A fake dating theme, with a light-hearted feel, and a British closed door romance. Perfect if you are looking for a light read around the holidays (not the entire theme of this book, but incorporated). I thought Victoria and Oliver were very likeable and the theme of women friendship was strong in this book. I liked that this book had elements of fashion, and is set in London. My only negative feedback was how long it took to communicate that issue between the characters. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins Canada for my review copy.

Meet Me in London by Georgia Toffolo is the first book in the Meet Me series. A heartwarming romance about two people, not looking for romance, but agreed to a fake engagement to appease the hero’s parents.

 I thought the romance was well done. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and hoped the things would work out for them. The story hooked me from the first page. It took me longer than usual to finish reading. I was burned out from a stint of binge reading in the days prior to picking up this title. The story tackled interesting issues, including dealing with a family member illness and issues with infertility. 

The romance featured here was cute and heartwarming. Their engagement may have started out as a fake, but soon they wanted it to be real. However, secrets and unresolved issues from the past threatened their happily ever after.

Victoria was such a caring character. Her kindhearted nature came to light in her interaction with everyone she came in contact with. The one exception, of course, being her ex-fiancée who was a douche bag. She is a person who willingly gives of her time every chance she gets. She suffered so much in the past and I hoped she would let go of the hurt and cease blaming herself for something she had no control over. I liked her, but she made me mad with her refusal to come clean with Oliver about her infertility issues. She never gave him the chance to decide for himself. Instead, believing she was acting in his best interest, took that opportunity from him.

Oliver, a billionaire, took over the family business after his father fell ill. It’s not his dream, but out of loyalty to his family, he took up the mantle amidst hostility from a particular relative. I loved how he treated everyone with respect, especially Victoria. Despite his growing feelings for he respected her boundaries.

Oliver and Victoria were so good together. I loved their chemistry and how they brought out the best in each other. It pleased me to see how Oliver’s parents embraced her and made her feel welcome. She treated them with respect and compassion.

I loved the friendships portrayed in the story. Victoria shared a special bond with three other ladies. A bond which started in high school and grew throughout the years. They always have each other's backs, no matter the distance. 

Meet in London is the perfect story to get you into the holiday spirit. It was pretty much conflict free until near the end, but that was easily resolved.

Overall, I had a wonderful time with this story. Perfect for fans of the fake engagement trope.

Victoria and Oliver decide to pretend to be in a relationship. Oliver's mother is the catalyst, as she pressures him into getting married...

From this point, it's inevitable that these two would be drawn together and the lines get blurred between reality and pretend. 

Their chemistry is so that from the beginning, it's clear that Victoria and Oliver shouldn't be pretending... 

This one isn't too deep or emotional--it's just the perfect sweet bit of romance to brighten your day and keep you hooked.

I was so excited when I saw this book come across my email for a request for review. I have never heard of this book or the author before so I was even more excited to read it and discover a new author. It was an added perk that it took place in London. I couldn’t wait to dive in.

Victoria is juggling her life. She is the manager of a wine bar and lives above it and also designs and makes her own clothing line. She also teaches in-need teens how to design and make their own clothes. She is also still recovering mentally from a fatal accident when she was 18. Her whole life gets turned upside down when she meets Olive. He jokingly asks her to marry him in the bar as he nurses one glass of whiskey. These 4 little words started a whirlwind friendship that turns into a romance. I really liked this book. IT was sweet and binge-worthy. The only reason I gave it four stars was that I thought that it was rather cliche, but not in a bad way.

I really liked the character of Victoria. She overcame huge issues. I felt bad for her because she had suffered so much and was still working through things. She was hurt horribly by a man and it was really hard to trust again. Oliver wanted to be better and do something different but didn’t want to hurt his family. They pushed each other to be better people. I found the dress-making fascinating. It was not something that I knew much about and enjoyed reading about it. The deep friendship that Victoria had with her best friends was one for the books. Even after the horrible event they went through they still remained the best of friends and in fact forged a stronger bond with each other. I see that the author has another 3 books in the series and they are based on Victoria’s other friends. I will have to add them to my wishlist and read them when I get a chance.

Victoria’s a bartender who wants to be a fashion designer and Oliver is an overworked (workaholic) whose mother will not stop pressuring him to get married. Of course they agree to fake a relationship in exchange for Oliver helping Victoria get her design career started.

Sometimes I don’t love the fake dating trope but this one just worked for me. The London setting was perfect, I felt like all of the characters were well written and overall I just enjoyed this one! Although it’s set around the holidays it’s not the focus of the story.

If you enjoy a light romantic read this one is perfect to cozy up to this December!!! It really lifted my mood and I needed that!!

Thank you to @netgalley @georgiatoffolo and @harlequinbooks for my digital copy of the book!!

The Review

The author did such a great job of finding that perfect balance between slow-burn romance and in-depth character development. The theme of the class difference between the working class trying to keep their businesses afloat in the face of a massive launch of a megastore in the same neighborhood paired well with the wealthy businessman desperate to find a way to maintain his business and help out the local community all at once.

Yet it was the characters themselves that brought the romance aspect of this holiday read to life. The haunting past that Victoria is desperate to steer clear of and the struggle of Oliver to reconcile the man his family expects him to be with the man he wants to be is so fascinating to read, and the way this plays into their growing feelings for one another makes this such a heartwarming holiday romance.

The Verdict

A heartwarming, engaging, and truly thoughtful read, author Georgia Toffolo’s “Meet Me in London” is the perfect first installment in this brilliant romance series. The harmonious way the holiday setting and the character growth came together in this story and the twists and turns this relationship takes the characters into, especially when neither was looking for a romance, to begin with, was so entertaining to read and readers will be eager for more entries in this series.

Meet Me in London is the first installment in the Meet Me series. This book follows Victoria, an independent clothing designer, teacher, and bartender, and Oliver, a billionaire department store owner. The two of them bump into each other on the street- literally- leading to Oliver giving Victoria a sneak peak of the new department store and haberdashery prior to opening. One thing leads to another and before you know it the two of them have a deal that includes Oliver doing a runway show for Victoria's students and Victoria playing the part of Oliver's fiancé to appease his parents. But what happens when playacting becomes reality and one of you is keeping secrets?

My favorite element of this story was definitely the atmosphere- London during the holiday season, including a big beautiful department store with all the trappings- I wanted to crawl into this story and stay forever for the holiday vibes alone. There is something about the holiday season that makes everything feel a bit more magical than any other time of the year and this story was no exception.

I really enjoyed the characters- I found Oliver to be humble and sweet even giving his very wealthy upbringing and life. Victoria is smart and independent with a great group of girlfriends that she can both lean on and celebrate with whenever she needs to. Due to a horrific tragedy that they all endured together as teenagers they have a very special bond; no one else can understand what they went through like they can. I could personally relate to the main character in this way, having suffered a similar hardship when I was a teenager. And while I have a more personal understanding due to this I still had a hard time believing this thing had such an impact on their lives, so many years later, that it would dictate where the characters would live, the things they would do, and create an unbreakable bond between them- even with them all living in various places across the globe.

The romance between Victoria and Oliver was cute. I didn't really feel the chemistry that I've felt in the past when reading great romance books but I liked their relationship and the discussions that it brought to the table. Both characters were facing hardships in their lives, one the serious illness of a parent and the other a burdening secret. As far as the secret went, I didn't get it. I wasn't really convinced that this particular secret could be the catalyst keeping two people completely in love apart. I don't really care for the miscommunication trope but I do appreciate the importance of the topic and the understanding and acceptance that Oliver showed in the end.

If you're looking for a romance to read during the holiday season I'd definitely recommend this one. It's a quick read with that cozy atmosphere most of us look for this time of year and it has a feel-good ending we can all get behind. I personally wouldn't recommend the audiobook. The author narrates it herself and while she has a lovely voice she doesn't have the talent of a voice actress- to differentiate emotion and change the voice between characters. I found it hard to determine which character was speaking and when dialogue became monologue.

<b>Trigger Warnings</b>: Chronic Illness, Car Accident, Death/Injury of a friend, and Infertility.

Right off the bat, it was a bit weird for me that the cover shows a blond woman but the MC is described as having shiny dark brown hair, especially because the author is blond. It seems like a small issue but it was really jarring every time I picked up the book.

The overall story is cute, nothing groundbreaking. The classic sunshine/grumpy trope, which I seem to be reading a lot of lately. It was a festive story, but I hesitate to call it a holiday romance because it takes place throughout November and ends just short of Christmas. Although there’s some holiday cheer, the story skips Christmas itself.

There were a few things in the book that weren’t researched enough and stood out enough to pull me out of the story (for example, an Italian chef with an Italian accent who’s name was Antoine rather than Antonio), but it’s fine as a cute, quick read.

Thank you too HCC frenzy for sending me an eARC of this book.
I was really excited to read this fake dating holiday feel romance and sadly I found it hard to enjoy.
This book follows Victoria Who pretends to be engaged to Oliver, Who comes from a rich family and is opening a new department store for the holidays. An exchange, his family will get off his back about not being in any serious relationship and Victoria has an opportunity to share some of her designs and advance her dream of owning a boutique.
I will say, I mostly listened to this story via audiobook and I think that really affected my enjoyment of the book. The narrator is actually the author and although she does have a very lovely voice, she does not change her voice at all for any characters. Making it very hard to distinguish who is talking and what is happening between the characters.
I just found the story a little flat, I didn’t find it particularly festive and the romance didn’t give me the feels that I expect a romance to give.
if you really enjoy the fake dating trope, and you’re a real fan of British culture than you may enjoy this. But it was not a story I ended up enjoying.

A handsome entrepreneur in need of a fake girlfriend, a struggling fashion designer who needs her break, and plenty of mishaps and twists along the way, and you have MEET ME IN LONDON by Georgia Toffolo.

Victoria Scott is a fashion designer who has the talent and the drive but is just waiting on the success part. Working in a bar while trying to get her big break is exhausting but she is determined to find a way. When she meets Oliver, who just happens to be running a London department store, his family business, fate may have just stepped in to play for them both. Oliver is facing pressure from his family to settle down and get married and he needs someone to pretend to be his girlfriend, so he can get on with the business of running an empire. In return, Victoria would get to showcase her designs in his store. A simple transaction that will benefit them both. But life never really runs smoothly and as they spend more time together, what started as a business deal becomes so much more complicated, and when past secrets come to light, will they walk away from what could be their happily-ever-after?

MEET ME IN LONDON is a lovely story with enjoyable characters that I fell in love with as I got to know them. The world of fashion and department stores worked perfectly for me and added a spark of magic to Oliver and Victoria's love story. While romance is a huge part of this book, there are also beautiful moments of friendship and camaraderie which warmed my heart.

MEET ME IN LONDON by Georgia Toffolo is a wonderful read and I look forward to reading more in this series.

Victoria Scott works at a Chelsea bar while she dreams of being a fashion designer. Meanwhile, Oliver Russell is trying to open his family's department store on time as his mother pressures him to get a girlfriend. A chance meeting between the two becomes the opportunity for Victoria to pretend to be his girlfriend in exchange for showcasing her designs at the store. What could possibly go wrong?

This is part of the "Meet me in..." series of romances, but you'll be fine reading this without any of the others. Of course, we know that a fake relationship is going to turn into catching real feelings, and the only questions are how it happens and how long it'll take before they realize it. The meet-cute is literally crashing into each other in the street, then talking and getting to know each other a bit before Vicki finds out that Oliver is the store scion. He apologizes for the blunder and then ropes her into playing fiancee so his overbearing and steamrolling (but well-meaning!) mother will stop trying to introduce him to women and his ill father can feel less anxious about him taking on the reins of the family company. Physical attraction exists between them from the start, and it helps that both Vicki and Oliver are genuinely nice people.

The inevitable "bad guy" and the force to drive them apart is realistic but still drives me up the wall. I'd love to completely smack them. On the other hand, Vicki has her group of really good friends, and I love that they have a supportive relationship and talk about each others' dreams as much as they do about the situation with Oliver. In contrast, everything about Oliver is bound up in his family. He loves his parents and lives for them, and his cousin is painfully jealous and angry of the position Oliver has in the family. Vicki is a positive influence not just on Oliver, but also on the rest of his family.

I really enjoyed this story. As much as Vicki worried about the differences in their lifestyles and family history, as well as her own personal history, the two of them really click. They really want the best for each other, which is a great basis for a relationship, even if it started out as a fake one. This book is a great play on the fake relationship trope and a fun contemporary romance.

Meet Me In London was a 3 star book idea/concept that I’m downgrading to 2 stars because I have zero respect for “famous” people having their books ghostwritten. I’m even less of a fan when this is only acknowledged by a vague one line on the copyright page vs. a coauthor byline in the previous edition of the book. Had I known this (or anything about Toffolo), I wouldn’t have read the book. Louisa George deserves her credit.

Aside from my obvious distaste by that aspect of the book, I did enjoy it for the most part. I thought the London setting was dreamy, the addition of snow and Christmas added a certain something, and generally I’m here for a fake dating plot. I felt like the infertility plot line was very heavy handed and never fully fleshed out (how did this accident make her infertile?? I still don’t know), and the end was a little weird to me after them only knowing each other for maybe a month. But hey, it’s a whirlwind Christmas romance and it’s fun. If you want something cute and christmassy that kind of feels like a Hallmark movie, this is the book for you.

This was a cute holiday read but I will put a note of caution out there because I think some aspects of the content could be triggering for some. Some of the trigger warnings for this novel would be for: Family Illness, Infertility, Traumatic Injury, Traumatic Injury Causing Paralyzation, Car Accident Causing Death.

Overall, simply put, this book was a good read. However, I will say that I'm conflicted and still undecided surrounding my feelings towards the discussion and narrative regarding the outlook on Zoe's injury along with the importance placed on Victoria's "secret". I could easily see how portions of this novel could be considered problematic but I also could see the opposite argument based on how positive Oliver eventually reacts to Victoria.

If you are looking for a holiday read that is not purely a happy ending, maybe pick this one up because the story has quite a bit of depth to it. But I will say there are other heartwarming and thought provoking holiday reads that have left a better impression on me.

***Thank you to HCCFrenzy and Harlequin Romance for providing me with an e-ARC to read and review***

This is an adorable, heartwarming, feel good story of two strangers who bump in to each other on the street, leading to an agreement for a fake engagement. The characters are well rounded and show growth throughout the story. While we see the trope of a fake relationship, this story is so much more than that. A story of hope, of making the best of hard situations, and of fighting for what you love. It is set in the winter, with the ending around Christmas, which made it a perfect December read to cozy up with. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more books from this author, her writing style is beautiful.

Oliver and Victoria embark on a fake dating scheme over the holidays to help appease Oliver's terminally ill father only to discover they have real feelings for one another. Oliver has had a hard time connecting with anyone and Victoria is still grappling with her infertility caused from a car accident in her youth.

This was a great closed door British romance that had a strong female friendship centered at its core and a feel-good love story set in London. Recommended for fans of Beth O'Leary or other British holiday romances like One day in December and The Twelve dates of Christmas. I can't wait to read the next books in this series! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!

Meet Me in London
By Georgia Toffolo

This delightful Christmas novel is perfect for someone looking for a little romance that is set in a charming city.

Including…
❄️ Fake engagement
❄️ Billionaire Hot Celebrity Love Interest
❄️ Christmas in London England
❄️Girl that is Broken from Past Relationships
❄️Strong Group of Girlfriends

This was a very light contemporary romance that had a warm lovely Christmas touch to it. It was easy to read, but the plot did feel like it was missing something. It focused on certain details a lot and certain other details not that much. Overall, it was a simple pleasing sweet romance.

Thank you to @HCCFrenzy, @HarperCollins, & @Netgalley for the free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Romance level:❤️❤️
Plot points:💥💥💥
Stars:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review will be posted on 12/2/21
Oliver Russell, at first glance, has it all. His family owns department stores and have aquired a lot of wealth. The one thing he doesn't have is a girlfriend and his parents, who aren't getting any younger (plus, his dad is sick), would love for him to bring home a girlfriend for the holidays. He is their only child and sometimes Oliver really feels the pressure to settle once and for all. When at a local bar, he meets Victoria, an aspiring fashion designer, who teaches fashion design to children and works at the bar to pay her bills. Despite their initial meeting which was less than stellar, he realizes that he could use Victoria's help. He needs someone in the community to help him open the department store and who better than Victoria? He can showcase her students' fashion designs as well as her own at the store's opening. This opportunity is too good to turn down for Victoria, so she takes on the job of not only helping Oliver with the department store, but also as his stand-in girlfriend. She knows she could benefit from this "relationship" immensely. As Victoria spends more time with Oliver, she comes to realize he is more than just some rich guy and perhaps there is a genuine connection between them. Fans of the fake relationship trope will enjoy Meet Me in London by Georgia Toffolo.

Victoria is a complex character in Meet Me in London. She has a lot of baggage that stems from a car accident that left her infertile. She can't seem to get over this aspect of her life and it's a difficult pill for her to swallow. My heart went out to her as this is a sensitive topic and she often comes back to it and makes references to feeling less than. I do think this difficult topic could have been fleshed out more by Toffolo as this is what holds her back emotionally. Then there's Oliver who at first seems like your basic rich guy; however, he also has some baggage that stems from his family. Even though he is in his thirties, he still feels like he owes his parents something and feels pressured to live up to their expectations as the only child. Plus, add on his father's serious illness and you have got one heck of a guilt trip.

If you love the fake relationship trope and a slow burn romance, then you'd appreciate Meet Me in London. I thought overall Oliver and Victoria's relationship felt authentic and I was definitely sucked in. This trope worked for me, especially in a holiday romance as it felt very much like a Hallmark movie.

Also, I love the setting of London during the holidays in Meet Me in London. I do wish Toffolo would have incorporated more of this, but what she did include was still very enjoyable. Fans of holiday romances won't be disappointed.

Are you a fan of holiday romances? Is Meet Me in London on your holiday TBR list? Let me know in the comments below.

Meet me in London is a lovely story about love, friendship and following your dreams. Victoria and Oliver meet by chance and end up pretending to be engaged, but soon they realize they might no longer be pretending and they are not sure how to deal with what they are feeling.
The story is fast-paced and it has great and interesting characters. I really liked both Victoria and Ollie and also V’s friends (I know there are stories about them too, so they are already on my list).
Meet me in London is s perfect read for the holidays that will surely help you get into the Christmas mood with a cozy and warm story. I really enjoyed it and if you like contemporary romance and stories set during Christmas time, I definitely recommend you to read it.

Meet Me in London is such a fun, entertaining fake relationship romance. Of course, who always seems to have the best chemistry? The couple that's "faking it." That's the case with Oliver and Victoria. What starts as a mutually beneficial arrangement quickly develops into something more substantial. Naturally, there are some unexpected problems along the way, but overall, this is a lighthearted story with plenty of wit and some great characters - some of which I hope to see in future books. This one can technically be considered a holiday romance, but it's more that the romance happens around the holidays, so that element kind of runs along in the periphery. This is my first experience with Georgia Toffolo, and I really enjoyed her writing style and pacing. I'll certainly be checking out more of her work.

This was okay. It felt as if each character’s story wasn’t totally developed and I never fully connected to either of the characters. The events of each character’s background felt kind of shallow and I didn’t get the full detail or understanding that I wanted. But, the romance was cute.

Rating: 3*