A great story on finding your sexuality, full of humour and great characters.
Georgina has been in a stable relationship with her boyfriend for seven years and everything is organised down to the last detail.
On visiting a local gay bar with her gay friend Sophie she falls for the drummer so questions her sexuality, then she is offered a job with the group which she accepts hoping they don`t find out she has a boyfriend. At home she decides to put all the lists away and asks her boyfriend for an open relationship, but things don`t go as she planned as she splits her life in two.
Had me in tears towards the end just loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Posted on Goodreads

LILY LINDON – DOUBLE BOOKED ****

I read this novel in advance of publication through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Georgina teaches piano and lives with her boyfriend. Her best friend Soph is a card-carrying lesbian. This is the story of how straight Gina becomes rock chick lesbian George.

Hardly an original concept, given the number of lesbians who start out married and straight. But all the characters – girls in a lesbian band that she joins, her partner, still a member of a straight band in which Gina once played, and the children she teaches – are interesting and different and mainly likeable enough for you to care what happens to them.

Suffice to say, Gina becoming George creates amusing and dramatic problems for everyone around her, not just her partner who she still loves, but her best friend, stretching their relationships to breaking point.

This is a highly enjoyable tale, engagingly written, well worth a read.

I enjoyed reading this book even though it was slightly marred by the fact that I really didn’t like any of the characters. I thought they were all pretty unpleasant! I kept at it as it was well written and I wanted to know how it ended.

Georgina has a boyfriend, a stable job, a shared calendar and a routine. But Georgina also has many repressed feelings and a small little secret: she might be bisexual.

In Double Booked we follow Gina and George, the two different personas Georgine creates to separate her straight, adult and serious self from her new emerging queer, fun and reckless personality.

This book has really surprised me: I didn’t have many expectations about it and it turns out I loved it!

I felt very connected to the character, what she experiences feels very relatable to when I first came out as bisexual, especially regarding the identity confusion that might come with being queer: “Should I wear dresses like straight girls do or extralong shirts like a lesbian? Should I cut my hair? Get a piercing? Am I still bisexual if I’m in a relationship with a man?” In the end I figured it out, I found myself in between, I allowed myself to be as feminine and as masculine as I wanted to be when I wanted to be. I realized relationships are about being with the right person and not the right genre and Georgina has a very similar journey.

I liked how the book criticizes all types of queer stereotypes by making the main character reproduce them only to realise how ridiculous they are. At the same time it also shows that your sexuality becomes a part of your identity you can’t erase and that coming out of the closet is a life changing event for many people.

Another thing I liked was her relationship with her mother because it felt very real: many queer kids end up avoiding their parents and pushing them away for fear of being rejected by them.

The book also addresses the issue of being an adult in your twenties who has stopped fighting for their dreams in order to have a safe day job and a stable life and this part of the book really resonated with me and I know it will resonate with many people, musicians or other.

But it isn’t all drama! The book is fun to read, it is perfect for the summer and it even has its own playlist with queer artist to listen along while reading.

Give Double Booked a chance because it will be worth your time!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. It dealt with some sensitive issues very well, while maintaining an engaging narrative with realistic characters. I found it funny, warm and touching, and would highly recommend it to anyone, particularly those questioning their sexuality.

Georgina (nickname Gina) has a very sensible organised life; at the age of 26 her and her longterm boyfriend coordinate calendars and have the same routine every week. She tells herself she is happy with this and that she has what a lot of people want, a good relationship, a solid job, a decent home, definitely straight, definitely not settling. Georgina's best mate Sophie is lesbian, and the two often hang out at lesbian bars, Gina fading into the background somewhat as Sophie has a great night with her friends.
One night, Gina meets the members of the hottest lesbian band Phase; her eyes meet those of the drummer Kat and boy do sparks fly. Gina introduces herself to Kat, who mishears her name as 'George' and boom a new life opens up for Gina. Can she use George to investigate her sexuality and maybe even get with Kat one day, and still be Gina by day?

I enjoyed reading this, it was a character led story with some huge life decisions at the heart of it, and being true to who you are. The dual life is exhausting and entertaining to read about. Georgina felt like she was tackling some big thoughts which was interesting to explore, and it was done in a lighthearted way.

3/5 stars, thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read it.

Is Georgina straight, bisexual or a lesbian? She is torn apart trying to decide if she loves her boyfriend of 7 years or a musician in her band. Never having forgiven herself for not being with her father when he died, she realises she really needs to sort her life out. Hard to put down, a really good, enthralling story line with an ending I did not expect..

Honestly, I felt a little off kilter with this and like a walking stereotype. Still.

We’ve got a questioning queer lead who thinks herself bisexual, with a long term boyfriend, and a newfound lustful obsession with a woman. The book talks about stereotypes and it’s harmful nature especially with regards to bi-erasure , but then allows its mc to selfishly enter open relationships to discover herself whilst wanting nothing to change. Her boyfriend was incredibly supportive of her and yet she treated him like dirt, and honestly, as a bi person myself, I felt like all this character did was annoy the hell out of me, but eh. I didn’t see that comedy either, even though it was listed as such. Does mocking harmful stereotypes yet simultaneously falling prey to them count? Hm.
Even though we get a better understanding of Gina towards the end of the book, I still dislike her characterisation.
I’m disappointed because I had high expectations, but what can you do??

Light and fluffy Rom-Com, which follows Georgina and her alter-ego George, as she comes to terms with her bisexuality and fulfilling creative dreams, after being stuck in a rut with her long term university boyfriend.

An interesting premise, and some great MH and Bi rep, as well as a good depiction of female friendship and finding yourself as an adult in the post-uni "you should have it together" years.

Nothing super steamy, maybe Yr9+, but due to age of protagonist, I'm not sure students below yr12 would relate/find it interesting.

Gina has security and routine but it is boring. She discovers unexpectedly that she wants more and she might be bisexual! She becomes two different people and it is challenging but she is enjoying life again. Funny, insightful and thoroughly enjoyable.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. Let me preface by saying that I understand main characters are allowed to be unlikeable, however Georgina...she was honestly insufferable. It was a constant story of ‘bad decision’ ‘guilt’ ‘eventually apologising’ rinse and repeat. It was frustrating, cause I got glimpses of a Georgina I liked, only for her to be utterly selfish again. This book was also meant to be a comedy...unfortunately, I never really found anything too funny and the ending was just a bit ridiculous, plus, it all ended up far too good for Georgina considering how selfish she’d been.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. The book captured my interest within the 1st chapter. Gina and Doug are in a "comfortable" relationship of 7 years. There calendar's match up and everything is planned to perfection!!! However one night out with her best friend soph changed Gina's perspective on her relationship! Gina is taken to a gay bar and is stunned by her reaction/feelings towards a woman! I won't say any more other than that all characters are fab and relatable. Does Gina work out her sexuality? Find out with this great read!!

I don't remember how I chose this book, but I'm so glad I did as I lived it. It was another quick read, a hilarious, light read that I completed in one sitting.

Georgina has been in a relationship with her boyfriend Doug for seven years. However, her best friend Sophie is a lesbian, and Georgina starts going to gay bars with her more often as Doug performs with his band elsewhere. Watching the newly formed band at the gay bar, Georgina realises that she wants to get back into performing herself and thinks she might be bisexual because she has feelings for Kat. Suddenly, a spot becomes available in the Lesbian band, and Georgina becomes 'George' to fit in and begins to lead a double life, complete with different hairstyles and wardrobes. Sensible, heterosexual, Gina takes the other life, but it all becomes difficult to juggle.

Despite being marketed as a romantic comedy, this focuses more heavily on the comedy and working out your sexuality plotline. Trying to compartmentalise Georgina's life in two seems to be the best way forward for Georgina while she struggles to work out if she is bisexual and find her true self. Romance is a big part of this but not the main plotline. However, there is a lot of romance in both of her lives, with Doug and possible new female relationships. There are plenty of fallouts, drama and misunderstandings, but everything comes together by the end of double-booked as she finds her feet and realises that not everything needs to be so rigid.

I enjoyed that this 'finding yourself' plotline was centred around someone older than your typical teen and younger than the middle-aged crisis point. Coming to terms with being bisexual when you are in a long term relationship and have been established as straight for your whole life is much different than discovering it as a teenager, and this book deal with that really well. Georgina initially throws herself into many of the stereotypes, which was, at first, really annoying, but this was short-lived and actually became more humorous. The comedy around trying to make sure he listened to the right music, worse, the proper 'lesbian' clothing etc., wasn't over-explained but clearly stereotypes, including loving cats. I wish she had met some LGBTQ people who liked dogs though, as she is portrayed as enjoying both, and it would have been nice to break that final stereotype!

Double booked also explored open relationships a little, though it ultimately showed that it doesn't work out for everyone. Again, this was a wonderfully light read that I managed in one sitting. I was utterly engrossed in the plot and the characters.

I enjoyed all of the characters, which has recently seemed a little unusual to me. They are primarily in their twenties and have things figured out aside from Georgina, but Sophie and her friends, the other band members and others around her are supportive and help her navigate her new world. I think this would be the ideal book for a sequel showing how life has changed for Georgina in her new life or even focusing on another character as lots of them were exciting, and I would love to read more about them.

If you are looking for something light, funny and engrossing that's easy to read, this book is for you!

A heart-wrenching debut that left me clutching both my kindle and my tissues as tightly as possible.

Double Booked was nothing like I expected- from the premise I was expecting a cute rom-com instead of the stomach turning journey and exploration of our main character. It was so so wonderful and so so much more than I could have ever dreamed of.

Lily Lindon perfectly displays what it means to make mistakes (and for our main character that is a LOT of the time) but she also displays how to grow from them and the acceptance of all the consequences that follow. It was beautiful and an essential read on the human experience.

I'll admit, after finishing it sort of leaves you with a pit in your stomach, it is a slap in the face and a well needed reality check on hypocrisy and all sorts of lying (from little white lies to the bigger, darker webs that tangle you in). Relationships in this novel, much like life, are a mess. These characters were the absolute worst and I loved them endlessly for it.

If you're looking for an escape from reality, this book may not be that for you. However, if you're looking for a book about relationships (all possible areas of them, the highest of highs and the lowest of lows), coming to terms with your identity and overall leading a double life- double booked is just what you need.

I adored this book- it was hilarious but also so deeply heartbreaking when I was least expecting it. Personally, I can't really see much of the romance within this 'rom-com', and I think a lot of people will come in with the wrong expectations- really, this novel should be marketed as a reflection of the human experience, just like it is, in all the unlikeable ways.

These characters are not meant to be likeable (I don't think so, at least), they are meant to be flawed and whilst resembling the ugly parts of behaviour- they show what it means to be able to change.

Also, being in a queer pop band is kickass. Sign me up!

Double Booked by Lily London is an engaging and funny read and perfect for Pride month. Georgina is a twentysomething woman with a steady if rather uninspiring career as a music teacher and a steady if somewhat overscheduled relationship with her boyfriend Doug who she met when they were in University and played in a band together. In fact Doug still plays in the band which has had some limited local success, and Georgina is their number one fan even if she sometimes feels like they lack direction. Her routines comfort her, every day is scheduled , from soaking in the tub with friends reruns, to date nights with Doug or slobbing on the sofa with best friend Sophie. If her life is so perfect why is her suspicion that Doug is about to propose so terrifying? Georgina can't explain it but she knows that the life she " should " want is scaring her. On a rare night out with Sophie the pair go to a bar and Georgina discovers the indie lesbian pop band Phase, and particularly drummer Kit and begins to question herself - not just about her decision to give up performing music but also about her sexual and romantic preferences. This leads to the central story of the book as Georgina begins to discover different sides to her personality , so much so that she begins to lead a double life, Gina the sensible music teacher who is with Doug and George, the bi- curious musician who is exploring her attraction to women. As the title of the book suggests this leads to a lot of chaos and confusion which comes to a head over the course of the book as Georgina's journey of discovery continues.
I really liked this book a lot, it was interesting to have what felt like a coming of age story, but with more mature character than is typical for the genre. I thought Georgina was really engaging as a character and I had a lot of sympathy for her , especially as we learned more about her past as the story unfolded. Even though I had sympathy for her, I did not always like her actions , particularly in relation to her boyfriend Doug and her best friend Sophie, but the struggles she faced and poor choices she sometimes made just made her all the more believable as a character. In fact I thought all the characterisation in the book was pretty great, everyone felt distinct and quite real. There's a lot of emotion in the book, both happy and sad, and a lot of comedy moments too, so the reader should be prepared for laughter and tears , but in either case I don't think they will be disappointed.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Sadly this one just wasn’t for me as i disliked the main character so much that it became difficult to continue to read the book, i understand her battles but she just came across as selfish and wanting to have her cake and eat it too, and that’s not what bisexuality should really be known for. I may revisit it another time as i had high hopes for it.

I loved George/Gina and this coming-out story. I thought Lily handled this subject very well, giving us an insight into the complexities of this experience, but also managing to keep everything light. Will be keeping a look out for future books by Lily!

I tried this book as the topic interested me. Straight girl to be married to long term boyfriend but ignoring her attraction females.
Unfortunately I found it very hard to get into and wasn't able to finish. The main character wasn't very likable and the subject matter didn't feel like it was dealt with as well as it could be.
Maybe it's just me as I tend to read thrillers so for that reason I will give this a middle of the road 3 stars #NetGalley #DoubleBooked

Double Booked is, put quite simply, what would’ve happened if Disney made a certain blonde-wigged pop star of the indie-pop genre and gay. Joking aside, at it’s heart, Lindon’s debut is about one woman’s struggle with her sexuality and how to juggle her ordered life with one she hasn’t entirely figured out yet.

In this queer rom-com, we follow Georgina – a straight laced (and, she’d argue, straight) girl with a nice boyfriend and a simple life. At first I just wanted to dive straight into the book and shake her by the shoulders and say “SORT IT OUT!!!” but, as I read on, I actually liked watching Georgina find herself and I really did root for her. She’s the kind of character you’d love to meet at a bar (until you’re scraping her off the floor in the early hours) and— even though there were times I found myself frustrated with her —- Lindon succeeded in creating a character you only want the best for, even if (like every human on this planet) they’re kind of the worst.

Luckily, Lindon also succeeds in creating other characters you’re interested in. I loved the fun, wholesome dynamic between Phase and the gorgeously nostalgic feel I got from Georgina and her best mate. I also liked the sweet interaction between Georgina and her boyfriend (though he does let himself down just a little bit — no spoilers though!) and the more tender moments between Georgina and her Mum.

I think part of why I loved this book so much was the music in it. I’m horrendously uncoordinated but I find the whole process of music making incredibly fascinating and reading it felt like all my teenage dreams of starting a (successful and actually talented) band coming true, plus Georgina’s motivation behind getting into music — and the reason her relationship with making it is so strained — brings a new, more sensitive dynamic to the book.

I don’t usually call it this early (whether you can call basically halfway through the year early I’m not too sure about) but I’m pretty sure Double Booked will be on my Top Reads of 2022. If you liked The Split by Laura Kay (or even if you just like a good, wholesome rom-com), get Double Booked on your reading list.

I read the synopsis of this on Net Galley and just had to read it. It sounded so fun and I expected a disaster impending story.

This book did not disappoint in that regard.
When Georgina has a life altering realisation that she's bisexual and in a long-term heteronormative relationship it just escalates and escalates even to the point where you're questioning her choices and you're not even sure you like her anymore.

There are some hilarious moments and if this was a film there would be both cliché and cringe moments aplenty! If that does it for you then this is right up your street.

It was also important for me that Doug (Georgina's boyfriend) didn't automatically become an asshole just because George has this realisation which is quite often seen just to make the narrative easier. Instead it is quite clear through all of the sweet gestures, caring nature and general softness why they have been together for so long. The cosiness you can only feel from a long-term relationship.

This was a really good take on a contemporary romance with bisexual representation and all of the issues which come with realising you might not be heterosexual after all.

I enjoyed this and it also had some really important messages about just being yourself regardless of if you fit in and valuing those who are important to you.

A great debut from Lindon