What a lovely surprise!
I didn't expect to appreciate this book so much.
This story kept me hooked since within the first chapters (and letters) and I really needed to know what will happen next and what happened in the past. That back and forth was well played and I totally adored it. Even if the reader will understand pretty fast some key elements of the story, it was cute to see how Naomi will relate and see them, until the final "revelation". She's a spontaneous and indipendent character I ended up to admire, and I'm in love with her love interest. It could have been cute read more about their families, but nontheless the story has a good pace and the side characters are a lovable surrounding.
Looking forward more Donna Marchetti's books!
(Thank you to One More Chapter for the ARC <3)

Pen pals? Yes, please! Romcom? Oh, yeah! This romcom has a super fun trope. I absolutely love pen pal romances and wish there were more of them. Well-written, well-rounded characters, fun banter, and all the feels. Definitely recommended!

Wow! It was great! To be honest, I did not expect that I would like this book so much. I literally couldn't tear myself away from this story.

This debut novel is a real diamond. I liked everything from the idea to the implementation. Donna Marchetti has made an incomparable debut, which I would like to advise everyone to read. I am in love with the characters and their letters, the plot and the style of the author. I laughed and cried and worried about the relationship of the characters.

For many years, Naomi and Luca have been pen pals. In fact, at first I was very surprised by their letters, because they wrote nasty things to each other, sometimes it was very strange. But after that, I realized that this is their thing and that they have such a style of communication. And despite this, when they grew up, they began to share their lives more, their relationship began to move to a new level. There was a strong chemistry between them that was hard not to feel.

I am madly in love with this story and I am looking forward to other books by the author.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and Donna Marchetti for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Naomi and Luca are assigned as penpals but they have other ideas. They write *surprise surprise* hate mails to each other. What started as verbal insults developed into a friendship over time till one day when Naomi stopped receiving letters from Luca. It's been two years and to her surprise, a letter arrived at her news station and she knows who it is as soon as she sees the handwriting but there is no return address for her to write back. She doesn't want to let him have the last word and decides to find his address and meet him in person. But there is one another person who has come into her life and this someone, Jake, aka demonic husky eyes, likes her for who she is. I loved that he's flirtatious and he takes care of the puppies and kittens before they get adopted. Naomi likes Jake but also has feelings for Luca. You've to read to know what happens next and who she ends up with.

I'm someone who loves letters and text conversations in books and Hate mail has both of them. The insults were hilarious and I was really looking forward to reading them whenever the past story came into picture. I really wanted Luca to have had a better childhood and wanted them to have met back then. He really needed it but fate (and the author) didn't let them meet but when they did, it was amazing!!!! I loved the angst , passion and their dark humour and I want nothing but good things for them. There are some damn good moments I can't talk about without giving away spoilers. Trust me, you won't be disappointed! This is such an amazing debut and I am sure I'm gonna read anything and everything this author writes.
This would be a great rom-com movie. Manifesting that!
Pick this penpals to lovers story (which has cats who skate) now!!

Let’s start this review by saying that I was very drawn to this book because of this gorgeous cover and the whole idea of them being pen pals.
So, I really enjoyed the whole exchanging letters throughout the years element, I loved reading their letters and how mean they were to each other when kids, but also caring and funny. Usually, when you read about pen pals, they become friends through letters but this one they developed the “weirdest friendship” through hate mail, which was so refreshing to read.
The book doesn’t horizontally tell the story, but it keeps jumping from the past (when they were kids) to the present. Usually, this time jump bothers me in books, but it didn’t bother me in this. I think it’s because the author made sure that the snippet of the past she was telling us (through the letters) made sense with what was going on in the present.
Naomi, our main character, starts the story by receiving a note from her long-lost pen pal Luca, with whom she hasn’t been in contact for two years. Then, she is moved by the idea to find Luca and, together with her friend Anne, starts looking for Luca. Meanwhile, she starts flirting with her neighbour Jake, which develops into a friendship and dating. Their chemistry was so amazing! Even the scenes that they were not touching, or almost touching. The book then tells the story of these two sides of Naomi’s life: between her real life, in which she is developing feelings for her neighbour, and the idea of Luca.
The narrative flows really well. It’s the kind of book that you can sit in an afternoon and read in one go while you swoon, you laugh, and you keep wanting to know what will happen to Luca. Also, the chapters have titles! I love it!

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for sending me this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful debut romance
5 stars

This is Donna Marchetti’s debut novel and I was sucked in by the cute premise and even cuter cover. A pair of duelling penpals and a cute pink cartoon? Gimme.

Naomi is a local weather girl who, at the start of the book receives a fairly disturbing letter from her former penpal at her place of work. But it soon transpires that she has a ‘penemy’ - a penpal who she has been writing and receiving mean letters to since primary school days (except in America). But there’s no return address on the letter which leads to several cross-country trips to find her mysterious penpal, Luca.

Naomi is a very likeable character. She’s fun, funny, kind and sensible but willing to throw caution to the wind - especially when compelled by her bestie, Annie. I found Naomi to be really relatable and was really rooting for her to get her perfect man.

We find out more about Luca over the course of the book and his story is at times sad, at times heartbreaking but you can’t help but like the snotty little kid that turns into a decent man. His mean letters to Naomi made me laugh out loud but through each and every one, I wanted him to get his happily ever after.

The story is told in the present day mostly (if not all) from Naomi’s point of view. We then pop back in time to read some of the mean letters that Naomi and Luca send to each other. We also hear from Luca’s point of view at the time of some of the letters. I’m not normally a huge fan of books in this style but it really worked on this occasion probably as the ‘flashback’ chapters were short.

I really adored this book. It was that rare read where I kept wanting to tell friends / family / colleagues about what happened and ask them if they’d heard the gossip - like these characters were my friends instead of fictional people. Reading it was effortless showing that the writing was impeccable. I was caught up with these characters and their story almost from the very first page.

This has been a difficult book to review without giving away spoilers so my advice is, if you like the sound of this story - give it a go without reading too many reviews where you might learn things it’s better off not knowing until you read the book.

I’ve heard a lot about this book in the run up to its publication and for once, the hype is well deserved. This was the kind of romance that makes me remember why I fell in love with the genre in the first place - it was fun, interesting and left me with a goofy smile on my face by the end. 5 stars and one of my best of 2024 so far.

I feel like this story had so much potential and somewhere lost its way!

I loved the premise of this story and the start was incredibly strong. Getting to know thr backstory through the letters was fun, it was a great way to get an insight into the characters' pasts and see how they ended up reconnecting. I understand the premise that they were kids but the meanness displayed in some of the letters was a but disquieting and off-putting

I did find it quite predictable (not always a bad thing, and I feel that readers are probably meant to work out the 'twist' anyway) so I had the puzzle pieced together much quicker than our fmc did. I really enjoyed Naomi's adventures to track Luca down (although I'd have preferred it if she left Anne at home, I wasn't a fan), again it was an interesting way to learn more about him.

I found the latter half of the book a little repetitive, and felt that the 'reveal' was a little clumsy and rushed when there had been so much building up to it.

The fmc and mmc were both likeable and I liked them together. I was a little frustrated by them towards the end but I think that's because I found all of it quite rushed anyway.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review this book!

Hate Mail is about Naomi and Luca who become assigned pen pals in fifth grade. And while most of their classmates stop writing their pen pals after only a few months, their letters span nearly two decades. After a two year stint of not hearing from Luca, a letter from him shows up at Naomi's news station where she works as a weather reporter. And thus, Naomi sets off to find a way to write back and not let Luca get the last word.

I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this book. Like truly. I was crying laughing, then I was just straight up crying. The letters in this book are so absurdly harsh that they're some of the funniest things I've ever read. My personal faves being the original fifth grade letters. Kids can be brutal, man.

It was dual POV, but focused on Naomi's POV for a large portion of the book so as not to reveal anything about Luca's current location too early on in the story and I feel like that was really well done to keep that element of surprise.

Also... I KNEW IT. That is all I will say about that.

All in all, this was such a fun debut and I loved every second of it.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

This gave me all the rom com vibes absolutely loved! I will definitely be buying this book! Also this is one of the cutest book covers i’ve ever seen

Quick Summary: An enemies to lovers, pen pal romance

My Review: Hate Mail by Donna Marchetti is a contemporary romantic fiction story.

Question to Consider: How is it possible to meet your pen pal after years of anonymous communication and fall head over heels in love?

About the Book: Luca and Naomi have been pen pals since the fifth grade. Their style of communication is and has always been brash, cruel, and difficult to understand. It works for them, however. It's meaningful, especially considering why it is the way that it is. They say everything that needs to be said, without pulling any punches. When fate finally brings the familiar strangers together, what happens to their hearts?

My Final Say: This was an incredibly creative story. It sneaks up on your heart when you least expect it. I liked it. Readers who enjoy simple stories that present the complications of life and that approach the messiness of relationships should like this book.

Other: The scene that broke me was Luca's graduation. It was written so well that I teared up before I got to the end of the passage. It gave Luca's life story even more texture.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: NA to A
Status/Level: 👍

Thank you to the author, to the publisher (HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, One More Chapter), and to NetGalley for granting access to this title in exchange for an honest review. The words I have voluntarily shared are my own.

Hate Mail is a mix of romance, humor and touching moments between lifelong pen pals. Since fifth grade, Naomi and Luca have exchanged letters which were a mix of "who" could be the rudest to sympathetic moments. There bond seems unbreakable until Luca stops corresponding.

Naomi joins forces with her friend to track down the lost mail that hasn't found her mailbox in years. A mysterious envelope soon lands at her job, outlining he's watching her local broadcasts of the weather. More letters appear, as Naomi draws closer to the hot tenant in her apartment complex.

The pen pal story is told through two POV's along side Naomi's budding romance. This love story is a delightful debut romcom.

Thank you, One More Chapter

This book was rather lovely!

Pen pals from children to adults, this book follows Naomi's struggle to find Luca, the boy she has been exchanging "hate mail" with since they were children. Torn between her continuing search for her mystery pen pal, and the developing relationship with hot neighbour, Jake, things get more conflicting and complicated by the day.

I liked the storyline and my brain had a sudden click moment that I persuaded myself out of! Overall, a fab, amusing and satisfying read, but I did feel that some chapters/scenes were a bit rushed and I would've loved a little more page time.

Hah! What did I just read?
Honestly? It was wildly entertaining. The letters between the MCs were weird, hilarious, and extremely mean.

Aside from the letter, the plot also gave some major stalker vibes at times. But then again it was extremely entertaining.
By one point of time in the book, one can tell what's going on and who exactly Luca is.
This storyline reminded me of "Hello Stranger" by Katherine Center.


Overall, it will keep you the edge of your seats.
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

HONEST BOOK REVIEW: Hate Mail by @donnamarchettiauthor

Synposis 💫

Naomi and Luca have been pen-pals since fifth-grade. Well, more like bitter rivals caught in an epic battle of insults and verbal jousting...

But what starts as a hilarious chain of hate filled letters, slowly develops into a friendship spanning coasts and years. That is until one day, years later, when the letters suddenly stop.

It’s been two years since Naomi last heard from Luca. Two years since the letter that changed everything.

But when a new envelope turns up out of the blue at her desk at the local news station, Naomi is determined not to let Luca have the final word.

Review 💫

I’m giving this one a 3.5 ⭐️ rating. It was a super cute chick flick like book! Easy read and light hearted. It actually would’ve been a 4 star read but I guessed what the plot was going to be at 48% 😂 highly recommend this one if you are in a reading slump as it’s got me out of mine

Thank you to @netgalley @onemorechapterhc @harpercollins & @donnamarchettiauthor for the ARC of this book and congrats on publication!! 💕

I remember having a pen pal, many years ago in elementary school, and our letters were never like Naomi & Luca's! Sometimes I cringed reading their exchanges and other times I laughed out loud. I wouldn't have been smart enough or funny enough to write such snarky letters to a complete stranger, but I'm glad Naomi & Luca did.

Their "friendship" was a strange one but it was also long-lasting. Isn't that what we all want in life, someone who sticks?? It's not the way I'd ever picture it but it certainly worked for them.

The author took a funny premise and ran with it. And then kept running!! I really enjoyed this book. I figured out who was who not too long into it, but I'm not sure the author was really trying to hide it.

I would recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to love this one, but it was missing a few things for me.

I didn't love how fast things happened between Naomi and Jake. Plus, I wasn't interested in reading about Jake. I wanted to read about Luca. It was pretty sure that Jake was Luca, but there were enough differences that I couldn't be totally sure. Still, even if I would have been totally sure, it was frustrating. It felt like Naomi was dating two men, one of whom didn't seem to want to be found.

Spoilers ahead: It was also so frustrating that Jake/Luca lied throughout the book. There was too much happening between the two of them for him to keep secret his identity. I know it was supposed to be a part of the plot, but it didn't work.

Some scenes and dialogue in this book were written a bit strange. First, Naomi's friendship with her coworker (I can't even remember her name because it was so meaningless to me) felt stilted. It was like they were friendly acquaintances and then, all of a sudden, they're traveling the country together. And a lot of their dialogue felt useless, like filler words, than something that could actually progress the plot. And the whole Naomi is bad with names thing was contrived.

Overall, there were some fun and funny parts (I liked the letters), but it was poorly executed, I'm sorry to say.

I received this arc in exchange for an honest review. 🤍

i loved this! it was so easy to read and kept me captivated the whole way through.

luca and naomi have been pen pals since elementary school but after 2 years of complete radio silence, luca writes to naomi again. naomi sets out to find him, but is he closer than she expects?

such a lovely read! it kept me guessing from beginning to end and the chemistry between the characters was undeniable.

I put together the Jake/Luca thing pretty quickly. But the reveal was honestly awful. I was fine with the miscommunication because of the letter thing. I thought maybe he was going by his middle name or something. But just her not knowing his name after weeks of dating lol. Are you kidding. I would have liked it better if he’d tried to tell her multiple times and she just missed it. Or he told her over idk dinner or something? The way it happened was sooooo awkward. He should have told him how he was the first time she asked him to meet her. It got weird because she asked like 4 times and he never thought to show her the letter n be like hey I’m here. Or maybe she could have found the letters when she broke into his apartment. Literally nothing except the way it happened. Also the epilogue … I don’t love pregnancy tropes like that, but it’s cute they worked out.

I love everything else. I thought this was a cute and fun read. I like both of our main characters. The story was fun and unique. I love love love the cover. If you don’t like cartoony covers like this on romance, you’re wrong. The relationship between Luca and Naomi was fun, I loved their banter. It was fun how Naomi and Anne travelled around to try to find him, especially for him just to be right there. I loved the Luca POV of the first time he saw her.

I enjoyed this. 3.5-4 stars for sure. I’d recommend it and will probably look to buy a physical copy!

"Hate Mail" is a captivating, original, and very fun book from author Donna Marchetti! The Florida setting was fun to read about. The characters feel three-dimensional and like real people along with personalities, emotions, and struggles/challenges of their own. I would have liked to hear a bit more about Naomi's family though! At first I wasn't sure I was going to like Luca's character but as I read more and got to know him better, I realized what a good guy he is despite his mean letters to Naomi! And after reading a little while the dynamic of their teasing penemy friendship was clear. Now, I love Luca! They are both such fun characters. I really like how the author has included their letters to each other as a narrative element in the story! It was so much fun getting to know both their present and past selves this way. The romance is swoony and emotionally deep with lots of chemistry! It was so sweet seeing Luca's inner thoughts and memories about his feelings for Naomi! The side characters were lots of fun too. The speed of the plot is perfect, the author's writing style is smooth and sparkling with beauty, wit, and emotion, the plot is enthralling and never dull, and the very idea of this book feels new and fresh to me. I love all of the pets in this book too! So sweet! I very highly recommend this book! Especially if you enjoy reading contemporary romance with sweetness, angst, and lots of emotion! 5 stars

Thank you very much to the author Donna Marchetti, OneMoreChapter, Harper Collins UK, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy to read and review honestly.

Hate Mail by Donna Marchetti is a pen pal romance and the story of Naomi and Luca.
 
Naomi and Luca have been pen-pals since middle school and their letters to each other were rather feisty and mean, but they never stopped writing to each other until they’re adults. I absolutely love writing letters and you can connect with a person on a whole other level and that’s what this story showed, and I adored it.
 
Naomi now lives in Miami, and she is a meteorologist and one day she receives another letter from Luca without a return address and she wants to write him back and reconnect. She is such a loving person and I also loved seeing her friendship with her co-worker Anne.
 
Luca has been through so much and I deeply felt for him. The letters were a lifeline for him, and I appreciated seeing how much they mean to him. He has a heart of gold and I especially loved seeing him with the animals throughout the story. Roland, Phoebe and Bruno were perfect little companions.
 
Naomi and Luca‘s relationship starts off with those hate to love letters and they slowly become friends and I liked seeing that through the past scenes. Their banter was everything and it feels like fate finally brought them together in the present. They truly belong together, and I rooted for them from the first page and devoured every chapter. If you like romcoms and stories à la To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and Punk 57, you need to check this one out.
 
Overall, Hate Mail is the most sweet and heartfelt pen pal romance and I loved everything about Naomi and Luca’s story. 5 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)