Love and Lockdown

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Pub Date 04 Mar 2021 | Archive Date 08 Mar 2021

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Description

Angela wouldn’t usually be caught dead within two metres of Colin Cooper—and that was before a global pandemic broke out—but she’s just been evicted and he’s offered her his spare room for free. Except Colin’s not exactly a knight in shining armour. He only helped her out because he needed a good deed to talk about on his radio show.

Colin soon finds himself ranting about Angela while on the air, but luckily his listeners love hearing about her. It’s a classic case of forced proximity and they want more! In order to please them (okay, mostly to please his boss), Colin must now turn his new situation into a serialised romance, something he has no idea how to do. He turns to Angela, a huge fan of romance novels, for help. 

Angela accepts, mostly because she feels indebted to Colin—and also because she’s always wanted to write her own stories. But she’s never tried putting pen to paper before. Can she and Colin create a believable romance in the middle of a lockdown?

Angela wouldn’t usually be caught dead within two metres of Colin Cooper—and that was before a global pandemic broke out—but she’s just been evicted and he’s offered her his spare room for free...


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ISBN 9780648544463
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Average rating from 128 members


Featured Reviews

A great read!

Colin hosts a radio show and needs some material to talk about. When he spots neighbour Angela in trouble he offers her a place to stay, knowing he will use this in his show. Soon they are becoming friends, and maybe more, but is it the forced proximity of lockdown or something real?

I liked how it is told from both of their points of view, and the friends and neighbours around them.

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Ok this book was amazing!
So adorable and it wasn't just about the physical romance, it included a more meaningful connection.
Also I've been waiting for a pandemic book for agess.
The only problem is I think Angela is wayyy too obsessive sometimes and it kinda kills the mood because she is so sarcastic and badass and confident but then it contrasts weirdly with her obsession with lockdown rules and her anxiety.
Otherwise, such a good romance!

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Love and Lockdown was the lovely little rom- com that I needed!

The story is essentially an enemies to lovers/ forced proximity trope, but with the main theme involving COVID and the lockdowns, it made this story wonderfully relevant and hilariously relatable.

The writing was stunning and very cute-sy. There were several moments that made me laugh out loud, and some killer sarcastic quotes that I’ll definitely be adding to my repertoire!

I’m not often a romance or contemporary reader, but if there’s a book in either of those classification that you NEED to read this year, it HAS to be this one!

This book is recommended for the older YA/ New Adult age group due to suggested adult themes. There is not adult scenes in this book.

Love and Lockdown will be available for purchase as of the 4th of March 2021

Thank you to Alyce Caswell for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for my honest review.

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This is the "lockdown book" you didn't know you wanted to read. At least I didn't know I wanted to read a book set during lockdown, but this is a romantic comedy (so it's not depressing) and, you know, enemies to lovers with a side of forced proximity between a radio DJ and an avid reader of romance novels who might find out she's also good at writing them? It just appealed to me. Then I started reading and, in addition to enjoying the tropes and liking the characters, I found out that a book that didn't ignore what we've all been through for months was actually a nice change (for once, no envying characters who are able to go out without risking to catch a deadly virus). And, because this is a romance, we all know that the heroes will both still be alive and well (with "happily in love" as a bonus) at the end, so we can relax and enjoy their story just like Colin's listeners enjoy the serial Angela scripts for him. I loved it.

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I really enjoyed this book. I must admit, at first I found it a bit slow going and didn't really like the characters, but I'm glad I persevered past the first couple chapters as they grew on me so quickly that it ended u up where it was midnight, and I was saying to myself just 1 more chapter. I'm not sure if the author has already thought of this, but it would be nice to see a spin off story about ishani and robs stories

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4.5/5 - This cute quarantine tale has a lot going on. An out-of-work protagonist about to be evicted gets an offer she can't refuse. Well, she could, but it would mean moving back in with her mother, a fate to be avoided at all costs. Her boyfriend isn't suggesting she move in with him so instead, she takes her radio DJ-ing neighbor up on his offer to let her stay with him unaware that his motives are less than altruistic. From there the tropes get acknowledged with a wink as they play out in the most wholesome of ways in a not-rushed-at-all manner.

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This book was super cute! It didn't have a lot of substance, but it kept me entertained. Several times, I actually laughed out loud several times, which rarely happens.

I really loved the banter between Angela and Colin, it was super funny! Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and this book did it super well!

I loved the "courting period" in their relationship, it was adorable. It had a quirky flair that came off as fun, not as irritating. It also made their relationship feel a bit more natural, which I loved.

My one complaint about this was that I feel like they followed social distancing rules a bit too closely... That sounds terrible, I know, but it just got a bit repetitive. If it had been mentioned once in a while as a joke, it would've been fine, but the pandemic controlled these teo's lives.

I really loved the addition of the radio show, it was a great way to add drama without it being just drama. It was super fun to read the scenes when Colin was broadcasting, and it was totally different from anything I've read before.

I really enjoyed this book, but I never would've picked it up based on the cover. It was a super fun read, and I can totally see myself rereading it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Alyce Caswell for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

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Angela is recently out of a job, selling her things to make rent and trying to avoid having to go live with her mom, when the global pandemic hits the UK. Angela soon finds herself without a place to live. Enter Colin, who lives in her building and hosts a radio show from his bedroom. As part of his "Daily Inspo" segment, he decides to invite Angela to live in his spare room until she can afford to pay rent, since he's not using it anyway. However, as things progress, his listeners are pairing them together, aching to hear more about their "close proximity" romance trope. Overwhelmed, Colin seeks Angela's help to write the segment, as she's always wanted to write romance, but how much is fact and how much is fiction?

Though the book started off feeling a bit cliché, it quickly transformed into the book I didn't realize I've been wanting to read. Though the pandemic has given lots of people more time to read, I haven't read anything pandemic-related that wasn't entirely heartbreaking, so this twist on reality with a bit of hope was the perfect romance read for the upcoming 1-year pandemic anniversary. I have always enjoyed "enemies to lovers," and throwing in social distancing, quarantines, and banding together in the face of adversity made this novel more than "just" a romance.

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This is a cute novel about romance brewing within the constraints and confines of the lockdown that occurs during a pandemic.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Like some of the other reviewers, I had a hard time rooting for this couple. I didn't feel any chemistry between them at all. Besides that, though, it's a super well-written book, and I think it uses the lockdown to its advantage in a way that doesn't come across as opportunistic on the author's part; some of the observations feel a little on-the-nose now, like when Angela's boyfriend kisses her in public and everyone gets annoyed, but they'll be genuinely insightful (dare I say nostalgic?) to look back on when all this is, finally, over.

I hope Alyce Caswell's next book has all the charm of this with some added chemistry, because I think she's onto a winner.

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I liked this novel very much. The reality of the situation, the realistic the characters were. It was just wonderful. And I loved them all, not only the main characters but the group of Djs specially, they made me smile, laugh and wanted to hug them. Very good on construction there.
I just wanted to say thank you for Angela, the most realistic heroine of them all. You can see humanity in her, no some normal character, it was just too real! And I appreciate that. (Maybe bc Im grumpy and a bit too much like her lol)
Maybe I think I could had had a little more details of some things? Like the ex of Colin and what happened later with Emily. And what about Rob and Ishani as well?
I feel like it finished so quickly and now I miss them 😭
Some errors I can think, were bc it wasn’t the final print edition, no?

To end up, I really really liked it. It was very nice to read and a pleasure. The references, all. I think I really needed a romcom or novel like that and I would read more. Also, Im so interested right now for future books of the author.

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Love and Lockdown is a romance novel about Angela and Colin, who hate each other's guts. They are neighbours, and even in the middle of a pandemic, they keep bumping into each other at random places.

When Angela gets evicted and her petition to move in with her boyfriend gets rejected, she feels the world is ending.

On the other hand Colin needs a good deed to boast about on his radio show, and Angela's situation looks like the best thing he can find, so he invites her to live with him.


I love a good romance novel, specially if it feels light and cosy like this one. Being forced to share a small place looks like the worse kind of torture if your only company is your worse enemy, but if he's hot and kinda infuriating you can't help but enjoy it.

Angela's relationship with Colin is adorable, they share so many cute and cosy scenes it made me feel all warm inside, like i was actually seeing two good friends fall in love.

Colin is cute and a bit of a mess, but he works hard for what he wants, and feels bad for using his good deeds to get something in return.

Angela is closed up and kinda rude, but adorable at the same time. She has had her share of bad in life, and she just wants to be left alone. Or to actually be loved.

As I said, I loved their relationship, and I enjoyed the book thoroughly, but there are some things I didn't exactly like.

The first one, I didn't like the fact that he is working a lot to make her fall in love with her, planning dates, buying stuff and working on his radio show all at the same time, while she does nothing for him. Yeah sure, she cooks, but she could plan some dates, make him fall in love with her.

The other thing I didn't like was her lack of maturity. I get it that she was angry at Colin for messing up, but I felt that running to the closet and open it to see what was in there was her way of hurting him. An eye for an eye. I'm not into toxic people at all.

Nonetheless, I did enjoy the end of Angela's friendship with her childhood friend. I enjoyed thoroughly how she cut it off, and even if it went on for a bit, she didn't end up forgiving her toxic friend, which is something that sometimes happen.

A lovely book with lovely characters (most of the time), with a kind-of-predictable plot and amazing relationships.

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Angela has had a rough time of it. With the onset of a pandemic, a lot of places- including her job- have shut down and now she’s sold everything but her soul and still can’t continue to make rent. Moving in with her mother holds zero appeal, and her boyfriend isn’t interested in cohabitation (even if that is the only way they can legally see each other amid lockdown). Who would have thought salvation would come in the shape of Collin Cooper, upstairs neighbor and bane of her existence?

Collin Cooper, internet radio DJ, is at the end of his rope. He knows he’s one of the “lucky ones”. Working from home, his job hasn’t been affected by the pandemic in any way. Unfortunately, it comes with the boss from Hell. Leo is always telling him to find new things for “daily inspo”, the segment of his show where he talks about inspiring things- good things, no matter how small- that are going on. Little acts of kindness… but not the ones people can find by just looking on twitter for a minute. He’s not proud of the fact that he started getting groceries for the older couple down stairs so that he’d have something to talk about…. and now he has to find something else. Then he sees her- the mouthy girl downstairs, crying on the walkway in front of the complex. What could be a greater act of kindness than taking someone in during a pandemic? Yeah, she hates him…. but it’ll make good radio, maybe? Especially when Leo decides to change the segment into a romance serial starring Collin and Angela…

In exchange for free room and board Angela begins ghost writing Collin’s segments and the two become close. But is it just forced proximity? Can these feelings be real? Then there’s the fact that Collin hasn’t told her all his secrets (For instance, she isn’t allowed to look in the wardrobe in her room…). When Hell breaks loose after quarantine and Angela walks away, can Collin convince her to come back? Is there love after lockdown?
I found this to be a fun, fast read. Written in dual narrative between Collin and Angela, it was easy to get close to these characters. Even when they were being ridiculous you wanted to hug them. I’ll admit, at the beginning it was hard to like Angela. She complained about the lockdown and lack of masks…. a lot. It’s understandable, and helps to see her frame of mind; at the same time I feel like the author overdid it a tiny bit. Collin was my favorite of the two- warm and funny, a bit socially awkward… yeah, I just really liked him. He made a lot of mistakes, but in the end he owned them and of the two I feel like he had the most character growth. My favorite character, of course, was Ishani (I would absolutely buy a book with her as the female lead). Popping up as Angela’s best (and only) friend during this crazy time, I loved how open and supportive she was right off the bat- like, literally minutes after meeting.

There were some absolutely absurd (if cute) things going on- epic pillow fights, floor lava, daily conversation starters… because what else do you do when you aren’t allowed out for fourteen days and only have one person for company? These are the areas where I started to really like Collin. He understands his feelings for Angela and is determined to “court her”, doing things to make her feel special and important until such time as they are allowed to leave the apartment- the timeline both of them decided was best for the beginning of any romantic entanglement. Final verdict? I really enjoyed this book. It was fun and fast with great characters. Is it the best book ever written? No… but sometimes we need a palate cleanser- something light and fun after reading something sadder or heavy. This was that for me. I would give it four stars.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
As far as adult content goes, there’s some language and sexual discussions plus a bit of actual sexual content. It’s all extremely mild, though. While it’s obviously made for someone over eighteen, I would hand it to an older teenager without hesitation.


I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book from Netgalley and BooksGoSocial in exchange for an honest review. My thanks!

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This is an enemies to lovers, forced proximity with some themes of misunderstanding/secrets set during the pandemic and lockdown in a town near London. The heroine loses her job and is about to be evicted when her upstairs neighbour and almost nemesis offers her a room rent free. The hero is a DJ/RJ on an internet radio station,with a very demanding boss and she ends up helping him right a serialised romance based on their own living arrangements. And as most stories go, they fall in love in reality but are hindered by some secrets the hero is holding back.
This book started off pretty well, but the romance took so very long to develop, almost 60% of the novel passed before something truly romantic happened. I had to speed read through some parts and 14 chapters based on 14 days of quarantine seemed excessive. But the ending was satisfying enough, it was nice to see the hero and heroine growing from their pandemic experience, standing up to their selfish friends, judgemental families and moving out of their comfort zone to establish new habits and skills.

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I have already given feedback on this book. I enjoyed reading this and deep down it was rather funny. Different idea and well executed.

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This book is so adorable! When Angela is about to be evicted during the pandemic, Colin offers her his spare room for free. Never mind that they can't stand each other—Angela's choices are limited, and Colin has an ulterior motive. But just like something out of the romance novels Angela secretly loves reading, the forced proximity promises to turn these enemies into lovers. Unless they do something stupid to screw it up.

I loved the quirky, fun characters in this book, and the gentle way the plot unfolded. This is a sweet romcom with no steamy scenes, but there's a strong undercurrent of sexual tension. It's a fun, low-angst read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

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Read this prior to release through NetGalley. This was a good fun, light hearted read. Reflective of the current pandemic, bringing humour, and highlighting the difficulties on relationships whilst social distancing. The characters are easy to warm to and their quirky habits just add to the humour! Definitely lifted my mood, easy to read and wanted to keep reading it to find out what happens. Would definitely recommend this book.

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What a nice find. This was the first book I've read from this author and I really enjoyed it. The story was different from anything I've read recently and really captured my attention. It was so well written and the characters were fantastic.

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A wonderfully sweet romance in lockdown. The characters were believable, their situation was relatable and their connection was heartwarming. I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it to others.

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This was a really sweet and wonderful book set in lockdown, meaning it was a rather relatable and realistic storyline. I really loved the connection between the two main characters & can we please talk about how beautiful that cover is?

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This fake-dating contemporary romance was my first covid-era book and it did not disappoint! Angela has been in a relationship for just over a year with Ben, a personal fitness trainer (these were some of my favorite scenes where he is all about his YouTube following), when she finds out she’s in danger of losing her apartment. She broaches the subject of moving in but he isn’t up for it. When she’s on the verge of being homeless, her neighbor Colin, who she doesn’t particularly get along with, offers up his spare room. Colin is a DJ and after he mentions his good deed on air, gets roped in by his boss to creating a fake relationship for their listeners. Except Angela, who wants to become a romance writer, is all for it, too and the two team up. I loved it. 😊 This was super cute, and I found myself liking the covid setting, going back to the early days of the pandemic with homemade masks, young people doing shopping for their elderly neighbors, social distancing and only being allowed outdoors if you’re exercising. And as any romance reader can guess, this fake dating relationship? Starts to become something more. I loved Angela and Colin and thought their chemistry was adorable.

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Funny and interesting story line . I was impressed with this book more then I though I would be . I would definitely recommend this book

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