short and cute - i first read this book on wattpad during the lockdown and was really happy to see it published! it was a quick read, and filled with so many emotions

It was cute! not my favorite, but I liked the ingenuity of the story! I think I enjoyed some couples more than others. It really hit home though with lockdown.

This was such a sweet read! I was initially a little put off by the concept of a COVID age romance, having worked for the government on COVID-19 policy... it just seemed a little close to home.

The book was very heart warming and funny too! I was fully engrossed in the lives of the characters and appreciated each of their storylines and how they intertwined together.

I would highly recommend this as a sweet romcom with an original premise!

Just finished reading LOCKDOWN ON LONDON LANE by Beth Reekles. Thank you to wattpadbooks for my ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. Official publication date is February 1st, 2022.

Imagine being locked down in your apartment/condo/house for 7 days due to a global pandemic. Bahaha okay it's probably happened to 99% of people reading this post. This is a very relevant and relatable read, that I think will appeal to many.

For inhabitants of condo complex London Lane, shit just got real and they are on lockdown for SEVEN days 🔐. Even though this one is told from five different characters perspectives, you will end up hooked on all their dramas.

From a long term relationship couple, to a Bachelorette girls weekend, to a new couple in the puppy love stage, to a one night stand turned seven day stand, to a couple separated one on the inside one stuck outside, there is something for everyone. Through all the ups and downs of quarantine life these characters will learn what they need most, and truly become themselves.

I would definitely read another book to see what happens to the characters from London Lane.

If 2020 lockdown and Love, Actually had a baby, it would be called Lockdown on London Lane.

This story flashes between five different apartments in the same building as it is on lockdown for one week due to a positive covid exposure. Through this we get to see the one-night-stand turned seven-night stand, the boyfriend left to his own devices, the unhappy couple with not enough Cheerios, the seemingly happy couple forced to kickstart their short relationship, and a bridal party of best friends, or frenemies, forced to put up with bride-zilla all week.

Funny, light hearted, and unexpectedly heart warming, Lockdown on London Lane is the perfect pandemic-fiction for someone looking to escape this own lockdown.

Such a light, fun read! I was engaged the entire book, and though the ending was predictable, I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for the ARC.

2 stars.

Lockdown on London Lane follows 6 stories that all take place in the same apartment building when the building is put on a 7-day lockdown. Relationships and friendships are all tested when people are stuck together with nowhere to go. I was initially very intrigued by the concept because as you know, the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly taken a toll on all our lives. Unfortunately, this book just didn't work for me.

I struggled to get through the majority of the story. The beginning especially was very repetitive and I did end up skimming a little bit. I wasn't a fan of the writing style and I felt like we were being told what happened instead of being shown. I had difficulty relating to/connecting with any of the characters as they felt very one-dimensional. There wasn't much development, but to be fair you can't really have much development within just a week of lockdown.

Overall, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this story, but if you are looking for something like a "you hate to like it" style rom-com movie that isn't very thought-provoking, I think that you would enjoy this.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

Release Date: February 1, 2022

Condensed Review to be posted to Indigo.ca.

This book has a sort of Love Actually vibe in that it follows an assortment of couples whose connections are revealed by the end. These couples, all in various stages of their relationships, are dealing with being locked down in their building for a week at the start of the pandemic.

So I admit that this book took me a while to get in to. But I’m glad I kept going. By the end I was totally invested in how each couple would make it through the week. And while some of the stories remained unresolved, the conclusion was still satisfying.

If Two Night Stand and Love Actually were set in the same apartment complex, this would be it.

I’ve attempted to read several other pandemic stories and this is the first one that hasn’t been terrifyingly depressing. Also this is the first romance I’ve ever read that was true to the real world- I’ve never read a book where people met on dating apps. I’ve been waiting for Romance authors to catch up and I’m glad that Beth Reekles has caught on.

Glad I recommended this to my book club before I even finished the book (which I read within 12 hours). Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I had doubts about reading a story about a lockdown during this very particular time - the mass panic of early 2020 seems like an AU now far away, but at the same time, new variants and intermittent infection rises don't allow for a much more peaceful life in the 2021/2022 winter season.
Still, this was a light and even heartwarming read. The plot is focused on the lives of the residents (and guests) of several apartments of one building under lockdown, and the ups and downs of being in the same space as very different people for a week straight. Remember the Zoom calls, the lack of grocery delivery slots, not seeings your friends and family for days and days, and the nerve-racking experience of having to somehow try to organize completely different family routines happening in the same small space? Yeah, this book is about them. Also, a lot of talking and getting to know each other better!
At first, the multiple small stories (but all connected, of course) featured in this book felt too vague and too much: even if the chapters aren't too long or complex, it can be hard to care for characters that aren't being constantly exposed, and that we will only see every 30 pages or so. Although I had a hard start, on the second half of the book I was enjoying following the different apartments much more than before, and I'm glad I didn't give up reading.
Also, the book is filled with pop culture references - even if I soon started to get tired of them and I would have prefered them to be more rare, I think they're good for a book trying to relate with a younger audience.
Without giving away spoilers, I liked how the lockdown week turned out for most of the apartments, and the book has some "feel good" moments near the very end. If you like books that change POV every chapter and find the premise of being locked down with your one night stands or with your bridesmaids interesting, this is a not that harsh, easy read story set during the pandemic.

A super relevant book that takes place during a pandemic lockdown. This book follows multiple point of views amongst couples and friends who are interconnected and also locked in their apartment for 7 days. No getting in or out! This story follows romance and friendship and it really hits home on the lockdown feelings. It is a super enjoyable read that leaves you wanting more.

In a new world where Covid is running rampant and lockdowns are becoming common place I was very interested in this novel just from this description. It talks about an apartment building which has to go under a lockdown after someone tests positive. The book talks about multiple people in the apartment building as they all deal with this situation in different ways. I liked this because each person is in the middle of something very different when the lockdown occurs, a one night stand goes longer than expected, a budding romance is catapulted ten steps further than where it should be and more. Each story is very different than the last but something that ever person is able to relate to. The stories are all combined and it was nice to see how each person is dealing with the lockdown and see how differently it effects their lives. I loved the characters in this novel and each one while going through something so different were all dealing with the same underling issues. Very great read this quick romance book is everything I love in this subject, compelling story lines, interesting characters and a writing style that pulls you in and makes you lose track of everything around you. What I found very nice was even though each story line was very different they all connected nicely and I found each one very interesting. I loved each story and I couldn't wait to see how each person was dealing with their lockdown. This was a nice surprise especially since each person's situation was so different than the next. I'm so glad that I was able to read this book and I think that everyone should read this one. Do not pass this book up just because it talks about quarantine because you will regret it. I cannot wait to see what else Beth Reekles writes because her writing style is one that will keep readers with her for life..

I think the book really described lockdown perfectly. All the fear and all the anxiety. I found the book to be more of a slow burn but once I got into I enjoyed it !

I was drawn to this book because I love London. It is my favorite city. This book was a bit of a trigger for me because it is set around covid. I had a hard time getting over the setting of this book. It starts with the patrons of the building having a note slid under the door that they can't leave the building and everyone is under a quarantine, no one in or out. The book takes place with everyone locked inside for the week and relationships are tested. I think this book would be great if you didn't go through a quarantine situation yourself. It was hard for me because my fiance and I were separated during covid.

This book follows 5 couples all trapped in their apartments for one week, due to a pandemic. This was my first covid themed book and it was interesting. I don’t think the pandemic was the main focus of the plots, it was more the fact that the couples were trapped together (or in some cases separated).

I found the fact that there were so many main characters helped with the pacing. It was a very fast paced book. That being said, we didn’t go too too in depth with anyone and I felt like we were 100% missing closure. There was no epilogue and I felt like some of the couples’ stories were not wrapped up at all. Also, despite this book being published by wattpad there is no spice. I thought it was fine without spice but just a warning if you find spice essential, you won’t find any here.

Overall, Lockdown on London Lane was a quick, pretty enjoyable read.

Thank you to @netgalley and @wattpadbooks for the ARC!

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the eARC.

I absolutely enjoyed this book. The writing was really good and it got me thinking about all the stories that probably went on in my building while we were on lockdown. This book had me laughing a whole lot. A super feelgood read for any day of the week!

The residents of London Lane are surprised on Sunday morning to find notes slipped under their doors that no one can go in or out of the building due to a case of the virus in the building. This is not what anyone wants. Not Ilsa, stuck with her one night stand that's just been extended by 7 nights. Not Ethan, whose girlfriend Charlotte is on her way back from a weekend packing her parents house. Not Serena who is questioning all of Zach's choices after he orders pineapple on pizza. And especially not Liv, who is stuck hosting her best friends bridal party for much more than a weekend.

This book is the lockdown romance you didn't know you needed.

I picked up this book after needing some variation from my usual genres and had read half the book by the end of the day. The writing is quick and fun, and its easy to get sucked into all of the stories. I really enjoyed the way each of the sets of characters connected to others in the building, but that they were also fully contained stories on their own.

I can see some people staying away from this book if its premise hits too close to how they experienced the beginning of the pandemic, but this wasn't something that bothered me.

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

I sprang to read Lockdown on London Lane because the cover caught my eye as what usually happens with romance books. It was adorable, cozy, and I'm a sucker for anything located across the pond. Did I read the synopsis? No, of course not, because that's my red flag and I just love surprising myself with what I read.

My interest waned as soon as I realized their lockdown was because of COVID. Then I thought, well duh, of course pandemic related books are going to hit the market. But to me, I'd prefer to keep the grim past year we had out of books. Just like how the pandemic has wormed its way into televison shows like Chicago MED or other primetime TV that somehow still racks views on cable, I stray away from any material relating to it.

That being said, the premise was pretty cute, I liked the alternating point of views from all of the characters and couples, it reminded me of Love Actually. And I enjoyed the different circumstances they were all in, the different phases of relationships, and the gritty realness of getting to no someone when you're literally confined in a 1300 square foot space with no escape.

I did not tear through this book in one sitting,. It just could not hold my attention like that; and because of this factor, when I would return to read it, I often found myself completely forgetting some couples, mixing others up, and routinely looking at the wall going "what the heck?" I believe the biggest fault of this book is that it falls into the trap that many other contemporary romances seem to fall into these days. It's not a memorable storyline, the characters are two dimensional, and you find yourself finishing it and tossing it onto the shelf of likely to never read agains.

Now, that may just be me. And by no means was Lockdown on London Lane awful. It was cute. But I really enjoy books that stick in my mind, that have world building and lines that I turn back to months later. Maybe that's why I have always preferred fantasy. Or maybe it's because my first taste of romance novels was Nicholas Sparks and I spoiled myself by letting him be the marker of peak romance writing. Who knows. But I will say this book overall was a cute, moderately quick read for a rainy day.

Thank you NetGalley for sending this arc for an honest review!

Where was this book when I was quarantining???? It amazes me that this is even a debut novel. It was such a fun and exciting book to read. It truly captivated my heart and it was astounding to see the development and story of each character while the building was on lockdown. It really made me feel like I was actually in London having the expirence of a neighbor in that building.

I loved this book, which follows the lives of several occupants in a London-based building, who unexpectedly have to endure a one-week lockdown in their building at the beginning of the pandemic. They are all in different stages of relationships/friendships, and so being suddenly stuck together for a whole week proves challenging, to say the least. It reminded me of watching a movie with a large cast of characters whose individual stories all develop separately, while somehow intertwining. I will be following Beth Reekles and look forward to see what she writes next !

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5