When Nica and Luca are paired as pen pals in elementary school, Luca absolutely does not want any part in it. Sending an awful letter back in response to Nica's excited one, he thinks that he's done with it. But when Nica sends one back just as mean, they end up as hate pen pals for years. Through moves and schooling, Nica and Luca write to one another but one day the letters stop.

Starting her role as weather girl at the local news station, Nica receives her first fan mail and who could it be from but Luca, but this time without a return address. As Nica tries to find where Luca is, she balances work and dates with the hot neighbor in her apartment. Only time will tell where Luca is and how she can get the last word in.

Maybe it's controversial to say but I really fucking loved this book. It was so entertaining and silly and still found a way to really give me a happy ending I liked and loathed even though in the past, I've hated a mistaken identity trope!! which is rare because i absolutely hate that trope.

Nica and Luca were such great characters with such great banter!! I really loved this relationship and I found myself laughing so many times at some of their letters. It just was so funny to think a 10 year old could be writing something so mean and they found friendship through that. i was engaged the whole time with this book and it was even hard to put down (I read it in 1 day).

i really look forward to other books Donna Marchetti will write because this was full of banter that I just couldn't get enough of! A wonderful debut and 5 stars from me!

Book Review:

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Donna Marchetti’s novel Hate Mail follows Naomi and Luca’s journey as pen pals. After randomly being assigned to write to one another in the fifth grade, they developed a unique relationship. For almost two decades they have filled their letters with insults, threats, and verbal sparring. But when the letters suddenly stop, Naomi realizes she has come to count on their interactions. Just as quickly as the letters stop, they start back up again. However, this time they arrive with no return address. Desperate to locate and finally meet the man that has evaded her for too long, Naomi sets out on a wild goose chase. Will she locate Luca’s place of residence, or are they bound to lose touch for good?

This is a hard one for me to review. When I reread the description, it clearly advertised that Naomi and Luca have a tumultuous relationship. I guess I thought it would be more flirty banter and less abuse. While the letters were written in a sarcastic tone and both main characters have a dry sense of humor, it got to be too much.

With that being said, I loved the parts of the story where Naomi and Luca showed their softer side. The heart of their relationship was tender and sweet. The last chapters, especially the epilogue, really saved the book for me.

Adding a bit of mystery to the book also helped to lighten things up. While I was able to figure out the plot pretty early on, it was a fun element. I enjoyed how the story unfolded.

Special thanks to Netgalley, Harper Collins UK (One More Chapter), and Donna Marchetti for allowing me to read the book in exchange for my honest review.

I do not have nearly enough words to express how much I <i>loved</i> Donna Marchetti’s <i>Hate Mail</i>.

It seemed like a kind of silly premise, these two characters having sent each other rude and insulting letters back and forth from the time they were kids thanks to a pen pal program at their schools. Silly, but fun. What was even better was that these letters were such brilliant comedy throughout the course of the novel that I found myself laughing out loud multiple times as I read them. I don’t think it’s particularly easy to get readers to laugh at kids (and later adults) insulting each other via letter in all of these different ways, so that alone was impressive.

What’s even more impressive was the fact that it was <i>quite</i> obvious where the plot was headed after a while, yet you still found yourself second guessing it a little bit? Marchetti’s plot left you feeling confident and impressed all at the same time. After a while, I was 99% certain of the twist, yet utterly baffled as to how she was going to pull it off without the story becoming at least partially cringe-worthy. I was genuinely wracking my brain for ideas as to how she was going to tie it all together and eventually settled on the fact that the resolution was likely going to result in me docking a star for something I was certain I would find problematic, despite loving the story so much.

My goodness, when I say I did not see this twist coming a mile away…

Oftentimes when it happens with a book that I don’t see the twist until shortly before it comes, it’s usually due to a lack of foreshadowing. Fortunately, that’s not the case with <i>Hate Mail</i>. You’re getting little hints here and there <i>constantly</i>. I burst out laughing when I realized what was going to happen, loving the completely reasonable explanation that fortunately removed all concerns I had about potential problematic behavior.

Now, one thing I want to note is that this twist and plot does use a little bit of miscommunication to achieve its goal. Miscommunication—or lack of communication—is a story trope I, and many others, vehemently hate. But the important thing about this plot point in <i>Hate Mail</i> is that it works. This isn’t pointless miscommunication that only exists because the characters don’t talk to each other. It’s not keeping secrets for dumb reasons and having misunderstandings because the characters just don’t want to sit down and have an honest conversation. We’re not seeing these characters not understand the situation because they’re leaving out important context on purpose. It’s not willful.

It’s beautiful, perfectly understandable, hilarious, and believable miscommunication. It’s an honest, albeit hilarious, mistake.

And I love it. I love it <i>so</i> much.

<i>Hate Mail</i> is hands down the best book I’ve read so far this year. It’s definitely being added to my list of all-time favorites.

I was totally drawn in by the premise of school pen pals who write hate letters to each other, continuing well into adulthood. When Naomi stops hearing from Luka years later, she feels a bit desperate to know what happened. It's through the book we find out how things really happened. After the first chapters, though, most of the story is told in Naomi's point of view with Luka finally returning towards the end. I believe this is done under the assumption that readers have figured out one of the "secrets" along the way and we don't really need his point of view.

To be honest, this story didn't work well for me. I found the hate in the letters never leant itself to more feelings between them. It's almost like they were both stubborn about quitting the letters and so tried to on up each other on the nasty things they wrote. I'd have liked the tone of the letters to have changed and become more mature, but it mostly just seemed like more grown up childishness than anything. In the end, I just didn't feel any chemistry between the two. I also felt really uncomfortable with some of the deceptions carried by both of them. After all, Naomi was dating and enjoying time with Jake while still longing for Luka at the same time. At the very least I'd have like the big revelation to come out earlier than it did. Also, there were too many pure coincidences occurring than I find believable.

I actually found a bit more of a draw on Anne and her budding relationships and she's only a side character.

Overall, I rate this 2.5 stars. While the writing was fine, I just didn't feel the story worked very well. I thank Netgalley and One more Chapter for giving me an advanced reader copy for free. I have provided this review voluntarily.

This book left me truly amazed. It had me hooked from the start, finished it in a day, and left me contemplating its beauty long after. The letters between Naomi and Luca, their past and present perspectives, and the captivating characters, especially Jake, made "Hate Mail" unforgettable. Donna Marchetti's book is a heartwarming, charming story that I recommend to everyone seeking a feel-good read. It's a delightful mix of humor, romance, and subtle intimacy that will keep you eagerly turning pages.

Thank you to the publisher and the author for allowing me to arc read this book in exchange for my honest review

Loved this book. Easy to get into and a great story. I loved the idea of the letters and how they started off as pen pals. Great rom com with a classic happy ending.

"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."

“And then I met you in person, and it turns out I was right. Everything that I thought I felt was real. I fell in love with you all over again.”


Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for letting me read & review this advanced copy of Hate Mail by Donna Marchetti. This novel was such a great four star romance read. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Luca and Naomi I could just tell there would be hilarious banter between these two. The author Donna Marchetti wrote this with great humor, banter, heartfelt moments and a lovable romance that have the audience of readers rooting for the main characters from the very start. This story is about two people (Luca and Naomi) starting from when they were in fifth grade when their teachers assign them as penpals to one another. They both end up penpals and writing to each other for about fifteen years but it comes crashing down abruptly when one stops sending the other or responding to the letters. Years go by when out of the blue Luca reaches out to Naomi randomly. If you love book tropes like enemies to lovers and strangers to lovers then you will enjoy reading Hate Mail by Donna Marchetti.

It wasn't catching my attention enough to finish. I really wanted to love it but maybe another time.

Thank you for this arc!

This book completely captivated me from start to finish! I found myself fully immersed in every scene, as if I were watching a romantic comedy unfold before my eyes.

One of the aspects I enjoyed the most were the exchanges of letters between Naomi and Luca, even when their contents were teasing or downright mean. It was oddly entertaining to observe their reactions to each other's words!

Luca's mysterious personality fascinated me, and I truly relished the gradual unveiling of his secrets. It kept me hooked and on the edge of my seat, even when I thought I had the story all figured out.

I don't want to give away any spoilers, as they would detract from the essence of the story. The seamless transitions between past and present, as well as the heartfelt exchanges between Naomi and Luca, deeply touched me and brought these characters closer to my heart. The slow development was masterfully executed and made it impossible for me to put the book down.

Despite its complexity, the story of Naomi and Luca was undeniably beautiful, with poignant moments balanced by uplifting ones. Whenever Naomi and Luca were together on the page, they never failed to bring a smile to my face and fill me with excitement!

Even Luke proved to be a pleasant and captivating character, adding to the richness of the story.

While there were moments of frustration with both characters, their actions ultimately felt justified in the grand scheme of things.

Overall, this book completely blew me away, and I can't stop thinking about it. The supporting characters, especially Anne, were also wonderful additions to the story, and I eagerly anticipate more from the author, as her writing style has truly fascinated me!

Thank you to netgalley and Harper Collins UK For Providing me the e-Review Copy.

i enjoyed a very large part of this book, i think i was just a little let down by the ending.

to start, i loved the characters! i thought they were genuinely such vibrant and well-written people. i was worried that the concept of an enemy-pen-pal was going to seem a little unrealistic, but the author actually pulled it off very well! their relationship was believable and you could see how writing these letters followed them throughout their whole life.

i think this kind of premise will always be a little hard to write without it being unrewarding, so as much as i wanted to love this book, i left it feeling a little unsatisfied.

the first part of the book was a little hard to get into, because we were introduced to two love interested–her hot neighbor and pen-pal guy from when she was young. immediately, you assume these are the same person (because you know your tropes), but then the author starts setting up clear differences between the two. hot neighbor has a family, pen pal guy lost his. and because of that, you assume that, instead of being the same person, the main character will have to, in some way, pick between these two people at the end. but then! the big reveal! they are the same guy after all. and why do they have different names? luca was accidentally wearing the wrong badge once and then just let our main character assume he had a different name for the entirety of the book.

thing is, i absolutely loved the writing and the characters and the sense of adventure, but i think there really was no way to do the romance justice under this premise. because either the author leaves hints that these two people are the same person–in which case 70% of the book is the reader waiting for the main character to figure it out–or you make it clear they are different people and then surprise the reader in the end–in which case the reader spends the majority of the book prejudiced against the hot neighbor because he’s not pen pal guy, until suddenly he is.

now i will say, the epilogue was absolutely adorable–and i love the idea of them continuing the letter writing as a kind of love-language after they’ve met in person.

overall, entertaining read that was just let down a little by the ending!

This was an absolute love for me. I love when letters are incorporated into a book and the 5th grade pen pals story line was my cup of tea. Then the letters turned into hate mail, and I was so in love. I actually read the 1st letters they wrote out loud at the dining room table to my family because they were so outrageous. We were all laughing so hard at them.
I think it was pretty apparent that "Jake" was Luca and I kept waiting for shoe to fall when she found out. It was so clear in certain scenes and it slowly gets more and more obvious and I just kept waiting for it to come out. I am never a big miscommunication fan, but this actually worked for me. It felt like the whole situation was just so over-the-top with them living in the same building and it was total fate bringing them together that the not knowing his real name and her not telling him about the letters actually seemed reasonable.
I loved that he is marine vet, and he has skateboarding riding kittens and deaf dogs. (i have to tell you I kept thinking of Adam Sandler in 50 first Dates when he brought her to the zoo). I kind of love that he was in love with her from high school on and he was too nervous to talk to her when her first saw her when he moved it. I love that he rekindled their pen pal relationship to start the book off.
This was just a great deal of fun full of witty banter, cute animals, hilarious over the top situations that you just have to laugh out loud.
Highly recommend to anyone that loves a good rom com, Epistolary novels, great banter that has enemies to lover vibes.

I

I’ll be honest this story wasn’t for me. Much of the story is based on the past and i felt it was too instalove for me. I didn’t see the real chemistry so the story felt fast and cliché but i feel any hopeless romantic might love it.

Absolutely Enchanting! 🌟

I fell head over heels in love with this book from the very first page, and I couldn't put it down until I reached the end four days later. Hate Mail whisked me back to my school days, evoking memories of failed pen pal attempts, yet this story unfolded into a delightful romance filled with 2000s rom-com nostalgia.

The chemistry between Naomi and Luca was simply electric, and I adored how their relationship developed through small gestures and heartfelt moments, steering clear of gratuitous smut scenes. The balance between their past and present perspectives added depth to their characters, especially Luca, whose journey was poignantly shaped by Naomi's letters.

Naomi Light and Luca Pichler have earned a special place in my heart as my new favorite romance couple. 💌 I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone! As a fan of epistolary exchanges, the promise of hate mail piqued my interest instantly, and I was not disappointed. The banter-filled letters between the protagonists, coupled with their undeniable chemistry in person, made for a captivating read.

I particularly appreciated the dual POV narrative, with Naomi's perspective unfolding in the present while Luca's delved into their shared history since fifth grade. It was a clever approach that gradually pieced together their story. And let's not forget Jake, aka Husky Eyes, whose presence added another layer to the narrative, albeit with some morally ambiguous elements.

Without giving too much away, the story navigates themes of ghosting, stalking, and emotional infidelity, which left me feeling conflicted at times. However, the overall experience was filled with giggles and heart-fluttering moments that kept me glued to the pages. 📚

In essence, Hate Mail is a charming and irresistible tale that will have you laughing, swooning, and eagerly turning the pages until the very end. Don't miss out on this delightful read!

Thank you so much for the advance copy.

I liked the premise, but I did not like the execution of this novel. It actually bothered me how mean the letters were, and the longstanding miscommunication and lying were such a turn off. I almost think it is criminal to sleep with someone basically using a false identity. It wasn't romantic; it was uncomfortable and borderline psychotic.

I didn't feel a strong connection to our leads, especially Naomi. Even by the end of the book I felt like I hardly knew anything about her. The writing just didn't get me there.

Pen Pal is my fave trope. I’m always gonna love it. Reading other reviews who discuss a plot twist and I’m like ohhh I thought the reader knew that from the jump…

Cute and easy read. MMC should have come clean earlier and there were a couple plot holes /points that could have been worked out better or were incredible unrealistic.

Overall Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5


This book was a breath of fresh air! It made me laugh out loud and I loved how different it was from the norm of romances!
The twist at the end, I had an inkling that it was true.
Naomi and Lucas letters made me chuckle, especially how they kept the letters going for so long!

Spicy Rating
🌶️ out of 5

A little bit of spice that added to the plot and storyline. Not much to mention besides her saying the “wrong” name during one of the spicy scenes 🤣

this was such a fun story to read!!

i loved the concept of the story and i really got my invested in the book

i do have to say i guessed the plot, BUT honestly the little details kept me second guessing the whole time and it also kept me on my toes!!!

every time i was sure of my guess, something happend that threw me off; needless to say it kept me entertained until the end

the letters had me laughing!!!!! i loved the fact that the letters continued in the story
also being able to read the previous letters was so much fun and gave more insight in their relationship

such an entertaining book that i had much fun reading!

★★★.75

I love this book, I couldn’t put the book down. I loved the love/hate relationship and I loved the characters a beautiful romcom with a great ending. Love!

Unfortunately this one wasn't for me. I struggled to connect with the story/characters, but that aside it was an interesting take on a Pen Pal romance. The letters were brutal, the back and forth was interesting and it was a refreshing story overall. I will definitely pick up more books by Donna Marchetti in the future!

Thank you so much to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for my ARC!

I'm not really sure how to rate this one . . . I really enjoyed the writing style. I loved the letters. I loved the FMC, and I thought the overall premise was really intriguing. But--and this is a big spoiler--I hated how it wasn't more obvious that Jake and Luca were the same person. It should've been obvious, it looks like it was obvious to other readers, but it wasn't to me. So she starts full on dating Jake, and the reader is along for the falling-in-love ride. With a dude who it is not made obvious is the MMC. We have a full, open door, all night long sex scene when FMC thinks she's sleeping with Jake.

I was not here for the dub con of it all.

In fact, I had to skip ahead to confirm that Jake and Luca were in fact the same person because I was getting really confused.

HE LIED TO HER by omission the entire time they were face to face.

Because of that, it was hard for me to get into the beginning of Jake and FMC's interactions because I kept waiting for Luca and FMC's interactions. And I get that it should've signaled that the amount of time being spent on Jake and FMC's relationship was for a reason, but y'all, I have been duped by that before and this is a debut author, so no, she did not get the benefit of that doubt.

And then at the end, because, I, the reader, also didn't really feel it was obvious that Jake and Luca were the same, I was really rooting for FMC to stick to her anger, even though as a Romance reader no I did not. She forgave him way too fast. She gave in to her hormones and her nostalgia, and again I say THIS MAN LIED TO HER THE ENTIRE TIME THEY WERE FACE TO FACE. Because he knew who she was and knew that she did not know who he really was.

So, 3 stars because 2 seems too harsh here. it was okay. I liked the author's style and would be interested in reading her again. Perhaps if this had been dual POV or had just something more to really hit the reader with JAKE IS LUCA LUCA IS JAKE, I would've really liked this novel.