Thanks to #NetGalley, the publisher #Mills&Boon and the author #GeorgiaToffolo for providing me with an audiobook of #MeetMeinLondon in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.
It was lovely to have the author narrate her book; it really made the characters shine. This book is about fake dating and I really enjoyed it. I felt the characters were all really beautifully written and that the relationship between Oliver and Victoria was so romantic. This is the author’s first book and I look forward to reading more by her.

A business deal that turns into a romance with many endearing moments along the way. A real feel good Christmas read.

When Victoria and Oliver met two worlds literally collide together and changes their fate forever.
Victoria has suffered pain and guilt for years, she is almost content in her small corner of the world, with her close group of people, happy to avoid her ex and hide from the pain he caused her.
Oliver is not able to hide, he is the son of a famous businessman, and ensuring the family name and reputation is upheld is his job, even if his cousin is determined to do his best to ruin it.
When the two characters meet cracks start to show in their lives and when Oliver hatches a plan to spare his father's pain and get his mother off his back, Victoria agrees. But as with all good love stories, the best-laid plans are often upturned, and the fun begins.

It’s Christmas time in London, love is in the air and one fall could be the making of a love that can heal many wounds.

I'm so glad Georgia was able to read the book for the audio version, I'm not sure anyone else could have done it better and it was the perfect story to listen to on a cold, rainy Saturday as I was working overtime.

Check out my latest book and audiobook review @ https://sloantate-mckate.blogspot.com/2020/10/meet-me-in-london-by-georgia-toffolo.html

My thanks to #Netgalley, #Mills&Boon, and @GeorgiaToffolo for allowing to review a copy of #MeetMeInLondon

Purchase Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Meet-Me-London-sparkling-bestselling-ebook/dp/B0875QY836/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=meet+me+in+london&qid=1602783204&s=digital-text&sr=1-1
Barnes & Nobel: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/meet-me-in-london-georgia-toffolo/1136867575?ean=9780008375867
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/meet-me-in-london-1
Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/meet-me-in-london/georgia-toffolo/9780008375850
Audible UK: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Meet-Me-in-London-Audiobook/0008375879?qid=1602784386&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=c6e316b8-14da-418d-8f91-b3cad83c5183&pf_rd_r=2J4QBC0MHK2550HTNW52
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/audiobook/meet-me-in-london-2

Victoria works as a bar manager in Chelsea by day. At night she is an aspiring fashion designer and teacher of fashion to disadvantaged kids. Her world is turned upside down when a department store opens on her street. But then she meets Oliver, the owner of the new department store, who asks her to pretend to be her fiancé to make his family happy.

A cute little story and your classic Christmas tale of girl meet boy. It’s heart warming and enjoyable but predictable. It wasn’t the best written book as parts were quite repetitive but not a bad first attempt by Georgia Toffolo.

Thank you to Mills and Boon for this advanced copy.

I love Toff and I love fake dating and I love Christmas so really this should have been right up my street. I'm going to chock my thoughts on this book up to me not being in the right headspace to pick it up. I put it off a little waiting for the wintery season and when it finally came time I just wasn't in the mood so that definitely coloured my perception a little. I actually ended up quite enjoying this by the end but it was a slow starter for me. I love that Toff decided to narrate the audiobook herself but I didn't particularly enjoy her narration (again this spawns from my previous reads leaving so much to be desired and not being in quite the right headspace). All in all not a bad read but not a particularly great one either.

I don't follow celebrities or reality tv so I am not particularly familiar with Georgia Toffolo - I know the name but that's it. Lots of celebrities write books and whilst some are great, many rely on the name to sell them rather than the substance. I was interested to see which way this book would fall.

On one hand we have a quintessentially British romance story with all the hallmarks of a modern Mills & Boon, the sort of light, uplifting read that people are often looking for at Christmas time. The storyline is very predictable, but the characters are likeable. Victoria's passion for fashion design & dressmaking contrasts well with Olivers reluctant position as the "heir" to a family business. I liked the concept of Victoria's close-knit group of friends, but felt this was an area that ought to have been explored more. The storyline touches on some more tricky subjects that are handled sensitively too. I liked the setting in Chelsea, an area that the author obviously knows well (At least I would assume she knows well, but the Chelsea "psychic" (sy-kick) garden, where on earth is that? Surely we can get the name of this hidden gem right?!)
On the other hand we have a twee, formulaic romance with too many "heart leaps" and "stirred feelings inside her" to keep it interesting. It's less of a "will they, won't they" than a "will they just get on with it so we can move to something more interesting".
The writing style feel prescribed, forced & "trying too hard". There are sections that go into so much detail that you get bored (I understand fabrics but even I was bored by some of the overly lengthy descriptions) and some odd choices of words - like vertiginous heels - that felt just too "try hard" and actually less real.

I was excited when I saw that the audiobook was read by Georgia Toffolo herself. However, the book is very much "read" rather than narrated and loses so much of the pleasure that usually comes from an audiobook that is read by the author - the nuances, the intimate knowledge of the storyline to bring it to life. Her voice takes a while to get used to, but remains quite flat with little differentiation between characters.

Overall, if you want a light, fluffy, feel-good, blanket & hot-chocolate Christmas romance, and like the Mills & Boon genre with a modern twist, then you will probably really like this book. For me it was just too twee & formulaic to give more than 3 stars.
Having said that, if Georgia can move away from the Mills & Boon genre, I think there is huge potential for more stories about this group of friends - but move it over to the "chick-lit" genre rather than the Mills & Boon, please!

Disclosure: I received a free copy of the audiobook free from the publisher via Netgalley. Whilst thanks go to the author & publisher for the opportunity to listen to the story, all opinions are my own.

#MeetmeinLondon #Netgalley

A fun and flirty Christmas romance just in time for the holidays. A perfect book to curl up with on a snowy night with a cup of hot chocolate.

Firstly I'd like to thank NetGalley for sending me the ebook and the audiobook for an honest review!

I've followed Georgia's life through Made in Chelsea and I'm a Celeb and was thrilled when I saw that she had written her debut romance, Meet me in London and really wanted to read it. I ended up listening to the audiobook which was narrated by Toff herself. After I got used to her voice I really enjoyed it.

As it is her debut book I tried to look past first time writer issues and focus on the story. It's about Victoria and Oliver who are attracted to each other straight away. They both have their problems and Victoria has a secret she doesn't want to tell. It's the fake relationship trope that I'm finding that I really enjoy. I think that Toff touched on some very important topics and wrote about them sensitively. She also explored how people can react to them in ignorant ways and how this can harm people. (Possible trigger warnings: infertility and seriously ill parents). Overall a very good message. It's definitely full of middle class characters, Oliver being a billionaire and everything. However, Toff showed how even the wealthiest people don't have perfect lives.

The first time writer problems that I touched on earlier were things like overused words (how many times can a heart dance). Also, listening to the audiobook, at points I couldn't tell who was talking as there weren't many dialogue tags at all. Sometimes the characters would think something but I couldn't tell if they said it out loud or in their head until a few lines after. Something as simple as 'she thought' or 'he said' would have really helped. At points the dialogue didn't really seem realistic at all. There was also so much description at points that we didn't need that went on for so long. Things that needed more description, like the park that the characters visit could have used more. It seemed that the character was standing talking to someone and having a ten minute daydream about a memory and the other character would be just standing there frozen in time waiting for a response. Also, a personal problem was that it skipped over the only sex scene!

Having said all this, they are only minor problems and I did really enjoy the story and watching Victoria and Oliver's relationship blossom.

An audiobook read by the author is always good for the reader because the author's interpretation of the characters has inherent authenticity. This engaging narration brings the characters to life, especially Victoria and immerses the reader in her life and romance. This is a love story set in Chelsea, London. The book's setting and characters are realistic and give the story a unique sense of place.

Victoria is recovering, from a relationship break up that damaged both career aspirations and her heart. Oliver is troubleshooting the opening of a flagship department store, for his family's business but he's doing it more out of loyalty than a vocation. Victoria is likeable and relatable. Oliver, although emotionally remote, has a kind heart. When they meet, in the bar the chemistry is quick to ignite although they keep their feelings hidden until fate brings them, together again.

This is a gentle romance catalysed by a fake engagement. It is passionate but conflicted as the couple keep secrets that threaten their future. The realisation that a fake engagement is not what the couple wants, leads to internal conflict and sadness, but thankfully all the angst is rewarded with a happy ending.

I received a copy of this audiobook from Harper Collins Audio UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Victoria loves living in London, she loves the bustle of the city and enjoys nothing more than exploring the local fabric shops and stalls London has to offer. She works in a bar that she also lives above and in her spare time teaches fashion design and dressmaking to a group of teenagers. She has always had unrequited dreams of working full time designing clothes. When she runs (literally) into the handsome Oliver whose family own the famous chain of Russell’s department stores she learns he’s responsible for the store opening opposite her house. Oliver is soon making her an offer she can’t refuse. If she pretends to be his fiancé to appease his parents until the opening day of the store, he will allow Victoria and her students to hold a runway fashion show in the store. However, as they spend more time together and Victoria meets Oli’s family, feelings start to become all too real.

This book was such a pleasant surprise. I am going to hold my hands up and say I judged this book without reading this. It is written by Georgia Toffolo, star of Made in Chelsea and 2017 queen of the jungle. I’ve always liked Toff when I have seen her on TV, she seems like a really lovely, genuine person. Now, I admit I am always wary when celebrities head into the world of literature so I did have some preconceived ideas. However, I am happy to say I was pleasantly surprised by this one as it was a really sweet, well written Christmas romance and in the end, I really loved it!

Let’s begin with one of my favourite parts of this story and one of the main reasons it appealed to me. Our main character Victoria was an aspiring fashion designer and dressmaker. From the age of around 8 until I was 16 and starting college, I dreamt of nothing else but being a fashion designer. The day I discovered there was a job that involved a person designing the clothes we wear daily my mind was blown! I then spent the next few years spending all my time doodling and making dolls clothes and I flipping loved it. For that reason, I adored that our main character was into fashion and dreamed of being a designer. I thought it was such a lovely touch that she taught and shared her skills with teenagers. I also appreciated the rich descriptions of the fabrics Victoria buys and uses. It made my inner 10-year-old who aspired to make clothes very happy!

I really liked Victoria’s character, she was caring, compassionate and driven. I loved that she had a tight knit group of friends that despite living across the world were still there for each other constantly. Oliver’s character was also lovely, he was charismatic and successful. His desire for Victoria to be his fake girlfriend came from a place of wanting to please his parents. At one-point Victoria confronted him with her fears that the small businesses in the area will lose customers because of his department store opening. He then suggested a showcase for the shops and a fashion show, he was just a lovely thoughtful guy. I also really liked his parents and how his relationship with them develops throughout the story.

Unsurprisingly my favourite part of this book was the romance! Victoria and Oliver initially met in the bar she worked in and had an instant attraction. They then bumped into each other and Oliver showed her around the department store. As a side note this book made me realise how much I enjoy books set in department stores, I noticed just how many books I have read with this setting and really enjoyed. There is something so magical about a department store so I liked that this story had that. Anyway, back to the romance, the relationship used the classic fake dating trope. As a lover of romance this is a firm favourite of mine and I felt it was done really well. We saw lots of Oliver and Victoria getting too know each other and challenging each other which I love to see in romances. There was a tone of chemistry and sexual tension that was built up well. There was reluctance especially from Victoria to make their relationship rea’ and I did understand where this reluctance came from. We learnt quite early on about an incident Victoria and her friends experienced as teenagers and the lasting impacts this had on them. They led to her reluctance to be with Oliver but despite this she couldn’t help but like him and be there for him when he needed support. I really liked that they openly started to fall for each other and didn’t try to deny this. There was reluctant to pursue their feelings but they didn’t deny they are having them which I thought was great. I hate books where its obviously the couple likes each other but they spend the whole time denying it to the reader so I was pleased this one took a slightly different approach.


I just feel I judged this book far too soon and was so pleasantly surprised by it. I listened to the audio version and its narrated by the author herself. I always think its nice when authors narrate their own audiobooks. It was the cutest romance which I loved but it also managed to tackle some difficult issues sensitively. I really enjoyed how our main character was into fashion design and it was fun listening to her describe fabric and designs. It also had that great dose of Christmas cheer thrown in.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins audio and Mills and Boon for providing me with a copy of this book for review

A lot is going on in the world this autumn, so I was in dire need of a heartwarming Chritmassy read. So as soon as I read about Meet Me in London, I had to get my hands on the audiobook version for the ultimate comfort book experience. Turns out it was a huge hit for me because not only is the novel an absolute delight, but the narrator totally hit it out of the park with conveying all the romantic feels to the listener.

Meet Me in London is a fake relationship rom-com between an aspiring fashion designer and a new department store owner in London. Victoria needs a miracle to survive in a demanding London market while Oliver needs to introduce a girlfriend (he does not have) to his family during the new department store's opening ceremony. What I really liked about this book in particular is the skillful character development of both main characters; I have really grown to love them and root for them. Luckily, the ending was as wonderful as I had hoped, making this novel a full packed for the ultimate romantic comfort listen.

This escapist holiday listen was exactly what I needed during this difficult time, and I would highly recommend it during the chilly seasons.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this but it’s a lovely book! A great story that makes you not want it to end! A surprising hit for me! Worth a read/ listen

This was just okay for me. It was well written but felt it imitated previous romantic stories like You've Got Mail and The Proposal, without enough of it's own angle.
Todd's voice was easy to listen to but didn't distinguish the different characters' voices enough for me.
It was a nice story but not wow in my opinion.

I love a Christmas book and was pleasantly surprised by this up lifting and enjoyable read/listen. The characters are charming and a perfect little story to brighten your day

I listened to the audiobook of this story and I enjoyed the characters and their fake turned true love story and I’m always happy to have HEA love story I really struggled to enjoy the book because the narrators voice just made it so hard to engage and relate. I do find when the narrator doesn’t embellish voices or even change pitch between the characters it is like having just anyone read you a story and so I zone out.
I think if I had read the book I’d have got far more out of it, the concept and the characters are just what I enjoy in a winter romance

When I initially saw this book I was skeptical, a lot of celebrities write books and there is really no substance to them but when Netgalley gave me the chance to review this book I decided to give it a go and was so glad I did..

This is not your run of the mill rom com the characters are engaging and the scenario seems very plausible.

Victoria is a dress designer/bar manager living in London after a traumatic experience back home, having just been dumped unceremoniously by her ex Peter she decides that for her life is probably going to be better off alone.

Oliver is the Heir Apparent of the new department store which is opening on the street where Victoria lives, he is trying to keep his parents happy but also avoid his mothers matchmaking attempts.

Circumstances bring these two together and the journey they go on is very difficult at times but then some moments of absolute magic.

As I said the characters are wonderful and the Lost Hours Club girls were amazing, I really hope she brings out books for each of the girls.

This is a most wonderful book, I can't rate it highly enough.

I got the chance to review the audiobook and have to say the authors voice suited the story perfectly I ended up walking a few extra miles as I didn't want to stop listening to the story.

Netgalley gave me a free copy of the audiobook for an honest review.

5 Word Review: Friendship, secrets, London, fashion, love.
Meet Me in London feels very British in a Love, Actually and Bridget Jones kind of way. The moneyed and polished London that tourists expect, that's romanticised everywhere. And it works perfectly for the story.

This book hits upon one of my favourite Romance tropes - fake dating. Victoria and Oliver enter into a fake engagement (it's not a spoiler, it's right there at the top of the blurb!) and I loved the little twist on what I'd expect.
I loved Victoria's love of fashion - I loved her passion and her style, and it felt so natural that when we looked at fabric she pictured the outfit she would make from it and who she would make it for. I love how she shares her skills, she's so generous with her time and with herself and is a truly lovey person. Victoria as a character is so uplifting and the perfect Romantic heroine. I felt happy reading about her, even when the story explored darker and more difficult themes.

I really appreciated the triumphs of the characters. For all that Meet Me In London is a Romance, so you know you'll get a happy ending, I liked the small victories of the characters too, the hope throughout the story.

For all that everything is pretty glossy on the surface, the story was deeper than I expected. I enjoyed it so much that I'm itching to reread it!

I absolutely cannot wait to read more books about this group of friends. I feel like I'm one of the gang myself and I'd love to know what their happily ever after will be.

The audiobook is narrated by Toff herself and it didn't quite work for me. I think it's purely because I had already read the book and had my own idea of what Victoria would sound like and it didn't match up. That said, the narration by the author does give some different emphasis to certain parts of the story and really brought Victoria's pain to life.

I loved listening to this audiobook, and Toff’s voice is great for audio!

I didn’t fall in love with the characters as much as I hoped, but I did find it an easy listen and enjoyed it right through to the end.

Definitely a good comfort read ❤️

I found it really hard to connect with the audiobook only because I couldn't connect with the narrator. I have a feeling it's something I will really enjoy, as I love a fake dating story, so I will for sure search for the physical copy of this.

A hot chocolate-sweet way to kickstart cozy Christmas vibes. I wasn't a fan of the audio narrator, but the comforting plot pulled through, about a young woman's resilience and courage. As all seasonal romances should do, it restores your faith in all things good in the world. Lurking in the shadows of an all-too-perfect hero (perhaps cliche for some) are some dark, mysterious themes about trauma and abuse that add some depth. Warning: some cringey teenage slang.