Book Review: From London with Love by Katie Fforde

Katie Fforde’s From London with Love is a delightful, heartwarming romance set in 1968 that effortlessly combines the charm of London with a heroine pursuing her dreams and discovering love along the way. Fforde, known for her uplifting and feel-good tales, delivers yet another page-turner filled with warmth, romance, and a touch of adventure.

The story centers around Felicity, a young woman from Provence who arrives in London to stay with her mother and improve her English. She plans to spend the year learning secretarial skills, but the world has other plans for her. While her mother dreams of finding her a suitable husband, Felicity is secretly determined to return to France and pursue her true passion—painting.

Her life takes a delightful turn when she meets Oliver, a free-spirited and fascinating young man who lives on a barge and is a mudlarker. Oliver’s passion for searching the Thames for hidden treasures intrigues Felicity, and soon she finds herself swept into his world, uncovering forgotten bits of history while following her artistic dreams. As Felicity grows closer to Oliver, she is torn between her mother’s expectations and her own desires, especially when it becomes clear that Oliver may not be the “suitable man” her mother envisioned.

Fforde’s storytelling shines in her portrayal of Felicity’s journey of self-discovery, love, and following her passion. The romance between Felicity and Oliver is charming and tender, and their adventures along the Thames add a unique and refreshing layer to the story. The setting of 1968 London feels alive, with its vibrant culture and evolving social norms, making it a perfect backdrop for Felicity’s personal growth.

Felicity’s conflicting emotions—loyalty to her mother, the pull of her dreams, and her growing love for Oliver—are relatable, and readers will find themselves rooting for her every step of the way. The novel is a beautiful exploration of love, family, and pursuing what truly matters, making it an ideal read for fans of romantic escapism.

From London with Love is the kind of book that wraps you in a warm hug, making you want to linger in its world long after you turn the last page. Whether you're in the mood for romance, a bit of adventure, or a heartfelt story about following your dreams, this novel offers all of that and more.

Rating: 4.5/5

Katie Fforde has done it again with this charming and inspiring tale. Fans of her previous work and those looking for an uplifting romantic escape will find From London with Love to be a truly enjoyable read.

In a book that has characters from previous books that Fforde has written, we find Felicite in the 1960s, just moving to London to live with her mother. She is half French and half English but has lived most of her life in Provence. She finds adapting to London life, living with her well-to-do mother and her secretarial course challenging. But she finds a friend in Violet, the lodger in the flat upstairs and also nearly literally bumps into Oliver, a fan of mudlarking and soon a fan of Felicite too. Meanwhile, Violet has also recently moved to London from the countryside and has started a new job even though she’s never met her boss and doesn’t know what she should be doing. She has a Father back home who has just inherited a lordship and is attracting women because of his newfound wealth. And what made Violet’s best friend suddenly rush off to France? As with all of Fforde’s books, the course of true love never runs smoothly but you will have to read it to find out if there is a happy ending.

I have read a few of Fforde’s books including “A Wedding in Provence” (which included some of the same characters and I enjoyed) and more recently “Island in the Sun” (which I have to be honest and say I didn’t enjoy). While I feel this one is better than the latter, it still had some of the same issues. Parts of the behaviour, thoughts and conversations between the characters just didn’t seem realistic (even when you suspend a certain amount of disbelief!). But also it feels like there are really unnecessary explanations and information is often repeated when most readers don’t need to be reminded of it.

But it’s a very easy, cosy read and one that will appeal to anyone who wants to find out what happens next to some of Fforde’s previous characters.

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

An interesting story set in the 1960s London about two women from affluent backgrounds finding romance .
Amidst many ups and downs Felicity and Violet finally find their respective paths through tricky relationships and family friction.
I enjoyed reading about mudlarking, its dangers and the possibilities of the treasures to be found.
I would have liked to learn more about the lost palace, but perhaps that is another story?

It was a good book but not quite up to the usual books from this author.

Felicity has moved to London as her Mother has paid for her secretarial course from France. She meets Violet who lives in the flat above and also Oliver who she seems to have a connection with. Violet meets Henry through her Father and would like to get to know him better. Through a lot of miscommunication and mishaps things don’t go to plan.

I thought it was a nice cosy book and the characters were nice but it didn’t really feel there was much to this book.

The book was ok.

I loved being back in the 1960’s with Katie Fford’s characters. It’s so interesting to see that love, friendship and romance is timeless.

Felicity was an interesting character and it was nice to see her take the next steps on her journey into womanhood, having met her in a previous book. I really felt for her being unsure how to behave around her estranged mother and how to fit in with proper English society. It was cleverly written and at times I really felt for her. Her friendship with Violet who is staying in the upstairs flat is crucial to Felicity enjoying her stay and the many adventures she goes on.

However, Violet is a character not to be over looked, she may not be the main star but I think her storyline really brings that extra oomf to the book. Having her meet Henry on neutral grounds was great as she got a true feeling for him, then the twist that he is the bookshop owner and then how she strives to help him with his historical discovery, employing all her friends to help him achieve and in doing so she wins his heart. I really enjoyed that whole sub plot.

I really can’t wait to see what 1960’s delights that Fford is going to give us next.

1968, the London scene, and Felicity comes to stay with her forbidding mother whilst she undertakes a secretarial course. This book is another spin with familar names of characters popping up (her step mother is in Provence - Alexandria from previous novels)

Here she meets Violet, who lives at the top of the big house and proves to be a good friend. She also literally bumps into Oliver, a muddy and eccentric mudlarker, with an eclectic group of friends.

This is a cosy and fun novel about finding love in unusual places, with all the perfectly happy endings you are hoping for when you pick it up. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First of all i would like to thank Random house u.k for letting me review such a wonderful book

I have read a lot of Katie books and very much fell in love with everyone of them and i can say this book was just as wonderful

i really loved the setting 1960 London /France the wonderful cosy vibes and i love history i found it all very captivating .

The friendship between the characters gave me all the warm cosy vibes just made me feel good .the love part of it is slow burn if you love that you will enjoy this i did Katie always clever at giving you all the Butterflies in your tummy . i did love the chemistry with Felicity and Oliver it was perfection and so raw ,they really had each other's backs .

i loved the adventures and the magical feel to this book .

i am giving the book a cosy magical 4.5 stars

Friendship between Felicity visiting her mother in London from her home in France and Violet alongside their potential love interest. In true form the romances don’t run easily and then become settled in the last couple of chapters. . Cosy read

I found this to be a delightful read. Set mainly in 1960’s London, it was a warm and gentle tale of family, friendship and love. The plot moved steadily along, I particularly enjoyed the fierce female friendships and had lovely, if slightly predictable ending. Easy to read and as comforting as sinking into a warm bath, a quaint read that captured life at that time well.

Set in 1968 London, this isn’t my usual choice of book and was my first Katie Fforde. I really enjoyed it and was intrigued by mudlarkibg. I will certainly try other books by this author.

A guaranteed warm, cosy read from Ms Fforde. Set in 1968 London and a bit in France, this had all the makings of her usual writing.

But how disappointing as not much really happened. However, I was introduced to mudlarking.

I also would have liked more backstories of Felicity and Violet.

Disappointing.

Thanks to Random House UK Cornerstone for the chance to read and review.

A delightful story by a wonderful Author.
Having started the story, I did have to check it was the author I thought I was reading as it felt so different from her usual theme!

A well written easy read. I am pretty sure I have now read all Katie Fforde’s books and will continue to do so

A charming step back into recent past, a world without mobile phones and Uber. Simply wonderful to meet up with known characters and to meet new ones. A heart warming read that captures you and draws you in. A really enjoyable read.

Thank you Netgalley.

I found that this book just fell a bit flat for me. The first half really dragged and only picked up when it came to mudlarking discoveries and uncovering secrets but this was glossed over in favour of the romance. I liked the character of Violet but really couldn’t warm to the others and found that I wasn’t really bothered what happened, I usually really liked Katie Fforde books but this one did not capture me.

This is the latest in a series of connected novels about friends and family living in France and England. Félicité is the oldest daughter of Antoine (chateau owner now married to former nanny Alexandra) and has travelled to London to spend time with her mother Lucinda, and take a typing and shorthand course. Living in the same house, in her godmother’s flat, is slightly older woman Violet, who befriends Félicité. This is the story of their friendships and romances during Félicité’s stay in London.

This is a gentle tale of life amongst the well-to-do in 1960’s (mostly) London. Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a pleasant read. I couldn’t really warm to the characters and the story wasn’t as strong as others I have read by her but overall not a bad read.

Set mainly in London in the swinging sixties my favourite decade. I felt invested in the future of the two main characters. Some very enjoyable and interesting things happen (no spoilers here) with the usual ups and down along the way. Not my favourite Katie Fford book a bit slow but I did enjoy it. I would recommend it as a relaxing read. Katie Fford fans will not be disappointed.

I was on the fence with this one unfortunately.

It was an easy, light and heart-warming story set in the late 60's, but the characters and plot fell slightly flat and I came away feeling a little disappointed as I have loved Katie Fforde's previous novels.

Felicity and Violet both arrive in London, in adjoining flats in 1968. Felicity has come from France to stay with her English mother and do a secretarial course and Violet has moved from the country to stay in her Godmother's flat whilst she is in America. Will they find the men of their dreams?
An enjoyable read.

A delightful story about friendship, first loves, and navigating societal expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic between the two strong female protagonists, Felicity and Violet. Both women, despite their differing family situations, support and understand each other in meaningful ways. Felicity is exploring the excitement of first love, while Violet, a 30-year-old single woman, is learning to embrace independence. The 1960s London setting is vividly described, adding an extra layer of charm to the story. The men—Oliver and Henry—are interesting and well-developed, reflecting the era's traits while bringing their own unique energy to the narrative. I was invested in the characters journeys and thrilled with the heartwarming, satisfying conclusion.. This is a book full of warmth, friendship, and love.

Thank you to Net Galley, Random House UK and Cornerstone for the ARC in return for my honest review.