This story did not grab me.
The general writing style was tricky for me to link into and the whole storyline was very slow moving. I quite liked the idea that playing games improved creativity but other than that I was not taken with the book.

A gorgeous love story with characters that will stay with me for a long time. Kate Clayborn has a warm, comforting way of telling a love story that makes you feel enveloped. Just beautiful.

I had so much difficulty in reading the arc that I couldn't even enjoy it. From what I could experience, I liked it. I loved Meg's creativity and Reid is a grumpy + nerdy hero which is my kryptonite so.. yes, i would recommend it....after I see the finished copy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder books for the arc. Please look at the format of the arc before putting it on Netgalley.

Love lettering-Kate Clayton ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I found this to be a rather slow burner to begin with. I however persevered and was so glad I did. The relationship of the two main characters is just lovely and this makes the book. Overall this turned out to be a throughly enjoyable read. Many thanks to net galley and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a nice and easy read. I found myself sucked into the world and the characters. I enjoyed the storyline and plot a lot and would highly recommend. A good book to get you out of a slump and offer you something you can devour.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free copy in an exchange for an honest review:

Rating: 3.5/5

Meg is an artist with a hand lettering business, designing custom made journals.

Reid is a quantity analyst.

The two met when Meg was tasked with designing a wedding program for Reid and his fiancee Avery. Now, a year later, Reid is back with the wedding program asking how she knew him and Avery wouldn’t work out. You see, Meg has a bad habit; sometimes when she’s tired or stressed or her mind is just running free, she will leave hidden messages in the work she designs. In Reid’s wedding program she left a code, spelling out M-I-S-T-A-K-E and he wants to know why.

The inquisition leads to a game - a series of walks around New York looking for signs that ends up being a game changer for both of them.

In all honesty, it took me a while to get into this book. The first thirty-forty percent of it seemed somewhat slow; there isn’t any great mystery or tension that would pull you in, but then as the book progresses, you become invested in the characters and then the pace picks up, slightly.
Meg is exuberant, her character colourful and the writing style, being in first person, reflects that. The reader is thrown deep into her head and instantly becomes aware that she lives and breathes her profession, often thinking in terms of fonts and colours such as is the quote below:

“You said it right.” These four words - they are so sans serif they slide me in half.

At first, it seems bizarre and it takes a couple of pages to get used to this running commentary with a bloodhound focus on the lettering, but after a while I began to see it as charming and just Meg being Meg. Regarding the relationship that eventually develops between Meg and Reid, I can only describe it as sweet. Think of him as the reserved and sensible Mr Darcy and there is no way you cannot like him or not want him to succeed with Meg. It doesn’t scream passion, there’s no big conflict, and any issues are resolved within few pages. It’s a quiet slow-burn love story.

I definitely enjoyed the other part of the book that had nothing to do with romance - where Meg realises she has a little fault and tries to work on it. It was nice seeing her take risks, attempt to fight off her artist’s block, grow her business, build new and maintain old friendships. In a way, the book is about life in a metropolis and how at one point in time you can be floating and at other, feel like you’re sinking. Overall, it was a fun, contemporary read, despite the difficult start.

This was my longest read in a while. Not in terms of length but just the amount of time I spent reading it. A major slump hit, while I was reading yet it in no way, impacted my enjoyment of this book which is an actual rarity. Usually, the longer I spend reading the book the more chance of me getting bored (I know, for shame). Although I can't call it unputdownable, I could tell if my slump hadn't hit I would have flown through reading. I think I might have preferred reading it at a slower pace. I so rarely spend my time reading books slowly so I felt like I was savouring the story by experiencing it in smaller chunks. I felt like my connection to Meg was stronger for spending longer with her. And Reid? I felt like I was over analysing things as if he was a man I liked. I spent so much more time thinking about where their romance would go next it was sort of like the anticipation for the next date. When can I get my next dose of Meg and Reid cuteness?


This book really made me want to sit down with my bullet journal and just get creative. The book just felt inspiring and I feel like it was the way it was written. I was in Meg's head and her creative thinking was catching. I wanted to write and draw and plan! I love a book inspiring you along with an awesome story. And it made me want to go out walking. To look at signs and see the lettering around me. It also made me want to drop a whole bunch of money on a flight to NYC (again). So, you know, inspirational. This book was inspiring and I just wish that level of inspiration had stayed with me for longer than a couple of weeks. I do still keep trying to walk about and noticing the things around me, though. So I guess this book changed me? We’ll see how long that lasts, though.

I did love how although Meg was quiet and averse to confrontation she did totally call out Reid when he cracked on with the potential mansplaining. And then later on you learn his ways aren't rude that's just his awkwardness coming through. It was so lovely seeing them both grow and come out of their shells and the twists and turns in each of their stories was wonderful to see. They were just these adorable awkward couple who had so much going on and it was nice to see a couple slowly coming out of their shell and once you realise they’re both crushing on each other and that’s why there’s something weird going on because they’re holding back from letting all of their feelings coming out. And then you later learn there’s more going on with Reid and that’s why he’s been reserved and almost shady.

I won’t lie. I did wonder when I started if I was gonna be reading a romance with no chemistry. Thankfully they had that spark but it was slow to come out. It was subtle. At first, they were skirting one another and they slowly had this small connection. Then, like I said, it all came out and once they’d admitted their feelings I was loving the romance. I think that’s where my reading picked up when they admitted their feelings and I was loving them together even though there were obstacles to their relationship.

Ugh, I’ve probably epically failed with this one reviewing. I don’t want to give any spoilers away on the story because I honestly loved being surprised and going into this one pretty blind. It was such a charming, creative read and I don’t know if it was the characters giving me that vibe or the writing, but whatever it was it worked for me. I am so glad I began my reading year on a high and definitely recommend.

I really enjoyed this book. It has a pleasing storyline, and characters. Predictable enough to fufill the easy chick lit need, but well written and with plenty of emotional depth, that you do actually go on a journey with them. As someone who has been lonely in the city, there is plenty that is familiar about the heart aches of best friends moving on from the main character. As well as a couple of circumstances that be slightly less familiar to us as a reader.
As a stationery geek I particularly enjoyed the setting of the pens and papers, and letters that fill the pages. I would definitely recommend this book.

What an eye opening story, I have probably never in my life thought that closely about signs, and the fonts / typefaces, style of handwriting that are on them.

Much less seen New York from the perspective of signs in various neighbourhoods.

Yet Meg is a calligrapher, she creates designs for planners and other stationery and she is fascinated by letters.

Reid though is a numbers man, and loves games and codes, and he spotted a hidden message in the wedding program that Meg had designed.

Something that sparked his life going in a different direction. And as the two of them meet and start seeing each other -with the aims of getting over creativity block and to learn to love New York, we see new sides to both characters.

This book is pretty hard to predict, I didn't see any of that ending coming, although looking back there were perhaps clues.

I loved the interactions between Meg and Reid, and also seeing how Meg especially developed as a person over the course of the story.

This is the first book I've read by the author, it was a complete impulse request on Netgalley, which I'm delighted I was approved for, as I'm positive I will be eager to read more books from this talented author in the future. I enjoyed the writing style, but also the rather different premise, which I've not really seen before.

Thank you to Hodder and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

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.

In the last year, Meg Mackworth's beautiful hand-lettering skills have seen her rocket to social media fame, and now she has a booming business crafting stationery for the stars. But she has a secret: sometimes, she just can't resist hiding messages in her work. Slightly unprofessional, maybe - but harmless. Right?

Analyst Reid Sutherland and his gorgeous fiancée had their future mapped out. Until he noticed a pattern in his wedding invitation that made him think twice.

When Meg looks up from her desk one day and sees Reid standing in front of her with no wedding ring, holding the invitation she created, she thinks that her career is over. But her life may be about to begin . . .

Firstly let me say I loved this book for lots of reasons. I love stationery and nice pens, and beautiful handwriting, so for that reason alone, I would love this story. The way the author speaks about, and describes, the lettering, beautifully capturing how they feel and the emotions attached to them...it was just brilliant.

But I also thought the main characters, Meg and Reid were also portrayed so well, I couldn’t help but fall in love with them and how they were their opposite equals, the yin to their yang.

A fabulous love story, with some unexpected turns along the way. A definite 5 star read for me!

My thanks to Kate Clayborn, NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.

An original idea and I enjoyed every minute of it, from page one to the very end I was hooked. It’s a wonderful read, romance, drama and angst, not too much of all of the above just the perfect amount and it’s a wonder, leaves you waiting to see what is going to happen. Great characters, good chemistry and a fantastic story. Highly recommended for originality in romantic reads.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This highly original book features Meg whose work life is all about lettering and Reid who is definitely a numbers man. They are incredibly different individuals who seemingly have little in common yet connect by chance. It was difficult at first to see why Reid chose to help Meg get over her mental creative block however does make more sense near the end. The story is gentle, more about interaction than action and it’s good to see Meg develop herself, It would have been nice to see things from Reid’s perspective and discover more about him as he is something of an enigma however it would have spoilt the story development. Overall this is an enjoyable and very quirky modern romance.

Not for me I'm afraid. The emphasis on lettering was interesting at the start, but I picked this book because I'm a fan of romance, not because I want to learn how to hand letting wedding invites. Also, the romance just wasn't there for me. There was no chemistry, and it all felt very flat. The constant references to Reid's secret began to wear on me after a while, and the big reveal just didn't live up to my expectations. As other reviewers have stated, it very much feels like a book of two halves, with quite a significant change of tone about halfway through.

I'm definitely in the minority in not really enjoying it though, so if you're a fan of letting, love stories set in New York, or just after a quick and cute read with elements of a thriller about it, then give it a go, you might prove me wrong!

I was a little bit disappointed in this - the lettering was just incidental to the story. Didn’t live up to what it promised.

Frankly, the thing that sold me on this book was the meet-cute. A good meet-cute is certain to get me hooked into a story, and this one definitely did so. I loved their dynamic from the off, so I was definitely always going to love this book.

Love Lettering is a romance (duh) between a woman who runs a hand-lettering business and the man she predicts the marriage failure of. When Meg hides the letters spelling “mistake” in Reid’s marriage programme, she doesn’t expect him to subsequently break the marriage off and, one year later, come to ask her about them. Cue some very awkward first meetings. But then Meg, who’s in a bit of a creative rut, suggests Reid accompany her around New York to help her find signs for inspiration.

Probably my favourite aspect of this book was the relationships in it, particularly the dynamic of the two mains once they started finding their footing around one another. It’s one of those dynamics that just makes you grin uncontrollably and you actively root for them together. And then there are the relationships that Meg has with the women around her. And let me tell you it is so refreshing to see women just getting to be friends and not hate each other for no discernible reason. Meg doesn’t even hate Reid’s ex-fiancee at all. It’s amazing.

I also actually really liked the angst towards the end. Yeah, so it was nothing like your usual miscommunication-based angst (which I hate anyway), but it was sort of unexpected, and not in a bad way. You could kind of see it signposted throughout, which makes a nice change from it just being sprung on you. And Reid and Meg got to work through it together which is what I’m always looking for in romance novels.

If there was anything I didn’t like so much, it was just that, between them getting together and the angst happening, I got a little bored. But that’s just me any my gnat’s attention span.

The only reason I haven't given this book five stars is because it took me awhile to get into it. I thought it was a slow start, and some parts of it didn't flow so smoothly. Whilst the premise of codes, using both letters and numbers, is an intriguing one, you have to concentrate, so it's not an easy read in that sense. What stood out for me was the development of Meg and Reid's relationship - both awere wonderful characters. I also liked all the supporting characters. The descriptions of New York were excellent. All in all a good read. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book. Great characters, easy read, uplifting, funny, romantic and charming. A really nice story that is the perfect escapist read.

This was a beautiful romantic novel that drew me in. The storyline was well developed and the characters were sympathetic and realistic.

I couldn’t put this book down, a really compelling and unusual love story.

I loved it. I got totally invested in the story, which very rarely happens to me. I loved both Meg and Reid. I loved the character development, and the way they fell in love. Even the more minor characters seemed like real people, with their own motivations and so on. Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this read. I loved the characters, the story, the details, the writing. The letters a s numbers and games in this book are fantastic - such an inspiring and heartfelt read. This is my kind of guilty pleasure, cozy romance.