I didn’t love this book but I also didn’t hate it. Parts were really good and others I felt were a bit rushed! There were some bittersweet moments and some nice side elements to the main story that I really enjoyed.

I was very excited to read this as it sounded like a great premise of falling in love during lockdown, unfortunately it just didn’t quite hit the mark!

It started off really well and it was nice to see how all these characters were coping with the lockdown situation. As Jack and Sophia meet on the balcony (well just their voices as they can’t see each) they become friends which grows into something more. This however is where I feel the book lost it for me. Sophia gets Jack’s phone number so she can add him to a whatsapp group and contact him for shopping lists…so why did they never video call? At one part she also asks him to help her decide on a dress for the wedding and she goes on to describe what she’s wearing because he can’t see her….again why didn’t she just take photos and whatsapp him? I just felt like these were major plot holes. I understand the author wanted to create a love story where they fall in love by not meeting (similar to The FlatShare) but with the amount of technology that was included it just didn’t seem believeable.

I also got fed up with the constant reminders that they were in lockdown or needed to social distance. I gathered this and didn’t need to be told every time characters interacted.

If you overlook these things then it is quite a nice light love story, but there wasn’t enough to keep my attention. I just didn’t click with the characters at all and there was no urgency to the story.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first lockdown book and I was curious how they’d portray it. Sophia and Jack both live in England (maybe London?) and live in the same apartment building. Sophia is a teacher continuing to teach in person and Jack is home. Sophia and Jack start talking one day when they are on their balconies (Jack is above her) and they start chatting and passing things back and forth. They don’t see each other. ⁣
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While this book covers the lockdown it doesn’t talk about people being really sick with covid and doesn’t go into politics. Despite the subject this was a cute read and I could relate to the people at the start of covid who couldn’t figure out Zoom or other technology. There were quite a few parts where I was laughing out loud. ⁣
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The apartment building they are in interacts on their balconies and there’s a few side stories with different people. Although some parts dragged a little for me, this was overall a good read for me!

This book started off quite cute, a couple meet on their balconies during lockdown whilst clapping for the NHS. He hears Sophia from his apartment above and calls down to check that she is ok and we see the start of their friendship.

Due to health reason Jack is isolating in his apartment, Sophia a teacher is still at work so offers to help his out with shopping and anything he may need. They devise a rope and pull system to exchange things, from balcony to balcony which I thought was a lovely idea, including special cocktails are Jack tends bar when he is at work.

I like the concept of the book, but the romance just didn't work for me, I never felt a genuine connection between the two. I did however like how the author highlighted other issues we have all experience in this strange year. People mental health issues, the venerable and elder feeling isolated not to mention the key workers who have continued to work through the pandemic, she managed to cover all angles.

Thanks to Avon Books UK, the author Chloe James and Netgalley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book sounded right up my alley. Finding love with your neighbor because of lockdown is totally my sort of trope.

Sadly, this book wasn't for me. Firstly, I was never invested in the secondary characters and only a little in the main couple. My main problem was that the dialogue never flowed between them and was always stilted. On top of that, all of the tangents with phone calls and talks that didn't add anything and only made me less interested.

Also at about to 30% the way through the book nothing had really happened apart from talking about the lockdown situation.
I would have preferred more interaction between the main couple, less of the secondary characters.

I liked the author's writing style, and would be interested in another story from them.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for providing me with an ARC of this book.

First of all, thank you for this gifted copy in exchange for a review!

Next, this is actually not my first love in lockdown novel. I also read Day One. It's interesting, because a lot of authors have said "We're not doing this", not putting the pandemic into their stories because people want an escape. I've seen some TV shows start to show cast in masks and discuss the pandemic, but not everyone is on board. I still don't know how I feel about it. I am now to the point where when I watch a movie made prior to 2020, I find myself saying, "That's not even realistic. You can't just hug a stranger!" but then I realize that's quite commonplace in a "normal" year.

Meanwhile, I digress. This book is charming and adorable. It really examines the effects on one's mental health when being in isolation and how the pandemic is dealt with.

Neighbors who fall in love is a trope I didn't realize I liked, but I really do. It's present in a CoHo book, too, which I loved.

Overall, I liked the developing relationship between these characters, I didn't think it was "too soon", and I thought it was charming. No regrets!

Jack lives above Sophia in an apartment block. They have never met before but during the first NHS clap Jack heard someone crying below him. He starts chatting to Sohia and these chats become a daily routine. Jack is isolating due to a chronic illness and Sophia is working as a teacher. Between them they come up with a plan to help other members of the community around them, while developing feelings for each other despite still not seeing each other.
This is an easy read feel good book which highlights the feelings of isolation during lockdown but also the sense of community.
I reviewed this book after receiving a free copy of book in advance from Netgalley and avon books

This pandemic has changed everything. How we communicate and interact with one another, how we work, the way we travel, our now meticulous hygiene practices, and the basic way our society functions. Every individual in the world has had to adapt to these changes, in one way or another. I love how this book explores these themes, acting as a ray of light in the midst of a deadly virus outbreak. It provides hope that there is an end to the chaos and how we can all work together to make the entire situation a little easier for everyone.

It was a great read which really captured the effect of lockdowns on people all over the world. I think it was incredibly relatable, which focused more on the positives to come out of the lockdowns such as communities working together, friendships made, and love found. I found the weekly clap scenes to be very moving. The way everyone comes together to acknowledge front line workers is amazing.

I loved the characters, Sophia being incredibly proactive in doing shopping for those who aren’t able to, walking the dog for a neighbour who can’t leave the house, and running errands for the elderly man who lives near her. Even Jack who can’t leave the house plays an important role by just having phone conversations with those who want to chat. The book really showed how the lockdowns affected peoples’ mental, physical, and emotional health, but also that we could help others through it. When disaster strikes, we can come together to help those in need.

I think the message of embracing the new normal and adapting to change is an incredibly important one. This virus has impacted so much of our daily lives that adapting to the changes has been difficult in so many aspects. This book showed that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The ending was a perfect way of showing that we can get through this.

This book really made me reflect on what was important to me during our lockdown. I loved this book for evoking a feeling of happiness which is so rare to find when talking about the virus. It was an incredibly refreshing perspective.

All in all, this was a great little read which really highlighted the importance of kindness in the midst of a pandemic, with the added bonus of a cute love story.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Sophia is an elementary school teacher, teaching the children of essential workers who can't stay home with their children during the pandemic. When her neighborhood congregates on their balconies to clap for the essential workers, she is overwhelmed by it all and begins crying. Jack lives alone in the apartment above Sophia and is going stir crazy from being stuck inside 24/7. When he hears someone crying on the balcony below him, he strikes up a conversation with her and brings a smile back to her face. Quickly, Sophia and Jack's conversations become the highlight of their day, and they even come up with ideas to help make sure their neighbors are taken care of during these crazy times. As they grow closer emotionally, however, they are still kept apart physically by the lockdown. Can they find love despite the challenges?

This was a sweet story that focused on the the positive possibilities of the lockdown, people looking out for those around them as everyone has to adjust their lives due to the pandemic. Sophia has such a caring soul; it's easy to see why Jack fell for her. I enjoyed the entire cast of characters, not just Jack and Sophia. The ending was a little bittersweet, just because as I was finishing the book, many countries, including England, were going back into lockdown due to surges in COVID cases. I would certainly not mind seeing a sequel to learn how Jack and Sophia handle the second lockdown!

Wow! This is the perfect read for the current climate! It absolutely encapsulates what lockdown was really like and how the community rallied together. As a teacher, I am glad that it was portrayed that it was difficult for us. Obviously, it was much harder in real life! I’m so glad that they got their happy ending!

I was really looking forward to reading this. It sounded so cute. Unfortunately, the formatting of the e-arc made it impossible to get through. I tried to tough through it but part of what I read was formatted with the sentences broken up like it was poetry and another section didn't have proper spaces between words. I tried downloading it onto my phone and my phone and Chromebook to see if it was just a glitch on my kindle but it happened every where. All of this made it all too disorienting and disjointed for me to actually absorb the story. I'd like to give the story itself a shot at some other time but, right now, I just wasn't able to do that. So I'm sure the book itself is lovely but the e-arc formatting is deeply flawed. giving the book 4 stars because i don't want to ding the author for something out of her control.

This book is adorable and the characters are so goody-goody and sweet that it made my teeth hurt.

𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙣𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣, 𝙎𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙪𝙥𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙨.
𝙌𝙪𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 '𝙢𝙚𝙩' 𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚?

The author did a nice job of exploring the effects of the lockdown from different perspectives in an honest and uplifting way.

There's a good range of secondary characters and Jack and Sophie are a couple I could root for. If they'd been a little less basic/dull and had there been more 'show, don't tell' I'd have rounded this up to four stars -it was close- but still an enjoyable, lighthearted read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book.

3 stars

I genuinely didn't know if I would love or hate reading about the lockdown, however I was pleasantly surprised. It was sweet and extremely relatable. I found myself laughing thinking yip, I did that too.
I loved the banter and watching Sophia and Jacks relationship. That being said I did think there was something missing, in my opinion, it felt rather forced.

It was really sweet and charming. I loved the clapping for the essential workers however there were moments where I wanted the story to move along a little bit faster.

Overall it was a sweet story and I am glad I read it.

Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Love In Lockdown was such a great book to read during these uncertain times! It was a fun, uplifting read and shows the positive sides of those during lockdown. I loved the aspect of the neighborhood helping one another out, that kind of relationship truly stuck out to me. Of course I loved Sophia and Jack’s relationship. You can find me looking up apartments on Zillow so this kind of love can happen to me!

Thank you to the author and publishers for this ARC!

3 stars

This book draw me due the cover and the premise and up to some point it fulfilled it but... it wasn't enough. Yes. It had cute and heartfelt moments but overall it was a pretty average story. I was left wanting more, especially with the romance.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am sad to say I am not a fan of this book.

The characters where very likeable but the story drug on and I kept waiting for something big to happen, something cute to hook me.

I read up to 60% of the book and the rest I skimmed or skipped to the end.

With COVID and what happened in lockdown I am sure somethings like this did happen but this was just not the romance for me.

Put my review on goodreads, Instagram, TikTok and tried to put on amazon but it would not let me yet.

Loved it. I hesitated to read this story as I am trying to escape the pandemic not read about it. So glad I gave this book a chance. Sweet, romantic, heart-warming and enjoyable English words and habits.

As we’re now in Lockdown 2.0 it was such a lovely read- although it shows the difference between the two lockdowns is huge. Loved the community spirit and loveliness in this book, a feel good reminder of what we’ve gone through with the cutest love store alongside it!

I am sure there are going to be a proliferation of romance novels set during these strange lockdown times we have been suffering over the last nine months and, I have to say, it was with some trepidation that I approached this book. I am not a fan of gimmicky books that are written just to take advantage of a current trend, they often lack in any passion or conviction. Having just finished Love in Lockdown by Chloe James, wiping tears from the corner of my eyes, I am delighted to say that this is definitely not one of those books and I absolutely loved it.

The book follows the stories of Sophia and Jack who live above one another in a block of flats. They have never met but, as the UK goes into lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic, they introduce themselves during the Thursday night ‘Clap For Carers,’ and things move on from there. The question is, is it possible to fall in love with someone whom you’ve never seen.

The author has done an absolutely fantastic job of capturing a lot of the tiny things that became symbolic of the pandemic and the unique times we are currently living in. The sense of isolation, but also the new community spirit and idea of caring for others that has grown up out of necessity in recent months. All of the familiar goings on are here – the difficulty of getting supermarket delivery slots, lack of flour, trying to explain Zoom to the elderly generation, NHS rainbows, the importance of pets, antibaccing your shopping, bad haircuts, socially-distanced weddings, furlough, and everything else that is the new normal. Does anyone even remember what the world used to be like?

Despite the fact that she has shoehorned all of this into the book, it never feels contrived or unnecessary. The writing is done in such a sympathetic and understanding way that it is very difficult to believe this book was written while lockdown was going on, and not with the benefit of some distance from the experience. I am amazed that she has managed to achieve such balance and beauty in the writing in these circumstances; there is no doubt that the author is very talented.

There were so many really touching moments in the book that moved me to tears, and other moments of real humour. It is a very uplifting book, which I wasn’t expected, mired as we in this as an ongoing problem and something that is causing so much anguish still. I know that for many people it is going to be too soon to be reading about the situation in a piece of fiction, it is still too close and raw a pain, but if you do want to read a novel set in this time, you won’t do much better. If you are a fan of books such at Beth O’Leary’s The Flatshare, this has a similar feel and I am sure you would enjoy this.

Love in Lockdown was an unexpected, positive pleasure and I would not hesitate to recommend it to romance fans everywhere.

Thank you NetGalley, Chloe James and Avon Books UK for the ARC of Love in Lockdown. This is my personal review.
The title alone was enough for me to want to read this book. It was nice to see the what ifs that could happen during the pandemic we all are living in now. To be able to communicate and connect with others when social distancing is so real right now was nice to see that it was possible even if it was only in a book.
I had to giggle when Sophia and her room mate were discussing a toilet paper shortage and the ways they could solve they problem for them at home.
Sophia and Jack being able to touch even thru words was heartwarming.