This book had me giggling at the very first chapter. Frenemies and penamies Luca amd Naomi are hilarious in fifth grade, writing awful things to each other trying to one up each other to see who can write the nastiest thing. And as children this is harmless fun!

What starts and verbal jousting and one up man ship soon turns into a friendship that spans 12 years, both a constant in each others lives. Till 2 years ago and the letters stopped.
Suddenly Naomi receives a letter at work and along with her bestie they start a mission to try track him down, determined that Luca wont have the last word this time.

What to expect:

🌸 Banter
🌸 Lots of animal love
🌸 Hilarious situations
🌸 Great romance
🌸 Fade to black scenes (minimal spice)

This romance was a breath of fresh air I loved the fresh new ideas. It was extremely easy to read and had me laughing throughout. I loved going on the ride with Naomi to track down her long lost pen pal rival Luca. Naomi was a loveable character and I was really rooting for her! She was fun, warm and kind. The writing is so easy to consume and this was an easy 4.5 stars for me!

4.5 stars
I love this book
Thank you One more chapter for gifting me this e-arc
I’ve never read something like this
I love it
Words can’t express how much I am in love with this book

In the current times of social media it's refreshing to read about letters sent between penpals. These "hateful" letters are compelling and funny and make for an enjoyable, entertaining read.

Having recently finished some (brilliant but dark), thrillers, I was looking forward to a lighthearted and 'fluffier' read. And 'Hate Mail', seemed like the perfect choice - a sweet, funny tale of childhood feuds and a search for love, makes a delightful romance.
Unfortunately however, this was not a story for me. Why? I could see how the story would pan out from the opening pages, and while this is not an issue if the reader continues to enjoy the journey, my frustration with the protoganist made this difficult. Naomi seemed to be just too naive - she has a fear of flying, which is fair enough for the reason proved very frustrating to me. I can't believe that a modern woman would make such an error.
Having said this, there are some very funny moments in the book that I did enjoy, in particular the scenes with Anne and their boss. Plus, there are animals! Cute puppies and kitten, so I must give credit for their inclusion as I love stories where animals are adopted.
As I said, not for me, but I can see this book being popular with less-cynical readers - especially with St. Valentine's day coming up!

3.75 ⭐️- I thought this book was so fun and cute! I loved the idea of pen pal enemies, and loved all the adventures Naomi was willing to go on to find Luca. The one thing I didn’t love was the main miscommunication plot line, however I thought the characters were adorable (especially the animals!!), and would recommend to anyone looking for a cute romcom read!

H Mail by D. Marchetti, published by Harper Collins UK / One More Chapter is the debut novel.
There is a bit of a build up, so don't give up, once you reached 40 percent you won't regret it.
Well written and intriguing a read that had me in knots sometimes.
Blurb:
Naomi and Luca have been pen-pals since fifth-grade. Well, more like bitter rivals caught in an epic battle of insults and verbal jousting...
But what starts as a hilarious chain of hate filled letters, slowly develops into a friendship spanning coasts and years. That is until one day, years later, when the letters suddenly stop.
It’s been two years since Naomi last heard from Luca. Two years since the letter that changed everything.
But when a new envelope turns up out of the blue at her desk at the local news station, Naomi is determined not to let Luca have the final word.

It’s a lovingly told love story with two flawed, but deeply fascinating characters at its center. No other book made me reread after I finished it. It quickly became my favorite book and it surprised me in such a good way that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fully articulate.

Naomi and Luca have been pen-pals since school, although their correspondence is far from friendly with insults flying back and forth for years. A strange friendship develops but when Naomi doesn’t hear from Luca for a couple of years she starts to wonder what’s happened to him when suddenly a letter arrives out of the blue at her workplace.

I really liked all of the characters and it was an enjoyable book. It did drag out the obvious conclusion rather but a nice easy read.

Thanks to Netgalley and One More Chapter for this ARC

A romance book about two people writing mail, in this case, hate mail, to each other from childhood into adulthood sounds like a charming idea, and for most of the novel, it was.

I am a sucker for a book with mail, letters, or any other sort of communication. It adds dimension and depth to the characters and the story. In the book, the two main characters, Naomi and Luca, have been pen pals since fifth grade and have been sending each other letters ever since.

The letters were fun to read from the perspective of fifth graders; they were mean and juvenile, but they were still entertaining and charming, given their supposed age. The letters did become a bit tiring, and they "got old" as Naomi and Luca got older, but their letters stayed the same. The whole idea of the book was that their letters to each other were mean, and that was fun for a while, but some of the mean letters were simply vile and without charm.

Naomi and Luca's romance was predictable, even though a big part of the book was Naomi trying to put all the puzzle pieces together. Predictability does not always take away from the story, but it would have been fun to guess along with Naomi in this case.

I found Anne, Naomi's friend who had a prominent part in the book, to be insufferably maddening and pushy, which was a shame as I did not enjoy it whenever she was there.

The novel undoubtedly had its cute parts, and I enjoyed the general reading experience. However, it tended to become slightly repetitive at times, making it dull from time to time. Luckily, I found both Naomi and Luca to be likable, for the most part, and that made me want to continue to read their stories.

To sum up, the novel was a lighthearted and fun read, including the letters, which I enjoyed. This would be a perfect choice if you are looking for a fun sort of enemies-to-lovers novel.

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.

Naomi and Luca grew up on opposite sides of the country. In the 5th grade, they became pen pals for a school assignment and never stopped writing to each other, until 2 years ago, when the letters stopped.

But the letters weren't sweet or heartfelt, they were filled with hate and mean words, and they always tried to outdo each other in their insults. Slowly, over time, underneath all those jabs, a friendship developed.

Naomi works at the TV station as a weathergirl. And then she received a new letter at work, from Luca, but without his new address. She and her friend go on a whole adventure to find him, flying across the country, and finding more about his life along the way. At the same time, the cute neighbour asks her out and they start to date. There is this insane chemistry between them, but her heart is torn between two guys.

It's so so good! I couldn't put it down. It's funny, sweet and heartfelt all at the same time... and there are many steamy scenes too! :)

Highly recommend it!

I really enjoyed this fresh take on the frenemies to lovers read. Naomi and Luca become penpals when they are in fifth grade and continue sending each other really peverse twisted letters until adulthood. Some of the letters were so mean yet very innocent that they made me laugh out loud. I enjoyed their dark sense of humour and in a strange way was it actually very sweet that they 'got' each other. I was really surprised that this book made me cry as I learnt more about the life that Luca was living behind his letters and how Naomi was the only constant in his life. This was a really romantic and spicy read that was a joyful and comforting read. I did see the twist coming a mile off much like Naomi's friend but that was part of the charm.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK - One More Chapter and Donna Marchetti for the chance to review this book in exchange for a fair review. I devoured this book in one sitting over a few hours. It wasn’t what I was expecting opening page one, but what an ingenious concept for a romance story!

A quirky premise for a romance story – evolving relationship dynamic through hate, friendship, and love via through banter of penpal letters that are essentially ill-wishing hate mail quips. The book delivers a juicy plot with all perfect enemy-to-lovers vibes and enjoyable storytelling through the pithy first dual-person narrative of Naomi and Luca.

You do start to guess where the plot is leading, but it doesn’t steal the thunder of the plot reveals when you get there. A good writer should be able to give you clues throughout the novel, yet still surprise you! The structure and presentation of the two timelines in this book are very cleverly integrated into the writing. No jarring flashbacks – extra kudos from me as it’s hard to do well in a book. Hate Mail seamlessly incorporates these into the story structure and keeps the pace of the plot pushing forward by using the dip into the past to reveal titbits of details about the mysterious Luca.

The letters content between Naomi and Luca had me in fits of giggle and raising eyebrows to mutter “Oh OMG” or a few other choice words. The title reflects the tone of the letters with punchy banter, hilarious insults, and dark quips as Naomi and Luca seek to get one up on each other with every letter. The letters are battle of wills - up to you to decide who gets the last word but I thought one character got a very clear one up in the end.

Characters crafting in this book are impressive, exposing some big personalities of characters who are down to earth, relatable, and likable (buckets of flaws and stupid moments making them feel very human). It’s not a huge cast of characters which means you don’t have to keep too many names in your head as you read. The side characters are memorable with personalities of their own adding camaraderie and putting their foot in it to cause chaos for Luca and Naomi.

A quirky, delightful debut book by an author who is going to be one to watch and who delivers a hilarious and entertaining read with a cast of loveable, relatable characters with a peppering of spice. Definitely will be looking out for more books by Donna Marchetti in the future!

“You are very hard to say no to.”“Do you want to say no to me?”“No. That’s the problem.”

I can't even begin to express how much I loved this book! I could clearly visualise every scene and it felt like I was watching a rom-com! I really loved the letters that Naomi & Luca sent each other even if they were really mean because it was entertaining to watch both of them fret over it lol! Initially, I thought this book is going to have a love triangle but then things started becoming clearer and I felt so elated! Luca was a secretive character and I loved how the build up about his identity was developed. It kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat even when I had figured out where they story was heading. I feel like I should not give spoilers because it will deface the crux of the story. The constant moving from the present to past and getting to see all of Naomi & Luca's letters to each other and also getting to know about the circumstances they were in was so heartfelt and these two started growing on me. The slow burn was so good that I couldn't put the book down. Naomi & Luca's story was complicated but beautiful and there were some heart wrenching moments but the good ones made up for it. Whenever Luca & Naomi were on the page together, they never failed to make me smile and feel giddy with excitement! Also the ending was so sweet and adorable! I'm not gonna lie, there were some times where I felt frustrated with Naomi & Luca both but I guess the way they acted was in a way justified. Even when they were being childish, I found them to be very funny because these two goofs were just so in love, it was so noticeable lol and I knew that they'd somehow find a way back to each other because it was obvious that they were meant to be! Overall, this book stole my heart and I'm still not over it. The side characters especially Anne were great too and I can't wait to read more from the author because her writing style has really captured my attention!

Thank you Netgalley, Harper Collins UK & One More Chapter Books for providing me this ARC in exchange of an honest review

A really cute though generic romcom reminiscent of movies like you’ve got mail. The beginning was kinda weak but sticking it through results in a gorgeous end. Thanks for the arc One More Chapter

Such a fun concept and a new spin on enemies to lovers. Hate filled pen pal letters & a thoroughly enjoyable Romcom vibe throughout! It was laugh out loud funny in many places & a great lighthearted vibe throughout! I read this after reading a lot of thrillers & horrors so it was a fun change up!

I found this book a super cute rom-com! I felt like it was predictable but that didn’t stop me from enjoying this book. I would say that this was a super easy comfort read! I will be definitely rereading this book!

“I’ll give you a hint: it’s a box of nose strips. Oh, shit. I just gave it away, didn’t I?”

Their hilarious banter back and forth had me absolutely grinning and it honestly makes the book!

Let me preface this by saying I hated Hate Mail, for at least the first 40% of the book. I hated the mean letters and it seemed a little bit like a juvenile young adult book. Usually I would have given up by now but I kept going and I’M SO GLAD I DID! The second half of the book was so good, if you like You’ve Got Mail as much as I do, you’ll love this book. Naomi and Luca become pen pals in the 5th grade. They continue writing letters throughout their lives, until Luca writes that he’s getting married and there are no more letters for 2 years. Naomi then becomes a weathergirl in Miami and the letters start up again, but this time Luca challenges her by not giving a return address. Naomi and her friend/co-worker Anne decide to search for Luca, but there’s also a hot guy named Jake in her apartment building that has captured her attention. This was a fast and easy read, and I really enjoyed it way more than I originally thought I would.

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, One More Chapter and author Donna Marchetti for this eARC.

I loved this book! Is the premise a bit far fetched? Yes. Is it realistic? No. Did I habe a big grin on my face while reading it? Absolutely I did!

Naomi is a bit naive and at times cluesless, but I still love her. Anne is just amazing and I wish we could get her book/story! Luca has an amazing character arc, going from immature and pretty mean to a great and caring person. And then there is Jake, Naomis gorgeous neighbor. The absolute perfect golden retriever boyfriend!
To anyone who loves a cute, fun romance with some heavier topics sprinkled in, I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advance copy to read.

Naomi and Luca have been pen-pals since fifth-grade. Well, more like bitter rivals caught in an epic battle of insults and verbal jousting…
But what starts as a hilarious chain of hate filled letters, slowly develops into a friendship spanning coasts and years. That is until one day, 12 years later, when the letters suddenly stop.

This book had me laughing out loud so many times when reading the hate filled letters. I thought this idea was such a brilliant and unique idea for an enemies to lovers trope.

This reads like a romcom and it was great for a light break between some heavier books I've read recently.

It was fairly obvious from the start where the book was going but that didn't make it any less enjoyable.

If you're looking for a light-hearted romcom that will have you laughing out loud then this is for you. It doesn't take itself too seriously and was a lovely little read.

4.5 stars.

Hello Fellow Readers,

I was really looking forward to this book and read it pretty quickly, however, it didn't achieve what I thought it would. I will start by saying that I do appreciate the flashback chapters and how it gives us a glimpse at Luca and how his life was while pairing it with Naomi's search for him. I also surprisingly liked the enemies-to-lovers trope in the context of this book, a trope I don't usually like, but Marchetti made it interesting.

Unfortunately, most of the plot and characters fell flat to me and I didn't understand Naomi's need to go searching for Luca. I also really disliked Anne, Naomi's friend, she was extremely annoying and I was really hoping she wouldn't have that prominent of a role but she did. All the nicknames, also, felt unnecessary. Honestly, I just think maybe, this book just wasn't for me as I just felt most of the writing choices Marchetti made were not my cup of coffee.

Overall, not for me but might be for you.