Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn

Synopsis (via Goodreads): In this warm and witty romance from acclaimed author Kate Clayborn, one little word puts one 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 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...

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I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Love Lettering was my first Kate Clayborn book, but I will definitely be reading more! I really enjoyed the ebb and flow of this story, and thought Meg's hand-lettering was a unique skill and an interesting profession. I've never really thought about hand-lettered signs, or how certain scripts can convey a specific feeling, but Meg's talents allowed Clayborn to tell a story within a story. Meg sees the world through a colorful lens, which sometimes produced somewhat-tangible words, and each one was tied to an emotion. It was a lovely way to experience the world, and it translated well in this story.

My one quibble would be the chilliness of the slow burn romance (personal preference). I did like that their relationship was rooted in friendship first and foremost, but I went into this one thinking it would be on the steamier side. They're obviously attracted to each other, but neither of them act on it right away. I thought their relationship developed authentically, and appreciated how mature their conversations and interactions were. Meg mentioned being on her period, and I was shocked to see a woman's menstrual cycle so normalized in a contemporary romance. It was even better when Reid didn't immediately bolt or act awkward. He simply asked if she needed him to go to the store! What a gentleman.

I normally dislike it when one of the main characters withholds essential information or keeps secrets, but it weirdly didn't bother me in Love Lettering. Reid was honest to a fault, so his reluctance to share something meant he was deeply troubled by it. I never doubted his intentions, or thought he wasn't sharing for malicious reasons. He cared about Meg, and he wanted her to be happy. I was completely surprised by the twist at the end, but think it really rounded out the rest of the story. We get an explanation that didn't make me roll my eyes or groan in frustration, but appreciate the efforts both parties made to make it work. Meg trusted Reid, and her trust paid off.

Sibby (Meg's roommate and best friend) was incredibly annoying at first. I'm still not sure how I feel about their friendship, but can appreciate where the author left things. People do change and grow over time, and that does impact relationships and circumstances. I understood Sibby, even if I didn't agree with how she handled herself.

Overall, I thought Love Lettering was wonderfully witty and creative. I look forward to reading more books by this author, and will likely read this one again in the future.