An honest review thanks to NetGalley. This book was very different from the usual books that I read but I really liked it. I connected to London right from the start and watching her find herself again and go through her life to figure out who she really was. Her relationship with Tate was heartbreaking and really pulled me in, I was not expecting that to occur at all! Her growth with her partner Reggie and the addition to Quinten were heartwarming. This was a fantastic novel about the main character finding herself and who she really is as well as what she wants in life.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book received through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"London Undone" was... Conflicting for me. I liked some things a lot, but others not at all. London is a girl who has what could be a perfect life: she has a successful business, a loving girlfriend, good friends... Until one day, it all falls apart. First is a surprise proposal, then a confrontation with her old life, which makes her reflect about everything her life has been for the last twenty years.

Something I really liked about this book was how not everything was about romance. Many books fall into the cliché that love is everything, if the main character's love life is good, the rest of their lives will be good too. But in real life, that rarely happens. I enjoyed reading how London went through processing grief, sadness, hate... All the while dealing with her love life and how other aspects of her life impact on her relationship with Reggie.

Something that I did not like would be the fact that so many issues at once felt too much. While a bit of soul searching makes for an interesting read, the main character has to feel relatable and the pace has to be engaging, something I did not feel this book managed to accomplish. Maybe it would have been better to take out some of those elements to fully flesh it out and convey those feelings to the reader. Also, alert! There is a hate crime in the novel. Although it was not graphic, it could upset some people.

It is an enjoyable read if you want to try something a little different from the usual lesbian romance trope.

Solid first novel, I like the main character and the story (even if the writer tried to put a lot in the tory, sometimes it felt too much)

I really liked this book but it is difficult to describe why. I think it is because it is not your usual lesfic formulaic story of girl meets girl, they stumble, they reconnect, happy ever after. There is so much more depth in this story and it is by turns, infuriating, funny and heartbreaking.

London Craft is a great character and she reacts in a way that feels "real". She makes mistakes, she gets angry and she does stupid things that make you want to shout at her but the character is written in a way that all the behaviours fit her and her reactions are credible. And she has a lot to react to!

Her girlfriend of several years suddenly proposes and given everything London has said about being anti marriage, this throws her. How well does she know people and how does she present herself if Reggie thought that was what London wanted? There follows a lot of soul searching and some truly tough times but London stays the course and wins in the end.

Recommended if you want something a bit different from the lesfic romance norm and want to be challenged a bit in your thinking.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

This book was quite different than your typical lesbian romance books. When London's mom dies, she finds a .letter that she had written when she was 10 to her future self. She realizes the path she has taken up until now, is very different than what her younger self imagined and she vows to change. Interesting premise and London has a girlfriend that wants to marry her, but London isn't in that mind set....yet.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Not reading the blurbs of the books I choose can be a minefield but sometimes it means I read a story I would never have chosen otherwise. Even if I had read the blurb, my experience was so much bigger than its simplicity. London is shocked into a standstill when her girlfriend of six years proposes to her publicly. Reggie decides she needs some space after the embarrassing rejection. London has to figure what she truly wants given that she was kicked out by her family when she came out.

Sounds like it could be a romance, a pretty good one, but it was so much more than that because of the depth and diversity of the characters. London’s human failings make her a fantastic character. She’s resistant to change even though she was faced with the devastating consequences of her family’s inability to change. She’s open about some things but totally closed to others. She has wonderful insight into her friends but can’t always turn it on herself.

The story is about her growth and coming to accept who she is. But there is still so much more. It’s about friendships, love, hatred, cruelty and kindness. I’ve felt my emotions being dragged all over the place with each page but I couldn’t stop reading. There’s subtle humour and outright inequity but I’m really glad I read it. Sometimes harsh reality, beautifully written and well-paced, is just the thing when all books start feeling the same. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time.

(Trigger warnings: family bigotry, hate crime, nasty parents)

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

WOW. This book has it all - rage, grief, betrayal, love, a family chosen versus a family blood related.

London has a pretty great life - a partner of six years, a thriving business, a friend who has supported her since childhood, a family of friends who gather round no matter what the situation.

What she doesn't have is a relationship with her mother, father and twin sister.

London's mother passes away after a 20 year estrangement. She bequeathed London a $100,000 IF she follows the goals 10 year old London wrote to her future self. Have a corporate job, wear suits, marry a nice boy... except ladult esbian London doesn't remember writing the damned letter.

Her mother's death triggers self doubt and a journey to discover how she could have changed so much from the child who wrote the letter.

London must come to terms with a partner who needs marriage, the murder of her best friend and facing the anger that is not resolved for her parents betrayal and abandonment when she came out to them.

This story is well written, at times emotionally uncomfortable and realistic.

I look forward to more work by this author.

This is the first time I’ve read anything from this author, Nan Higgins and since it’s got some really good reviews, I obviously didn’t get just what this book is all about.
Well I did know but for the life of me I couldn’t get past the 22% I’d already read. So to be fair, I was asked to give an honest review, I don’t think it would be very fair of me seeing as I read only the first quarter of said book. But seeing other reviews from some reviewers I follow I look forward to reading more from this author and would suggest that you not go by my review but take the other reviews and give it a whirl.
ARC via NetGalley/Bold Stroke Books

4 stars
This debut book isn't a light read despite the happy ending. It vividly captures the journey of the main character London in a very important stage of her life through all of her relationships, not just a romantic one. I think it's very important to have trans characters in books to show their struggles and this author did a great job in that respect. Recommended to all who enjoy rather serious novels with emotionally troubled characters with some issues that have to be confronted and overcome.

London Craft has been estranged from her family for almost 20 years just for coming out. She runs a successful business, is deeply in love with her girlfriend Reggie and has a band of loyal friends who she regards as family. She doesn't believe in the institution of marriage so when Reggie proposes to London in public, London's refusal to marry Reggie sends London's world spiraling out of control.
This is a beautiful and sometimes harsh story with diverse characters that takes a few unexpected twists and turns. Nan Higgins takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions as you love, laugh, cry and feel such empathy for London, Reggie and all of her characters. Just be aware that this is definitely not a romance novel though.  This book is a reminder of how brutal life can be in the LGBTi community but also a reminder that with each new day there is hope and life and ultimately it's an uplifting story.
I loved this book.

So this is not the normal lesfic. I was not sure when I read the blurb if I was going to like this. It tackles a lot of subjects and does it well and though I may have found it a little long in getting where it went, in fact I almost thought about pulling the plug or skimming to the end. I am glad I didn't because right when I was thinking of skimming it all picked up. If this book does not bring a tear to your eye you are made of stone. Great writing and great editing and look forward to more work from this author. I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher in return for a honest review. Don't be afraid to pick this book up.

Hard but Good
London is a successful business owner and a loving, caring woman. She was thrown out by her family. To them she is a disappointment and an embarrassment. She has made a new family for herself but is still hurt by their betrayal even 19 years later. Her lover, Reggie, surprised her with a marriage proposal and when she freaked out, Reggie left her. When London’s mother dies she has such mixed emotions but the one thing that matters most? Reggie is by her side for the funeral. When a lawyer contacts London with a strange letter from her dead mother, including a letter about her childhood dreams, it throws her into a tailspin trying to figure out how that child could possibly be the same woman she is now….

This is a big book of intense emotional drama. It is SO hard in parts and so much pain that I honestly didn’t want to go on at times. There was just so much! However, it was also really good and powerful. The story is really good. The family that London has put together is very supportive and loving, they are strong and totally there for each other, even though things are crashing down around London’s shoulders. The ending makes everything worth it It is excellent and a delight. There are some things I would have wanted to have gone differently, I would have loved for London to have accepted the terms of her mother’s demands, which is almost what happened anyway, but alas, she didn’t. All things considered, it was a good book but way too much sadness and real life involved to make this book an escape but if you want a strong, emotionally charged, in-depth drama, this is perfect.

This is not an England based book. I feel a bit misled by the cover. London. Water in the background presumed to be the Thames. Building in the background that could be Big Ben if you are squinting? Big black boots that I assume British women wear because of the climate. Not even the blurb mentions the real location: Columbus, Ohio. Ha! What a shock.

First and foremost, I need to say that this book was incredibly heavy. I'm not sure why I didn't expect that when the description mentioned a failed marriage proposal, a deceased estranged mom, and needing to find oneself. But it didn't prepare me for the major themes of homophobia and transphobia which were the constant drivers of pretty much every arc in this book.

Higgins writes very well. It is a credit to her that this story made me feel so deeply sad and angry. I only wish that there could have been a little more light among the dark. A better balance would have left me finishing this less confused about my overall thoughts. As it was, bad thing after bad thing continued to happen. It was a lot to take in and process.

I felt the premise was unique in that we started with an established couple. A marriage proposal goes awry despite the fact that they love each other very much. They both need to process how and if they move forward together. This was definitely not a romance. I would say this book is about the difference between chosen vs. biological families.

I loved the diversity of characters. Interracial main couple. Lesbians, gays, trans, etc. The author managed to tackle and celebrate these different types of humans without info dumps or sounding preachy. We learn the struggles through actual experiences and dialogue.. There was a small friend group that surrounded London to show that even when things were going horribly, she wasn't alone.

The entire journey that London goes through was heartbreaking and yet ultimately uplifting. We had to witness her be put through the wringer emotionally before she was able to learn and grow. But even right up to the very end, I was wondering if that would ever happen.

Speaking of the end, it wrapped up very quickly. But holy heck did it make me cry. A single line about a boy in a revised letter did me in. Then a letter in the epilogue opened the flood gates. The book cover and title really should have had more to do with letters! Not London.

I did love the name 'London' for our main character, though.

I recommend this to those who like to read really depressing hard reads that beat you up but make you feel something after reading it. About chosen families, estranged families, relationship issues, being who you are as opposed to what other expect of you, living your life for yourself, volunteering, helping abandoned children, and tree larceny.

London Undone is not as light as the blurb would have you think. It’s actually really sad before it gets really heartwarming and full of love and hope.

London wasn’t prepared for her girlfriend of six years to propose to her in the most public way. She wasn’t prepared for her to propose at all, seeing as London thought she’d made it very clear marriage wasn’t for her. So she didn’t say yes, and her girlfriend left, needing some space to get over the humiliation (doing private stuff in public will do that to you) and rethink her dreams.

As a journalist in an LGBTQ* media, I used to write small pieces about public proposals all the time. Our readers loved them, they’re good visibility, and we need all the love we can get. Still, as an introvert, I couldn’t help but cringe at how public (by nature) it all was.

As if the whole girlfriend disaster wasn’t enough, London gets a phone call from her twin sister telling her their mother has died. As much as she feels she’s fresh out of grief following almost two decades of being estranged from a family who couldn’t deal with her being gay, London takes the trip back home, the funeral and the very weird conditions of her mother’s will rather hard. Then sometimes even worse happens. I’m not sure anything worse could happen, to be honest (TW: hate crime, transphobia).

The author seems to have crammed quite a lot of things in just one story, and while it works, I at first wondered whether I really wanted to keep reading if everything happening was so awful. But it was well-written, and I kept going, and I’m glad I did, it was really worth holding on. While it might not be a romance strictly speaking, there’s a lot of love, in very diverse forms, and that love, in beautiful ways, more than balances the hate the characters encounter.

London Undone is a debut novel, and, despite some first book flaws, it’s a very good one. I’ve read on the author’s social media that her second book, The Mortician’s Daughter, will be out next April, and I’m already looking forward to it.

I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.


This was a good debut from this author. I enjoy it and the writing style was on point.

This book has romance in it but it wasn't mainly the focus of the book.

Landon has everything she ever wanted great career great friends and a love that lasting for six years. When her love Reggie propose she frozes and that when her life start to fall apart.

London has a lot to deal with when she learns her mother dies. As told from Landon pov we see through her eyes as she struggle to overcome all these issues that's coming at her all at once.

I have mix feelings the book was a good read but it had to many issues all at once death rejection sadness and spoiler alert there is a scene of hate crime that piss me off but I was happy it wasn't graphic. I'll never understand how hard it is to find kind and compassion people in this world when people want to judge you for living your true.

London Undone was a very emotional read for me and likely will be for others. First, I am not sure if I would classify this as a romance. Yes, it does focus some on the existing relationship between London and Reggie and how they must find their way back to each other, but this was more of a self exploration type of book for me. There are some heavy topics like death, rejection, sadness and helplessness. This book was so much more than I anticipated from the little blurb that is published with it. As I read London undone, I often became emotional because I was touched by what was happening. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. No words can truly express how this touched me to my core. Well done Nan Higgins!

5 stars!

From what I can see, this appears to be a debut novel for Nan Higgins. I have to say, I really enjoyed her writing style and voice and am very much looking forward to what she comes out with next!

London Undone is a bit unorthodox in that it's not really a romance novel, and I like that. Yes, there's a lesbian romance a the heart of this one, but the story itself is more about MC London's journey as she gets hit with a series of horrible issues. London thinks she has it all worked out - a thriving business, a set of chosen friends who are more like family, and a 6 year relationship with the love of her life, but one by one these things start to crumble around her.

The story is told in 1st POV, which normally isn't my favorite choice, but it really works here. The reader lives the highs and lows right along with London. At one particular scene, I even found myself fighting tears - and I NEVER cry when reading books or watching movies!

My biggest complaint with this one is that it felt like Higgins may have tried to put too much into one book. There's issue piled on top of issues for London, and instead of focusing on one major theme, there's a whole bunch of themes thrown in all at once for her to deal with. It's well written, but I almost wish that Higgins had focused on a few less major points instead of throwing in the entire kitchen sink. It was all going very well for me though until she threw in the <spoiler>manipulation angle by girlfriend Reggie</spoiler>. That just took things over the edge for me personally to feel like it was too much for one novel.

Trigger warning - There is a hate crime against a trans character in this story. It is not graphic, but it is very heartbreaking and could possibly be a trigger for some. Make sure to have tissues handy for that scene. All in all though, this was a very solid novel and I am very much looking forward to Higgins' next offering! 4 stars.

**Many thanks to Bold Strokes for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.**

I believe this is the first book I have read from this author and overall it was a well written book. Despite that, I don't know how I personally feel about it. There were a lot of low points for the main character, London, and even her friends. The high points felt so far in between the lows and at times I felt like so much kept being piled on top of issues that never seemed to end. And then what I thought was originally the plot of the book ended up not really being the focus of it.

After sleeping on it, I decided why this book made me perplexed...it's because this book felt more like real life than books I usually like reading. What you hope to accomplish in life gets side tracked by other life issues you need to accomplish or solve. At times you lose track of what you originally wanted to do only to realize that it was never something you really wanted to do. Does that make any sense?

Anyway, the book starts off really great. And it never stops from there. Be warned there is a hate crime in this book and though it is not graphic it is very heartbreaking and may trigger someone. That part really made me cringe along with grab tissues. I can't say I loved the book or that I would re-read it but I am honestly glad I did. It stuck with me. I don't know exactly why but it did. Now, just so you know it does have a HEA but it's the journey to get there that made me like it.