Review: Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn

In this warm and witty romance from acclaimed author Kate Clayborn, one little word puts one woman’s business—and her heart—in jeopardy . . .

LOVE LETTERING by KATE CLAYBORN

Series: Standalone

Genre: contemporary romance, rom-com

Publisher: Kensington Books

Publication Date: December 31, 2019

Synopsis:

Meg Mackworth’s hand-lettering skill has made her famous as the Planner of Park Slope, designing beautiful custom journals for New York City’s elite. She has another skill too: reading signs that other people miss. Like the time she sat across from Reid Sutherland and his gorgeous fiancée, and knew their upcoming marriage was doomed to fail. Weaving a secret word into their wedding program was a little unprofessional, but she was sure no one else would spot it. She hadn’t counted on sharp-eyed, pattern-obsessed Reid . . .

A year later, Reid has tracked Meg down to find out—before he leaves New York for good—how she knew that his meticulously planned future was about to implode. But with a looming deadline, a fractured friendship, and a bad case of creative block, Meg doesn’t have time for Reid’s questions—unless he can help her find her missing inspiration. As they gradually open up to each other about their lives, work, and regrets, both try to ignore the fact that their unlikely connection is growing deeper. But the signs are there—irresistible, indisputable, urging Meg to heed the messages Reid is sending her, before it’s too late . . .

Purchase your copy:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | BAM | 

Praise for Kate Clayborn:

 "What if you and your two best friends all went in together on a winning lottery ticket? The romance between Kit, a no‑nonsense scientist who dreams of her first real home, and Ben, a recruiter and builder (I promise, it works) is emotional and real. Plus, I adored Kit’s strong relationship with her two best friends."

—O, The Oprah Magazine, Best Romances of the Year, on Beginners Luck

"A warm and lively romance"

—The New York Times on Luck of the Draw

"Clayborn’s characters are bright and nuanced, her dialogue quick and clever, and the world she builds warm and welcoming."

—The Washington Post, 5 Best Romances of the Year for Luck of the Draw

“Clayborn is a thoughtful, talented writer with a gift for complex characters and individual arcs...The complexity of the relationship that slowly builds between the two is breathtaking...An incredible achievement.”

—Bookpage on Best of Luck

 “This book is hilarious and moving and sexy, with a focus on strong female friendship, guilt that’s hard to let go of, and one of the most realistic, and ultimately romantic, fake fiancé setups I’ve ever read.”

—Buzzfeed, Best Romances of the Year, on Luck of the Draw

“[Zoe and Aiden] are intriguing and relevant characters that drive this layered and memorable love story, and Kate Clayborn delivers a smart, sexy and sublime enemies-to-lovers romance with Luck of the Draw." 

—USAToday.com on Luck of the Draw

“Aiden and Zoe's eventual bonding feels earned.”

—Refinery29 on Luck of the Draw

“Clayborn’s characters in this story are intelligent and subtle, with quick and smart dialogues, in a world that is warm and welcoming.”

—The Frisky on Luck of the Draw

“Kate Clayborn is my new go-to romance author.”

—New York Times bestselling author Stacy Finz

About the Author

Double RITA® nominee Kate Clayborn lives in Virginia, where she’s lucky enough to spend her days reading and talking about all kinds of great books. Kate loves to hear from and connect with readers—follow her on Twitter, on Instagram, and on Facebook. Visit her at kateclayborn.com to sign up for her newsletter.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

REVIEW

Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

    It feels like floating, like being untethered. Like writing without letters. Like counting without numbers. It feels like love.

This book saved me from the dreaded end of the year book funk! I had no idea what to expect, but I did read a sample earlier in the year which impressed me. So I was cautiously hopeful that this would finally be the book to bring back my missing excitement. Don't get me wrong, I've had some decent reads. But there is good, there's great, and then there's giddy. This was a giddy book, much to my surprise. I fell hard for the entire set of characters, and had more than one moment where I stopped to savor the warm feelings from this adorable couple. It's kind of fitting that this was the book to bring the joy back again. I feel like I was finding mine right along with the two main characters.

Meg is a calligraphy artist who designs a variety of products for clients looking for a personal touch. After moving to New York with her best friend, she's grown a considerable following online and has made a name for herself as The Planner of Park Slope. Yes, she has a achieved a level of success anyone would envy, but for some time she's been stuck in a creative rut. This lag in inspiration caused her to distract herself by doing something more than a little reckless. Putting hidden messages in her work isn't her brightest idea, but it was intended to be her little secret. Harmless, until Reid's gift for code brings him to her door looking for answers. After all, wouldn't anyone want to know how a complete stranger could predict his engagement imploding?

When you first meet Reid, he gives every appearance of being the definition of dull and stuffy. He's clearly sharp as a tack, doggedly direct and blunt, but I wondered if his brilliance would be enough to win me over. Let me assure you, he has many hidden layers just waiting to be peeled back and examined. It takes some time to get there, but the attraction between them is a slow burn that's well worth the wait. Reid reveals himself to be lonely, unhappy, and shouldering some sort of burden at work that leaves him itching to leave the city. The dissolution of his engagement seems to be the least of his worries, but the reader is left in the dark over what weighs so heavily on him. What we do know is that being around Meg reminds him to find delight in the little things again.

They begin a tentative friendship during walks around the city, and through their studies of hand-lettered signs they both find hope along the winding path. His sometimes brutal honesty teaches her how to confront difficulties in her life head-on rather than sidestepping confrontation. His lackluster view of the city is transformed as she teaches him how to have fun in the simplest of ways. It's not always easy or comfortable. Jarring yourself out of long-standing comfort zones has a learning curve that's often messy and downright confusing. But with each baby step they take together, they grow stronger. More confident in their new direction. She finds a soft, romantic side under his reserve that feels like a gift when it's revealed. Just a faint quirk of his mouth or an sudden burst of laughter from her irreverence is enough to make her feel like she conquered the world. This taciturn man is much, much more than he allows the people around him to see.

    I know that I could have my eyes closed this way and I’d still know Reid’s kiss anywhere, because Reid’s kiss is everything I like about Reid—firm and direct, with a sweetness you have to know to truly recognize.

They each have a small subplot running alongside the main story. A broken lifelong friendship she doesn't know how to put back together, and his unhappiness with his career in general merge in the end with a big twist I didn't see coming. Secrets are unearthed, and the safe haven they found in each other's company is abruptly tested to its limits. The conflict at the end could have easily felt overdramatized, but somehow it worked. It made me fall in love with Reid even more than I thought possible, showing his strength of character and depth of feeling for Meg. When he first declared his feelings for her, I melted into a puddle of goo when he told her she left a "Meg-shaped shadow" in her absence. I thought nothing could top it. I read the passage twice in a row, savoring the unexpected romance of it. Then he writes his love letter to her and I fell even harder.

Meg and Reid are opposites in every way imaginable. Each side of one counterbalances a side of the other, making a perfect, matched pair. He's analytical, she's fanciful. He's reserved, she's warm and easygoing. But the main difference between them? Letters and numbers. This is a strong theme running throughout the story that was so fresh and whimsical. I can't think of one contemporary romance that is remotely like this one so that gets huge brownie points from me.

Admittedly, the descriptions of Meg's letter observations can be a little rambling at times. But the originality of this heartwarming story, the surprises to be found in the cracks and crevices made the occasional wordiness well worth it. I really adored this author's style of writing, the wittiness of it, and the meaning she infused in such a lighthearted plot. I can't recommend this one enough to anyone looking for a quirky romance that thinks outside the box. Meg and Reid are guaranteed to steal your hearts.

FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON: 

View all my reviews