Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A flooding kitchen, an attempt to stop the water flow by looking for the mains in the attic, and a broken door handle results in three housemates and a Hinge date getting stuck in the attic. What ensues is a plan to get out, a plastic box to pee in and two old flames.

This was so fun. Such an easy read.

It's listed as a romance on Goodreads but it's not really a romance. At its heart, the novel is about friendship.

The premise is enticing, their time in the attic lasted just the right amount of time and I found the resolution satisfying. The characters were also likeable. There's not much I can fault about this book.

It just doesn't carry the weight of a 5-star read for me, and that's why I've settled on 4 stars.

I’m going to say this right at the top. I DNF’d The Lock In, and while it wasn’t entirely the book’s fault, it didn’t help itself either. The Lock In came at the tail end of a romance binge, and while it’s not a romance, it’s similar enough that my fatigued mind just wasn’t there for it. So that is not the book’s fault.
However, aside from that, if I were to have to describe the half of the book that I did read, it would be simply fine. It’s fine. It’s nothing spectacular, and it’s nothing terrible, either. It could be the kind of book that resonates greatly with some people and becomes a favourite, tastes are funny things.
The Lock In happens in a very confined space, it’s light on plot and heavy on character. Books like that need something going for them. Humour, witty writing, characters that you fall in love with. The Lock In lacked any of these.
If it seems like I’m struggling to find things to say about this book, well, that’s because I am. It made no impression on me. It’s fine.

Very funny and horribly relatable, this is the millennial comedy of the moment. I enjoyed reading it and laughed many times. Well worth a go.

I thoroughly enjoyed this 'locked-room' rom-com and honestly found it to be so so relatable at times, as a fellow 27 year old living in South London. Told from the point of view of each of three housemates, this debut from Phoebe Luckhurst was perfect escapism. Imagine getting locked in an attic whilst your kitchen floods, no phone signal and a full bladder (gosh I felt for Ellen in that respect!). Throw in your housemate's date from the night before and all sorts of awkwardness and you get a fun romp with some very lovable characters.

It was truly laugh out loud funny in places and actually really fast-paced, I read it in about 2.5 days! Would recommend to anyone who fancies an easy, smile inducing read. A solid 3.5 stars from me, rounded up to 4. It felt like a kinder, less judgmental version of Ghosts!

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>This is a fun read that has hooked me from page one. This is a new author for me and I have definitely been converted as a fan. </p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>This is a novel that is easy to read and filled with laugh out loud moments. I have been completely pulled into the pages of this entertaining and addictive novel, I have found myself completely unwilling to put this one down. </p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>I love the characters and plot of this one. I have definitely been reminded of sitcoms and also felt as though I have been watching this one play out in front of me. </p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>This is a well written novel, with a unique plot and absolutely fantastic characters. This is the book that has converted me as a fan of this author. I definitely need to read more. </p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>This is a book I highly recommend and is definitely five star worthy. Get this on the TBR. </p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for approving me for an ARC of this book.

I loved the premise for this story and once I started it I knew it would be a quick and easy read. We were thrown straight into the drama with Ellen waking up with a hangover from hell to all the flatmates and Ben being locked in the attic.

I loved the story being told from the different POV and I enjoyed Jack’s chapters most of all. He was the one who made me smile with his sneaky ways and I found his Twitter thread and responses very amusing. I thought Ellen was the most irritating of all the housemates. Something about her rubbed my up the wrong way so I struggled to connect with her or feel sorry for her when she revealed how she knew Ben.

Whilst I did enjoy this read and thought everything moved at a great pace I didn’t always find it funny. For me there were no laugh out loud moments. Perhaps that’s just my sense of humour?

I enjoyed the mystery surrounding Ben and Ellen, I wondered who was lying or what the final reveal would be. I also enjoyed reminiscing about my MSN days where I started talking to my now husband.

This was an easy listen that had a unique concept, it just didn’t quite hit the spot for me.

I always love a good rom-com and The Lock In was the perfect book to read after having such a busy week and being in a bit of a reading slump. There are a lot of relatable parts to this book such as the characters and the nostalgia. It was very easy to get into and it’s great if you love a mix of friendships and romance aspects

To say this book is mainly set in one room, the attic, it is very fun and easy to follow Ellen, Alexa, Jack and Ben’s predicament of getting locked in there. That’s not even most of it. With no signal or wifi, the kitchen quickly flooding and potentially spreading across the bottom floor, Ellen’s teenage drama being brought up and Jack going viral on Twitter due to the weakest bit of internet he can find, there are definitely a lot of emotions running about. It’s this amount of anxious tension and drama that makes you want to read on.

I’m a big fan of multiple POV as well so it was really nice to read about all the characters thoughts and feelings going through the same thing. It was nice to have a bit of nostalgia with the flashbacks to 2009. It was easier to connect with the book especially because of the references to MSN, I used to live there after school.

I wasn’t a fan of Ellen, Alexa or Jack to begin with. Nothing in their characters really stood out to me. That was until the drama started to arise and their humour and personality started to come through more. They ended up being really relatable, even though we saw both their good and bad sides, they were enjoyable characters. I really loved Jack’s character and his secret tweeting, it just felt very mischievous and his tweets would be something I liked if I saw them on Twitter!

Overall, The Lock In, is an easy and fun read with plenty of funny moments and constant drama! There isn’t anything too exciting that happens it in but it is a great book if you are looking for something entertaining and need a simple story to follow after a long day.

The Lock In immediately grabbed my attention when I saw it available to request. The story sounded excellent and I couldn’t wait to get started.

I’m not quite sure what happened next. I could not gel with this book. I found the characters really dull, the first chapters about Ellen were tough to read as I found her quite unlikeable. There wasn’t a character that I particularly liked, and that’s difficult when you’re trying to engage with a storyline.

The main plot was good, but this book just wasn’t for me.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 📚

Enjoyed this story. I’m probably one of the older readers of this book, who has never used MSN messenger and internet dating, however it was easy to understand

A fun read for the summer about four young people trapped together in an attic.

I definitely found The Lock In to be an easy read, I knew what it was about and I appreciated how accurate the description is. It's a tale about friendship, honesty and pretty much a disaster zone all rolled into one eventful morning.

I liked the way each chapter was a different character. They were all so different, so I really enjoyed seeing the different points of view. My favourite part of the book was the referencing and back story of MSN, I found it to be so relatable and hilarious! Everyone has definitely had those moments when they were younger.

Although I found the ending to be predictable, I did like the way they all came together in the end. Jack is a little odd and his actions were questionable, but i couldn't help but feel sorry for him. I was so glad he eventually joined the little group! I think this is definitely a funny, lighthearted read that a lot of people will enjoy. That being said - it didn't really grip me, and it left me feeling a little 'meh'.

This story is about 3 housemates, Alexa, Ellen, and Jack, who all managed to get locked in the attic with Alexa’s date she met on a dating app, Ben. Whilst they’re all locked in the attic, the kitchen downstairs is flooding. After a while of being locked in, the atmosphere takes a nosedive after certain revelations come out. The revelations threaten Alexa and Ellen’s friendship, and they’ve been best friends since their uni days. All this happens while quiet Jack watches from afar, and Ben is stunned. They also have have a nightmare landlord to deal with to boot.
Love the pacing of the book and the characters especially Jack. I recommend this book as a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I read The Lock In over a sunny weekend and it's a perfect read to tune out and relax with. Its unique setting drew me in - housemates Jack, Ellen and Alexa (along with Alexa's date, Ben) get trapped in their attic and have to try and get help.

We get to know each character a little more, as well as their relationships with each others and a few home truths and tales from the past come to the surface.

Although easy to read, I think I was expecting a little more a few more LOLs and a little more plot-wise as the ending was a surprise but it defintiely had that feel-good factor.

The Lock In

Three housemates - and one hinge date find themselves locked in an attic. Sensible Alexa, less than sensible Ellen, somewhat gormless Jack & Ben - Alexa’s date are accidentally locked in the attic of 49 Rokeby Close - with no phone signal and only a skylight to try and call for help. I’ll be perfectly honest - this book wasn’t the most exciting I’ve ever read. It took me a while to get into it - and further into the story I found myself a bit more interested in what was going on. It was very funny in places - I just think the setting was a bit dull for me. Though it’s quite possible that I’m just a bit too old for this book.

A really fun read about a strange situation that just keeps getting worse and worse. The friends were likeable and funny. This is the kind of book you pick up on a whim and become instantly hooked. A real page turner that is easy to follow

It seemed a morning like any other weekend morning for three flatmates in South East London, until hangover Ellen woke up to a leaking tap in the kitchen, Jack and Alexa try helping finding the water supply to close it and avoid any more damage. However when they are all in the loft, Ben - Alexa's date who had stayed over- locked them all in there.... will they be able to get help since Ben and Alexa dont have their phones with them, Ellen's is about to run out of battery and Jack can't get any signal?

A very funny and well written book, definitely a page turner.
If you are in need of a light reading, this is the book for you.

I read this along while listening to it. Definitely a feel good summer read but not to be taken seriously. It did take me a while to get to know the characters and i felt i wouldn't like them to start with, but it soon became the opposite. I am glad i carried on with it and soon become hooked and struggled to put book down. I liked the chapter per character style. I definitely laughed out loud throughout.

I received an e-ARC from the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Flatmates Ellen, Alexa and Jack are broke millennials living in London. They all have quirky jobs. Ellen works in marketing for a CBD Tampon Company, Alexa works in politics, and Jack works in customer service for a produce delivery company.

One Saturday morning, Ellen wakes up hungover to discover that the kitchen is flooding. Waking up her equally hungover housemates, as well as Alexa’s hookup, they somehow all end up locked in the attic together whilst trying to shut off the water.

The wacky premise of this book drew me, but it was not for me in the end.

I really resonated with the loneliness of flatshares with strangers, the millennial in London striving for promotion, recognition and change in circumstances, etc. Still, the overall conflict in this novel had me shaking my head.

Ellen and Ben (the tinder hookup) end up being from the same small town in Kent but went to different high schools. As they chat, Ellen is convinced they had a torrid MSN messenger romance before Ben ghosted her, breaking her heart … and she’s still mad about it 10 years later. Eventually, it's revealed that it was Ben’s much younger brother.

This was the only plot point of the novel besides Jack tweeted about their ordeal, including the MSN romance. Otherwise, there was absolutely no story, and the book fell flat.

The Lock In combines three housemates, a flooding kitchen, a Hinge date and a broken door handle as the basis for its plot where ultimately, we witness four people interacting from a locked attic.

Told from three points of view, we are rather rapidly introduced to three very different housemates - Ellen, Jack and Alexa (not forgetting Alexa's latest date Ben).
The idea felt original and managed to successfully encompass both the friendship and romantic aspects of the story, and whilst I didn’t care too much for the other characters, I absolutely loved Jack. He definitely had me laughing several times and provided great comic relief, especially when the plot became tense.

My only problem is that certain parts of the book felt a lot slower than others, and it made it slightly difficult to get through. However, when the pace did pick up and the drama of the shared history began to unfold, I managed to get through it a lot faster. It’s just a shame the pacing felt so jumpy.

An enjoyable read overall, would definitely recommend to anyone who particularly feels like reminiscing over their old student days!
This is definitely a rom-com for the modern ages.
Thank you to Penguin Michael Joseph UK and Netgalley for an eARC of this book in return for an honest review.

To be honest, when I started this, I couldn't imagine how the author was going to drag the story out for the length of the book, but how wrong was I? It had me hooked and it was one of those un-put-downable’s. Don’t give up, it’s definitely a recommend from me.

This was a fab book, I haven't read one like this before, where all the characters are trapped in one room just for the day. It did feel claustrophobic and I definitely wouldn't want to be stuck in an attic!

It was very enjoyable and I enjoyed the back stories as well. And a great reveal at the end!!