This book was a very cute and light read! I liked all the different points of view although it was interesting how the author switched around between them. I will admit it was a little hard to follow at times since there were so many characters but overall it didn’t take away from the book.

Now that we are two years into this pandemic it was interesting to read a book set at the very beginning and remember the thoughts and feelings that were going on in my own head at that time.

The characters the book follows are all very different from each other in personality while being very similar in age and having surprising connections to each other. That was the only main flaw for me as I find it very unlikely that that many characters would have so many connections while living in the same building in London. In a small town maybe it would be more plausible.

This book was… interesting. I’ll admit I did enjoy some of it though. I loved every different character in this book, it was refreshing to read other the book from other point of views. It got kind of tiring though because sometimes I just wanted to read about a certain character but had to read about another which made me skim through the book a little. I loved how each character in that apartment complex were somehow connected to each other. I wasn’t a big fan of the pop culture references. It’s an ick of mine. I read books to escape the talk about corona, lockdown and so on but this book was all about that 😭

Anyway 2.5/5⭐️

Une semaine pleine d'émotions au coeur de London Lane.

Pour les habitants de London Lane, un simple bout de papier glissé sous chacune de leur porte est sur le point de changer leur vie. « URGENT !!! En raison de la situation actuelle, la direction de l'immeuble a décidé d'imposer une quarantaine de sept jours à tous les immeubles de London Lane. » Avec nulle part où aller...

L’auteure a réussi à rendre léger un sujet qui n’est pas spécialement fun, le confinement. Ce livre est plein d’humour, les personnages sont tous très attachants et je pense que certaines personnes pourront s’identifier à l’un des personnages. Mais je trouve dommage qu’il n’y ait pas plus de variété à ce niveau-là. Et le fait que tous les personnages soient plus au moins connectés les uns aux autres, fait perdre un peu de son authenticité à l’histoire.

Nous passons d’un appartement à l’autre au fil des chapitres et cela rend la lecture très addictive parce que nous avons qu’une envie, connaître les sort des autres habitants. D’un autre côté, c’est aussi un peu frustrant parce que je trouve que nous restons sur notre faim.

J’ai passé un très bon moment à lire ce livre et j’ai beaucoup ri, mais j’aurais aimé en savoir un peu plus sur certains personnages.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Lockdown on London Lane by Beth Reekles
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 319 / Genre: Romance

Happy Release Day! While I’ve read a few books that have mentions of the pandemic thrown in for reference, this is the first book I’ve read that was based in the pandemic timeline.

On one morning in London, inhabitants in an apartment building on London Lane awake to a notice from building management that a seven-day quarantine has been imposed on the entire building due to a positive case of Covid. Among the affected inhabitants are three couples that are in different stages of their relationships, and the stress of the quarantine affects each one very differently. And then there’s Liv, who’s throwing a bridesmaids party that goes from a fun-filled weekend with four girlfriends to an overcrowded one-bedroom week-long prison sentence. Not to mention Imogen and Nate, who just had a one-night stand after hooking up via a dating app (awkward).

Who says the pandemic isn’t fun? This was a fun read for sure!

(2.5 stars) This book definitely gave me millennial romcom/hallmark vibes. I enjoyed hearing the difference stories within the one building, but I found that sometimes I would get confused and that sometimes the stories (Serena and Isla's chapters) had a tendency to kind of run together. I thought overall that it was alright.

This was a really cute quick read!!! I love stories with multiple plots that end up being all interconnected and I loved how this book did exactly that!! The characters and plot lines were all so diverse and interesting.

There were some overly cliche aspects, but it is reminiscent of what I would expect from a Wattpad book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Wattpad Books and the author for early access to this book, I really enjoyed this book and experiencing it.

4/5 stars.

This was a cute read!! Very relatable, considering the times we are living in. I felt myself transported back to March of 2020 when this was all brand new and times were so uncertain (I mean, we're still in the thick of it, but things feel a little less uncertain nowadays).

This book took me a bit to finish, and I think that was more a *me* problem than a *book* problem. I think it was a personal mistake of mine to read two books in Jan that relate to Covid, while actually on a COVID quarantine. 😵‍💫 By the time I'd finished the other book, I needed a break before picking this one up again. But again, that wasn't the book's fault. 😊 The author makes it clear what we're getting ourselves into here.

While this was a bit far fetched (I mean.... apartment complexes can't *really* lockdown their buildings and residents lol), I was able to suspend reality and allow myself to be entertained by the many stories/characters/relationships and their drama. The author did a great job of bringing humor to an otherwise overwhelming and sad situation. It was also well-written with good pacing.

Thank you Net Galley, the author and the publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. ❤️

This book was a bit of a departure from the large amount of romance and middle grade books I’ve been reading lately.

Having lived through the last eleven thousand years of the pandemic, it was rather fun to read a book set at the beginning of the lockdown era. The various characters each have strong personalities, and they each deal with the unexpected lockdown of the apartment building in their own ways. As the story progresses, we also see some interconnections between the characters.

Probably my favorite of the five story arcs is Ethan’s. He’s a classic nerd boy, who adores his girlfriend…who was away when the building was locked down. Their enforced separation makes him realize he never wants to live without her again, and comedy ensues.

Imogen and Isla were both a bit annoying, but not in ways that made me want to stop reading. They both had some serious character flaws—Isla worried too much about her routine and what others thought of her, and Isla didn’t worry about those things at all. They are perfect foils for each other, and their growth throughout the week of quarantine is satisfying.

The device of the Hawaiian pizza for Serena and Nate…it’s so trivial, and yet so earth-shaking for them, or more appropriately, for Serena. Theirs is the story that is left at least partially unresolved.

And, as a contrast against all the couples, we have the bridal party, complete with Bridezilla. Poor Liv, who likes being alone, having to suddenly host three other women for a week. Again, though, she comes out of quarantine with a bright future.

The narrative is fun. There are some cultural references that if you’re not up on British pop culture could be a bit confusing.

Possible Objectionable Material:
References to sex. One of our main characters is lesbian. Unmarried couples living/sleeping together. Swearing, including the F word. Lots of drinking.

Who Might Like This Book:
People who need a fun pandemic read, those who like watching people go through stress and coming out better.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2022/02/february-1-releases-part-2.html

This was a quick, sweet read about an apartment block that has to go into lockdown during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.

We follow the stories of a number of different apartments as they navigate those first experiences of isolation and being stuck inside. Some of our characters are in totally different situations to normal: we have a one night stand who can’t leave, a group of bridesmaids and a grumpy bride and a 4 year strong couple who have a relationship crisis over pineapple on pizza.

The stories were interesting enough and we touch on some deeper relationship problems throughout the book which are handled nicely.

However, for such a short read I didn’t think we spelt enough time within each apartment for me to really get to know or care about most of the characters. I’d have liked more chapters… or less apartments so we could focus on just a couple of stories in more detail.

All in all a decent quick romcom which had some lovely moments but probably not one I’d read again.

Honestly, I wasn't sure if I was ready for a pandemic book, but the author does a great job with the characters and bouncing round to various apartments and their stories. I loved the various scenarios of residents in the apartment building that gets locked down at the beginning of COVID.

The author does a good job of wrapping up each storyline at the end of the book. Overall, it's a quick read and I enjoyed it.

Really enjoyed this book! Such a fun read with great character development! Such a fun one and great to grab!

One apartment block. Five interweaving stories of a week in lockdown.

* Imogen, trying to do the walk of shame, but sent back to the apartment of Nate, her one night stand.
* Ethan, semi-successful streamer and self-confessed awkward nerd, separated from Charlotte, his live-in girlfriend, who had been visiting family and isn't allowed back in the building.
* Serena and Zach, together for four years and learning just how little they actually know about each other now that they're forced to spend all of their time together.
* Isla and Danny, who are still in the honeymoon period of a new relationship, but with Danny stuck at Isla's flat, they also have to confront their differences, and Isla has to face the reality of Danny seeing her 'farts' and all.
* Olivia, the somewhat reluctant host to a wedding planning weekend for a group of bridesmaids and her best friend, who has turned into bridezilla.

I really enjoyed this book, even if, ultimately we all know a much bigger lockdown was just around the corner. I enjoyed the interconnecting interactions between the residents of the apartment building, and their guests. As for the residents, Nate was by far my favourite, closely followed by Ethan. Both men were firmly in the adorable cinnamon roll category. Speaking of adorable, I loved the final chapter with Olivia and [redacted] No spoilers here! 😉 I found Serena a little frustrating at times, yet also probably had the most empathy with her, having once been in a similar situation. I also loved Isla and Danny's whole situation, because I think most of us have been there, but adding forced proximity just made it funnier and sweeter.

Lockdown on London Lane (In the UK the title is Love, Locked Down) made me laugh and cry, and, while I do think it was ambitious to try and delve deeply into so many main character's lives, Beth Reekles was pretty successful.

Overall Rating: ❤❤❤❤
Heat Rating: 🔥
Emotional Rating: 😂😂💓💓😢🙈

Thank you, NetGalley and Wattpad for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion! "Lockdown on London Lane" is a fun ya/new adult, clean read. It's loosely like the movie "Love, Actually" in that it's based in the UK, is character-driven and follows the love lives of kind-of-connected individuals - who happen to all be on lockdown in the same apartment building because of COVID-19. It is a little too real and too soon to read a book where the plot takes place within the timeframe of the pandemic (I'm sure this is the only book I'll be reading with the theme). But the cute humor and romance makes the read worthwhile. The situations were also very relatable. They reflected various stages of romantic relationships and friendships tested by forced proximity and unprecedented current events. I was a little confused in some places, as it was a little difficult to keep up with the various points of view chapter by chapter. I eventually got the hang of it, and made sense, but I'm sure I missed some small plot points in the first half of the book. It was an easy read for the most part, as it was paced pretty nicely. There's some sapphic representation, but focused mainly on heterosexual relationships. I haven't read any work by Beth Reekles before, but will definitely be following her work going forward.

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
STEAM: 🔥

TLDR: This book is Love, Actually: Pandemic Lockdown Edition.

A building in London Lane has been locked down because of an infection in one of the apartments. No one comes in, and no one goes out. Poor Mr. Harris, the building manager, has to oversee that these rules are being followed.

After spending a weekend at her parents, Charlotte is locked out of the building and Apartment 6, which she shares with her boyfriend Ethan. Surely, Ethan can survive a week without her, right? Right?

Imogen had a one-night stand with Nate who lives in Apartment 14. While she tried to sneak out and avoid the awkward morning after interaction, awkward becomes even more awkward when she had to go back to the apartment because of the lockdown.

Apartment 15 has Isla and Danny, a couple who have been dating for a month. They are practically glowing from the honeymoon phase of their relationship, but when Danny had to stay in her apartment for a week, things are not as perfect as they thought.

Serena and Zach have been together for four years and live in Apartment 17. Tension has been building between the two as relationship rot started to seep in. When Zach orders pineapple on the pizza, Serena freaks out and the two are left with a lot of questions about their relationship.

As the maid of honor, Olivia tried to be gracious by offering her place in Apartment 22 for the bride and her other bridesmaids to do some wedding prep. Unfortunately for this introvert, what was planned as a nice afternoon of wedding prep becomes a week stuck with women who have completely different personalities than she does.

As someone who adored Love, Actually, I like the premise of the book and the situations in which the different characters are put in. As the book went on, I found myself more invested in certain character and less in some. I love Ethan's character arc, and I thought Olivia navigating through her extra roommates was entertaining. The pacing of the book did seem off at the times, and it took me a few chapters to get a better grasp of the different characters.

That aside, this was still a fun cute read that I enjoyed for the most part.

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Beth Reekles, Wattpad Books, and NetGalley for providing an ARC. **

Lockdown on London Lane by Beth Reekles catalogs the experiences of five different residents of an apartment building on London Lane. The inhabitants of each apartment receive a notice that the building is going into lockdown for a week, meaning they are trapped inside their apartments with whoever else is inside, for the remainder of the week.
The novel follows Ethan who must spend the week apart from his girlfriend Charlotte, which gives him time to reflect on their relationship; Serena, who lives with her long term boyfriend Zach dealing with the effects of forced proximity that forces them to evaluate their four-year relationship; Olivia who is trapped in her apartment the three other women, Kim, Lucy, and Addison, who were just supposed to spend the weekend making wedding decorations, and finally Imogen whose one-night stand turns into an unexpected week-long stay.
The concept of this book is super timely and very unique. I immediately added it to my wishlist when I read the synopsis. This novel does a really great job creating positive and almost comforting content around a disastrous event. It shows the real-life consequences of the world we’re living in now with a softer, less doom-oriented, approach. I really appreciated this interpretation of current events, although I understand how it might not be for everyone. I think it is possible to recognize and appreciate the way that the pandemic has brought people together and I think Beth Reekles does an excellent job highlighting that small but rewarding aspect of coronavirus while still creating a realistic interpretation of the environment.
My critique of this novel centers mostly around the characters and certain aspects of the writing styles. There were a lot of characters in this book. It’s one of the things that initially drew me to it. However, there wasn’t a whole lot of distinction between some of the characters. Ethan and Danny and Zach and Nate all started to blend together by the end because they were all “perfect” men who seemed to exhibit the same physical characteristics and all be amazing kissers. The female characters had slightly more depth to them but there was a slow reveal that each of them seemed to have some kind of connection to each other through a complicated web of friendship and family members which I found unnecessary and confusing. There were so many characters.
As far as the writing style goes it came off as an attempt to try to capture every pop culture and internet sensation that existed during the pandemic; from Twitch to Animal Crossing to Youtube to Fortnight to TikTok the pop culture references were overwhelming. I understand trying to capture the culture of the time but it really only focused on one aspect of that and it came off as removed and trying too hard.
Overall I think this book had amazing potential but wasn’t executed as well as it could have been. With slightly more character development and possibly cutting some characters, I think this book could have been a lot better. I still think there are many people who could connect to these characters and their stories and I loved the ambiguous endings which left openings for the stories to continue seemingly symbolizing the continuation of our lives after the pandemic. I definitely wouldn’t recommend this if the pandemic or COVID-19 is a triggering topic as it is a very central subject to the novel.

As you could guess from the title, this book is about a quarantine that takes place over the course of 7 days that an entire apartment building is completing due to the spread of a virus and one of the residents testing positive. Note: If a quarantine read is still too fresh, skip this one, but PLEASE come back to it later if/when you feel you are in a place you can enjoy it, given the premise.

This book is set up with short chapters that follow 5 different apartments and those stuck inside and how they handle their new found situation of being locked down in their London lane apartment building. We get to see the world’s longest one night stand, a new couple in the honeymoon phase, a couple on the verge of breaking up, a soon to be bride and her bridesmaids, and a gamer whose girlfriend is locked out instead of in with him all navigate the 7 days of forced proximity or separation while quarantined.

I loved the different story lines and how they played out, it felt realistic and that the forced proximity was messing with them and forcing them each to address the ‘elephants’ in their apartments.

My favorite story line was definitely the worlds longest one night stand that Immy had with Nate… I really enjoyed the growth Immy had by the end of the week. I also loved Zach and Serena’s story as it was close to my heart as during COVID it forced a lot of new conversations for me and my fiancé and we came out stronger for them.

Thank you NetGalley and W by Wattpad for the ARC of this book! I am so thankful to obtain a copy to read in advance of its release!

My first Pandemic themed book! Lockdown on London Lane, follows several apartment tenants and their guests as the building is on lockdown due to the virus. Ethan and Charlotte's story was by far my favorite! Classic absences makes the heart grow story here. It wad fun to follow all the story lines and see how everyone managed the lockdown.

This book was a quick, fun read! It has your standard romance-novel plot twists, and the different stories and connections make it fun. What is particularly nice about this book is that the different stories examine relationships in different stages, from the one-night stand to couples that have been together for years. The positive side of this is each relationship has different challenges and the reader gets to explore the challenges couples in different stages of life face. The downside is that there isn't as much character development for each character when we're jumping from apartment to apartment. However, this isn't much of a downside if you're looking for a light romance novel to escape with. If that's not what you're looking for, this isn't the book for you, but if you are, it does a good job and wraps up each story nicely.

Thanks to BookishFirst and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair review!

A book that uses covid lockdowns as a plot point and does it so well. This is a book about an apartment building in London which goes under lockdown when there’s a positive case within. Building management, in an attempt to stop the spread, locks all the residents (and some unwilling visitors) inside for a week.

We see their experiences through this he perspectives of a few different apartment residents.

There’s Imogen who is now “stuck” with her very new boyfriend. How will their relationship fare when they are forced together for a week? What will they learn about each other in this forced quarantine?

There’s Ethan whose live in girlfriend is stuck outside of the apartment after visiting her parents for the weekend. How will Ethan survive without Charlotte for a week? And Charlotte without him?

There’s Nate - now stuck with a one night stand that becomes a one week visitor. Can you say awkward? Or maybe not?

There’s Olivia - who is stuck with a bridezilla and two other bridesmaids who were over for a weekend of wedding planning fun. But wedding planning for a whole week just doesn’t have the same ring to it….

And finally there’s Serena - stuck with her boyfriend of a few years. The two are the epitome of opposites attract, but will they still be attracted after the week is over?

Usually I’d say 6 points of view is a few too many… but in this book, it totally works. Each of these characters is dealing with something different and I was excited to see how it would all work out. If you’re looking for a fun and light read about the pandemic, check this out!

I don't read a lot of romance but this was very entertaining. See what happens when you're locked in together with nowhere to go. The story flows seamlessly and it's just a good way to spend an afternoon curled up in your favorite chair with your preferred drink reading the afternoon away. Great way to spend the day. Happy reading!