Hate Notes

by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

Amazon’s #1 Most Unputdownable Book of the Year.

An Amazon Charts bestseller.

A Wall Street Journal bestseller.

A Washington Post bestseller.

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…

• ISBN10: 1503904482
• ISBN13: 9781503904484
• Publish Date: 6 November 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 21 November 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Montlake Romance
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[stacey_is_sassy]

I needed to judge for myself...

Listening to Hate Notes was a test. This duo of authors have produced some of my very favourite read/listen's so I was keen when it first hit my radar. I'd read the blurb and some reviews and hesitated. I wasn't convinced that this storyline was going to work for me. For one, you kind of have to be in the mood for a douchewaffle hero. You also have to be in the right frame of mind to deal with broken-hearted and rebound main characters. So, I put Hate Notes to the side, but it kept shining through all the other covers and stayed or my radar for a long time.

Then, I had an epiphany...what about listening instead of reading. This epiphany was helped along because the book went on special but it did help. There's this slight separation I get from listening instead of reading. I guess you could say that for me, it's like watching a movie. I don't put myself in the characters shoes when I'm watching a movie but I definitely do when I'm reading. Add in the fact that Sebastian York was crooning in my ear, I decided to listen was the best way for me to try it out.

I really enjoyed the experience. Yes, I had some "issues" but that slight separation from Charlotte made it a lot easier. Honestly, Charlotte annoyed the crapper out of me at first. She was just that wee bit annoying, invasive and judgemental. I think she was supposed to come off as entertaining and a little bit quirky but it just didn't work for me. Eventually, she settled down and I started to love her excitement and exuberance. I admired her determination to find herself.

Reed, oh how I liked this man...but it could have something to do with the cover model and Mr York whispering sweet nothings in my ear. I'm sure readers would have found him rude, condescending and an absolute douchewaffle, but, for me, he was just a bloke...dealing with stuff. The more I got to know him, the more I liked him. Yes, he wasn't always nice but the situation surrounding the un-nice parts were really the reason for his douchewaffleness.

Great story, loved Reed's grandmother and her manipulating ways. The sexy times come way later in the story but I didn't mind. We really had to get through all of the hidden hurts before they could ever be together.

I'm so glad I waited and listened instead of reading. The narrators do an amazing job and I was sucked in from start to finish. I will be back for more from Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward in the future, I'm sure of it.

[Djilan]

I cried, I laughed and I cried and laughed some more. This book made me feel everything 😍
I LOVED it.. Full 5* for this one.
Charlotte and Reed, what a story.
Read it in one day, okay and a part of the night. It's 2:30am now and I'm still reveling in it..

[Rowena]

I read this book for a buddy review I was doing with my blogging team and I liked it more than everyone else on the team. Haha. Sure, it wasn’t perfect but I liked the chemistry and attraction between the main leads. I didn’t understand why Reed acted the way he did toward Charlotte in the beginning but as the story progressed, I understood why he acted the way he did. I didn’t agree with it and I thought he was being a dick for no reason but he eventually comes around and I was happy for him and for Charlotte.

[Linda]

4.5 stars
Hate Notes was very tender, and very sweet. The very reluctant Reed, and the bubbly, charming Charlotte had a fantastic romance, and I loved them!

[EBookObsessed]

For the most part, I didn’t enjoy Hate Notes. I didn’t like how Reed treated Charlotte. Although I did come to understand why everything happened the way it did, I can’t say that I would ever do a re-read on this one.

I was a bit undecided with my feelings on Hate Notes. I almost pushed it aside with a DNF because I was unhappy with how Reed was treating Charlotte for most of the story but I kept reading because I needed to know what his deal was.

Reed was very antagonistic to Charlotte. He berated her for her glass-is-half-full attitude on life and he got angry with her every time he realized he admired her. He was attracted to her but refused to succumb to her charms. Yet he would lose his mind when other men flirted or gave any indication they wanted Charlotte if he didn’t.

I was confused why Charlotte’s feelings toward Reed kept growing when he was treating her so awfully. It was almost abusive as he would be nice to her and then almost in the same sentence snap with anger because he was starting to like her. It seemed off that a woman like Charlotte, who was trying to reclaim her life, shouldn’t have stood for his treatment let alone keep going back for more.

Both Charlotte and Reed were supposed to be married (to other people) but the ceremonues didn’t happen. We know that Charlotte’s fiancé cheated on her and she walked away. We anticipated a similar story with Reed.

We also learn the Charlotte lost her sense of self during her time with her ex. She put her wants and dreams aside to be the perfect wife that he wanted. She no longer sculpted or did anything she normally would enjoy. So Charlotte wrote a Fuck-it list vs a. Bucket list of things she always wanted to try. We also find out that Reed too stopped doing things he enjoyed after his engagement broke up. Again, we anticipate hearing as similar story to Charlotte.

Charlotte inspires Reed to write his own list of things and then she wants to become list buddies to inspire and help each other try to achieve their goals.

I am glad I finished the story as I have to admit Reed’s reason for not giving in shocked me and I sympathized and appreciate what he was attempting to do in keeping Charlotte at arms length. It wasn’t the usual “turns out she only loved my money” shocker.

I applaud the authors for taking us places that most authors don’t in fear of losing the audience. It was not Reed’s issue that alienated me, but his treatment of Charlotte.

While I sympathize with Reed and understand his attempt to keep Charlotte at a distance, I really can’t get past his hot and cold–almost to the point of abusive–attitude toward Charlotte. At first he thought Charlotte was a little unstable and then he craved her joyous outlook on life, even after her own part hurt. Yet every time he thinks well at her, he attacks her and belittles her because he is angry. He was angry that he couldn’t have what he wanted. He protecting her by kicking at her. Keeping her at a distance is one thing; belittling her because you are angry is just not acceptable.

Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

See more at EBookObsessed.com

[Cocktails and Books]

I think Reed is my favorite hero of all their co-authored books. Full review to come.