Amazon Best Romance of the Month Top Ten Best Romances of 2019—Entertainment WeeklySheReads’ Most Anticipated Books of 2020 Bustle 17 Best New Books Of December 2019 HelloGiggles 8 Best New Books To Read In December“I can’t wait for the whole world to fall in love with Love Lettering!” —Jasmine GuilloryIn this warm and witty romance from acclaimed author Kate Clayborn, one little word puts a … with Love Lettering!”
—Jasmine Guillory
In this warm and witty romance from acclaimed author Kate Clayborn, one little word puts a woman’s business—and her heart—in jeopardy . . .
Meg Mackworth’s hand-lettering skill has made her famous as the Planner of Park Slope, designing custom journals for her New York City clientele. She has another skill too: reading signs that other people miss. Knowing the upcoming marriage of Reid Sutherland and his polished fiancée was doomed to fail is one thing, but weaving a secret word of warning into their wedding program is another. Meg may have thought no one would spot it, but she hadn’t counted on sharp-eyed, pattern-obsessed Reid.
A year later, Reid has tracked Meg down to find out how she knew that his meticulously planned future was about to implode. But with a looming deadline 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, both try to ignore a deepening connection between them. But the signs are there—irresistible, indisputable, urging Meg to heed the messages Reid is sending her, before it’s too late . . .
Praise for Love Lettering
“Delicious and beautiful and perfect.”
—New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean
“This book will wake you up in the middle of the night aching for these perfectly imperfect characters.”
—Sonali Dev, author of Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors
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Love Lettering – what a fantastic, geeky, nerdy and unexpected love story! I had no expectations going into this except knowing it was about a person who was a hand lettering artist.
I absolutely LOVED this book. LOVED. Meg and Reid were such great characters! Throw in the geekiness of different fonts, the love of various signs – both hand lettered and not, and the awkwardness of people who don’t always feel they fit in and here you have Meg and Reid.
I don’t know that this book is for everyone, but for those who enjoy a slightly different take on life, Love Lettering is probably for you.
It would be so easy to give away too much of this story if I continue to rave on so I’m stopping this review now. Just give this book a try. You may enjoy it and like me, fall in love with the geekiness that is this book. I will definitely be looking for more from Kate Clayborn in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for approving my request for an ARC. All thoughts in this review are my own.
There have been a few times when reading a book, I simply sit and wonder at how the author is able to convey such beauty through words. Books like Kite Runner, Evvie Drake Starts Over and now of course Love Lettering. There’s no denying that Kate Clayborn simply has a way with words. I have highlighted so many passages that brought tears in my eyes, or connected me to these characters on a deeper level. Love Lettering is a romance novel, but also a book that delves deeper into our insecurities with love, of being loved for who we are and how sacred the bonds of friendship at various stages in our lives.
Meg works with clients to hand letter journals, wedding invitations (in the past) and commission work, but she has a bit of a block right now and is having a bit of a hard time finding her creativity. One day a past client Reid walks into her shop to inform her that he saw the signs in the invitation she designed for his wedding and called it off. Meg of course is left flabbergasted, never imagining anyone would spot the signs she had put in the marriage invitation, let alone the groom!
This is about the point where Meg and Reid form an unlikely friendship. He’s guarded and unhappy with his life in New York. Quite frankly, he can’t wait to get out of New York. Meg on the other hand loves New York and couldn’t ever fathom leaving a place that speaks to her with signs in her every day life.
I loved the games that Reid and Meg played with one another. Reid not being a very social person, was able to open up to Meg throughout various games using letters (Meg’s speciality) and numbers (his specialty). These games were so much fun, but at the same time it was a way for these two individuals to let down their guard and be vulnerable to each other.
I think one part of the book that touched me the most was Meg’s relationship with her best friend Sibby. I’ve come to realize that I love books with great friendships in them and Meg had a lot of those in this book. She had Cecelia and Lachelle at the shop, but they were co-workers who gradually became friends. Sybill was the one constant, the one person that was always there for her when she moved to New York. But it seems as though their friendship is cracking and Meg doesn’t know how or what to do to try to fix the cracks. The poignant reminders of what their friendship used to be like made me so very sad. Not only sad for Meg and Sybill, but sad because I think we’ve all been in her shoes. We’ve all had friendships that we thought were going to last a lifetime only to find that we’ve gradually drifted away and we’re not even sure how that happened.
I absolutely loved this book. It was complex and I loved that the more I read on, the more I was able to uncover another layer that only added to this beautiful story.
The book itself is beautiful and really was an experience reading the physical book with the various fonts, capitalizations and italicized words. Thank you GoodReads and Kensington Books for my giveaway win.
I will admit that I have a difficult time holding a paperback. My goal was to read two chapters a night. Sounds simple enough. That plan got destroyed by the end of day two reading. I was hooked. I needed to keep going. The relationship between the main characters has more twists and turns than the Nouradilla Font.
Meg is a professional Calligrapher, living and surviving in New York City. She is struggling creatively. When a past client, Reid Sutherland, confronts her about a hidden message in a wedding program life changes. She thought he was strange, rigged a year ago and her opinion won’t change after this confrontation. But there is just something….
Opposites attract but having something in common can bond a couple together. What they have in common is codes-her letters and his numbers. They soon find themselves weaving through the streets of New York City. Meg is searching for inspiration. She needs to get past her creative block. Reid needs to see the beauty in a city he detests.
What I like best about this love story is that I didn’t see “it” coming. The story was building and building. Meg and Reid were changing, growing. A long the way they were falling hard.
There were clues. Their were drum rolls. Horns blared. Tensions flared. When the story reached the climax–Ya, I didn’t see that coming.
I’m not going to lie, I was absolutely thrilled to win a copy of ‘Love Lettering’ from a Goodreads giveaway, as it has been on my “want to read” list for months. My review below is a reflection of my honest impressions of this amazing novel.
Kate Clayborn’s ‘Love Lettering’ is brilliantly written and perfectly plotted, with witty dialogue and all the feels. Meg Mackworth has a secret. Using her flawless hand-lettering skills, she incorporated a hidden message into a wedding program intended for Reid Sutherland and his fiancée. A year later, Reid tracks her down to let her know that he decoded her message, and wants to know how she knew that his relationship would fail.
First off, this novel completely lives up to its hype. There’s a reason this book is on every TBR list, and it’s definitely one of my favorite romance reads this year. The plot line is refreshingly unique and unpredictable. Clayborn adeptly navigates the nuances of each relationship in the book. Meg and Reid develop a compelling bond that feels achingly human and thoroughly authentic. Meg’s relationship with Sibby is also poignant and layered. I enjoyed that all of the characters in the novel don’t feel disposable; they’re all fleshed out and three-dimensional. And the way that Clayborn shapes and directs this narrative is sheer perfection.
I loved reading this book so hard, I finished it in one sitting, and I can’t wait to give it a reread.
I love the theme, it’s unique and refreshing. There are many whimsical moments mixed with subtle, dry humour.
Meg and Reid navigate New York City with all their insecurities, hurt, buried dreams, and hope. Each one is different in his or her approach but when their worlds collide, the result is a careful blend that leads to different hopes.
Kate Clayborn’s writing is quirky and entertaining. I love how she weaves Meg’s work and inspiration into her (Meg’s) interactions with and thoughts about Reid. The result is delightful.
This book is definitely in my favourite of the year. I found the writing style very good, the characters interesting and the story overall entertaining as well as challenging. It makes me want to see a movie made out of it.
Her gift to see through the letters and people facades can be a bless and a curse at the same time for the heroine but that’s why fate decided to bring together two different characters from different social backgrounds, to become friends and more than that with time through those letters and what each letter symbolises.
Many people will enjoy this slow burn love story .
5 Swoonsh Stars!
This is my very first Kate Clayborn read and if the rest of her library is half as good as Love Lettering, I’m destined to become a devoted reader.
Love Letting was told in a single-POV by the heroine Meg. Fortunately, with Meg’s apt and expressive voice, I never felt that I missed Reid’s POV. I quickly fell for him and his regal poise, brusque honesty, and insecure tics, all shared through Meg’s keen observation. As for her, Meg’s character stirred a reaction in me and I simply felt like I understood her. I may not have ever had the exact thought processes as Meg in relation to her artistic pursuits, but I got how her artistry infiltrated her view of the world. I was fascinated by her compulsion to assign letters, shapes, and lines to what she saw and to what she felt, emotionally.
Together, Reid and Meg are best described as lovely. After a somewhat complicated beginning, the couple chose to become (mostly) transparent with each other. It was a reader’s delight to experience this couple’s journey without the miscommunication and omissions that so often plague couples in contemporary romance. Therefore, the angst and conflict were more authentic and less manufactured by unnecessary drama.
The entirety of Love Lettering was a leisurely-paced, slow burn romance and it was EVERYTHING! If a book is going to move at a slower, but consistent pace, it needs to keep me invested with interesting details, meaningful characters, and graceful prose. LL had all of that along with some delicious swoon, witty banter, sweet friendships, and a convincing twist.
Aside from everything positive that I’ve already highlighted, the grandest compliment I can bestow is this: Kate Clayborn doesn’t feel the need to spell out every thought or contemplation in a character’s head, but allows the smart reader to draw the right conclusion by showing through physical actions and responses. I absolutely love when an author treats the reader with above par intelligence and doesn’t relay redundant information or stay in a character’s head beyond what is obviously necessary.
For me, Love Lettering was unequivocally original and enchanting. It was near perfect in it’s pacing, writing, and story arc along with a sweet romantic reward. Absolutely, sigh-worthy!
What a refreshing read Love Lettering was. Character development is important in a story and it’s what helps keep a readers attention. Ms. Clayborn easily created that relationship between the reader and the story. The complexities of Meg and Reid’s connection was perfectly executed. The supporting characters helped shaped the story and were exactly what was needed for Meg.
As this was my first book from Ms. Clayborn, I’m looking forward to more.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy
4.5 stars
Love Lettering was such a wonderful surprise. I was already intrigued after reading the chapter preview and now, after finishing the book, I can safely say that I am in love with Kate Clayborn’s writing style and sense of humor. The book was heartfelt and emotional at times, but also uplifting and hilarious. There were even a few plot twists that I didn’t see coming.
Meg was such a relatable heroine. I loved her inner monologue and many of the thoughts racing through her mind had me laughing out loud. I really enjoyed the gradual build up between her and Reid. Their connection felt organic, as they came to understand and appreciate the other. All of the lingering glances, the subtle (and not quite so subtle) gestures, and barely there touching, had me swooning. I’m a sucker for the Masterpiece Theatre style intimacy and tenderness that Meg so often references in regards to Reid’s manners. I would have loved if the big reveal at the end and it’s resolution would have been hashed out more face to face, but I understand the reasoning and significance of it being presented and resolved the way it was.
The slow burn/opposites attract romance between her and Reid was wonderful, but what I loved most was Meg’s journey and how she really came into her own through the course of the novel. I appreciated the focus on friendships and how they can fracture and break down, but also grow and evolve. One of my favorite parts of the novel was the discussion that Meg has with Lachelle about learning how to figuratively fight.
“… sometimes fighting isn’t about leaving, it’s about staying. It takes practice to get it right, and it’s painful, but if you want to stay with people, you do it.”
Love Lettering was a witty and beautiful novel that I truly wanted to savor. The epilogue left me just the right amount of warm and fuzzy and I can’t wait to read more books by Kate Clayborn.
Note: If you’re not a fan of hand lettering or fonts, it’s possible that the descriptions and level of detail that the book goes into about how Meg sees the world and all of its signs, will be a bit overwhelming. It’s clear that the author took a lot of time researching the topic and my font/lettering loving heart couldn’t get enough!
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*
What can I say about Love Lettering? The writing is so gloriously evocative of the craft of the heroine that I dreamt in script? That I almost wore out the highlight button on my Kindle? That Reid and Meg have my heart?
I fell in love with Kate Clayborn’s writing with the Chance of a Lifetime series and this book just cements her place as an important voice in the Romance genre.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. I will write a better review when I have collected my feelings!
Love Lettering is packed with heart and humor, written with absolute brilliance by Kate Clayborn. This is the kind of book where you don’t want to skip a single word because there’s so much wonderful detail and heart on every page. Not only is there a slow-burn romance between Meg and Reid, but this is also a love letter to New York City. I was actually mad when the book ended because I wanted MORE.
This book will surprise you in all the very best ways.
Kate Clayborn’s book, Love Lettering was truly a work of art for me. I was engrossed with the story from the very first page. I did not stop and was fully engrossed with the story and the characters. Clayborn wrote a beautiful love story that developed organically with amazing dialogue with all the swoon and feels you will crave for.
Our amazing story begins with Meg Mackworth, who is a popular and talented hand lettering artist who was working with a couple on their wedding program. Meg knew without a doubt from their first meeting that Reid Sutherland and her gorgeous fiancée’s marriage would be doomed to fail. Meg decides she would incorporate a hidden and secret message within the wedding program design. Unbeknownst to her, Reid was pattern obsessed and noticed the sign Meg left in their program.
A year later, Reid tracks down Meg to let her know she knew about the message she left and asks questions before he leaves New York permanently. This starts an unusual friendship and an unlikely connection with each other. Meg is trying to gain more inspiration for her new project, Planner of Park Slope, and works with Reid trying to find these hand lettered signs all over the boroughs of New York City. Will Meg be as astute in reading the signs Reid is leaving for her?
There were parts of the book where the writing was just so perfect when Meg and Reid start to recognize their attraction for each other, and that part really took my breath away. There were many moments like that where Clayborn’s writing sparks with brilliance in the way she writes the story. Nothing forced but oh my goodness, how do you pull at all my heart strings!!
I was glad to see hand lettering featured in the story as handwriting is becoming a lost art – but happy to see that there is a trend in its growing popularity among artists, and in social media that is influencing many more people. I notice that after reading this book, my appreciation and taking notice for hand lettering signs have increased and at times makes me smile and think what Meg and Reid would have thought about this.
Love Lettering is rom-com at it’s best. It has a New York City setting, two people who are slowly falling in love and a plot with some depth to it. How can you not love a book like this?
Meg is an artist – an artist of letters. Her skill at hand lettering has made her well known in NYC as the Planner of Park Slope. The publicity has gotten her more business than she can handle making everything that requires hand printing from custom journals to wedding programs and she has little time to work on new projects plus she has writer’s block. What is interesting with Meg is that she’s sees her entire world through letters and feels like letters give her signs about her life. Kate meets Reid when she is working on the wedding invitations to his upcoming wedding. Reid is a math prodigy and he sees life through numbers. A year after the wedding invitation are completed, Reid goes back to see Meg to ask her about the wedding program. He detected a hidden word coded into the program that said MISTAKE and wants to know how she knew. After that confrontation, they began to spend time with each other looking for signs to the future from the hand lettered signs in the city. Will they get their happily ever after or are they too different?
I really liked the two main characters – Meg is a skilled artist who still has very little self-confidence but knows how to have a good time. Reid is very serious about life and has lots of trouble relaxing and enjoying life. The two of them together make an interesting couple. This is a book full of laughs and romance as two very different people learn how much alike they really are.
I enjoyed this one but will admit that it was a slow starter for me. I felt a bit overwhelmed at first inside Meg’s mind, keeping up, following along. However, that may have been simply because I am not an artist nor into lettering. The story actively started engaging me around 25% in.
Meg is a lettering artist in NY; Reid is a quant (quantitative analyst). They both have their own issues (Meg discovered some painful family secrets; Reid, because of his intelligence and stiff manner, is often misunderstood). I loved how they began their time together (unique games!), the slow build here was wonderful and they truly felt like soulmates. Out 12/31/19
Thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for providing the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.
Whimsical, fun, flirty, sweet, romantic. I can picture all the love letters Meg Mackworth would use to write my descriptors. Reid Sutherland seemed to be her complete opposite but they worked. I loved the slow build of their relationship and the easy pace of their story. Love Lettering is a charming story.