I liked the general premise of this book, but the entire story fell flat to me. There were countless stories at the beginning of lockdown of people connecting from their balconies, roofes, and fire escapes so the basic story of two people having a meet-cute seems like the perfect romcom. I overall like Jack and Sophia as characters, but they both seemed onenote to me, and I didn't feel invested.
One of the major things that really irritated me throughout the book was that Jack and Sophia never saw each other. I understand that they couldn't visit each other IRL, but why not facetime or zoom. Why not try to send pics to each other. It seems like an extreme version of Love is Blind that is completely unnecessary. When Jack goes to her sister's wedding with her, he is just listening from Upstairs, why isn't he also on the zoom call. There seemed to be a lot of really unnecessary reasons for them not to see each other and then magically everything is perfect once they do.
There was just a lot of loose ends that got haphazardly tied up at the end along with just too much going on in the book in general. While the idea was cute, the execution just didn't match up like it should.

This is a cute modern romance. I personally found this a relatable read since I met my partner during Lockdown and we are long distance.

Loved this took really down to earth and heart warming people coming together to help each other in a lockdown
Highly recommend

Unfortunately I just couldn’t get into this book. I loved the description but found it just went on and on and didn’t seem to get anywhere, I gave up, sorry!

I received this book complimentary from NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

I just couldn’t get into this. I didn’t relate to Jack or Sophia for some reason. I didn’t love the length of time it took to get to the meat of the story. It was kind of blathering on and on.

Loved this! I have a Review written for this book but the last years been unexpected so everything is delayed. I loved this :)

I loved this book, its very current and relatable. I think so many people will read this and feel so much better with their lives, its pure feel good. Plenty of giggly bits!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for sending my an early copy of this book, and my deepest apologies for the late review.

It was such a light cute story!! I found myself so immersed in it that I couldn't stop reading!!
One of the things I value the most is how the author was this part on the acknowledgments when she thanks her friends:
"Aside from her autism, Marianne was born with kidney disease. I know how difficult it has been for her to have endless medical procedures and to feel different from others so I hope I have managed to convey this concept in Jack’s character, in his struggle to fit in and eventual realization that he doesn’t need to run away from his health condition, he can just be himself. As for Sophia’s epilepsy, I must thank Madeleine for her expertise on this; she has suffered from the condition for the past couple of years. It was a sudden development when she was fourteen, so I felt it was really important to show how challenging it can be to cope with the changes a chronic illness can create when it happens out of the blue. I think there are a lot of preconceptions about epilepsy that once seizures are under control, everything is wonderful, but it really isn’t that simple and even when they do work, the meds can have unpleasant side effects"

That part made me stand up and applaud! I personally don't like when authors talk about disabilities they don't fully comprehend but still out it on their books just for the sake of being inclusive. Hats off to Chloe who made sure the representation was accurate!

This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

Unfortunately couldn't get into this book... It dredged up too much anxiety I didn't even know I had about lockdown and the start of the pandemic, and the characters themselves just felt too perfect or trying to be perfect and this felt a bit forced and way too saccharine for me

I found myself having to give time before reading this book. I wasn't ready to read a lockdown book until we were a little less restricted, it seemed.

This one took a while to get into. The story felt a little flat and under developed in some places. The ending also needed some more expansion.

I did feel though the pandemic, and its downsides such as a huge impact on our mental health, was well portrayed.

I found this to be an enjoyable read, keeping me on my toes throughout. The storyline was written well and flowed seamlessly. I look forward to reading more by this author!

I really struggled to get into Love in Lockdown by Chloe James. The story never seemed to flow, lacked excitement and for me was predictable. I was unable to finish this book as I really struggled with it. Sorry not for me.

3.5 Stars rounded up!

This was really cute and weirdly nostalgic? March 2020 feels both a hundred years ago, and also yesterday. I laughed out loud several times with how relatable some things were. The toilet paper debacle, trying to have a Zoom wedding, the obsession with gardening and baking that all came from lockdown. It was really cute. I didn't feel the tension as much as I wanted from the two characters, and I felt like everything felt a little too low stakes for what it really was. But very enjoyable and lighthearted. Even if you've been avoiding COVID related stories, this one might work for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

<i> I received a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. </i>

While it seem like many people may be looking for stories that pretend the pandemic is not part of our lives as a form of escapism, I have been finding that sometimes reading books or watching movies based in the "before times" can make me feel anxious and a little isolated (many people are returning to "normal" and I am still in self-isolation, so the "real world" setting makes me a bit sad). With that sad, it was really nice to read a realistic but hopeful story about life in lockdown. The love story is heartwarming and the characters are very lovable. Highly recommend to anyone who is feeling the fatigue and burnout of pandemic and is wondering if the world really is just going along without them.

This was a nice book, I enjoyed the writing and the characters were fun to read about, would surely recommend!

This was the first book I have ever read by this author. I enjoyed reading it. I felt immersed in the story. Will be looking out to other books by this author in the future. Definitely recommend.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book! The title and this beautiful cover drew me in and i was excited to read this book! I will be recommending this book to others for readers advisory

Such a cute, rom com of a book. Exactly what the doctor ordered! I’ll be looking out for more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

This book was charming and so sweet. This book takes place during a pandemic, which is so fitting right now. It was an interesting story, with some romance in it. It kept my attention while reading it. I recommend checking it out!