I LOVE Jo Lovett's books. Some books are a bit slow to start, or they take me a while to get into them, for whatever reason. Jo's books are simply not like that.

Within the first couple of pages, I was hooked. The chance meeting under the clock at Waterloo station evoked an initial strong sense of place, one which stays throughout the book to the various different events and adventures that the newly formed 'couple' experience.

There is a wonderful depth to the characters, where we find out so much about Nadia and Tom as they find out so much about each other. Some people might argue that you don't need to know which football team they support or their least favourite food, but I definitely felt like these little details give characters a three dimensional quality that helps to totally sweep you into the story.

This is a beautifully written, unputdownable love story. It's quite clear, though not guaranteed, where this one is going but it really doesn't matter because Jo's writing brings you so much comfort, joy and entertainment. I loved it!

🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Dear Jo Lovett,

Nadia plans to meet her blind date (a friend of a co-worker) under the clock at Waterloo Station. Tom is also meeting someone there – the “one who got away” ten years earlier. Lola and Tom shared an evening of connection a decade earlier but she was pregnant and with someone else so it wasn’t meant to be. But they made a kind of pact to meet up again if they were both available. Tom was delighted when Lola reached out recently, reminding him of their agreement. Neither Dougie (the blind date) nor Lola shows up however. Nadia and Tom do meet each other, as well as Roger and Carole – in the midst of the breakdown of their marriage because Roger is a cheating cheater who cheats and Bea and Ruth – 70-somethings who have realised they’re meant to be together and have just got engaged. When a terrorist threat closes down the station, Nadia, Tom, Carole (Roger is NOT welcome), Ruth and Bea hang out together and get to know one another.

This group of five become firm if somewhat unlikely friends as a result of that evening. Throughout the book, the group celebrate Bea and Ruth’s wedding (no time to waste at their age!) and Carole’s divorce.

Both Nadia and Tom are feeling under pressure from their peers and relatives about being single. Nadia has had a pretty disastrous dating life and she’s over people looking at her pityingly. The reason for Dougie’s no-show is humiliating while at the same time being evidence of a dodged bullet. Tom, for his part, pines over Lola for a lot of the book. Exactly why was a bit of a mystery to me. She didn’t sound all that wonderful to me and the more I learned about her the more that opinion solidified.

Nadia and Tom agree to be each other’s plus one at events and family gatherings to take the spotlight away from their singledom. Yes it’s fake dating but also kind of not? They tell everyone that they met under the clock at Waterloo Station and that it’s all “pretty new” and they’re seeing how things are going. It didn’t feel like all that much of a lie to me to be honest. But, both are racked by guilt about the deception. Ironically, in order to extract themselves from it, they end up telling quite a few more lies.

Nadia and Tom, on the face of it, don’t have a lot in common. But they get along well and, over time, it’s clear that there is more that connects them than what would keep them apart. Of course, Tom (silly goose!) is busy longing for Lola and takes altogether too long to realise what is staring him in the face. Sigh.

I liked Nadia very much. She’s bubbly and friendly and funny and sweet. (Not your stereotypical accountant.) I enjoyed her humour, her pluck and her bravery – but most especially her humour (and her love of Abba).

While I am always happy to join in, I am not a natural singer. It’s only because my voice is low that I don’t make people cry with my singing. I love music but the notes just don’t come out the way I was expecting. Nadia, though, her voice soars in a truly wonderful way.

‘You could have been in Abba yourself,’ I tell her when the song ends.

‘Yeah, kind of gutted not to have been Swedish in the nineteen-seventies. I love the flares and the platforms.’

Also, I liked Nadia’s unashamed love of sweets. I mean, she’s a girl after my own heart.

‘You’re an excellent present buyer.’

‘I will accept that compliment. And I would like to make it very clear that the present was entirely separate from the big favour that I’m about to ask.’

‘Tom.’ I purposely widen my eyes and drop my jaw. ‘Were you trying to buy my help?’

‘I was not. But I would say that if that’s what it takes I’m more than happy to buy as many jelly beans as you can eat.’

I shake my head. ‘I really don’t think any normal person could afford that.’

Tom is nice too. I liked him even when he frustrated me with his gagging over Lola.

What was good for Nadia about all this is that because she wasn’t really dating Tom at the start, she found herself standing up for what she wanted rather than pretending she enjoyed things she didn’t and challenging Tom to challenge his own thinking. I also liked that she was open to new things and between them, they made each other better.

There was something a little… thin (?) about the book. The story was fine – engaging and amusing and entertaining but there wasn’t quite as much …substance to it as I’d hoped. It wasn’t quite funny enough for the humour to carry the whole novel. I had the feeling it wanted to be a little more than what it was. Still, I enjoyed it well enough, even though I don’t think it’s one I’ll re-read.

I’m not really sure actually why I’m so struck by getting to know Nadia better. It isn’t her I’m getting to know better, it’s facts about her. She is the person I met on the Waterloo clock evening and the more I know her, the more she just seems her.

Grade: B-

Regards,
Kaetrin

Tom and Nadia both have time on their hands when they’re both stood up under the clock at Waterloo Station. I liked the group of friends that emerged and the deal brokered between Tom and Nadia to fake date.
Of course you know what ensues, but Tom was a major knucklehead. I thought he needed to be clocked over the head for his stupidity.
Lola was a real prize, not.
The ending is perfectly timed but Tom really did need to up his game.

Five strangers wind up coincidentally under the Waterloo Clock when a critical situation lockdown takes place. Two of them are celebrating an engagement, one is dealing with finding out that her husband has been cheating on her and the other two have each been stood up be their respective dates.
Nadia and Tom are the main characters, and the singles that get stood up. They end up with an interesting friendship that gives them the idea to fake date so that their friends and family will leave them be as they’re both tired of the dating scene. It was clear to the reader that they’d be perfect for each other, but of course, part of the story was the characters finding that out for themselves.
There’s lots of laughter to be had and the lovely supporting chats to round out the story. I adore Jo Lovett’s books and this was no exception.
Thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

I struggled with this one, if I'm being honest. It took me several days longer than usual to finish, and I could not really connect to the characters whe way I would like.

The premise is good, and I feel like there is huge potential in the fake relationship, slow-burn storyline, but it fell short in emotional growth and drama for me.

A brilliant rom com , with so much more !
Five strangers meet at Waterloo station each with their own very original stories. Due to a bomb threat they all get the chance to talk and connect and they become the Waterloo Five !
The two main characters Nadia and Tom bring fake dating into the storyline , both fed up of being the two singles at family gatherings etc
A really enjoyable read with a good storyline, highly recommended
Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Jo Lovett for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

I absolutely LOVED this book. It was cute and quirky. Had great chemistry. It is everything I love about a meet cute. I can't wait to recommend this to my best friend!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC of Meet Me Under the Clock in exchange for an honest review.

Meet Me Under the Clock is the newest closed door romance from Jo Lovett and Boldwood Books. When Nadia and Tom find themselves simultaneously stood up by their dates at Waterloo Station, an unlikely fast friendship develops between themselves and three other strangers. In this slow burn romance, Tom and Nadia hatch a fake dating plan in order to get friends and family off their backs about pursuing a new relationship. As with every fake dating trope to have ever existed, we can all guess exactly where this is headed.

The start of this book held so much promise for me and I loved the group of rag tag characters that made up ‘The Waterloo Five,” but as the story wore on, I could not connect with the characters in any way. I found the connection between characters to be nonexistent and the conversations to be rather dull. While Nadia’s character was so-so for me, Tom’s character drove me absolutely stark raving mad and I found myself just wanting to strangle him most often. I mean, he’s in love with someone he barely knew 10 years ago and is hung up on the idea of her when Nadia is literally right in front of his face. Are you mental? His pining for Lola got to the point where I just wanted to stop reading it n order to reduce my frustration levels.

On top of my annoyance with Tom was the way Nadia and he both handled the morning after situation. It was almost too immature to believe that I was reading about two consenting adults here and how they chose to essentially not deal with any of their feelings or real life in general. I wanted to feel some sort of connection with these characters, but it all just fell horribly flat for me and I wish that hadn’t been the case.

At its core, the book had so much promise and it was poised to be really well done. Sadly, I found the supporting cast of characters exponentially more interesting than our main characters and I wish that there would have been a little more substance to Tom and Nadia’s relationship. So much of the book were these long drawn out conversations between the two that were always just surface level and never really going anywhere. But then all of the sudden they realize they love each other? Rather odd if you ask me, but to each their own. This story may certainly appeal to some audiences, it just wasn’t a book that I could form a connection with, and that’s okay!

3.5 Stars

This starts with a lovely premise—two strangers, both stood up on the same night, meet beneath the clock at a train station and agree to "fake date" in an effort to dodge further heartbreak. It's an idea full of promise and charm, and at first, it really felt like the kind of feel-good story you curl up with on a quiet afternoon.

The book leans heavily into a slow-burn dynamic, as Nadia and Tom spend a lot of time getting to know each other. And by a lot, I mean page after page of dialogue—questions, polite responses, and small talk that often felt more awkward than endearing. Their constant politeness made them feel almost too careful with each other, and unfortunately, it kept me from feeling any real spark between them.

As the story went on, it became harder to connect with either character. Both POVs had such a similar tone and rhythm, it was sometimes difficult to distinguish one from the other. While the writing had a sweet, understated style, the dialogue-heavy approach and lack of emotional depth made the story feel repetitive at times. I found myself wishing for more color—more emotion, more personality, and more natural tension to pull me in.

Still, there’s a lot to appreciate here. The core concept is heartfelt, the idea of kindness in romance is refreshing, and the pacing may work perfectly for readers who enjoy quiet, introspective character-driven novels. While this one didn’t fully click with me, I can absolutely see others enjoying its subtle charm and soft-spoken narrative. A sweet story with a lot of potential—just not quite the spark I was hoping for.

A fake dating romance, what's not to love! I loved this story of Nadia and Tom, who meet by chance under the clock at Waterloo station, starting a friendship with 3 other strangers who then name themselves the Waterloo 5! It's funny, emotional, and hard to put down, even though it's predicatable it's one of those stories that gives you all the warm, fuzzy cosy feels whilst you root for the main characters!

If you love a rom com then you will not be disappointed with this!

A good read!

Five strangers meet at Waterloo Station under the iconic clock—each with their own story. What happens in that moment draws them together and forges unexpected bonds that could last a lifetime.
Bea and Ruth, long-lost lovers, reunite under the clock. Carole discovers her husband’s infidelity. Nadia gets stood up by a blind date. Tom, waiting to fulfill a 10-year pact with Lola, finds himself stood up as well. Though strangers, a sudden lockdown at the station due to a bomb threat gives them a chance to talk, connect, and share their stories.
The book is fun, emotional, and humorous. Take a wild, heart warming ride with this one!

Meet Me Under the Clock is a cute fake dating/fake relationship novel. Two strangers, both stood up, bond with three others also under the clock at a train station. A quick friendship is formed among the Waterloo Five.

Nadia is a wonderful character who has had no luck finding love. Her latest attempt at a blind date has her standing alone. Tom is a great character (mostly) who is attempting to reconnect with a woman from his past. He, too, ends up standing alone. While waiting at the train station, they encounter three others and a friendship is born. Nadia and Tom, tired of the games, make a pact to become each other's plus one for events while they figure out how they each want to move forward, separately, in the romance department.

As with all fake dating tropes, real feelings start to creep into the arrangement. Nadia walks through the field of feelings with a bit of trepidation and hope until she realizes that Tom doesn't feel the same. Tom largely ignores the feelings, pining for the woman who stood him up. He makes some pretty despicable decisions and I found myself unsure of where these characters were going to end up. Tom was a bit of a downer in places and I felt Nadia deserved much better.

The story was enjoyable and Tom and Nadia did have chemistry, despite his inability to leave the past in the past. He was so caught up in what could have been that he in danger of losing the chance to get caught up in the what could be. The author wrote the story with realism and emotion. The characters weren't dull or flat. I teared up in a few places near the end.

Thank you to @rachelsrandomresources for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not normally a fan of this kind of trope but have to admit, I loved this book. There was so much more than friends to lovers/fake dating within and that’s what I enjoyed. Each chapter is either from Tom or Nadia’s POV and it works so well. There’s not gaps in the narration either, it just flows seamlessly from chapter to chapter.

They meet under the clock in Waterloo when both are stood up, and at the same time, meet the rest of the Waterloo Five - Bea and Ruth, and Carole - who are also having their “moments” under the clock. As you’d expect, Tom and Nadia become good friends, agreeing to be each others fake plus-ones for the foreseeable future. But will this be all they are?

Really enjoyable quick read of a rom com, and definitely one for fans of fake dating and friends to lovers.

Cute story. The 5 main characters were enjoyable, and kept the story from being too bogged down with just Tom & Nadia.

They, Tom & Nadia, are the stars of the book though. The way they, and the other 3, met is original and I appreciated that the author kept that a central part of the story.

I'd recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, sweet and held my interest. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

I enjoyed reading Meet Me Under the Clock by Jo Lovett. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

At the start of the book, Nadia and Tom are both waiting for someone at Waterloo Station. They both have a date, but soon realise they have both been stood up by the person they were supposed to meet. They talk to one another, and a friendship ensues. Nadia and Tom enjoy each other's company, and both of them need a plus one for social events, so they have a fake dating arrangement which suits them both… until they both start to question how they really feel.

I found this both funny and heartwarming. I enjoyed the scenario that brought the two characters together, like a wonderful little accident. Both Tom and Nadia made me smile, and I connected with them both while reading. I enjoyed their conversations, and seeing their connection develop. Some of the other characters, like Carole and Marisa, also made me smile. This book also made me think about how the most meaningful connections can begin in unexpected ways.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

Meet Me Under The Clock by Jo Lovett

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

When Nadia and Tom are both unceremoniously stood up by their dates under the clock at Waterloo Station, fate throws them together in the most unusual of circumstances.

What starts as a brilliant story for future dinner parties soon turns into a wonderful friendship, and both Tom and Nadia realise they’ve found the perfect partner in crime.

Tired of dating but always needing a plus one for weddings, parties, and the like, they agree to fake date each other. But as their pretend relationship starts to feel more real, Nadia and Tom begin to wonder if there’s more to their connection than convenience.

Could the relationship they’ve been faking be the one they’ve been waiting for all along?

My Opinion

Jo Lovett is an author that I really enjoy reading so I am always delighted when I see a new release. Meet Me Under The Clock is such a sweet read. From the beginning I knew this was a book I would be unable to put down. An entertaining, slow-burn romance with some great characters.

Rating 4/5

Overall cute but it dragged out for so long. There was a lot of potential with this plot line but it just fell flat for me. Tom and Nadia both are lost souls that need more love in their life but were too focused on finding the one that things were not working in their favour.

The characters didn’t do much growth - they just more or less ignored their issues at hand (aka love). And then all of a sudden they realized their feelings and started dancing around that too. That said, I felt like the reveal of feelings and growth happened so fast at the end, all shoved into the last two chapters.

Tom did frustrate me a lot with how hung up he was on a women he spent ONE SINGLE evening with TEN YEARS AGO???? And then I felt like Tom’s situation completely overshadowed Nadia’s. Yes her resolution was to not date for six months but I felt that Tom was not as wiling to help her grow in that time as she was for him. There was a lot of give on Nadia’s side and I felt like Tom took her for granted :(

I think the style of writing just threw me off as well - lots of thoughts within parentheses even in the middle of dialogue, lots of inner monologue that ran on. I think this could make for a good vacation read - something lowkey and lovely to enjoy over the course of a few days.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed this book. Both Tom and Nadia arrange to meet their dates at Waterloo Station and on the same night. But, neither date turns up.

With the other characters they get to know each other. They become friends, and as they’re both fed up of being in awkward situations when it comes to bringing a plus-one to parties and weddings, they decide to pretend to be dating

But, slowly their pretend dating begins to change their feeling towards each other. Could this be the start of turning fake into real?

I loved the characters and there was some funny situations along the way.

I recommend this book.