Penny Bridges is enjoying life in London, but it is not without complications. The café owner and chef is a cancer survivor, which left her with fertility issues and difficult decisions to make when it comes to having children.

While she would love a partner to build her life with, a series of disastrous dates shifts her focus away from looking for love. Enter Francesco, the handsome Italian chef.

When her uncle becomes ill, Penny finds herself heading back to Derbyshire to run the family pub while he recovers. The timing isn’t great, but given everything he has done for Penny and her sister, Clementine, she is not in a position to refuse.

But what does the move mean for her relationship with Francesco?

As she settles into life in the country, Penny finds herself drawn to Thomas—a man who doesn’t do monogamy. She enjoys their time together, which is all that matters. Right?

Then there is Priyesh.

Each relationship is completely different, but Penny soon finds herself having to choose between the three men.

Laura Jane Williams writes complex characters with ease. While I had some issues with the LGBTQ+ representation in Williams’ debut Our Stop, the LGBTQ+ characters in The Love Square are fully realised.

The Love Square is a thoroughly enjoyable rom com full of humour, compassion, friendships, familial relationships, explorations of what it means to live an intentional life, and, yes, romance.

A feel good, escapist story which engrosses the reader from start to finish.

A will she, wont she with a happy ending, what more do you need for a great lockdown read.

I would recommend this for summer reading for 2020.

Enjoyable and lighthearted read! It took me a bit to get into the book, but once I did, the pages flew by. I enjoyed reading about Penny's trials, tribulations, and ultimately, growth. Great book to enjoy at the pool or beach with a cocktail in hand.

When I saw that Laura Jane Williams had a new book for request on NetGalley I knew I had to get my hands on it. I became such a fan of her work after reading OUR STOP and the love continues with her upcoming novel, THE LOVE SQUARE! I liked Penny from the start so I immediately became invested in her story. I was a bit suspicious of Francesco at first but then quickly got swept up in their time together. I definitely don’t want to spoil it for anyone but I’ll share this: I laughed (at Penny), I cried (at moving), I laughed again (at the older gent lol), then I cried again (AT THE ENDING AHHHHH). Oh man, highly recommend picking this one up when it comes out in July!

Oh I just loved this book! A flawed heroine with a brilliant story and the coolest supporting characters (I definitely have a new lit crush!) make one of my favourite reads. It has heart, food and laughs, what more could we want?!

This story follows Penny, the owner and head chef of Bridges Cafe. She is single, and feel there is something wrong with her.

This all changes when she meets Francesco. But just as their relationship gets going she has to leave London to take over the running of her uncle's pub.

Whilst there she meets another two men, who she gets involved with, but she;s never forgotten Francesco.

I found Penny a little annoying, and at times the storyline was far-fetched..I felt this wasn't as strong as 'Our Stop.' but it was an OK light read.

Unfortunately this novel was not for me. I found the writing much too juvenile for characters that were fully grown (Penny owned a cafe!!) and it completely took me out of the story. The plot wasn't intriguing or interesting enough to make me ignore the writing style.

This book started out very entertaining, but somewhere along the way it started to drag. I couldn't quite bring myself to continue rooting for the main character and ended up getting bored. I did finish the novel and enjoyed the ending, but overall I think this book was a lovely premise but fell a bit short in execution.

Love. Friendship. Giving. Receiving. Being open and accepting. These are all things we have to learn, and we learn with Penny.
Life doesn’t always go as planned, in fact the saying ‘if you want to make God laugh, make a plan’ comes to mind.
Penny goes from her own life, to a situation she doesn’t want o be in, but accepts with grace. The men that come into her life - the exciting adventurer who is selfish in bed, the cultured connoisseur who is anything but, and the one that knows that friendship is at the heart of any true love - these men all give Penny something that she needs. It is not until she has a chance to truly explore that she is able to see what it is that she needs - both for herself, and from a partner.

Williams artfully weaves this light and fun tale of life, love, and self discovery into a page turning delight.
Fantastic beach/summer read, or really for anyone who wants to smile into a story.

I don't know if I'd say this is a good book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and will probably read again. What I loved most about this book is that it's a great escape read, and I could sure use an escape during these crazy times. The story centers around Penny, a single chef living in London. As she searches for love in our modern-day dating culture, she finds herself involved with (spoiler) three different men. It's not that there's much mystery around which lover she will choose - it's pretty clear from page 1 who the true match is- but it's fun watching how the other men come into and out of her life. If I could change one thing about this book, it would be the pacing: the first half is slow but not too slow, and Williams really develops the relationship between Penny and Guy #1. The second half speeds way up with no transition, and Guy #2 and #3 feel very two-dimensional as a result. On another note, I LOVE that the story includes different sexual orientations, types of relationships, and gender identities, in a way that feels natural. This is a fast, light read, and I would recommend it for lying poolside- whether that be a pool at your hotel or, like me, a kiddie pool in your backyard that the dog won't stop drinking out of.

The book was totally different to what I expected. Not a chick-lit at all really. Some very hard to face issues were addressed, namely the emotional long term effects on a young person in the aftermath of breast cancer and the loss of parents and her guilt and the actions taken by someone who is struggling with self worth. It was quite a rollercoaster ride, certainly not a light funny read that I expected from the preview. Indeed it was quite hard to read in places and not a book I would have really selected if I knew the full detail of the contents. I did enjoy the novel but it was quite an emotional one for me. The ending was really good.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a preview copy.

A romantic comedy that for me fell short.
The meet cute between Penny and Francesco was fun and their story had potential. Overall I could not get into this book. I didn't enjoy the writing of this store, both the dialogue and character development fell flat for me. Truly, I didn't think Penny was a very likable character. I did find the conclusion satisfying and I enjoyed the idea that friends become family.

This is an entertaining read, but the main character of Penny drove me crazy. She refused to see what was in front of her face, didn't fight for what she wanted, and then couldn't decide between three men even though it was obvious that two were totally wrong for her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for letting me read The Love Square by Laura Jane Williams in advance! I'd read her first novel, Our Stop, and although I found it highly addictive, I also thought it was really cheesy and the writing wasn't always great. Happy to report I enjoyed The Love Square more!

The Love Square focuses on Penny Bridge (her name really annoyed me lol, sounds way too whimsical), who is a cancer survivor and Stoke Newington café owner, and is looking for love at the same time as she's desperate for motherhood. I thought this book was more polished and subtler than her debut, although there were still a few things that irritated me. A couple were just personal preferences that I can't really get blame Laura Jane Williams for - such as the fact that the language is sometimes a bit self-helpy - but there were a few big dramatic moments that didn't quite ring true for me, and sometimes the characters can be a little wooden and stereotypical. Also real celebrities made an appearance in the book and I don't know why but it made me a bit uncomfortable?!

But on the whole, I really liked The Love Square. Half of the book takes part in a Derbyshire village but I really appreciate how the village isn't rendered as cutesy or idyllic (like in The Switch), it's just a place where people happen to live. I don't know Stoke Newington too well but I used to live right next to Clissold Park so I love the references to that area! The central romance is also really nice and convincing, and Penny is an engaging character who feels authentic and modern, whilst still feeling fresh. I was also surprised by how much I enjoyed the restaurant setting, it's a lot of fun and made me so miss having gorgeous meals in places that aren't my flat ♥️ I think I'll continue to read Laura Jane Williams's books but I can't see her becoming a new fave. 3.5 stars 🌟

Penny was a really fun main character to follow. There’s something so relatable about her that it feels as though you’re being told a story by a friend. I really liked her and found her story to be a really quick read.

Her love interests were also very endearing. They were all so very different from one another but they were equally fun to read about. I liked that they gave some time to learn about each guy and their relationship with Penny before they brought in all the love square drama that was inevitably coming.

Having said that, the pacing of this book was a bit strange. The first third was about one guy, the second third about the next guy with hints about the first, and the final third involved the third guy and all the drama. It almost felt like the love square took a backseat for most of the book, as it didn’t actually exist until the 60% mark. Even then it never really felt like there was any real competition between them.

The way it was written made it so obvious what was going to happen and who she was going to end up with. Their relationship was very different to the others, so the whole time I was just waiting for her to finally realise and confirm it. It’s always a weird feeling when you know how the story will go before the main character does.

It was a very predictable story but one part really did surprise me. But I really didn’t like the surprise. You expect hiding multiple relationships to blow up in your face at some point, so I was fully expecting something to happen. But the outburst came from out of the blue. It was also really mean which was so out of character for this person. Yes, it got Penny to take some actions she probably should’ve done before, but I can’t get over how mean it was. There was so little drama in this book up to that point, so the sudden input of an outburst like that felt very wrong.

Loved this book, the men in Penny's life were a bit like buses - not one but three all come along at the same time & the reader is left wondering who Penny will choose. A brilliant easy to read story

I thoroughly enjoyed Laura Jane Williams first foray into fiction, One Stop, and was excited to get the opportunity to read her second offering, The Love Square.
A story about Love, of all sorts.
Penny is a cancer survivor, burned by her last serious relationship. She is a business owner, with a thirst for success with her cafe, but a huge amount of family loyalty too. And most of all, she wants love.
And it comes, from many directions, from her friends, her uncles and sister, and from three very different men.
Caught in a love square, Penny has to make decisions that could hurt, but could equally give her the best future ever.
I loved Penny. She's a strong woman, who doesn't actually know her own strength. Sometimes the need for approval of others overtakes the fact that she needs to be happy in herself, and love herself first.
Her three choices:
Francesco, the Italian chef with a passion for food to rival hers, and the promise of falling in friendship.
Thomas, the happy go lucky playboy with a huge heart.
Priyush, the mature, wave and sophisticated older man who is ready to offer a life of elegance and romance.
I loved the story, and the characters. An easy to read tale with a deeper meaning that the cover may let on.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 4.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

The Love Square by Laura Jane Williams was a good read. Well tried and tested formula of love interest and independent woman who has all but given up on finding “the one” Throw in sex, gay relationships and IVF and you’re slap bang current, hip and happening. Easy afternoon of chick lit.

This book took me completely by surprise! I fell completely in love with Penny and her struggle to manage the unexpected explosion of men in her life. Penny is a typical unlucky in love woman who for the most part is perfectly happy running her own cafe. But she can't deny she's looking for someone to love and love her back. When a handsome funny man walks through the door of her cafe, they immediately hit it off, but she's learned her lesson from the past. It's best not to fall to heard because they'll inevitably disappoint you.

After her uncle falls ill and she moves to the country to take over his pub, she leaves Francesco behind. During her months at the pub, she ends up casually dating two other men and reconnecting as friends with Francesco. When things come to a head, Penny must decide if she's willing to truly open her heart to a relationship.

I enjoyed reading a book about a woman my own age, rather than in her young twenties! Penny is a successful business owner and takes pride in her cafe and the food she creates. That added a unique aspect to this story that sets it apart from other contemporary romances. Plus, it's fun to read about a four-way juggling act than the standard love triangle!

This is an excellent addition to the genre and will be a hit for romance and women's fiction fans.