This is a fun, entertaining read. Tom and Nadia are interesting, relatable, intriguing, wounded, strong, complex, entertaining characters. I enjoyed their romance and the path it took to get their HEA. I enjoyed spending time with them. The secondary character characters – especially the other members of the Waterloo Five – added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. The story is easy to read and get into.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Aww Tom and Nadia are the cutest! I love the Waterloo friends and how they all met and shared their stories I also love the fake relationship trope. This book was lovely to read

I’ve read a couple of Jo’s books and have really enjoyed them but this may be my favourite yet.

Nadia is on a blind date, meeting under to clock at Waterloo Station.
Tim is meeting the woman of his dreams, under the clock at Waterloo Station.

What follows is the story of Nadia and Tom, as well as a couple of others who were also there that fateful night.

I absolutely devoured this book! It was a lovely, light hearted and hopeful read. Thank you NetGalley and Jo.

Although a great idea there was something about the writing that made me struggle. It felt distant and stiff even when we were reading from the two MC’s perspective. Also, they both sounded the same which made it seem like it was all told in one voice. I liked the friendship aspect of the story and thought that was sweet but I wasn’t all that into the romance. It was a decent read that I would say was just okay.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

A cosy slow burn romance with fake dating? Yes PLEASE 🙏

Meet Me Under The Clock is a cosy, feel-good romance that has the perfect summer read vibes. I really enjoyed it, but I just felt that Nadia and Tom's developing relationship was a little rushed towards the end, which was a shame.

I found myself really rooting for Nadia and Tom to find their happy ending, which I feel is something I always look for in a romance book. I found all the characters to be likeable, and it's overall a very heartwarming story.

A sweet read that is perfect for your summer TBR ☀️

This is a charming, feel-good romance that sweeps you up from the very first meeting between Tom and Nadia. Their accidental encounter—both stood up at the same spot—sets the stage for a heartwarming and humorous love story. The chemistry between them feels natural, and the witty dialogue keeps the story engaging.

What I loved most was the book’s effortless escapism. The romance unfolds with warmth, humour and friendship with the Waterloo Five. If you’re looking for a light, uplifting read with lovable characters and a touch of fate, this one is a delight!

Super enjoyable and easy to read book by Lovett. Fake dating romcom that had me laughing and swooning. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

Meet Me Under the Clock is a charming romance with a whole crew of fantastic characters that I fell in love with. Some parts dragged a bit but that was okay with me because the story was just so unique, refreshing and sweet that I couldn't put the book down!

This was a lot of fun. It dragged a little bit in some spots, but that lightly had more to do with me than the actual book. This was a lot of fun and a good time.

loved this book about fake dating and finding some romance. That they met under a clock with others and ended up finding love. Loved her co workers and that they made friends with other train riders.

This charming romance novel truly captured my heart! The characters were absolutely delightful—each one brought something unique to the story. I loved how well-developed they were, and their chemistry felt genuine and full of warmth. The pacing was just right, giving enough space for the romance to blossom while also keeping me hooked with engaging subplots.

The setting was beautifully described, and it really helped immerse me in the story. I especially appreciated how the author blended humor and heartfelt moments, making the romance feel both lighthearted and meaningful.

Overall, this is a perfect pick for anyone looking for a sweet, feel-good romance with lovable characters. I definitely recommend it for a cozy, uplifting read!

LOVED it! From the first word to the last I was totally lost in this story and couldn’t stop reading but didn’t want it to end either! Nadia and Tom are both down to earth but gorgeous people who are brilliantly brought to life and supported by an eccentric cast of characters who add color and more than a bit of humour. A friends to lovers romance with enough drama to keep the pages turning and plenty of tummy tumbles. The dual narrative from Nadia and Tom’s points of view is brilliantly written and makes the story one that romance fans will love. The ultimate in feel good escapist romance I can’t recommend it enough.

I really enjoyed reading this book and finished it in one day. I loved the idea of 5 people meeting under the clock in Waterloo Station and finding an instant friendship. I liked all the characters (Claudia is just hilarious) and I was rooting for Nadia and Tom from the start. The story is highly entertaining even though the romance part is VERY slow-burn. All in all a very charming and light-hearted book that made me want to read more from the author.

So very cute! This book had such a unique storyline. I liked Tom and Nadia and what good people they were. I liked that it bothered them to lie to their friends and family - they had integrity. I do wish we would have learned how Tom’s family reacted once they learned the truth. But this was a very sweet book.

How much did I love this book, so much I can't put it into words.

Nadia is standing under the clock at Waterloo Station for a blind date set up by a colleague at work.

Tom is waiting under the clock to meet with Lola a woman he met ten years ago and had the perfect night, and now she wants to meet him again.

Carole arrives under the clock to meet her husband on their anniversary but over hears him on the phone.

Bea and Ruth have been friends for years but have only recently acknowledged that their future is as a couple.

They all meet under the clock but then an emergency puts them all in lock down and the Waterloo 5 is born.

Both Nadia and Tom were stood up that night, Carole is heading for a divorce and Bea and Ruth get engaged.

Nadia and Tom realise that they are both having the same experiences, and the pressure to have plus ones at social events, so it seems like such a good idea to fake date and be each other plus ones, what could go wrong.

This book was absolutely fabulous, I loved the characters and loved that despite being mainly about Nadia and Tom you get to follow the other three stories too.

I so need to read more of her books.

Thank you so much Boldwood Books and NetGalley for allowing me access to this ARC.

Nadia and Tom meet in the most ironic way, both of them are stood under the clock at Waterloo Station waiting for a date… the dates that never turn up! So this starts a cute, cosy, whirlwind of a friendship with a slow burn romantic connection.

This is written in two POV’s, it seemed like Nadia was more into Tom than he was into her and he seemed conflicted with his feelings towards Nadia. There was a lot of depth to the building of their friendship and to be honest I felt like there was so much friendship I questioned if they had friend-zoned each other!

I liked the humour in the book, Jo has an cosy way of writing and while their journey wasn’t my favourite I did really enjoy the ending.

I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of being able to read this book.

I'm conflicted on this book, and It's honestly the last 20-30 pages of this book that saves it a star. I loved the beginnings, and the Waterloo Five together, particularly Ruth, Bea and Carole they save this book. They're full of so much life, love and motivational quotes that really move you. I get they're probably there for a starting base and comedic relief but theyre my favourite part and they really help save this book all through it. The stories not too far fetch, I was laugh and giggling most of the way throughout but it usually was when they were all together.

However it's the main characters relationship that was ironically enough the part I wasn't enjoying. Nadia's parts were kind of over the top descriptive, that it pulled away a lot from the story, and toms felt like you were just reading Nadia's journal. There was no real differentiation between the voices of those two characters. But what kept stealing it from me, was toms parts were he kept saying how he liked her, how great of a friend she was .etc but that she wasn't his type, wasn't anything like him..... Well to keep being friends with someone they have to have something in common personality wise for that even to work. It just kind of hurt to read it, making me for the first time ever genuinely question a relationship potential in a romance book. I did love the end when he finds out the truth, it wasn't exactly where I thought it was going to go but it was good. His growth after that point was extremely realistic and is what led to saving this book for me.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart again for allowing me to read this book!

Not the most romantic. Especially given that it's dual pov. Overall, it was a cute and quirky story and would recommend as it was entertaining.

'Meet Me Under the Clock' has a really sweet premise, about two strangers who meet under a clock at a train station after both being stood up by their date for the evening. They end up forming a pact where they decide to 'fake date' each other in order to avoid any more romantic troubles.

This novel was certainly a 'slow burn', and our two main characters really get to know each other! I don't think I've ever read a book where two characters ask each other quite so many questions. Unfortunately, their conversations were very boring, and super awkward. They also lacked chemistry, both stating throughout almost the entire book that they had nothing in common with each other.

I could not form a connection with these characters, as I found them extremely uncomfortable people. I wanted to root for them, as they were definitely kind, but their inner dialogues, as well as their conversations, were just painful to read. They communicated entirely through small talk; with short blunt sentences that were very repetitive. Their politeness became dry to read, and caused them to lack any personality.

It wasn't just Nadia and Tom who were overly polite to each other however. Every character also had this same trait; as if they were only able to communicate using pleasantries. It felt very unrealistic to how real people talk. Conversations lacked individuality, excitement, drama, sarcasm, disagreements, and any sort of unique traits. Everyone was just too nice.

Of all the time Tom and Nadia spent together, there was a constant back and forth of indecisiveness between every decision they made. These two characters seemed as though they had a fear of stepping on the others toes, making them behave over-cautious of what they said aloud.

Both POV's personalities were also very simular. I realise it's likely the authors distinct comedic writing style, but I found it difficult to differentiate between the pair.

My last critiques are that I also found this novel to be very dialogue heavy. I think this is more a personal preference of mine to have more description of events, as a lot of contemporary novels do include a lot of dialogue. There was also a lot of 'telling' the reader what had happened rather than showing.

Although this story was heartfelt and definitely sweet, I found myself struggling to get through it and had too many issues with it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this.

*I received this book as an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) for free in exchange for an honest review*