Member Reviews
A lovely emotional moving book .Sarah manning never fails to drew me in keep me turning t he pages.I also love London and enjoyed following the path of this couples love.highly recommend this and all her books.#netgalley #hodder&stoughton
I'm a long term Sarra Manning fan and didn't find this quite as gripping as usual. It was still an enjoyable read but something about it felt clunky and overly drawn out. If you're a romance reader looking for something (mostly) light hearted though, you will enjoy this.
It's only February but this will be one of my books of the year. A pin sharp, hilarious and genuinely sexy look at the lives of two people moving from the 1980s until now which takes in everything from hairstyles to pop culture and shows how sometimes it's best to take the long route home.. A good book for any age, this will be devoured by those of us who remember quiffs, Smiths T-Shirts and when sliding into your DMs meant loosening 18 button holes. A gorgeous read
I really enjoyed this romance. It follows the story of Jen and her best friend Nick across several years. I felt the timeline was well written and had sufficient details to build a thorough story line and allowed the author to jump through years in an easy to follow and enjoyable way. I also loved the way London was so well described and beautifully fit the story, making it easy to picture.
Overall this was a thoroughly enjoyable romance that I would recommend.
Firstly, I love Sarra Manning books and I get quite excited whenever there is a new one on the horizon. Secondly, this book did not disappoint.
Jenny and Nick meet as teenagers in college and we follow their regular encounters over the years - usually with a London tube or train station in a support role. At each meeting, it's clear that they are not quite ready to commit to each other and so the story covers several years. I found both of the two characters extremely likeable and enjoyed meeting them at the different stages in their lives.
This is a story of recognising not only who our one love may be but also realising that the journey to find each other is just as important. Nurture doesn't simply stop when we hit 18. We do carry on developing, evolving and maturing. A relationship between a teenage Jenny and Nick may not have survived more than a couple of chapters.
3.5 stars
London, With Love is Sarra Manning’s 2022 summer romance. Jenny and Nick first meet at college. Their timing is never right and as the come in and out of each other’s lives it seems less and less likely that they’ll end up together.
Regardless of your age, you’ll be able to relate to Jenny at different stages throughout her story - the teenage friend drama, first crushes, careers. I really loved the London theme throughout. The chapter titles with tube station names and likewise subway stations when Jenny moves to New York.
My one little issue with this, which stopped it being a 4 star read for me, was that I felt that Nick and Jenny weren’t actually nice to each other, a lot of the time and so the romance between them came with a lot of angst and hurt.
Sarra Manning is an author, who for me, has had a profound impact on my reading habits. I read her book Unsticky ten years ago and I still think about how much I loved that book. If you’ve not read anything from this author I’d highly recommend starting there.
I seen one of my favourite authors Marian Keyes say this was a great book & I knew I had to read it. It certainly didn’t disappoint me. I thought it was great too!
I received an ARC of, London, With Love, by Sarra Manning. I thought this book was ok, it was a bit drawn out. I was getting to the point that I did not care if they got together in the end.
I was looking forward to this book from the first time I saw Sarra mention it on social media and it didn’t disappoint. In fact, it’a pretty much perfect.
I loved the London settings and historical references, plus Jen, the main character, is the same age as me so I could cross-reference everything with my own life and sometimes the nostalgia was almost overwhelming.
Like all of Sarra’s books, ‘London, With Love’ is sexy and romantic and funny and smart. I think it’s her best yet.
I really enjoyed this emotional relationship of a book. It was really captivating to see Nick and Jennifer grow up and mature, and how their relationship constantly changed throughout the years.
This is a five-star love letter to your soul. If you have lived through any of the major events of this story or been to the stations this story will speak to you. This story pulls you in and makes you sob your heart out in moments that will wreck your heart. You will have flashes of moments of your life, and how you felt, where you where and what you did next at so many points in this. This is easily the best book I will read this year, as its not only about Jenny and Nick, or even London itself, as that feels like the third person in the relationship at times. I love how this whole thing had your emotions running so high, and so consistently hooked into the story that you can’t stop reading. You need to know which stop will be next, what part will be revealed, who will end up happy in the end? I have read a few stories by this author, but honestly this one surpassed the rest, it just spoke to my soul.
Was thrilled to be given an advance copy, I'm a huge Sarra Manning fan and as soon as I saw she had a new book out, I couldn't wait to read it!
I really wasn't disappointed, this was a love story not just between a couple but also a love story with London. You can tell just how much Sarra loves the city.
I love a story that moves through time, based in reality...I could picture the characters in my head...somebody option this right away!
I was completely captivated by this book, it was well written with an engaging tone and well developed characters. It was both heartwarm, uplifting and heartbreaking in equal measure. I loved the characters and I was really invested in them and their stories. A really enjoyable read.
Once again Sarra Manning has managed to break my heart, stomp on it and put it back together. I loved this book, it was sweet, sexy, sassy, romantic and utterly brilliant. It's definitely a book I will return to and one I will be recommending to anyone who appreciates a well written romance. It definitely has the nostalgia factor for anyone born in the eighties, and I loved traveling through time along with the characters. As much as it's a love story, it's also a coming of age story, we watch the two main characters grow up, change, and mature and every second spent with them is worth while. I applaud the author on creating such an engrossing novel that has captured a piece of my heart.
Thank you so much for allowing me to read this early. x
What happens when you meet the love of your life but it’s not happy ever after? London, With Love is beautiful, well-told love story that really has you rooting for the lead characters. It follows Jennifer and Nick who first meet at college and spend the next two decades falling in and out of love (and like) with each other. One of the strengths of Sarra’s novels is the likeable and engaging female characters and Jennifer is no exception. Jennifer and Nick’s story is knitted together skilfully against a background of broader cultural change and landmark events from the 1980s onward that will have you revisiting excellent music and questioning some previous fashion choices. But, as the title suggests, it is Jennifer’s love of London that shines through and with an emphasis on chance encounters and near misses, this smartly-told novel has you really invested in the story and characters. A real delight to read.
A warm, wonderful and relatable novel filled with Manning’s trademark wit and observation (and also her respected expertise in the field of bedding.. Particularly from John Lewis).
London, With Love is a book everyone will enjoy, though if you’re a woman of a certain age it is an absolute must. I was catapulted instantly back to my student days (and to the various landmark events that have happened since) Great characters, great settings and above all a beautiful love story. A very special book.
Oh I absolutely loved London, With Love and was bereft when it ended. Jennifer and Nick meet as teenagers in 1980s London and Manning tells their on and off love story over the next few decades. I am pretty much the same age as Jennifer and so her teenage years and 20s and the cultural references really spoke to me- I loved the same clothes, music and books. Manning really brings alive what it was to be a teenager in the 80s and the post university years of relationships, renting squalid flats and trying to find your place in the world. I adored Jennifer - she felt so real to me. I was so thrilled by the reference to the publishing house Lyttons !
An absolute gem of a novel that has stayed with me and I've no doubt will be one of my reads of the year. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.
Nice easy reading, something to distract in what can be difficult times, loved reading about London the book really brought the streets to life even if you had to suspend your belief occasionally!
I love Sarra's style of writing, especially how she brings London alive although I may be biased due to my love of the city. There were times I found this a bit far fetched but otherwise loved it.