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London Romance #2

This London Love

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A successful editor. A workaholic florist. It’s complicated, but is it love?

Kate Carter has it all, except for a special person to share it with. The stylish, charismatic art editor has her sights set on someone, but a few unanswered questions keep her from making a move.

Meg Harding is single but stuck living with her ex. When she meets Kate, she sees a bright light at the end of her life’s dark tunnel. But it doesn’t take long for the florist’s secrets to nearly derail the promising pairing.

Can they overcome the obstacles they can’t control to find their happily-ever-after?

This London Love is a charming lesbian romance novel and a standalone spinoff from London Calling. If you like witty dialogue, engaging characters and addictive plot twists, you’ll love Clare Lydon’s sparkling romantic comedy.

BuyThis London Love to start feeling the sparks today!

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 22, 2015

70 people are currently reading
431 people want to read

About the author

Clare Lydon

43 books1,579 followers
Clare Lydon is a London-based writer of contemporary lesbian romance. She's a No.1 best-seller on lesbian fiction charts around the globe with five full-length novels to her name, as well as writing the All I Want series, set to continue throughout 2016. If you love romantic comedies, prepare to fall head over heels in love.

If you like books shot through with witty dialogue, 3D characters and sharp observations of modern lesbian life, why not give Clare's books a try?

More at: www.clarelydon.co.uk

Get a copy of my free Christmas novella 'It Had To Be You' by signing up to my mailing list here:

www.clarelydon.co.uk/it-had-to-be-you

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5 stars
215 (30%)
4 stars
287 (40%)
3 stars
161 (22%)
2 stars
34 (4%)
1 star
6 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
Profile Image for Diane Wallace.
1,448 reviews171 followers
September 23, 2017
4 stars! my reason for giving it this high of a grade even though its considered to be the same old lesbian story,first thing is the writing was awesome plus i don't need to dive into the whole storyline or give much away to her fans base,readers will have to take my word its very well written. The dialogue is very good,entertaining,lots of laughter between the characters involved and the story came across as a means to an end in their relationship,enjoyed how they showed their feelings towards each other(Kate & Meg) on these pages ..plus having each issue dealt with differently made this story a lot more juicier and better to the readers from the first page to the very last...highly recommend
Profile Image for Kara.
720 reviews1,269 followers
June 4, 2018
“This London Love” is the second of three books in the “London Romance” series. Like Book #1, the story is a Seinfeld-ish lescom featuring the lives and loves of several characters with intersecting lives.

MC Kate is a magazine editor who meets MC Meg at Meg’s florist shop. (Must be a new lesfic Trope - Jea Hawkins’ “Something About You” also featured a magazine editor and a florist!). Kate is convinced that Meg must be straight…because she’s a florist, and florists aren’t gay. Well, she learns otherwise!

There is lots of humor in “This London Love”, such as when Kate falls over as she is watching Meg through the florist window, or when Kate’s roommate Jess (from book #1) sets her up with Meg’s ex-gf Tanya…whom Meg hasn’t yet mentioned. Kate and Meg are both very likable, as are most of the characters except for Tanya (which will be interesting because she’s the featured MC in book #3).

While I did enjoy the audiobook because of the humor and the terrific narration, some of the family issues felt too contrived and were resolved too easily, the angst from a big misunderstanding and lack of communication by the MCs was annoying, and the HEA felt forced. 3.6* rounded up to 4* as it’s an entertainingly and humorous book to listen to and I recommend it, as long as you don’t mind the lack of communication tropes mentioned above.
Profile Image for Arn.
400 reviews117 followers
November 6, 2017
2.5 stars. Cheesy, full of tropes and therefore predictable. I saw all the major conflicts a mile ahead and the only reason I kept reading was to confirm my predictions and unfortunately they all came true.
Profile Image for Carol Hutchinson.
1,124 reviews72 followers
June 2, 2021
The Perfect RomCom.

Kate, an editor in the fun world of magazine publishing meets cute florist Meg when organising flowers for her uncle’s funeral. Hesitant to make a move to ask Meg out, Kate is surprised when she runs into her through work and can’t believe she might have found someone special. Meg is living with her ex, Tanya but upon meeting Kate has found a new reason to break away from her old life to start afresh but when Kate finds out about Tanya, they both start to wonder they are ever going to find their happy every after.

She’s done it again, only this time it is right up there with the greatest classic 90s type British RomComs (even though it is set in the modern day, it just has that great love story feel only those movies could convey!). I could literally see this playing out in my mind as I read, imagining the scenes so vividly that reading the story was the same experience I would have got from watching it on the screen if it were a movie. I adored Kate and Meg’s story, from their cute meeting, hesitancy to approach one another, the obvious obstacles tripping them up, to their Hollywood romance scenes.

Clare perfectly captured the perfect and imperfections that come with falling in love when you have a past, ghosts, and your own uncertainty presenting challenges to you finding your happiness. In true Clare fashion, this contained comedy elements with that touch of humour that I know and love in her writing but it didn’t overpower the romance. Meg and Kate were front and centre with all the drama and romantic moments you could ever want. I just loved every moment, every scene, every chapter, and once again the cast of characters surrounding them and helping them to realise what was really important, even if one of those people was Tanya!

Even though this is part of the London Romance series, I adore that you can enjoy each of these stories standalone. Even though the characters turn up as they are all part of the universe in other books, you can read and enjoy the stories in any order and they make sense. I love reading these because I really feel like a part of the gang when I do, and with each one of the books I read I fall a little but more in love with the series.

I highly recommend Kate and Meg’s London Romance, as well as the entire series. They always capture my heart and leave me excited for more. If you want romance, then this story is the perfect one to melt your heart, test your emotions, and totally leave you smiling goofily had how amazingly cute and in love these two are!
Profile Image for Jem.
408 reviews304 followers
August 8, 2015
The key to fully enjoying this spin-off book to London Calling is to not read it straight after London Calling. Put a few books in between, or better yet, wait a few months :)

The book features a pair of movie-star-pretty London lesbians. Fortunately, the first person POV used in the first book is eschewed in favor of alternating 3rd person viewpoints from the two ladies. This makes for a more even characterization. Both ladies are equally well-delineated. The dialogue also feels more organic and realistic. But the cliched predictability of the first book is taken to new heights as the plot progression virtually duplicates the formula of the first book. At multiple points in the book, I had to remind myself this wasn't London Calling anymore. But the parallels were too glaring to ignore. From the bad setups, to the needless break-ups (caused by pesky exes), to the sweet make-ups (after lengthy pep talks from relatives and hospital visits)---the pattern was just too similar. The plot device used to drive our ladies apart for a little bit of angst felt too contrived to be believable. There was an unexpected last-minute twist but it wasn't nearly enough to lift my overall negative impression of the book, which is a shame really because it is actually better than the first book.

Rating: 4

Tip: Pick this up if its been a while since you've read London Calling, and you want more of the same. Or better yet, skip the first book and read this instead.
Profile Image for Les Rêveur.
461 reviews149 followers
June 25, 2017
There is nothing more satisfying than knowing after you read a book that there is a spin off waiting for you to start straight away. After reading ‘London Calling’ earlier in the week and having a bit of a crush on Kate, I was glad to find out the next book in the series was centred around her and new love interest, Meg.

The characters really intrigued me in this novel and without giving too much away, I will say that this story is a little more angst driven than the first but as the story unravels I actually began to understand the author's clever storyline. I was rooting for these characters from the get go and the romance they share is really sweet but with a very sexy fringe.

Like most of Clare Lydon novels this one is packed to the brim with nothing but love and a good dose of comic edge. Clare Lydon really knows how to write a good series, she has a way of carrying her characters though and continuing their story without over playing them in the new protagonist’s story.

Unequivocally 5 stars.

I have the next book in the series, ‘A Girl Called London’ waiting on my Kindle to get started… And I already predict another 5 star novel.
Profile Image for Val.
412 reviews16 followers
March 12, 2017
Normally a book like this would get a 3 star from me because it's pretty much a beach read type of book. However, it's well written and the dialogue is damn funny. Fate throws some curve balls to these women and a couple of times I wanted to smack one or the other main characters for being silly. Overall, it's a feel good kind of book with some humor and a sweet romance. Sometimes that's all I'm looking for when I'm reading.
214 reviews
June 10, 2019
This London Love is a sweet and funny love story with two great leads in Kate and Meg who have plenty of chemistry, witty dialogue, and a wee bit of baggage between them. It was a fun adventure watching these (star crossed) lovers traverse their histories, daily life, and a few obstacles to find their way together with the help and occasionally hindrance of their family and friends. Emily Bennet does a great job on the narration.
Profile Image for Kexx.
2,330 reviews100 followers
July 4, 2025
Despite putting up as many fences as she could to keep the two heroines apart, as ever with with HEA, it is just that. Class writer and lovely story. Great fun rereading them all in excitement for number 9 of The London Series.

Profile Image for Francesca.
24 reviews
September 9, 2024
Really enjoying this London series! I loved book 1 and 2 so far.

The dialogues in the book are wonderful I think and I can't help but to keep reading. The story goes at the perfect pace and everything fits in perfectly.

On to book number 3!
35 reviews8 followers
July 20, 2015
There is really a lot to like about this follow up to London Calling. (You might recognize Jess and Lucy who were the leads in that novel)

This one stars Kate and Meg, both of whom feel an instant connection to one another. The first half of the novel featured a lot of awkward/sweet moments as these two tried to connect. A bit difficult (thus awkward) since Kate was buying flowers for a dead uncle's funeral from Meg. Still they have wonderful chemistry and I really enjoyed these early moments.

The second half of the book is where I got a little grumpy. Most of the angst/drama felt a little manufactured and fake to me. One character pulls away from the other for reasons I can't quite understand. It was that "eye rolling, I'm so frustrated" kind of angst trap that authors sometimes fall into.

I feel like Clare Lydon is really close to giving us a great novel. She needs to work a bit on her "conflict moments" between the leads, but overall This London Love delivers.

Don't let any of my negative thoughts pull you away from reading this though. I definitely recommend this novel, its a light pleasant read perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon. 4/5
Profile Image for Flor.
102 reviews
January 3, 2019
it’s such a waste to have a florist as heroine and not use of the language of flowers.
Profile Image for Betty.
286 reviews8 followers
August 20, 2018
Not a bad read. It's all right. Light. I was looking for a easy to read rom-com and this looked to be it. But now I have mixed feelings.
We have a couple of interesting characters, beautiful, perfect. The dialogue is excellent and it has its comedic moments. The main characters over react at times, and if they only talked it would be easy to resolve. But you know, sometimes these women like to have a strop and when they do, they strop major league. It seemed more of a plot device than anything else.

The main flaw, for me, is that there are a lot of back story info dumps. So I skimmed a great deal because that really does lose my interest.

A second major upset (no spoilers) was well worth the plot time, but it resolved fast, and for me lacked the depth it could have done, and intense dislike morphed into like in seconds. Nope. Didn't work for me. Perhaps take out the earlier info dumps, and spend more time on the upset.

The end seemed rushed, to let's get the happy ever after.
Profile Image for Margaret.
353 reviews56 followers
June 26, 2015
Detailed score 4.25/5

So. SO close to 5 stars. And miles better than it's predecessor, London Calling, IMHO so if you liked that one, then stop reading this review and get buying already.

So lets start with the good, and there is a lot of really really good. Both Meg & Kate are cool, yet relatable, hottttt yet believable and human. And FUNNY. Their dialogue whips off the page. Witty banter is part of their flirtation and it works so very well. Almost to the standard of a Melissa Brayden novel and that's not praise I give lightly. Each have their 'issues' but both have a chance to be gutsy -- which was a refreshing change.

I was a bit worried that this novel might be a repeat of the Jess/Lucy romance from London Calling - especially when an almost identical plot device was used early in the second novel as occurred in the first. I didn't particularly love it first time round and I wasn't thrilled to see it again but, thankfully, I quickly realised that Kate and Meg would be given their own voices and personalities -- and what enjoyable personalities they were.

There were a couple of nice twists to keep things interesting, too. No spoilers here folks. But they were well done - maybe the mystery lovers among you might pick them earlier than I did but I was appropriately surprised.

I think it's also worth a mention that I found the erm, pwooaaarrr scenes, particularly well done. We get lots of 'action' so to speak (no heavy petting followed by waking up in the morning with rumpled sheets as is favoured by some, more squeamish writers) but it still remains focussed on the romance / characters rather than becoming erotica. And manages to avoid many of the cliched lines / descriptors used in such scenes.

For the first 3/4 of the book the pace is perfect. At 70% I was giving this book 5 starts and couldn't wipe the grin off my face. Perfect mix of swoon-worthy characters having swoon-making but relatable/realistic romantic moments. Yummy.

The last 30% certainly wasn't bad. Far from. But. *frustrated sigh* it did fall into a few lesrom traps that took the gloss of it a little for me

False angst: I understand that characters need hurdles to overcome to keep things interesting and help them grow. But. It's got to be believable. And I just totally didn't 'buy' Meg's last 30% angst - or rather I get the angst, just not her reaction to it

Cliche romantic scenes: I can't talk about this without giving away the ending. Am putting a spoiler alert here for people who don't want to risk it at all but I promise not to give the game away

Big angst points resolved in 0 time - refer 'perfectionism vs realism' comments above.

Gratuitous scenery descriptions - I get it. They live in London. Some of the readers won't be familiar with London and it's charms. But. Did we really need a page of descriptors noting what Kate saw as she rode her bike? Really??

Don't let these comments put you off though - I add them more out of frustration that a potential 5 star book didn't quite make it. But it really is a delight and one I'm sure I will be re-reading in the not too distant future. Yay! :D

Profile Image for Loek Krancher.
1,042 reviews66 followers
July 3, 2015
Heartwarming and it gives you a good feeling.

This is a real romance to my heart. A little drama but also a lot of love. 2 artistic women in a great city. I have enjoyed it immensely and I am definitely going to read her other book London Calling.
Profile Image for David.
420 reviews32 followers
January 29, 2022
A vast improvement over London Calling. Gone are the awkward descriptions, completely flat characters, and oil tankers worth of alcohol.

Lydon adopted perhaps the easiest way of giving more equal depth to her two main characters - telling the story from both their points of view, in alternating fashion. It worked pretty well.

The story was reasonably engaging, but for me didn't rise to the very enjoyable 4-star level because the conflicts seemed too contrived and the back-and-forth on the relationship was a little too whiplashy. Also, too many sex scenes. Like, a good sex scene is fine, but when they start to feel like filler, maybe focus more on the plot? Still, it was nice to see Lydon's rapid progress towards her more solid, mature works.
Profile Image for Sammie.
262 reviews1 follower
July 20, 2020
Very cute!! The drama was caused by outside forces which I much prefer. I do really wish romance books didnt need drama. I want a romance book where the characters are already in love and they have to face a difficulty together, during which they only fall MORE in love. Show me inside jokes! Show me old wounds that have healed properly! This doesnt have any of that, but there are more than 3 characters which is nice. The universe felt whole, and homophobia was never an issue! Also nearly everyone is gay except for the parents which is properly realistic.

7/10
Profile Image for Karen.
245 reviews
June 8, 2025
Top lesbische romance over een bloemist en designer die elkaar ontmoeten in de bloemenzaak. Kate is gelijk head over heels maar haar gaydar werkt niet gelijk. Uiteindelijk komen ze samen en blijkt de vader van Meg te daten met de moeder van Kate, some messy shit (I am here for it). Ook gaat het mis omdat Meg niet verteld dat ze nog met haar ex samenwoont. Gelukkig hebben ze mindblowing seks en geeft Kate Meg bloemen. Die heeft Meg, als bloemist, nog nooit zelf ontvangen, dus dat is echt het ultieme liefdesgebaar.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
352 reviews46 followers
August 8, 2017
Really liked this one. Nice character development and sweet romance.
Profile Image for Laura.
87 reviews2 followers
July 14, 2020
Enjoyable. I find Clare Lydons stories are all very plain romances albeit likeable because they are everyday love stories.
Profile Image for Kate.
76 reviews13 followers
June 30, 2015
I really enjoyed this newest book by Lydon. She always manages to develop characters that are relatable to. This story was sweet, sexy, funny and despite a bit of angst and a few twists was generally feel good.

I loved the scenes between Kate and Meg, their witty banter and obvious chemistry made the connection between these two clear from the start. The fact that we got to catch up with the characters from "London Calling" was a definite plus.

If you're looking for a good summer read you can't go wrong with this one...
Profile Image for Chand.
234 reviews
April 4, 2019
A sweet story, except there were some issues with perspective. For one the changes could've been done more seamlessly. Second, sometimes one comes across sentences that are from neither protagonist's perspective, and could only be considered lack of attention to detail. For example, "... Meg was grinning in a way that Olivia hadn't seen in quite some time. Not that she wasn't thrilled to see her daughter crack a genuine... smile." This should've been picked up at the editing stage. There are some factual inconsistencies as well. Kate says she doesn't do dating apps early in the book but then makes a mention of not having to look at another dating app any time soon in the 20th chapter.

573 reviews5 followers
April 13, 2023
I have had the pleasure of reading many of Clare Lyndon’s books, but this one, it really hit my heart.

When a writer can make you laugh, cry, and consider what you have in life, that is a sign of a gifted author. Clare Lydon is one such gifted author. If given the opportunity to read one of her books, do not hesitate. Snap it up and enjoy it. She brings characters to life, they do a dance on your heart and mind that will excite you and bring you happiness. It is clear in her writing style that family, humor, sadness and love are emotions that she easily brings to life in her characters.
Profile Image for JT.
465 reviews7 followers
October 4, 2019
This is the second book in the London series. Clare Lydon has done such a wonderful job of creating characters that are believable and well developed. This is a stand alone but is mildly woven with snippets of activity from the first book. Kate and Megan repeatedly have roadblocks in their attempts to become involved.All of the characters have relationship angst and they are all so individual there is not a boring or slow moment in this book. It is the realistic and emotional way that this process is shared that makes this such a good book.
Profile Image for Alealea.
648 reviews10 followers
June 14, 2019
It had a kind of Nothing Hill vibe, small business woman in neighbourhood and big editor recently prized. They met at the shop, exchange glances, the editor keeps coming back and so on.

Having read the next book before this one, I had a hard time reconciliating the ex character who seems to be a completely different character than in A Girl Called London
Profile Image for Chelles.
662 reviews
January 28, 2025
I enjoyed Kate's character in "London Calling," so I was excited to read her story.

Magazine editor meets local florist. This is a cute romance. Kate and Meg are attracted to each other at first sight, and it was kinda funny to see them try and figure each other out. When they finally get together, though, it seems that life keeps throwing a wrench in their plans.

Another great addition to the series. More awesome characters, more romantic moments... more London love. 🥰
Profile Image for NGM.
61 reviews1 follower
July 26, 2017
Lovely

This was another great romantic story by Ms. Lydon , I've read this book a while ago and i decided to read it again for the second time because i was in the mood for something light, amorous and dreamy, the characters along with their stories of new beginnings makes this a wonderful reading.
Profile Image for Emma Rossi.
Author 1 book23 followers
November 25, 2020
⭐️ ⭐️ .5

(Read via Audible- narration by Emily Bennet was good).

I would have given this three stars had the Dad story line not have happened. I did not like how clean and tidy it had been and how she essentially forgave him for being a deadbeat Dad after a few dinners. It really ruined it for me which was sad as I was enjoying it until that happened towards the end.
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