This is one of those books where you want to knock the two main character's heads together, in this case Nadia and Tom, refusing to acknowledge their feelings for each other. I enjoyed the opening scene with five strangers meeting under the clock at Waterloo Station and their subsequent friendships and interactions. It is slow paced, which won't appeal to some readers, but does allow the relationship to grow naturally. They are totally opposite characters, with very little in common, for example pie and chips versus Italian cuisine and football versus tennis,but despite this their friendship grows and you really hope that they will end up together. I would score this at 4.5* due to the slow nature of the story, but,rounded up to 5*as I did enjoy the book.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

It pains me to say this because I usually see books through to the end, even when I’m not vibing with them, but I had to DNF this one. Unfortunately, the characters felt flat, and there was little to no chemistry between the two main leads.

Meet Me Under the Clock follows Tom and Nadia, who are both stood up by their respective dates under the same clock. To avoid the pressure from family and friends about being single, they agree to be each other’s plus-ones for events.

The premise sounded great, but at 40% in, I still wasn’t seeing any emotional connection or romantic development between them. Without that spark, the story just didn’t hold my interest.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Firstly I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book, I absolutely loved it.
It had a great story and really good characters that I felt I really got to know. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know.

Sweet, swoony, and engaging. A recommended purchase for collections where contemporary romance is popular.

Perfect, short romcom! The book was easy to read and at points made me laugh out loud. While the storyline was predictable, I still immensely enjoyed the book. One of the main parts of this book include the "Waterloo Five" - five random strangers who became friends at the very beginning of this book. I thought this detail was perfect and enjoyed seeing their friendships bloom in addition to Tom and Nadia's budding romance.

Thank you to Jo Lovett, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for the eARC!

I think the overall premise of the book is very cute but it missed the mark in a lot of places for me.

I felt both Tom and Nadia lacked humor in their personalities and that made it boring for me. And that’s some of my own personal taste that wasn’t satisfied.

There were a lot of British terms that I didn’t know and had to look up and that kinda made me feel disconnected. Idk I think the whole thing for me had a sort of cultural barrier I couldn’t get over.

I enjoyed this one, but oh my goodness…I wanted to give Nadia and especially Tim a shake! Shake some sense into him , lol.

The main characters were interesting- The Waterloo Five were all so different.

Good read, I’d recommend

Really good book that i will recommend to others.

Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

Don’t you just want to grab this, switch off the phone and curl up on the sofa
By far one of my favourite books I've read this month… I loved every minute… I laughed out loud so many times!!…

"Meet Me Under the Clock" by Jo Lovett is a sweet romance comedy that charms with the novelty of chance encounters. The premise is about Nadia and Tom, who find themselves stood up by their blind dates under Waterloo Station's iconic clock. This is initially supposed to be an entertaining story to tell at future dinner parties, but it morphs into an intense friendship and a pretend-dating setup. When their make-believe relationship begins to feel real, the story touches on issues of love, friendship, and self-inflicted surprises in the fabric of fate.

At first, Nadia is guarded and standoffish because of previous heartaches in love. Her path is one of recovery from vulnerability and learning to believe in others again. As she moves deeper with her pretend date with Tom into actual feelings for him, she starts to destroy the walls that she has put up, hoping for true love.

Tom begins as being okay with staying within his comfort zones and maintaining emotional distance. He comes to challenge his own fears of emotional intimacy and commitment through his dealings with Nadia. His metamorphosis involves being open to the uncertainties of a relationship, its joys, and challenges.

Their paths are neatly woven together, highlighting how their relationship assists each of them to overcome their nightmares and accept new things. The writing of Jo Lovett has been commended for its warmth, humor, and realistic characters. Readers of slow-burning romances and inspiring stories are bound to appreciate this book. It is the ideal choice for readers who enjoy Beth O'Leary's and Sophie Kinsella's books.

Meet Me Under the Clock follows two strangers, Nadia and Tom, who meet at a train station after both being stood up by their dates. To avoid further romantic disappointments, they agree to a fake dating arrangement. What follows is a slow-burn romance where they spend time getting to know each other.

While the premise is charming, the story leans heavily on dialogue, which may not appeal to all readers. Much of Nadia and Tom’s conversations revolve around small talk and indecisiveness, making their interactions feel somewhat repetitive. Their personalities and perspectives are quite similar, which at times makes it difficult to differentiate between them. Additionally, the overly polite nature of their exchanges, as well as those of the supporting characters, results in conversations that feel a bit restrained.

The writing style focuses more on telling rather than showing, which, combined with the dialogue-heavy approach, may not provide as much immersion as some readers prefer. While the story has a heartfelt and sweet tone, the reserved nature of the characters and their interactions may make it a slower read for those looking for more dynamic exchanges.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a rom-com with heart, humor, and a touch of chaos, Meet Me Under The Clock by Jo Lovett is a solid pick. It all starts with a botched meet-up at a train station—Nadia and Tom both get stood up, and in the middle of the awkwardness, a misunderstanding ropes in three other strangers. From that moment on, their lives are unexpectedly intertwined.

This newly formed crew is a mix of personalities: a woman dealing with the ultimate betrayal (her husband and best friend? Really?!), two incredible ladies in their seventies who just got engaged, and of course, Nadia and Tom, who come up with a brilliant (or maybe ridiculous) plan to fake-date. Their goal? Keep meddling friends and family at bay. The problem? Catching real feelings wasn’t part of the deal.

The book delivers plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, a few well-placed tugs at the heartstrings, and some wonderfully awkward interactions that make everything feel authentic. Sure, the pacing gets a little clunky here and there, but honestly, that just mirrors the reality of dating and making new friends—it’s messy, unpredictable, and sometimes downright weird.

At the end of the day, this is a feel-good read with lovable characters, sharp banter, and a storyline that keeps you hooked. If you love rom-coms with a side of found family, this one’s worth a spot on your TBR list!

4 Stars! #NetGalley, #BoldwoodBooks, #MeetMeUndertheClock, #JoLovett

Thank you NetGalley and Boltwood Books for inviting me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not one to do a long synopsis on a book, so we are going to make this one short and sweet. Tom and Nadia were both meant to meet other dates under the clock at WaterlooStation. They both get stood up, there’s a potential terrorist attack which shuts down the station, and they meet three other lovely people that are nearby the clock and they all form a bond. That premise of the book was super exciting , and there was such a diverse representation of people included in that. I loved the personality of Carol, and Ruth, and Bea, but I found that Nadia and Tom’s character is really didn’t have a lot of chemistry nor personality.

I think the idea for this book was very unique, however, I just don’t think it was executed properly. I feel like the writing was a little clunky at times, and it is very British and if you have no experience with British people, British terms, British lifestyle, this book may be a tiny bit confusing for you, which is fine. That’s not a big deal nor anything I would take a star off for. I also found that putting Lola in again towards the end was just an afterthought. I understand the reasoning for it, but I just feel like if they were going to do it, they should flesh it out more thoroughly. It was really awkward and weird.

I think all in all, I just did not connect with this book, and that’s OK. Not every book that we meet is meant for us to read and connect to, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not going to be read by others and beloved. If you read the premise, and you’re interested, I say go forth and read this book.

This was a really cute, meet cute romance novel with elements of fake dating. Tom and Nadia are well written, interesting characters. I would have liked to see Tom be a bit more forthright in his affections for Nadia - man needs to work on his communication skills. Nadia is an adorable dream, funny, thrilling and incredibly interesting. A perfect story to enjoy this summer.

“Meet Me Under the Clock” is a romance novel by Jo Lovett. I went into this book with high hopes - friendship to fake dating to actual falling for each other. Yes, it’s a trope, but when done well, it’s a great trope. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t as great as the summary suggested. There’s not a lot of chemistry between the two main characters Nadia and Tom. They even both admit it during the book. Also, as another reviewer pointed out, everyone is so polite in this book - I mean it’s great that people act like adults, but it felt like careful conversations, not “real” people conversing. This is what I would call a very sweet book and it held promise, but it just didn’t work in a way that I hoped it would. I would probably give another book by Ms. Lovett a try, so that’s a positive.

A heartfelt and engaging read that beautifully captures themes of love, friendship, and second chances. The characters are charmingly relatable, and the plot unfolds with warmth and humor, leaving you uplifted and entertained. A thoroughly enjoyable book that lingers in your thoughts long after the final page.

I went into this one fully expecting a cozy, feel-good romcom. Yes please! But… it just didn’t click.

Tom and Nadia had more polite-stranger energy than soulmate vibes. Their conversations never really sparked. It felt like they were stuck in small-talk mode the whole time, and without that connection, it was hard to root for them.

It wasn’t just the leads, either. Every character seemed to speak the same overly formal, super-nice way. I get wanting a soft, comforting tone, but this felt too sanitized. Everyone sounded like they had the same voice, and none of it felt real.

The writing leaned heavily on telling rather than showing, and I kept craving more. More atmosphere, more emotion, more texture. Even with alternating POVs, I kept forgetting whose chapter I was in because their internal voices were so similar.

It had heart, no doubt. But for me, it needed more mess, more tension, and a whole lot more character depth to leave a lasting impression.


Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC!

Warm, romantic, and somewhat relatable - strangers meet, friendships begin, old friends return, a rollercoaster of emotions and relationships leading of course to a satisfying HEA.

A very predictable but gorgeous story, I loved the premise of everyone meeting my accident on the same day in Waterloo and finding out about each characters story from this moment. I felt it would have been nice to dive deeper into some of the moments as was occasionally rushed to the happy ending. But overall an enjoyable read I would recommend!

Nadia and Tom are both stood up by their dates that they arranged to meet under the clock at Waterloo station. When the station goes into lockdown, they form an unlikely friendship with three other people who are also under the clock at the time. As the ‘Waterloo Five’ get to know each other, Nadia and Tom agree to fake date to get family and friends off their backs.

For me, Nadia and Tom were likeable but bland. They got on well, but I never really felt there was much chemistry between them, not helped by the rather prosaic narrative style. The other three members of the friendship group were more interesting and used well as a plot device and a means of influencing Nadia and Tom’s feelings and actions.

The premise of the story is interesting but the characters did a lot of dithering. My least favourite bit was the Tom and Lola plotline, the way it was resolved, and what it implied about Tom’s feelings for Nadia – it didn’t help to convince me he was madly in love with her.

It’s a decent enough read but lacks the punch to be memorable.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.