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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What a delightful read. If you love journals and lettering and characters who will steal your heart, this is the book. As someone who loves finding old signs and signs in life, I adored every page. Looking for a soft, warm story to fill your heart? This is it.
I love a good rom-com. This one is frothy and a fast read, perfect for a week of isolation.
One of my new favorite books! One of the most beautiful and unique love stories I’ve read in a long time. Heroine is a professional hand letterer who embeds a secret code in a wedding announcement, thinking no one will notice, but the hero does! And now he’s back to get an explanation. They start taking walks together throughout the city to find her missing inspiration—and it is JUST GORGEOUS. Do not missing this sweet, funny slow burn (that def has its steamy moments). It will stand out among everything else on your TBR.
A lingering, magical book that is a romance, a story of lost friends and found ones, and a love letter to hand lettering and the hand painted signs that give New York City its character. Full disclosure, this book is set in my neighborhood, so I suppose I was predisposed to love it…but I’m pretty sure I would have loved it anyway…and so will you.
I can’t wait for the whole world to fall in love with Love Lettering!
Don’t you love when books find you at the perfect time?!? We had just returned home from traveling for Christmas and I started to read Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn. I wanted to have it finished before the New Year, but I read it all in one day. I had been reading so many cozy mysteries and thrillers that it was nice to take a break with some romance.
It’s a great romance. Not a lot of fighting between the characters, a little bit of mixed signals, but I could see past that with what is revealed, and none of the I love him but can’t tell him. All of these tropes drive me nuts when they just keep going and going and going.
Then there’s the sex. Love Lettering is not as filled with sex like the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, but the main sex scene was so sweet, tender, and hot. Often times in steamy romances, I’ll read the first sex scene to see how well the author writes it and then find myself skimming over future scenes. With Love Lettering, the sex scene was so well written I was hoping for a lot more! But in ways, the one main scene made this book even better because Clayborn focused more on the characters and their story.
I really enjoyed that Clayborn focused so much on the character development and their stories. I had stopped reading romances for awhile because of their lack of character development and how whatever trope they decided to focus their storyline on just kept going. Guess I just needed to read a different type of romance!
Meg is obsessed with letters, Reid is into numbers. So while they may seem to be opposites at first, Meg with her sweet disposition and Reid with his stiff manners, they are able to grow with new experiences. Then there’s Sibby, Meg’s friend from school, who throws conflict into Meg’s life. I really enjoyed the reason behind the divide since it’s so true to life, especially in an Instagram world. Lachelle and Cecilia run the paper store that gave Meg her start, and I soooo want to go to this store. I know I would lose myself for hours in there. And finally, there’s Lark, the famous actress and star of Meg and Sibby’s favorite childhood movie. Although you would think Lark has the perfect Instagram life, she too has problems just like the rest of us. It was enjoyable having a romance with characters that have depth and that doesn’t just focus on the main two people.
I also found it amusing that I decided this year to return to a paper planner after using the computer’s calendar and list tools for the past five years. There’s just something more satisfying about writing things out. So with Meg being a letterer, I felt it was a sign from the universe that using a paper planner is a good idea. 🙂
After enjoying Love Lettering so much I’m thinking I need to give her A Chance of a Lifetime book series a try. And if you’re looking for a sweet romance with lots of depth make sure to grab yourself a copy of Love Lettering!
Love Lettering is one of my favorites – a thoughtful romance that also explores changing friendships. A lovely story with a clever premise. Some of the wording and phrasing is beautiful enough I read it over several times. I loved how the lettering and visualizing words was embedded into the character’s personality, profession, and emotions. I appreciated the complex friendship situation where the true conflict was drifting apart, and what toll that takes particularly on women. The love story had an interesting plot progression. A wonderful, unique romance.
Very rarely does a book make me laugh, cry, sigh, and want to take up calligraphy all at the same time. This book is MARVELOUS. At times I wished to peer inside Reid’s head but as the story unfolded I realized it was better this way, learning him through Meg’s eyes and seeing how their relationship grew so beautifully. So, so well done!
What a delightful book! The heroine, Meg, is a lettering artist. It affects everything about her – the way she sees the world, the way she responds. This is entirely as it should be.
Reid is more of a numbers and patterns guy. So when Meg puts a code into the wedding brochure for Reid’s (later aborted) wedding, he spots it. Of course he does.
I love the gentle relationship between Meg and Reid. I really enjoyed the visual aspects of the story – the way they see the city through its signs and noticeboards, the way Meg’s thoughts unspool in different fonts.
This is a charming, beautifully written romance. You should read it.
Love lettering: a beautiful testament to the power of being mindful and in the moment. For most of the book my heart was in a constant state of feeling squeezed, knowing these two individuals were falling in love and feeling privileged to be able to watch it happen. Ms. Clayborn does a beautiful job of pulling you along with the anticipation and excitement of getting to know someone; the subtle hints of care, and, of wonder. I loved the way she would describe how a word would look, when spoken, settling in the air around her. I’ve caught myself thinking more clearly about how, and when, I say things. I love when I can take away a new view of the world through a characters eyes. My heart is still happy
Uniquely, intensely beautiful. This book will wake you up in the middle of the night aching for these perfectly imperfect characters.
This was a prize I won in a Facebook contest from the publisher. Leaving a positive review, or any kind of review, was not required or requested. All words are my own.
The first completed read of 2020 is a “new-to-me” author – Kate Clayborn.
“Love Lettering” is a contemporary romance set in New York.
Meg Mackworth is a “custom designer”. She uses her hand-lettering skills to design calendars, planners, journals – those things – for her clients. But, she sometimes works in a message into the designs.
One client was the fiancée of Reid Sutherland who had gone to Meg to design their wedding program.
A year after his canceled wedding, he seeks Meg out to ask her how she knew the wedding would’ve been a MISTAKE. She knows and sees “signs” that others would miss. She didn’t know how he saw the “sign” – but being that he is obsessed with patterns and numbers – he did. He wants to know how she knew. She hasn’t done it with too many clients, but it is a “habit” of hers.
Meg’s best friend Sibby is drifting away from her, Meg is also suffering from creative block, which isn’t good with a deadline looming ahead of her. And, Reid is thinking about leaving New York.
She then decides to show him the “signs” she saw when she first moved there. They begin to gradually open up to each other while Meg is working with a childhood idol, Lark Tannen-Fisher, which can help Meg get a job she’s always wanted.
Despite the “charm” of the premise, I found it a tense read – it was hard to get into it and stay with it. There were a LOT of references to fonts and math. It felt like the novel was trying too hard to be charming. I could only read “sans serif” so many times. I don’t even have *that* font in my Word fonts, so I was a bit lost with the reference.
Meg is, to me, always comparing things to “fonts”, even “feelings” and the way people talk. While it is her livelihood, it felt almost forced and pushy. I didn’t know there was a calling for “hand-lettering” artists. So, it was hard to relate to the character.
The story is told only from her POV shifting from her interactions to people. There was no secondary or third POV which makes the book more of a monologue.
The secondary character – Reid Sutherland, started as unlikeable and I waffled back and forth between liking him and disliking him. He detested New York, and Meg seemed to be forcing New York on him. But, there were a few moments where I felt sorry for him.
He seemed like a flat character and there was little about him that made him interesting.
By about chapter eleven (11), plot starts to pick up. Though, it wasn’t until chapter 18 where the “drama” began. Considering this book had 22 chapters with an epilogue, it wasn’t a long drama and certainly more of a “blurb”.
Even adding in a scandal with Reid’s boss and work was not enough for me to really give this even a four-star rating. At best, it was a three. While the “drama” slightly explained Reid’s character, it would’ve been better to have introduced that story-line in the beginning or middle and work around it.
What also was a bit much for me – his secret drawing Meg into the spotlight because of the “MISTAKE”. That could’ve ended her career.
And, when Meg was approached to use that for “good things” by the company she’d wanted to work for – she turned it down. She was being given a “second chance” even after a disaster.
As far as their “romance” – they were a mismatched pair, and their romance seemed a bit forced to me. Nerdy guy hooks up with a creative girl from a questionable background; who also has issues.
The other characters: Sibby (Sybil), Meg’s friend and roommate, is only seen from Meg’s POV. It would’ve been interesting to see Sibby from her own side or others. The Sibby friendship was strained – and to cut to the heart of it – jealousy over the fact that Meg has adopted New York as a home and has started her own business while Sibby is still struggling.
There were other minor characters as well: Lark, a former child star; Cecilia and Lachelle who work with Meg. They were “support” characters without much background.
The story does have a “happy ever-after ending” though, as most romance novels do.
Now for the bad parts:
** The language is questionable as there are quite a few “f” bombs tossed about in the novel. It isn’t loaded with them though; however some readers might object to the language.
** There are also two chapters with some sex scenes. In the past I’ve heard and read worse – they are not explicit per se, but the author does go into quite an extensive detail.
For those who like cleaner reads with no foul language and no descriptive love scenes, I wouldn’t recommend the book.
If this type of romance novel doesn’t bother you – then it might be worth a quick trip to the library to find it.
“Love Lettering” by Kate Clayborn
I received a free ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley. I struggled with assigning a star rating for this reading. I was intrigued by the book description, enjoyed the beginning and ending of the story, the middle, not so much. I hope it was just myself that I just did not connect with the characters and their world. I am glad that I persevered and completed the story. It was an interesting read.
The characters were delightful and I loved how Clayborn made NYC come alive. I felt like I was walking the streets and neighborhoods with the characters. So good!
Gorgeous prose, delicious romantic tension.
I loved this book! Yes, it was light, fluffy, a quick read. But it was fun, fascinating on a subject I knew nothing about, and the love story sweet. It was exactly the book I needed to read at this point in my life.
After reading a couple of heavy, dark books this was the perfect read for me. Light, fun, clever. A nice romance. I’ll be looking up other books by this author.
Full of swoon-worthy moments! The plot had my interest with it’s unusual and unique description. I listened to the audiobook and had a hard time keeping up with Meg’s thoughts in the beginning, but that quickly developed into a story I couldn’t walk away from or get enough of.
Meg and Reid are brought together after he discovers a secret message she thought nobody would find. The characters in this book are so cleverly written, you’ll fall for them both, wishing they existed in the real world so you could befriend them.
A charming story that teaches you that everything isn’t always what it appears to be, and sometimes you need to take a chance in order to find your happiness. This was a new-to-me author that I will definitely be reading again soon!
**This is a very slow burn, but I promise it’s worth it.
Best book I’ve read in awhile. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend!
This book is a wonderful love story! I absolutely loved the way that the story was told. Meg is a lettering artist known for her whimsical designs on wedding stationery and planners. Reid works on Wall Street with numbers.
Reid notices a hidden word in his wedding program, a wedding that was subsequently cancelled, and comes to Meg to find out what she knew about his doomed engagement. Meg was initially drawn to Reid, even as he was planning his wedding to another woman.
This book is full of romantic walks around New York and special games that Meg and Reid play together. I just really love them together and love how their story unfolds. The only wish I had, if I were to make one, is that there were samples of Meg’s art in the book. Kate Clayborn describes her art in such fantastic detail, I can definitely imagine it in my mind’s eye, but I think it would just add that much more to the story.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves a romantic story with characters who feel like real people you’d love to meet.