Four and a half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒

Meet Me in London by Georgia Toffolo is the first book in her new series Meet Me. It’s an endearing, heartwarming love story that entails a fake engagement between two people who have good reasons not to fall in love.

Victoria is an aspiring designer who works in a bar, teaches designing to underprivileged girls, and works on her own vintage designs. When she literally bumps into the owner of the new department store being built near her bar, sparks fly, but neither Victoria nor Oliver want a relationship or any complications to their busy lives. Oliver is the only son of the very wealthy owners of a string of high-end department stores. He is busy undoing the mess his cousin, Andrew made with the store opening in Chelsea, near Victoria’s bar. His father and mother are pressuring him to find a wife and settle down, mostly because his father’s health is failing, and he wants his son to take over the business, and be settled.

Oliver is too busy cleaning up his cousin’s mess, and doesn’t have time to mess with a relationship, and is tired of his mother setting him up, so he proposes a deal with Victoria to pose as his fiance for only one day, the opening of his store. What can go wrong?

Meet Me in London is a delightful, but somewhat predictable, romance that includes a strong set of friends for Victoria, and a lovely set of parents for Oliver. The chemistry between Victoria and Oliver is strong and believable, as they both fight their attraction to each other. The pacing was perfect, as I was drawn into this story from the very beginning, and I couldn’t stop until the story ended.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Pretty straightforward romance. I didn't know it was going to be part of a series when I first requested it, but it was easy to catch that the book was introducing you to four different women whose stories you'would get to experience in four different books... this one just so happens to be about Victoria. I especially liked the fashion elements of the book, and plan to read the other three books, but I really feel like the "villain's" about face in a matter of paragraphs was way too easy.

Oliver Russell wants to make his parent's happy but the only thing they want is for him to find love and settle down and he is too busy running the family department store empire. When he meets Victoria it sparks an idea if he can convince her, a fake engagement until after the new store opens. But as Victoria and Oliver spend more time together the line begins to blur. Will the secrets they are keeping hurt everyone?

If you’re looking for the perfect romance to get you in the holiday spirit this year, look no further!

Young and upcoming designer Victoria is trying to make her name for herself, teaching children to sew, and working at the bar with her best friend. One evening she quite literally bumps into the man that will change her life in the upcoming day. With a fake engagement, a fashion show, and a store’s grand opening, Victoria has a lot on her plate. The problem is, she may want her engagement to Oliver to be a little more real than they originally proposed.

The author tackled some serious topics very well and I really liked Oliver and V. I wish there had been more development of the supporting characters, however I do think the author did a good job of slowly revealing information. A fun read for the holidays!

Read this for Christmas in July and it was adorable. I love a good London setting with a fake relationship trope--some of my favorite cheesy holiday movies center around this so it was fantastic to find it in book form. Will be recommending now and rereading in December!

First off, I love a good Anglo-set romcom which made me excited to dive into this romance read with that good ole fake dating trope that turns into more. It's a fun UK-set holiday romp and that's what intrigued me. It does read like such a fun, quick romcom however it was a bit too slow to start. Told in dual perspectives, this book was like super super sugary sweet of a romance novel.

Cute Christmas romance, all the Hallmark movie feels without the need to be in front of a screen for two hours with commercials. I am always a fan of a seasonal book.

This was a decent read. I can see library patrons liking it. The male protagonist was a dream. The female protagonist was a little frustrating at times. The setting was lovely and the main couple were the focus of the book. The plot devolved into melodrama at the end, but the male protagonist stood firm and didn't get sucked in too much. This is a decent offering for a Christmas romance.

This book was an easy, entertaining read. A great vacation read. It made me nostalgic for London. Very predictable, but the characters were fun. I could totally see this as a Hallmark Christmas movie someday.

Meet Me in London is a fun, entertaining, Christmas read. The two main characters from two very different background meet, fall in love, deny the attraction, and work through obstacles to finally be together. Victoria is a fashion designer who teaches young designers in her hours off from being a bar tender. Oliver is from a wealthy family who owns a huge chain of department stores. The shop owners in Victoria's neighborhood are not pleased that a branch of the department store is being built at the end of their street. Oliver is directing the building of the new store but he has promised his family that he will bring his non-existent girlfriend to the store opening. He meets Victoria and talks her into a fake engagement just through the store opening. Of course the two end up being mutually attracted and fall in love for real. Along the way Victoria gives Oliver some wonderful suggestions about how he can fit into the community without making enemies of the neighboring shops.

This is a sweet, fast paced, readable Christmas romance. There are lots of feel good and heartfelt moments and I enjoyed this book very much. I'd give it 4 1/2 stars but since I can't, I'll generously give it 5.

Georgia Toffolo’s debut is like a Hallmark holiday romance. Readers are presented with a happy, feel-good story—a perfectly wrapped package. Victoria and Oliver have cute chemistry, with lots of entertaining scenes filled with light, amusing dialogue. Victoria’s strong, heart-felt long-distance relationship with her childhood friends also adds additional warmth and depth to this tale.

That being said, some readers may find elements of the plot a bit implausible. All of the dramatic story lines wrap up neatly: sudden miracle cures…immediate forgiveness…and various other problems simply whitewashed away to provide readers with the ultimate happily ever after ending.

Regardless, the book still has a charming, redeeming quality that will impress many readers seeking a light-hearted Christmas romance.

Meet Me In London was everything I was looking for in a Christmas read. It was a little heavier than I expected but I loved the characters. I’m really excited to read the rest of the series.

I was unable to read this as an e-book. It was in a word document format that was too small and difficult to read. My apologies.

CW: sick parents, infertility

Victoria and Oliver embark on a fake engagement in order to appease his family. Oliver's mother is worried she'll never see him settle down and his father is ill and worried he won't live to see grandchildren. Victoria is an independent woman trying to convince herself she doesn't need/want a man in her life. Due to an accident earlier in her life, she is still dealing with lasting trauma both physically and emotionally.

I thought the premise of the story was sweet and I always like a good fake relationship turned real, but I didn't love Oliver and Victoria together. While they had some moments of fun banter, I didn't feel the connection between them. Their relationship felt strained and either too rushed or too slow - the balance never felt right.

There were a lot of storylines happening - family issues, friendships, jobs, relationships, health issues... it was hard to focus on a particular topic. I felt like the last part of the book was more a setup for future books in the series than a resolution for the current one.

Thank you to NetGalley and HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Standard man needs a girlfriend and finds someone to step in for him. The difference is that the main characters well well written and I cared about them. Just enough spic to be interesting for those who need that kind of thing.

Not necessarily a surprising journey with these people but they’re likable characters. The story is well done with an enjoyable outcome. It’s formulaic yet well done in this case.

Standard man needs a girlfriend and finds someone to step in for him. The difference is that the main characters well well written and I cared about them. Just enough sexy to be interesting for those who need that kind of thing. A perfect beach read.

A sweet story and a quick and fun read. The ending is not surprising but the journey to get there is entertaining. Nice "feel good" story for Christmas.

Sometimes unexpected events lead to good things. For Victoria Scott, the opposite has always been true. If something unexpected happens, trauma ensues - life, love, you name it. Luckily for her and her closest friends, a life built from lovely moments can be possible as long as you don't expect too much. In Georgia Toffolo's Meet Me in London, the author takes readers on a journey where an aspiring designer with a secret and a frustrated businessman with too much responsibility join forces. What begins as a fake engagement quickly becomes something more and lovely moments blossom into true healing and a love like none other.

I love Christmas. Netgalley offered an early readers copy, and I was happy to take a break from very hot June weather and celebrate like it was December!

This was a very fast and enjoyable read. Great characters and interaction. Well-written and overall, a gem.