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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Rating: 4.5
It took me a while to get into this story, but once I did, I could not put it down.
“Love Lettering” featured a very unique plot and was an overall charming story. I adored Reid and Meg. Definitely recommend.
It is really difficult, as a human, to be vulnerable. It’s also difficult to write a vulnerable character well. We, as readers, don’t always see the strength in that, but I do think it’s a strength. Meg and Reid are achingly vulnerable in this book and it’s wonderfully done. And funny. So funny. Meg’s voice is lovely. Not only that, but I loved how this book didn’t just focus on romantic love, but the love between friends. I can always tell that I’m going to like a book if, at only a few chapters in, I’m already texting friends to tell them they should read it. When I know who is going to enjoy this book–and Love Lettering was one of those.
Enchanting…if a bit slow
I really loved the use of letters, words, and numbers. The love letter at the end was perfection and I loved watching Meg come into her own. However, it felt really slow to me. Every time I felt like we were about to turn the corner and really get going there would be an internal monologue, and often a repetitive one, would pump the brakes.
I am blown away by how much I love this series. Jill Shalvis’ ability to get me emotionally invested into these characters and utterly sucked into their lives is astounding. The only thing missing was more cameos from some of the characters I grew to love in the first book, but I do truly love the fact that the small town they live in, Wildstone, is the connection in the series. I love the Capriotti family and I wish we could have a series just about them! I don’t think there was a single aspect of this book that I did not enjoy – even the angst was realistic, yet not unduly drawn out (which was a relief to my poor heart because I couldn’t take any more than there was). All of the relationships that were developed were so important and vital and real and I love that Lanie’s story made me look at myself and ask some hard questions. I also really loved that while Lanie is flawed, she’s also strong, intelligent, capable, and loving. I can not wait to continue on with the series (in fact, book 1.5 just arrived in the mail so it looks like my day is booked)! 4.5 out of 5 wine glasses.
I was pleasantly surprised by this entire story. This is the first time I have read Kate Clayborn’s work and I will definitely be looking for more.
The pacing of the relationship between Meg and Reid is slow and enjoyable. In a time when literature seems to want to hurry things along, their walks and talks around New York City give the reader time to get to know them each individually, even in a setting known for people who love anonymity.
The story picks up energy with an unexpected twist and carries the reader through to a satisfying finale.
I would be remiss if I did not mention I will never look at signs the same. Thank you, Ms. Clayborn.
Meg MackWorth has a gift to read signs, the letters, their look, their color, how they make her feel, and through this gift she develops a successful business where her hand lettering is in high demand. She meets a couple who are engaged, and she designs a wedding invitation for them. However, through this gift, she can weave secret messages through her lettering. One year later, the couple is no longer engaged, and Reid unexpectedly stops into the shop where Meg works and confronts her as he deciphered her hidden message. He is a mathematician and he too, has an ability to read the signs. He specifically asks her how did she know that he and his fiancé weren’t meant to be? A friendship forms, romance blossoms, and a rare love endures even through a traumatic experience.
Kate Clayborn is a new author for me. Her writing is captivating, but I’ll be very honest and say I did have a hard time with the first half of the book. I thought about putting it down, but I stayed with it and was glad I did as the second half took off which I absolutely loved. Therefore, my rating is based mostly on the second half. Clayborn depicts each character so expertly as her descriptions and dialogue grabbed my emotions. That’s what kept me turning the pages during the second half. When a book captures my emotions, that’s when I know the author has done a great job. This is a very unique story, and it’s one that I will definitely remember.
I must thank Kensington Books as I won a copy of Love Lettering, and the comments above are purely my own.
I really liked this book. Sweet, fun, charming and totally swoon worthy, Meg and Reid’s romance was quite delightful. I thought that this book was quirky and very original. The characters were likable and shared great chemistry.
I like Kate Clayborn’s first trilogy, but I loved this novel. Clayborn as a writer has leveled up, and there are so many juicy layers in this book, I want to reread it about six more times to (a) wallow in the story and (b) find everything I missed on the first pass. This is a love letter to love, to Manhattan, to fonts, to friendship. Honestly, I don’t know how she packed so much yummy goodness between these covers.
*My Top Read of 2020 and easily a favorite that I will enjoy reading over and over.
Having read this book, I feel completely unable to adequately arrange the letters of the alphabet in such a way as to do justice to the beauty that is Kate Clayborn’s writing. I was captivated by the characters, their strengths and weaknesses, and their journeys. This book is a love letter to friendships, recognizing signs, chasing dreams, and a love that doesn’t “fix” everything, but certainly makes life’s mistakes easier to handle.
This is easily one of my top 5 books of 2019 (and I read over 200). In a word, it’s lovely…a beautiful, slow-burning contemporary urban romance that is both a love letter to New York City and a love story that defies the common tropes found in most books of its genre.
It all begins with a M-I-S-T-A-K-E, secretly incorporated in a wedding program designed by Meg, an uber-talented calligrapher and artist. One year later, Reid, the groom (who has a gift for numbers and deciphers the code) seeks her out to ask how she knew that his relationship was doomed. Since she’s experiencing a creative block and could use a friend, and he hates NYC and is eager to finish up a work project so he can move away, she invites him to seek out literal signs throughout the city in the hopes that she’ll find inspiration and he’ll come to appreciate her adopted home. He suggests making it a game, and, in the process, they go from awkward encounters to thoughtful conversations, resulting in a love that embraces their differences and celebrates their respect for and loyalty to each other. Although there is angst, conflict, and a surprising twist that tests the strength of that loyalty and their feelings for each other, Clayborn doesn’t rely on manufactured miscommunication and lies to create drama. Reid is a flawed, but lovely, respectful, swoon-worthy hero, the antithesis of the controlling alpha males prevalent in popular romance. Meg has a successful business and a clear vision for her future, so her feelings for Reid aren’t based on a need for him to direct her life. The female friendships in which women celebrate and support each other, even the way that Meg and Sibby painfully navigate their evolving relationship, are another refreshing element in this enchanting novel.
It is clear that Clayborn respects the intelligence of her readers by creating a story that celebrates the relationship between the imagery of hand-lettered signs and the patterns found in numbers. In a field dominated by books that feature explosive or sexually-loaded relationships, it is refreshing and comforting to witness a romance that builds slowly and acknowledges the complexity of emotions involved. Highly recommended!
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Kensington Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
Thanks to Kensington Books and SheSpeaks for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review
I must say as an author Kate Calybourne has a wonderful way of capturing her audience’s attention.
Meg Mackworth’s has the unique talent of creating beautiful handwritten planners fro the New York elite. She also has the uncanny ability to read signs. A gift that helps her read letters and the world in a different way.
Reid sees the world in numbers and codes. He has trouble relating to people
When Meg weaves a simple word into Reid’s wedding program she has no idea how it will change her life.
This witty and fun romance is full of delight and is a virtual must read fro any word nerd. The beauty in which kate creates this story is so amazing. I was captivated from the first page.
I fell madly in love with Meg from the beginning and soon feel hard for Reid. Together they took me on an adventure through New York that was simply magical. Plus the emotions I went through with these two was a rollercoaster ride that left me breathless. This book truly was a magical, witty, beautiful romance that left me smiling and feeling joy in my soul.
This was definitely my favorite read of the new year and I can’t wait to see what else Kate will bring us in the years to come.
I was looking forward to reading this book, but I only made it about 3 chapters into the book before I gave up. There was so much detail about lettering, signs, and fonts. I did not care for the main character, and could not relate to her. The book may have gotten better if I could have read more of it, but it was a challenge to make myself read as far as I did.
What can I say about this book that hasn’t been said? It’s a romance, but it’s also a book about friendship and New York City and discovery. And the beauty of letters. It’s sweeter than you expect and understatedly sophisticated, but that’s Kate Clayborn for you.
I absolutely loved Meg and Reid! Their relationship was rocky and tentative at first. They had to overcome many obstacles. Meg let her emotions show through her work, designing and lettering programs, journals, and other art. Reid let his work overtake his thoughts. Their relationship was real, not perfect.
I enjoyed seeing NYC through Meg’s eyes. I loved her insecurities and her coming to terms with her art. I loved Reid’s love of math and his trustworthiness and his honesty, as well as his insecurities and his tenseness. They are an imperfect couple trying to find each other.
Love Lettering is a sweet, but not sugary, love story. There is angst and sorrow, and a lot of tears, but eventually, there is honesty and love.
This was a winner for me.
#ReadLoveLettering #SheSpeaks Kate Clayborn @shespeaksup @KensingtonBooks #KateClayborn https://smarturl.it/ReadLoveLettering
I enjoyed this book! I think part of my enjoyment stems from the fact that Meg felt like a relatable character to me. She is from the Columbus, Ohio area – I live close to this area as well. It helped me to understand some of her quirks as well as her mannerisms and way of speaking. The book had several quote-worthy parts that had me laughing out loud. It was light and fun. The hand-lettering aspect gave unique elements to the story.
I think Reid and Meg make a great couple. Toward the end of the book, the story felt like it just jumped the rails and everything was happening too quickly, then somewhat pulled together by the epilogue. If the timeline had been a bit more cohesive and the actions taken by some of the characters felt a bit more realistic, this would have been a five-star read for me.
If you can suspend belief for a bit and just enjoy this for a fun, light-hearted read, I think you will enjoy it as well. Side note: I kept picturing Reid as Dr. Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds. LOL.
I received a copy of this book from SheSpeaks and Kensington and I am voluntarily sharing my honest thoughts.
This was a different book than any I’ve ever read. Meg Mackworth has become well known in New York for her hand lettering. She has more clients than she can handle, doing journals, calendars and wedding invitations. She has placed a coded message in the latest invitation that brings the groom into the store that she works from. Reid is a numbers guy. He has a doctorate in higher math and works for a well known company. Letters Lady meets Numbers Guy. What happens after this shows the talent and imagination of the author.
Meg thinks almost everything in letters including conversations. She’s speaking in sans script or he’s shouting in bold capitals. This has been fun to read and brings humor and lightness into the story. She brings Reid out of his stuffy numbers world by walking and searching for signs in New York streets in a form of a game. This helps her out of her slump she’s been in for a while. There’s lots more to the story than romance but I don’t want to give anything away.
I myself have a great imagination so the graphic sexual content and profanity to me was totally unnecessary. The story could have been told without it and still made a great novel. That is why I gave it the rating I did.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through #SheSpeaks but was not required to write a review positive or otherwise.
https//smarturt.it/ReadLoveLettering
LOVE LETTERING
By Kate Clayborn
Well let’s start by saying I didn’t Love, LOVE LETTERING. I was really anticipating this book to be a great read full of fun and romance and instead I got a lesson on fonts, fancy lettering and signs. I made a commitment to read this book and somehow I did, as much as I wanted to quit and mark it as a DNF. Surely I thought the beginning would get past the base informational plot on lettering and grow more on the relationship and it’s characters. But it did not, there was barely any verbal communication between anyone besides the inner dialogue taking place in the mind of our protagonist, Meg Mackworth.
Meg Mackworth runs her own business and is asked to do invitations for a wedding. While creating the invitations, she puts a secret code that she thinks she can only see, warning that the marriage will fail. Exactly one year later the would be groom comes back and confronts her and asks about the reason for the secret code. Apparently, the message was seen and the marriage never took place.
A relationship forms very slowly between Meg and the ex-groom, Reid Sutherland. I was so embarrassed as a woman at how desperate and blatantly Meg chased after Reid. Meg to me was rather annoying and Reid dull and not very personable. Instead of enjoying a love story, my stomach was in knots at their interactions with each other. They were always awkward with each other, met outside and walked around and never went on a real date. It was all about pointing out or taking pictures of the letters in signs.
At the very near end of the book I’m pleased to say is where some sense of normalcy came into play of a real romance. I still found things odd with Meg at what she told and did with Reid, being new in a relationship. But finally there were actual conversations and visits to each other’s homes and actual dates. Honestly, I could not wait for this book to end. I went in so badly wanting to love it and stuck it out through the very end. I can’t believe all the 5 star ratings this book is receiving.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
Love Lettering is a unique and captivating book that I thoroughly enjoyed. The premise of the book was something I haven’t read before, the romance was sweet and slow-burning, and New York backdrop was just the icing on the cake. The main hero Reid is so swoony, he is going on my book boyfriend’s list. Love Lettering is one of the best contemporary romances I’ve read recently, I highly recommend it.
Kate Clayborn just keeps getting better with every book she writes! Her books are filled with so much heart and intense feelings, yet they are quiet books that don’t need overwrought plots to score an emotional bullseye. On the face of it, Meg and Reid don’t seem to have much in common. She’s a brilliant artist who expresses herself through exquisite calligraphy (lovingly and meticulously described in the book) who is inspired by everyday signs, letters and fonts throughout bustling NYC while Reid is quiet and introspective, a true “numbers” guy who takes comfort in patterns and regularity and is feeling worn down by the neverending energy of the city. Yet somehow, they come together to form a beautiful whole. They complete and inspire each other to be their best selves, and really, isn’t that what we all deserve in our partner?
This was such an great romance to end my year with and left me with a lovely warm glow. In addition to the central romance, I also loved the way Meg was presented as a complete person. So many times in romance, the only well developed relationship is the one between the two leads, but in this book, Meg was also dealing with the apparent withering of her oldest friendship as well as the start of a new one and both were perfectly depicted and added depth and maturity to the basic plot and to the character development. I highly recommend this romance.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This has to be one of my favorite books of the new year so far. I absolutely adored the characters, the sweet romance, and the way that these two not only fell in love with each other but fell in love with New York City even though they’d been there for years. I know this is going to be a re-read!