When we first went into lockdown back in March (idk anymore), I wondered when we would be getting the lockdown movies, books, etc. It's hard not to have some sort of entertainment centered around this crazy time we're living in...

Love in Lockdown follows neighbors Sophia and Jack as they meet and eventually start to develop feelings for each other, at a distance Jack lives above Sophia, by speaking to each other every night on their balconies. As the story unfolds, both escape to their balconies nightly to discuss their lives, fears, hopes and dreams, ultimately becoming incredibly honest with one another. 

I loved the sense of community in this book, where everyone in the apartment complex was out to make sure no one felt alone, and every little detail that happened to ensure everyone stayed sane. I especially loved Jack's nightly cocktails brought down to Sophia's balcony in a little contraption.  

While the sense of community this book portrayed was beautiful, I felt that not enough attention was given to the development of Sophia and Jack's relationship. It felt that for most of the book, their developing feelings were a bit of an afterthought, and merely mentioned quickly to make sure it's included. There was so much detail about everyone else in their lives (literally everyone) but when I finished the book, I felt as if I didn't know the two main characters at all. 

Going into this book, I was curious to see how I felt about reading about something relevant to us right now, especially something as difficult as the times we are in. While I didn't feel like the author obsessed over it like I initially thought would happen (the author stated that was not her intention), I felt like little Covid related things were thrown in that made me slightly paranoid about and made me question myself in how I'm handling things, which I really did not need.

At the end of the day, if you feel any type of stress over Covid, whether it's general stress, paranoia, etc. I would not read this book. However, if you want a book that shows a beautiful sense of community, give it a try! 

Thank you @avon_books and @NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sophia and Jack "meet" during the clap for the keyworkers. It's an emotional moment for Sophia and she's moved to tears. Jack, who lives one floor above her, hears her crying and tries to offer comfort. They have no idea what the other looks like but as the lockdown continues, they meet more often on their respective balconies. What starts as a friendship slowly develops into something more.

The book unfortunately couldn't really hold my interest. I think it's too long for the story it's trying to tell. I did enjoy a couple of the side stories but the main romance fell a bit flat for me. There are a couple of moments of drama between the main characters that felt unnecessary, like they were only inserted because that's what's expected in a romance novel.

I also couldn't really buy the ending. I get that the author is going for payoff and I could've believed it if Jack wasn't a high risk patient, but I feel like it goes against the whole setup of the book.

I picked up this book because of the title and I was so hopeful that it would cheer me up after this crazy idea. This book is set during the COVID quarantine with Sophia and Jack being our main characters who are neighbors and have to actually talk because uhmm hello we under quarantine .The author did a great job because after reading this book I was hopeful and it's such a cute book..Recommend it to everyone in need of some romance .Huge thanks to AVON for my advanced copy .

I loved the idea of this story, but I ended up DNFing at 20%. My first problem was the writing style in general. It felt very a mature and just not really well done. Like it was thrown together as quickly as possible, which considering it was written completely in the past few months makes sense. But I also had issues with the story telling - it explained the pandemic like the reader wouldn’t know what is was about, which was just unnecessary and honestly felt as if it was trying to explain it to a child. Just from the beginning I could tell it wouldn’t have enough depth for me, and got repetitive and patronizing very quickly.

This is a lovely tale. But, I think I read it at the wrong time, Wales has just gone into a second lockdown. And, this book brought back all the lockdown vibes we went through in March. Reminding me what I've got ahead of me again 🙈

However, despite the wrong timing I did enjoy the book.

"In lockdown nothing was definite, nothing was certain except the strength and resilience of love and community."

This is what the story is all about, the Great British community spirit, and through a basically pants time we all came together.

Sophia and Jack live in a high rise flat and didn't know each other existed until the lockdown started and brought them together. This is what I love when reading books set in cities, I live in a small rural town in North Wales, where everyone knows everybody.

When lockdown was announced back in March, our community came together in an amazing way. Facebook groups were set up, volunteer groups for each estate were established. Flyers were sent out to every household with contact details of local businesses that were willing to provide delivery service and their services. It was safe to say that we all looked out for each other.

Love In Lockdown reminds us of what we all went through, it also highlights some of the elements that we might not have known about. The situations some people found themselves in, like Jack who had to shield because of his kidney disease. Sophia, talking about what the children in the school were worrying about. Lockdown affected everyone. But, hopefully like Jack and Sophia people found a chink of light in the dark days.

Almost 4 full rolls of loo paper!

A Meet Cute for our Covid 19 times!

Too soon? Not at all!

This sweet novel takes us back to the weeks of lockdown, before Covid fatigue set in.
When neighbors in the UK could be seen with rainbow pictures in their windows, standing in their gardens, and on their balconies, weekly, on Thursday nights, to applaud the healthcare workers of the NHS.

And, when our fictional characters, Sophia and Jack, “meet” as they begin “talking” from their balconies, and sharing drinks and food, by sending these things up and down, the one flight difference, in boxes and baskets, lowered and raised by pulley, parapet to parapet.

They cannot actually SEE each other with the way that the balconies are designed, but that doesn’t stop them from forming a bond with one another and with the neighbors that they share the Thursday night ritual with.

Are the feelings they are developing real? Or will they fizzle out like a reality show romance that makes it to the “real world”?

I was looking for something light and uplifting, and this fit the bill, with likeable leads, and a great supporting cast of characters !

My only suggestion-ditch the epilogue, and give us the sequel, “LOVE after Lockdown”! ❤️

Thank You to Avon books for my gifted copy!
It was my pleasure to provide a candid review!

Available Nov. 23, 2020!

4.5 stars

This was a case of the right book coming into my life at the right time. This was gorgeous. It was the perfect romance telling of all the good things that have come out of lockdown. I really loved all the relationships within this, and loved how the book didn’t dwell on the negatives. It was very nearly a 5 star but I found a few of the plot points a little too convenient. Can’t wait to get my hands on a paper copy of this as it currently stands this will be in my top 10 of the year.

This was such a beautiful and uplifting book once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down and read it in an afternoon. The book really resonated with me as like jack I was also shielding for nearly 8 months and could really relate to what he was going through and also how it feels to have a life limiting illness and how that affects daily life and relationships etc. The author covered the topic of epilepsy and kidney disease in a sensitive way and also covered the effects of lockdown and how everyone needed to pull together to help each other in an insightful way without getting bogged down with the politics and background of the Covid virus instead focusing on the happy things and community spirit to come out of the pandemic. I think there were a lot of Sophie’s out there helping others and I was lucky to also have my own in the form of a good friend who became my food fairy. If your looking for a light hearted heartwarming romantic read then look no further than love in lockdown.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, I loved the premise and it sounded like a romantic twist on the pandemic. However, I felt myself skimming pages, the story was slow and sometimes boring. The dialog lacks depth and the whole thing was just too simplistic. There was no real description of anything and I felt like it was slightly rushed and everything got skimmed over.

There was also too much mention of “the current crisis” “the global pandemic” “lockdown”. We know what the book is about, we are looking for an escape from the current situation and the way in which is was constantly brought up was a little bit depressing. I would have liked the story to develop without so much of a reminder as to why.

The story touched on Sophias disappointing relationships, cringey dates and technology struggles, which was sometimes humorous but again lacked any real depth. Her epilepsy and jacks kidney disease was mentioned as a sort of afterthought and there was no real exploration of that.

I did enjoy the sections where Sophia’s class were mentioned, these parts were often funny but apart from this the book just didn’t do it for me.

This book gets a 'pass' from me. While I love the premise of a quarantine romance, this missed the mark. Much like living during lockdown, this book felt repetitive and depressing. It also feels mismarketed as a romance.
Building community and listening to Dua Lipa would have been a better description.

Love in Lockdown by Chloe James is a timely, lighthearted read that will strike a chord with anyone who is trying to adjust to a new normal. This is about overcoming adversity, and finding a sense of community during a challenging situation.

Sophia is struggling to keep it all together when the UK goes into lockdown. She fears for the safety of her mother, a frontline worker, and will be attending the much anticipated wedding of her sister virtually. When she has a teary moment on the balcony, her upstairs neighbour, Jack, is an audible witness to her distress, and offers a kind ear. Jack, it seems, is also struggling with the changes brought about by the lockdown as he is confined to his flat owing to a pre-existing condition. The two neighbours, who were previously strangers, begin to rely on one another to get through the difficult days.

This is a heartfelt story about the banding together of neighbours, and the ways in which a sense of community can be achieved, particularly in times of crisis. I look forward to reading more from Ms James.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read this ARC.

3 stars
This was cheese on top of cheese on top of cheese. And don’t get me wrong, I love cheese, but this seemed to almost romanticized the pandemic.

I loved the dual point of views. In a contemporary romance such as this, two point of view style is my favorite.

This book will be relatable to a lot of people because this pandemic has affected everyone all over the world. It’s nice reading about people going through a similar situation as you.

It was a bit slow paced however. At times it lost me and I had to refocus.

I do feel like this was the authors “therapy” throughout this time, and I can really appreciate that.
It was definitely cute, and tried to make this difficult situation lighthearted. Even though it didn’t always work for me, overall this was a lovey read.

*special thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC to review!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is a gorgeous romantic story from both viewpoints - classic modern English romance lit. Every time I read one of these though, the man is always really sensible and emotionally intelligent, so different to how a lot of men are. I haven't "dated" for some time though. At one point, I wrote in my notes, "Who is this unicorn?"

Jack and Soph live in the same block of flats (apartments) somewhere in England during lockdown early 2020 - Northern Hemisphere spring. So the weather's good but no one can go anywhere and there's a lot of talk about wartime spirit, etcetera.

She has epilepsy, was a lawyer, is now a teacher and was dumped by her lawyer fiancé within the last year, before the lockdown anyway. She's really nice, but to be honest, seems to be a bit of a doormat. I still can't work out why she does all her flatmate's ironing. She babbles incessantly, even to herself. My husband snorted at this as he says I do it too. Hmph.

Jack is an expert barman with a kidney disease and an estranged wife he met on holidays in Greece. He's come down from his Greek sojourn, but she has not. He also can't leave the flat while lockdown because of his kidney disease. And as I said above, he's very sensible and self-aware and unselfish. His home haircut scene is of particular amusement. He also becomes an uncle in the beginning of the book which is quite a lovely bit. I became a great-aunt for the second time during lockdown and it was quite emotional.

Somehow they get talking and because Soph is just lovely, she goes shopping for him, they both organise for everyone in the block to be in contact so if anyone needs help, they can just ask. There are some just wonderful side stories, which I love. Bertie's in particular made the whole book totally worth it and I would like a companion book to find out what happened there.

Really great little read and I cried, several times, but I like romances and needed cheering up.

#loveinlockdown #chloejames #netgalley

I was definitely pulled into this book because of the blurb. Since March (and even earlier for some), our lives have been changed by a new virus. 2020 has been a wild year and we are still dealing with it all in October. It’s been interesting to see what authors come up with that involve a virus or even the quarantine aspect of it. In a crazy world with new social experiences, I wanted to give this romance book a try.

The book is written with two point-of-views: Jack and Sophia. Like I saw in pretty much every review, I always enjoy multiple point-of-views because it gives us more background for the characters and especially their feelings. This book was no different.

I did like reading about the characters lives and how they have changed due to a virus. It’s comforting knowing that others are in the same boat (even if they are fictional). It also made for a cute romance about two people meeting in a unique way.

At times the book felt a bit slow but there were a few plot twists to keep things a bit interesting.

Overall, it was a good, lighthearted book. I liked how a bad situation brought two people together and it made a nice romance story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Love in Lockdown is the first “pandemic romance” I’ve read, and I did like the sense of community, support, and resiliency. This concept has so much potential but unfortunately loses some momentum over the considerable length of the novel. Sophia and Jack’s story, while cute and heart-warming, isn’t enough to propel the plot forward for the entire novel alone. The secondary characters and side stories were compelling though, which made me think this book would have been better if it had been structured as a series of vignettes told from different perspectives, like Love Actually, so readers could connect with the characters firsthand instead of through disembodied conversations and phone calls.

Overall, a timely and uplifting read. 2.5 stars.

This book was such an interesting development since it is set in the lockdown and for me it was new but in a good way. However, the transition and writing was kind of slow which surely will be edited before publishing.
The way Jack and Soph met was so cute and loved the way they begin to know each other but as I already said it was so slow sometimes or some parts seemed off for me.

I gave three stars bc the story was charming and I was glad that some find love even in weird moments as a lockdown!!


Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

This was a light, happy romance read that aims to bring a brightness to this trying, difficult time. Here, Jack and Sophia are neighbors who've never met, however they get a lot closer during lockdown through balcony conversations without even having seen each other face to face. Based in the UK, he's a bartender and student and she's a teacher as they are both under lockdown early on in the pandemic. Through the back and forth points of view, we see all sorts of relatable situations, which brings levity to this difficult time These two characters are vulnerable, authentic, and have a tremendous amount of heart that's so captivating to read. It's super cute and it's exactly what I need to cope with what's going on right now. It's about love, obviously, but also about the camaraderie of the pandemic and lockdown to help each other rout and show a little kindness, and that, the world could use more of than ever.

I’d been waiting for romance authors to tackle love in the time of social distancing and fears about the virus. This novel is the first one I’ve seen and the author really does a nice job capturing what rings true about a community of people going through lockdown in England during the screen. Jack has some sort of a kidney problem that forces him to stay in total lockdown so he won’t risk an infection. He strikes up a friendship with Sophia who lives in the apartment below him when they both are on their balconies clapping for the NHS.

Sophia is a teacher for a few really cute youngsters whose parents are working at the hospital. She has her own illness problems so she and Jack have empathy for what the other is going through. But Sophia is also a kind-hearted woman who looks out for ways to help her neighbors get through this time. She spends a lot of time running errands or visiting others. Jack spends his time phoning and talking to some of the elderly, lonely people in the neighborhood.

That was what was so lovely about this story - how the author captured the way that this disparate group of people were coming together during the shutdown to comfort and entertain each other, for example to hold weekly concerts out on their balconies. And Sophia’s students were endearingly cute as they talk about their arts anc craft projects and their fears. Sophia’s sister has to plan a virtual wedding celebration in the middle of the lockdown, but it all turns out so sweetly.

The story was lovely, but it did bring me down going through those early, scary, and lonely first months.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Cute book with a relevant story line. It was funny and engaging from the first chapter on to the end.

I really enjoyed this debut book from Chloe.

The story is very current and based around Sophia and Jack at the start of lockdown in their flats. Each chapter within the book is told from their own points of view which I loved about the story as we got to know both Sophia and Jack well this way. Sophia and Jack live in the same block of flats, and they meet on the balcony of their flats during the clap for the key workers. They then strike up a friendship and get to know each other more.

I feel that the essence of feeling during lockdown was very well captured in the book and I loved the community feel with other characters such as Bertie and Mavis etc. I loved the part where Sophia took a dog for a walk and the descriptions of how people behaved was spot on. The story has a good pace and there is plenty to keep you reading and I loved the ending and thought it was perfect, even though I would like more of Sophia and Jack story post lockdown.

Overall a great enjoyable romance read that I really enjoyed.

Thank you to the publishers Avon Books and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.