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London, With Love
London. Nine million people. Two hundred and seventy tube stations. Every day, thousands of chance encounters, first dates, goodbyes and happy ever afters.
And for twenty years it's been where one man and one woman can never get their timing right.
Jennifer and Nick meet as teenagers and over the next two decades, they fall in and out of love with each other. Sometimes they start kissing. Sometimes they're just friends. Sometimes they stop speaking, but they always find their way back to one another.
But after all this time, are they destined to be together or have they finally reached the end of the line?
And for twenty years it's been where one man and one woman can never get their timing right.
Jennifer and Nick meet as teenagers and over the next two decades, they fall in and out of love with each other. Sometimes they start kissing. Sometimes they're just friends. Sometimes they stop speaking, but they always find their way back to one another.
But after all this time, are they destined to be together or have they finally reached the end of the line?
432 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2022
169 people are currently reading
2111 people want to read
About the author
Sarra Manning
43 books1,911 followersSarra Manning is a teen queen extraordinaire. She spent five years working on the now sadly defunct J17, first as a writer and then as Entertainment Editor. She then joined the launch team of teen fashion bible Ellegirl, which she later went on to edit and has consulted on a wide range of youth titles including Bliss, The Face and More.
Sarra is now editor of What To Wear magazine. She's also been a regular contributor to ELLE, The Guardian, ES Magazine, Seventeen, Details and Heat and wrote the Shop Bitch column for Time Out. Sarra lives in North London with her dog Miss Betsy
Sarra is now editor of What To Wear magazine. She's also been a regular contributor to ELLE, The Guardian, ES Magazine, Seventeen, Details and Heat and wrote the Shop Bitch column for Time Out. Sarra lives in North London with her dog Miss Betsy
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March 24, 2022Source of book: NetGalley (thank you)
Relevant disclaimers: none
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.
*eyes collection of 5-star reviews*
Sooooo…this is a me problem, then? Basically this is a very good book—ambitious, well-written, full of meaningful emosh and top-class bants—that just didn’t happen to work for me. I picked it up because I liked, um, the name? And to give it credit, it really does deliver on the “evoke thirty years of London” vibe.
The basic premise is that Jen and Nick meet at school when they’re sixteen. Jen is desperately insecure and Nick is desperately pretentious, but they strike up an unlikely friendship. Jen, of course, is secretly in love with Nick—a truth that comes out in with what felt to me like authentic teenage messiness. From there, they proceed with their lives, although emotion and geography keep drawing them back together, until eventually, in their early thirties, having lived through various significant life events, both personal and global, found friends and lovers, made mistakes and grown as people, they confess their mutual love and commit to being together.
So, theoretically, I like the whole love story told over twenty years thing and I liked the heroine. It was a pleasure to watch her grow from a confused adolescent to a confident adult, her missteps and anxieties felt understandable, and I kind of hardcore related to her attempts to navigate a middle-class world from a working-class background. But where the wheels came off for me was … uh. Nick. I mean, he’s fine? I think he’s fine? I just kind of think maybe a man needs more than a leather jacket and beauty mark next to his mouth to earn the love-of-your-life trophy? For me, while Jen changed and grew and learned who she wanted to be and how to be it, Nick was essentially static for 80% of the book.
As an adolescent, his primary character trait is “pretentious”. We first meet him at an English class where the students have been asked to pick a poem that spoke to him from a collection, and he insists on playing ‘I’ll Be Your Mirror’ by The Velvet Underground: this was probably, for me, his most charming moment in the entire book. Because, yes, this is infuriating and pretentious, and his teacher must have been rolling her eyes so hard, but I mean. Can’t argue with his taste? Except “pretentious” sort of remains his primary character trait. He really doesn’t seem to be able to make up his mind about Jen (right to the end, he’s telling her that he’s in love with her but wishes he hasn’t – dude, that’s Mr Darcy at the 40% mark not Mr Darcy at the end of the book). And kind of the point is sort of … he hasn’t really grown up, and Jen tells him so. Which serves at the catalyst for him to start making changes to his life.
Which, I guess, is supposed to be romantic?
But, from another perspective, what we have here is a book about a woman who has to wait over twenty years for a bloke to get his shit together.
And … I dunno. That feels less a lot less romantic and more kind of … incredibly depressing? And is one of those glimpses into heterosexuality that make me legit worried. Like, are you guys okay?
I think I might also just be personally resistant to the whole “love of life meant to be together” wossname. Because while I get, in abstract, that it’s a thing, in practice it just seems to invalidate every other relationship someone has. There are three other men in Jen’s life besides Nick: there’s an actively abusive academic, a sweet-tempered Black artist who gets all resentful when his career doesn’t take off, and a steady, supportive older man who wants Jen to move to the country and make babies with him. And, obviously, I knew I was reading a romance and Nick was the hero, but it never felt for a moment possible to suspend my disbelief over these other relationships, almost as if Jen herself wasn’t able to.
And maybe that was the point. Jen wavers constantly between “some part of her would always be in love with Nick as a form of nostalgia for her adolescence” and “she loved Nick, and would always love Nick” and, while I’m sure you could interpret the former as a necessary self-deception that allowed her to live with the latter, I did sometimes find myself thinking uncharitably, “well come on, lady, which is it?” And it doesn’t help that each of Jen’s other relationships follow the same pattern, which is that they seem initially to be an antidote to Nick (even abusive guy) which leads Jen to conclude that she’s in love with them. Whereupon Nick re-enters the story and it turns out the relationships had deep-seated flaws all along—usually with the men turning out to be selfish or unsupportive in some way. And, again, it was hard to see if this was Jen specifically torpedoing her relationships because she secretly, or not so secretly wanted to be with Nick, that the relationships fell apart naturally becomes sometimes relationships do (and Nick’s proximity was irrelevant) or the narrative was abruptly conspiring to present the other relationships as inherently flawed so the reader continued to root for Jen and Nick getting together.
Although, frankly, this particular reader was not rooting. This particular reader really seriously felt someone should have told Jen to move the fuck on with her life instead of clinging to the fantasy of this man it takes twenty years to decide he wants to be with her. Or at least be with her in the fully heteronormativity-embracing way she seems to see as mandatory for the relationship to be valid: like they spend at least twelve years taking turns to be the one who rejects the sexual advances of the other, then Nick is like “we should be together, we just work” and that isn’t what Jen is looking for, until he pops up again later being all “I have a pension plan now” and then she’s like “OKAY I LOVE YOU.” Personally, I was less concerned about the pension plan and more concerned about the twenty years of dicking around?
Like, if it took someone twenty years to figure out they wanted me, I think by that stage I wouldn’t want them? And, yes, yes, I’ve seen When Harry Met Sally (there’s even a section in the book where Jen in NYC and visits the café) but, firstly, that’s 12 years, not 20, and for at least half that time they’re not even sure they want to be friends.
This is twenty years. Twenty years of watching a cishet man doing the emotional equivalent of picking his teeth.
I’m sorry, but that just doesn’t sweep me away on swoonsome clouds.
Also, and I’ve kind of written about this before, but this is one of those m/f books that just feels indelibly straight to me—a quality that isn’t actually connected to the presence or absence of queerness, so much as some … fundamental view of the world that runs so contrary to how I perceive and experience the same world that it feels actively alienating. Like, for example, Nick’s failure, in the final section, to offer Jen sufficient heteronormativity for her to believe his declaration of love to be sincere: this is termed as her wanting “everything” but the idea that “everything” automatically and unquestioningly translates to a pension and two children is … is, I dunno. It’s weird to me. Maybe because the whole notion that relationship endgame = a pension + two children is not how I think about relationships. Or indeed pensions. Or indeed children, in whatever number they occur.
There is, I should note, a single queer TM in the book itself: his name is George and he starts life as a shy, overweight teenager, morphs into a promiscuous drug-fuelled party queen in silver trousers, then moves to New York where he becomes a successful advertising executive obsessed with Botox. I mean, props I guess for the book manging to evoke three shallow stereotypes of gay men instead of restricting itself to one as is traditional?
Sample of George’s dialogue: “Suck that cigarette down like it’s a juicy cock, that helps,” George said.
Because, you see, the thing about gay men—and you might not know this—is they’re romantically and sexually attracted to other men. And sometimes (though not exclusively) other men have cocks!
Speaking of other men, and the presence or non-presence of their cocks, there’s a fair bit of casual, I suppose I wouldn’t call it transphobia exactly, perhaps casual cissexism? Not in a way that’s unusual for the genre, I hasten to add, but in a way that’s pretty typical for it. I’m talking about phrases like, when two characters are discussing how they couldn’t be lesbians, “We like dick too much” or “the same predilection for little blond things that Nick did. Though George’s little blond things came with a penis as standard.”
And, look, I’m aware these books are set in decades where …y’know, I’d say we were less evolved in how we spoke/thought/talked about trans people but my country is fucking transphobic right now so I can’t. But, yes, there was less awareness and different words were used, and obviously one of these examples is dialogue and that’s a choice about how a character thinks and talks, not a reflection of the author, and no I don’t think every character in every piece of fiction should sound like the latest social justice discourse etc. etc. etc. But, still, choices are choices, you know, and to me choices like this always feel … unnecessary. Like why is romance so committed to centring the penis in both its depictions of masculinity and its expressions of female desire?
And, yes, for all we know George IS one of those gay dudes for whom absence of a penis is a dealbreaker in the men he wants to be with but is it an important facet of his character? No. Because his character is getting high and getting botox i.e. he has no character. And the line about “liking dick too much” – I know it’s a throwaway comment (unless we’re really arguing that unexamined cissexism/transphobia is VITAL to our understanding of this secondary character—which it clearly isn’t), meant to be amusing and subversive/empowering because women are stereotypically supposed to be attracted to eyes and a sense of humour, and here is a woman emphasising she likes men for their dicks! Wow, my mind is blown. And I do recognise that ‘dick’ here is meant to be a shorthand for ‘sex’ but why are we still using that shorthand? Like I’m sure there are people for whom presence of dick is the major pillar of attraction for them but those people aren’t heterosexual. They’re people with a penis fetish? Like if all you care about is a penis, then it shouldn’t matter if the penis is attached to a man, a woman, or a non-binary person, you know?
So, ultimately, what it comes down to for me is that none of those lines are witty, important or characterful enough to pay off the “potentially hurtful to some readers” debt they incur. You could have taken them out of the book and lost nothing—either in terms of representation of the era (I mean, when I think of the 90s, which is when I was mostly growing up, I remember britpop and pedal pushers) or in terms of representing the characters. I think that’s why such moments bug me so much: obviously we all say and write hurtful things occasionally (I do not consider myself exempt from that by any means) and it is absolutely not the case that every piece of prose and dialogue has to be 100% “politically correct” at all times. But when your choice is be hurtful or not be hurtful, and not being hurtful costs nothing, personally or artistically, why not … not be hurtful?
Just? Why not?
And I don’t mean to single out one author here. It’s a question I’m asking the genre in general.
Look, I’m sorry it might be coming across that I’m really dunking on this book. But the other thing I should probably mention—and this is out of my lane, so take what I say under advisement—I wasn’t personally super comfortable with the role POCs played in the book either. There are two. There’s Gethin, the Black Welsh artist, who Jen dates for a while. His whole arc is trying to be an artist, while working at an art supplies shop, sort of in parallel to Jen interning with a terrible agent as she’s trying to break into publishing, and then getting resentful/huffy and fucking off back to Wales. All of which would be fine but intersects, for me, uncomfortably with Gethin’s Blackness? There are references to his “quiet brooding fury” which doesn’t seem like a … completely unproblematic way to describe a Black man. And while Jen notes that she and Gethin sometimes receive harassment on the street for being an interracial couple that’s kind of as far as her understanding (or the book’s interest?) goes in terms of exploring the racial dynamic of both their relationship and the fact that Jen, ultimately, does succeed in breaking into publishing whereas Gethin is not able to access the art world. The book just sort of shrugs about that, but … like. A white person finds success in their chosen field, whereas a Black person does not? I mean, I dunno. Could maybe race be a factor there? Shouldn’t we care that it’s a factor, rather than just blandly accepting as inevitable that this Black guy gets his dreams ground to dust as an afterthought in someone else’s life story?
The other POC is a South Asian school friend of Jen’s – well, I say friend, she ends up treating Jen really badly over a boy. I have of say, I do kind of question the choice of casting the only other POC in the book in what is essentially an antagonist role—and a very narrow mean girl antagonist role, at that. We do meet this character—Priya—again later when she has moved to New York, found love, happiness and a successful career. She apologises to Jen and the two commit to meeting up again—which, okay fine. One of the things I enjoyed about the book was the way relationships develop, and old conflicts fade into irrelevance, when explored over a long timeframe.
Because, yes, I’m in my thirties now and I can’t be arsed to hold grudges against people I went to school with.
Except then 9/11 happens and Priya, like, literally dies. The chapter after she has been redeemed into the eyes of a white girl, she is KILLED. I mean I … I don’t know what to say. I don’t have standing to talk about this but … like. That doesn’t seem … okay? Like the South Asian fulfils her narrative function and is promptly wiped out in an act of global terrorism? And then never mentioned again.
Speaking of the, um, 9/11 bit … I honestly don’t know what it was doing in a book called London with Love. I know 9/11 had a big impact on the world at large, but it felt like a weird and uncomfortable stretch for this random British woman to just happen to be in NYC and in the South Tower when it happens. I don’t know, it just felt a bit crass to me? Especially because she is also present at the London bombings in 2005: at this point I’m starting to think Jen might be some kind of international problem? Since socio-political upheaval seems to be actively following her around. I know the book is a sort of whistle-stop-tour through the last thirty years so, of course, she’d be present at some of the events that happened, but I found the book easiest to connect with when Jen was indirectly experiencing rather than bearing explicit witness to. I guess it just felt more authentic to the way most of us experience the world? Like, one of my favourite sections was when she and her friendship group decide they want to bring in the millennium on Primrose Hill but they mistime it and end up stuck at an out-of-the-way Tube station as midnight strikes. There was something really endearing about this to me, because it felt recognisable: the reality that life is mostly missing important things.
(I remember when 9/11 happened, I’d just moved into an incredibly shitty student house, and there was no internet yet, or anything, and the electricity was spotty, and we had no hot water—and so there was this plumber round, just doing plumber stuff, while I was just sort of waiting for him to finish, and this was 2001 so mobile phones were rubbish, and I couldn’t afford one anyway. And then the plumber came white-faced out of the bathroom was like, do you have a radio, I think something’s happening. And I was like … uh no. So he had to turn the radio on his van, and leave the door open, and me and this plumber just sat on the front steps of this hovel-I-was-trying-to-live-in, listening to these crackly incoherent radio reports)
In terms of the 9/11 stuff in this book, though, don’t get me wrong, I think the role of 9/11 in our global consciousness is a complex one. And the idea of “appropriating” something from a nation with such profound culturally imperialistic tendencies as America seems laughable. But using 9/11 as a catalyst for a Brit to shag a boy she’s had a twenty-year crush on is … well. It didn’t sit right with me. Your mileage may vary.
Ultimately I think “didn’t sit right with me” is probably a fair summary of my response to this book. Obviously I’m not the target audience, and I’m aware of that, but I read books I’m not the target audience for all the time and don’t struggle to the degree I struggled with this one. I’m not disputing that the book had excellent qualities, in terms of writing, and characterisation, and I did love—if nothing else—it’s portrayal of London. It just kind of … lost me on pretty much everything else.
PS – why on earth would you name your kid after your emotionally abusive granddad? I don’t get straight people. I just don’t.
Relevant disclaimers: none
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.
*eyes collection of 5-star reviews*
Sooooo…this is a me problem, then? Basically this is a very good book—ambitious, well-written, full of meaningful emosh and top-class bants—that just didn’t happen to work for me. I picked it up because I liked, um, the name? And to give it credit, it really does deliver on the “evoke thirty years of London” vibe.
The basic premise is that Jen and Nick meet at school when they’re sixteen. Jen is desperately insecure and Nick is desperately pretentious, but they strike up an unlikely friendship. Jen, of course, is secretly in love with Nick—a truth that comes out in with what felt to me like authentic teenage messiness. From there, they proceed with their lives, although emotion and geography keep drawing them back together, until eventually, in their early thirties, having lived through various significant life events, both personal and global, found friends and lovers, made mistakes and grown as people, they confess their mutual love and commit to being together.
So, theoretically, I like the whole love story told over twenty years thing and I liked the heroine. It was a pleasure to watch her grow from a confused adolescent to a confident adult, her missteps and anxieties felt understandable, and I kind of hardcore related to her attempts to navigate a middle-class world from a working-class background. But where the wheels came off for me was … uh. Nick. I mean, he’s fine? I think he’s fine? I just kind of think maybe a man needs more than a leather jacket and beauty mark next to his mouth to earn the love-of-your-life trophy? For me, while Jen changed and grew and learned who she wanted to be and how to be it, Nick was essentially static for 80% of the book.
As an adolescent, his primary character trait is “pretentious”. We first meet him at an English class where the students have been asked to pick a poem that spoke to him from a collection, and he insists on playing ‘I’ll Be Your Mirror’ by The Velvet Underground: this was probably, for me, his most charming moment in the entire book. Because, yes, this is infuriating and pretentious, and his teacher must have been rolling her eyes so hard, but I mean. Can’t argue with his taste? Except “pretentious” sort of remains his primary character trait. He really doesn’t seem to be able to make up his mind about Jen (right to the end, he’s telling her that he’s in love with her but wishes he hasn’t – dude, that’s Mr Darcy at the 40% mark not Mr Darcy at the end of the book). And kind of the point is sort of … he hasn’t really grown up, and Jen tells him so. Which serves at the catalyst for him to start making changes to his life.
Which, I guess, is supposed to be romantic?
But, from another perspective, what we have here is a book about a woman who has to wait over twenty years for a bloke to get his shit together.
And … I dunno. That feels less a lot less romantic and more kind of … incredibly depressing? And is one of those glimpses into heterosexuality that make me legit worried. Like, are you guys okay?
I think I might also just be personally resistant to the whole “love of life meant to be together” wossname. Because while I get, in abstract, that it’s a thing, in practice it just seems to invalidate every other relationship someone has. There are three other men in Jen’s life besides Nick: there’s an actively abusive academic, a sweet-tempered Black artist who gets all resentful when his career doesn’t take off, and a steady, supportive older man who wants Jen to move to the country and make babies with him. And, obviously, I knew I was reading a romance and Nick was the hero, but it never felt for a moment possible to suspend my disbelief over these other relationships, almost as if Jen herself wasn’t able to.
And maybe that was the point. Jen wavers constantly between “some part of her would always be in love with Nick as a form of nostalgia for her adolescence” and “she loved Nick, and would always love Nick” and, while I’m sure you could interpret the former as a necessary self-deception that allowed her to live with the latter, I did sometimes find myself thinking uncharitably, “well come on, lady, which is it?” And it doesn’t help that each of Jen’s other relationships follow the same pattern, which is that they seem initially to be an antidote to Nick (even abusive guy) which leads Jen to conclude that she’s in love with them. Whereupon Nick re-enters the story and it turns out the relationships had deep-seated flaws all along—usually with the men turning out to be selfish or unsupportive in some way. And, again, it was hard to see if this was Jen specifically torpedoing her relationships because she secretly, or not so secretly wanted to be with Nick, that the relationships fell apart naturally becomes sometimes relationships do (and Nick’s proximity was irrelevant) or the narrative was abruptly conspiring to present the other relationships as inherently flawed so the reader continued to root for Jen and Nick getting together.
Although, frankly, this particular reader was not rooting. This particular reader really seriously felt someone should have told Jen to move the fuck on with her life instead of clinging to the fantasy of this man it takes twenty years to decide he wants to be with her. Or at least be with her in the fully heteronormativity-embracing way she seems to see as mandatory for the relationship to be valid: like they spend at least twelve years taking turns to be the one who rejects the sexual advances of the other, then Nick is like “we should be together, we just work” and that isn’t what Jen is looking for, until he pops up again later being all “I have a pension plan now” and then she’s like “OKAY I LOVE YOU.” Personally, I was less concerned about the pension plan and more concerned about the twenty years of dicking around?
Like, if it took someone twenty years to figure out they wanted me, I think by that stage I wouldn’t want them? And, yes, yes, I’ve seen When Harry Met Sally (there’s even a section in the book where Jen in NYC and visits the café) but, firstly, that’s 12 years, not 20, and for at least half that time they’re not even sure they want to be friends.
This is twenty years. Twenty years of watching a cishet man doing the emotional equivalent of picking his teeth.
I’m sorry, but that just doesn’t sweep me away on swoonsome clouds.
Also, and I’ve kind of written about this before, but this is one of those m/f books that just feels indelibly straight to me—a quality that isn’t actually connected to the presence or absence of queerness, so much as some … fundamental view of the world that runs so contrary to how I perceive and experience the same world that it feels actively alienating. Like, for example, Nick’s failure, in the final section, to offer Jen sufficient heteronormativity for her to believe his declaration of love to be sincere: this is termed as her wanting “everything” but the idea that “everything” automatically and unquestioningly translates to a pension and two children is … is, I dunno. It’s weird to me. Maybe because the whole notion that relationship endgame = a pension + two children is not how I think about relationships. Or indeed pensions. Or indeed children, in whatever number they occur.
There is, I should note, a single queer TM in the book itself: his name is George and he starts life as a shy, overweight teenager, morphs into a promiscuous drug-fuelled party queen in silver trousers, then moves to New York where he becomes a successful advertising executive obsessed with Botox. I mean, props I guess for the book manging to evoke three shallow stereotypes of gay men instead of restricting itself to one as is traditional?
Sample of George’s dialogue: “Suck that cigarette down like it’s a juicy cock, that helps,” George said.
Because, you see, the thing about gay men—and you might not know this—is they’re romantically and sexually attracted to other men. And sometimes (though not exclusively) other men have cocks!
Speaking of other men, and the presence or non-presence of their cocks, there’s a fair bit of casual, I suppose I wouldn’t call it transphobia exactly, perhaps casual cissexism? Not in a way that’s unusual for the genre, I hasten to add, but in a way that’s pretty typical for it. I’m talking about phrases like, when two characters are discussing how they couldn’t be lesbians, “We like dick too much” or “the same predilection for little blond things that Nick did. Though George’s little blond things came with a penis as standard.”
And, look, I’m aware these books are set in decades where …y’know, I’d say we were less evolved in how we spoke/thought/talked about trans people but my country is fucking transphobic right now so I can’t. But, yes, there was less awareness and different words were used, and obviously one of these examples is dialogue and that’s a choice about how a character thinks and talks, not a reflection of the author, and no I don’t think every character in every piece of fiction should sound like the latest social justice discourse etc. etc. etc. But, still, choices are choices, you know, and to me choices like this always feel … unnecessary. Like why is romance so committed to centring the penis in both its depictions of masculinity and its expressions of female desire?
And, yes, for all we know George IS one of those gay dudes for whom absence of a penis is a dealbreaker in the men he wants to be with but is it an important facet of his character? No. Because his character is getting high and getting botox i.e. he has no character. And the line about “liking dick too much” – I know it’s a throwaway comment (unless we’re really arguing that unexamined cissexism/transphobia is VITAL to our understanding of this secondary character—which it clearly isn’t), meant to be amusing and subversive/empowering because women are stereotypically supposed to be attracted to eyes and a sense of humour, and here is a woman emphasising she likes men for their dicks! Wow, my mind is blown. And I do recognise that ‘dick’ here is meant to be a shorthand for ‘sex’ but why are we still using that shorthand? Like I’m sure there are people for whom presence of dick is the major pillar of attraction for them but those people aren’t heterosexual. They’re people with a penis fetish? Like if all you care about is a penis, then it shouldn’t matter if the penis is attached to a man, a woman, or a non-binary person, you know?
So, ultimately, what it comes down to for me is that none of those lines are witty, important or characterful enough to pay off the “potentially hurtful to some readers” debt they incur. You could have taken them out of the book and lost nothing—either in terms of representation of the era (I mean, when I think of the 90s, which is when I was mostly growing up, I remember britpop and pedal pushers) or in terms of representing the characters. I think that’s why such moments bug me so much: obviously we all say and write hurtful things occasionally (I do not consider myself exempt from that by any means) and it is absolutely not the case that every piece of prose and dialogue has to be 100% “politically correct” at all times. But when your choice is be hurtful or not be hurtful, and not being hurtful costs nothing, personally or artistically, why not … not be hurtful?
Just? Why not?
And I don’t mean to single out one author here. It’s a question I’m asking the genre in general.
Look, I’m sorry it might be coming across that I’m really dunking on this book. But the other thing I should probably mention—and this is out of my lane, so take what I say under advisement—I wasn’t personally super comfortable with the role POCs played in the book either. There are two. There’s Gethin, the Black Welsh artist, who Jen dates for a while. His whole arc is trying to be an artist, while working at an art supplies shop, sort of in parallel to Jen interning with a terrible agent as she’s trying to break into publishing, and then getting resentful/huffy and fucking off back to Wales. All of which would be fine but intersects, for me, uncomfortably with Gethin’s Blackness? There are references to his “quiet brooding fury” which doesn’t seem like a … completely unproblematic way to describe a Black man. And while Jen notes that she and Gethin sometimes receive harassment on the street for being an interracial couple that’s kind of as far as her understanding (or the book’s interest?) goes in terms of exploring the racial dynamic of both their relationship and the fact that Jen, ultimately, does succeed in breaking into publishing whereas Gethin is not able to access the art world. The book just sort of shrugs about that, but … like. A white person finds success in their chosen field, whereas a Black person does not? I mean, I dunno. Could maybe race be a factor there? Shouldn’t we care that it’s a factor, rather than just blandly accepting as inevitable that this Black guy gets his dreams ground to dust as an afterthought in someone else’s life story?
The other POC is a South Asian school friend of Jen’s – well, I say friend, she ends up treating Jen really badly over a boy. I have of say, I do kind of question the choice of casting the only other POC in the book in what is essentially an antagonist role—and a very narrow mean girl antagonist role, at that. We do meet this character—Priya—again later when she has moved to New York, found love, happiness and a successful career. She apologises to Jen and the two commit to meeting up again—which, okay fine. One of the things I enjoyed about the book was the way relationships develop, and old conflicts fade into irrelevance, when explored over a long timeframe.
Because, yes, I’m in my thirties now and I can’t be arsed to hold grudges against people I went to school with.
Except then 9/11 happens and Priya, like, literally dies. The chapter after she has been redeemed into the eyes of a white girl, she is KILLED. I mean I … I don’t know what to say. I don’t have standing to talk about this but … like. That doesn’t seem … okay? Like the South Asian fulfils her narrative function and is promptly wiped out in an act of global terrorism? And then never mentioned again.
Speaking of the, um, 9/11 bit … I honestly don’t know what it was doing in a book called London with Love. I know 9/11 had a big impact on the world at large, but it felt like a weird and uncomfortable stretch for this random British woman to just happen to be in NYC and in the South Tower when it happens. I don’t know, it just felt a bit crass to me? Especially because she is also present at the London bombings in 2005: at this point I’m starting to think Jen might be some kind of international problem? Since socio-political upheaval seems to be actively following her around. I know the book is a sort of whistle-stop-tour through the last thirty years so, of course, she’d be present at some of the events that happened, but I found the book easiest to connect with when Jen was indirectly experiencing rather than bearing explicit witness to. I guess it just felt more authentic to the way most of us experience the world? Like, one of my favourite sections was when she and her friendship group decide they want to bring in the millennium on Primrose Hill but they mistime it and end up stuck at an out-of-the-way Tube station as midnight strikes. There was something really endearing about this to me, because it felt recognisable: the reality that life is mostly missing important things.
(I remember when 9/11 happened, I’d just moved into an incredibly shitty student house, and there was no internet yet, or anything, and the electricity was spotty, and we had no hot water—and so there was this plumber round, just doing plumber stuff, while I was just sort of waiting for him to finish, and this was 2001 so mobile phones were rubbish, and I couldn’t afford one anyway. And then the plumber came white-faced out of the bathroom was like, do you have a radio, I think something’s happening. And I was like … uh no. So he had to turn the radio on his van, and leave the door open, and me and this plumber just sat on the front steps of this hovel-I-was-trying-to-live-in, listening to these crackly incoherent radio reports)
In terms of the 9/11 stuff in this book, though, don’t get me wrong, I think the role of 9/11 in our global consciousness is a complex one. And the idea of “appropriating” something from a nation with such profound culturally imperialistic tendencies as America seems laughable. But using 9/11 as a catalyst for a Brit to shag a boy she’s had a twenty-year crush on is … well. It didn’t sit right with me. Your mileage may vary.
Ultimately I think “didn’t sit right with me” is probably a fair summary of my response to this book. Obviously I’m not the target audience, and I’m aware of that, but I read books I’m not the target audience for all the time and don’t struggle to the degree I struggled with this one. I’m not disputing that the book had excellent qualities, in terms of writing, and characterisation, and I did love—if nothing else—it’s portrayal of London. It just kind of … lost me on pretty much everything else.
PS – why on earth would you name your kid after your emotionally abusive granddad? I don’t get straight people. I just don’t.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2022
⭐️⭐️ two stars -
Wow. Just wow, and not in a good way. I am ticked off, severely disappointed, upset, and just plain old angry.
This review is going to be long, dramatic, and chop full of scathing commentary. You’re getting a warning as to the emotional baggage that is going to make up the bulk of this review, be grateful you get a heads up. Consider it payback for the fact that this book is void of a trigger warning; not a single mention of possible upsetting content. None. Given that, read this review here at your own peril.
So, here goes. Buckle up.
One - Sarra Manning had previously been shelved to my favorite authors shelf. I just love her writing style, and her own personality comes through in her prose, and I have thoroughly enjoyed her views and experiences as a woman living her life in a big city. In fact, her title “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” is one of my most favorite books. Generally, I find Manning’s style to be well-written, relatable, and heartfelt.
Two - I was very positively excited about the release of this book. I noted the US release date, and was anxiously anticipating a stellar romantic read from a favorite author.
Three - Based upon the description in the blurb about “London, With Love”, and my previous experience with this author, I thoroughly expected a romance novel inside a London setting. Truly, I was excited for the expectation of a four or five star romantic read, which would have been wholly welcomed by this reader.
Four - To say that I feel betrayed by this author, her editor who allowed the distasteful direction of this story, and the publisher who actually went ahead and published it without some type of trigger warning, would be putting it mildly. I am thoroughly upset, and frankly, very angry.
Regarding the story; I purchased and downloaded this to my beloved Kindle, but I am stopping at 31%. This book will be returned for a refund. What got me to this point? To where I’m discontinuing reading, requesting a refund, and removing this author from my “favorite authors” shelf? It’s 100% the lack of a trigger warning. My trust has been broken and I feel betrayed. Betrayed and furious, truth be told. (In fairness, previous books I’ve reviewed by this author - reviews will remain as is, only action is the fact that titles will be re-shelved).
The story itself, started promisingly enough. I enjoyed the telling of the story in the beginning when our h and H meet as teenagers. I thoroughly appreciated Manning’s experience as a ya novelist, and felt that her talent at this genre shined in the beginning of the story. I was anticipating a thoroughly planned out read, with competent world building, and a highly developed, emotional romance.
HOWEVER - and this is where we’re going to get into it…
.
.
.
.
.
.
***** SPOILERS FOLLOW - and, honestly, this shouldn’t even be a spoiler - this should be a d*mn TRIGGER WARNING *****
.
.
.
.
.
.
Once it became clear to me that this story was going to be written in an all-encompassing format, with day to day details over the course of twenty years (you do know this fact from the aforementioned woeful blurb, at least) I very quickly deduced what was coming down the pike. Like a freight train barreling to the station.
I decided to head on over here to Goodreads to see if what I surmised was correct - one, that the h would be pining over someone that clearly doesn’t love her enough to want to be with her, cause waiting for someone to decide that that they love you for twenty long years is not romantic in my book.
I’m not going to get into the many, many reasons about why I don’t see this as a solid romance, as I feel that others have mentioned this already, and as my reviews veer toward a shorter length, I would prefer to use this time to address the lack of the trigger warning.
From reading the content from other reviewers here, I was able to discover that this book, which takes place primarily in LONDON, was going to include events that took place in NEW YORK in 2001. With zero warning.
I would never have expected this book to morph into a misguided tale of such catastrophic events that took place on 9/11. I continued to search more reviews for more information as to what I was getting myself into, thinking “clearly this can’t be where she’s going. Maybe Manning will simply include a scene where the h is stuck at at airport, or some such similar action”. That is not what is going to happen, and this is where I’m about to get absolutely emotional.
Not only has this author included the events from NY, she has apparently placed the h inside the South Tower. This is where I shout, “NO!”. How dare this be included without a warning? How dare the tragicness of this day be included as a mere plot device as the sexual coming together catalyst for the h and H? This is so disgusting to me, not to mention supremely distasteful. So horribly misguided, sleazy; and what a way to betray your readers.
I did not expect to be thrust into an emotional journey, one in which I need a lot of warning to normally process, on some random weekday evening. You want to write a story about 9/11? You want to include the events of this day in your story? Fine. Just let people know beforehand that the content of your story includes this event. Don’t just add this day in NY as your plot device for shock value, or what have you; it just taints the whole novel with a negative brush.
This whole debacle could’ve easily have been avoided with a content warning. Ideally, this would never have made it into the story with a plot that’s based IN LONDON. At the very least, do not put the h inside the Tower, I think that this is what I’m most upset about, to be honest. The fact that she’s inside the Tower. Just so blasé and insincere. I am infuriated that the author placed her there. The street, and airport; fine. Inside a sacred, hallowed space? It’s frankly disgusting.
**************************
Two stars. Three stars missing for the lack of a content warning, and for the blatantly disgusting, highly insensitive content.
Wow. Just wow, and not in a good way. I am ticked off, severely disappointed, upset, and just plain old angry.
This review is going to be long, dramatic, and chop full of scathing commentary. You’re getting a warning as to the emotional baggage that is going to make up the bulk of this review, be grateful you get a heads up. Consider it payback for the fact that this book is void of a trigger warning; not a single mention of possible upsetting content. None. Given that, read this review here at your own peril.
So, here goes. Buckle up.
One - Sarra Manning had previously been shelved to my favorite authors shelf. I just love her writing style, and her own personality comes through in her prose, and I have thoroughly enjoyed her views and experiences as a woman living her life in a big city. In fact, her title “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” is one of my most favorite books. Generally, I find Manning’s style to be well-written, relatable, and heartfelt.
Two - I was very positively excited about the release of this book. I noted the US release date, and was anxiously anticipating a stellar romantic read from a favorite author.
Three - Based upon the description in the blurb about “London, With Love”, and my previous experience with this author, I thoroughly expected a romance novel inside a London setting. Truly, I was excited for the expectation of a four or five star romantic read, which would have been wholly welcomed by this reader.
Four - To say that I feel betrayed by this author, her editor who allowed the distasteful direction of this story, and the publisher who actually went ahead and published it without some type of trigger warning, would be putting it mildly. I am thoroughly upset, and frankly, very angry.
Regarding the story; I purchased and downloaded this to my beloved Kindle, but I am stopping at 31%. This book will be returned for a refund. What got me to this point? To where I’m discontinuing reading, requesting a refund, and removing this author from my “favorite authors” shelf? It’s 100% the lack of a trigger warning. My trust has been broken and I feel betrayed. Betrayed and furious, truth be told. (In fairness, previous books I’ve reviewed by this author - reviews will remain as is, only action is the fact that titles will be re-shelved).
The story itself, started promisingly enough. I enjoyed the telling of the story in the beginning when our h and H meet as teenagers. I thoroughly appreciated Manning’s experience as a ya novelist, and felt that her talent at this genre shined in the beginning of the story. I was anticipating a thoroughly planned out read, with competent world building, and a highly developed, emotional romance.
HOWEVER - and this is where we’re going to get into it…
.
.
.
.
.
.
***** SPOILERS FOLLOW - and, honestly, this shouldn’t even be a spoiler - this should be a d*mn TRIGGER WARNING *****
.
.
.
.
.
.
Once it became clear to me that this story was going to be written in an all-encompassing format, with day to day details over the course of twenty years (you do know this fact from the aforementioned woeful blurb, at least) I very quickly deduced what was coming down the pike. Like a freight train barreling to the station.
I decided to head on over here to Goodreads to see if what I surmised was correct - one, that the h would be pining over someone that clearly doesn’t love her enough to want to be with her, cause waiting for someone to decide that that they love you for twenty long years is not romantic in my book.
I’m not going to get into the many, many reasons about why I don’t see this as a solid romance, as I feel that others have mentioned this already, and as my reviews veer toward a shorter length, I would prefer to use this time to address the lack of the trigger warning.
From reading the content from other reviewers here, I was able to discover that this book, which takes place primarily in LONDON, was going to include events that took place in NEW YORK in 2001. With zero warning.
I would never have expected this book to morph into a misguided tale of such catastrophic events that took place on 9/11. I continued to search more reviews for more information as to what I was getting myself into, thinking “clearly this can’t be where she’s going. Maybe Manning will simply include a scene where the h is stuck at at airport, or some such similar action”. That is not what is going to happen, and this is where I’m about to get absolutely emotional.
Not only has this author included the events from NY, she has apparently placed the h inside the South Tower. This is where I shout, “NO!”. How dare this be included without a warning? How dare the tragicness of this day be included as a mere plot device as the sexual coming together catalyst for the h and H? This is so disgusting to me, not to mention supremely distasteful. So horribly misguided, sleazy; and what a way to betray your readers.
I did not expect to be thrust into an emotional journey, one in which I need a lot of warning to normally process, on some random weekday evening. You want to write a story about 9/11? You want to include the events of this day in your story? Fine. Just let people know beforehand that the content of your story includes this event. Don’t just add this day in NY as your plot device for shock value, or what have you; it just taints the whole novel with a negative brush.
This whole debacle could’ve easily have been avoided with a content warning. Ideally, this would never have made it into the story with a plot that’s based IN LONDON. At the very least, do not put the h inside the Tower, I think that this is what I’m most upset about, to be honest. The fact that she’s inside the Tower. Just so blasé and insincere. I am infuriated that the author placed her there. The street, and airport; fine. Inside a sacred, hallowed space? It’s frankly disgusting.
**************************
Two stars. Three stars missing for the lack of a content warning, and for the blatantly disgusting, highly insensitive content.
January 9, 2022
I pity all the books I read after this. Absolutely perfect. I loved every single thing about it.
April 28, 2022
How can I tell you how wonderful this book is?
Mmmmm, well it is a love story, with humour, sadness, wit, at times dark wit, heart, soul and emotion but none of them stereotypical to this kind of read
It feels like I have been on a journey with Nick and Jen ( nifer/ny ) from their teens to their 50’s and experienced everything they did with them
The book was so well done re world events that happened through their lives ie 9/11 and 7/7 that they both lived through ( living in London the descriptions of that day and the emotions were brutally spot on ) to the epilogue of the lockdown, and that again was written so so well and I imagine with much personal and honest feelings, it was hard not to be moved by these events that are cleverley woven into the story
The authors love and knowledge of London is immense and I loved reading about where I live in such an unusual and informative way
And who can resist a book where ‘The Smiths’ and ‘Jilly Cooper’ are mentioned from time to time 🤗
I dont feel I can do this book justice, it is simply wonderful, the right book at the right time ( had a family emergency unexpectedly happen, one where you cant do anything but wait for news and this book calmed a worried and frantic mind )
I can even forgive the 4 pages of ‘sex’ ha ha they had earnt that right
Amazing book, thanks to the author for writing it ( and now I am going to look at all her previous books )
11/10
5 Stars
Mmmmm, well it is a love story, with humour, sadness, wit, at times dark wit, heart, soul and emotion but none of them stereotypical to this kind of read
It feels like I have been on a journey with Nick and Jen ( nifer/ny ) from their teens to their 50’s and experienced everything they did with them
The book was so well done re world events that happened through their lives ie 9/11 and 7/7 that they both lived through ( living in London the descriptions of that day and the emotions were brutally spot on ) to the epilogue of the lockdown, and that again was written so so well and I imagine with much personal and honest feelings, it was hard not to be moved by these events that are cleverley woven into the story
The authors love and knowledge of London is immense and I loved reading about where I live in such an unusual and informative way
And who can resist a book where ‘The Smiths’ and ‘Jilly Cooper’ are mentioned from time to time 🤗
I dont feel I can do this book justice, it is simply wonderful, the right book at the right time ( had a family emergency unexpectedly happen, one where you cant do anything but wait for news and this book calmed a worried and frantic mind )
I can even forgive the 4 pages of ‘sex’ ha ha they had earnt that right
Amazing book, thanks to the author for writing it ( and now I am going to look at all her previous books )
11/10
5 Stars
May 12, 2022
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Oh god, what can I say except that I was hooked for the first third and was really enjoying myself thinking about getting maybe slow-burn second chance romance to end up having a depressing swallow back your own vomit because you’re over 30 and you haven’t found anyone better than some trash teenage crush.
It just does not make any sense in my mind that a successful 30 year old woman couldn’t get over a boy she was pinning for when she was 16. He was a douche back then as a teen and he still is almost 20 years later.
Nothing evolved over the years, just the same back and forth and seemingly it was all “wrong timing” but I would dare say it was more likely due to incompatibility and childishness with a lot of “miscommunication”.
The resolution of this story over a little 10min talk on a bench and everything is ok, with all the bagage and history, makes it the most laughable thing of all.
Mostly, I’m annoyed that London didn’t feel like London. Camden didn’t have any of the punk/alternative feel of the early 90s/00s. The two mains keep meeting over the years randomly as if they were living in a tiny town instead of living in different parts of London. (I’ve been in London for the past 8 years and I’ve never stumbled twice upon the same acquaintance. I don’t even randomly stumble upon people living in the same borough as me…. What are you all on about?!). Also, we’re before social media was a thing (90s and early 2000s) so both of them keeping tabs on each other and whatnot is completely unrealistic.
Overall, it had a good start and then it lost itself in some boring mundane loop of daily tasks, a random meet-up of our mains that ends up badly and then repeat the same process a few years later for about 20 years. There’s no romance at all, it’s actually just a toxic and depressing relationship that wasn’t even one in the first place. Disappointing.
Oh god, what can I say except that I was hooked for the first third and was really enjoying myself thinking about getting maybe slow-burn second chance romance to end up having a depressing swallow back your own vomit because you’re over 30 and you haven’t found anyone better than some trash teenage crush.
It just does not make any sense in my mind that a successful 30 year old woman couldn’t get over a boy she was pinning for when she was 16. He was a douche back then as a teen and he still is almost 20 years later.
Nothing evolved over the years, just the same back and forth and seemingly it was all “wrong timing” but I would dare say it was more likely due to incompatibility and childishness with a lot of “miscommunication”.
The resolution of this story over a little 10min talk on a bench and everything is ok, with all the bagage and history, makes it the most laughable thing of all.
Mostly, I’m annoyed that London didn’t feel like London. Camden didn’t have any of the punk/alternative feel of the early 90s/00s. The two mains keep meeting over the years randomly as if they were living in a tiny town instead of living in different parts of London. (I’ve been in London for the past 8 years and I’ve never stumbled twice upon the same acquaintance. I don’t even randomly stumble upon people living in the same borough as me…. What are you all on about?!). Also, we’re before social media was a thing (90s and early 2000s) so both of them keeping tabs on each other and whatnot is completely unrealistic.
Overall, it had a good start and then it lost itself in some boring mundane loop of daily tasks, a random meet-up of our mains that ends up badly and then repeat the same process a few years later for about 20 years. There’s no romance at all, it’s actually just a toxic and depressing relationship that wasn’t even one in the first place. Disappointing.
April 24, 2022
Loved this.
I'm not often a fan of contemporary romantic fiction generally speaking but I dip in every now and then. In the case of London with Love I'm glad I did.
I fell in love myself, with the characters witn the city with all of it. My first Sarra Manning book but definitely not my last.
We follow main protagonists Nick and Jennifer over decades of hit and miss, through the nostalgia and culture, through a friendship that is besieged by lifes ups and downs.
Hugely relatable, great writing, a terrific escapist read.
I'm not often a fan of contemporary romantic fiction generally speaking but I dip in every now and then. In the case of London with Love I'm glad I did.
I fell in love myself, with the characters witn the city with all of it. My first Sarra Manning book but definitely not my last.
We follow main protagonists Nick and Jennifer over decades of hit and miss, through the nostalgia and culture, through a friendship that is besieged by lifes ups and downs.
Hugely relatable, great writing, a terrific escapist read.
March 24, 2022
I did not like the inclusion of two events in the latter half of the book. Twice seems a bit much!
The rest of the book I enjoyed.
The rest of the book I enjoyed.
April 9, 2022
ARC received from NetGalley UK. With thanks to the publishers.
I've been reading Sarra Manning's books for a long time now - ever since I picked up 'Unsticky', I've been hooked. London, with Love is no exception.
We meet Nick and Jen/Jenny/Jennifer (depending on the decade and her mood) and follow them through some nostalgia of the late 80's to the early noughties. I imagine this will definitely appeal to the millennial and before generation (Gen Z might be baffled by references to a Walkman!). There's lots of pop culture references alongside some inside knowledge of London transport (plus the whole North/South split which is a decidedly London thing, unless looking at the whole of the UK...).
There's definite notes of One Day by David Nicholls in this. We jump from year to year, sometimes more than that, but they work - it shows how friendships can fracture and break, be healed and then put back together in new ways. I liked that Nick and Jen/Jenny/Jennifer were flawed characters and made the same mistakes that any of us do.
Overall, a devourable read which will appeal to any 70s, 80s and 90s kids with a sense of nostalgia and an understanding that, well, life happens.
I've been reading Sarra Manning's books for a long time now - ever since I picked up 'Unsticky', I've been hooked. London, with Love is no exception.
We meet Nick and Jen/Jenny/Jennifer (depending on the decade and her mood) and follow them through some nostalgia of the late 80's to the early noughties. I imagine this will definitely appeal to the millennial and before generation (Gen Z might be baffled by references to a Walkman!). There's lots of pop culture references alongside some inside knowledge of London transport (plus the whole North/South split which is a decidedly London thing, unless looking at the whole of the UK...).
There's definite notes of One Day by David Nicholls in this. We jump from year to year, sometimes more than that, but they work - it shows how friendships can fracture and break, be healed and then put back together in new ways. I liked that Nick and Jen/Jenny/Jennifer were flawed characters and made the same mistakes that any of us do.
Overall, a devourable read which will appeal to any 70s, 80s and 90s kids with a sense of nostalgia and an understanding that, well, life happens.
May 5, 2022
This book starts in 1986 and covers a twenty year on-off friendship between Jennifer and Nick. First off, it physically pained me to tag this as historical when much of it is an anthem to my own youth.
In 1986 Jennifer starts studying for her A levels at Barnet College, after being bullied mercilessly at school by the mean girls she is determined to reinvent herself and find some friends. Nick is an impossibly good-looking, too-cool-for-school, student in her English class, full of pretension and knowing smirks. At first they cordially dislike each other, until a chance meeting at a gig, when Nick helps Jen out of a bind, creates a tentative friendship. Jen thinks she's playing it cool and no-one knows she fancies her best friend, she even manages to be friendly with the series of ethereal blondes that Nick dates, until an overheard conversation at Jen's 18th birthday party reveals that she's fooling no-one. So ends a beautiful friendship, one in which Nick and Jen knew each other better than anyone else.
Jen and Nick continue to run into each other from time to time, through a mutual friend, through work, through partners. Each time their dynamic changes: he's in love with her, but she isn't; he's engaged; she's engaged; and so on. In the background we see so many of the major events that punctuate their lives: the death of Princess Diana; Y2K, 9-11 and so on.
It's interesting, initially I engaged whole-heartedly with Jen. She reminded me of my teenage years, of reinventing myself at A level college, the drinking and smoking and watching bands at Brixton Academy. Then I started to get irritated when she aged but didn't grow up (conveniently forgetting my own misspent twenties), but loved the slow way in which she gradually grew up. On the other hand, I didn't think Nick quite worked as a character, maybe because everything was focused on Jen, sometimes his motivation was a bit cloudy.
Overall, this novel brought back so many memories: of music, fashion, growing up, and seminal events in history. It was a real trip down Memory Lane, and for those too young to remember back to the 1980s I can assure you that it has that ring of authenticity. I loved how Jen/Jennifer grew emotionally, this is just as much women's fiction as it is romance. It is also an homage to a beautiful city of contradictions.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
In 1986 Jennifer starts studying for her A levels at Barnet College, after being bullied mercilessly at school by the mean girls she is determined to reinvent herself and find some friends. Nick is an impossibly good-looking, too-cool-for-school, student in her English class, full of pretension and knowing smirks. At first they cordially dislike each other, until a chance meeting at a gig, when Nick helps Jen out of a bind, creates a tentative friendship. Jen thinks she's playing it cool and no-one knows she fancies her best friend, she even manages to be friendly with the series of ethereal blondes that Nick dates, until an overheard conversation at Jen's 18th birthday party reveals that she's fooling no-one. So ends a beautiful friendship, one in which Nick and Jen knew each other better than anyone else.
Jen and Nick continue to run into each other from time to time, through a mutual friend, through work, through partners. Each time their dynamic changes: he's in love with her, but she isn't; he's engaged; she's engaged; and so on. In the background we see so many of the major events that punctuate their lives: the death of Princess Diana; Y2K, 9-11 and so on.
It's interesting, initially I engaged whole-heartedly with Jen. She reminded me of my teenage years, of reinventing myself at A level college, the drinking and smoking and watching bands at Brixton Academy. Then I started to get irritated when she aged but didn't grow up (conveniently forgetting my own misspent twenties), but loved the slow way in which she gradually grew up. On the other hand, I didn't think Nick quite worked as a character, maybe because everything was focused on Jen, sometimes his motivation was a bit cloudy.
Overall, this novel brought back so many memories: of music, fashion, growing up, and seminal events in history. It was a real trip down Memory Lane, and for those too young to remember back to the 1980s I can assure you that it has that ring of authenticity. I loved how Jen/Jennifer grew emotionally, this is just as much women's fiction as it is romance. It is also an homage to a beautiful city of contradictions.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
May 12, 2022
This was a delightful book, it was such a romantic story which starts in 1980 and goes through to present day. The fashions and the fact that there was no Wi-Fi, mobile phones or internet and nit even many computers around at that time made this book so interesting. I loved the main character Jen and was desperate for her and Nick to fall in love . The descriptions of the tragedy of the twin towers was brilliant and really graphic. I loved this book and throughly enjoyed the ending. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
January 26, 2024
Jennifer en Nick ontmoeten elkaar als tieners en ze hebben vrijwel direct een bijzondere klik. Zij is een stadsmeisje dat dol is op Londen en toe is aan een nieuwe start, ze is onzeker, melodramatisch en wat zwaarmoedig, hij is excentriek, pretentieus en arrogant. Ze zijn echte tegenpolen die als magneten naar elkaar toe worden getrokken en als beste vrienden zijn ze onafscheidelijk, totdat ze na een grote ruzie op haar 18e verjaardag uit elkaar gaan en ze jaren geen contact meer hebben.
In de jaren die volgen, volg je Jen in verschillende stadia van haar leven. Door middel van tijdsprongen zie je haar opgroeien, uit de band springen, carrière maken, relaties en vriendschappen krijgen, onderhouden en verliezen en beslissingen over de toekomst maken. Ontmoetingen met Nick vormen een rode draad door haar bestaan, maar hun relatie is ingewikkeld en ze maken ruzie, hebben gevoelens voor de ander, nemen afstand, verlangen naar meer en hoewel ze denken dat ze elkaar niet écht gelukkig kunnen maken, blijven ze verbonden.
Jennifers leven loopt niet op rolletjes en er zijn een hoop obstakels te overwinnen voordat ze vertrouwen in zichzelf krijgt en dichter komt bij wie ze wil zijn. Deze emotionele ontwikkeling en de reflectie die daar uiteindelijk mee gepaard gaat worden goed uitgewerkt, maar de toon van het verhaal wordt wel regelmatig beïnvloed door haar stemming, levenshouding en de herhaling van zetten waarin Nick en zij lijken te verzanden, waardoor je haar af en toe wilt aansporen om vooruit te gaan, het geluk te gaan zoeken en dat niet te laten afhangen van anderen.
Toch is dit een verhaal dat je het beste kunt waarderen als je aan het einde van de (metro)rit de balans opmaakt en je decennia met Jennifer en Nick hebt meegeleefd, je verschillende levensfases met hen hebt doorlopen en je hebt gezien welke invloed schokkende gebeurtenissen hebben gehad op hun gevoelens en prioriteiten. Hoewel ik het karakter van Nick graag verder uitgewerkt had gezien, sommige acties lastiger te begrijpen zijn en het verhaal niet overal even meeslepend is, bevat het ook mooie wendingen, sterke persoonlijke groei en boeiende ontwikkelingen terwijl de personages dromen, volwassen worden, loslaten en vasthouden wat ze niet willen laten gaan!
3-3.5⭐️
In de jaren die volgen, volg je Jen in verschillende stadia van haar leven. Door middel van tijdsprongen zie je haar opgroeien, uit de band springen, carrière maken, relaties en vriendschappen krijgen, onderhouden en verliezen en beslissingen over de toekomst maken. Ontmoetingen met Nick vormen een rode draad door haar bestaan, maar hun relatie is ingewikkeld en ze maken ruzie, hebben gevoelens voor de ander, nemen afstand, verlangen naar meer en hoewel ze denken dat ze elkaar niet écht gelukkig kunnen maken, blijven ze verbonden.
Jennifers leven loopt niet op rolletjes en er zijn een hoop obstakels te overwinnen voordat ze vertrouwen in zichzelf krijgt en dichter komt bij wie ze wil zijn. Deze emotionele ontwikkeling en de reflectie die daar uiteindelijk mee gepaard gaat worden goed uitgewerkt, maar de toon van het verhaal wordt wel regelmatig beïnvloed door haar stemming, levenshouding en de herhaling van zetten waarin Nick en zij lijken te verzanden, waardoor je haar af en toe wilt aansporen om vooruit te gaan, het geluk te gaan zoeken en dat niet te laten afhangen van anderen.
Toch is dit een verhaal dat je het beste kunt waarderen als je aan het einde van de (metro)rit de balans opmaakt en je decennia met Jennifer en Nick hebt meegeleefd, je verschillende levensfases met hen hebt doorlopen en je hebt gezien welke invloed schokkende gebeurtenissen hebben gehad op hun gevoelens en prioriteiten. Hoewel ik het karakter van Nick graag verder uitgewerkt had gezien, sommige acties lastiger te begrijpen zijn en het verhaal niet overal even meeslepend is, bevat het ook mooie wendingen, sterke persoonlijke groei en boeiende ontwikkelingen terwijl de personages dromen, volwassen worden, loslaten en vasthouden wat ze niet willen laten gaan!
3-3.5⭐️
May 7, 2022
I absolutely devoured this book, I just loved it. It’s well written, very cleverly constructed and there’s so much attention to detail. This is a love story featuring Jennifer and Nick which spans well over 30 years, from their teens to their fifties. They are great friends, but romantically the timing is never quite right. We follow their tumultuous relationship and the ups and downs they encounter from 1986 to 2021. It’s an emotional read, heartbreakingly romantic, sexy, humorous and at times quite sad.
The references to the 1980s really took me back and it was a wonderful trip down memory lane. The clothes and music references were a reminder of the many things I’d forgotten about, including Miners makeup, bopping away to The Smiths in DMs and flowery dresses. It’s great to see this fashion has now come full circle and I now find myself wearing them again! The inclusion of some real life historical events added authenticity to the story. The references to 9/11 are quite spine chilling and incredibly authentic and I felt the terror and every emotion Jen was feeling. I connected with Jennifer (aka Jen, Jenny dependent on the decade) as a main character and she is brilliantly portrayed. Constantly trying to reinvent herself as a young woman, her clothes and hairstyles and I really related to her character. She grew so much as a character from a shy and awkward teenager to a confident and happy adult.
A compelling read which will appeal to all contemporary romance readers but particularly those of a certain age who will remember the eras and historical events mentioned. The pace, plot and characters are spot on and with the very clever writing I was hooked from the first page.
TWISTED IN PAGES BLOG
The references to the 1980s really took me back and it was a wonderful trip down memory lane. The clothes and music references were a reminder of the many things I’d forgotten about, including Miners makeup, bopping away to The Smiths in DMs and flowery dresses. It’s great to see this fashion has now come full circle and I now find myself wearing them again! The inclusion of some real life historical events added authenticity to the story. The references to 9/11 are quite spine chilling and incredibly authentic and I felt the terror and every emotion Jen was feeling. I connected with Jennifer (aka Jen, Jenny dependent on the decade) as a main character and she is brilliantly portrayed. Constantly trying to reinvent herself as a young woman, her clothes and hairstyles and I really related to her character. She grew so much as a character from a shy and awkward teenager to a confident and happy adult.
A compelling read which will appeal to all contemporary romance readers but particularly those of a certain age who will remember the eras and historical events mentioned. The pace, plot and characters are spot on and with the very clever writing I was hooked from the first page.
TWISTED IN PAGES BLOG
March 28, 2022
London. Nine million people. Two hundred and seventy tube stations. Every day, thousands of chance encounters, first dates, goodbyes and happy ever afters.
And for twenty years it's been where one man and one woman can never get their timing right.
Jennifer and Nick meet as teenagers and over the next two decades, they fall in and out of love with each other. Sometimes they start kissing. Sometimes they're just friends. Sometimes they stop speaking, but they always find their way back to each other.
But after all this time, are they destined to be together or have they finally reached the end of the line?
I thoroughly enjoyed the 'London' part of this book, it was almost like the city was an extra character and as someone born and raised there it was all so familiar. I found the on/off romance/friendship really fun to start with and Jen's depiction as an anguished, insecure teen was perfect but the will they/won't they began to drag after a while. To me it came across as not the 'one true love' idea but as an obsession with reliving their teen years. Perhaps it's because I'm a bit of an old cynic and should just let myself go with the true romance...
Nevertheless it was an enjoyable read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy in return for an honest review
And for twenty years it's been where one man and one woman can never get their timing right.
Jennifer and Nick meet as teenagers and over the next two decades, they fall in and out of love with each other. Sometimes they start kissing. Sometimes they're just friends. Sometimes they stop speaking, but they always find their way back to each other.
But after all this time, are they destined to be together or have they finally reached the end of the line?
I thoroughly enjoyed the 'London' part of this book, it was almost like the city was an extra character and as someone born and raised there it was all so familiar. I found the on/off romance/friendship really fun to start with and Jen's depiction as an anguished, insecure teen was perfect but the will they/won't they began to drag after a while. To me it came across as not the 'one true love' idea but as an obsession with reliving their teen years. Perhaps it's because I'm a bit of an old cynic and should just let myself go with the true romance...
Nevertheless it was an enjoyable read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy in return for an honest review
April 2, 2023
Bis es für immer ist...
Als Nick und Jen sich zum ersten Mal begegnen, sind sie gerade mal 15/16 und es ist die Musik, die sie verbindet. Jen ist gerade einmal ein paar Wochen an ihrer neuen Schule, als es auf einem Konzert zu einem Bruch mit ihren neuen Freunden kommt und Nick sie deshalb nach Hause begleitet.
Dieser Abend wiederum führt zu einer sehr engen Freundschaft. Doch dann regen sich in Jen auch noch andere Gefühle, die Nick nicht zu erwidern scheint.
So geht es immerfort, über fast 30 Jahre lang. Wir begleiten Jenny auf ihrem Weg vom Mädchen, über ihre wilden 20er bis hin zum Erwachsenwerden. Von Mistjobs über das Fußfassen in der Buchbranche bis hin zur Selbstständigkeit.Und immer wieder kreuzen sich dabei Nicks und ihre Wege. Und immer ist da dieses Gefühl von Sehnsucht, Liebe, nach Hause kommen.
Doch niemals scheint es der passende Zeitpunkt für sie Beide zu sein. Falls es den überhaupt gibt ?
Ich mochte die Geschichte sehr, auch wenn ich durch den recht nüchternen und distanziert wirkenden Ton der Autorin sehr lange gebraucht habe, um die Figuren richtig fassen zu können. Jenny, die immer mal wieder die Form ihres Namens anpasst (Jen, Jenny, Jennifer) wirkt vorallem in ihren 20igern wild und planlos, hat 3 Jobs, lebt in einer Bruchbude, tingelt von Party zu Party. Immer wieder erlebt sie aber Wandlungen, wird erwachsener. Sie hält die Leserschaft trotzdem sehr auf Abstand. Ebenso erging es mir auch mit Nick, der sich als Teenager überheblich gibt und diesen Zug auch nie so wirklich ablegt. Also ja, ich hatte mit Beiden irgendwie so meine Schwierigkeiten.
Dennoch hatte ich Spaß beim Lesen ihrer Geschichte, in der das Londoner Ubahn-Netz eine große Rolle spielt, warum, wird nicht erklärt, muss es aber auch nicht. Ich fands irgendwie spannend. Und natürlich hat mich auch die Frage angetrieben, ob es die Beiden irgendwann schaffen, den perfekten Zeitpunkt füreinander zu finden.
Als Nick und Jen sich zum ersten Mal begegnen, sind sie gerade mal 15/16 und es ist die Musik, die sie verbindet. Jen ist gerade einmal ein paar Wochen an ihrer neuen Schule, als es auf einem Konzert zu einem Bruch mit ihren neuen Freunden kommt und Nick sie deshalb nach Hause begleitet.
Dieser Abend wiederum führt zu einer sehr engen Freundschaft. Doch dann regen sich in Jen auch noch andere Gefühle, die Nick nicht zu erwidern scheint.
So geht es immerfort, über fast 30 Jahre lang. Wir begleiten Jenny auf ihrem Weg vom Mädchen, über ihre wilden 20er bis hin zum Erwachsenwerden. Von Mistjobs über das Fußfassen in der Buchbranche bis hin zur Selbstständigkeit.Und immer wieder kreuzen sich dabei Nicks und ihre Wege. Und immer ist da dieses Gefühl von Sehnsucht, Liebe, nach Hause kommen.
Doch niemals scheint es der passende Zeitpunkt für sie Beide zu sein. Falls es den überhaupt gibt ?
Ich mochte die Geschichte sehr, auch wenn ich durch den recht nüchternen und distanziert wirkenden Ton der Autorin sehr lange gebraucht habe, um die Figuren richtig fassen zu können. Jenny, die immer mal wieder die Form ihres Namens anpasst (Jen, Jenny, Jennifer) wirkt vorallem in ihren 20igern wild und planlos, hat 3 Jobs, lebt in einer Bruchbude, tingelt von Party zu Party. Immer wieder erlebt sie aber Wandlungen, wird erwachsener. Sie hält die Leserschaft trotzdem sehr auf Abstand. Ebenso erging es mir auch mit Nick, der sich als Teenager überheblich gibt und diesen Zug auch nie so wirklich ablegt. Also ja, ich hatte mit Beiden irgendwie so meine Schwierigkeiten.
Dennoch hatte ich Spaß beim Lesen ihrer Geschichte, in der das Londoner Ubahn-Netz eine große Rolle spielt, warum, wird nicht erklärt, muss es aber auch nicht. Ich fands irgendwie spannend. Und natürlich hat mich auch die Frage angetrieben, ob es die Beiden irgendwann schaffen, den perfekten Zeitpunkt füreinander zu finden.
April 29, 2022
Immediately this book reminds me of “One Day.” We meet two best friends Jennifer/Jen/Jenny and Nick across several decades, falling in and out of love, breaking and healing their friendship, and the will they won’t they situation.
Initially, I did love this book. We meet sixteen year old Jennifer who is awkward, shy, and desperate to reinvent herself as she begins college (A levels). Changing her name to the Jen, she wants to become the cool girl she’s always imagined. I mean, she could almost be describing me when I started college but without the name change. Jen is relatable and you can’t help but feel a little heartbroken for her at times. I felt like I didn’t get to know Nick as well, we’re just constantly told that he is pretentious. I think as the book progressed I was waiting for the characters to grow up, it felt that I was still reading about teenagers when the characters were supposed to be in their thirties.
I wonder if this book might have worked better had we got both characters as narrators. Told entirely from Jen’s point of view, we learn about everything from her. We understand (maybe not all the time) her actions, her view point, her decisions, and we grow to know her. I think it would have been interesting to see some of what happens through Nick’s eyes, how he has dealt with both of their decisions or his thoughts on certain situations. As the book progressed it didn’t appear that it was that they could never get their timing right, but more that they didn’t communicate.
Overall, it is an enjoyable book but I found that my attention waned at certain times.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book. My review is honest and unbiased.
Initially, I did love this book. We meet sixteen year old Jennifer who is awkward, shy, and desperate to reinvent herself as she begins college (A levels). Changing her name to the Jen, she wants to become the cool girl she’s always imagined. I mean, she could almost be describing me when I started college but without the name change. Jen is relatable and you can’t help but feel a little heartbroken for her at times. I felt like I didn’t get to know Nick as well, we’re just constantly told that he is pretentious. I think as the book progressed I was waiting for the characters to grow up, it felt that I was still reading about teenagers when the characters were supposed to be in their thirties.
I wonder if this book might have worked better had we got both characters as narrators. Told entirely from Jen’s point of view, we learn about everything from her. We understand (maybe not all the time) her actions, her view point, her decisions, and we grow to know her. I think it would have been interesting to see some of what happens through Nick’s eyes, how he has dealt with both of their decisions or his thoughts on certain situations. As the book progressed it didn’t appear that it was that they could never get their timing right, but more that they didn’t communicate.
Overall, it is an enjoyable book but I found that my attention waned at certain times.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book. My review is honest and unbiased.
August 9, 2022
I was really torn about whether to rate this book 3 or 4 stars because I didn’t not enjoy the book, but there were lots of things that I didn’t like. The biggest issue for me was the use of both 9/11 and 7/7 as ways for the two main characters to come back into each other’s lives. I had no idea that these events were going to be discussed in such detail and it didn’t sit well with me. Reading about the events of 9/11 the night before going on a plane is not advisable people!!!! I just felt like there were other ways that Jenny and Nick could have been there for each other, without having the reader relive such traumatic events. And to have both of those events affect them, it just seemed like too much of a coincidence. Also, Priya??? We didn’t even get any answers!! Secondly, Nick. I did not like him. Not one bit. He used Jenny throughout their teenager/early adult years and then effectively blamed her for them not ever getting together. I just couldn’t like him at any point in the story, and because I didn’t like him, I wasn’t rooting for him and Jenny to be together. Jenny/Jen/Jennifer (depending on the decade) had massive character development, and I felt like she grew and matured a lot as the book/years went on, I definitely liked her a lot more as she grew older. I felt that a lot of the secondary characters were quite unlikeable too and for me, it just made the book harder to read.
There were definitely good points, and I enjoyed it to a certain degree, but would I recommend it? I probably wouldn’t unfortunately.
There were definitely good points, and I enjoyed it to a certain degree, but would I recommend it? I probably wouldn’t unfortunately.
December 13, 2022
Romantic, thought-provoking, and heart-achingly beautiful!
London, With Love is a vivid, moving tale that takes us into the life of Jennifer, from her awkward teen years to her highly successful career in publishing as a mature woman, including the highs and lows of finding work, solid relationships that appear perfect but always seem to come to an end, a front row seat to some devastating tragedies, and her ongoing unrequited love for a boy, Nick Levene who somehow seems to continuously fall in and out of her life.
The writing is warm and sweet. The characters are multilayered, authentic, and flawed. And the plot is a charming rollercoaster ride of hope, heart, heartache, and humour.
Overall, London, With Love is a compelling, heartbreaking, pensive novel by Manning that is not only a love letter to the City of London but a delightfully absorbing tale that reminds us that life is complicated and messy, timing is everything, and sometimes, perhaps, things are just truly destined to happen.
Thank you to Mobius Books US for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
London, With Love is a vivid, moving tale that takes us into the life of Jennifer, from her awkward teen years to her highly successful career in publishing as a mature woman, including the highs and lows of finding work, solid relationships that appear perfect but always seem to come to an end, a front row seat to some devastating tragedies, and her ongoing unrequited love for a boy, Nick Levene who somehow seems to continuously fall in and out of her life.
The writing is warm and sweet. The characters are multilayered, authentic, and flawed. And the plot is a charming rollercoaster ride of hope, heart, heartache, and humour.
Overall, London, With Love is a compelling, heartbreaking, pensive novel by Manning that is not only a love letter to the City of London but a delightfully absorbing tale that reminds us that life is complicated and messy, timing is everything, and sometimes, perhaps, things are just truly destined to happen.
Thank you to Mobius Books US for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 16, 2022
Really enjoyed this tale of Jennifer and Nick. Nestled in the suburbs of northwest London, their story unfolds over many years. The author writes deftly, the ups and downs of their friendship are well painted. The toe-curling embarrassing moments are so realistic you are there with them, living your teenage years again !
I picked up this book after a challenging historical fiction book that was full of unpleasant characters. This book was the perfect antithesis - warm, funny, and full of people you could imagine you would be friends with (even if one or two of them were idiots!).
For an apparently light hearted book there were some darker moments in modern history - they were well drawn and provided context and experience that added to the story without being too sombre.
All in all a very enjoyable piece of fiction… and took me back to many weekends struggling on the northern line and yes, stranded at Mill Hill East waiting forever for the next train!!
I picked up this book after a challenging historical fiction book that was full of unpleasant characters. This book was the perfect antithesis - warm, funny, and full of people you could imagine you would be friends with (even if one or two of them were idiots!).
For an apparently light hearted book there were some darker moments in modern history - they were well drawn and provided context and experience that added to the story without being too sombre.
All in all a very enjoyable piece of fiction… and took me back to many weekends struggling on the northern line and yes, stranded at Mill Hill East waiting forever for the next train!!
December 27, 2021
This book… a rollercoaster. A glorious, heart breaking, adorable, sexy, and pretentious (😏) rollercoaster
September 17, 2024
Das Buch hat mich wirklich überrascht: im positiven Sinn! Normalerweise holen mich friends-to-lovers Geschichten nicht wirklich ab. Eigentlich denke ich mir die ganze Zeit: redet doch einfach miteinander über eure Gefühle und gut ist! Bei dem Buch hier hatte ich das gar nicht, sondern hab mich einfach auf die Geschichte von Jen & Nick eingelassen und wollte wissen, wie es mit ihnen innerhalb von 20 Jahren weitergeht. Ich konnte immer verstehen, wieso die Situation war, wie sie war und wieso sie nicht zueinander finden können. Einziger Kritikpunkt für mich ist, dass es sich im Mittelteil ein wenig gezogen hat - ich denke 300-400 Seiten hätten hier auch gereicht. ;-)
April 18, 2022
I love London, I love romantic reads…what better book could there be for me! This story covers a 20-year span in the lives of Jennifer and Nick. It begins in 1986, when Jen and Nick are teenagers, studying their A-levels. Jen has a big crush on Nick, but she can’t possibly admit that to anyone, especially as all her friends think Nick is pretentious! Thrust together at a Smiths gig, they both become friends, but Jen harbours her crush on Nick for years!
The storyline dips in and out of their lives over the next 20 years - some of those years they are friends for, some of them they don’t speak and there’s even some little glimpses that love between them! I loved how the storyline took us through, not just Nick and Jen’s life, but also some of the biggest world events during that time. Jennifer certainly had to be the unluckiest person ever being in New York during 9/11 and the attack on the World Trade Centres and in London during 7/7 bombings, and I thought it was clever how the author wove these stories into Nick and Jen’s timelines! Jen is a lovely character and being fictionally a couple of years older than myself, I found myself relating to her character so well, particularly the younger Jen! Nick is just an idiot, but in the nicest possible way. It felt like he strung Jen along for so many years, and then he’d do something to redeem himself, but then on the next page went back to being the metaphorical teenage boy that he always seemed to be.
The storyline flowed along at a good pace, building up the tension in Nick and Jen’s relationship as the story moved on. I loved the London references, and could picture the Underground, the stations and the landmarks as I read. There was a good, varied selection of supporting characters, although some of them were more likeable than others. They were though, all realistic and ones which you could imagine knowing at some point through your life. Being a 40 odd (*ahem!) year old woman, I could relate to the 80’s and 90’s references to music and lifestyles, and it brought back some happy memories of the time!
The book was a lovely, sweet and interesting take on the on/off relationship between the two main characters. I love books which are set over a span of years, and where the paths cross over that time. It kept me wondering what would happen between Nick and Jen throughout, and whether we would get to see a happy ending! It’s light-hearted and funny at times, with plenty of emotion and seriousness in equal measures. Would recommend!
The storyline dips in and out of their lives over the next 20 years - some of those years they are friends for, some of them they don’t speak and there’s even some little glimpses that love between them! I loved how the storyline took us through, not just Nick and Jen’s life, but also some of the biggest world events during that time. Jennifer certainly had to be the unluckiest person ever being in New York during 9/11 and the attack on the World Trade Centres and in London during 7/7 bombings, and I thought it was clever how the author wove these stories into Nick and Jen’s timelines! Jen is a lovely character and being fictionally a couple of years older than myself, I found myself relating to her character so well, particularly the younger Jen! Nick is just an idiot, but in the nicest possible way. It felt like he strung Jen along for so many years, and then he’d do something to redeem himself, but then on the next page went back to being the metaphorical teenage boy that he always seemed to be.
The storyline flowed along at a good pace, building up the tension in Nick and Jen’s relationship as the story moved on. I loved the London references, and could picture the Underground, the stations and the landmarks as I read. There was a good, varied selection of supporting characters, although some of them were more likeable than others. They were though, all realistic and ones which you could imagine knowing at some point through your life. Being a 40 odd (*ahem!) year old woman, I could relate to the 80’s and 90’s references to music and lifestyles, and it brought back some happy memories of the time!
The book was a lovely, sweet and interesting take on the on/off relationship between the two main characters. I love books which are set over a span of years, and where the paths cross over that time. It kept me wondering what would happen between Nick and Jen throughout, and whether we would get to see a happy ending! It’s light-hearted and funny at times, with plenty of emotion and seriousness in equal measures. Would recommend!
August 26, 2022
Big London kiss to NetGalley, Sarra Manning and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book !
The miscommunication plot stresses me the hell out, and that is essentially a very large part of this books plot so I remained stressed throughout this book. The premise is cute and the first part showed real promise to me: two indie pretentious kids falling in love `! PLEASE !!!!! The romance (besides the two main characters being slightly insufferable was cute) Did I want more of the two of them happily ever after ? Yes !! But I was pretty happy with how the book was going, and then...
And then I saw the date 9/9/01 and I went no, and then I texted my friend going I know what this book is going to do and then it did what I thought it was going to do. AND THEN I saw the date 7/7/05 and I went not again and yes again it did happen. When I started reading this book did I expect the protagonists to get caught up in 2 (TWO) terrorist attacks? no. Did I like that they got caught up in 2 (TWO) terrorist attacks? no. Did I feel like it was cheesy and there could have been a better and more enjoyable way for these protagonists to sort out their issues? Yes !!!! A terrorist attack should probably be a big thing in a book especially a romance book. To chuck two in there ultimately serving the same purpose lessens the impact and makes me now refer to this book as 'that one romance book with 2 (TWO) terrorist attacks what the fuck I did not see that coming from the description.)
The miscommunication plot stresses me the hell out, and that is essentially a very large part of this books plot so I remained stressed throughout this book. The premise is cute and the first part showed real promise to me: two indie pretentious kids falling in love `! PLEASE !!!!! The romance (besides the two main characters being slightly insufferable was cute) Did I want more of the two of them happily ever after ? Yes !! But I was pretty happy with how the book was going, and then...
And then I saw the date 9/9/01 and I went no, and then I texted my friend going I know what this book is going to do and then it did what I thought it was going to do. AND THEN I saw the date 7/7/05 and I went not again and yes again it did happen. When I started reading this book did I expect the protagonists to get caught up in 2 (TWO) terrorist attacks? no. Did I like that they got caught up in 2 (TWO) terrorist attacks? no. Did I feel like it was cheesy and there could have been a better and more enjoyable way for these protagonists to sort out their issues? Yes !!!! A terrorist attack should probably be a big thing in a book especially a romance book. To chuck two in there ultimately serving the same purpose lessens the impact and makes me now refer to this book as 'that one romance book with 2 (TWO) terrorist attacks what the fuck I did not see that coming from the description.)
January 16, 2024
Londen. Negen miljoen mensen. 270 metrostations. Elke dag duizenden toevallige ontmoetingen, eerste dates, afscheidstranen en happy ever afters. En 20 jaar lang is Londen de stad waar één vrouw en één man elkaar nét niet op het juiste moment vinden...
Jen en Nick ontmoeten elkaar als tieners. In de twee decennia die volgen worden ze verliefd op elkaar, hebben ze een hekel aan elkaar, zoenen ze, blijven ze vrienden, willen ze elkaar nooit meer spreken, en vinden ze elkaar altijd weer terug.
Maar zijn ze na al die tijd voorbestemd om samen te zijn, of is dit het einde van hun reis?
'"Je hoeft nergens spijt van te hebben," zei hij zacht. "En je hoeft je ook niet verloren te voelen. Je bént niet verloren, want ik heb je gevonden."'
Het is 9 september 1986 als we de laatste stop, High Barnet, de eindbestemming van de Northern Line, bereiken. Aan de zijde van Jennifer, Jen/Jenny, Richards. De dag waarop ze kennismaakt met Nick Levene, de pretentieuze, wispelturige, plaagzieke, impertinente Nick Levene. De dag waarop ze haar hart weggeeft, zonder het zich te beseffen.
De jaren verstrijken. We maken tijdsprongen van 1988 naar 1992, naar 1994, naar 1995, naar 1996, naar 1999-2000, naar 2001, naar 2003, naar 2005 tot aan 2021. Tien delen en een epiloog die aan elkaar geweven zijn door de fijne, vlotte en filmische schrijfstijl van Sarra Manning. Terwijl Jennifer en Nick om elkaar heen draaien, leren we Jennifer steeds beter kennen. Ze wordt levensecht neergezet en je gaat écht met haar meeleven. Je gaat met Jennifer én Nick meeleven.
Door de jaren die verstrijken, en terwijl het verhaal voortkabbelt, maken Jennifer en Nick veel mee. Van drugsgebruik, racisme, abortus, het ongeluk van prinses Diana, 9/11, een zelfmoordterrorist tot aan corona. Gebeurtenissen waardoor ze beide als persoon groeien. Die een onderlinge band scheppen die onverwoestbaar is, maar de juiste tijd en de juiste plek lijkt er nooit te zijn. Of toch?
Dit coming of age verhaal is met vlagen aangrijpend, soms heftig, brengt kippenvel op je armen en tranen in je ogen. Zonder ergens zwaar te worden. Dit verhaal is zó veel meer dan een feelgood. ****
Jen en Nick ontmoeten elkaar als tieners. In de twee decennia die volgen worden ze verliefd op elkaar, hebben ze een hekel aan elkaar, zoenen ze, blijven ze vrienden, willen ze elkaar nooit meer spreken, en vinden ze elkaar altijd weer terug.
Maar zijn ze na al die tijd voorbestemd om samen te zijn, of is dit het einde van hun reis?
'"Je hoeft nergens spijt van te hebben," zei hij zacht. "En je hoeft je ook niet verloren te voelen. Je bént niet verloren, want ik heb je gevonden."'
Het is 9 september 1986 als we de laatste stop, High Barnet, de eindbestemming van de Northern Line, bereiken. Aan de zijde van Jennifer, Jen/Jenny, Richards. De dag waarop ze kennismaakt met Nick Levene, de pretentieuze, wispelturige, plaagzieke, impertinente Nick Levene. De dag waarop ze haar hart weggeeft, zonder het zich te beseffen.
De jaren verstrijken. We maken tijdsprongen van 1988 naar 1992, naar 1994, naar 1995, naar 1996, naar 1999-2000, naar 2001, naar 2003, naar 2005 tot aan 2021. Tien delen en een epiloog die aan elkaar geweven zijn door de fijne, vlotte en filmische schrijfstijl van Sarra Manning. Terwijl Jennifer en Nick om elkaar heen draaien, leren we Jennifer steeds beter kennen. Ze wordt levensecht neergezet en je gaat écht met haar meeleven. Je gaat met Jennifer én Nick meeleven.
Door de jaren die verstrijken, en terwijl het verhaal voortkabbelt, maken Jennifer en Nick veel mee. Van drugsgebruik, racisme, abortus, het ongeluk van prinses Diana, 9/11, een zelfmoordterrorist tot aan corona. Gebeurtenissen waardoor ze beide als persoon groeien. Die een onderlinge band scheppen die onverwoestbaar is, maar de juiste tijd en de juiste plek lijkt er nooit te zijn. Of toch?
Dit coming of age verhaal is met vlagen aangrijpend, soms heftig, brengt kippenvel op je armen en tranen in je ogen. Zonder ergens zwaar te worden. Dit verhaal is zó veel meer dan een feelgood. ****
February 3, 2024
Jennifer en Nick ontmoeten elkaar als tieners. In de twee decennia die volgen worden ze verliefd op elkaar, hebben ze een hekel aan elkaar, zoenen ze, blijven ze vrienden, willen ze elkaar nooit meer spreken, en vinden ze elkaar altijd weer terug.
Maar zijn ze na al die tijd voorbestemd om samen te zijn, of is dit het einde van hun reis?
Ik ben een groot fan van hedendaagse liefdesverhalen. Ik weet niet wat het is, maar ik kan er geen genoeg van krijgen. De emoties, 'wat als' vragen, en de sfeer maken het voor mij altijd fijn. Als ik maar kan zuchten van geluk, dan is het goed.
Met 'London, with love' kwamen al deze elementen voor mij samen. Het deed mij denken aan het boek 'De eerste dag' van David Nicholls. Twee tieners die elkaar ontmoeten, vrienden worden, verliefd worden, maar waar de timing nooit écht goed is. Dit element maakt juist dat ik, nadat mijn hart al meerdere keren is gebroken, toch hoop houd, en juist blijf door lezen.
We maken het verhaal mee vanuit Jennifers perspectief. We leren haar kennen, groeien met haar, en ontdekken op haar manier het leven en natuurlijk Londen. Londen is de rode draad van het verhaal. We maken kennis met haar relaties, en ontdekken ook haar vriendschap met en liefde voor Nick. Ook al gaat het niet altijd goed tussen de twee, en wilde ik ze meerdere keren een schop onder de kont geven, toch komen ze elkaar altijd wel weer tegen.
Dit boek is zo waardevol geworden voor mij. Ik vond het een prachtige ontdekkingstocht door Londen en door het leven van Jennifer en Nick. Ik heb gelachen, genoten en gehuild. Opgroeien is lastig en dat weerspiegeld Manning perfect in dit boek. Het leven gaat niet over rozen, en, oh, wat werd mijn hart vaak gebroken in dit boek. Elke keer weer die hoop en elke keer weer werd deze de grond in gestampt. Manning heeft dit echt perfect uitgewerkt.
Het is een verhaal dat herkenbaar is, waar de personages niet perfect zijn en menselijk overkomen, en dat mij niet meer los liet. Wederom werd ik verliefd op Londen en op dit prachtige, pijnlijke liefdesverhaal. Ik ga de personages en hun levensverhaal missen en hoop eigenlijk dat dit boek ooit nog eens verfilmd mag worden.
Bedankt uitgeverij De Fontein voor dit recensie-exemplaar in ruil voor mijn eerlijke mening.
Maar zijn ze na al die tijd voorbestemd om samen te zijn, of is dit het einde van hun reis?
Ik ben een groot fan van hedendaagse liefdesverhalen. Ik weet niet wat het is, maar ik kan er geen genoeg van krijgen. De emoties, 'wat als' vragen, en de sfeer maken het voor mij altijd fijn. Als ik maar kan zuchten van geluk, dan is het goed.
Met 'London, with love' kwamen al deze elementen voor mij samen. Het deed mij denken aan het boek 'De eerste dag' van David Nicholls. Twee tieners die elkaar ontmoeten, vrienden worden, verliefd worden, maar waar de timing nooit écht goed is. Dit element maakt juist dat ik, nadat mijn hart al meerdere keren is gebroken, toch hoop houd, en juist blijf door lezen.
We maken het verhaal mee vanuit Jennifers perspectief. We leren haar kennen, groeien met haar, en ontdekken op haar manier het leven en natuurlijk Londen. Londen is de rode draad van het verhaal. We maken kennis met haar relaties, en ontdekken ook haar vriendschap met en liefde voor Nick. Ook al gaat het niet altijd goed tussen de twee, en wilde ik ze meerdere keren een schop onder de kont geven, toch komen ze elkaar altijd wel weer tegen.
Dit boek is zo waardevol geworden voor mij. Ik vond het een prachtige ontdekkingstocht door Londen en door het leven van Jennifer en Nick. Ik heb gelachen, genoten en gehuild. Opgroeien is lastig en dat weerspiegeld Manning perfect in dit boek. Het leven gaat niet over rozen, en, oh, wat werd mijn hart vaak gebroken in dit boek. Elke keer weer die hoop en elke keer weer werd deze de grond in gestampt. Manning heeft dit echt perfect uitgewerkt.
Het is een verhaal dat herkenbaar is, waar de personages niet perfect zijn en menselijk overkomen, en dat mij niet meer los liet. Wederom werd ik verliefd op Londen en op dit prachtige, pijnlijke liefdesverhaal. Ik ga de personages en hun levensverhaal missen en hoop eigenlijk dat dit boek ooit nog eens verfilmd mag worden.
Bedankt uitgeverij De Fontein voor dit recensie-exemplaar in ruil voor mijn eerlijke mening.
May 16, 2022
London, with Love is a novel I hugely enjoyed from start to finish. I don’t read a lot of romantic fiction as I’ve read too many novels that are cheesy, predictable and unbelievable, but this novel managed to get everything right!
We follow Jenny from her teenage years through to adulthood as she navigates life in London alongside (and often very much apart from) her best friend Nick.
It definitely feels like a love letter to London in so many ways, and well-known moments in history are presented through Jenny’s eyes throughout the book. The chapters each have the date on them so often you can guess what historical moment might take place in some of them before it happens, which adds to the anticipation. Although Jenny is older than me and I didn’t grow up in London, it is still a book soaked in nostalgia and I loved reading about her life. The fact that this novel spans so many decades makes you feel like you’ve really got to know Jenny, as we follow her for such a long time.
I loved that this novel isn’t just about romance. Jenny and Nick’s feelings towards each other – whether they’re positive or very negative – are always there but the book is also very much about Jenny and how she develops as a person. There are some romantic moments but there are also many other scenes where things don’t go to plan or work out quite as they might. I liked the fact that this book shows life as it often is – messy, complicated and hard work – but also amazing at times!
London, with love manages to sum up the joy of living in London (and some of the drawbacks too) all with humour and avoids the cringey, overworked moments you often get in romantic fiction. It’s a great story that I would happily read again. As my first Sarra Manning book, it also makes me want to read much more by her.
4.5 stars bumped to 5/5
Many thanks to the publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, for providing a copy of this book on which I chose to write an honest review.
We follow Jenny from her teenage years through to adulthood as she navigates life in London alongside (and often very much apart from) her best friend Nick.
It definitely feels like a love letter to London in so many ways, and well-known moments in history are presented through Jenny’s eyes throughout the book. The chapters each have the date on them so often you can guess what historical moment might take place in some of them before it happens, which adds to the anticipation. Although Jenny is older than me and I didn’t grow up in London, it is still a book soaked in nostalgia and I loved reading about her life. The fact that this novel spans so many decades makes you feel like you’ve really got to know Jenny, as we follow her for such a long time.
I loved that this novel isn’t just about romance. Jenny and Nick’s feelings towards each other – whether they’re positive or very negative – are always there but the book is also very much about Jenny and how she develops as a person. There are some romantic moments but there are also many other scenes where things don’t go to plan or work out quite as they might. I liked the fact that this book shows life as it often is – messy, complicated and hard work – but also amazing at times!
London, with love manages to sum up the joy of living in London (and some of the drawbacks too) all with humour and avoids the cringey, overworked moments you often get in romantic fiction. It’s a great story that I would happily read again. As my first Sarra Manning book, it also makes me want to read much more by her.
4.5 stars bumped to 5/5
Many thanks to the publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, for providing a copy of this book on which I chose to write an honest review.
February 7, 2024
3⭐️
Review London with love
Ik heb de Nederlandse vertaling van London with love mogen ontvangen van Uitgeverij Fonteijn. Dit boek is geschreven door Sarra Manning en speelt zich af in Londen, Verenigd Koninkrijk.
In dit verhaal volgen we het leven van Jennifer en Nick, die elkaar leren kennen toen ze nog tieners waren. In dit verhaal volgen we ze twintig jaar lang. Ze worden verliefd op elkaar, zoenen, hebben een hekel aan elkaar, willen elkaar nooit meer spreken na een discussie of ruzie en vinden elkaar uiteindelijk weer terug. Maar zijn ze na al die ups en downs nog steeds voor elkaar gemaakt en overwint de liefde?
Ik vind het erg leuk om te lezen over “hedendaagse” liefdesverhalen, omdat ik me dan gemakkelijk kan in leven. In de twintig jaar tijd dat je Jennifer en Nick volgt, maken ze allebei een hoop dingen mee. Hoogtepunten en dieptepunten, die iedereen wel kent in hun dagelijks leven.
Ik merkte bij een aantal dingen die Jennifer mee maakte veel herkenning. Vooral een hoop dingen die ze mee maakte in haar twintiger jaren. Ik vind het altijd fijn dat er herkenning zit in een boek, zo komt er meer emotie bij een boek kijken en geeft het je een prettig gevoel als je leest. Ook werd ik erg emotioneel bij het laatste hoofdstuk en de epiloog. In dit hoofdstuk komt “de corona tijd” aan bod, en ik heb dat zelf van erg dichtbij meegemaakt.
Helaas vond ik het verhaal soms iets te lang duren, bepaalde hoofdstukken werden voor mijn idee te lang gemaakt. Te diep op detail ingetreden, waardoor ik mijn concentratie en interesse kwijt was tijdens het lezen. Daarom koos ik ervoor om het lezen af te wisselen met luisteren. Het audioboek is zeker aan te raden, ik merkte dat ik hierdoor mijn aandacht er beter bij hield en ik het verhaal wat beter in me opnam.
Ik vond dit een heerlijk “hedendaagse roman” en het einde maakte dit boek compleet.
Review London with love
Ik heb de Nederlandse vertaling van London with love mogen ontvangen van Uitgeverij Fonteijn. Dit boek is geschreven door Sarra Manning en speelt zich af in Londen, Verenigd Koninkrijk.
In dit verhaal volgen we het leven van Jennifer en Nick, die elkaar leren kennen toen ze nog tieners waren. In dit verhaal volgen we ze twintig jaar lang. Ze worden verliefd op elkaar, zoenen, hebben een hekel aan elkaar, willen elkaar nooit meer spreken na een discussie of ruzie en vinden elkaar uiteindelijk weer terug. Maar zijn ze na al die ups en downs nog steeds voor elkaar gemaakt en overwint de liefde?
Ik vind het erg leuk om te lezen over “hedendaagse” liefdesverhalen, omdat ik me dan gemakkelijk kan in leven. In de twintig jaar tijd dat je Jennifer en Nick volgt, maken ze allebei een hoop dingen mee. Hoogtepunten en dieptepunten, die iedereen wel kent in hun dagelijks leven.
Ik merkte bij een aantal dingen die Jennifer mee maakte veel herkenning. Vooral een hoop dingen die ze mee maakte in haar twintiger jaren. Ik vind het altijd fijn dat er herkenning zit in een boek, zo komt er meer emotie bij een boek kijken en geeft het je een prettig gevoel als je leest. Ook werd ik erg emotioneel bij het laatste hoofdstuk en de epiloog. In dit hoofdstuk komt “de corona tijd” aan bod, en ik heb dat zelf van erg dichtbij meegemaakt.
Helaas vond ik het verhaal soms iets te lang duren, bepaalde hoofdstukken werden voor mijn idee te lang gemaakt. Te diep op detail ingetreden, waardoor ik mijn concentratie en interesse kwijt was tijdens het lezen. Daarom koos ik ervoor om het lezen af te wisselen met luisteren. Het audioboek is zeker aan te raden, ik merkte dat ik hierdoor mijn aandacht er beter bij hield en ik het verhaal wat beter in me opnam.
Ik vond dit een heerlijk “hedendaagse roman” en het einde maakte dit boek compleet.
April 18, 2022
I wanted to read Sarra Manning's latest because I have LOVED some of her previous work - I really enjoyed 'Unsticky', and have reread 'You Don't Have to Say You Love Me' at least 3 or 4 times. I loved how the FMCs in both those stories had an arc that went beyond finding a man. I also loved the actual romance in those stories...which, for me, is key to enjoying a romance novel whole-heartedly.
'London, With Love' unfolds through the POV of Jennifer/Jen/Jenny starting from when she is a teenager all the way through to her 50th (actually 51st) year. Through this journey, her best friend Nick pops in and out of her life, as they both navigate early adulthood, career, ambition, love and loss. Jenny is easy to root for - she's reserved, dependable, clever and stands up for herself, family and friends when needed. She's also in love with Nick, but she has the gumption to stand up for herself when she feels Nick treats her badly.
London -gorgeous, exciting, expensive, grimy, but always loved London, is more than a backdrop to Jenny's life-story, almost assuming a 3rd character.
Nick...oh Nick. We never get his POV - and what we see of him over the years, I found difficult to like. He is the reason why this book wasn't a 4 or 5 star read for me.
****Spoilers****
Nick, as a teenager is aware that his best friend is in love with him, but is not interested in pursuing anything with her. He is happy chasing and being chased by his "little blondes", and doesn't want the "intensity" of what a relationship with Jen would entail. Understood- I could respect someone who had this clarity and wasn't playing with his best friend's feelings.
Nick, as a 20-something is interested in more from Jenny, but feels like she's in a bad place and doesn't want to push her. Again, understood, and appreciated.
Nick, as a 30-something in a committed relationship with someone else kisses his best friend and tries to stake his claim (that is all it felt like)
Nick, again as a 30-something, sleeps with his best friend, when he's been busy looking for mortgage with his girlfriend/fiancee. He then suggests they just ditch their significant others and stay in NYC - what a prince! Bletch!
As an aside, so not a fan of using distress from 9/11 as a reason for Jenny to initiate sex) to just stay in NYC. I felt this was out of character for Jenny.
*******
So, would I recommend this book after all that?
Hmm, if you had only enough time to read one (and ONLY ONE) book from Sarra Manning, I would say go pick up "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me".
Otherwise, in spite of my gripes with Nick, I found myself reading well into the middle of the night to find out how it all ends and if Jenny gets her HEA (maybe even with someone else! Hah!), so yes, I think London, With Love is worth a read.
Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC. This did not influence my opinion.
'London, With Love' unfolds through the POV of Jennifer/Jen/Jenny starting from when she is a teenager all the way through to her 50th (actually 51st) year. Through this journey, her best friend Nick pops in and out of her life, as they both navigate early adulthood, career, ambition, love and loss. Jenny is easy to root for - she's reserved, dependable, clever and stands up for herself, family and friends when needed. She's also in love with Nick, but she has the gumption to stand up for herself when she feels Nick treats her badly.
London -gorgeous, exciting, expensive, grimy, but always loved London, is more than a backdrop to Jenny's life-story, almost assuming a 3rd character.
Nick...oh Nick. We never get his POV - and what we see of him over the years, I found difficult to like. He is the reason why this book wasn't a 4 or 5 star read for me.
****Spoilers****
Nick, as a teenager is aware that his best friend is in love with him, but is not interested in pursuing anything with her. He is happy chasing and being chased by his "little blondes", and doesn't want the "intensity" of what a relationship with Jen would entail. Understood- I could respect someone who had this clarity and wasn't playing with his best friend's feelings.
Nick, as a 20-something is interested in more from Jenny, but feels like she's in a bad place and doesn't want to push her. Again, understood, and appreciated.
Nick, as a 30-something in a committed relationship with someone else kisses his best friend and tries to stake his claim (that is all it felt like)
Nick, again as a 30-something, sleeps with his best friend, when he's been busy looking for mortgage with his girlfriend/fiancee. He then suggests they just ditch their significant others and stay in NYC - what a prince! Bletch!
As an aside, so not a fan of using distress from 9/11 as a reason for Jenny to initiate sex) to just stay in NYC. I felt this was out of character for Jenny.
*******
So, would I recommend this book after all that?
Hmm, if you had only enough time to read one (and ONLY ONE) book from Sarra Manning, I would say go pick up "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me".
Otherwise, in spite of my gripes with Nick, I found myself reading well into the middle of the night to find out how it all ends and if Jenny gets her HEA (maybe even with someone else! Hah!), so yes, I think London, With Love is worth a read.
Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC. This did not influence my opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2025
The Book That Made Me Dream Again
After a long stretch without diving into my favorite genre — romance — I finally picked up a book. And after what felt like ages of holding back tears, I finally let them flow!
This book had been on my reading list for ages. I kept postponing it, waiting for the "right time," and now I can confidently say — it was worth the wait. Every future visit to London will feel different after this story — I want to go there more than ever!
The novel is packed with emotions and a cast of characters we follow over the years as they grow and change. I felt like the main character was playing me throughout the entire book. Same personality, humor, dedication... and so many little similarities!
I went through it all — I smiled, I cried my heart out, laughed with joy, even raised a glass in celebration of the ending... and almost missed my train because of it! Why? Well, you'll have to read it to find out.
A massive recommendation from me!
Danica 🥰🩷
After a long stretch without diving into my favorite genre — romance — I finally picked up a book. And after what felt like ages of holding back tears, I finally let them flow!
This book had been on my reading list for ages. I kept postponing it, waiting for the "right time," and now I can confidently say — it was worth the wait. Every future visit to London will feel different after this story — I want to go there more than ever!
The novel is packed with emotions and a cast of characters we follow over the years as they grow and change. I felt like the main character was playing me throughout the entire book. Same personality, humor, dedication... and so many little similarities!
I went through it all — I smiled, I cried my heart out, laughed with joy, even raised a glass in celebration of the ending... and almost missed my train because of it! Why? Well, you'll have to read it to find out.
A massive recommendation from me!
Danica 🥰🩷
April 11, 2022
The start of this novel was interesting and decent in terms of its pace however as the novel unfolds it began to be a real long journey to get through, even in situations where I am waiting in the hospital I could not find myself reaching for this novel I would have to push through to finish it.
Some of the things Jen - whatever nickname she’s going through in life seems a bit extreme but I guess that is the way teenagers where in the 80’s.
I found her to be overly snobby in a wanna-be type of way because she needed to have it all figured out and got so embarrassed at times which reminds the reader of the thoughts that go through your mind at that age which I did enjoy. Some other chapters after that like when she gets her first job and all she does is complain about it instead of doing something about it. And the drugs. Was there any need for the mention of them as if it’s like drinking water?
This is not about a love. This is about an obsession with a guy that the main character constantly has to tell herself she doesn’t love him and then she goes on about how much she loves him, get over it girl and be honest with yourself instead of trying to ‘fit in’. Overall, the plot is very interesting and did grab my attention but it didn’t hold it enough throughout this read.
Some of the things Jen - whatever nickname she’s going through in life seems a bit extreme but I guess that is the way teenagers where in the 80’s.
I found her to be overly snobby in a wanna-be type of way because she needed to have it all figured out and got so embarrassed at times which reminds the reader of the thoughts that go through your mind at that age which I did enjoy. Some other chapters after that like when she gets her first job and all she does is complain about it instead of doing something about it. And the drugs. Was there any need for the mention of them as if it’s like drinking water?
This is not about a love. This is about an obsession with a guy that the main character constantly has to tell herself she doesn’t love him and then she goes on about how much she loves him, get over it girl and be honest with yourself instead of trying to ‘fit in’. Overall, the plot is very interesting and did grab my attention but it didn’t hold it enough throughout this read.
February 19, 2025
Sorry, not sorry.
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