My rating: 4/5 stars
I’ve been trying to start this book 3 times now and always put it on hold. Why? No idea… Maybe the beginning was difficult, maybe I was not in the right mood, but God, I deeply regret it. My favorite duo did it again in a very emotional book, a true-life story where reality is always present. The perks of reading Fiction are that you get to live in a perfect world, a comfortable haven you design for yourself. “Hate Notes” is not this way, or at least the second half of the story.
Charlotte Darling and Reed Eastwood are by far a strange couple, but they click in a very odd and good way. They are portrayed in total antithesis, but when taken apart, they are wonderful. Reed is a very successful real estate investor and Charlotte is still trying to find her professional path. When Charlotte finds a post-it inside a wedding dress in a vintage shop, she is amazed by the message and the owner of it. Soooo, she looks for Reed on Google and arranges a meeting with him, saying that she wants to see one of the properties which are for sale. The whole meeting goes extremely wrong, so their first encounter was a disaster. However, things are not over yet and Charlotte and Reed will certainly see each other again soon, but as boss and assistant.
This is the premise of the story and I have to warn you, this is a slow-burn love story, almost extremely slow. The book is split in 2, before and after, and you get to see how they interact, how the friendship and attraction are building, and afterward, how they manage to get their HEA.
Their love story is forbidden, off limits, but this is what makes them unique. Reed is grumpy and exaggerated and broken-hearted, while Charlotte is totally different, a little weird, but happy and optimistic. They are extremely different and you are constantly wondering how they will end up together.
The reason this book shook me so much is a reason I cannot reveal because it will be a massive spoiler. But I am telling you, it is a very heart-warming/broken motive, which will leave you breathless. It will make you dive into different scenarios in real life and question what would you have done in the characters’ place. The whole plot shifts from happiness to reality and it will transform the book into something so present, you will feel lost. Personally, I have never imagined that Penelope and Vi would introduce such a plot, but once more, they proved me wrong.
Read “Hate Notes” and give this story a chance to amaze you, just like it did with me. 🙂
Ramonisme 