I am a massive fan of Zara Stoneley and this book just swept me up and carried me away.

When Millie & Joe meet in the pouring rain, you have no idea where the story is headed. Millie is a fun character with a love of life and a tendency to over share. Whereas Joe is a bit more serious and likes to keep his business to himself whilst balancing helping his parents and his job in London.

I love a book that I pick up and don't want to put down and this story captured me early on and encouraged me to just keep reading. I loved the dynamics of the characters and the way the story was based around a chance meeting on Platform 3.

If you haven't already, grab a copy!

Easy to read romantic novel. Keeps enticing you to keep reading to find out what happens next. A story of loss and finding out what is important to you in life. It is written from the perspective of the two central characters, which although covers some of the same ground works well in my opinion. It shares the thoughts and emotions of both characters as they get to know one another. I would recommend if you want something that isn't too challenging.

When I'm reading a romance novel, I need just a few things from it for it to be a successful read, and that's banter and chemistry. I feel this certainly lacked that between the two MCs. I want to feel the pull between them. I want the slow-burn "UGH WOULD YOU JUST KISS ALREADY???" feeling. I just didn't get that with this book. It was okay.

2.5/5 ⭐

Meet Me on Platform 3 follows Millie and Joe, two London transplants who have a meet-cute moment in a rush to catch their respective trains. Their quick interaction stays on each of their minds beyond that chance meeting. Both came to London with big dreams but Millie is second guessing where she is happiest and Joe is staunchly a city guy now, especially after his last relationship ended because he wouldn't come back home, so why would he now? But Millie and Joe cross paths again, and again. Their slow courtship unfolds over train rides to visit their families, but do they know enough about each others jobs, goals and dreams for this to work?

This was a sweet story. I loved the idea of a meet cute at the train station. (Not going to lie, I always secretly hope on an airplane or when I was traveling in Europe on the trains, something like this would happen to me!) I liked the slow build of their romance and I liked the dual POVs to get into both Joe and Millie's perspectives. Joe's sister Sophie was hilarious and I loved her vibe of being the outgoing one in the family getting Joe to think outside the box.

Overall, it was a cute read, nothing totally groundbreaking, but a perfect sweet romance, if that is what you are looking for. I give it a 3.5 and round up to a 4.

I liked the premise of this, but the execution was somewhat awkward. It just didn’t work for me. I wanted more chemistry between the main characters.

Mein Leseerlebnis

Lasst mich mit meinen positiven Eindrücken vom Buch anfangen. Die Geschichte ließ sich gut lesen und ich empfand den Schreibstil der Autorin als angenehm. Millie fand ich als Charakter zudem interessant. Auch gibt es im Roman ein paar frische Elemente, die man so nicht überall findet.

Joe konnte mich als Hauptcharakter leider nicht überzeugen. Er blieb in meinen Augen etwas blass und sein Verhalten in einem Streit mit Millie ging mir auf die Nerven. Warum Millie ihn so faszinierend fand, erschloss sich mir beim Lesen nicht.

Darauf aufbauend konnte ich kein Knistern oder tiefe Gefühle zwischen den Hauptcharakteren spüren. Gerade die Faszination, die beide beim ersten Treffen empfanden, war für mich nicht greifbar. Ich habe beim Lesen insgesamt nur wenig gefühlt..

Das Buch ließ sich gut lesen und es enthält eine nette Liebesgeschichte, wirklich überzeugen und packen konnte mich die Geschichte allerdings nicht. 🖤🖤3/4

Für wen?

Schaut in eine Leseprobe rein. Findet ihr den Schreibstil ansprechend und mögt die Energie in der Geschichte, könnte sie etwas für euch sein.

Meet Me on Platform 3 by Zara Stonely is a sweet romance. I loved Millie and Joe with the exception of the we meet and instantly in love. There was no build for the relationship. However the story did developed throughout and it was a perfect ending. I recommend this one to any fan of the romance genre.

Millie is returning home to Northumberland for the weekend when she almost literally bumps into a man at Kings Cross station. There is an instant mutual attraction, however without swapping contact details what chance is there ever of them meeting again?
A slow burn story, I did feel for both Millie and Joe and their desperate attempts to meet each other again, but less for their attraction of living in London - maybe when I was (a lot) younger. I'm also not sure how I would feel appearing in a magazine column such as the one she writes, which Joe also struggles with. There are a couple of spicy bits, if that's not your thing, but overall it is a very enjoyable story to spend a couple of evenings reading.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

This was a light hearted romance which I flew through. I was rooting for Millie and Joe from the beginning. I loved how the story developed throughout and it was a lovely ending. I recommend this one to romance fans

Heartwarming Romcom..
Two people and one journey which may, or may not, be the making of them. Are their lives miles apart or will it take just one journey to create an everlasting bond? Nicely crafted characters, a fun and fuzzy storyline touching on some emotional issues with empathy make this an enjoyable and heartwarming romcom in the true tradition of this author.

I was drawn by this cover and excited to dive in. In practice, though, I struggled with the writing style, as the story or chemistry felt forced and unrealistic. Despite a few attempts I did not finish the book. Thank you for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Headline: Cupid strikes Capital commuters!
Joe & Millie are relative newbies to living and working in London, still making the regular trek back home to see their families back "up North". Millie is off to see her mum on the second anniversary of her dad's death when Joe accidentally showers her in water off his umbrella during a downpour as they both make their way to the platform. Neither of them is prepared for the connection they feel when their eyes meet and they each spend the journey home and the following days thinking about their encounter.
Millie is a journalist whose writing is falling short of the mark and whose boss is just waiting for an excuse to let her go. Her mind is so totally consumed by her experience at the station that she feels compelled to write an article about whether she could ever bump into her handsome stranger again.
Joe is an IT geek who has had a bad experience with his ex-girlfriend and, whilst smitten with thoughts of the pretty girl at the station, tells himself that the chances of ever meeting her again are slim and she'd probably not be as wonderful as he was imagining her to be. anyway. We follow the couple as they make their journeys up and down the country, each looking out for the other along the way. Will they or won't they meet up again - and will Millie's ramblings about her commute be enough save her job?
I very much enjoyed learning more about each of the characters and their families and while maybe there were a few too many coincidences, this is fiction after all and we all need a good love story to escape from the drudgery of daily life. A fun read especially if you have a long train journey planned.
As a follow up to Zara's previous book Hot Desk - which I loved - this certainly didn't disappoint.

As an avid reader and fan of romance, I have read hundreds if not thousands of books about love. My biggest complaint is there is not enough build up of the two main characters falling in love. They simply meet, and then BOOM! they are in love.

Meet Me on Platform 3 by Zara Stoneley spends the entire book on Millie and Joe falling in love. Their journey from an adorable meet cute at a train station, to falling in love is bound to leave any reader lost in their feelings. It is such an accurate and honest portrayal of a new relationship. One minute you are overcome with butterflies and the next you are analyzing every text trying to determine if you misinterpreted their message.

Stoneley’s writing is pure perfection! Her use of the written word had me on the edge of my seat. It is safe to say that I was falling in love with Zara Stoneley’s writing, as Millie and Joe fell in love on the page. I will be purchasing a copy for myself and recommending to everyone I know!

Special thanks to NetGalley.com and Harper Collins Uk/One More Chapter for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback!

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. This was a really enjoyable read. I liked the main characters and was invested in their romance. The story progression was smooth and well-paced.

This is a modern take on an old fashioned girl meets boy and there's instant attraction but will they find each other again. When Millie bumps into Joe on the railway platform there's an instant electric attraction between them. Later, when Millie writes about their brief encounter on her weekly magazine column, it's an instant hit with the result that her editor wants more. That means finding Joe again and seeing if their brief encounter can develop into something more meaningful. That all sounds fairly easy but how on earth can Millie find Joe again. Good romance novel.

This was my first Zara Stoneley book and I’ve already bought two more! I am a sucker for a sweet romance. Especially a will they / won’t they, meet cute type of romance, so I really enjoyed this. I also adore a mother / daughter relationship trope so this was right up my street. Millie works in London and takes a trip to visit her mum. It’s a miserable London day, bucketing rain and a handsome stranger drenches her with his umbrella. Cue adorable meet cute! Will Millie meet her handsome stranger again? Millie takes advantage of her love at first sight incident and begins to write about it to impress her boss. She hopes to meet him again and Joe, the handsome stranger, is thinking similarly.I enjoyed the way we see the story from both points of view too. This is a funny and cute rom-com that would entertain any reader. I enjoyed and you will too.

I love a book set in London and the outskirts. When I see that a book has a setting any where in the British Isles, I'm going to give it a chance. Plus any book that starts with an amazing meet-cute is right up my alley. Meet Me on Platform 3 by Zara Stoneley caught my attention based off of those two items and the adorable book cover.

Once I started the book, I found myself getting bogged down by the repetitive nature of the inner dialogues that seemed to go on and on, skimming chunks to move to the story along. Both Millie and Joe are likable characters that I wanted good things for but the nagging "we should have had a conversation about this and didn't" trope {which is my least favorite} led to easily resolvable conflict.

I'd say it was a fine read. I'm not disappointed that I read Meet Me, but I wouldn't rush to put it on my Must Read List.

Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for the advanced reader copy for my honest review.

Ever met someone so remarkable after a single encounter that you can't get your mind of off them? Well this fairytale meet cute is exactly what happened to Millie when she ran into Joe at King's Cross station.. On the brink of being reassigned at her company, Millie decides to use her chance meeting to fuel a new column about love at first sight. She settles on having to make up her story because what are the chances Millie ever sees Joe again? But then the universe somehow places them together once again and sparks continue to fly as they converse on the train and vow to meet regularly. Thing is, Joe is uneasy with Millie writing about him so publicly. Can fairytale romances exist in a world where every last detail is posted online, or should they simply stay in stories?

**

Concept wise, I loved the chance encounter at a train station. Commuters come across dozens if not hundreds of people every day: who's to say one of them can't be a soulmate? I also like the dual-POV to see the symmetry in Millie and Joe's feelings for one another.

Unfortunately, neither Millie nor Joe were strong protagonists. Millie's columns didn't feel authentic. That level of writing wouldn't really garner so much popularity. And Joe seemed put off of Millie's job for no reason. She wasn't really revealing him but his chapters made it seem like a really big deal.

Also, Millie's boss was really unprofessional and one dimensional. She harasses her employees on numerous occasions and the characters just take it. Don't love that submissive energy from my heroine.

What an interesting and unique way to explore the meet cute trope. The meet being the main thing. The characters pulled me into the story immediately and I just couldn’t put it down until I knew where this would end.

Millie and Joe meet cute (well, wetly) at Kings Cross Station but will they see each other again? Of course they will! Millie is a journalist and Joe is in IT and they alternately tell this tale. Millie, who has been spending time with her mother in Northumberland, is struggling in her job but the column she writes about meeting Joe is a hit. She's at a loss because she hasn't seen him again so she makes things up. Joe, meanwhile, has many of the same troubles with love and family. No spoilers from me but fans of the genre know these two will, well, you know. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.