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Love Lettering

Kate Clayborn (Goodreads Author)

3.75 · Rating details · 23,363 ratings · 4,102 reviews

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 thei ...more

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Paperback, 307 pages

Published December 31st 2019 by Kensington Publishing Corp.

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Average rating 3.75 ·

Rating details

· 23,363 ratings · 4,102 reviews

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Dec 10, 2019 Meredith ( on Semi-Hiatus until February) rated it liked it

Shelves: first-reads

3.5 stars

CHARMING!

This is a sweet romance with well-developed characters and a little something different.

Meg Mackworth, a letterer, has the gift of being able to decipher signs--Not signs of the universe, but actual signs. Letters, their format, font, hand-painted or printed, speak to her. She has turned her gift into art, but sometimes what she feels comes through in her work, as is the case when she designed a wedding invitation for a couple she thought doomed. What she didn’t realize is th ...more

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Nov 04, 2019 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it liked it

I couldn’t believe that I’m giving three romantic story with full of signs, shining with its bright lights of big city but unfortunately full of conspiracy and action parts, unexpected twisty turn of the story shattered my soft, swoony plot stars!

When I read the excerpt of this book I cursed a few times, because it ended with a sweet cliffhanger and I thought I had to read this book ASAP.I wanted to devour it so passionately!!! I couldn’t give my soul as a payment method(most of my reviewer read ...more

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Aug 09, 2019 h o l l i s rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, contemporary, ebook, a-smattering-of-lols, 2019-reads, finished-in-november-2019, heroines-i-love, not-all-the-feels-but-some, not-a-bunch-of-twenty-somethings, swoony-crush-worthy-boys

This is a hard review to write because I want to get it right. Why I loved this. How extraordinary the writing is, the moments we were given, shown, even the ones that were hidden until they were ready to be told.

To me, this a love story for all the people who were told they were mistakes or were mistaken, and even felt it in themselves. Who never got a do-over, never got a second chance, or the opportunity to explain themselves. It's a quiet story, in a way, one that just goes along with thing This is a hard review to write because I want to get it right. Why I loved this. How extraordinary the writing is, the moments we were given, shown, even the ones that were hidden until they were ready to be told.

To me, this a love story for all the people who were told they were mistakes or were mistaken, and even felt it in themselves. Who never got a do-over, never got a second chance, or the opportunity to explain themselves. It's a quiet story, in a way, one that just goes along with things.. until it doesn't.

I'll preface this, a little belatedly, by saying that if you don't love a little whimsy in your novels, if you can't use your imagination to bring something to mind, you might not always love this read. Fonts, lettering, as one might infer from the title, play a very big part. And I loved this. It offered a richness, a uniqueness, to the characters and this world — even if it is our own.

And speaking of the characters.. they were all, equally, in their own way, five stars. With exception to one obvious selection (Cameron) and one maybe not so obvious (not naming names, cough, Sibby, cough). Meg was a delight; watching her come into her own, every step she made, every mistake.. it was lovely. Reid, however, I almost have no words for. This is the most charming of all romance heroes. Not a grump, not an alpha, not a jerk. Just a giant, awkward, stoic creature. A total gentleman, a diehard math nerd, completely out of his element in almost every situation. He stole my heart, totally, and every interaction between them was just.. I want more.

"Reid, did you make a joke?"
"Probably not. I'm not known for my sense of humour."

For such a quiet story, the plot of this did take me a bit by surprise, but in hindsight everything slots into place. Every t gets crossed, every i gets its dot. But the banter, the chemistry, the build up.. everything, was fantastic.

I hesitate to say more because, again, I really want to get this review right. I'm not sure I succeeded. Just know this book made me laugh, made me soft, made me gushingly share passages with a friend (who had already read it!) and, I mean, full stop, what better expresses a reader's love than that? At this point, all I can say is : read this book.

4.5 stars

** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **

---

This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities. ...more

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Jan 12, 2020 Larry H rated it really liked it

4.5 stars.

Love Lettering was a slow-burn rom-com that snuck up on me and grabbed my heart!

First of all, I’ve got to say that this book wins for the most unusual professions of its main characters. Meg is a designer who specializes in hand lettering—she does in journals, planners, signs, cards, etc., and has even been called "The Planner of Park Slope"—and Reid is a quant, or quantitative analyst. (He’s a numbers guy in the finance world.)

Meg met Reid about a year ago when she was finishing u ...more

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Jan 30, 2020 Dilek VT rated it it was ok

Shelves: disappointing, weird-book, wtf-did-i-read, boring

Well, I am sorry but... what did I read? What even is this book?

Has it been written to torture us mortals who seek some pleasure in reading or to make us hate reading during this journey?

I picked up this book because the blurb was interesting and I thought the concept was new and intriguing. However, the way it is written is pure torture – very cruel, indeed.

I tried to make sense but most of the time, it was confusing, weird and ridiculous. I was lost in the absurdity of it all.

Such a shame i ...more

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Jan 15, 2020 emma rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-ya, 4-stars, owned, recommend, chick-lit, reviewed

Y’all know where I can meet and befriend a professional calligrapher with a cute Brooklyn apartment and great style?

Or, perhaps - and hear me out here - a nerdy but extremely hot math guy who is emotionally available and ready to take long scavenger hunt walks around New York at any time?

Asking for a friend.

Also, their names should be Meg and Reid, respectively. Thanks.

This was just so cute and fun. I loved Meg (my new calligrapher best friend) and I was so invested in her life and everyone in i ...more

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Oct 29, 2020 Anne Bogel rated it it was amazing

I just realized I never reviewed this! I loved it and was thrilled to include it in the 2020 Modern Mrs Darcy Summer Reading Guide.

Hand-letterer Meg designs custom journals and sees the world in fonts and signs. She also sees the signs other people miss, like the time she wove a secret message into a doomed couple’s wedding invitations. She didn’t count on the groom to actually notice—or for him to track her down a year later and demand answers.

I especially enjoyed how this novel weaves typogra ...more

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Mar 05, 2020 Christy rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-audio, 2020-new-to-me-author, 2020-four-stars

4 stars

photo F47EADAD-6CF5-45C2-92DF-F41771C9184C_zpsewoojsaj.png

The thing is, the letters don’t always tell me truths about myself. Sometimes they tell me truths about other people, and Reid Sutherland is— was —one of those people.
 Love Lettering is the first book I’ve read by Kate Clayborn and I really enjoyed it. It had a unique premise, and though it took me a while to get invested in the story, once I did, I devoured it.
 
Meg and Reid meet in an unconventional way. Meg is a professional at hand-lettering and she did the invitations to Re ...more

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Jan 24, 2021 preoccupiedbybooks rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A charming and emotional love story between an artist, a mathematician, her friends, her art and NYC!

Meg Mackworth is an artist, who creates using letters and words. She makes beautifully creative journals and wedding invites, but sometimes her feelings seep through into her work! When she designed wedding invites for a couple who she thought were doomed, she didn't count on the groom seeing her hidden message, or on him confronting her on it a year later, hugely impacting her life in all areas! ...more

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Apr 20, 2019 Aisling Zena rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary-dominant-alpha

3 stars

2/2/2020

I don't know what happened.. I wanted to love this. The concept and blurb sounded so original, they truly intrigued me. Somehow all that excitement fizzled out and I was left deflated. And I still don't really understand how that happened.

The beginning was so promising and made me relate to Meg on so many levels. The loneliness in a new city, the best friend that starts behaving odd without explanation, the fear of confrontation, not wanting to rock the boat in case you drown and ...more

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Dec 01, 2020 Chloe Liese rated it it was amazing

This book was a fresh-concept, gently-paced, tender love story. It felt slow in the best way, an intentional, methodical unfurling that I found very engaging and also...peaceful somehow. I really *really* loved the chemistry between Reid and Meg but I will warn diehard romance readers it takes us a bit to get there and their initial reason for hanging out isn’t a true meet cute—in fact it’s a bit weird. But that works for these two—Reid who is awkward and quiet and pensive, Meg who is hiding so ...more

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Dec 06, 2019 Sam (AMNReader) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020_01, fr, heroes-to-lick, consent-done-sexy, here-for-the-letters, read-in-2019, competence-porn, favorite-author, netgalley, favorite-romance

When I started reading this book, all I could think of was the phrase killing me softly

This book is full of this quiet angst, the kind you feel everyday in relationships. The kind you relate to, wondering what you did, where you went wrong, if mistakes are really ever forgiven and what they mean. And holy hell, this will be my fourth review of Kate Clayborn where I'm at a loss for what to even say.

It will be a time I say once again why I love her-her inclusiveness as a matter-of-life. Her fe When I started reading this book, all I could think of was the phrase killing me softly

This book is full of this quiet angst, the kind you feel everyday in relationships. The kind you relate to, wondering what you did, where you went wrong, if mistakes are really ever forgiven and what they mean. And holy hell, this will be my fourth review of Kate Clayborn where I'm at a loss for what to even say.

It will be a time I say once again why I love her-her inclusiveness as a matter-of-life. Her feminism, quietly shining through the page. Her evolved men who are clearly, incredibly leaders without (and sometimes with) the grunting physical presence. Is that enough? I will mention her settings again. This time, in New York, this time taking in every sign and letter. Relating numbers to letters. As if I didn't love this author enough. Her settings, the characters careers, the secondary characters all speak to make a complete, beautiful, fully alive story. And she twists the knife. Subtly, slowly. And you just get it. You feel it.

But that's not all. Because this is key: She writes extraordinary love stories for basically ordinary people falling in love in ordinary ways. She does so convincingly, quietly....killing us softly.

Reid and Meg burst with courage. They grow because of each other. They explore vulnerabilities, so much so we often take a deep breath with Meg when she begins her direct confrontations. And though I didn't find what Reid was doing much of a mystery, I appreciated the way it was integrated in the story and the conflict it created. It was well done without being sensationalized.

This book is all first person POV, and I didn't mind. I enjoyed getting to know Reid through Meg's open book. Through her loneliness and desperation, and I enjoyed getting to see her friends in the same way.

And despite this, I felt I knew Reid quite well because he was direct. That said, he is easily one of the most unique heroes I've ever read. Reid still felt whole, and I just loved him. I loved everyone in this book. I loved Meg's development and finding her own way. I loved the settings. Her unique job. His unique passion.

Love, Love, Love, it beats.
yep, that about sums it up.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. This has not affected my views on this book. I can't wait to get my hard copy, in fact.

...more

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Jul 25, 2019 *The Angry Reader* rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019, best-of-2019, arcs

Have you ever reached 15, 20% in a “romance” book and thought “there’s nothing here for me. I don’t understand these characters. I don’t see myself anywhere?” That happens to me - over and over again. Sometimes a book is just a book - and sometimes it’s more. It sends a message about relationships and how we feel about ourselves and What an author thinks about women and love.

In 2018 I read 253 books. In 2017 I read 299. 2018 had 31 “best of the year” books. 2017 had 36. So about 12% of my reads Have you ever reached 15, 20% in a “romance” book and thought “there’s nothing here for me. I don’t understand these characters. I don’t see myself anywhere?” That happens to me - over and over again. Sometimes a book is just a book - and sometimes it’s more. It sends a message about relationships and how we feel about ourselves and What an author thinks about women and love.

In 2018 I read 253 books. In 2017 I read 299. 2018 had 31 “best of the year” books. 2017 had 36. So about 12% of my reads made it to my “best of” list. This is my 118th book this year. And it’ll be my 35th “best of 2019” book. My rate of awesome book is growing.

I used to devour shifter romances. Vampires. Men who felt it was okay to answer a serious inquire with “babe.” But I grew uncomfortable. I read some articles about reading. I found this cadre of reviewers who wrote reviews that made me feel smart. And heard. And understood. And I started picking different books to read.

Kate Clayborn is the current apex of my reading metamorphosis. An author who clearly likes women - she makes my awkward, worried, 39 year old self feel seen. And loved. Represented.

Meg was quirky. Making bad decisions - mistakes even. She struggled with some ghosts of her past. She was also adorable. Believable. Compelling and smart. I rode every high and every low in this book with her - breath held or grinning ear to ear. There’s something magical about a heroine I can respect - they are scarce on the ground in contemporary romance.

And Reid. Stoic awkwardness is a big fat turn on. Reid had me making heart eyes early on with his rudeness and his discomfort and his tics. Reid was authentic and real and a joy to read.

This is one of the best slow burns I’ve ever read. And also likely the best book I read in 2019. An ode to self-respect and real conversations and doing the right thing and the hard thing and not running away. A book that celebrates intelligence and consent partnership and all the best things about relationships.

I couldn’t put this book down, and I am ecstatic about watching your reviews roll in. I think you all are going to love this.

...more

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Jan 04, 2020 Astrid - The Bookish Sweet Tooth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorite-heroine, favorites, january-2020, arc, favorite-hero, favorite-couples, favorites-2020

TITLE: LOVE LETTERING
AUTHOR: Kate Clayborn
RELEASE DATE: December 31, 2019
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
THEMES & TROPES: Opposites Attract
RATING: 5 Stars
CLIFFHANGER: No

READ MY REVIEW ON THE BLOG

When I read a sample of LOVE LETTERING a while ago, I knew I had to have this book. Kate Clayborn is a new-to-me author but what jumped right at me was her insane talent to bring multi-faceted characters to life over the course of a couple of pages and from a single point of view. I was so intrigued th ...more

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Aug 19, 2020 Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) marked it as did-not-finish

DNF @ 35%: I feel like I've been DNFing books a lot lately, but this one really just didn't grab me the way I was hoping it would. I may give this another chance someday but right now it just feels too bland to bother with. Womp. Onto the next one! ...more

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Nov 24, 2019 Blackjack rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-favorite-books, best-books, best-heroine, published-2019, arc, best-hero

As it turns out, my favorite book this year is an arc for 2020. I've enjoyed all of Kate Clayborn's books and she just keeps getting better and better with each one. Love Lettering is my favorite for many reasons, and not least because it is elegantly and intricately written, with each piece of the story falling perfectly into place to illuminate key themes of the life of an artist, of how we navigate our way in the world through visual images, and of how much we rely on visual cues to communica As it turns out, my favorite book this year is an arc for 2020. I've enjoyed all of Kate Clayborn's books and she just keeps getting better and better with each one. Love Lettering is my favorite for many reasons, and not least because it is elegantly and intricately written, with each piece of the story falling perfectly into place to illuminate key themes of the life of an artist, of how we navigate our way in the world through visual images, and of how much we rely on visual cues to communicate effectively with loved ones. While the book is at heart as romantic as romance novels get, the romance unfolds slowly and visually and at times made me feel as if I was watching a film -- perhaps just on an aesthetic level, Woody Allen's Manhattan in its ode to falling in love in the great city itself.

In Clayborn's novels I've noticed that the main characters often revere a medium of art and find their way to each other through it, an extended metaphor of art is love and love is art. In Beginner's Luck the main couple discover each other as they restore an old home, taking mutual pleasure in the hunt for the perfect antique knob for a cabinet door. In Best of Luck, the couple fall in love while working together on a photography project. The process of taking the perfect photo leads them deeper into love with each other. Here though in Love Lettering I do think Clayborn interweaves the art and artistic world of calligraphy so thoroughly with the romance that it's impossible to separate the two.

Meg's unique creative work as a calligrapher and Reid's impending marriage and need for a wedding program initially bring them together. They see things in each other in their first meeting that haunt them and haunt much of the plot of the story. Everything, even numbers, become a sign that keeps them continually in each other's orbit as they slowly attempt to build on moments together. At times, especially early in the novel, their interactions range from painfully awkward, hesitant, and even hostile, but it is hard to shake the sense that fascination, attraction, simpatico, ultimately love, and maybe even fate undergird all of their interactions. I felt riveted by each encounter. Each scene builds on the previous on, creating a complex relationship to show us how perfectly Meg and Reid suit each other, even as the characters themselves struggle to understand their connection.

As a former resident of Manhattan, I felt pleasure in the many walks the couple took taking photos of signs and graphic images to try to articulate their feelings and their lives to each other, and yet I also sympathized with Reid's sensory overload living in the city entails. Falling in love with the city ends up becoming as complicated as falling in love with the person. And yet, can I just say how happy I am to read a contemporary urban romance. And in keeping with Clayborn's view of the world, this novel, like all of her books, is peopled with diversity. It's also wonderfully filled with stories of acceptance and forgiveness. She creates a world where women are kind to other women and flaws do not end relationships. She is very much an author who likes and respects women. And finally, many romance authors today are creating wonderfully respectful and loving men. Reid Sutherland is right up there as one of the best. We meet him and get to know him through Meg's eyes, and so we learn along with her how to read all of his signs that make him such a wonderful hero.

In keeping with the theme of this book, I hope my first reading experience of 2020 is a sign & harbinger for what's to come in the new year.💞 ...more

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Apr 19, 2020 Bookphenomena (Micky) rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2020-read, pacing, awkward, contemporary-romance, dnf-dodge, what-story

2.5 stars

I saved this book for when I needed a go-to, guaranteed great romance. I had a number of friends singing it’s praises. Let me tell you, that backfired on me so bad. I’m not here to rant just to tell you why this didn’t work for me.

I was confused when by 20% I just did not get what was going on with this couple. I got that Meg was trying to engage Reid but what did Reid think he was there for? Reid was a super awkward character that I think may have had ASD (just my take, unconfirmed) an ...more

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Nov 12, 2019 Patty (IheartYA311) rated it it was ok

Shelves: won-net-galley

Syrupy sweet, Love Lettering is a romance with a very, very slow beating heart.

The premise had potential and I really wanted to like it more than I did. The characters are endearing and charming, but the story is bogged down by poor pacing and semi- torturous, long winded inner monologue. I was surprised and blindsided by the sex scene as it seemed to not flow with the rest of the story. Cute and quirky storyline, la la la, then BOOM--hot and heavy. I trudged through and probably would have aba ...more

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Dec 09, 2019 Joanna Loves Reading rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-hr, letter-writing-love-stories, arc, cr, reviewed

I stayed up late finishing this book. That is a rare occurrence these days. So while I don’t think this was perfect, it was consuming. It was intricate and interesting and unique.

This is the story of Meg, a hand letterer who is having a bit of a mid-life crisis. She has a big career opportunity and is having a creative block and is lonely, with her best friend drifting away. This has a romance but Meg was central to the story as it is told from her POV entirely. I do prefer a less one-sided sto ...more

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Jan 27, 2020 Jenny Jo Weir rated it did not like it

Shelves: waste-of-time, recommend-to-no-one, wish-i-never-read

I'm most definitely in the minority here, but I just don't get how people like this book. I couldn't connect to any of it. Maybe I'm too realistic...but I love fiction so...IDK.

The best thing about this book was the title. The next best thing was…hmm, nope, I guess that’s the only good thing about it, the title. The entire "game" and "code" thing was over the top ridiculous.

I don’t know if I should be proud of myself for finishing this book or if I should be worried about why I torture myself t ...more

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Oct 31, 2019 b.andherbooks rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary, romance, arc

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!

Okay so I'm stil ...more

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Feb 11, 2020 Sara rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary-romance, cinematic, relationships, awwww, charming, romance, friendship, cool-concept, lovely

You know what drives me absolutely nuts? Something I call "The Felicity Paradox." That's where you're reading or watching a romantic comedy and the heroine is living this absolutely absurd life that no one in any kind of reality actually lives. Like she's a college student (Felicity) who lives in a "dorm" that is basically a brownstone in the Village and never seems to actually go to any classes but ends up valedictorian. Or she's a quirky "dress designer" or a frazzled but adorable "wedding pla ...more

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Apr 06, 2020 Jacob Proffitt rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, steamy

This is a very internal story with a main character who sees the world in a specialized, visual way. I'm not sure I'd have found it half so interesting if I hadn't learned so much about fonts from the love of my life (who actually pays for fonts for fun!). So I didn't have a hard time at all picturing Meg's world or following her thoughts. So I had no learning curve and I wonder if this would be harder for someone who was learning of these design elements on the fly.

This story is very much in Me ...more

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Jan 01, 2020 Ira rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sweet-hero, strong-heroine, contemporary, sweet-heroine, sadness

What a lovely lovely romance.
I read it in one sitting in two decades! Hah! 😂

My first book finished this year and my first by this author too.
Her books already in my TBR list for sometimes but I’m very picky with Contemporary Romance lately. However, Love Lettering sounds unusual and very intriguing, and I’m glad to have this one as my 2020’s first read.

❤️❤️❤️

Btw, Happy New Year 2020 my goodreads friends.
Happy Reading to you all too, I hope we will have many fantastic reading this year!
xoxo

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Dec 16, 2019 Books Just 4 Me rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Meg, a whimsical artistic letterer, and Reid, a serious analytical no-nonsense man, meet for a second time when he confronts her about how she knew his relationship would fail. They both have an underlying connection of looking for signs and decoding messages.

I’m not going to lie, I had a hard time getting into this book. I’d say until I hit the 25% mark I was struggling, lots of letter references. I was trying to wrap my brain around all the letter descriptions. Meg is having a creative block ...more

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Nov 08, 2019 Kat, short for Clara rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: frou-frou-meh, did-not-pass-the-sexy-lamp-test, hero-needs-to-get-in-the-bin, the-great-mf-rom-adventure, contemporary, love-the-heroine

Probably going to be pelted with rotten fruit and veg by romancelandia for not unequivocally loving this but whateverrrrrr.

So what happened here? It was like I read a book of two parts. The first part (which was almost 50%) I thought was excellent and easily going the way of 5 stars. I loved Meg; loved getting to know her. I loved the way her job was written about, and the way you can be doing well, know you’re good at what you do, but still not be satisfied. She had relationships independent of Probably going to be pelted with rotten fruit and veg by romancelandia for not unequivocally loving this but whateverrrrrr.

So what happened here? It was like I read a book of two parts. The first part (which was almost 50%) I thought was excellent and easily going the way of 5 stars. I loved Meg; loved getting to know her. I loved the way her job was written about, and the way you can be doing well, know you’re good at what you do, but still not be satisfied. She had relationships independent of the one with Reid. Basically she was allowed to have a life. The writing was beautiful and made everything feel so warm and lovely and real. And the feels, omg. So plentiful. There was just lots of really, really good stuff in the first part.

Then… God, I don’t know. But something changed. Where the writing was beautiful, it then became something I noticed the tense it was written in. Reid went from being someone I was intrigued by, to someone I wanted Brock Lesner to send to Suplex City. And Meg? My wonderful, wonderful Meg? I went from thinking I knew her to being baffled about her choices. The disconnect between the two parts was such that I did wonder if the second part was rewritten.

The first red flag about this going from a 5 star read to… not, was how irritated I got about the first sex scene. Something that’s become a pet peeve of mine in cishet m/f romances is when heroines have some sort of sex hang-up, only for that hang-up to be magically banged out of them (or into? if it’s a matter of never having had an orgasm) by the hero’s magical dick. Here, Meg has some problems when it comes to orgasming which ceases being a problem once she has sex for the first time with Reid. Because OF FUCKING COURSE. God forbid Meg’s allowed to know her own body. Or have good sex prior to Reid. Or continue to not always have an easy time of it when it comes to coming and for that to be treated as something that’s, you know, actually probably fine?

I also didn’t enjoy the whole Meg & Sibby thing. Initially I really loved that we got to see what it can be like when a close friendship is breaking. The confusion and hurt Meg felt was painful to read, with the way it was written feeling relatable. Even when the inevitable showdown between the two revealed some jealousy pertaining to Meg having a successful career and seemingly not needing to be so reliant on Sibby (because OF FUCKING COURSE women have to be jealous of each other), I was still on board because after clearing the air, Meg & Sibby going in different directions felt like the right thing for the both of them. Then when The Big Thing with Reid happens (which I will get to later), and Sibby comes back to Meg, I felt… unsettled about it? I think Sibby coming back was done with the intent of having it seem like she was showing up for Meg when it mattered? But... I didn’t see it like that. It felt to me like Sibby came back purely because Meg’s life/career was in chaos, which meant she and they could assume the roles they had prior to things falling apart. Speaking from experience, a friendship like what I feel theirs was isn’t one that’s sustainable. It just can’t be if there’s such an emotional imbalance and one-sidedness. Basically I finished Love Lettering feeling as though I was leaving Meg entrenched in a toxic friendship.

When you read a lot of queer books, especially by queer authors, it’s maybe a little easier to spot the difference between a genuine attempt at inclusiveness and token diversity in non queer books. And with the introduction of a minor queer character (and she really was very minor), I felt Love Lettering was guilty of token diversity. When your only queer character can be described as a “queer special agent”, and queer can be replaced by any other word relating to a marginalised person without it changing the character—then that’s not being inclusive. It just comes across more like you want cookies for being seen to be inclusive but without actually bothering to treat that person like an actual person and fleshing out their character. It was so poorly done and I really hated that a book which had so much warmth and heart at times did that.

OKAY LET’S TALK ABOUT REID.

It’s very apparent early on that he has a secret—but Jesus Christ on a cracker did I hate what it was. My reaction was very much influenced by how much I hate deception. And look. I get the seriousness of what Reid was hiding and that legally he wasn’t allowed to talk about what was going on. BUT. He still had the option to (a) not start anything romantically with Meg in the first place, (b) of calling things off when ~feelings became a thing, or (c) calling things off once he learned that Meg had grown up being lied to and the impact that lying had on her life. What added to my anger was the ripples from what Reid was hiding ended up affecting Meg’s career. Yes, he couldn’t have predicted it but there was always going to be consequences borne from that level of deception, and not knowing what those might have been didn’t give him a pass, imo. Alsoooo. I hated that instead of his deception being something he explained to Meg’s face, it was done via a letter and what he said was enough for Meg to be okay. I mean. Ugh. I get the author was likely going for symbology? But when a portion of the book was spent with Meg trying to learn how to fight in the right way (argument-wise and not fisticuff-wise), her being denied a grovel she was owed not only allowed Reid to wriggle off the hook, but it also made a part of the book redundant. I personally wouldn’t have been able to forgive what he did, but nowhere near enough was done to show why and how Meg was able to.

I think there’s a lot to like about Love Lettering—it did a lot right. I can see why readers do/will love it. But the second half of the book went in directions that made it hard for me, personally, to believe a solid relationship could be built on such deceptive foundations, and that in turn meant I didn’t believe in Meg & Reid’s HEA.

arc provided by the publisher via netgalley ...more

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Feb 17, 2021 Cammie rated it it was amazing

Meg Mackworth hand letters journals and invitations (How cool is that job?), and when she codes a secret message into a couple's wedding program, she has no idea what she's gotten herself into.
Meg's character was so real and authentic--she was vulnerable, honest, playful, creative, and genuine. The relationships between Meg and Reid, Meg and Sibby, and Meg and Lark are also realistic and refreshing, displaying real feelings and growth.
I look forward to reading Kate Clayborn's next book, Love at ...more

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Dec 22, 2019 OLT rated it liked it · review of another edition

I truly appreciated the style and quality of the writing and the easy-breezy plot exposition in this new romance by Kate Clayborn. So my inability to give the book more than a 3-star rating has more to do with "It's not the book; it's me."

Our heroine Meg is a popular hand-letterer/calligrapher who does intricate hand-written invitations, cards, journals, etc., for her clients. Meg can't resist putting secret messages into her designs, but there's no harm, no foul, since nobody has managed to fin I truly appreciated the style and quality of the writing and the easy-breezy plot exposition in this new romance by Kate Clayborn. So my inability to give the book more than a 3-star rating has more to do with "It's not the book; it's me."

Our heroine Meg is a popular hand-letterer/calligrapher who does intricate hand-written invitations, cards, journals, etc., for her clients. Meg can't resist putting secret messages into her designs, but there's no harm, no foul, since nobody has managed to find them in her work so far.

But that's until the day that she is confronted by a former client, Reid, whose wedding invitations she had created for his future bride with the hidden message M-I-S-T-A-K-E. Turns out that the wedding never occurred and Reid, a quantitative analyst, had discovered the hidden message and now wants to know how she knew his marriage would have been a mistake.

Meg, at this particular moment, is having a problem with creativity block and Reid is disgruntled with life in NYC and plans to leave as soon as is feasible. So she suggests they walk the city, she to find meaning again in her work and he to learn to appreciate the Big Apple.

Along the way, there are issues in the personal lives of both that are revealed and must be addressed. Meg has had a recent devastating revelation about her past and, in addition, is feeling estrangement from her best friend and roommate. Reid has his own problems, both personal and professional to deal with. And, of course, there is the necessary romance between the two which will develop relatively slowly and fairly well.

Okay. Good enough. The story moves along pretty well. The characters are appealing enough. I should have liked this contemporary romance more than I did. As I said earlier, the problem is definitely me. Lately I am feeling older-than-dirt, disgruntled, disheartened, discouraged and saddened by what's going on in the country and even in the world. With the looming threat of climate change, the huge inequality gap between the haves and the have-nots, deregulation of protective measures for the environment and for the consumer, xenophobia and intolerance, and on and on and on, I found it almost impossible to relate to the problems of these characters.

Meg, for example, makes her living by catering to rich clients, the ones who can afford more than the usual mass-produced products that most of us middle class and upper-middle class folks can afford. In other words, her chosen career is not in my list of 21st-century professions that contribute to the common good.

Pay no attention to me. I'm just feeling particularly grumpy and picky and annoyed lately. ...more

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Feb 26, 2021 Lucy rated it really liked it

Shelves: chick-lit, 2021

What a surprise this turned out to be: a love story with a twist. A twist I didn't see coming, so it completely took me by surprise. Just when I thought the story was winding down to a happily ever after ending, a surprising event occurred that brought the story to a screeching halt followed by chaos.

Meg and Reid are an unlikely pair whose relationship is impacted by various unknowns and roadblocks. It's definitely a slow burn romance, and for about 60% of the book I was considering it a 3-star ...more

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Apr 30, 2020 Mara rated it liked it

Shelves: physical-owned, recommended-to-me

3.5 Stars -- This is a book that I think would really work for some readers, but didn't 100% connect for me, despite having some intriguing elements to it. I think the writing was quite strong, but I personally struggle with first person present, so while I admired the narrative style, it wasn't quite my thing. However, I really loved a) the ending of this one, b) the overall emotional intensity & how that translated to the sexy scenes, and c) the titular love letter. I'd definitely read more fr ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Goodreads Librari...: Please add cover	2	44	Feb 23, 2021 04:40AM
Coffee, Books, an...: "Love Lettering" by Kate Clayborn	1	2	Feb 17, 2021 07:22PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Romantic comedy; The girl works with something wedding related and realizes the couple she's working with will not last long. Later, the guy comes back wanting to know how she knew. [s]	3	35	Aug 27, 2020 11:45AM
Play Book Tag: (Poll Ballot Tally) Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn - 4 stars	2	13	Jun 08, 2020 07:45PM
Play Book Tag: Love Lettering - 4 stars	2	11	May 31, 2020 08:48PM
YA Buddy Readers'...: Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn - Starting February 11th 2020	17	18	Feb 17, 2020 05:24PM

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About Kate Clayborn

Kate Clayborn

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Kate Clayborn is the critically acclaimed author of six novels. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Oprah Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Bookpage, and more. By day she works in education, and by night (and sometimes, by very early morning) she writes contemporary romances about smart, strong, modern heroines who face the world alongside true friends and complica ...more

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Quotes from Love Lettering

“...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.” — 23 likes

“I think I quit reading at the word stochastic, which actually sort of reminded me of Reid, if what it means is a combination of stoic and sarcastic. But I’m pretty sure it has to do with calculus.” — 11 likes

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