I was very interested to read this book in the middle of the pandemic, I hoped it would be a light read despite the story background.
I almost stopped reading after 15% because I got fed up with all the reminders about lockdown and social distancing, and how it's so difficult to cope with it. I think we all know that and reading over and over again how difficult it is quite put a damper on my mood. The story got a bit better later on but I felt no connection at all with the characters and didn't really care about their romance.
Everyone started using video calls (even my parents and their friends, all over 75!) this year so it's absolutely unbelievable that the characters couldn't see each other all that time. That was a major plot hole that really bothered me.
If you want to read a love story and can look past these points, you'd probably enjoy this book.

Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an ARC of this novel to review!

This book was EXACTLY what I needed during this lockdown we're currently in, at least here in Michigan. It was such a cute story and I loved the main characters.

Jack and Sophia are neighbors who live above each other. They began to talk to each other, after Jack hears Sophia crying on her balcony one day, and it quickly becomes a daily routine for them. Sophia is a teacher and is stuck at home teaching a small group of students, and Jack is stuck at home due to a health condition. The two put their minds together and come up with fun ideas to help get through the quarantine.

Something about this book that really stood out to me was how the author did a great job portraying and exploring the effects of the quarantine from different perspectives. I work in health care and it's interesting seeing how each individual has been dealing with it differently and what their thoughts are.

All in all, I highly recommend this book and am really glad I had the opportunity to read it early!

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I ADORED this book!
It's lighthearted, sweet, funny story is something everyone needs to read during the lockdown! I wish that I had read this book at the beginning of the year when the lockdown first started, it definitely would of cheered me up and got me out of the stressed state that I was in!
I don't think I stopped smiling from start to finish. Everything from Jack and Sophia's blossoming relationship, Jess's virtual wedding, the children in Sophia's class, to Bertie's heartwarming story; was just written so perfectly, making me forget about all the negative in the world. Excellently-written characters, all loveable, and all added to a warming story that I most definitely will read again!
Highly recommend!!!

Love in Lockdown is one of the first post-pandemic stories I've read, and I like James's take on what romance might look like during a time when you can't actually see each other. I did find some of it quite absurd (why not just FaceTime??) and occasionally James gets too didactic, repeating far too many times how lockdown can make you rethink your priorities and your relationships, etc. Not that she's wrong, but she laid it on pretty thick, which feels unnecessary since everyone reading it has at least a taste of the experience already. That said, Jack and Sophia are adorable, there's a fun cast of neighbor characters, and it's a sweet story of love at first... Talk, I guess?

I am still on the fence about whether I prefer my escapist reads to include references to the pandemic or to simply pretend it never happened. But my reluctance didn’t stop me from picking up LOVE IN LOCKDOWN by Chloe James, a love story set against the backdrop of the UK’s full lockdown earlier this year.

Thank you @netgalley, @avonbooks and Chloe James for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

LOVE IN LOCKDOWN is a sweet story about Sophie and Jack who live in the same apartment block and ‘meet’ one night while outside on their balconies clapping for healthworkers.
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I liked how James explores the ways in which lockdown and isolation have affected people's mental health.
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Despite its heavy topic, LOVE IN LOCKDOWN didn’t wear me down or make me feel anxious about what’s yet to come.
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It’s an engaging and endearing story full of love and I liked its emphasis on the importance of helping and caring for others in times of need. Glad I read this, as it was a powerful reminder that we'll get through this together >3

The cover was adorable and really gave me fluffy-romance vibes and the blurb sounded like your typical romance as well But it was just boring and i wasnt seriously invested in the characters it almost seemed forced and honestly i just didnt connect well, sadly. The characters were so blah And sometimes it felt like they did not exactly care about covid or the fact that this was a lockdown. Im glad it worked for others but for me it just completely missed the mark.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from Netgalley. For the most part I've been avoiding media related to the pandemic, but felt the premise of this was interesting so requested an ARC. I really enjoyed the book - Sophia and Jack were likeable characters, and I was keen to know how their story progressed. Covid wasn't dwelt upon per se, but themes surrounding it were explored well, even though the timeline felt a little off. The book was written well, and I'm impressed at how small a timescale it was written in. It was easy to read and very light-hearted, not what I'd expect from anything related to the pandemic, but was definitely a relief.

A romantic story of Sophia and Jack who are both struggling in the current COVID pandemic for various reasons. The coming together to clap for the NHS prompts Jack, whose balcony is above Sophia's, to ask if she is ok when he hears her crying. A balcony friendship develops and Sophia helps him with some errands, as due to health issues he can't go out. A lot of important issues such as mental health, the relentless tiredness of NHS workers and the amazing job teachers have played in the pandemic are all covered. An easy going read to get us through lockdown.

I went into this thinking, “do I really want to read about the effects of Covid while still living it?” And then I told myself, why not?! Just see what it’s about! I know for a lot of people, that will not be the case, and they will probably never want to read a book based on this topic. I see both sides.

For me, while this was a cute love story that happens between neighbors that have never seen each other, it was just too light hearted for me to be set during these times. Even when the characters faced depression, being furloughed, having to change their in person wedding to a zoom situation, it all felt like everyone was just like, “no big deal! Life is great!” Which is a fantastic mental state to be in, but not realistic at all.

In the end, it was actually a really light hearted pick me up book. If you are wanting to read a Covid related book that focuses on the positives that came out of our current times, this is your book!

Thank you to @netgalley and @avon_books for the advanced copy for my honest review!

This was such a lovely read and so relatable with the lockdown conditions. I really enjoyed the neighbourly and community feelings that were expressed throughout and how this contributed to the positive bits of COVID and lockdown in general. Both of the main characters were super likely and though it was a very light read, there were some nice deeper themes of health and family issues tackled delicately too.

Love in Lockdown is a sweet little romance between the two main characters Sophia and Jack.
Their relationship I found entertaining and also I loved the bonds of their community in such a hard time.
Honestly, I picked this book because I thought it would be fun to read something that was relevant to right now, but I think it was too close to home. I think I ended up more overwhelmed and anxious about covid and how it has affected my own life.
So definitely before you pick this one up, check on your mental state in regards to the pandemic today.

This book is such a cute romance story based on life in the UK at the beginning of the Coronavirus journey. It’s a lovely feel-good book that showcases love in all forms of the word, my favourite being that of community and how everyone comes together in desperate times, and that’s exactly what we are doing now!

It’s a comforting read, which touches on the struggles people face and highlights that loneliness and restlessness has been so common this year and that little things can make all the difference. It really is a lovely, heartwarming read and I’d fully recommend it!

First, I want to thank Netgalley for this book
This was a sweet and cute read. It started a bit slow, but it picked up the pace.
This is cute story about lock down, that now we are all experiencing, and finding a love in difficult circumstances.
This was a solid read. 3 stars.

This was a great story about two people, Jack & Sophia who “meet” during the pandemic lockdown. The majority of the story takes place on their balconies where they share their fears, emotions and really get to know each other without ever actually “meeting”. This story showed us that when we are forced to slow down and take a look at what’s right it front of us that it could change our lives. The background characters played a big part - it was heartwarming to see how everyone came together to help each other. This is a feel good story in the middle of a not so feel good time. ThanK you NetGalley, the publisher and author for a chance to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had the chance to read a free copy of “Love in Lockdown” compliments of NetGalley, and it was such a delightful read. The first few pages started off a bit rough with confusing tenses. But I stuck with it and pretty soon I was immersed in lockdown with Sophia and Jack in the UK. It took me back to the start of the pandemic, but with the chance to view it through someone else’s eyes, filled with hope and promise and the excitement of meeting someone new... even if it takes quite a while to actually meet them. And as we get ready to go back into lockdown this late November in the US, this lovely story of Sophia, Jack, their neighbors and families, was such a nice escape and beacon of hope. Enjoy!!

This book was kindly given to me by NetGalley and the publisher for review.

This book is the first I've read that takes place during the Covid-19 quarantine. The book follows the characters, Jack and Sophia, and their methods of dealing with the odd situations that occur during the quarantine. I found myself agreeing and relating to some of their thoughts about being in quarantine. Their feelings are probably very relatable to a lot of people in the same situations. I think the plot was done well but the romance was underwhelming to me. I didn't feel the relationship was super developed but it was still cute. The book was enjoyable and I would recommend it for an interesting romance during a relatable time.
Rating between 3-4.

*thank you to netgalley for the review copy of this book* - which I had already purchased in august but didn’t even realise before requesting the review copy as it sounded that good. This was such a cute uplifting read one that was definitely needed right now. I have been in a reading slump lately and I picked this up lastnight and couldn’t put it down. Sophia and Jacks story is just so wholesome and it was good to have a nice story from all of this negativity lately.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Happy publication day!
What a CUTEEE book. If you’re looking for a cheesy pick me up, this is the one. I find it a little crazy that it’s describing a time period we all experienced only a few months ago. It feels like yesterday but it also feels like it never happened, it was so odd. I think Chloe gave a really good representation of the events we experienced.

Fans of The Flatshare will love this! Let me know if you’re going to read this!

Thank you to @netgalley for sending me this ARC to review.

*brb away to cry on a balcony in the hope of resuscitating my own love life*

Happy Pub Day to Love In Lockdown !!
I was accepted to read this on NetGalley and for once have finished it before the pub date 😅

A lighthearted take on lockdown. Chloe James did her research on the effects lockdown had on us all and fair play to her to have this out and published so quickly. Unfortunately the whole lockdown was a reality for us all and while some of us strived others did struggle. This was an easy read and for that reason I flew through it in an evening. It was nice to read something light about lockdown and you know what? It’s a bit of a feel good read.

This was such a sweet read! Lockdown has been so tough for everyone involved, I think this captured the experience well! Although my personal lockdown experience was a little different with 3 kids, two school age attempting lockdown learning and a breastfeeding baby, it still managed to define the loneliness, the frustration and the constant worry! But also it captured the community spirit we all felt during lockdown! We spoke to our neighbours (socially distanced of course) and they helped ease that isolated loneliness that everyone felt. My neighbourhood came out together for the clap every week, and on V.E day we were all out in our camping chairs gossiping up and down the road! This is such a lovely, current read that we can all relate to at the moment and it just helps highlight the good aspects that came from lockdown!

5/5 ⭐️
Recommend ✅

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