I really enjoyed this timely novel. Though we often read books where for whatever reason, a group of people end up stranded together, the pandemic twist really hit home right now. But aside from that aspect, the author did a really great job creating separate scenarios of people stuck in several different apartments in the same building that all felt wildly different yet connected in the end. So many different relationships, both platonic and romantic, we’re explored and the range of emotions was very well done. I laughed, I cringed, and I even cried. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

4/5 ⭐️

5 residents on London Lane wake up one morning to discover they’re all being quarantined for a week due to a highly contagious virus going around.

This is my first time reading a book about COVID-19, and let me tell you, I thoroughly enjoyed it! The characters are so witty and funny, and I laughed, cried, smiled, and emphathized with them. Their stories were all relatable and so fun to follow along with. Even the first chapter had me giggling because of the humor right off the bat!

I’ll admit, initially it was confusing because there were so many characters and stories to follow, and it took me a few pages into each chapter to remember who was telling which story. But after I got the hang of it, it was a really fun and cute read! I love how the ending tied in all the stories together.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Wattpad Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fast-paced and lighthearted book that focuses on the residents of five apartments in a building during a 7-day pandemic building lockdown. The impacts of forced proximity on various types of relationships make up most of the story - there is a new relationship, a relationship on the brink of its end, a one-night stand, a friend group and a couple separated by the pandemic. The book takes place during the early days of a pandemic (it doesn't specifically call out the Covid-19 pandemic but given the timing of the release, I assume that's what it is). The pandemic content is generally light and does not deal with the tragedy, uncertainty and consequences of our time but instead focuses on the relationships being explored in the book. There are small connections between the tenants of each apartment (apart from the fact that they live in the same building) which, while I enjoyed, didn't feel was strictly necessary. The characters were relatable and for the most part likeable but lacked sufficient depth for me to feel connected to any of them, understand their motivations or even root for them.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read but I felt the focus may have been too scattered for readers to really connect to any character.

This book was so good! It’s about five residents who end up getting quarantined for a week due to a virus going around. I don’t like reading about covid but this book was so well done! The characters were easy to like and relate to and the relationships explored throughout this book were so perfect! This just shows you how being stuck with someone, romantically or not, really tests out how well they can cope being together and overcoming any challenges. 4/5 solid stars!

Lockdown on London Lane is what you get when you cross cult fave rom-com Love Actually with the COVID-19 pandemic. The story features vignettes from the lives of various London Lane apartment dwellers, sharing their ups and downs as they go through a week of sudden and complete quarantine. In the words of the building super, NO ONE IN OR OUT! There are a variety of situations represented-new couples thrown together, couples separated, and even an entire bridesmaid party.

This book ticked a lot of my boxes. I love rom coms set in London, and this one was lots of fun. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, though at times it felt a bit long. I think a strength of this book was that it was able to incorporate the reality of the pandemic in a way that was both realistic and somehow playful. As I read I could definitely see the scenes playing out like a movie, especially the ending which felt particularly cinematic. I'd recommend this book to other rom com lovers, or anyone who loves a romantic movie.

Thanks to Netgalley, I got an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Lockdown on London Lane was an okay read. I like how it was set during the pandemic and showed what people were going through at the time. It's real and very relatable. I just didn't care for some of the characters and all the different scenarios that took place. It was a bit much.

Loved this book.
Set at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the residents of a block of flats have to isolate after a resident tests positive.
The residents, and their weekend visitors are stuck inside for a week. We follow the stories of a disparate group of people as they tackle this new normal!
A great story and very relevant.
Highly recommend!

I did not enjoy the characters in this story at all. I feel the quarantine angle is already over done. All of us had to live it, I do not want to read about how miserable other people were during this time. I feel like this is a subject that could be left out of storylines.

I was somewhat looking forward to this book. However, I am having pandemic overload (which I would assume others are going through too) and I'm sick and tired of hearing about all the time. I read books to get away from real life, to escape from what's going on in the world. But alas, I carried on reading.

This follows a lockdown of an apartment building due to the pandemic and a positive case. It follows many flat mates and each chapter was a new apartment. I got confused at times because there were so many storylines going on at once but overall it was a good read, a solid effort from this author.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC for exchange of an honest review.

“Lockdown on London Lane” has an engaging story line that can be compared to Love Actually. I was able to enjoy bits of the book, and had no trouble falling along. It has some really funny moments and overall was a good read!

Super cute book about how various couples/groups of people handle being stuck together for an entire week.

It’s set at the beginning of the pandemic (weird that I can say ‘the pandemic’ and not ‘a pandemic’) and someone in the apartment building tests positive. The entire building is put on lockdown with no one in and no one out. This part of the book seems pretty outlandish to me but I can overlook it because the relationships are written so well. Each couple’s relationship faces some harsh realities and you see how they overcome, confront them and grow.

Solid 4 stars! A book that I think we can all relate to! I loved the collection of characters and the subtle way they overlapped. Their struggles, annoyances and triumphs were all very real and I found myself liking all the characters. Bravo Beth Reekles!

This was the written, pandemic version of Love Actually that you could only dream of, except its real. This story was adorable and I was thoroughly investing in each story, barely even noticing that the book was flying by in a matter of hours. I think my favorite couple was Danny and Isla. I adore the honeymoon stage and I felt like their relationship was quiet realistic. I was rooting for everyone in this book, my favorite individual character was Nate in all his nerdy glory. One of the most impressive things about this contemporary fiction was the amount of development and structure in each character, even the supporting characters with less importance to the story. If there was one thing to add to this I would have added the perspective of an elderly introverted couple whose lives didn’t change one bit with the lockdown… ahah

I think anyone could enjoy this novel. Its super fast paced, easily readable and realistic to people in most stages of life.

Until next time…

If you are looking for a fast-paced, lighthearted rom-com, this book is for you. The format of this book falls into the <i>Love, Actually</i> genre. It follows five tenants in a 7-day lockdown due to a COVID-19 case in their apartment building. Each story has a romantic element. However, romance is not at the center of every story. The forced proximity puts the tenants and their housemates/guests to the test. I found this book to be a quick, entertaining read. The real fun starts to kick in once you see how all the tenants are connected. I must say, that was the highlight of the book for me. At times it could get a bit corny, but nothing too cringeworthy. Overall, I found this book enjoyable and easy to read. Perfect for a reader who wants a fun and fast weekend read.

Before reading, I feel it is necessary to note this book takes place during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic-related content is generally light. It does not deal with the tragedy and consequences of that time. Does it romanticize that time? Yes. So, if you aren't into that, you might not enjoy this one.

Thank you to Wattpad Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

This pandemic story is an easy, fast read. What could go wrong in an apartment building when they are on lockdown? All I can say is let the quirky people begin!!

This novel was a fun filler romance. The characters did lack development, though, and I feel like there was a lot left unexplored. It does have a very catchy title and fun cover art though, so I could definitely see this being a light read on vacation or while traveling.

5 different apartments ... on lockdown ... for 1 whole week ... what could possibly go wrong?

This was very enjoyable. With so many characters, I feel like I was bound to dislike someone but I loved everyone. Every single couple / group of friends brought something different. There was a new couple that had only been together for 1 month, a couple together for 4 years, a one night stand (minus the one night), a couple forced to be in separate locations and a group of girlfriends together for a bachelorette get together. Beth Reekles did such a great job with bringing these fictional characters alive.

It was a really quaint set of multiple stories going on in one building while on lockdown for a week. I was confused about it only being a week since I thought usually quarantines were two but that is just a minor detail.

It was fun to read and simple story, modern day issues including Covid, which was funny to read, and well written. Sometimes I had to go back since it jumps to multiple stories, and that can get a bit confusing but all in all it transitioned well.

Characters were relatable, and for the most part likable.

I think Nate and Imogen's story was my favorite, with Ethan and Charlotte as the runner ups.

All in all really a cute and easy read. I am looking forward for when the final edition comes out because I think I will enjoy reading it even more.

3.5 stars

I would give this book 3.5 stars. It was the first book I've read that had COVID as a part of the plot. I was really worried that it would be cheesy and predictable. However, I was pleasantly surprised and thought that Reekles wrote an intriguing storyline, one that really hit home in a lot of ways. It brought back a weird feeling of nostalgia about the beginning of the pandemic and all the unknowns that came along with it. The main part that didn't hit home for me was the number of characters we had to be invested in throughout the book. As a reader, I love to know my characters well. Because there were so many storylines going on at once, it was a lot harder for me to do that with this story. In fact, it took me about half a chapter to remember what was going on in whichever storyline I was reading at that time. Overall, I really did love the plot of the book and I think a book could be written about each individual within the apartment complex, but maybe not 5 in one!

I really enjoyed this book! Beth Reekles does a flawless job of combining 5 different narratives into one seemless story! I felt like I could relate to each person and each situation. I could understand how lockdown might cause rifts and problem in relationships. I also appreaciated how each story was basically a nightmare situation: getting stuck with a one night stand, new relationship, bridal party with a bridezilla, ending relationship and without your significant other. I really feel like Beth Reekles covered the full spectrum of emotions with this story.

Thank you NetGalley and Wattpad books for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I would recommend this to a friend and look forward to being able to purchase a finished copy.