The London of Us

London Romance #4

by Clare Lydon

ASIN B07DZRWHFG moved to the more recent edition

Ever fallen in love with someone you shouldn't have fallen in love with?

Alice Di Santo has it all – everyone says so. Perfect boyfriend, great job, settled home life. But when she meets Rachel Cramer, all that changes. Because Rachel is everything Alice has never considered – and now cannot stop thinking about.

This charming tale of coming out in your 30s sees Alice risk everything to go after what she wants, soon discovering she’s deserving of love - and especially this love, which takes her breath away.

Genres: Lesbian, Romance, LGBT, Queer, Lesbian Romance, Audiobook, Friends To Lovers

328 pages, ebook

First published June 23, 2018

About the author

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

Reviews

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leave it up to me to skip the first 3 books in this series and read this one. To be fair I did start book 1, London Calling a while back but I never got around to finishing it. This story about a woman who ends up falling for a close friend after only being exclusively with men was something that I couldn't pass up. After all that's what happened to me.

Once again I found myself nodding along with Alice as she came to terms with the fact that all of a sudden her world has been turned upside down. Why Rachel? Why now? Has she always liked women? What label goes with her newfound identity? What a ride this turned out to be. I was expecting a lot of angst when I realized the connection between Jake, Rachel and Alice but it wasn't the forest fire I was expecting. In fact it was a rather sweet story with some very sexy moments thrown in. There were some great secondary characters who made cameo's from previous books as well.

I don't think I will be reading the other books in the series though because I'm definitely a fan of books that are more dialogue heavy and that doesn't seem to be Ms Lydon's writing style. I tried London Calling and Nothing To Lose but didn't finish either of them for this reason. Nonetheless I'm glad I gave this a book a try. A 3,75* overall rating for this one!

[Tiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clare Lydon has once again succeeded in making me smile, and fall head over heels with her adorable characters. This British rom-com makes for a charming read.

Alice Di Santo has a monstrous crush on one of her close friends. She daydreams about Rachel all the time. One big problem, Alice is currently in a relationship with Jake, and has been for some time now. Until Alice met Rachel she had always thought of herself as straight. For months she has felt herself pull away from her deliriously nice boyfriend to become more and more stressed about her feelings for another woman. She has no choice but to let Jake go, he deserves better than she can give him.

The London Of Us is written in the first person from Alice’s point of view so everything really focuses on her emotions, and she has a lot of them. Alice is a good person going through a lot. The book is full of the complications that Alice occurs as she admits her feeling for Rachel and ends her relationship of a year and a half. This book is full of smart dialogue, sexy love scenes, the wistful hope of finding your soulmate.

[Loek Krancher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply the best!

A major crush, coming out, sexual tension, hot scenes, a bit of drama, supportive family and these are just a few highlights of this fourth book from the London series. Each installment follows a new couple and they are intertwined with the wonderful characters from the previous books. I loved every minute of it and it is a great read to escape into another world. Well done!

[Kexx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yea, just when I thought I might be getting Jae-ed (nothing can match the brilliance of her) I return to Clare's London series and realise I'm in safe hands of the master. Class - thanks Clare

[Gaby LezReviewBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 4 in the 'London romance' series. It can be read as a standalone novel though I recommend to read them all if you like lesbian romances with a British feel. As in the previous books, London is at the background of a beautiful love story.

Alice Di Santo has a comfortable life. A job that she enjoys, great friends, supportive family and a lovely boyfriend. Even her social media life is thriving as a co-star in an increasingly popular YouTube channel. But lately she feels that something is missing in her life soon discovering her growing attraction for her friend Rachel, a sexy and very lesbian chef. Surely this is a passing crush, or is it?

'The London of us' is as much a romance as a coming out story. Ms. Lydon wisely chose to write it in first person from Alice point of view getting us into her headspace as she deals with her first ever attraction to a woman. The book starts with a bang and keeps the momentum with humour and wittiness that puts a smile on your face. Those of us who have experienced the coming out process know that it's not an easy path and Ms. Lydon showcases this but the angst, while realistic, never takes the lightness of her writing style. As a matter of fact, Alice's coming out scene with her parents is the funniest I've read in lesfic. All the characters - mains and secondary - are well portrayed and the intimate scenes are hot, highlighting the chemistry between the main leads.

Overall, a very good addition to this successful series. Great read for romance fans. 4 stars.

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.com

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was worried about whether I would like this book in the series due to one of the main protagonists Alice realizing she has a major attraction and feelings for her friend Rachel while still being in a relationship with her super sweet and nearly perfect boyfriend Jake. Clare Lydon handled the situation beautifully and I lost no respect for the mains for handling the situation respect, honesty, and of course humor. Once again I laughed out loud while listening to the journey of Alice and Rachel peppered with their friends and family. Definitely my favorite of the series thus far and I highly recommend.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The London of Us is definitely one of my favourite books so far this year! It’s a seriously good story with wonderful characters, a sweet and sexy romance, and all the charm and humour I’ve come to love in the rest of the London Calling books. This is the best in the series so far and I’ll be coming back to it again and again in the future!

Full review: https://www.thelesbianreview.com/the-...

[Les Rêveur · Rating 5 out of 5]

When it comes to great British rom-coms, I always know I will get something special from Clare Lydon. She writes relatable characters with sass and witt that charm you from chapter one.

Alice has realised her perfect “straight” life ain’t so perfect anymore, especially when she can’t stop her developing feelings for her close friend, Rachel. As she decides to break from her current relationship in a bid to find herself and get to know the real Alice, she discovers that when it comes to Rachel she can’t help but jump right in and try to get the girl of her dreams… literally!

This book gave me butterflies and is by far my favourite Clare Lydon book to date. She completely blew me away with this beautiful story about not always expecting who you fall in love with. The London of Us was written completely from Alice’s POV which honestly couldn’t have gone any other way because this is Alice’s coming out story so we (the reader) needed to be in her head for all the best coming out moments. Like how do you have sex with a women? Why is coming out such a big deal?

If there was ever a late coming out story for women, this is the book. Alice and Rachel's journey to love was beautiful and had many twists and turns but all for the greater good. Their love was triggered by intense sexual chemistry that emanates off the page. Plus the sex was hot… like smoking! It really relays how much sex with a woman can be such an amazing awakening…. Well, it was for me and hey, sounds like Alice too.

One of my favourite things about each book Clare Lydon writes is that her secondary characters are carried on. It makes her stories seamless and is the reason I adore her series’ so much. I have a feeling that the next story might be about Rachel’s younger sister, Becca… just a hunch.

Another clever witty book from Clare Lydon with all the love and romance you've come to adore!

This one truly is my Lydon favourite. 5 stars.

[Mekeia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun, and exactly what I needed during my reading slump. Thank you Farah :)

[Elske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book, great story without much angst, nice characters all around, mc’s as well as supportive friends and family. Great summer read.
One remark though, the book could do with a little bit more attention to the correct use of pronouns. I don’t understand why mistakes like ‘So my mum had watched Rachel and I snogging’ (chapter 29), ‘a wave of bliss ran through me when I thought about Rachel and I in bed’ (chapter 27) were made. There are a lot of these little irritating mistakes. To be clear: it’s Mum watched Rachel and me, because Mum is the one watching, so watching is the main verb and not snogging.

[Carol Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this book. Alice is having a bit of a sexuality crisis and I loved it! I got hints of ‘The L Word’ but better, and although Alice can be compared to Jenny (she is soooooo much better!)

I haven’t read the rest in this series but now I really want to. I just adore Clare’s stories, and with this being only the second one I have read I am excited to discover more!

The humour laced through the drama of this later coming out story was perfectly written and had me going through a range of emotions with Alice as she experienced ups, downs, and a mix of overwhelmed feelings of realisation. Rachel was the perfect muse for Alice and only added to the romance and feelings this lovely story gave out.

Focusing on having to deal with her coming out so publically, Clare has the balance for realistic and exciting story telling of Alice’s life perfect!

I look forward to reading the rest of the series and would highly recommend this book for some light-hearted but drama filled reading.

[Gemma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book by chance, and I'm so glad I did. This isn't in a genre I usually read but I will certainly be reading more by this author and in this genre.
I enjoyed the story line and loved the characters even more.
I think it was the cover that initially appealed to me , and still does.
Lovely book that I highly recommend.

[Marieke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a lovely little romantic story about a woman realising she's gay relatively later in life, it's a coming out story but very much not a coming of age story. I was happy to see that the man she was in a relationship with when she came to this realisation was never demonised in any way, he was understandably upset but never out of character.

The relationship between the two main characters was developed well, even though we join the story six months into them working together - that just means we join when the action really starts to pick up, even if we do miss out on a little bit of build up. Once they're together they have to learn how to be together, and that was portrayed in a realistic way with a few misunderstandings thrown in for good measure.

I hadn't been expecting smutty scenes, but there were a couple and they were well written.

All in all an enjoyable romance story!

[Farah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm on a winning streak, another good read and worthy of rereads..
Alice who is in a relationship with a super nice guy for the past 18 months has been having weird, tingling, erotic feelings towards her friend Rachel. Many reviewers praise Alice for taking her time to study these new feelings and congrats to the author for spinning such matter interestingly because I was not bored and did not skim at all.
After confirming with herself that it is Rachel that she wants, Alice starts her 'Get Rachel Plan' by breaking up with her boyfriend at..... IKEA!! Loads of none eye rolling dramas happen to Alice and Rachel after but love conquers all except for refilling the fridge.
What do I think of Rachel? She.Is.A.Chef. TheEnd.

[Em Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clare Lydon does it again, this is another fantastic instalment in the London series. The London Of Us is the coming out story of Alice and how she reacts to her growing attraction to Rachel. This is a well written story with the right combination of angst, love, sexy times and of course that British humour and leaving you feeling good.

[Patricia OHara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book

I gave five stars because the story line and the characters portrayed in this book kept me turning the pAges wanting to see how Alice was going to handle her desire for Rachel. Glad I did because I loved the whole book. Thanks for writing it.

[Jae Evergrove · Rating 4 out of 5]

I laughed out loud, I hid my head in embarrassment, I shouted at the main character (and also someone else... you'll know who when you read the book) and experienced a whole range of emotion while reading The London of Us.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Dit boek gaat over Tanya's vriendin Alice. Ze is samen met Jake, de perfecte boyfriend. Echter is Alice helemaal in de ban van haar co-host Rachel. Ze maakt het uit met Jake en gaat op ontdekkingstocht met Rachel. Ze vindt het geweldig maar als een zoen tussen hen uitlekt, raakt ze helemaal in paniek. De internalized homophobia is real. Aan het einde was ik Alice helemaal zat, ondanks dat de match met Rachel echt heel goed is.

[Fran Sappharc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great internal and external dialogue. Sometimes I read quite fast because a book is so well written. A bit like rushing through a gorgous meal because you don’t want your mouth to have a moment that isn’t filled with delicious taste. I was like this, but for my eyes with this book. I also read it with a big smile on my face and at points I literally laughed out loud - the pub scene especially! Stop reading this review and rush to this well written book.

[Teryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The London of Us begins with Alice’s dream, a dream that’s been haunting her because she’s not been dreaming about her boyfriend. That was a clear sign of struggle to come, and I liked that the struggles weren’t exactly where I thought they would be. Alice is kind, and that kindness brings her to end things with her boyfriend far sooner than I would have imagined. I was glad for that. This isn’t the story of a “straight” girl who drags things out with her boyfriend, and that was a welcome change to that tired narrative. He’s certainly involved in some of her struggles, but not in the predictable ways. It’s always nice, too, to see someone coming out into a surprised-but-supportive family.
I enjoyed that this novel was fresh in terms of what the characters were doing. It’s clever to have the messy business of Alice, her ex, and her crush Rachel actually in business together and that the business is a YouTube channel they co-host. I enjoyed those contemporary elements a lot. I liked Alice, too. I was rooting for her. This is a really enjoyable read all around.
Clare Lydon wraps up the London series perfectly with this novel. “I looked around the party now, to all these wonderful women and their intertwined lives” (Ch 33). The characters from the other novels come full circle to celebrate Alice, which was a lovely way to tie up the series.

[Katie O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another light, lovely romance from Clare Lydon

Clare Lydon has done it again with The London of Us. This installment follows Alice and Rachel, and is a bit of a toaster oven romance. It has all of the lighthearted (with just enough tension and conflict) joy you've come to love from Lydon. It's also lovely to revisit old friends from the London series - Tanya and Sophie especially, but also Meg, Kate, Jess, and Lucy. That said, this romance can absolutely stand alone. It's the story of a supposedly straight girl falling for the lesbian friend who works closely with her and her boyfriend. If you're looking for a great, light romance that will definitely deliver on the "hot" at points as well, this one's for you. The story is told from Alice's point of view, but Rachel is still a fully fleshed out (and totally lovable) character. I honestly love everything Lydon writes. She consistently delivers a well-written, lighthearted romance. Her novels are always just the right thing when I'm looking for a feel-good and well-written (should I say it again?) story.

[CLAR · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh. Where do I even start with this book? First, as someone who mainly reads romance, I didn't like how this book opened up its story. A potential good part of the plot was lost in the beginning when before we even got to know the MCs, their attraction toward each other was already fixed. I don't know these characters yet, so how am I expected to care about what they're feeling?

From then on, it felt like everything that has happened was only meant to prolong the narrative. The writing and tone were too cheesy for my taste. The humor people seem to rave about was totally lost on me, and that's saying something because I'm not unfamiliar with British humor. It didn't help that the MCs' chemistry was lacking despite how one pined and lusted for the other from the start. With all that said, I couldn't bring myself to finish this book even after forcing myself to reach half of it.

[Alex Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty much perfect for the genre, I think this might be my favourite Clare Lydon and one of my favourite coming out stories.

Both Alice’s vulnerability/confusion and her chemistry with Rachel seemed convincing. Pretty much the entire story is spent in Alice’s head as she explores this liminal moment in her life and questions what she thought she wanted for herself and knew about herself. It’s a great example of how how most seismic life changes come with grief and not a little doubt even when they make you happy. I though the pacing was spot on, full of hormonal rushes forward and stuttering hesitations, and there was some snappy dialogue, cute cameos and belly laughs along the way.

I very much enjoyed it and found myself not wanting to put it down until I had hoovered it all up.

[Dalin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the book, and I really do. I like how Alice expresses her thoughts and feelings well throughout the book and how good the book can you feel. It’s a happy book with almost non-toxic relationships and well, angst and violence. Peaceful.

But....

There’s always a but when it comes to reviewing a book. I’ll just say that it lacks a little back up story for Alice and Rachel of how their little infatuation grows into a full love. Yes, there was a little impression on them at the end of the last book, but it doesn’t mean they have to jump one another the next without further explanation. How they both fall for each other’s charm is still a mystery to me and especially on Rachel’s side that I’m most curious about.

[Petra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think 'The London Of Us' has captured me the most out of all four in this series. From the first page I loved the main characters of Alice and Rachel, but I also loved revisiting and catching up with those from previous books in the series.
Lydon has a fantastic writing style that draws you into her characters lives - New love, conflict, drama, angst, joy and growth all culminate in the lives and loves of all of Alice, Rachel, Tanya, Sophie, Jess, Lucy, Meg and Kate. I highly recommend this book even if you haven't read the series...but once read I definitely think you'll want to check out the other books!
I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[JT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having listened to the previous books in this series the relationship that grows through this novel surprised me a bit and it is refreshing. The concept of open, honest and timely communication is examined in such a context that it is subtle but there none the less. The highly emotional, incredibly sensuous and sometimes humorous style that it is written in is engaging and fun. I would recommend that anybody who enjoys a good lesbian romance take the time for this entire series. This can be done as a standalone but it will be much more enjoyable with the building blocks of the three previous novels.

[Robin Kenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this was good! The build up was massive and the payoff was delightful! This woman can write!

Clare Lydon is a master craftsman of writing the slow burn! I loved this from the start. The main characters fit so well together and the supporting cast did their part to bring happiness to all of the readers! I love how Ms Lydon paints her scenery, drags in the right characters to inhabit it and wraps the story through it. The flavor of her words leave one full of happy tastes of delicious encounters with food and people. Maybe the main character being a chef helped her out!
I do recommend this entire series!

[Dr. T · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had such a good premise but it felt like I'd missed out on reading half the falling in love part. It starts with Alice realising she's in love/lust with her female friend Rachel, who she's known for the past year. I was hoping for more flashback scenes after this but the story rapidly proceeds and most of the book is Alice talking to other people figuring it all out... so the scenes between her and Rachel and few and far between. This could have been so much better had the author focused more on their story.

[Trevor Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. Coming out at an older age is never easy. This book reflects just how you can meet your one and only true love and that there is no specific age for you to decide who you want to be. I love all of Clare Lydons work. Being someone who came out late in life I do enjoy reading books surrounding LGBTQ+ love. I am not one to prude over whether the context is gay or lesbian or bi or transgender. You would never be disappointed at the love portrayed. Honestly no one writes a first kiss like Clare does.

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much preferred this one to the last 2, it felt more like the first which had been my favourite so far. Lovely story about self exploration and acceptance with twists and turns. Also maintaining the Lydon humour I have come to enjoy from her books. I am enjoying the link between each character as the books move through the series. The snippets of their life’s as the stories progress is a great touch without completely going through the background.