Definitely the first quarantine-set romance I’ve read or even heard of. Boy and girl “meet”. They haven’t seen each other, but his balcony is directly on top of hers, and so they start to talking in March 2020.

This is an imperfect book. I don’t know if it’s the formatting or what, but there are huge swaths of dialogue and it becomes confusing who’s saying what to whom. I’m not sure that this is a HEA versus a HFN. And yet I couldn’t help but be charmed and amazed at how well the book captured early quarantine. The book is pointedly politics-free, but it definitely depicts well the different stages of quarantine and the unsettled feeling of it all. It’s also a book of fundamentally good people trying to make their way through an unprecedented time. I don’t regret the read and found myself cozied up in a blanket enjoying reading about spring 2020, which I never thought I’d do.

I was provided with a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy. The formatting made it hard to follow at times. I love the idea. We are all
In this lockdown etc right now so it’s nice to see a book about it. Cute love story but parts were slow. Cute book. Average writing.

Thanks NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.

This was a nice, heartwarming and very relevant book to read with lockdown being the subject. I loved hearing the stories of Jack, Sophia and all of their neighbours as they got through the start of lockdown together.

I received this free book in exchange for an honest review.
I have mixed feelings about this book. In theory I guess the premise is cute but it might be a bit too early for a lock down romance when a lot of people are still in lockdowns. Looking back the situation may feel more romantic and give the book its time to shine, but for right now I'm just not convinced.
I also felt like in the attempt to be uplifting the seriousness was glossed over. Of course it's not meant to be depressing but the current situation IS depressing. To truly find something positive about it you first have to actually show the depressive side.
The "plottwist" also didn't really do it for me. Jack's "revelation" should not have upset Sophia this much. He wasn't actively keeping information from her and she overreacted by being so angry and disappointed especially because she herself held back information. Her reasoning for withholding this information was because she didn't want their friendship to change, but that's exactly why Jack didn't tell her either until he does.
It also took me a bit of time to get into the book because the conversations felt a bit stilted. Nobody actually talks that formally Especially not children under the age of eight.
On a bit of a side note the formating is also totally off which disturbs the reading flow somewhat but I think that will be fixed for the published book.

I really wanted to like this and was interested in the synopsis but sadly couldn’t get into it
Waffled a bit too much for me.
Sorry netgallery

Thanks to NetGalley, Chloe James and Avon Books for and Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

There is one scene early on in this book which sets the mood for the entire remainder. It involves a saxophone, some singing and a whole lot of emotion. If there is one word to describe this beautiful little gem, it is emotion.

Sophia is out on her balcony for the weekly Clap for NHS. They have been on lockdown for two weeks and she is feeling the weight of it. She begins sobbing after the clap, feeling the pressure of grief and sadness all at once. Her neighbor, Jack, whom she has never met hears her sobbing and calls out to her, offering his support. Both Jack and Sophia have serious health issues in play. Jacki is in complete isolation due to a weakened immune system. They "meet" without laying eyes on each other and so being a beautiful friendship. Together, they find ways to help and unite their neighbors while falling in love with each other.

This is one of the happiest little novels I have read in a long time. The characters are engaging and quirky and despite the somewhat heavy background of the Covid Pandemic, it is kept light. I enjoyed this escape from our current reality very much and loved being a part of this cool "neighborhood"!

What a lovely story, a great feel good love story to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Lockdown is a huge part of all our lives at the moment, but this book made you aware of all the beauty that comes from it, of the togetherness, the caring nature it brought out of everyone, the community spirit, it was lovely written.

A lovely read about the current circumstances, although much more positive and filled with plenty of love and joy! I really enjoyed the blossoming romance between Sophia and Jack, it was heart-warming & had me smiling over a situation that hasn't brought much joy to the real world. I was slightly jealous of the community the two had around them, they really made the most of hard times & not only did they work on themselves, they supported the people around them and made use of a trying time. I read this book in the space of a day, it was just that spirit lifting book that I needed in my life!

I figured this would be a cute rom-com (which it totally is), but it's also so much more. This is a story about resilience, community, and hope in the crazy times we call the present.

If you're anything like me, you're seeing the influx of quarantine-related stories and wondering if people are just jumping on the bandwagon to capitalize on what is possibly the weirdest fictional trend since YA paranormal romance: pandemic romance. I was worried this might be a bit gimmicky, but it feels like Chole James genuinely wants to explore the effects of lockdown in a meaningful way. "Together, Apart" feels less like a slogan and more like a defiant battle cry in the midst of isolation and loneliness.

The premise of this book intrigued me and excites me to read this book at first. However, I don't think this is the right book with this premise for me. I did not connect well with the characters and I just got bored while reading. I skimmed almost the entire book and that's how bored I am with this.

Mixed feelings on this book - a hooky romance (which seems to be a big trend at the moment) with neighbours who haven't met falling for each other. The community feel was well executed and I loved some of the minor characters who lived in the same building complex as Jack and Sophia, but the numerous references to the cliches of lockdown (lack of toilet roll etc) felt a bit like overkill. The sections in Jack's voice were more engaging than those in Sophia's and he was the more likeable character of the two - things seemed to always go right for Sophia which made her less relatable as a heroine. Easy to read romcom. 3.5*

I opted out of this one a few pages in. After an author’s note about the writer wanting to be sensitive to the issue of the pandemic, I expected sensitivity on other issues as well. Yet there, a few pages in, was a reference to a character having an “epileptic fit.” As a person who lives with epilepsy, I can assure you this language is highly offensive. An epileptic seizure is not a “fit.” I would love to read a romance with a heroine who, like me, deals with a seizure disorder. I do not, however, need to be subjected to a book where, right off he bat, demeaning language is used to describe that heroine.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the right book for me. I loved the idea of a rom-com during Lockdown, especially since one of the Characters is at higher risk because I thought it would appeal to me personally.

Yet, I was sadly unable to connect to any of the characters in any way and I think the main reason is that I think about this pandemic differently and experience it differently than Jack and Sophia - and that is fine.

The writing itself was nice and I know that a lot of people will be able to relate but I kept dreading to have to pick it up again to read on so I, personally, cannot give it more than two stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for a arc copy for a honest review.

Love In Lockdown is a 4 star ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Durning the COVID-quarantine Sophia and Jack two apartment neighborhoods. Since there on lockdown they start to have a conversation these two couple we’re adorable.

Happy Reading
Lisa

I really wanted to like this but but it just wasn't my thing. The side characters were more interesting than the main ones in my opinion. The story felt slow moving and I found myself skimming through.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Love in Lockdown by Chloe James is set in today's world with the pandemic and lockdown and how characters cope with their new normal. Jack hears Sophia crying on her balcony, and so this sets up the friendship (and maybe possible romance) for these characters. The story started strong and then lagged slightly in the middle, with scenes and interactions that felt a bit weighted to move the story forward.

Kudos to the author for writing this book and the realistic nature of how some people are coping and getting to know their neighbors.

I do hope, as others have mentioned, that the formatting is fixed on publication. The spacing and lack of clear chapter headings made it distracting and hard to read at times.

"Love in Lockdown" puts a modern twist on the usual meet-cute romance. Chloe James set up this adorable romance between Sophia and Jack, two apartment neighbors who have never met (or have they?!) but begin to develop a relationship during the Covid quarantine. While both are dealing with their own health issues and the difficulties involved with being isolated from others, they begin to rely on each other for companionship and even love. I thought this book was very timely and incredibly cute.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was the book storyline I had been waiting for. However, I didn't love it quite as much as I expected to, I ended up wanting to skim past chunks of it. Hats off to writing a book in lockdown though.

I received an advance copy of, Love in Lockdown, by Chloe James. This is book in modern times, with the virus, and the toilet paper shortage. Jack hears Sophia crying from the balcony below his. They start a friendship, but will it lead anywhere?

I found this book to be a bit too long-winded. Portions of dialogue were hard to get through and extraneous. That being said, it was interesting to read a love story that would realistically happen in the world we are all living in today. I struggled to get through it due to the length though.