4.5 beautiful stars

I received an arc copy of this from Kensington Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary
Meg is a New York famous calligraphist. She also has a knack for reading people and seeing signs most people miss. And sometimes, she secretly hides these codes into her art - like she did with Reid Sutherland's wedding invitations.
But Reid is good with codes and numbers. A year after his non-wedding, he shows up at Meg's store wanting to know how she knew his relationship would fail. The two of them turn on each other for companionship, creative inspiration, and an escape from their stressful lives. During their walks around the city, they open up to each other and discover they may be developing feelings. But there may be signs even Meg is missing...

Overview
➸ POV - 1st Person, Meg's POV

➸ Meg Mackworth - Calligraphy artist, New Yorker, Creatively blocked, Hides codes/messages into her art, Hate confrontation

➸ Reid Sutherland - Wall street, Good with math and number, Previously engaged, Hates New York

➸ Content Warnings: Anxiety, Cheating (off page and in past)

My Thoughts
This book is the perfect case of a story coming at the most perfect time. I connected with this story so quickly and became completely lost in these characters. Around the 40% I never wanted to put this down.

This is a story that really took it's time. The romance bloomed slowly and I loved watching the characters slowly grow to trust and open up. As someone who personally can't relate to a whirlwind romance, I really appreciated this slow burn connection.

I really loved Reid's character and related to him a lot. He was such a layered character and watching his development throughout the story was really special. He's definitely not your typical romance male hero, he's soft spoken and gentle, reserved, and respectful. He felt like a breath of fresh air in a seemingly endless sea of alpha heroes.

I loved the commentary on friendships and trust. Meg's strained relationship with her best friend felt so real and relatable. I think it's something many people will be able to connect with. And Meg's struggle with standing up for herself or asking for what she wants/needs is a struggle I think many woman (and men!) can relate to.

I just found everything about this book to hit so close to home for me. It was characters and message that I didn't even know I needed. This book will definitely stay with me for a long time. I can't wait to read what this author writes next!

Review also shared on my blog!