I cannot say I am someone who won't judge the book by its cover. But if a book is selected to read, then I usually give it a chance until my kindle shows twenty percentage in reading progress. Sadly this story didn't live up to its promise at that time and I almost gave up. I said 'almost' because I changed my mind after getting recommendations from some of my fellow reviewers. Today after closing my kindle I felt glad I heed their advice. I would have missed such an amazing story otherwise.
The warm and witty romance that we expect comes only later in the story. As the relation between Reid and Meg grows slowly and steadily, the story will gradually grow on you. The dialogues interspersed with Meg's inner thoughts, which might be irritating at first, ends up endearing as her creative block evaporates. I have never given much thought to calligraphy, partly due to my terrible handwriting. But Meg's profession, the games she plays with Reid have all opened an unchartered land for me. Trust me, you will never look notice boards in the same way hereafter.
The plot is special as is the writing. Through the eyes of Meg, we get to see another New York, a place mysterious as well as exciting. And Reid . . . is one of the best romantic heroes. If you are in search of a modern Mr. Darcy, then look no further. This man is your typical old theatre. Fewer words, extremely polite and highly intelligent -- that pretty much summarises him. Am I hearing some swooning sounds? Yup! You wouldn't want to miss this.
On the whole, a remarkable romance that takes you to unexpected alleys and will leave you smiling and inexorably happy.

I'm struggling with this review because the writing and the way the story unfolds is so amazing - like a master class in writing - that I feel that I can not describe it adequately. The sense of community, of place, is so strong in this story and we see it through the signs that Meg and Reid look for across the city. I love the connections between things - lettering and numbers and signs and how they all intertwine throughout. Meg's thinking aligns with fonts and styles and Reid's with numbers and games. Their shared love of tiny, delicious food places is another love letter to their home.

Love Lettering also has a really strong balance between things that are obvious to the reader (Sibby's silence) and things that Meg, the narrator, is keeping to herself. It echoes the little hidden messages that Meg can see in her work. The character growth for Meg is just as strong as the love story. This is reflected in her community ties, her work ties and becoming friends with Reid. Awkward friends at first, and then more.

Love Lettering is the perfect book to start the new year with. It just has so many wonderful little moments that tie together with the angst of change in relationships and life. I ADORED the writing and had to re-read multiple passages because they were just so good.

The word swoonsh is going to be part of my vocabulary from now on. I do have one question, though - what is a poet-sandwich boyfriend?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting my request for an ARC of this book. The review below is entirely my own opinion.

***

It took me awhile to get into this story. Honestly, I felt like I couldn’t relate to either character but there’s something about the plot that kept me turning the pages.

I also really thought after reading the blurb that there would be something paranormal or magical to Meg’s ability. I was disappointed to find out that there wasn’t and that she wasn’t a witch or had any magical abilities. 🙁


Note: I personally enjoyed the amount of detail in the descriptions of Meg’s work. There’s a lot of detail that pepper the entire story. Like a lot, a lot. I didn’t mind, but that’s probably because I’ve always found calligraphy and hand lettering to be fascinating. But I can understand why other reviewers have said they DNF’d or got bored. Just an FYI.

The minute I learned that Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn involved secret messages hidden in calligraphy and a grumpy, socially awkward hero that cracks code, I knew that I had to get my hot little hands on this book.

This book definitely did not disappoint and it was such much more than the quirky little story I was expecting. This was all due to all the care that the author poured into drawing out the characters, where even though flawed, they sought as the story unfolded to do the right thing and be a better person.

I genuinely rooted for Meg and Reid to come together, as they began as awkward acquaintances before settling into deep friendship and love. Of course, I couldn’t help yelling in my head at times to ‘JUST KISS ALREADY!’ This book was a lovely slow burn that culminated in a believable and satisfying relationship.

The whimsical and charming first chapter hooked me and I was happy the feeling carried through the rest of the novel. Meg (a letters girl) and Reid's (a numbers guy) relationship begins in an unexpected way which I enjoyed reading about. Kate Clayborn built on that with a steady pace that kept me interested and turning the pages. There's friendship, attraction, drama, love between several characters (best friends, new friends, colleagues), The Brooklyn setting was perfect. I liked the sign game created by Reid that helped him and Meg become better acquainted. The ability to read signs would be helpful in their future. All in all, a fresh and fun love story. I look forward to seeing what Clayborn writes next.

Thank you for an ARC :)

This book is pretty adorable! It felt like a really fun romcom & it will put you in the best mood! The characters are very relatable in the funnest way and the story will bring you out of a funk!

It took me a bit to get into this book but once I did I fell in love- hard. I loved the story. I loved Meg. I loved the walks through New York City. But I really really really fell hard for Reid. He is just the fictional personification of swoon.

I am a huge Kate Clayborn fan and this book just really reinforces all of the reasons why. The writing is lovely and all of the emotions are so finely wrought that I frequently had to pause to ease the ache in my chest. The descriptions of Meg's feelings about the growing distance she feels from the best friend and roommate for example brought up feelings I had experienced with a dear friend years ago and hadn't thought about in ages. I so felt Meg's uncertainty and pain it was like a gut punch. There were so many things about this book that I could gush over but I will just say that I loved it.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Love Lettering is unique and lovely. The main character, Meg, is a complex creative woman, and the story reveals her backstory slowly and believably. Meg is self-involved in a spacey artist kind of way, which is part of her quirky charm, and she works obsessively hard at her craft, calligraphy at which she is wildly successful. The story is entirely in first person POV of Meg, but it avoids the superficial breezy chattiness that can flatten the story in a first-person contemporary romance. It’s a sincere first-person POV, and, at first, it’s slightly disorienting because one really crawls inside the head of Meg. Meg and Reid are delightfully flawed and awkward in wonderful and relatable ways. There is a cast of interesting secondary characters who have their own stories and troubles, which gives the story a surprising depth and richness. In the end, we finally hear our hero’s voice through a letter, and it is truly heart wrenching and powerful. Love Lettering is a magical romance without one wasted word.

Love Lettering starts off very technical with lettering terms. Which if you are familiar with them it will be a fun aspect, BUT if fonts are not your thing, it will probably drag the reading flow down. I personally loved it and thought it was very creative. I enjoyed the main & supporting characters and how they developed through the book. The romance is a slow burn, but I think it lends to the plot. I was intrigued by how the characters processed the world in different ways, but came together to decode it with a game. The female friendships and how they support and uplift each other was a great addition. Modern. Fresh. Creative. Thoughtful. Funny.  - the best way I can describe this book! If you haven't tried a rom-com, this would be a great one to add to your pile. And if you are a fan of rom-com, you won't want to put it down!

An absolutely fabulous read. Like a warm drink of hot chocolate, so cozy.

These two characters, they way they meet again, the reason they, meet again, how the learn each other ! I loved alll of it. Kate always writes characters with such feeling and depth and this one was so swoony and had me on an emotional roller coaster. ESPECIALLY AT ABOUT 82% IN whew...when things went all sorts of OMG!

Reid wow this guy I kind of adored him and his swoonsh (read the book that'll make sense lol) A complex sort of guy, just like our heroine Meg. When i tell you i was so enthralled by Meg's lettering talent, how thoroughly it was presented as part of her character. Makes me wish I had some fancy lettering talent because reading about her planner treatments and lettering was so interesting and simply kept me enthralled that I didn't want to stop reading but ya know sleep is needed at times lol

Meg and Reid are so different but fit just perfectly I think?

so there's the relationship with Meg and Reid, that's budding, then there's the one between Meg and her friend Sibby that's all sorts of shakey but I enjoyed how that was navigated. How it reminded me that friendships need work too. That it isn't always rosie. That bit about Meg needing to learn how to fight (not physically) was so real and true. The growth!

Also, boy does Reid know how to write a grovelly letter and he had some grovelling to do because wow did i not see that black moment coming!

This book was fascinating, and beautifully written.

My few quibbles would be this:

1. I wish we had Reid's POV but considering how shit hit the fan I figured that was why we had just Meg's POV, so we would be surprised by certain turn of events, just as she was. Seeing him through Meg's eyes was great but being in her head was such a fun ride I really wanted in his too, but alas it was not to be!

2. This is set in New york city however I felt like it was just presented as super white???. I'm not even sure a single secondary character that was mentioned wasn't white. Except maybe Shuhei, Meg's friend's partner??? But that assumption is all based on his name cuz no one's race was ever really mentioned.

Overall I did enjoy this book alot!

Initially it took me a bit to get into this one as the descriptions of Meg's job were a bit technical, but as the story went on it all started to make more sense and I could not put it down. This was a really sweet and heartwarming romance with some pretty intimate and well written love scenes. Overall, I really enjoyed it. Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC.

This is seriously my new favorite book of the year (just in time for the year to be over)! Hits all the right notes for me romance-wise with the sweetest characters and such a great premise. I was invested in Meg and Reid's relationship from the start, but also in Meg's business and personal growth. She's one of the most compelling and relatable protagonists I've read in a long time. The theme of lettering threaded throughout was so unique and lent itself to excellent metaphors/imagery without ever feeling cheesy or overdone. I can't say enough good things about this book - I loved it and can't wait to get copies for all the readers in my life. Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy!

Meg Mackworth is known as the "Planner of Park Slope", and is famous in New York City for her custom-lettered planners and wedding invitations. Only at times she has a habit of hiding hidden messages within the designs that she creates when she strongly senses something. Enter Reid Sutherland- the former groom-to-be of a couple she did a custom wedding program for. When Reid shows up one day a year later to confront her about the hidden message he found within the wedding program that never got put to use due to the couple's split, Meg ends up enlisting him to help her find the inspiration she needs for her latest designs, as she has hit a creative wall. Reid accepts, and together, they create games as they travel the various parts of NYC to look at the lettering on the signs and buildings around them, slowly getting to know each other better as time goes on, and eventually falling in love. But Meg sees signs telling her that as perfect as things seem with Reid, they falling in love with him may be a bad thing for her.

There has been a lot of hype around "Love Lettering", so I was pretty excited to be granted early access to read it. While a slow-moving story, it was sweet, with awkward Reid, and Meg, who has come from a difficult family upbringing to NYC to live with her best friend who lately seems to be more roommate then friend.

Thanks To NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a few days to decide what I wanted to write in this review. I had mixed feelings about this book but overall I did really enjoy it. Meg is an artist that makes custom journals and starts a friendship with Reid after he confronts her about his failed relationship that he feels she predicted. I liked the slow burn and opposites attract aspect of the book. Reid was so sweet and I love Clayborn's writing. I wished that the book had been from both the characters perspectives, instead of just Meg. In the end, you understand why that wouldn't have worked but I longed to read Reid's thoughts. I also would have liked more story with Sibby. I'm still undecided about the ending, but I really enjoyed it and will recommend it.

I enjoyed this one but will admit that it was a slow starter for me. I felt a bit overwhelmed at first inside Meg’s mind, keeping up, following along. However, that may have been simply because I am not an artist nor into lettering. The story actively started engaging me around 25% in.

Meg is a lettering artist in NY; Reid is a quant (quantitative analyst). They both have their own issues (Meg discovered some painful family secrets; Reid, because of his intelligence and stiff manner, is often misunderstood). I loved how they began their time together (unique games!), the slow build here was wonderful and they truly felt like soulmates. Out 12/31/19

Thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for providing the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

I always love when you read a new author for the first time and you really enjoy their work. It’s like meeting a new friend. The book is really cute. I liked that it wasn’t a total fluffy love story, both characters definitely had some faults, but in the end it delivered exactly what I was looking for when I reached for a romance/ chick lit book.

If you have someone in your life who loves Rom Coms this would be a great Christmas gift this season!

4.5 stars rounded to 5

I absolutely adored this story. Loved the dynamic between Meg and Reid, and the conflicts in Megs relationships.

I loved that Meg is a strong female character that is able to be successful with her own business (and even made a comment about having a lawyer look over her contracts). I can tell she isn’t a push-over but we still enjoyed seeing her looking for love and experiencing all those feels.

I wanted to go on the tour of Brooklyn with Meg and Reid to find the signs with them instead I was able to curl up with this book and and enjoy it! Meg is an artist and I appreciated her perspective of noticing and looking for signs! We need more of that in this world!

The themes in this story seems super realistic including the tension with Sibby and Meg at times in the book. The unique fonts and the authors knowledge of the different fonts was a fun addition to the book and added to the romantic feel. I want to see this as a movie!

Overall a great read for anyone or even a bookclub and it is highly recommended to others!

I wasn't sure about this one. Love Lettering? I imagined a novel written entirely in correspondence..."Dear Henry,I miss you so much!...,..."

So it was with some surprise and much delight to read Kate Clayborn's newest romance. Meg is an artist, of letters She designs and creates handmade journals and is building a following in Manhattan and Brooklyn, where she lives with her best friend Sibby. Meg is happy with her new career; but is in the middle of a creative block which might derail her future succes. She used to design wedding invitations, programs and announcements, but gave it up when she realized she could see signs that the marriage of the last couple she worked with was doomed to fail When the groom from that couple walks in a year later and confronts her with their announcement, in which Meg had weaved a warning sign, Meg has to explain herself.

Meg, riddled with guilt, calls Reid and asks him to accompany her around the city as she looks for inspiration to help her get over her creative block. Little by little, they open up to each other. Can Meg and Reid see the signs ?

I loved Love Lettering, plain and simple. It is beautifully written, tender, romantic, creative and fun. It's witty, quirky, sentimental and modern. The characters are fresh and different. There's really not a single aspect of this romance that I didn't like. Bravo, Kate Clayborn.

One of my top reads of 2019! Love Lettering delivers next-level nerdery around planners and lettering with a good dose of romance, supportive lady friendships, and staying true to your art. Kate Clayborn uses everything we think we know about left brain/right brain people, creative v. analytical, to show that opposites don't just attract, they really fit together.

Reid and Meg (Meg especially) are emotionally intelligent, communicative and just good people trying to figure out life. (No one's going to be able to say, you could figure this all out, if you would just talk!). Bonus points for no women being villainized in this book.

Love Lettering is clever, funny, and damn sexy. A 2019 must read for sure..