A romance novel where Naomi and Luca exchange hate mail from childhood to adulthood seemed charming initially.

As a fan of books involving communication like letters, I enjoyed the dimension it added to characters and the story. The letters, initially entertaining and charming from a fifth-grade perspective, became tiresome as Naomi and Luca aged. The book's central theme of mean-spirited letters lost its charm, with some becoming downright vile.

Despite a predictable romance and an irritating friend, Anne, the novel had enjoyable moments. It occasionally became repetitive, but likable characters, Naomi and Luca, kept me engaged. In summary, the novel provided a lighthearted and fun read, especially suitable for those seeking an enemies-to-lovers storyline.

Thanks to the publisher, HarperCollins and One More Chapter, for providing me with an advanced reading copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

Oh my god I love this book so much! I laughed and cried in the first 70 pages and the humour is dark but so good!

This book is about Naomi who as a child at school is given the pen pal of Luca. Although Luca doesn’t want a pen pal and have to write to someone so instead he writes something mean in a hope that will be the end of that. But Naomi writes back. And soon the two of them are writing each other cruel letters trying to one up each other for years. Until they stop… for two years.

That is until one morning at work a hate letter arrives and Naomi knows just who it is from.

I did kind of guess early on what was happening but that didn’t take away from anything because I was so excited to see it all play out! The teasing enemies to lover style story is unique and hilarious! I loved the characters instantly and felt all the emotions too. Honestly sped through the whole book and now struggling what to say as when I love a book so much I became speechless and full of gushing. I am gushing of this little book and it’s quirky romance, full of dark humour and teasing and surprises! With a sprinkling of spice.

3.5 ⭐️

From when I first saw the cover I knew this book would be right up my street, how cute is it!? 🥰

I really enjoyed the start of this book, although it’s sometimes rare to find them, I do really enjoy the penpal trope! And I found that it was done so well in Hate Mail! Reading this you wouldn’t be able to tell that this is the author’s debut book, it’s written really well and I felt like the plot was well thought out! I also really appreciate when there’s dual POV chapters, I find it really helpful getting to see both sides of the story in romance books!

I loved Naomi as a main character, she was someone I grew to really admire and I’m so happy she managed to get her happy ending!
I did guess the little plot twist quite early on, I’m not sure if it was intended that way or whether it was supposed to be a genuine surprise to readers but for me it wasn’t. I did find at times I didn’t understand why Naomi or Luca did what they did, there were a couple of times they were just a bit blunt with each other and I couldn’t figure out what was going on, maybe it’s just me though 😅

Overall I did really enjoy this and would recommend it to anyone reading this review! ☺️ For a debut, it really is a beautiful story that romance fans will swoon over!!

Huge thank you to One Chapter, Donna Marchetti and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this in exchange for my honest thoughts! ☺️

"Maybe I wanted to believe that we were only ever mean to each other."

I need to start this off by saying that I absolutely adored the premise and the overall ideas of the story. The characters were really fun to follow along with, the inclusion of the letters throughout was such a sweet addition to the story. I enjoyed that we got scenes with different characters and that they were included into the story instead of them just been neglected for the main characters relationships. I loved the snippets with other characters as I think it brought out funny moments and they were utilised really well for the set up of the story.

However, I personally felt that something was missing. Some parts of the story moved and flowed really well, but suddenly it became a bit jumpy and decisions and actions were being made without any build up or understanding. I found that the jumping around happened mainly towards the end of the story and it was just a shame - I think however it could be easily solved if there was just a few sentences or extra paragraphs between certain scenes that would make the story flow smoother.

But this doesn't take away from the writing that was clever and set up future events very well, a lot of the main plot was fleshed out very well I just wanted more overall cohesion.


Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter for this eARC, I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Hate Mail” by Donna Marchetti:
First off the cover is gorgeous and immediately drew me in. I loved every second of this book.
I immediately fell in love with Naomi and Luca, from the first, hilarious encounter.
I laughed, and screamed, and maybe even cried a little. I was not expecting all the twist and turns in this book.
Donna did an incredible job creating such lovable characters that drew you in from the first page. (And adorable pets also)
This book had it all
* Enemies to lovers
* Dual pov
* Spice
* Comedy
* Plot twist
* Second chance
* Pen pals
Will definitely be a book I will be thinking about and keep coming back too in the future. I couldn’t ask for a better read.
I’m gonna rate this book 5/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 2/5
🔥🔥
Thank you for the opportunity to read this incredible book!!🩷

Naomi is so excited to participate in a penpal initiative at her school. She writes an adorable letter only to receive back the most scathing hate mail...I mean brutal!! Not going to lie, I chuckled when he said her parents were involved in a incestual relationship 👀 Naomi & Luca continue their hateful correspondence for over a decade 🖊️ 📪

The story is a very interesting read with HER POVs set in the present time & HIS POVs retelling his story from their first letter in 5th grade. I enjoyed different timelines because it made the book interesting and paced well.

Romantic relationships 💌 in this story are more of a love triangle variety which I did not expect. While Naomi is trying to locate her childhood penemy Luca she is also heavily involved with her cute neighbor ‘Jake’ aka Husky Eyes. Most of the story centers around the relationship between Naomi and Jake 💕 I had some issues with their relationship with his ghosting and her emotionally cheating but it’s all grey area. The whole story is a San Francisco level fog!! I’m not even talking about the stalking on Naomi’s part 👀

Spice levels were equivalent of a single mild peppercorn 🌶️ not complaining! This is a cute contemporary romance that has a semi predictable storyline but still somehow keeps you guessing.


childhood frenemies
independent & career oriented fmc
vet mmc that fosters kittens 🐈‍⬛
female friendships!
third act breakup
pretty good groveling (3/5)
HEA


Thank you to NetGalley & publishers for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

An adorable love story that had me laughing out loud multiple times, even made the mistake of reading it in class and laughing when the room was silent. Oops. Naiomi got under my skin a bit with how she treated Luca but again I’m not a fan of the miscommunications trope.

This story is absolutely precious. Love with a side of snark and sarcasm. The reader can definitely sen se where the story is headed between the leads, but there are enough twists, turns, big reveals to keep you guessing. It did feel like the end dragged a bit and that would really be my only feedback - I wish that was a little more polished. But overall, I super enjoyed this.

A sweet little book about childhood penpal forming a bond, a friendship, and growing up held together only by the letters they send. I can’t go too much into detail, but whilst a little predictable, this was an easy read that left me grinning multiple times. I can’t lie though, by the end, I was most invested in Bruno, our loveable puppy friend.

The main issue I had was the writing style tended towards more ya, which is fine, but the adult characters and content made it harder to connect with when I felt like they were teenagers

Pen Pals are supposed to send fun letters to each other right? What if your pen pal only ever sends you hate mail for years... until you both lose contact and now two years later suddenly he sends you a letter with no return address asking you if you can find him... will you try? Naomi and Luca have been pen pals since fifth-grade, they're not normal pen pals, they send each other letters that are filled with mean and slightly disturbing things, always trying to one up the other. They keep at these letters for years, from fifth grade to college, to graduation, to more.... and then suddenly the letters stop. It's been two years since Naomi last heard from Luca. Naomi is a weather girl now and when a mysterious letter comes to her at her station... signed by Luca with no return address asking her if she can find him, she can't resist trying to find him again. Things only get more complicated when the very hot neighbor in her building ask her out and she begins falling for him... yet she's also started writing to Luca again.... and the closer she gets to him the more she's going to figure out he is a lot closer than she could have ever imagined. This was the CUTEST book ever. I absolutely adored the hate mail pen pal relationship between Lua and Naomi, it was so cute and hilarious. As someone who loves writing letters to my own pen pals this was such a cute read and I adored it. The letters between Naomi and Luca were so funny and at the same time the way they both wanted to connect to each other throughout the years and fell for one another was so sweet. This is an absolute must read and I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a really cute romance read!

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, One More Chapter for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

i have been waiting for this book for so long and i am so happy i got to read it it was so great i loved it so so so much

This was a enjoyable. Naomie and Luca were relatable and through each of their letters to each other you got to know them better as they grew (literally and emotionally). Lucas story was a litte heartbreaking in parts yl. I think he should have acted better in some aspects but was still hoping for a happy ending for him and Naomi. The mix of side characters was good, though best friend Annie did annoy me multiple times. 3 🌟

This was a cute book. I enjoyed the back and fort of the letters between Naomi and Luc. Some of them were so mean but there was also a thread of connection tying our two leads together which they obviously could not slake. Saw the twist quite early on and thought the truth should have come out sooner. Was not a fan of Anne, she was a little over the top. Overall enjoyed the book as (t made me giggle at various points and get a little emotional as well. 3🌟

I kept seeing this book all over Instagram and was bummed when I learned it didn't come out till March. So I am so glad I got an ARC for this from NetGalley!
Hate Mail was such a cute and funny read! Pen pals is such a cool trope I never thought I would be into, but this changed my mind.

Naomi and Luca were somewhat adversarial penpals from the age of ten, until the correspondence abruptly stopped. Two years later, when Naomi gets an unexpected letter at work, she decides to hunt down Luca once and for all...
I do like an epistolary novel, and this one definitely hit the mark. Although it was pretty clear where the story was going to end up, I was really interested to see how it got there - so much so that I basically read this in one sitting. The dual narrative was deployed cleverly, alternating present-day Naomi with past Luca and building up to a denouement, and the writing flowed really well and contained a good balance of humour (especially the creative written insults) and more serious themes. As debuts go, this is definitely a strong one.

Wow! I loved this from start to finish and absolutely raced through it.

A rivals to tentative friends to lovers story that begins with the a pen pal relationship focused almost entirely on who can come up with the meanest and wittiest insult, and ends up with a cross country pursuit of love (only to realise that some things are closer than you expect!)

The chemistry between Naomi and Luca was so good, and I loved Anne’s friendship - pushing Naomi out of her comfort zone and also calling her out when needed!! Fingers crossed for an Anne focused romcom next?!

Throw in some very cute adopted animals and you really have a perfect romcom.

*spoilers below*
I think about a third of the way in I started to suspect that Jake was Luca - but honestly partly because I liked him so much I didn’t want him to get cast aside!! But a slightly predictable plot doesn’t bother me at all, especially when it’s so well written and so much fun to read.

This was so easy to read and such a fun concept. The idea of writing letters to someone nowadays was enough to draw me in but the fact they were letters of hate had me hooked. The pacing was great and i felt like i couldn’t put the book down, it even had me laughing out loud which is always a good sign. The banter between the characters made for some good chemistry and i really enjoyed Naomi and Anne’s relationship. I did see the big plot twist coming but i liked that there were small clues throughout the story to help along the way. Overall, i would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys romcoms with a dash of enemies to lovers.

'Love Letters' totally blew me away right from page one! Donna Marchetti spun a story that's like a perfect mixtape of romance, laughs, and all those "aww" moments. It left me wanting more in the best way possible.

So, Naomi and Luca's story kicked off in fifth grade with more sass than sweetness. Their penpal game was all about hate-filled letters that somehow turned into this deep, long-distance friendship. But then, bam, the letters just stopped for two whole years. Naomi, though, ain't having that silence. When a surprise envelope pops up on her news station desk, she's on a mission to revive that connection, giving Luca a run for his words.

I'm a sucker for penpal tales, and Marchetti nailed it in 'Love Letters'. The journey from enemies to BFFs to, well, maybe more, felt real and charming. It had me hooked from start to finish.

The book scores bonus points for Marchetti's slick use of dual POV. Switching between Naomi and Luca's perspectives kept me hooked, especially as their stories wove together at just the right moments. It's like a rom-com, but in book form.

'Love Letters' is a heartwarming and fun read that's now imprinted on my heart. Marchetti's got this knack for storytelling, and the characters are unforgettable. It's a must-read for anyone into romance or just looking for a story that'll make you feel all the things. Seriously, you'll be giggling, doing happy kicks, and grinning like crazy. The hate notes turning into sweet messages were a riot, and the slow-burn vibe added that extra sweetness, like a rom-com you can't get enough of.

And can we talk about the cover and title? Adorable! Even the animals in the story couldn't be cuter. Can't wait to dive into more of Marchetti's stuff in the future!

Big shoutout to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and Donna Marchetti for tossing me this ARC in exchange for my two cents. Loved every page of it! 📚✨

Naomi receives a letter from an old pen pal she hasn't heard from in a while. With no return address, her and her coworker are determined to find out where he lives.

The cover is so cute. It was always on my explore page on my Instagram and I was delighted to be able to request and then granted an arc.

It was pretty obvious where the story was headed at the 15% mark. While that didn't make the story any less enjoyable, I did find myself skipping over any dog related or young child neighbor related parts. Also parts were her and her co-worker go on the weekend trips. At the 50% mark I was surprised that there was still another half a book to go through. It was actually a very fast read and I was able to get through it without wanting to DNF it, which I thought I would considering I figured out what was going on so early on. I felt pretty icky throughout the whole thing though and just wanted them to come clean. Both female main character and her co-worker were dumb as hell. I'm not understanding how Naomi couldn't figure out where the mail was coming from when she was receiving it at her work. When they went on their adventure they couldn't think of asking anyone they saw for his phone number? I just thought a lot of the decisions they made were bad ones or just ones that were not thought out.

How much money does the weather girl make? Damn

This book is absolutely adorable. The characters are so funny. This book is so cute and heartwarming.