This was well paced and I really liked the characters! While predictable like most fake dating billionaire books, it delivered in execution! It was my first book by this author and it made me want to shelve more of them for when I have a HEA contemporary urge!

An American In London is your typical grumpy billionaire rom-com on a fake engagement but from the UK. It's feel-good and has a nice vibe, especially if you're interested in movies and matinee idols (a center of the book). This is a fast read with a lot of London landmarks featured. There are some sad parts and "tragedies," but they are not out of typical life experiences. The book centered on the couple and their journey towards love and discovering their attraction towards each other. There are very minor subplots and secondary characters.

This has some spice, and it's generally a good romantic comedy. It's a good escape from everyday life and stress!

Louise Bay doesn't disappoint with an enchanting story that is certainly movie-ready. With thoughtful characters, a rolling plot, and a running question of will they or won't they, An American in London is a solid feel-good read. You get to explore the emotions of extreme life change, and what you make of life after everything seems to fall apart and you get to grow with the main characters as they grow in themselves. A heartfelt read, with lots of humor wrapped up in each chapter.

Unfortunately, this story did not work for me. While there is an element of romance, most of the book was Tuesday (FMC) dissecting Ben’s (MMC) slightest facial tics and extrapolating appreciation and love. Ben hardly verbalized let alone expounded on his deepening affection. Quite honestly, I could not feel any electricity between these 2 characters. I actually liked the Duke and Duchess more.

This book uses the fake fiancé trope but what I found distasteful was that Ben (MMC) was wanting to purchase a hotel from the Duke, an old school business mogul who values family and traditional values like honesty. Ben would have been better off telling the Duke his true reason for his interest in the hotel (which he finally does!)

⭐️ - 3.5
🌶️ - 2

Tropes:
Grumpy x Sunshine
Fake Dating/Engagment
Millionaire/Billionare
Slow Burn
Loss/Grief

This is my 14th Louise Bay book – I’m a long-time fan, and her writing always delivers for me.

The overarching trope is a well-done grumpy x sunshine dynamic. Tuesday, our spunky American FMC, is visiting London for work. While she’s there, memories of her late mum are stirred up by a shared love of fictional celeb Daniel De Luca – a childhood crush who becomes a guiding character during her stay.

Enter Ben: a grumpy, broody millionaire (maybe billionaire?) who happens to resemble Daniel. Cue a meet-cute, fake dating scenario, posh country weekends, and a classic British romcom setup.

I loved Tuesday. She was layered and real, and her emotional growth – especially around the grief for her mum – was really well done. Her character ARC was well earned. I wasn't sold on the constant references to Daniel De Luca, but I understood the emotional thread.

Ben? Loved him. He was unapologetically grumpy and grounded – exactly who he said he was. I loved his nicknames for her as well 🙂 I do wish we’d had more from his POV.

Louise’s writing is always solid. The dialogue feels authentic, the characters believable, and it’s the kind of light, fun, read that goes down easy. A very satisfying 3.5-star comfort read that hits all the expected spots in the best way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC — and to Louise Bay for continuing to give us romantic leads we can swoon over! All views and opinions are completely my own.

Ben Kelley stole my heart. Behind his grumpy & broody persona is a heart of gold and feelings that run very deep.

Tuesday Reynolds or London Tuesday is a delight. Tuesday and Ben have terrific chemistry and complement each other perfectly.

I adored the Duchess. Loved it!

This was such a fun book to read. After leaving the US for a work trip in the UK, Tuesday has a meet-cute with the scowly Brit Ben. Tuesday has been obsessed with a famous actor and Ben is a lookalike of that actor. He needs a fake fiancé to hopefully buy a hotel of a duke. They go on a weekend away to convince the duke he's a family oriented guy who deserved to buy the hotel. But of course the mansion the duke lives at was a filming location for one of the movies the actor starred in. Ben turns out to be quite a romantic and goes on multiple dates that have links to the movies. But will there be a future for a couple who lives on different continent.

I thought this was such a cute feelgood book to read. It's also mixed with how people deal with grief but more how you can make good memories to remember those we lost. First chapter was a bit difficult to get into for me, but after that I just couldn't put it down. It's a billionaire, fake dating romance which I would recommend to anyone who loves these tropes.
4,5 stars

Let me start this off by saying that I did NOT think I was going to love this book as much as I did.
Mostly because I could rarely get into the "fake dating" trope it always seems way too cringey and unreal.

Right off the bat, I was hooked. The beginning wasn't too drawn out, so we immediately got into it. Tuesday (the main character, not the day of the week) almost has a pessimistic way of viewing things in the beginning.... This book had some serious character development because this was not her at all by the end of the book. She put on her big girl pants and started doing life for HERSELF and not for other people.

I always love seeing female character development in a romance story because most of the time, I always feel like the focus is usually on the MMC where he's grumpy in the beginning and by the end he's the happiest little thing meanwhile the FMC continues to be a doormat. THAT WAS NOT THE CASE HERE

Speaking of MMC, Ben was actually hilarious and the sweetest thing which is so unlike the "grumpy" trope of men in other books. He wasn't always growling every second and being insufferable he was being a human being. Okay, MAYBE there was SOME growling, but very little, and it flowed with the story. It didn't cause you to close your eyes and cringe.

All in all, this book just flowed very smoothly, and it got me out of my reading slump. It wasn't an insta lust or insta love situation; the story had a slow burn. They didn't kiss until 56% into the book, and there was some spice while also leaving enough romance in there. The banter between them was OFF THE CHARTS... she had great comebacks, and so did he. The dialogue was real; it didn't feel too forced. When reading romance books, I often find myself saying, "Who the hell talks like that lol" but this book gave me real. Their romance spanned over a month and I thought it was so cute that each chapter has a countdown that states how much longer she has until she has to go back to NYC. A lot of times in books, you're trying to figure out how much time has passed... has it been 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months? In this book, the time is stated very clearly so that you don't ever gotta wonder.

One of the only cons that I had of this book was the constant mention of DANIEL DE LUCA OMGGGGGG. That man's name had to be written a million and one times in the book LMAO halfway through I googled to see if he was an actual celebrity. But in the end, I think I almost understood why though because he almost became so irrelevant to the main character.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. I thought the plot was very intriguing, but unfortunately, I think the execution could have been better. Tuesday basically stalked Ben at the begging in the book and then gladly accepted money to be his finance without so much as having a conversation and I don’t think that the Daniel DeLuca obsession added much to the story. I did enjoy the playful ways that Ben addressed Tuesday as different days of the week. This was a cute fluffy ready, but nothing more.

Love it! This is my first Louise Bay, but it won't be the last. The female main character, Tuesday, is a hoot. Despite some emotional trauma; recent breakup and loss of a parent, she lives her life in such a joyful way it's hard not to find that joy with her.
Ben is the perfect grump to her sunshine. I'm finding I really enjoy this trope because these grumpy guys are generally the best of men.
The setting of London and goal to hit all the Daniel DeLuca film spots and potential sitings was a fun theme to move the story along.
I understand some other reviewers issues with situations that pushed the story along, such as the fake fiancé for the weekend and the payment, but I don't generally read for believability, so if the character can convince herself it's a good idea, then I'm convinced as well.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review

Louise Bay's An American in London is swoony, charming and absolute fun!

Ben and Tuesday are an absolute joy! Tuesday's been through it and trying to prove herself at work while dealing with a breakup and Ben needs her help with a deal he's trying to make and their chemistry is off the charts. They shouldn't work on paper but they do because after all opposites attract all the time! It is lighthearted fun and romantic ands swoony and seeing them fall for each other was so sweet. I loved the way Louise Bay paints the scene romantically and the perfect setting to fall in love. Its cheesy, romantic, charming and fun!

Another beautiful romance from Louise Bay. Something about her story telling always takes me away, even in cases like this one which seem very far from real life. I actually think that may be my favorite thing about them.

Tuesday was not the sort of character I liked at first, not at all the strong female lead I prefer. But her character development through the book, much of which was encouraged by Ben, made her grow on me. Ben, on the other hand, was the perfect male lead. Gruff, handsome, rich, and a complete cinnamon roll underneath.

Their fake romance didn’t stay fake for long, and their chemistry was perfectly believable. But if you are looking for spice, this is not the book for you since the bedroom scenes all fade to black.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book early! I would have read it the instant it was released!

A very enjoyable book set in one of the places I most want to visit, London. Meeting someone accidentally once in a city like London is nothing to think about, running into him twice, well maybe, that he looks just like her favorite actor, well now we’re talking. Louise has given us Ben and Tuesday’s story that brought a smile and a few laughs as the two find themselves faked engaged. What happens then is the story of fairy tales, which brings me back to earth a few times while reading their story. A truly enjoyable Sunday afternoon read that brightened up my dreary weekend.

Generally, I enjoyed the book. The plot was nice but the execution wasn’t really what I expected and hoped would happen. There were some developments that felt unrealistic to me. For example, Tuesday basically harassing Ben and not leaving him be after he didn’t want to talk to her. His business associate discussing an important and confidential business deal with her (a total stranger) present. Ben not wanting to engage with Tuesday and then offering her a huge sum if she agreed to play his fake fiancé. Tuesday flat out refusing because she felt immoral for accepting money, being bought for her time, and then not only accepting but asking for even more money? For me it made the characters less credible and made it a bit harder to connect to the story or see the chemistry between the two leads.
The Daniel De Luca mentions and references didn't really add to the book...
I do have hope that some of these issues will be sorted out before it is released, but as of right now it isn’t really selling the romance and that is a shame because this book has a lot of potential. I did like the fact that everything took place in London, the duke and duchess were nice and the plot could be great.
Thank you to publisher, Netgalley and author for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Some good stuff in this book and some not-so-good elements that marred what could've been a better story. One key driving force of the book was the heroine's obsession of Daniel De Luca movies and the combination with the romance story seemed forced, as did the hero and heroine matching up all the tropes they accomplished in this story. The calling out of every trope was hitting us on the head so obviously over the top unnecessary. I know the author probably meant it as a cute moment, but it cheapened this reader's experience. Sharing the checklist of what the author accomplished took me out of the possible organic, magic of the story and showed me how calculated she was in hitting her tropes.

The other driving force the author "told" us about but I didn't catch onto it because it wasn't clearly demonstrated was the heroine's need to please. That kind of annoyed me because I wondered if I missed it in the storytelling.

Overall, the few Louise Bay books I've managed to read have mostly been enjoyable. Unfortunately, this one didn't flow as smoothly.

Thanks @netgalley , the author and publishers for the ARC.

This is a sweetly written, cheesy chick-lit story about an American woman who comes over to London in a bid to save her job, who then has a meet-cute with a billionaire that she advertently mistook as a famous Hollywood actor she had a teen crush on, he then asks her to be his fake fiancee, she gets the job, she has to leave and then they can't live without each other. In a nutshell🤣.
It was cute and easy to read, perfect if you wanted something easy!

Louise Bay is one of my favourite authors and An American in London is one of her best romances.

I fell for Ben straight away even when he was just a scowly stranger that Tuesday mistook for her favourite actor, Daniel De Luca in Green Park. There’s something about those tiny smiles a Grump (Ben) reserves for his Sunshine (Tuesday) that really melts my heart.

Tuesday is such a sweetheart who became a people-pleaser after her Mum passed away so she wasn’t considered a burden and I like how Ben encourages her to go after what she wants. I loved all the references to the Daniel De Luca movies that Tuesday watched with her Mum.

The Duke and Duchess are great supporting characters and I’d happily read a book just about them.

In the blurb, it says that Tuesday’s life has been hijacked by a rom-com scriptwriter and An American in London is like one of your all-time favourite rom-coms that it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve seen it, it still leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside when the credits roll.

Wait I actually really really loved this book. It's 4.5 stars for me and that was so unexpected! I've read quite a few Louise Bay books now, I'd guess maybe 3-4 before this? I liked them all, but this one was really great.

First of all, the MMC of this book is kind of my dream man in terms of his personality. Some people might say he's grumpy but he's really not! He's a huge softie and very shy and borderline awkward at times. He's so gentle with the FMC and apologetic and just everything that is the antithesis to the typical "billionaire" and these kinds of books. I loooooooved his character more than anything on the planet, which is saying a lot since we had such a lovely FMC.

I also want to give a shoutout to Louise Bay's writing. I sometimes think romance books don't get appreciated for the writing - especially books with covers like this one. Now I love these books, but these types of covers with hot guys in suits on the front or bodice rippers get a real bad rep for basically being cheap smut. But this book was surprisingly beautiful in a really soft way. She had such lovely similes and symbolism.

My only complaint is that these two didn't get it together sooner, but even that can be explained with plot reasons (MMC's hesitance in sharing his feelings due to a history of FMC people pleasing) and actually was a really selfish, patient, and beautiful act by the MMC. There was no cheap drama or villains in this book, just really lovely people at every turn.

I'd love to just break down all the ways Louise Bay defied typical tropes or storytelling cliches in this book:

- Billionaire MMC who's a bit quiet and at times socially awkward, not an asshole playboy
- A male boss in his 50's (not the MMC) in the world of banking who... isn't a total creep or a jerk. He's not ridiculously nice and grandfatherly either. He's just, like, a normal boss in his 50s that most people in the world have.
- Duke and Duchess who are both really lovely people and not at all stuffy or rude
- A fake dating plot that doesn't unnecessarily result in them informing everyone it was a ploy out of guilt. I haaaate when fake dating books do this! I think it's fine for them to feel guilty about lying, but it feels like such an unnecessary third act conflict for them to just come clean to everyone they were lying to just to assuage their guilt. Just fake break up or start actually dating! Why are we causing problems? Thankfully Louise Bay felt the same way, because she did not fall into these cliches at all and I still felt the tension throughout the book and coming up on the FMC's "return" to America.

Lastly, I love a male main character who unapologetically repeatedly tells the FMC that he really likes her in the softest sweetest way.

Simple dialogue that made my heart clench every time because it was so sweet:
"I think you're lovely."
"I think you're wonderful."

Louise Bay - I think YOU'RE lovely

Let me just I love me a cozy romance! I was obsessed with the banter and connection between the two MCs and was kicking my feet like a school girl the whole book. This was truly just a great romance, no miscommunication, no third act breakup, no nothing and it was so nice to read. Definitely a good palette cleanser when you just want to take a step back and just enjoy the moment!

Thank you again for the ARC!

Tuesday and Ben's story is a sweet and charming, semi-low angst romance. They're a couple that's easy to root for and the plot is pure escapist fantasy: he richer than rich, they fake an engagement to impress a Duke and Duchess (who turn out to be super down-to-earth and not stuffy at all), she's a fan of a famous actor, Daniel de Luca, and happens to end up in a hotel where there's a convention for, guess who: famous actor Daniel de Luca (who happens to look a lot like Ben). So, it's a bit of wild ride with a lot going on and a few too many tropes competing with each other, but if you're in the mood for pure romantic escapism, this book is it.