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*

I love this author’s books. Funny, romantic, hopeful, everything you could ever want in book form.
Such a lovely story, and what a way to meet people - this group was one I could imagine myself fitting in to. The book being written from two viewpoints was excellent and gave insight into both the main characters of the story; definitely a great way to write a book in my opinions. And the ending was perfect; I was rooting for Tom and Nadia from the very beginning! Highly recommend this one

I am not too sure how I felt about this one. I loved the story and the plot was great, but the romance didn't seem to come through enough for me. The characters didn't 'click' in a way that show emotional and romantic development. The side character; however, were amazingly written and I loved reading about them in this story too.

I love all things British, and I was so drawn to this book! After reading the first few chapters, I wasn’t as sucked into the story as I thought. The entire premise just didn’t sit right, and the long ‘will they won’t they’ was too long for me. And Tom? Tom was not my favorite… The story is such a cute idea, but much like Lola is better left as an idea.

This book was super cute! Two people are stood up on the same night and end up becoming each others +1 for events. So we all know where this is likely heading. As is common in a story like this, miscommunication or better yet LACK of communication reigned supreme. Sometimes that drives me nuts, but this time it worked for me. I liked the dual perspective, but Tom's perspective was annoying at times. This is more style-related. I also didn't enjoy Lovett's use of parentheses. Initially it seemed like it was for Nadia's character, but then I noticed it was used for Tom as well. Spice was benign and not prevalent (can you call it spice then?!). 3.5 rounded up because I pretty much downed it and it was a cute little escape from reality.

Thank you to Jo Lovett, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for this pre-approved ARC! Meet Me Under the Clock by Jo Lovett is like a cozy hug wrapped in a mystery. The story pulls you in with its heartfelt moments and quirky charm, blending romance with a dash of intrigue. Lovett’s writing is smooth, making it a perfect read for when you’re craving something easy yet captivating. It’s a little nostalgic, a little magical, and totally relatable. Definitely recommend if you're into stories that feel like a good conversation with an old friend.

Oh my a meeting at Waterloo station after being stood up by blind dates leads to a very funny and moving book. Don’t fake date . The feet and the friendships . I loved it. Read it . You won’t be disappointed and you get a proper neat ending.

Thanks, NetGalley for the arc!

This is a story about two people who were stood up by their dates and made a pact to fake date each other to appease their friends and family. I was really excited to read this book! Who doesn't love a fake dating trope? The plot sounded really good when I saw this! However, this book really wasn't my cup of tea.

I found that the characters didn't have too much personality. I found that they didn't really have much chemistry with each other and at times it felt almost forced. They agreed to fake date and then they almost instantaneously just fell in love with each other. Give us some yearning!! The author also reminds us several times throughout the book that they're just fake-dating and that they have nothing in common. I felt like that was unnecessary given the premise of the book.

I also had quite a difficult time getting through this book. The writing was clunky and really awkward. I noticed this a lot in Tom's chapter.

"But basically, yep. I was finding her physically attractive. And she's obviously easy company."

There were several quotes like this that I felt took away from the plot. I'm not sure if this was on purpose to make it seem like Tom was just a man with very few words. The author also used an odd amount of parentheses which I didn't enjoy. I think using commas or an em dash would've conveyed the same message and felt less awkward.

This book had potential! I just didn't enjoy the characters or the writing in this book.

I really enjoyed this latest book by Jo, highly enjoyable and with great characters. Whilst essentially a romance it was a love story with a difference ,and, more than that it was about finding friendship in the most unexpected places. I absolutely loved the five main characters, and really enjoyed their individual stories . Excellent and highly recommended.

Meet me Under the Clock- Jo Lovett

Nadia and Tom both find themselves waiting under the clock in Waterloo station. 2 souls, hopeful of finding love.
When the station locks down because of an emergency it throws Tom, Nadia and a unlikely grouping of people together and they become fast friends. But will friendship turn into something deeper for some of the group?

Quite a slow burn but it grew on me and turned into a nice, comforting hug that I needed after a stressful week. I liked the individual characters and their various back stories and the use of multiple narrators, gives a well rounded perspective of events. A nice romantic, comedy but I wasn't rushing home to dive back into the book every night.
As always, so grateful to Netgalley for the ARC and to Boldwood Books too.

Love it when a coincidental meeting sparks a bit of fake dating and plenty of confused feelings!
Five people are coincidentally under the clock at Waterloo Station when a lockdown occurs. Two are celebrating an engagement. One is reeling from finding out her husband was cheating on her. And the other two... both stood up by their prospective dates.
Nadia and Tom end up with a friendship that takes on a different guise as they both find themselves unhappy with their current situations.
Step forward the friends and their fake dating idea. Never the best idea, though!
As with any good romance, it was clear from the off to the reader, but not to the MCs, that they were going to be perfect for each other, but the journey they took to get to that end point was very entertaining. There was an obvious chemistry between Nadia and Tom, and I was willing it to finally spark from the beginning!
Plenty of laugh out loud awkward moments as well as those 'will they? won't they' ones to keep you on your reading toes, and a lovely bunch of supporting characters.
I enjoyed this light-hearted story.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

This book caught my attention as it is a slow burn style of romance. Even though there are five people that meet at the Waterloo Station, the story focuses on Tom and Nadia.

I loved the interaction and talks between Tom and Nadia. There was a connection there which showed me that it is important to have that and these characters are real. They do have a few will they or won't they moments which I thought was cute. It was fun, sweet and real to me. I enjoyed the journey of fake dating with Tom and Nadia. The tennis, family events, the food, the singing, a tad miscommunication aspect and drama will keep you interested, it did for me!

Heads up the story is from Tom and Nadia's POV.

If you are looking for something sweet to read then this book may be for you.

Question: Do they get their happy ending?

My answer: You'll just have to go pick it up and find out.

I really like Jo Lovett's writing and stories, but unfortunately, this one didn't work for me. It starts off well—five strangers trapped at a railway station become good friends. Nadia has come to meet her blind date, and Tom has come to meet his 'could-be-her-girlfriend,' but both of them have been stood up by their dates. Long story short, Tom ends up at Nadia's flat, and they talk. And that's where I began to lose interest. They talk a lot—about unnecessary and uninteresting things that don't move the story forward. In the next chapter, they (including the other strangers-turned-friends) just talk, sometimes through text messages. Overall, they all seem to cling to each other. I'm totally up for a conversational style of writing (which is why I like Jo Lovett's writing), but this was too much for me. There's no description, no character building... sadly, I couldn't connect with the characters. Their friendship felt more forced than endearing. I had to give up. Sorry.

This is a slow-burn, friends to lovers romance. After Tom and Nadia are both stood up by their dates, they become each other’s plus-one for some upcoming events. I really wanted to like this one, but I wanted to smack both characters upside the head even more. They were spending time with each other, having a great time, but Tom was just so hung up on this other woman and it really dragged on for way too long. It was ok, but it was long at times.
3 stars over for Nadia and Tom,

Nadia and Tom get stood up at Waterloo Station on the same night—talk about bad luck! But fate (and a bit of awkward timing) throws them together, and they hit it off instantly.

What starts as a funny "one for the grandkids" story quickly turns into a solid friendship. Tired of awkward wedding plus-one situations, they decide to fake date—just for convenience, of course. But as they play pretend, the lines start to blur. Could their "fake" relationship actually be the real deal?

I really enjoyed this one!

It hooked me right away, and I loved getting to know Nadia, Tom, and the rest of the gang. It’s got the classic fake dating trope, but something about it felt a little different—in a good way!

There were plenty of will-they-won't-they moments and some hilariously awkward situations that kept things fun. Overall, an easy, entertaining read that I’m glad for the opportunity to read this.

Thank you to NetGalley for the download.

I loved the premise of this book - Tom and Nadia agreeing to be each other's fake plus-ones is such a fun and classic setup for a fake dating story. While the story itself was cute, and I enjoyed the connections with the other characters, I wished there was a bit more depth to their relationship. Overall, it's a sweet, light read that fans of fake dating tropes will enjoy.

3.5 stars ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from Netgalley. I loved this book. The Waterloo Five were engaging, entertaining characters, the story was well paced, and I was invested in Nadia and Tom's relationship. Possibly my favourite of the Jo Lovett books I've read so far.

Absolutely loved this read! Really likeable characters who kept you engaged the whole way through. Lovely story, very well written, I very much enjoyed and would read from this author again!

Jo Lovett's newest book, Meet Me Under the Clock, is a warm, witty romance read. It is coming out soon and romance readers will love this one.