Amazon’s #1 Most Unputdownable Book of the Year. An Amazon Charts bestseller.A Wall Street Journal bestseller.A Washington Post bestseller. From New York Times bestselling authors Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward comes an unexpected love story of secondhand hearts and second chances… mysterious blue note sewn into a wedding dress.
Something blue.
I’d gone to sell my own unworn bridal gown at a vintage clothing store. That’s when I found another bride’s “something old.”
Stitched into the lining of a fabulously feathered design was the loveliest message I’d ever read: Thank you for making all of my dreams come true.
The name embossed on the blue stationery: Reed Eastwood, obviously the most romantic man who ever lived. I also discovered he’s the most gorgeous. If only my true-love fantasies had stopped there. Because I’ve since found out something else about Mr. Starry-Eyed.
He’s arrogant, cynical, and demanding. I should know. Thanks to a twist of fate, he’s my new boss. But that’s not going to stop me from discovering the story behind his last love letter. A love letter that did not result in a happily ever after.
But that story is nothing compared to the one unfolding between us. It’s getting hotter, sweeter, and more surprising than anything I could have imagined.
Something new.
But I have no idea how this one is going to end…
more
Carve out a day because you CAN’T PUT THIS BOOK DOWN! And if you do the characters and their story will follow you around in your head until you sit down and finish the book! I loved it. Reed is EXACTLY what you want in an Alpha. Charlotte is Darling…:) His grandmother Iris is the BOMB! The set-up is brilliant. Seriously, great read!
Written by a sensational writing team, Keeland and Ward deliver their best yet. HATE NOTES has everything I want in my contemporary romances—likeable, credible characters that have a bit of bite, an unusual story to feel fresh but not so outlandish that I have to commit to a huge leap of faith to make the connection, believable dialog, and tantalizing love scenes. The romance is sensual yet love scenes are not on every page to become redundant—there’s a thoughtful story here besides the escapism romance. And I was surprised to find myself in a puddle of tears at 3am at the poignant reveal. Btw that cover—HOT—exactly as I imagined Reed. Exactly.
(As a potter, I have a minor quibble about Charlotte throwing a vase and firing it the same weekend, [author:Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward|18617260]. You need to let it dry leather hard before firing that first time—takes days to a week sometimes. But I glossed over it and it didn’t make me like the book less for it.)
OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!!!!!! I’ve been wanting to read this book for so long but just got the time and I’m so so so in love with Reed and Charlotte and their story! I adored the characters in this story and loved that nobody was actually trying to drive them apart but their issues, which were valid, but I was so happy when they looked passed it and realized that they couldn’t live without each other.
From the first time to they met to the last chapter, plus that epilogue… It. Was. Everything!! This is a slow burn filled with crazy banter, Charlotte’s eccentrics, Iris’ wisdom and the Eastwood brothers.
It does get heavy in later into the book and that is carried out until the epilogue and yes, it made my throat tickle a little because allergies.
The only wish I had was to see a more romantic side of Reed. Don’t get me wrong, he was romantic in all the ways that truly mattered and you would or could want in a partner but at the beginning, when Charlotte had found the note, there was a hint at Reed being uber romantic and I wanted to see a full-fledged side of that.
I just want to end this review with the one thing I had been waiting for from the beginning:
From the desk of Reed Eastwood
To my one true love and soulmate, Charlotte, I don’t need the help of a poet to articulate my love for you. But to try to reduce it to a couple of sentences could never do my feelings justice.
Even my wildest dreams could never have conjured up the level of love in my heart today.
You’re beyond my wildest dreams. My love for you is infinite. You. Are. Everything.
Your love, Reed
4.5 Stars!
Reed and Charlotte have something in common. Before the book, each ended or had an engagement end within a week of the scheduled wedding. Naturally, both are somewhat unable to trust again, which makes for a very interesting tale. Reed’s grandmother is a delight as a modern day fairy godmother —money substituting for magic. Five stars, and expect a surprise before the ending!
You can really never go wrong when Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward put their gorgeous, devious little heads together. Hate Notes skyrocketed to the top of everyone’s must-read lists for a reason. This was a sweet, sexy read that had me finding dark corners where I could take out my kindle in peace and read just a few more pages. Just when you think you know what Reed’s trepidation is all about, they throw you a heart-wrenching curveball. Don’t miss out on the book that has everyone swooning over notes from the desk of Reed Eastwood.
Weeks after reading this book, it keeps coming back to my mind. It’s probably been year since the last time that happened.
When I first started reading, I was expecting your average romance. Instead, I found something much better. For starters, I honestly couldn’t see the two main characters ever getting together or even sharing a kiss. That was my first clue this was going on my keeper shelf. When an author or author(s) can take two very different people and somehow bring them together in a realistic manner that is so very intense and emotional?
Yes. I’ll be a fan for life.
In the beginning, I literally snort laughed through the couple’s first meeting. All the while shaking my head and thinking, “This will never work,” yet unable to put it down just in case the authors could pull it off.
They did. Masterfully.
I’m not going to spoil, but something ends up being revealed about Reed that hit so close to home, I was in tears.
You need to read this book. Like yesterday.
Vi and Penelope, I can’t wait to see what you’re going to write next.
Hate Notes was a whirlwind, heartfelt romance that touched my heart. This beautiful story between Reed and Charlotte was more than I expected. Reed was not like the man Charlotte thought he was when they first met. But underneath his closed-off and prickly attitude, was an amazing man who loved dearly. I absolutely loved the interactions between Reed and Charlotte, even when they fought. And when the truth unravelled, I teared up from the all the feels and emotions. Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward have an amazing partnership because they kill it every time they collaborate on a co-authored book.
I can’t resist an enemies to lovers story!
You’ll feel the burn between the enemies then the heat fueling between them as they turn into lovers! This book with have you squirming in your seat!!
I love this writing duo. They have a way of pulling you into a story and making you feel like you are part of it.
Charlotte and Reed are drawn to each other but life has dealt them a few bad blows. While Charlotte wants to explore more, Reed can’t take the chance of her getting hurt.
This is a perfectly funny, sweet and painfully perfect story. And don’t forget that gorgeous cover, yum.
Read this one, you will love it as much as I did.
Charlotte caught her fiance in a compromising position and called off the wedding. While trying to sell her wedding gown she was captivated by a blue love note sewn into a used wedding gown and starts looking for information on the man who wrote that note. She finds he is showing very expensive real estate and lies on the application for a viewing.
Reed knows the form is full of lives….she teaches dog surfing? But he accepts her information and allows her to view the property before he verbally attacks her for lying and wasting his time.
Fast forward and Reed’s grandmother meets Charlotte, offers her a job, and has ended up not only working at Reed’s company but being his assistant. This is where the notes start hitting Charlotte’s desk.
Reed had a secret and I couldn’t figure out what his problem was and why he was so cold. Charlotte was special – spontaneous, friendly, she practically lights up the room.
I loved everything about Hate Notes. There is nothing, but love I have bubbling out of me after finishing that gorgeous epilogue.
Everything from start to finish had my attention. What started with a note and a dash of fate swirled into a fantastic push and pull between an alpha you wanna smack and hug at the same time and a female lead you can connect with. I loved that she was a bit silly to his serious. It made for a fun mix of angst and sexual chemistry.
That epilogue. For real.
It was everything that an epilogue should be. All.The.Feels.
It all starts with a note…a note to someone else…a note that seems to represent hope and love….everything Charlotte once believed in but now – not so much. In some ways, this note becomes Charlotte’s lifeline…it renews some of her vanishing beliefs in happily ever afters.
But what Charlotte anticipates the note to signify as well as the man who wrote it seems to be something and someone she romanticized in her mind because when she meets the real Reed Eastwood, their encounter is anything but romantic; in fact, he seems to be quite the guarded asshole, obliterating Charlotte’s perfect perception of the man behind the note.
But here’s where things get a bit more interesting because Charlotte and Reed soon become coworkers; in fact, Reed is her boss, so while spending time with this arrogant and closed-off man is not something Charlotte’s too excited for, as these two work closely together and start letting down their respective walls, their once antagonistic relationship becomes something real…something unique…something that just might restore their belief in love…in commitment…in everything they once thought possible.
Charlotte’s quirky and out there and that’s exactly why I adore her. She’s dealt with her pain and the past and she’s working to live in the present and be the woman she was always meant to be, and while she’s definitely a work-in-progress, there’s a light shining in her that she refuses to allow to diminish ever again, and it’s her resilience and her outlook that helps Reed to slowly see life differently and want things that he never thought he would want again.
Readers will undoubtedly feel a wide-range of emotions the further into the book they get and the more they understand exactly what happened to Reed to make him the man he appears to be on the surface and why things are actually not what they seem when it comes to him. At first, Reed was a bit of a puzzle to me; I get why he initially treated Charlotte the way he did, and I understand why he used anger to cover up his real emotions at the beginning of their working relationship, but he confounded me for quite some time until I finally saw things clear as day when it came to Reed and with that knowledge gained, I enjoyed Reed for who he was a complicated, dynamic, and dashing man who just needed Charlotte to show him the way.
The ending was everything I hoped it would be, but getting there about did me in…there’s so much to deal with and work through that, at times, I didn’t think these two would make it. My emotions were all over the place at various parts in the story, but my heart was beyond happy at the conclusion because it is the most perfectly imperfect scene(s) that truly showcase who these two characters come to mean to each other.
This writing duo – Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward – never ceases to amaze me with the ease in which their storytelling flow, and even though there’s a different feel to Reed and Charlotte’s story, it still has the nuisances that I’ve come to expect from these authors, but more so, the book’s message about how to live life and why love is always a possibility will resonate with readers because these lessons are reminders for us about the value of living every day to the fullest with an open mind and an open heart regardless of where life might have unfortunately taken them in the past.
4.5 Poison Apples
“You want to feel me for one night? I’ll make you feel me for days.”
You know, there is a reason why this dynamic writing duo hits bestseller lists over and over again. It’s books like Hate Notes…they are sexy, sweet, charming, but then there is this unexpected emotional punch that forces you to surrender to the journey. It’s the banter, the angst, the comedic backdrop, and of course the sexy times that make Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward two of my favorite authors in the business.
Charlotte and Reed absolutely stole my heart from page one! It was easy to fall for Charlotte, with her relatable nature. She’s been through hell and yet she has this strength about her that’s hard to ignore. Reed on the other hand, is this arrogant, demanding, gorgeous man who is fighting with everything he has to stay away from this beautiful mess of a woman. Their chemistry, their banter, this push pull dynamic they have going on…it’s everything!
Vi and Penelope continue to remind me how much I love this genre with every new story they release, together or individually. They can tackle any trope and I will be there, first in line, to devour every single page. Hate Notes contains the expected and the unexpected, so get ready for one hell of a beautiful, emotional ride.
Charlotte needed reassurance that a true and lasting love exsisted. That lead to a night of drunken decisions which was followed up by a day of a “why not” attitude.
Charlotte meets Reed for the first time after building him up in her mind only to find that he is closed off. Her zest for life and her carefree antics start to get through to Reed, but he is struggling with wanting a future with her and wanting the best for her. Why can’t it be both?
This book touched on a serious topic while keeping it mostly light hearted and touching. True love during the good times and the bad times is something to be treasured.
I love how Reed wasn’t a womanizer while dealing with his issues. He was just a good man who was struggling and was lost. And I really enjoyed how Charlotte was a strong woman with a kind heart who knew what she wanted and what she was worth. Well done!
I love friends to enemies romances and as usual, Vi and P rock between the cover of this book! Don’t miss their latest masterpiece!
4.5 Stars!
The Review:
Beautiful. Riveting. Emotionally gripping.
An absolute must read for any reader who is searching for the perfect happily ever after!
A sassy, sweet and optimistic heroine. A moody, sexy, heartfelt hero. One incredible story that hit all my feels!
I get giddy whenever this due comes out with a new book because I just know it’s going to be fabulous. This time was no different. This was a truly amazing read, from start to finish. I was glued to the pages, consumed by the story and hell-bent on reading it all in one sitting.
Story/Characters…
Charlotte Darling (don’t you just love that name?!) is selling her unused wedding dress at a second-hand store after catching her fiance cheating on her. Needing a bit of cash and having a depressing outlook on an uncertain future, the last thing she thought she’d do is walk out of the store with someone else’s discarded wedding dress. And not just any wedding dress. THE perfect wedding dress. Handmade with feathers! And with a love note stitched inside that changed everything.
Reed Eastwood has given up on love and a happy future after his fiance leaves him before they ever got to the altar. He never expected the hot mess that is Charlotte Darling to come crashing into his life and change everything.
But Reed has secrets and he knows he’s not the “forever” kind of guy, so even though Charlotte pushes all the right buttons, he’s dead set on not giving into his growing need for her or his desire to be the one to call her his.
This read… man, where do I start. I LOVED the push-pull between Reed and Charlotte. Both of them have been burned by other people and both of them are skittish when it comes to letting go and trusting another person. Charlotte’s mind is a little more open than Reeds, who is totally closed off. It made for the perfect, intense and all-consuming slow burn that started out as enemies then quickly turned to friends and ultimately to something more.
I simply adored both characters – Charlotte with her unwavering belief in what love truly is and her desire to step outside her comfort zone to spice up her life. Reed, with his bleak outlook on life, found Charlotte to be a breath of fresh air and her zest for life was contagious and fun. Together they found the perfect balance.
I also have to give mad shoutouts to Iris. This duo always gives amazing side characters and Iris was one of my favorites. I loved that woman so much. She reminded me of my own grandmother. A spit-fire that was kind, loving and wise.
As always, the writing was flawless. The authors give us some amazing get-to-know-you moments mixed with witty, incredible dialogue and situations that were fun, heartfelt and exciting.
That ending? I won’t lie. I shed a tear or two. It was perfect.
The Wrap Up:
Never read a Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward book? You are TOTALLY missing out. Individually, they are phenomenal. Together, they are seriously EPIC!
Always fun. Always romantic. ALWAYS thrown right into my reread ASAP pile the second I hit the last page.
I love the collaborative works of Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward. Individually, both authors are fantastic, but there is something undeniably special about their co-written books. Their words blend together seamlessly, effortlessly transitioning between their writing styles and meshing into addictively unputdownable stories. Every. Single. Time. This pairing is brilliant, and I can’t get enough of them.
Hate Notes is the latest from Keeland and Ward, and I absolutely loved it. A mash-up of enemies-to-lovers and workplace romance tropes, the storyline was fresh and original. The underlying theme threading everything together in this story was fate. A couple destined to be together; pure luck playing a key role in their first meeting; and a divine intervention–via a meddling grandmother—bringing them together in the workplace. Keeland and Ward penned a uniquely creative love story here with a hero who stole my heart despite how prickly he sometimes could be and a heroine who was whip-smart and funny. This couple bickered and bantered their way through a good portion of the book, and those interactions were just as fantastic as the slow-burn build-up of their romance.
Hate Notes was a heartwarming, hard-fought love story that I devoured in a day. Endearing characters, an engaging, emotional storyline that made me laugh and swoon, this was a completely engrossing page-turner that I simply did not want to put down. Hate Notes by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward gets five smooches from me!
~Danielle Palumbo, Red Cheeks Reads
4.5 Stars
Charlotte recently ended her engagement due to her exes cheating ways.
While trying to sell her unused wedding dress in a second-hand store, she comes upon a note sewn into another forgotten wedding dress. The most romantic note she’s ever read. And obviously she needs to find out more about the guy who wrote it.
And who turns out to be her new boss a few days later? Yup. Reed Eastwood. The most romantic man on the planet. NOT. He’s mean and just … not nice! But she’s also not making it easy on him.
LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN!
What will happen to Charlotte & Reed?
Will there be a HEA?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT
description
THAT WAS ADORABLE!!!!
Charlotte is such a sweet and slightly crazy person! Looking for a job and basically a whole new life after everything that happened.
And then she meets this amazingly romantic guy who is so not the amazingly romantic guy she wanted him to be. But still … the sparks are flying. Why does he have to be so mean all the time?! But not really alllll the time?
Grrrr.
I just adored those two and Iris and Max too. Amazing cast!
I SO need to see this as a movie!
I loved reading this book.
It was hilarious and sweet and romantic and crazy and office-y and sad and heartbreaking and moving.
Charlotte and Reed are just perfect for each other – Iris knew all along. Really adorable!
It was the perfect Rom-Com with some verrry serious parts and some mysteries and surprises. I LOVED IT!
A few tiny little ‘thing’s made me take away half a star from a 5-star-rating. Some of you might know that I hate religion … and there was a lot of church and belief-stuff going on here. Stuff that didn’t have to be in there – I sometimes felt like reading a christian romance. BUT Reed was too adorable for the religion to make me hate the book. I also missed the sexiness a bit – it started too late into the story. A few sexy moments could’ve happened sooner!
The other thing that bothered, I will have to put this in a spoiler thingy… ↓
(view spoiler in my goodreads review)
HATE NOTES was such a fresh and funny and very serious & heartbreaking rom-com-drama!
I adored (aaaalllmost) everything about it!
Run to your nearest amazon for your own Reed – this one is mine. ALLLL MINE!!!!
P.S. I LOVE that the cover guy Dusan – is really the perfect Reed! I love it when that happens!
An absolutely fantastic read. Reed and Charlotte were so relatable and the plot is much more complex than anticipated. It’s my first Vi Keeland/Penelope Ward read and I’m definitely a fan. I’m hooked!