking all the words to heart and then without missing a beat, I found myself in a whimsical journey of self discovery and as the story unfolded, Reid and Meg great character development.

In addition, if you're looking for a whirlwind romance, this is not the book for you. This slow burn novel can either make it or break it for most readers, and the romance aspect to Meg and Reid relationship didn't start until a little after the halfway mark but the wait was worthwhile.

This is a must have, must read, must everything is book for any reader looking to close the year on a high note.