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Hate Notes

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From New York Times bestselling authors Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward comes an unexpected love story of secondhand hearts and second chances…

It all started with a mysterious blue note sewn into a wedding dress.

Something blue.

I’d gone to sell my own unworn bridal gown at a vintage clothing store. That’s when I found another bride’s “something old.”

Stitched into the lining of a fabulously feathered design was the loveliest message I’d ever read: Thank you for making all of my dreams come true.

The name embossed on the blue stationery: Reed Eastwood, obviously the most romantic man who ever lived. I also discovered he’s the most gorgeous. If only my true-love fantasies had stopped there. Because I’ve since found out something else about Mr. Starry-Eyed.

He’s arrogant, cynical, and demanding. I should know. Thanks to a twist of fate, he’s my new boss. But that’s not going to stop me from discovering the story behind his last love letter. A love letter that did not result in a happily ever after.

But that story is nothing compared to the one unfolding between us. It’s getting hotter, sweeter, and more surprising than anything I could have imagined.

Something new.

But I have no idea how this one is going to end...

301 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 6, 2018

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About the author

Vi Keeland

104 books32.4k followers
Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles have appeared in over one hundred Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twenty-six languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

Stop by and meet Vi in her private reader group on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/groups/ViKee...


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5 stars
31,882 (42%)
4 stars
25,419 (34%)
3 stars
12,440 (16%)
2 stars
3,266 (4%)
1 star
1,250 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,316 reviews
Profile Image for Bibi.
1,288 reviews27 followers
January 29, 2021
Underwhelming

*Big Spoilers*
**Unpopular Opinion**


Look, I highlighted the crap out of this book because it was just too improbable and the plot sort of ran itself ragged, lacking a cohesive arc.

Not helping were our protagonists, Reed and Charlotte, whom I felt were recycled and also an amalgam of this duo's other book characters - namely, Stuck-up Suit, Bossman, and Egomaniac.

If you’ve read the blurb then you know Charlotte was recently cheated on by her fiancé, which precipitated losing her job and home. The thing is, Charlotte is a ditz who seemingly has no clue how to navigate life without a man. And, as with most of Keeland and Ward’s heroines, she’s without friends (which I find preposterous). Anyway, moving on.

By a stroke of luck, Charlotte finds a love note that, as it turns out, leads her to Reed.

By another stroke of luck, she’s immediately hired by Reed’s grandmother because, of course, Reed was mean to her and while she was hiding in the bathroom, crying her eyes out, serendipity happens.

Imagine for a second all the ducks that needed to be in that one row, managing to somehow create a circuitous meeting for these two. Seriously, can we say plot manipulation?

Never mind.

Reed, of course, has a big secret (not the ex, thank small mercies) that only he must know....leading to a situation where Charlotte all but chased him around like the coyote and the road-runner. Mad props to Char for tenacity, but mehn, that woman needed a dose of self-love.

Eventually, and only when it seems Char might prefer another bloke, Reed roused from his pity party enough to pursue her right all the way to France.

And....well, you can read my notes because I'm suddenly just tired and disillusioned. I had such high hopes for this book, I mean, just look at that cover. Le sigh.
Profile Image for Christy.
4,108 reviews34.6k followers
November 4, 2018
4.5 stars!!!

 photo IMG_2344_zpsftuykd1p.png

Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward delivered a fantastic enemies to lovers/work place romance with Hate Notes. This book was fun, sexy, and heartwarming. Both Reed and Charlotte were endearing and the twist was not something I saw coming.

The way Charlotte meets Reed... it's interesting to say the least. While going to sell her unused wedding gown, she finds a gown she absolutely falls in love with. As the store will only give her in-store credit, she trades her gown for this one. Inside the gown, she finds a hand written blue note stitched in. From the groom. She has no idea what happened with this bride and groom, but with some drunk internet stalking, she has an idea.

Reed Eastwood is in real estate. The big kind, selling expensive property. He meets Charlotte while showing a property. Their meeting is not a pleasant one. Reed is a jerk to Charlotte but with the circumstances, one can't blame him. Charlotte feels pretty low and the only way she can go is up. When she gets a job offer, she is ecstatic. Then she finds out it's working with/for Reed.
Such an asshole. A gorgeous, arrogant asshole who looked just as good going as he did coming.

Charlotte and Reed have a lot of chemistry. That is apparent from the start. Charlotte is sweet and Reed finds her amusing, with her 'bucket list' and all. I loved their scenes together. Most of them kept a huge smile on my face. I wanted to know what Reed was hiding and I hoped these two who bickered and bantered could make it work. My heart was hurting towards the end, and there was even a point I was in tears, but my goodness did I love the way this book ended. It was the perfect ending.

This love story was different from the typical one. I loved the unique spin on the enemies to lovers/work romance. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It made me swoon, made me laugh, and made me cry. It was a wonderful romance.
Profile Image for SueBee★bring me an alpha!★.
2,417 reviews14.8k followers
March 15, 2019






⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! Hate Notes (stand-alone). She despises her new boss & he writes her hate notes!

Her comment caused me to belt out in laughter. “We almost died? Isn’t that a little bit of an exaggeration? It was a chain-reaction fender bender at best. What would we call our demise . . . like . . . Death by Squirrel?”

Hate Notes (stand-alone) opens up to a love note found in a wedding dress. For Charlotte Darling it’s a bit of a muddle of how being distraught over a broken engagement and a night of drinking can lead her to working for the most infuriating man, ever. But not one to back down she sets out to do her job and if she can annoy her boss, even better.

Heir and real estate investor Reed Eastwood is equally perplexed my recent events. Torn between irritation, fury and pure unadulterated lust he must deal with his new employee. So Reed, a man of secrets and broken dreams hidden under a blasé façade, does what any sensible man would do he taunts, teases and ridicules her.

Told from dual POVs it centers around the theme of notes written by Reed to keep Charlotte at arms-length further complicated by them falling in bed together. It’s filled with hilarious laugh-out-loud moments building up to heart-wrenching truths. A mixture of enemies-to-lovers, off-limits office romance. But most of all it’s a second chance at love, happiness and life!

***
Hero: ★★★★1/2
Heroine: ★★★★
Plot: ★★★★1/2
Storytelling: ★★★★★
Sexual tension: ★★★★1/2
Sex scenes: ★★★★
Story ending: ★★★★
******************************************
OVERALL RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Angst: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Darkness: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Humor: | HIGH FOCUS |
Kink: | LOW FOCUS |
Romance: | HIGH FOCUS |
Sex frequency: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Suspense: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Profile Image for Dilek VT.
1,545 reviews1,509 followers
March 2, 2021
First half of the book: So much fun, with really good banter between the MCs. Smart, funny and so very cute dialogues.

Second half of the book: Serious, sad, boring, dragging and repetitive

-------------------------------------------

First half of the book: Something between 4-5 stars

Second half of the book: Something between 2-3 stars

***********************************************

I am feeling so disoriented after reading this book.

Did I read a fun romance?
Did I read a sad one?
Did I read a bittersweet one?


I don’t know. All of the above, I guess.

***********************************************

Charlotte is a very sweet character but her over-the-top optimism didn’t seem to be real. Is anyone -could anyone - be like her, so forgiving and so caring? So damn cheerful and energetic all the time? I really don’t think so. She was a modern Pollyanna.



As for Reed, he is one of those heroes who pushes the girl away all along the book. He wants her but he thinks he shouldn’t have her so he pushes her away all the time. Meanwhile, he gets all alpha and possessive when he thinks she is going to date with someone else. "I can't have her but nobody else can have her" mentality - so very cliché!



Charlotte sees that Reed has feelings for her so she chases after him - relentlessly!

I don’t like it when the woman is the one who chases…
I like it better when it is the man who pursues.

In Reed’s case, he almost had a good enough reason to push her away but still I didn’t like it.

I didn’t like it when it was her who asked him out for a date and he rejected. I didn’t like it when she tried to seduce him by getting naked and he still rejected.

***********************************************

Reed was too stubborn to see that Charlotte was ready to accept him the way he is. He thought it wasn’t fair for her because of . However much she assured that she wanted to be with him no matter what, he insisted that he shouldn’t have her as she deserves a better future with a man.



Some divine intervention was necessary for Reed to understand that he should change his way of thinking and it of course happens.

Add some more drama about Charlotte’s mother to this sad tone of the book in the second half and you get a totally depressing 100 or more pages before their HEA.

***********************************************

There are few scenes where they get intimate so do not expect a hot romance; this is more like a mixture of fun and sad romance.

***********************************************

I really don’t understand why these writers do that. I remember it happening in some other works they have written. Their books usually begin in a real fun way. I usually enjoy myself with the sexy banter between the characters. I sometimes laugh out loud at their crazy bickering. Then, there is always a big/depressing/ridiculous/unnecessary drama that changes the tone of the book completely. A total 180! Then, drama drama and more drama until they solve it to get their HEA.

I really wish they would change this formula. Sometimes, it is possible to keep a romance book on a fun/emotional/hot level with clever plot twists that don’t involve a total change of the mood of the book.

I don't understand why writers do not tend to find plot twists where the hero and heroine fight together against an obstacle in their way instead of fighting against each other or fighting their attraction for each other.

***********************************************

Safety: No cheating

Writing: Dual point of view

Recommendation: All in all, this was a book that started as a promising one which later disappointed to a great degree. It is a mixture of good & bad for me.

***********************************************

Some QUOTES from the book:

You need to figure out how to love the life that you have, while you work on the life that you want.

***

Dear Charlotte:
Do you know why squirrels love you so much?
Because you’re NUTS.
Reed

I shook my head and whispered to myself, “These are the kind of love notes you’re doling out now, Eastwood?” I laughed. “More like a hate note.”

***

“Maybe Stan can work on getting a sensitivity chip installed into your grandson. He seems to be missing one.”
I snapped my fingers. “They must have forgotten to put it back in when they installed my bullshit detector.”




I was quickly snapped out of that momentary loss of focus when she closed her eyes and began moving her fingers frantically as if she were . . . typing. Actually, that’s exactly what she was doing—typing something in the air.
I had to ask. “What in God’s name are you doing?”
She continued the motion as she spoke. “I’m typing all the things I really want to say to you, to get it all out without actually having to say the words. Trust me, this is what’s best for both of us.” Her fingers kept moving.
I couldn’t help but laugh under my breath. “You’d rather look like a complete spaz than say what’s on your mind?”
finally stopped moving her fingers. “Yes.”
“Did you remember to hit ‘Send’?” I mocked.
Charlotte didn’t find my sarcasm funny.

***

I continued via a demonstration. I cupped my hands together tight as if I was holding a ball inside them. “This is someone who is closed off. No one can get in. But nothing can get out, either.” I opened my hands and held them cupped side by side as if I were waiting for someone to place something in them. “See. This is open . . . you might have to let someone in that you weren’t expecting, but . . . it also allows the people that you had stuck inside—to leave.”

***

I will never understand how someone wouldn’t accept even limited quality time with the person they love over none at all. Then again, it’s not love if you could walk away from someone.

***

“I’m so sorry to have hurt you. I don’t know how to be around you anymore. Don’t mistake my apprehension for lack of interest. In fact, it’s exactly the opposite, a constant battle. The truth is, I’ve been fighting my feelings for you for a very long time. And it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. But I know with one hundred percent certainty that I am not the right man for you. You’re a dreamer, Charlotte. The biggest dreamer of them all. And you deserve to be with someone who won’t ever hold you back in life.”


*********************************************

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Profile Image for Hulya Kara Yuksel.
995 reviews1,244 followers
November 7, 2018
Vi & Penelope never disappoint me! I really enjoyed this story. :)
Ps. Epilogue was so sweet, I absolutely loved it!!! ;)

That's me after I read the epilogue... :P



-----------------------

Who is excited for this book? :D

(^_^)

Release date: Tuesday, November 6, 2018

COVER REVEAL:


SYNOPSIS
It all started with a mysterious blue note sewn into a wedding dress.
Something blue.
I’d gone to sell my own unworn bridal gown at a vintage clothing store. That’s when I found another bride’s “something old.”
Stitched into the lining of a fabulously feathered design was the loveliest message I’d ever read: Thank you for making all of my dreams come true.
The name embossed on the blue stationery: Reed Eastwood, obviously the most romantic man who ever lived. I also discovered he’s the most gorgeous. If only my true-love fantasies had stopped there. Because I’ve since found out something else about Mr. Starry-Eyed.
He’s arrogant, cynical, and demanding. I should know. Thanks to a twist of fate, he’s my new boss. But that’s not going to stop me from discovering the story behind his last love letter. A love letter that did not result in a happily ever after.
But that story is nothing compared to the one unfolding between us. It’s getting hotter, sweeter, and more surprising than anything I could have imagined.
Something new.
But I have no idea how this one is going to end . . .
Profile Image for Pavlina Read more sleep less blog  .
2,434 reviews5,105 followers
November 6, 2018
Live amazon https://www.amazon.com/Hate-Notes-Vi-...

5 Amazing Stars

I have no words, such a beautiful story.I had happy tears in my eyes in the end, this story touched me in so many ways.Hate Notes is a heartwarming,sweet,emotional and romantic.One of the best books I read this year, Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland completely drew me into Reed and Charlotte's story as well as their lives.

description

Reed and Charlotte's journey felt so real, everything they went through.The romance was one of the best parts in the story , I loved the build up.My heart was aching for both of them, I just wanted to see them happy!

This story is so much more than a simple romance.I laughed,I cried and I melt with Reed and Charlotte.They deserved to be together.


 


  
Profile Image for Nilufer Ozmekik.
2,530 reviews51.5k followers
November 20, 2018
It took me only one night to finish. It was so emotional, captivating and totally romantic. One of the best collaborations of Vi and Penelope. Highly recommended!!!
Profile Image for ✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ .
2,217 reviews1,287 followers
November 6, 2018
description

description

description

Charlotte recently ended her engagement due to her exes cheating ways.

While trying to sell her unused wedding dress in a second-hand store, she comes upon a note sewn into another forgotten wedding dress. The most romantic note she's ever read. And obviously she needs to find out more about the guy who wrote it.

And who turns out to be her new boss a few days later? Yup. Reed Eastwood. The most romantic man on the planet. NOT. He's mean and just ... not nice! But she's also not making it easy on him. ☺

LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN!

What will happen to Charlotte & Reed?
Will there be a HEA?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT ☺

description

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THAT WAS ADORABLE!!!!


Charlotte is such a sweet and slightly crazy person! Looking for a job and basically a whole new life after everything that happened.

And then she meets this amazingly romantic guy who is so not the amazingly romantic guy she wanted him to be. But still ... the sparks are flying. Why does he have to be so mean all the time?! But not really alllll the time?

Grrrr.

description

I just adored those two and Iris and Max too. Amazing cast!

I SO need to see this as a movie!

description

I loved reading this book.
It was hilarious and sweet and romantic and crazy and office-y and sad and heartbreaking and moving.

Charlotte and Reed are just perfect for each other - Iris knew all along. Really adorable!

It was the perfect Rom-Com with some verrry serious parts and some mysteries and surprises. I LOVED IT!

A few tiny little 'thing's made me take away half a star from a 5-star-rating. Some of you might know that I hate religion ... and there was a lot of church and belief-stuff going on here. Stuff that didn't have to be in there - I sometimes felt like reading a christian romance. BUT Reed was too adorable for the religion to make me hate the book. ☺ I also missed the sexiness a bit - it started too late into the story. A few sexy moments could've happened sooner!
The other thing that bothered me ... I will have to put it in a spoiler thingy... ↓



HATE NOTES was such a fresh and funny and very serious & heartbreaking rom-com-drama!
I adored (aaaalllmost) everything about it! ☺
Run to your nearest amazon for your own Reed - this one is mine. ALLLL MINE!!!! ☺☺☺


P.S. I LOVE that the cover guy Dusan - is really the perfect Reed! I love it when that happens!

description






Smokin Hot Book Blog Email
Profile Image for NMmomof4.
1,592 reviews4,304 followers
November 17, 2018
3.5 Stars

Overall Opinion: I have mixed feelings with this one. Overall, I definitely enjoyed it more than I didn't. I enjoyed their banter, and I found myself laughing out loud a few times. I also enjoyed their deeper conversations and the overall message the story brought. But, I felt a disconnect in the physical connection and the emotional connection. I might be totally off here -- but it felt like two authors wrote it in a way that the emotional stuff was one's voice and the sexual/physical stuff was another's. It was such a slow burn, and then it seemed to switch gears and it felt too abrupt. I'm probably not making much sense here 🤦🏻‍♀️ but I think what I'm getting at is that it just felt odd. It didn't seem to go smoothly with the rest of the content. I get that it was an impulsive scene, but I don't think that was it either. Who knows what I'm poorly trying to communicate -- it just felt off 🤷🏻‍♀️ I also didn't like that their conflict was resolved, we got a ton of mushy dialogue with the H's complete 180 (which isn't my favorite), and then thrown into the epilogue. While I loved the epilogue and I felt like that gave us some good closure, I wanted more of them trying to be an actual couple and experiencing what that looked like.

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Charlotte and Reed's story. Charlotte is in a bad place after ending her engagement, and ends up selling her wedding gown at a consignment shop. She then finds a romantic letter found sewn into a dress that she was drawn to, and it gives her hope that true love still does exist. She gets drunk one night and ends up looking up the man that the letter named, and signs up to have him show her a luxurious penthouse the next day. Reed is upset with this woman that falsely took up his time, and doesn't hesitate to let her know and their first encounter isn't the friendliest. They soon learn that Reed is Charlotte's new boss, and their love/hate relationship starts. Through bucket lists, funny situations, some deep moments, and some sexual tension...they fall in love and get a HEA ending.

POV: This alternated between Charlotte and Reed's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed, and I thought it flowed well for the most part (see above).

Instalove: No, the take a while to develop stronger feelings.

H rating: 3.5 stars. Reed. I liked him, but I also struggled with him at times. I understood his reasoning, but I also wanted to shake him to make him see what he had and was potentially losing.

h rating: 4 stars. Charlotte. I liked her. I did want her to demand better treatment from the H at times, but I don't think she ever fully crossed that line into "doormat" status for me.

Sadness level: Moderate. I teared up a few times, but I never needed any tissues.

Push/Pull: Yes

Heat level: Moderate/Low. They have some alright tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. Definitely a "slow burn" in regards to heat, because they don't even kiss until ~63% and then nothing else until ~85%.

Descriptive sex: Yes, but minimal.

OW/OM drama: Yes

Sex scene with OW or OM: No

Cheating: Not between mcs

Separation: Not really, because I never really considered them "together" enough to be considered a "separation".

Possible Triggers: Yes **BIG SPOILER**

Closure: This had great closure with a major jump ahead epilogue and HEA ending. I would've appreciated more time with them as an actual couple before the epilogue, but (again) I know it's me being picky. I also appreciated that the authors didn't go the easy route and had .

Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
Profile Image for Patty ~ Wrapped Up In Reading Book Blog.
1,260 reviews10.1k followers
November 3, 2018
*****FIVE STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}


I wanted to taste her lips and suck away that sour look on her face, yet I knew that if there was one set of lips on this earth forbidden to me, it was Charlotte Darling’s. She wasn’t just a pretty face and a hot body. She was someone who wanted inside my soul, and that was never going to happen.





HATE NOTES, the latest collaborative project by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward, was simply amazing! These two can create literary masterpieces when they get all of the elements right. This story had an endearing Heroine, a ridiculously sexy Hero with an abrasive attitude, and enough angst, heart, and steam to keep a romance reader’s appetite thoroughly satiated.





While I swooned over Reed, I developed a huge girl crush for Charlotte. She was unbelievably funny, a hopeless romantic, and a risk taker. I knew she would ultimately chip away at Reed’s ice cold exterior. There were surprises that I never expected from this story and it even made me shed a few tears.





Here are my overall ratings:

Hero: 4.5
Heroine: 5
Plot: 5
Angst: 4.5
Steam: 5
Chemistry Between Hero & Heroine: 5



HATE NOTES releases on November 6th! I absolutely loved it and recommend giving it a one-click!

Amazon ebook➜ https://amzn.to/2Q1U6xa
Amazon Print (Currently on sale!) ➜ http://smarturl.it/x5h99h
Amazon Audio ➜ https://amzn.to/2zR81AE
Amazon print UK (Currently on sale) ➜http://hyperurl.co/32k3q7








Profile Image for Vi Keeland.
Author 104 books32.4k followers
Want to read
November 6, 2018
HATE NOTES IS LIVE! And the eBook is FREE in KU, and PRIME members can grab it FREE for a very limited time!

Amazon US ➜ https://amzn.to/2Q1U6xa
Amazon UK ➜ https://amzn.to/2AOvLWv
Amazon AU ➜ https://amzn.to/2F6mKw6
Amazon CA ➜ https://amzn.to/2PGcXAW
Audio ➜ http://smarturl.it/qhe7h3
Amazon paperback ➜ http://smarturl.it/x5h99h




HATE NOTES IS LIVE! And the eBook is FREE in KU, and PRIME members can grab it FREE for a very limited time!

Amazon US ➜ https://amzn.to/2Q1U6xa
Amazon UK ➜ https://amzn.to/2AOvLWv
Amazon AU ➜ https://amzn.to/2F6mKw6
Amazon CA ➜ https://amzn.to/2PGcXAW
Audio ➜ http://smarturl.it/qhe7h3
Amazon paperback ➜ http://smarturl.it/x5h99h

Profile Image for Alex ♈.
1,568 reviews1,305 followers
December 13, 2018
They pulled a card with a long-lasting dicease, so I don't feel comfortable to complain a lot about the book...

In a nutshell -> 🙄🙄🙄
same old incl.
evil ex,
clumsy heroine with hyperbolic hormonal level, who threw her beautiful self at the man, who rejected her repeatedly;
handsome hero, whose rudeness was sold as alphaness 🙄;
this time without secret baby, but with an old adoption of the heroine.

What I liked:
air typing - cool idea!
It was on KU.
Profile Image for MELISSA *Mel Reader*.
1,398 reviews1,466 followers
November 6, 2018
5 Stars!
(ARC provided by author)

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Charlotte Darling is a 27 yr. old woman from Brooklyn who is newly single and in need of a fresh start. She’d recently lost everything including her belief in happily ever afters. Then while in a vintage clothing store she stumbles upon a gorgeous gown with a blue love note stitched into the lining of the dress. It’s embossed with the name Reed Eastwood. It’s the most romantic words she’s ever read. This note gives her hope that true love and romance exists.

She has built up this stranger to be the perfect man, but when she crosses paths with her dream man he’s not the Prince Charming she envisioned. He’s visually one of the most stunning men she’s ever seen, but his attitude could use some work. He’s arrogant, brooding, extremely intense, and seems unattainable. Soon fate throws them together where they are forced to be around one another often.

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Reed Eastwood has had a rough year and is emotionally guarded. Being hurt has hardened his heart and made him cynical. Now he’s forced to be around Charlotte and her cheery attitude. She was a dreamer who seemed to see the positive in everything. She lived life to the fullest and in the moment. She riled him up, and drove him crazy. He hated how attracted he was to her, and how she made him question himself. It’s like she saw right through him, through his stuffy exterior. She reminded him of all the things he was trying to forget.

Charlotte was like no one he’d ever met. She was done dwelling on the past, and was determined to get back to the things in life that made her happy. Her joy is contagious, and she eventually made him feel alive again. They realize they have more in common than they knew. They’d both been hurt and knew something about a broken heart. Both had lost their faith in love somewhere along the way. Reed becomes completely infatuated with Charlotte, and the feelings are mutual. Charlotte came into his world and breathed new life into it. As they explore what’s between them, will they have a future together, or is Charlotte in love with a man she can never have?

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-He'd changed my life. He'd made me feel things I never had before.

-I needed to be one with this man more than anything in the world. It felt like the only thing that was right.

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This book was pure Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward magic! Every time I start a book by this amazing writing duo I know I’m going to love it! What they create together is always something unique and special that completely captivates me. This was a romance about second chances and living in the moment. It was a beautiful story full of emotion and humor. I was laughing, swooning, and fell more for Reed Eastwood with every chapter! 💙

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***NOW AVAILABLE***
https://amzn.to/2PdHCpS
Profile Image for mwana.
403 reviews358 followers
June 27, 2022
*WARNING*: This review is riddled with spoilers.

Meet Charlotte, think of her as Bernadette from Big Bang Theory only without the intelligence, wry wit, intimidation and helium voice. Charlotte is ditzy, naive, friendless, kinda spineless but adorkable. She is selling/returning her wedding dress when she sees a beautiful designer gown with feathers* and tries it on. While doing this, she stumbles on a beautiful love note from a man named Reed to the love of his life Alison.

In a moment of loneliness and vulnerability, Charlotte gets the dress in exchange for hers and decides to stalk the Reed in the note since he proves that love and romance still exist. Charlotte had walked in on her ex getting blown by some woman in his office- where she worked too. So clearly she lost her marriage and her job.

As she stalks Reed over the interwebs, she finds out that he is a high end realtor and books a showing with gag jobs. Surprisingly, Reed accepts her application and schedules her for a viewing where he reads her the riot act over wasting his time. Charlotte breaks down and ends up stumbling into the bathroom where lo and behold, Reed's grandmother gives her comfort, and a job- as Reed's assistant.

What are the odds?

So far it was quite funny. How Charlotte would stand on a chair to put her at level with Reed when he was being a dick. Why was he being a dick? The plot of course. And instead of yelling or whatever, she would air type the bad thoughts she was having. *rolls eyes*

Fine. Be unrealistically cute Charlotte. But then where is the rest of your life outside your failed relationship, your sorta job and your friendtraction to Reed? Aren't New Adult novels supposed to be about well rounded modern characters? I'd have even settled for the Judy Greer type romcom bff.

Anyway, their infuriating hot and cold moments continue until about ten pages to the end of the novel. Which was pointless because everybody knows they'll end up together anyway.

One part I really had no patience for was when Reed told Charlotte than he knows she would never lodge a sexual harassment claim to trap him. The fuck is this kind of tone deaf writing in a 2018 novel? After THE ME TOO movement????? Are you fucking kidding me?

Then, the book uses chronic illness as a plot twist not once, not twice but thrice in this fuck-knuckle of a book.

When Charlotte finds out that a long time employee is embezzling funds, it's because of her grandson who has some rare type of cancer. The point of this- for Charlotte to soften Reed up not to fire the employee. When the grandmother would never have let that happen anyway.

When Charlotte and Reed go for rock climbing, Reed has a stumble and Charlotte finds out that Reed is diagnosed with MS.

When Reed finds out who Charlotte's biological mother is, guess what? She is dying. Chronic illness.

For fuck's sake.

This book had it's moments. I liked the grandma. I liked some of the banter between Reed and Charlotte but books like this- and how unoriginal they are- are part of the reason why I gave up on new adult heterosexual books. I don't get the hype around them. And frankly this book didn't deserve that cover- yum...- and it definitely didn't deserve New York.
October 6, 2021
“I can't make you love me if you don't” —Bonnie Raitt



The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Romance: 💋💋💋💋💋
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📙📕📗📘📚
World building: 🌎🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: ☺️🥸😎😘😍

Favorite Quote: “I’d joked about Charlotte Darling and her pixie dust. There was always something magical about her”

The heroine: Charlotte Darling - after finding her fiancé in a compromising position, charlotte goes to sell her wedding dress to a store that sells vintage dresses. While waiting at the store she finds a dress she loves and tries it on, finding a blue note sewn inside. The note was a love note to the former owner of the dress.

The Hero(es): Reed Eastwood - runs a successful real estate/property management business with his brother and grandmother. Reed is aloof, acrimonious and assertive. He has become cynical since he and his fiancé broke up.

The story: Intrigued by the blue note in the dress, Charlotte cyber-stalks Reed’s facebook account and sets up a meeting with him. Charlotte somehow ends up working for Reed’s company and spends a lot of time with the prickly man. The more time the pair spend together, the more curious they get about each other.

This book was a slow burn grumpy boss romance. The writing was good and I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two main characters. I also liked some of the supporting characters, Reed’s grandmother Iris was an awesome character and his brother Max.

I don’t usually like the slow burn romance, but when they are written well, they actually can be really great. When a book isn’t written as well, it can seem like most of the interactions between the couple are just scenes thrown in that don’t serve much purpose except to take up space. While if the writing is good, each scene is part of the romance and building to it’s ultimate conclusion, adding background and color to the book.

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Profile Image for Shabby  -BookBistroBlog.
1,597 reviews865 followers
November 16, 2018
It started with this⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

description

There's something delectable taboo and deliciously forbidden about Office room rendezvous that just thrums my pulse. Men in suit are total aphrodisiacs and when in power positions it's like getting your panties moist
And *sigh* if the boss is as yummylickable like Reed Eastwood, you take off your panties like Charlotte Darling (with a big D)😍


description

God, was there really anything sexier than a gorgeous man who just wanted to be loved by a woman?
Only he's cranky, obnoxious, rude and downright scornful. What crawled up HIS ass and died there??!!😠. I'll tell ya. A selfishly stupid and silicon stiff Allison!!!. He wrote her love notes and she just abandoned him!!
"When love is not returned, you have to learn to unlove the other person. The mind tells you that you’re not supposed to love them anymore, but the heart isn’t listening so easily.”
So his heart is closed and brow is furrowed at the world.
One man’s overlooked blessing is soon another man’s gain.”
Charlotte manages to inviegele into his life and just gets comfortable. Their cat and mouse verbal sparring gets the tension palpably high and chemistry sizzling in NO time.

description

She makes him want to better himself and get in touch with his REAL self. She inspires him to make a bucket list"Fuck-it last" cause life is short and no time to waste doing something you hate!!
Part of the mantra of the fuck-it list is that if the opportunity comes to you, you need to take it.you need to figure out how to love the life that you have, while you work on the life that you want.You can only find true happiness within yourself, not inside of other people, no matter how much you care about them. Make yourself happy, and the rest will come. I promise.”

description

Then comes the twist....a horrible twist, made me cry!!I was like noooooooooo, please noooo!🙈
They have to desperate and how....omg my heart💔
Pick up this book that though starts a s a bollywood movie yet touches your Heart and makes you pray .....pray for the couple 🙏
4.5 Project Squirrel stars
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Profile Image for warhawke.
1,398 reviews2,122 followers
November 4, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person - Dual
Rating:




Just when Charlotte Darling thought there was no such thing as fairytale in real life, she found a love note sewn into a wedding dress at a vintage store. Upon some stalking, she found the writer of the note but apparently he turned out to be more of a villain.

Reed Eastwood might looked like a Prince Charming but he was anything but. Gone were the man who penned such a romantic message. What left of him was a bitter, arrogant, pain in the ass man who unfortunately she had no way to avoid.



I’d joked about Charlotte Darling and her pixie dust. There was always something magical about her, the way she’d just appeared in my life and turned it upside down.


It’s rare for me to love a female character, but Charlotte managed to make it on the list. She was funny and kooky which made her highly lovable. The air typing thing was priceless haha!

There was no middle ground with Charlotte. Either I was all in or all out.


At times, Reed could be a condescending asshole, but deep down he cared more than what he let others see. It’s quite entertaining to see him flustered by Charlotte “craziness”.



The story was funny and entertaining, and I like the secondary characters in their lives. One of my favorite aspects in the story was the "special" list. Naturally, her list was eclectic and the source of entertainment. I also like how this story had an unexpected element that added heart to it. I don’t usually like epilogue, but here it was a good closure and also touching.

Love wasn’t about a beautiful dress, a note, or even poignant words. It was about being with someone through thick and thin, about seeing them through not only the best moments of life but also the worst.


Hate Notes follows the lives of two people learning to take chances. It would appeal to readers who enjoy lighthearted romance.



🔹 📉 🔹 . . . (F)BR With Loyda . . . 🔹 📉 🔹





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Profile Image for Jacqueline's Reads.
2,936 reviews1,512 followers
November 17, 2018
3 I didn’t love it like everyone else stars.

A lot of people loved this book. I usually like Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward reads but there are have been one or two books I just didn’t jive with and this is one of them.

I didn’t get the feels like everyone else did and some where emotional, but like I said I.JUST.DID.NOT.FEEL.IT

Sebastian York is a seasoned audio narrator and I love his acting but I have listened to so many books with his voice, I’m okay finding a new narrator. Just a little variety right? Lynn Barrington is a new voice actress for me. I liked her. I like her voice transitions and her voice is nice to listen to.

So, here’s the thing with this book, I HATED the Heroine. Oh my god she is so annoying, rude and there are so many times I thought to myself, who does this?

The book starts out with her trying to sell her wedding dress because surprise her ex cheated on her. She trades her wedding dress for another wedding dress. Even though she doesn’t have enough money to eat. Even though it sounds insane and in that dress is a note. She tries to find out who wrote that note because it’s so lovely.

Say what?

Girl, clean yourself up. Get a better job than tempting and stop stalking people on Facebook.

She figures out the person that wrote the note is the Hero and he sells expensive apartments. So she books an appointment to have him sell her an apartment. She what? Who does that. She doesn’t have any money and she wants to see how the other half live to give her hope? Oh my god, I was rolling my eyes, thinking this girl is insane.

So you keep on listening and more stuff happens and it just apparent the Hero doesn’t want to be with the Hero for his personal reasons. I just didn’t feel the feels like everyone did.

Like I said, this book didn’t click with me. I don’t like the storyline. I hated the Heroine. Oh and the steam was 100% lacking. So sad for me.
Profile Image for Gabby.
1,445 reviews27.8k followers
September 20, 2019
The beginning of this book was so fun I was cracking up and thinking this was going to be a new favorite, but somewhere after the 150 page mark, this story started to drag and got so boring and repetitive and the characters became obnoxious.

This story follows Reed and Charlotte. Charlotte finds this wedding dress that was Reed’s ex’s dress, and she finds him online and goes to one of his house showings (he’s a realtor) and then she gets hired for his company unknowing that it’s his company and we get this cute office romance. As I said, the beginning was really great, Charlotte was cracking me up and I loved all their cute little character quirks like her air typing and their fuck-it lists and their banter was great. Iris is also my favorite character in this book by the way.

But then we get to the halfway point and the story just starts to drag. They have this constant push and pull and hit and cold and it gets so annoying. I hate that Charlotte is the one chasing him this entire story and he keeps pushing her away and being a dick over and over again - it got old really fast. The ending felt very uninspired and cliche and it brings nothing new to the table as far as romances go.
Profile Image for Carol.
1,347 reviews247 followers
November 11, 2018
Will definitely wait for friend reviews on this one. Cannot trust either the cover appeal or blurb for assumptions on content with these two authors.


FYI: for the skeptical like myself this is currently a kindle unlimited release. Might give it a whirl. Have not seen any good unbiased reviews yet.

3.75- 4 stars.🌟🌟🌟🌟
Well, color me surprised.
I actually liked it.
No cheating, OW drama or major bombshell revelations.
It gives me hope. I had intended to avoid these authors books for a while based on Vi Keelands latest solo release and my diminishing enjoyment for their newer novels.
Glad that I took a chance on this one.
Profile Image for Princess under cover.
610 reviews302 followers
November 13, 2018
Why oh why don't I learn??? DNF at 16%. Just cant keep my interest AT ALL. I HATE crazy "barbie" heroines, like certifiable. And the H did not manage to keep my interest when it was his POV's turn. Just can't stand the whole contrived scenario. You can't pay me to read this stuff. Thank goodness it was free on KU!
Profile Image for Kat.
Author 11 books520 followers
December 12, 2021
This was snarky and fun and I always enjoy second-chance romances. Reed and Charlotte are both imperfect and weird in their own ways, and I enjoyed the way they set each other off. The first scene with the wedding dress completely had me, and the two continued to grow on me throughout the book. This was definitely a slow burn, which I loved, and had the perfect balance of snarky friendship scenes versus steam versus bedroom moments. I really liked how the book explored the issues of and how those can be something that destroys a weaker couple or brings a strong match closer together. Just a really great read!

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
Profile Image for Pikolina.
815 reviews278 followers
September 4, 2020
Ohh q historia más chula, me ha gustado mucho.
Me ha encantado Reed, me ha encantado Charlotte q está como una cabra.
Por fin poco sexo.
Recomendable 100%
Profile Image for Geri Reads.
1,232 reviews2,116 followers
December 18, 2018
I DNF'd but decided to finish it anyways.

Yeaaaahhh. It went over as expected lemme tell you.

The most interesting thing about this book was the blurb and the whole "found a wedding gown with a romantic personal note in it that touched me." In theory. But the story was boring and contrived. Things happen because they had to and the characters react to them because the story needs them to no matter how confusing and illogical it is.

The heroine acted like a creep stalking the hero on his social media and then his job because she wants to believe that romance isn't dead. I have so many things to say about this but I'm gonna refrain. For now.

The heroine is...incompetent but she's pretty and cute. I guess her incompetence is supposed to be cute and endearing but it ended up really annoying. Like who the hell air types when they're angry? I have no idea if the author was going for because if it was humor, then she failed.

Anyway, Ms. Incompetent was embarrassed after being thrown out by the hero (gee, I wonder why) and because she is the heroine, she meets a wonderful old lady who offered her a job because grandma apparently has a good feeling about her. *sigh

Guess who old lady actually is? That's right. She's actually a high-powered CEO who just happens to be the hero's grandma.

Anyway, Ms. Incompetent suddenly becomes uber competent (don't ask me when the changed happen because we weren't exactly shown this in the book either) and indispensable to the hero because the story needs it, you see. No need for character development. There's no need to show us either, I guess, just make her do stuff because the plot needs it. Easy peasy.

So yeah, this book is contrived as hell. The characters were bland with no personalities whatsoever. I can't even remember the name of the hero or what he looks like. All I know is that he's hot and rich and an asshole. The hero is exactly the same iteration as the other heroes these authors have written before. Different names but they're essentially the same character.

These characters are there to serve the plot and the plot was to get them to fall in love despite his "secrets." Which brings us to the worst thing about this book that I've really come to despise: the secret, or the nature of the secret. I won't spoil it (unless you guys ask) but can we stop using illnesses as a plot device in the year of our Lord two thousand and eighteen? I mean, it's great if you want to highlight an illness to bring awareness into it but this ain't it.
Profile Image for Wendy'sThoughts.
2,667 reviews3,276 followers
November 16, 2018
3.5 If You Are Willing Stars
* * * 1/2 Spoiler Free
Sometimes the Idea or Promise of Something can be all it takes.
A little Blue Note Sewn into another dress...
Everything said in 10 Loving Words...
And it was Not Anonymous...
He had a Name...

The image of a woman seeing this love note in a discarded wedding dress burned into my mind. I wanted to know about the man who wrote it, too. Coupled with the cover, I clicked and bought the book. Now once I was reading the first part, I knew it was necessary for me to also buy into the fantasy this book was presenting...

You know what I am saying.

The way the writer of the card meets the woman. How they then happen to start working together... think a modern type fairy godmother...and how over time, each develops insight into all the hidden admiral qualities they have.

I think sometimes it is just the willingness of the reader to let all these circumstances happen and go along for the ride.
I decided to go with the flow and mainly enjoyed the read. There were laughs, questions about fate and the idea of whether it is worth loving someone even if it is only for the night, week or forever. As you may have guessed, I am of the school where loving is always a plus and even the pain after does not outweigh the joy you experienced in the time of loving.

Just saying...

I will suggest, though, the fella needed a good kick in the head when he was presented with something terrific and didn't latch on seeing it for what it was...He finally had a "Come to Jesus Moment" but took him a bit. Our gal was fine, but also sometimes seemed a bit all over the place. There were some attempts of manipulation and game playing which I am not a fan of...But again it all settled down in the end.

So with that out there, I mainly enjoyed the book. Took the romantic idea of a love note and held on to it.

~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~

November 6th
I am thrilled...
Got my VOTE ON...
And Rewarding my Civic Action with ...
Hate Notes!!!
❤️💕❤️💕❤️💕❤️💕❤️💕❤️💕❤️
September 18, 2018
It took a couple Twists of Fate...
Just like the song, "Isn't It Ironic"..
Selling My Own Unworn Wedding Dress...
Had me finding the Most Romantic Love Letter Ever...

A little Blue Note Sewn into another dress...
Everything said in 10 Loving Words...
And it was Not Anonymous...
He had a Name...

And what would the Chances be...
He Becomes my New Boss...
Only he isn't sending me Love Notes...
Nope, I would be so lucky
If they Don't Become...


Hate Notes-November 6th 2018

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Profile Image for SusanAhh.
486 reviews123 followers
November 1, 2021
A Sweet-Hot Fulfilling Treat!!!



I adore when there is heat in my sweet treats!!! This story is a perfect example of a sweet-hot romance tinged with a little of the bitter found in life. We all taste this “bitter” to a lesser or greater extent. Despite the measure of this bitter...difficult times and issues faced, we have control of our optimism and happiness. We can choose to reach out and embrace the gifts before us or refuse to even consider them, let alone reject them entirely. This story is about those very choices our characters make in this story.

The authors here create a perfectly charming heroine in the character of Charlotte. She is an optimist who has been knocked back a step or two by a cheating fiancée. Along with her curious nature and a little bit of fate or "the universe" assisting her, she finds her way into the life of the curmudgeonly disposed hero, Reed’s life. Do I have to mention he is gorgeous and so sexy?

Now if you like it with a ton of romantic and lest I forget…erotic tension…this story has got loads of it. The authors just about twist our romantic hearts into a dozen knots. Why is Reed so determined to keep that distance between Charlotte and him? All I can say is…hang in there…all the tension is worth it!



Told in alternating first person POVs, this story touches your heart, along with the physical chills and thrills of reading about two people discovering each other and acting on the heat between them even while knowing it is just for one night. The erotic scenes are so very well written…enticingly detailed. I love the fact that our hero, Reed, is quite the dirty talker…and thinker!!!



This was my second audio book ever. It was a unique experience for me to hear the "down and dirty" come out of the mouth of a narrator…Geesh!. For that matter…I thought it was narrated well by both narrators.

I recommend this story to those who are in the mood for romance with blessed heat and made realistic by the travails of life.

Favorite Quotes:

“Maybe this was a lesson that I’m okay just as I am—alone and experiencing whatever life throws my way. Maybe I am enough. I am enough. In that moment, I realized that while it might take some time, I would really be okay no matter what happened between Reed and me—because I would have myself. And I was strong—perfectly imperfect.”
“It was funny how sometimes the universe placed something in front of you that was exactly what you needed to see at exactly the right time.”
By
Thank you fellow "Hotties" at Some Like It Hot! for the February BOTM buddy read!!!

Profile Image for Tuba Özkat.
Author 60 books174 followers
July 25, 2019
Severek çevirdiğim, severek okuduğum bir kitap oldu. Kadın karakterin güçlü, sağlam yapısı hoşuma gitti.

Ayrıca yazarlar hep erkek karakteri daha baskın, istediklerini söyleme konusunda daha özgür ve istedikleri şeyin peşinden koşan kişiler olarak yazar, fakat bu defa değişiklik yapıp bu özellikleri kadın karaktere vermişler ve leziz olmuş!

Kadın karakter Charlotte'un istediği şeyin peşinden gitmesini, karşılarına çıkan zorlukların işleniş biçimini beğendim. Kitaptaki sırları bence önceki kitaplarındakilerden daha iyi işlemişlerdi. Boş beleş değildi.

Bu kitapta daha önce hiçbir kitapta görmediğim bir teklif sahnesi var ve ben inanılmaz güldüm, tam hayallerimdeki gibi bir teklif, bayıldım! :D :D

Ayrıca kitabın sonsözünü çevirirken bir yandan da burnumu çekip ağladım. Epeydir biterken kapağı kapatmadan önce beni ağlatan bir kitap olmamıştı. Sonunun iyi - kötü olmasından değildi, yanlış anlaşılmasın, bana hissettirdikleri içindi.

Anlatımının farklı olduğunu hissediyorsunuz zaten kitapta. Diğer kitapları gibi kalıptan çıkma durmuyor, o kalıbı kırmalarını gerçekten sevdim.
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