Thank you, NetGalley and Wattpad Books for an e-arc of Lockdown on London Lane.

I really looked forward to reading this book. I thought the premise sounded very promising and was curious to see how the author captured a really stressful and hard time in a light, rom-com way. However, I just couldn’t keep up. I do not do well with Valentine’s Day/Love Actually-type stories in book form. I cannot keep up with all the characters and I don’t find myself vested enough in each one because it moves around so much. This is solely a personal response to this book and in no way reflects that author’s ability to tell the story. It’s just not for me.

Throughout the past 2 years, I have been on the fence regarding my feelings on the pandemic in literature and television. But I REALLY enjoyed this book, the multiple POVs throughout and seeing the various experiences kept me entertained and I was able to dive into their world a bit.

wouldn’t be at all surprised if this book was based on true events, and not just fiction. I could easily see that being true. The madness that the world is living in the past 2 years because of this masterpiece of a pandemic that the COVID-19 virus has created, made every little thing possible and every bat-shit-crazy thing seem totally normal and expected.

One week of lockdown, unable to go anywhere, going stir crazy inside your own home, losing all sense of time, and having your locked-down-eternally lunatic side waking from its deep sleep? Ha, who hasn’t been there, done that? There isn’t a more relatable concept on this earth right now – and maybe ever – than being in lockdown due to the pandemic.

One week. 7 days. 168 hours.

Sometimes that’s all it takes for everything to come upside down..

ME & THE STORY
I may have made myself really acquainted with THE KISSING BOOTH movies – like the rest of the world also -, especially over the lockdown, but I never got to dive into the books and Beth Reekles’s writing behind them. And that was a huge mistake on my part, especially as a reader & a reviewer. The moment that I stabled upon the book in NetGalley and read the title, I knew that it was one that I had to definitely read. When I realized who the author was, it made me even more intrigued to read it, so request on I went. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. Perfect request.

The only thing that I was sure of was that it was a rom-com and that I would laugh and definitely fall in love. And I bloody hell did both of those things with a full captivated-reader mode on. I laughed my ass off, I swooned my full heart away, I got a permanent happy smile & had the time of my life with one of, as it turned out to be, the best romantic comedy stories.

I am just super happy. There is no better way than that to describe my reading of this book. This is the epitome of my review for this one when you need to come down to it. I more than loved every minute I spent curled up with the story & these amazing characters who felt like my neighbors, my friends, my quarantine/pandemic heroes.

Thank you so much dear Beth for writing this beautiful and inspiring book. I would forever treasure Nate, Imogen, Ethan, Charl, Liv, Addison, Kim, Luc, Serena, Zach, and of course Mr. Harris, for the special moments they shared with me.

PS: PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE. IF NETFLIX, PASSIONFLIX, UNIVERSAL, OR ANYONE ELSE HEARS ME, I BEG YOU, MAKE THIS BOOK A MOVIE!!! THE WORLD NEEDS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH IT JUST LIKE I DID FROM THE VERY FIRST WORD.
THE COUPLES & THE APARTMENTS

Five apartments and eleven people whose life changes in ways that none of them could ever imagine.

Apartment #14 – Imogen & Nate.

Or as it is best known. the longest one-night stand in the history of one-night stands.
Imogen after her one-night stand with Nate, or aka Honeypots, is trying to escape “the scene of the crime”, along with a very soft Ramones T-shirt which later will become a major trading asset, but the building management has other ideas. So she finds herself back at his door, barging into his life for the foreseeable week…. for now. Nate doesn’t know what hit him, in the best and greatest way possible.
The way their relationship develops in just 5 days and they go from total strangers to unable to be without the other is beyond cute. These two show that the concept of time or what society deems appropriate doesn’t apply when it comes to when you find true love and true connection with someone. It doesn’t matter how it starts; what matters is what you do to go after it and make it work and real.

———————————–

Apartment #6 – Ethan & Charlotte

During the lockdowns in the real world, a lot of people became viral overnight; but none of that beats Ethan’s way. I mean, *sighhhhhh*

Now THAT’S what I’m calling romance gold & the best proposal that was ever been written in fiction. To say that Reekles nailed the romanticism with this one, would be the understatement of the year.

Ethan is a vlogger/YouTuber who unexpectedly finds himself on lockdown on his own when Charlotte isn’t allowed into the building, after returning from a weekend at her parents. So, now the sweet, dorky Ethan has to navigate seven days without his girl locked inside their own apartment, missing her every day. What could go wrong, except when he finally realizes that he wants to spend the rest of his life with his Charl by his side, by mistake uploads his 1-hour-long attempted-proposal(s) video for the whole world to see?
———————————–

Apartment #15 – Isla & Danny

During the honeymoon phase of our every new relationship, we try to look our best and keep the fantasy & desire alive. The parts of ourselves that make us weird, odd, but most importantly true to who we really are, tend to be kept contained for a while until a significant amount of time has passed by… according to society.

But what do you do when you can’t keep those parts hidden anymore and you’re afraid to be who you really are because of some twisted fears & insecurities that our today’s social media world has created in you, making you think that to be loved by someone you need to be someone else, a fake you?
sla and Danny are at the start of their relationship and completely gone for each other. They don’t know yet everything about each other’s true self but they are getting there little by little. The lockdown comes as a slap to their face and it forces their relationship to enter an F1 race where you can’t go under 200 Km/s and skip a few beats down the line. Both of them are totally unprepared for it, especially Isla.

Danny, though, is nothing like the men she has known so far, and he turns out to be her true match and what she really needed to start loving herself as she is with all her flaws, imperfection, and quirks.

———————————–

Apartment #22 – Olivia & the wedding trio

If that is what looks like when you are in the role of Maid of Honor, I will bow out gracefully thank you!

Olivia has a best friend, Kim. Kim is getting married in six months, which means she has turned TOTAL BRIDEZILLA. Also, Kim has made Liv her Maid of Honor, which kind of means Slave of the Bride. :p

So, Liv organized that fateful wedding-checklist weekend with her, Kim, and her two bridesmaids, Addison & Lucy. But that weekend it was never meant to be finished, and these four women find themselves locked in the same apartment with too much booze, secrets, withheld opinions, and a nervous system minutes before a total breakdown. Which, sooner or later, happens and it’s as much as explosive as it’s revealing.

———————————–

Apartment #17 – Serena & Zach

Never pineapple on pizza has created so much trouble.

Serena & Zach have been together for 4 years now and are living together for most of those years. So, when they are forced to stay locked inside their own home for the whole week, none of them thought that it would be any different from their everyday life and the time would probably bring them closer to each other.

A pineapple pizza order, though, puts their whole relationship in question and creates a huge strain between them. They are forced to reevaluate everything and start looking for what has gone wrong in order to repair it.

You could see clear as day the love they had for each other since they never stopped to think about giving up on them, not even once, no matter what was happening. They didn’t let their love all these years go to waste.

I wasn’t expecting to like this book quite as much as I did, but the ending sealed the deal for me. It’s still tough reading about the beginnings of covid when everything was so unclear, but this book perfectly captured the anxiousness and unstable emotions that we were all feeling in those early days. From adjusting to working from home to the way covid forced relationships to move at lightning speed, this book has parts we will all relate to.

I connected to some characters more than others but I did like how they all fit together. I would definitely recommend reading this multi-perspective contemporary early-COVID novel.

It's the 1st book I read that was set during the pandemic, but just as a set-up for the story. It was the perfect read for me at the moment since my brain cannot cope with much.

Synopsis: The story starts when a tenant on London Lane has Covid and the whole building is quarantined for 7 days. We 'visit' 5 different apartments where the characters are stuck in a less than ideal situations. It's funny, it's cute nad heartwarming. Exactly what I'm looking for in a rom-com.

My thoughts: I thought this book was really cute. The story was really fun and heartwarming. I really do love British romances, they have this sort of humor you don't find in American authors. It's also much lighter than the romances I am used to reading. It was exactly what I needed right now. The only ''negative'' is that I had trouble keeping up with all the characters, especially since some of them had relationships outside of each individual apartment they were stuck in.

Thank you @netgalley for my free copy!

This cute story is one more in what seems like a huge influx of COVID-19-centered books out in the past few months. That said, the stories of the five groups of neighbors are entertaining and held my attention. Lockdown on London Lane was a fast, fun read.

This was such a fun read! The characters were unique and engaging and I enjoyed reading about all of them. I got so invested that I laughed and I cried. A brilliant rom-com style story set during pandemic lockdown - excellent work by Beth Reekles!

My Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐.5/ 5 stars (0🌶) 13+
This is a multi POV romance fiction that takes place in 1 apartment building in London during a pandemic lockdown reminiscent of the early days of the “COVID shutdown” in 2020. No one is allowed in or out for a whole week. There are 5 couples/groups that the reader gets a glimpse of:

Zach and Serena- been in a relationship for 4 years but after he orders pineapple on pizza, Serena questions if she really knows him at all and that they may actually be wanting different things.

Imogen and Nate - a one night stand that awkwardly turns into a forced proximity situation for a whole week, with no escape. This one was my favorite.

Isla and Danny - Only a month into their new relationship. They are forced to quickly move to their next phase of the relationship, where they can be comfortable with or without makeup, “date outfits,” and be truly themselves with each other.

Olivia and her best friend aka bridezilla + all the other bridesmaids trapped in the same 1 bedroom apt.

Ethan and Charlotte - they live together, but she is trapped outside of the apt so his POV is mostly that of how he deals with being without her for a week.

This reminds me of the movie Love Actually meets a pandemic shutdown - I loved the overall story and Imogen/Nate. Being forced together in lockdown was a struggle for so many different couples: either breaking them apart or bringing them closer. The story could have done without the bridezilla, it was my least favorite. Maybe just focusing on 3 main couples - so you had a chance to really read more about them and care. Overall a cute read, but no steamy scenes.

Thank you to Wattpadbooks and netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I would give this book 3.5 stars. The story focuses on an apartment building in London that ends up locked down when one of the inhabitants tests positive for COVID. The books takes place in the early days of the pandemic when we didn't know much about the virus. It is told from multiple points of view- basically every apartment gets to talk about their situation. This makes it a bit challenging to keep all of the stories straight but it does show how the virus affected people in various relationship scenarios. It was ultimately a romantic comedy trying to mimic a real life situation. I realize that the pandemic will infiltrate more books as time goes on but I am still not ready to read about it considering that we are still living it. So overall, a cute story and a fun-ish read but not really my cup of tea. It would be good for people who like a feel good type of light romance novel.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought the premise of this book sounded interesting since it was about some folks who couldn't leave the apartment building they were in due to the start of the pandemic. However, as I continued I thought this was the kind of book I would have enjoyed MAYBE in high school. The characters were flat and regarding Danny and Isla nothing really happened at all. Other characters irritated me in the actions they took and things they said.

I guess it wasn't a bad story but definitely more suited for a younger person. It was filled with trivial problems especially in light of major events like a pandemic and other real problems people are dealing with. Maybe the author wanted to give the things of this day and age a lighter spin, but for me, it just seemed so trivial. It certainly wasn't a bad premise, just too much fluff and not enough substance. I appreciate the win, though! Thank you to Bookish First and NetGalley.

3.5 stars. I did like it, it just wasn't my favourite. Wish it had a bit more depth. I did like the concept a lot.

Lockdown on London Lane was cute and entertaining. I enjoyed it, as well as the premise (I didn’t mind the covid-related storyline).

Cute character driven novel about an apartment building on lockdown in the early days of the (not specifically named but clearly alluded to) COVID-19 pandemic. Dropping in on a number of apartments, including that of a man and his one night stand, a newly dating couple, a long term couple, a couple where 1/2 are locked out of the building, and a group of ladies helping to prepare for a wedding, their week on lockdown is shown through differing points of view. Since the pandemic is still ongoing, and the early days of COVID-19 were so different in different places in the world, I think this book would have worked better with a fictional pandemic, but it was fun to watch these twenty somethings handle their week in lockdown.

At the start of the pandemic I swore I would not read a book or watch a TV series that so much as even mentioned “COVID 19”/ “Pandemic” / “Deadly Virus” / “Lockdown”. Why would I possibly want to read or hear about something for ‘escapism’, that I have had to work and live through for the best part of the last two years of my life?
I was a little hesitant at requesting this ARC from NetGalley however having thoroughly enjoyed The Kissing Booth series also written by Beth Reekles, my intrigue about her debut adult novel won over my scepticism over how much the pandemic/deadly virus would feature.
Love Locked Down/Lockdown on London Lane features the lives of the occupants of five flats when their building becomes locked down after a resident tests positive for a “deadly virus”, they’re not allowed to enter or leave with the front door heavily patrolled by Mr Harris in his hazmat suit. We follow each flat through a day to day of their 7 day lockdown period and I feel the narrative between each flat transitioned seamlessly through the book. This allows the reader a small snippet and glimpse into the lives of each flat which although made the story interesting also meant that I felt I didn’t engage or really get to know each individual character. It was certainly ambitious to cover so many peoples lives in 368 pages, I think I would have preferred fewer flats/characters to be able to empathise and understand them better however equally trying to demonstrate the greater impact of a lockdown on multiple people at different stages of their lives and relationships is a good concept.

Despite the potential of a heavy topic with the lockdown/deadly virus, Love Locked Down is a light and easy rom-com read. The content did not feel particularly “adult specific” and the writing style did not differ greatly from The Kissing Booth, as such I feel it would be suitable for teen/YA and adult readers alike.

A fun book about the inhabitants of London Lane when they are forced into lockdown. Even though lockdowns and the pandemic are still very fresh in the mind, it was a lot of fun to get to see this story for the different points of view, A fun read!

Lockdown on London Lane is definitely captivating, but in the most eerie of ways. The premises of it is that a building of people are locked in together for a week (for sickness/pandemic reasons). While I knew this when I requested the book, I never could've predicted the unsettling feeling it gave me while I was reading. Maybe it's just too soon? Maybe a pandemic is not something that I want to relive, even in the format of a rom-com? I'm honestly not sure. However, whatever it is that I didn't like about this book shouldn't take away from the fact that this author has undeniable talent. So many storylines and perspectives are beautifully woven together into one story (which I can imagine is no easy feat). Overall, I would neither recommend, nor go out of my way to NOT recommend this book to someone. It has it's fun moments, just make sure you're ready do relive pandemic times before you dive in.

honestly, i think the plot of this book was super cute. like, i think the whole idea of having a book set in the time of covid and to have the book be a romance, which was something i really like. and i mean, i think the whole plot was just so cute to have this. and i mean, i think having something that takes this bad and tragic event, and kind of making it so happen, which was so cool.

but, i do think that this book tried to take the whole idea of lockdown / covid and took it to the extreme. like, i think that they did do a good job with getting the actual vibe of lockdown, but i think they still had moments where they overdid it. like, all the pop culture references of this book/the lockdown got to be a bit to much. like, they really overdid it with talking about Tiktok and animal crossing and twitch streaming and youtube and everything else along with that. and i think that they were trying to do the right thing, but than they took it to the extreme.

another thing that got to be a bit annoying was how all the characters kind of blended together. like i think a lot of this book's characters were just trying to be this archetype for the perfect character / this amazing hero. and like i think that there were so many characters and so many different povs that this got to be so confusing. like, i think that there were definitely characters that were a drag to get through and than the other ones that were super easy to get into and i think that it was just annoying since a lot of this book got to be a drag.

At the beginning of the Covid pandemic an apartment block is locked down after one of the residents contracts Covid. Love, Locked Down follows the stories of five different couples over a period of seven days, the highs and lows they encounter and the test it puts upon their relationships. There is a group of women in the midst of a wedding planning party, a couple who have only been seeing each other for a month, a one-night stand, a video blogger finds himself separated from his girlfriend and a couple who have been in a tumultuous four year relationship, all of whom wake up on a Sunday to discover they are in lockdown. At the start I did find it confusing with the number of different character introduced, however once you become familiar with who is who you quickly become engrossed in their life and will soon find a favourite couple to root for. The viral video moment was really lovely and so endearing. Another one of the character’s has a particularly sweet and unexpected ending and a couple with a more tenuous and emotional ending. The apartment building is a great setting, with the strict apartment manager hilariously referred to as ‘Walter White’.

I’m sure we’ve all experienced one or two of scenarios depicted during the first total lockdown. We see the different emotions everyone is going through and the difficulties faced spending forced time together with a loved one, 24 hours a day. The writing is good, it is an engaging plot and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy of this book to review.

This was an unexpected cute read. When I requested a book on Covid, I was expecting a more somber tone. This book surprised me pleasantly.

London Lane is on immediate lockdown for a week as one of its residents has the dreaded positive result.

Imogen is with Nate just for a one-night-stand. She cannot leave in the morning now.
Charlotte is visiting her parents and planning to return on Sunday to Ethan, her boyfriend. But, she cannot enter - the building is on lockdown, after all.
Zach and Serena have been together for 4 years. Will this lockdown test their already tenuous relationship?
Danny and Isla have been dating for just a month though Isla is already in love with Danny. They are now forced to live together. Will Isla's opinion on Danny change?
Bride Kim and bridesmaids, Addison and Lucy are in the maid of honor, Olivia's home over the weekend to make wedding gifts. This sudden lockdown turns everything topsy turvy. Will their friendship survive?

Each of these stories is so cute, I found myself falling in love with the characters. I especially loved Ethan and Nate. They were the cutest. I was least convinced with the Olivia story though that was a good arc. Zach and Serena's was perhaps the most realistic and I could relate to it so much.

4.5 stars.

This building on London Lane will never be the same!

This morning, the occupants of the London Lane building each received a note under their doors which basically said someone in the building has been diagnosed with this new mysterious virus and in order to prevent the spread within the building there will be a 7-day quarantine. No one is allowed to leave the building, and no one is allowed to enter.

This adorable story follows some of the tenants in the building who are now “stuck”. The question becomes which of the tenants’ relationships will survive the week!

Isla and Danny have been dating for a month. Danny has never seen the “real” Isla, who is very routine oriented, does not cook, and hides trinkets when Danny comes over because she doesn’t want to embarrass herself. Now Danny must stay there for the week! Isla’s first thought is how on earth will she poop? Can she hold it for a week? Still in their honeymoon phase, will Isla be capable of keeping the charade up, or will Danny find the real Isla impossible to live with?

Ethan and Charlotte live together and love each other. Sure, Ethan sometimes takes Charlotte for granted, but they are happy. Ethan is a video influence blogger and Charlotte has always supported his job. Charlotte was not home at the time of the lockdown. She was actually downstairs coming home from a weekend at her parent’s house when she was told she could not come in. Will absence make the hearts grow fonder, or will out of sight out of mind win the day?

Imogen finds out about the quarantine as she is trying to sneak out of the apartment of her can’t remember the name one-night stand’s apartment. What on earth will they do for the week? How will they ever survive when they don’t even know each other’s last names?

Zach and Serena have lived together for four years, although their friends and families said it would never last! They have always been on different shifts, so their time together had been limited. Now, they are in their tiny apartment together with nowhere to go. They are just not use to so much togetherness. And well, there is Selena’s sudden realization that Zach likes pineapple on his pizza! Could this be the deal breaker?

Liz loves living alone, but her weekend has been anything but quiet. She hosted a bridesmaid weekend party for her best friend which included other friends of the bride, some of which she did not even know. Now not only are they making a mess of her small apartment, but they are beginning to get on each other’s nerves. Then the bride hears that her fiancée thinks they should postpone the wedding and well…

Lockdown on London Lane is an enjoyable, fun, laugh out loud read when you have a few hours to spare, or perhaps, when you find yourself quarantined!

Thank you #NetGalley #WbyWattpadBooks #BethReekles #LockdownonLondonLane for the advanced copy.