An endearing read! Refreshing and relevant for a bit of relief during these troubling times. Enjoyable and light yet with enough depth to sustain interest. Recommended.

Love in Lockdown is both heartfelt and thoughtful as two characters fall in love in the midst of a pandemic. We follow Jack and Sophia, two people who have unfortunate circumstances handed to them. Personality-wise they are opposite, yet the pandemic brings them connected through daily conversations on their balconies and frequent encouragements.

Love in Lockdown is the first work of fiction I've read covering the pandemic. It's been a very emotional time, yet I felt that this story is excellent in addressing the importance of community support and watching one another. Although Sophie experienced a cruel break up, this doesn't prevent her from helping others in need. Jack is also one who loves to do right for his neighborhood, and provides helpful advice while under quarantine.

In conclusion, this was such a lovely story of two people finding ways to stay connected through these emotional pandemic times!

**Thank you so much to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy, in exchange for an honest review!**

I initially requested this book because of the timeliness of a lockdown rom-com and the cute, lighthearted cover. Since I entered my own self-quarantine today, I thought it would be a good time to pick this one up! While it was a happy, quick read with some funny moments, I did not end up enjoying this book as much as I had hoped.

Jack and Sophia live in the same apartment building, with Jack's balcony directly above Sophia's. Jack is unable to leave his apartment due to a kidney disease that puts him in the high-risk category. During the first COVID-19 lockdown, the two meet and begin talking to each other daily and sending alcohol and treats to each other through a rope and box system between their balconies. While they don't ever meet face-to-face, they become enamoured with each other and support each other through the lockdown.

While some parts of this book were done very well, like showing the mental health issues that can come from self-isolating, the coming together of the apartment community, and the occasional funny lockdown story (failed haircuts and throwing together meals with whatever food you have left)—the overall story and romance was underdeveloped and unrealistic. I had a hard time accepting that the two never considered sending selfies or doing Zoom calls and that they entered into a relationship before ever meeting face-to-face. There were also a lot of overdramatic moments and plot lines that didn't feel necessary. The book was very dialogue heavy, which sometimes made it confusing to keep track of who was speaking.

I would agree with several other reviews who have said that there wasn't really an ending to the story. Since the pandemic is continuing to be an issue even after "lockdown" has ended, it seemed very unrealistic that the protagonists would meet in person and go about their lives like normal again, visiting family and going on dates. While I appreciated that the author wanted to keep the story lighthearted and optimistic, I think that adding in more mentions of COVID-19 (there was only one actual mention of COVID in the book) and details about masks and continuing precautions post-lockdown would have made the book feel more believable.

This was an entertaining and quick read and I would recommend it to fans of cute rom-coms with likable characters and little-to-no angst, however it was not for me.

🌹Book Review🌹

Love in Lockdown by Chloe James

How does one find love in the middle of a pandemic? Love in Lockdown is about Jack and Sophia who live in the same flat in the UK and are trying to navigate their lives during the lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic. I was hoping to like this book but I feel like it was very dialogue heavy and often times it was hard to tell who was speaking to whom. Other times the story seemed to bounce around after a quick conversation with one of the other characters. Also I think there author really liked "Love is Blind" on Netflix because it was mentioned multiple times throughout the book and it seems to be somewhat of an underlying theme to the book itself. It was an interesting concept and I think most people can relate due to the pandemic but I think it missed the mark.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall rating: ⭐⭐

"It's a weird fact that in this world, sometimes you can feel alone even when you're together."

The lockdown has been going on for about two weeks when Sophia steps out into her balcony to participate in the NHS clap to recognize and show support for the frontline workers. Touched by the overwhelming sound of everyone coming together, Sophia can't help but cry. She hears a voice calling to her from above, asking if she's okay. And so begins this beautiful novel about finding love and hope during quarantine.

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

It was very strange, at first, to read a book about something we've all gone through. The quarantine affected each of us differently, so it was interesting to see what the author choose to highlight or not. Parts of this gave me chills because they were so relatable. Sophia's sister was planning a wedding before lockdown, so she changed over her plans to Zoom. Reading the wedding scene made me tear up. My friends & I had a standing Zoom happy hour every Friday, and it was one of my favorite things about quarantine. The phone calls, the checking in, the rainbows... it was all there. And, underneath all of that, there was an adorable love story of two people navigating our new normal in the best way they could. Sophia and Jack don't know what the other looks like almost the entire novel because of Jack's kidney disease and other circumstances that just don't allow it to happen, so their balcony chats were everything. Admittedly, the book felt a bit long and repetitive at times; Sophia is damaged from a past relationship and it's a lot "can't-trust-any-man" going on, but I still truly enjoyed this quarantined love story.

I was sceptical about a book written about lockdown. There have been a lot of debates on social media about whether we would really want to read about lockdown when we are looking for escapism in our reading matter.
I have to say Love in Lockdown really won me over and I enjoyed this sweet, reflective look at the lockdown earlier this year. It has a sleepless in Seattle vibe to it as Jack lives over Sophia’s apartment but due to medical condition he his shielding so they can not meet. They get chatting one night after the weekly claps on the balcony. Their lives like many others are on pause and lockdown gives them space to think about what they really want from life. The book also looks at themes of community and the people who were most affected by lockdown. It also picks up on how at a time of worry and fear people rallied around to help.
It was a very enjoyable read and I did not feel depressed, but it helped me think about some of the positives from this very strange era. I was also impressed at how quickly and beautifully written this novel was to be produced in such a short amount of time.
Do not be put off by the title even if you have had enough of 2020 to last you a lifetime. This is a lovely, easy read which will put a smile on your face despite the subject matter!

This was a cute story to follow along. I liked how relatable the storyline was. The characters were sweet to follow along as well.

A lovely feel good love story to curl up in front of the fire on a cold lock-down evening. Lockdown is a huge part of all our lives at the moment and this book made you aware of all the problems people less fortunate are having to go through. It shows that community spirit can overcome most of our day to day problems, it was a lovely warm well written book.

I really thought this was a cute book, but I think it’s going to be too soon for many people. I thought everyone making the best of the situation was really fun and heart warming.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.


What I liked ?

First of all I was so fascinated by the title of the book ,I requested it .


I loved the concept of the book ,love in lockdown. We keep on hearing about romance books but this book was something different.

I have read many romance books in the pandemic period but this book was something appropriate for this weather.

I obviously loved our main characters or protagonists of the story Jack and Sophie .The relationship Jack has with his friends is good.


What I Hated?

I would have liked it more if they could have more physical time together.

Seeing the current situation meeting everyone physically is not possible.


Secondly, the fact that Jack hides that he is already married was beyond shock to me .I didn't see it coming at all .



Final Thoughts :If you are fan of rom com read this and find it yourself if this suits you

Throughout the first 40% of the book I kept thinking "too soon." Where I am, we are dealing with skyrocketing cases and currently two of my kids schools, and the school I work at, have been shut down for 2 weeks due to a high number of cases. I kept putting the book down, shaking my head, thinking I just lived this, I don't want to read about it. But then I would pick it up so I could find out what happened next. But I'm glad I kept going. The pacing is fairly slow the first half (I think that was part of my struggles as well) but then it picks up and gets going. Once that happened I was able to set aside my "too soon" feelings and really enjoy the story. I liked the community that came together through Jack and Sophia's efforts and how they all learned to appreciate parts of the lockdown. Didn't we all experience that as well this year? It was a relatable and charming story and I'm glad I stuck with it.

I rated this 3 stars due to the plot behind the book being intriguing enough. I wanted to like this story. I found it more on the boring side. Sophia lives in a flat with her best friend as her roommate. Jack lives in the flat above her. Covid is currently happening and everyone is on lockdown. Jack cannot leave due to medical issues. Sophia is a teacher and has a small class of six kids during this time. They start talking out on their balconies and form a friendship, though they've never met. They soon develop feelings for each other. Now here are the two things I'm going to discuss as to why the book didn't live up to it's potential...
1. Uncle Jim. This character didn't need to be in the story or even talked about so many bloody times. He had no purpose in the plotline.
2. I can understand the two main characters developing attraction and possibly feelings towards each other. However, they had no clue as to what each other looked like and had only been chatting outside to each other for I'm guessing a couple of months, if that. Then all of a sudden the story is ending and they love each other. This insta love pops up out of nowhere and they're telling each other they love them. I don't buy it. 🤷‍♀️

As posted on Goodreads and Instagram as @brews4books, where I pair books and beers!

📖: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ~ This book was absolutely adorable. I was fortunate enough to read an advanced copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Love in Lockdown is the story of two young adults who live in a small apartment community. When the global pandemic begins, and everyone is staying home, they spark a friendship while chatting on their balconies. This book honors the seriousness and complexity of the global pandemic we are living through while also celebrating the sense of community that was built and the importance of supporting one another...even from a distance.
🍺: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ~ Most people will agree that the quarantines and stay at home orders that were put in place for most of the spring season had a lot of challenges. One thing that brought some joy and excitement to our “new normal” was the informal beer exchange that my friends and I enjoyed during those long, stressful months. This is one of the beers that @luckiecharm1018 shared with me. It is light and crisp and felt like a beer version of one of Jack’s balcony mocktails.
@avon_books @harpercollins @f.woodifield @netgalley @leinenkugels #ChloeJames #LoveInLockdown #JackAndSophie4Ever #BalconyLove #RomCom #NetGalley #ARC #LeinenkugelsSpritzen #RaspberryLemon #BeerExchange #CookBOOKClub #goodbooksgoodbrews

This book is exactly what we hope happens to us in a lockdown, a love story indeeed!! But not everybody gets lucky like our protagonists, so we live vicariously through them. A very sweet romantic read to cheer you up if you are having a bad week.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for giving me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Real rating: 3,5/5⭐

I went in to this book with mixed feelings. Could anyone really do the lockdown love story good?
I was pleasently surprised by the story and the charming characters though! I really liked the premise of the story.

Sadly the style wasn't really my favorite, kind of repetitive and missing some good plot points.

Overall a cute story with warm and loving characters, but not checking all my boxes for a good romance sadly.

The blurb of this book seemed interesting especially because of what's happening right now, but sadly I couldn't really connect with the story or the characters. Since Jack and Sophia were spending all their time home, the story turned out to be a bit boring. They were only able to see each other for the first time at the very end of the book and it wasn't very credible with all the technology we have now... I couldn't feel the chemistry between Jack and Sophia.

Actual rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Love in Lockdown is the perfect read for those still stuck in quarantine because of the pandemic (like me lol). It comforts you because you get to read about all these experiences people are also possibly having in real life because of the pandemic. It’s nice to know that we are all going through this together!

“…when everything else stops, love is all that’s left.”

I think this line perfectly describes Love in Lockdown for me. Everything that happened is all connected to caring and showing your love for other people. I really liked how nice to read this book was. I wish our community where I’m from is like this as well. Would be nice to sing and enjoy music with other people! (while socially distancing LOL)

I also liked the romance side. I LOVED the suspense of the two main characters not being able to see each other. The near misses had me screaming!!! A sweet and light read but I definitely wish we got more from the ending.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I have had mixed feelings about COVID/quarantine romances, and just decided ultimately that people are entitled to feel how they want about them, I was just tired of seeing it being used as a vehicle for forced proximity, something that (depending on the other trope involved), I don’t like anyway. But while I groaned to see a publisher already cashing in on the trend, I was mildly intrigued to see it was about people who fall in love with distance between them, and the cover imagery evoked one of the plotlines from the Love in the Time of Corona TV series, one of the factors in my decision to be more open minded to COVID romance if the premise appealed.

However, this book fell way short of expectations. For one (although it’s not the only factor), it’s dual first person present tense. While there are subheadings, I would frequently forget who I was meant to be following (and while I know this has no bearing on the final product, it was even worse with the initial PDF ARC, which was so poorly formatted, it didn’t make those shifts distinct…but thankfully they did update it to a mobi/ePub formats at some point between when I initially was approved and now).

And the characters and their lives are just plain uninteresting. Their interactions with each other have some spark, but given the way the story is set up, I feel there just wasn’t enough to merit a full on novel, especially having read a collection of quarantine stories earlier that I believe handled the balance of the mundane and exciting much better. There are attempts at side plots, but I just never grabbed onto anyone enough to care.

As a first attempt at a traditionally published quarantine romance, I feel it missed the mark.. However, I do commend Chloe James for trying to do justice to this crazy time, even if it didn’t work for me. It has received mixed reviews, and there’s actually a lot more positive than I expected, given the polarizing response I’ve seen from people on the topic, so I think if it appeals to you, give it a try for yourself.

This was a cute romantic read! It was interesting to read a book set in this current pandemic, but it got a bit boring with the constant mentioning of distancing and other Coronavirus policies. Especially as it made it out that everyone was constantly following the rules to the letter. I did really like the characters and despite there being quite a few supporting characters, they all began to develop their own characters.

This was such a sweet, feel-good read!

I love the idea of two people who have never met falling for each other, and Jack and Sophia's romance was just the sweetest. If you're a major romance lover like I am, this might be a little tame for you. While the book as a whole read pretty quickly, the romance was pretty slow and a more minor part of the plot than I was expecting. They don't even meet in person until the epilogue. Even so, I really liked them both individually as as a couple and enjoyed reading about how their relationship developed.

I would argue this is primarily contemporary fiction rather than romance, as a large part of the novel is focused on the sense of community during the pandemic and there are a lot of side characters who's own stories are tied into the plot. Although it wasn't what I was expecting, I really enjoyed the community element; the author was able to represent the spirit of the first lockdown pretty well and I loved a lot of the side characters.

The only issue I had was with the epilogue. It is written in third person, which is fine, but felt very detached after the first person narrative of the rest of the book. The whole book had been building to the moment where Jack and Sophia met and I was a little disappointed that we didn't get to experience their thoughts and feelings as they finally saw each other.

Overall although the romance factor was a little lighter than I typically like, I found myself really enjoying so many aspects of this book and would recommend this to others who feel comfortable reading about the pandemic (I know its probably still to close to home for some!).

I was provided a copy of this book on NetGalley for review (thank you!). All opinions are my own!