Goodreads: Love Lettering
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Panda Rating:

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 their wedding program was a little unprofessional, but she was sure no one else would spot it. She hadn’t counted on sharp-eyed, pattern-obsessed Reid…

A year later, Reid has tracked Meg down to find out—before he leaves New York for good—how she knew that his meticulously planned future was about to implode. But with a looming deadline, a fractured friendship, 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 about their lives, work, and regrets, both try to ignore the fact that their unlikely connection is growing deeper. But the signs are there—irresistible, indisputable, urging Meg to heed the messages Reid is sending her, before it’s too late…

Oh my heart… I can’t even with this book and how it’s made me feel!!! I knew I was going to enjoy this but I didn’t think that I’d fall so hard and fast (after a slightly rocky start) for Meg and Reid, and their love story. Swoonsh, indeed! I literally just finished this book two minutes ago (when I reviewed this on Monday…) and my heart is still soaring and I don’t know if I’ll be able to write a coherent review but I’m going to try anyway!

You know when you read the first lines of a story and something just clicks and you think “YES, this book is definitely going to be for me”? I felt that when I read the first lines of Love Lettering. I will admit to experiencing a bit of a rocky start after those first few lines though. There was something about Clayborn’s writing that threw me off and I wasn’t sure whether it’d be for me. But although it took me a bit to get used to, I ended up liking it. What I know for sure is that Clayborn writes with such heart. I felt every awkward encounter and whimsical moment, and every punch to my gut and feels. Her words hit surprisingly deep and it’s a big reason for why I fell so completely in love with this book and her characters. The story did take a turn to the unexpected but I thought it actually was pretty fitting considering ‘all the signs’ we’re given and I think it actually made the story even more unique than it already is!

“…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.”

I became so invested in both Meg and Reid and I think a lot of that had to do with how Clayborn wrote them and their personalities. They are complete opposites and as you’ll already know from the blurb, they don’t exactly start off on the right foot. Their confrontation and initial meetings are awkward (almost painfully so) but also hilarious because of it and also because of Meg’s personality and awk-weird thoughts. There were quite a few laugh-out-loud moments alongside the constant giggling and serious swooning.

“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.”

Meg and Reid have deep rooted personal issues from their past that they have to work on being open about and I thought their character growth was wonderfully written and well-paced. I connected so strongly with Meg. I empathised with her loneliness and commiserated with the lack of inspiration she felt in her life. I felt her longing for understanding, for company, for a way to rid herself of the block she was experiencing, as if it was my own. Probably because these are thoughts I’ve been having for a long time and reading it in her character really hit close to home. Reid is a little bit of a tropey character but I still really enjoyed his serious-brooding-math genius type. I really think I might have a thing for men like him… I loved watching him slowly thaw with Meg and watching their relationship grow slowly (while torturous because I needed it to happen STAT) was so worth the wait! He may be all about the numbers and she might be all about the signs but together they’re an absolutely perfect fit (that was so cheesy but that’s what this book turned me into so I can’t help it okay)! This was also steamier than I thought it’d be (a good 4/5 on the steamy scale) but I’d be lying if I said I minded! LOL Reid was just so damn sweet and their chemistry was serious fire!!!

If you’re a lover of romances, slow-burns, quirky and endearing characters, some steamy chemistry and a story that’s absolutely full of heart, then you need to pick this book up now! Seriously, what are you waiting for?! This book is just… It’s given me all the feels and I’m just so happy right now. I’ll be recommending this to everyone!

Have you read Love Lettering or is it on your TBR?