The book begins in 1986 with Jen starting college, and having few friends feels she doesn’t fit in. A friendship develops between her and Nick, and the story is about their relationship and how it evolves through the years.
Driven by its characters, the book has a zippy, humorous tone though heartbreaking in places. Expertly written the characters come alive on the page, and you become absorbed in the couple’s relationship wanting it to succeed. Jen and Nick are two quirky characters with an on/off relationship, unable to get their timing right. Secondary characters are also well written, adding to the charm of the story.
The author’s love of London is clearly explored with its nightclubs, shopping and culture. I like how the fashions have changed, with Jen’s love of wearing Doc Martins and heavy makeup, and fashions changing becoming more sober as the years unfold. I feel I know all the routes and timetables of the city’s underground, buses and trains, the author knows them so well.
The story has a steady pace though slow at times, recommended.

This emotional rollercoaster was a sweet, satisfying treat. I was hooked by this charming read and its endearing characters. Thank you for the ARC!

This is one of the worst books that ive read.
Its very lazy writing and the descriptions aren't very good. I started to read and thought it was very dull and there was no romance, just bad bad cliches.

Dreamy and romantic. Did it have a few flaws? Yes. Do I care? No not really. This book had me feeling all kinds of emotions and I loved it. Its one of those kinds of love where you overlook the flaws. This is the case with London, With Love.

I've always adored Sarra Manning's work and London, With Love was no exception. I loved Jennifer's growth as a person throughout the novel. From insecure teen to mature adult. I also loved the portrayal of London. My only issue was Nick, I couldn't understand why they were drawn together because frankly he seemed like a bit of an arse at times and because the novel was from Jen's perspective, we can't see his growth and motives throughout out the years. However, overall it was a celling read and I can't wait to read more from Sarra Manning.

This book starts in 1986 and covers a twenty year on-off friendship between Jennifer and Nick. First off, it physically pained me to tag this as historical when much of it is an anthem to my own youth.

In 1986 Jennifer starts studying for her A levels at Barnet College, after being bullied mercilessly at school by the mean girls she is determined to reinvent herself and find some friends. Nick is an impossibly good-looking, too-cool-for-school, student in her English class, full of pretension and knowing smirks. At first they cordially dislike each other, until a chance meeting at a gig, when Nick helps Jen out of a bind, creates a tentative friendship. Jen thinks she's playing it cool and no-one knows she fancies her best friend, she even manages to be friendly with the series of ethereal blondes that Nick dates, until an overheard conversation at Jen's 18th birthday party reveals that she's fooling no-one. So ends a beautiful friendship, one in which Nick and Jen knew each other better than anyone else.

Jen and Nick continue to run into each other from time-to-time, through a mutual friend, through work, through partners. Each time their dynamic changes: he's in love with her, but she isn't; he's engaged; she's engaged; and so on. In the background we see so many of the major events that punctuate their lives: the death of Princess Diana; Y2K, 9-11 and so on.

It's interesting, initially I engaged whole-heartedly with Jen. She reminded me of my teenage years, of reinventing myself at A level college, the drinking and smoking and watching bands at Brixton Academy. Then I started to get irritated when she aged but didn't grow up (conveniently forgetting my own misspent twenties), but loved the slow way in which she gradually grew up. On the other hand, I didn't think Nick quite worked as a character, maybe because everything was focused on Jen, sometimes his motivation was a bit cloudy.

Overall, this novel brought back so many memories: of music, fashion, growing up, and seminal events in history. It was a real trip down Memory Lane, and for those too young to remember back to the 1980s I can assure you that it has that ring of authenticity. I loved how Jen/Jennifer grew emotionally, this is just as much women's fiction as it is romance. It is also an homage to a beautiful city of contradictions.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Wow. I loved it.

I don’t like to explain myself when I give a book 5 stars, because when I love something I don’t need to give a reason. I just love it.
I don’t know how i’m going to read any romance book after this. Probably I’ll go back to my spicy romance books and never give them 5 stars. haha

So I loved this book (i know i haven’t said it enough). I love going back in time and I loved Jen character in the beginning. (Not when she decided to leave Nick AGAIN God knows how many times). I don’t think I ever related to a character this much. But I loved reading about Jen in the ‘90s. And in London. It was awesome.

I loved Nick even when he was an arsehole. I can’t resist when a boy secretly in love with the girl. And over twenty years? C’mon… my heart.
Oh yeah, my heart. I don’t think my heart will beat in the same way ever again. It’s was so hearttouching, heartbreaking, heartwarming and any ‘heart-‘ phrases you can ever imagine.
I wanted to laugh, I wanted to cry and I wanted to scream so many times while I read, but with I deep breath I kept myself together.

Jen and Nick was the definition of the right person wrong times!! (i mean wrong lifetime hah). And I was so glad when they finally opened their eyes and confessed their feelings.
I was mad when in 2001 they didn’t got together. I felt like it was highly unnecessary to push them apart again and after that they lost so many years. Not months what I’d prefer more but years. And i was really sad about that. They deserved to be happy after New York.
But overall we get a really good love story with a lot of rollercoasters. In the next three months this will be THAT book that I can’t stop thinking about.

Thank you for that arc. I grateful for this beautiful book.

I have to be honest I was not sure at first but it just grew and grew on you. I love all the London tube parts.The story was clever how it covered the 20 years of falling in love. I loved following Jenny’s career. I also loved how covid came into the book gently . Brilliant. Knowing London helped me enjoy it even more

I really liked this book which is written as an intermittent diary/memoir' from the perspective of Jennifer (Jen). It commences in the 1990's and tracks her life through the years and various tragic events, but focuses mainly on her on/off but consuming relationship with Nick through the years. Although I am good deal older and my teen years were in the 1970's and this story commences in the 1990's I could still relate to the feelings portrayed, The book kept me on my toes with that 'will they or won't they' question always lingering. No spoilers here, but I was happy with the outcome when the story was brought into the present day.

Thank you for NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC!

This book like a diary of life for Jen with Nick sometimes (or always) come in her life. Begin all the way from her school life to her adult life. Completely, we will see all the things that happen im her life, from her careers, her relationships and of course her ups and downs with Nick. At first I thought Jen and Nick will have a relationship, from what I read om blurb, but no they're just friend even best friend. That's what make this whole this book become really hard for me, because the dynamics friendship of them is too complex.

I don't know how to state what kind of feeling I have while read this book, because I was frustated with Jen and Nick. They said they had the worst timing but what I see is a terrible communication. For people who love angst, I think this book is for them. Too much angst here between Jen and Nick, but honestly I don't really like it. It made me confuse with every Jen's decisions. She's too wishy washy with her decisions and personally I don't really like it. Same with Nick, I don't really understand what he wants and it make sense why Jen confuse with him. 

Also, this book is so complete. Too much description and sometimes make me bored while read it.

I loved reading this and how the lives of two people were explored through the passage of time. The city is almost a character in its own right. I could see this making a great movie/mini series!

This book was a real trip down memory lane retelling some of the pinicle moments in not only thr protagonist's lifetime bit also mine (although Jen is a good few years older I hasten to add!)
Jen and Nick have shared so much every since her friend's abandoned her at a Smith's gig. Jen is secretly besotted and Nick is... Well, Nick.
I absolutely loved reading about their evolving friendship and the paths each took.

This was a really enjoyable book, and I'll read anything Sarra Manning writes, but the London thing was flogged a bit. Lots of intricate directions are a bit wearying after a while.

NetGalley review

London With Love NetGalley arc

Unsurprisingly this love story is primarily set in London amongst the hustle and bustle of the capital, the tube stations and millions of people.

Jennifer and Nick meet as teenagers in 1986, where the story starts, and over the next twenty years they fall in and out of each other’s lives. Sometimes they just kiss. Other times they're friends. There are times when they stop speaking altogether but they always seem to find their way back to each other. 

After all this time have the stars aligned and are they finally destined to be together forever?

Such likeable characters and such a sweet storyline that I was gripped to this book from the start. Reminded me in parts of One Day as well. Definitely recommend this book for those who love romance books and for those who don’t.

This book reminds of me of a cross between 'One Day' and 'Normal People'.

This was a really great read. Jen and Nick have meet each other in sixth form college. Following an eventful night at a concert, their lives merge together and for the next 33 years, they weave in and out of each others lives. There are many ups and downs, laughs, tragedies and good times as Nick and Jen navigate life and try to figure out what they actually mean to each other.

I really enjoyed the characters of Nick and Jen. We get to follow their relationship over a period of time and journey with them as they go through the motions of being in their early 20's before life start to takes over as the characters get older. At each milestone in their lives, Nick and Jen are never to far away from each other and whilst they have a very rocky relationship, each time a character enters a new phase, we are sure the other will be there to support in one way or another. It was really interesting to see how these two characters come in and out of each other's lives and the effects that it has on the other. It becomes clear from early on that there are a lot of unsaid feelings between Nick and Jen. Whilst this definitely adds to the angst of the plot, sometimes it became extremely frustrating as. a reader and somewhat repetitive. However, Manning does an excellent job of creating a realistic sense of how two best friends who really want the best for each other, end up being the ones to hurt each other the most.

The character development was good between the characters. As the years go by we see them maturing and finally being able to communicate their feelings better. Manning really does write in a way that you feel part of the characters story, that you experience the ups and downs, just as the characters do.

All in all, this was a really great read. Any lovers of romance novels will be sure to love this. If you enjoyed the likes of one day, then this book gives the same energy and vibe.

The start of this novel was interesting and decent in terms of its pace however as the novel unfolds it began to be a real long journey to get through, even in situations where I am waiting in the hospital I could not find myself reaching for this novel I would have to push through to finish it.
Some of the things Jen - whatever nickname she’s going through in life seems a bit extreme but I guess that is the way teenagers where in the 80’s.
I found her to be overly snobby in a wanna-be type of way because she needed to have it all figured out and got so embarrassed at times which reminds the reader of the thoughts that go through your mind at that age which I did enjoy. Some other chapters after that like when she gets her first job and all she does is complain about it instead of doing something about it. And the drugs. Was there any need for the mention of them as if it’s like drinking water?
This is not about a love. This is about an obsession with a guy that the main character constantly has to tell herself she doesn’t love him and then she goes on about how much she loves him, get over it girl and be honest with yourself instead of trying to ‘fit in’. Overall, the plot is very interesting and did grab my attention but it didn’t hold it enough throughout this read.

I started off utterly hooked, then it got a bit waylaid towards the end, one event would have worked, two was just a bit OTT.

Jenny and Nick meet as teenagers, two suburban North Londoners with ambitions and attitudes that repeatedly pull them together and push them apart over almost twenty years. Are they destined to be just friends, or something more?

The title of this book is so apt, because at heart it’s a love letter to London. Full disclosure: I’m a few years younger than Jenny, but spent the late Nineties and early 2000s living and working in London, so the locations, cultural references and real events scattered throughout resonated HARD. But even if you don’t have that London knowledge, there is so much in this story to love. We see the two main characters grow up on the page: the struggles, the mistakes, the friendships and dreams and complete inability to get their timing right. Both of them are frustrating at times and far from perfect, which makes it feel all too real. This book is funny, gut-wrenching and uplifting by turns, and comes to a beautiful conclusion. Highly recommended.

Could not put this down and read in one sitting.
The title sums up so much of this book. Having loved London so much from afar over many years to feel it's heart beating through the pages of Jenny and Nick's story was just like a comfort blanket.
We start with our hero Jenny/Jen/Jennifer starting at 6th form and trying not for the last time to reinvent who she wants to be. Wonderfully crafted and very familiar relationships that many will recognise form the backbone on this book. Jen's friendship with Nick is bought to life and that we follow them through all the ups and downs of university, work, serious relations and mistimed declarations of love and it just all felt incredibly relatable.
While not a new concept - a love story told in snapshots over years, it didn't become cheesy or run out of steam. Really felt like you were a part of the story. The London setting and specifically the underground made it feel like this kind of story could be going on all around you at any time, grounded in real places, real times and crafted with love.
All the ingredients of the familiar love story synopsis but just with something extra sprinkled over it. Loved it.

Brilliant book! Loved the way the characters developed over the timeline, thought the way the main character was Jennifer/Jenny/Jen depending on how she wanted to be seen by others depending on the year was a fab idea, loved the way real events were weaved into the story and I loved the ending! Highly recommend and thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy x