I haven't read the first book in this series but luckily this is a stand alone that can be read by itself.

I had trouble understanding some of the British slang and had to look it up. A lot of the character development kind of seemed redundant to me. Charlie has anxiety and is self conscious and self sabotages the relationship several times.

Their relationship is cute but could have been a much shorter book.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending over an arc to me in exchange for an honest review.

Hayden stone is a phenomenal writer, and this shines through his witty characters and dreamy setting. I read his debut novel earlier this year and really enjoyed it that being said you really see the development in his writing through When London Snow Falls.

CHARACTERS

Charlie
Charlie is a gay uni student, barista, and dad who is also a recovering drug addict trying to make everything work out for the best for both himself and his daughter Carys. While I sympathize with Charlie and his entire situation with his family and his mental health, I really did not like him as a character solely because of the way he treats Ben. I don't think Charlie was in the right mindset to get into a relationship and probably waiting for a bit would've been better. Your struggles both internally and externally are a reason not an excuse for your actions and it really sucked that he basically faces 0 consequences for always treating Ben as an afterthought and constantly neglecting his feelings.

Ben
I loved Ben, he is literally the perfect LI in any romance novel. He's sweet, charming, makes the first move, constantly reassures Charlie of his feelings, and is very thoughtful. I genuinely think that he can do wayy better than Charlie and deserves everything in the world.

PLOT
The plot of this book is definitely better panned out than in book 1, there is clear communication and a well-thought-out storyline. I loved the flow of the story and most of the conflict made logical sense.

CONCLUSION
When London Snow Falls is a story perfect for fans of Alexis Hall and Casey McQuiston, with a lively cast, a beautiful plot line, positive and consensual sex scenes, and great chemistry. I absolutely loved it!!

I tried very hard to get invested in this book but ultimately I could not finish. While I thought the love story was sweet I had a hard time connecting to the characters and was not invested in the outcome. I will say I am a mood reader and this book was not matching my feeling which could have ultimately effect my thoughts on the book. I will most likely try again

This is the second book I've read in the When Snow falls series by Hayden Stone.
I enjoyed the first book in the series so I whooped with joy when I saw this one turn up.
Last time it was Aubrey's story and now it's his friend Charlie's turn. and while I feel a little bad, I loved this second book better. Sorry.
Charlie is not like any other character I've ever read. I found myself wondering when he ever sleeps and wanting to call him up and remind him about the importance of self-care.
He seems to be burning the candle at both ends: working, finishing his degree in English literature, gigging with his band and making time for his family - both the family he loves and the family he seems to flagellate himself with.
Charlie seems to be pretty good at the self-flagellation actually. He's got his parents telling him in his head and in person that he's a huge disappointment, and his history of what I think is issues with drugs, alcohol and mental illness. He's working really hard to overcome that and be there for the people that need him but I think he doesn't give himself enough credit for his hard work.
Anyway Charlie meets Ben - the gorgeous, lovely, wonderful, talented Ben. Yes I'm a bit smitten. Who actually starts to help Charlie be on his own side against all the negativity in his life.
Both Ben and Charlie are just adorable - as you've probably already gleaned from my gushing.
This book is definitely going on my 'read over and over again' shelf - it's that good. I'd give it 6 stars if I could.

Well hello. I love a good m/m romance.

This was steamy and sweet. It took a while for me fully to invest in the mains but I did and I liked it a lot.

I requested this book through NetGalley because of the description. After reading it, I realized it's #2 in a series, in which I haven't read the 1st. But I fully intend to now.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher, Entangled for this advanced ecopy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Charlie and Ben had instant chemistry that pulls you right into their web of lust. I loved their connection and their open and honest communication. In fact, there were a lot of things I loved about this book. Even though Charlie has many struggles and challenges he faces, he also has people that have his back. Unfortunately in life, those people aren't always our birth families. But it doesn't mean we can't find and make our own famillies. Charlie has done that, and found family is one of my favorite tropes! I did get a bit irritated with the constant "once the snow melts" theory. That being said, it's still a good read and one I would recommend to queer book lovers.

4 stars!

This is me being generous.

To be bluntly honest, I had to grit my teeth to get through a book with such an unlikeable and frustrating main character.

The good parts of the book were all Ben-related: Ben is a dream boyfriend. He is handsome, witty, makes the first move, knows what he wants and the intimate scenes between him and Charlie were very hot. His presence was this story's saving grace.

That's because I really, really didn't like Charlie. Where to begin? The guy's personality can be summarized in a spiral of self-pity and self-hatred: "I don't deserve anything", "What I want doesn't matter", "Having a kid means I have to right to a life", "Why don't my shitty homophobic parents like me? Surely I'm the one at fault", "Why would Ben want me despite having told me about 20 times that he does want me?"

I can go on and on. And not only that, but we have to read endless version of the same dialogue. Charlie pitying/hating himself, Ben telling him that he deserves nice things and no, having a job and a kid doesn't mean he can't date him, Charlie believing him until they have sex, and then going back to the same thoughts.

It's annoying, tiring and make me wonder what Ben saw in Charlie, because this type of personality is beyond frustrating.

And let's conclude with my biggest issue with the book. I had left a similar comment to Boyfriend Material, which suffers from the same, inexcusable for me issue: the parents. The parents are shitty. They're pretentious, homophobic, judgmental, expect their kid to live the life they themselves imagine and don't accept him.
And yet we see NOBODY standing up to them. Not even the "supporting" brother or the "cool" aunt. Everybody accepts that this type of pretentious high-class behaviour is something to be disregarded. Charlie doesn't even THINK to blame them and goes back to them again and again, despite having no financial ties to them.
Even at the end, with the resolution of the story, nobody called their shit in front of them. Charlie did not cut them off. Michael (the supportive we're supposed to believe brother) never stood up for him (consoling him when he leaves crying is not the same).

I will call out this sort of plot evey time I encounter it because it is TOXIC. You should not keep people who behave like that in your life, no matter if they are your parents. You should cut them off. End of story.

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled for the ARC

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review*

I loved ‘An Unexpected Kind of Love’ by this same author, and this book is no different. The writing style, the jokes, the smut (*wink wink*) is all perfection. I have no criticism of this book, I loved it

Christmas in July!! I LOVED this romance.

Charlie and Ben you stole my heart with meet-cute in the coffee shop. Plus rock star romances get me every time. The romance plays out in the cold on the streets of London. Their affectionate kisses as snow or rain pelts them made my heart swoon.

I am so happy I read When London Snow Falls - I adored it!

Thank you Entangled Publishing for the complimentary copy to read and review.

I'm going to be honest- I don't have a lot to say about this book. Not because I didn't like it!! I really, really did, but I think that about sums up my feelings. It felt like a typical book of its genre to me in a great way and I don't see any major issues that need to be addressed. Definitely a feel-good book that I'll reread in the future :)

This book was adorable. I just loved it. Charlie and Ben are a great couple and I loved watching their relationship develop. Wonderful, sexy, cute. It just made me smile.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

The relationship between Charlie and Ben was insta-lust. The whole "when the snow melts, it'll take Ben with it" thing got old after a while. Ben could have used some more character development. It seemed Charlie was swimming in never-ending and repetitious issues (examples: his dating ban, anxiety, past drug/alcohol issues, needs to get through uni/work, & he has to take care of Carys, etc.)

There was a random jealously/miscommunication thing thrown in that I didn't care for. But I liked the writing & immersive atmosphere. All-in-all, the book needed more balance but it had its moments.

An incredibly sweet romance. I absolutely love Hayden Stone's writing and I loved their first book, so I was especially eager to get my hands on this one. I wasn't disappointed. Ben and Charlie give us a lot to love, including their flaws. Ben deals with dyslexia and childhood trauma, and Charlie deals with anxiety and a family that pretends his life simultaneously does not exist and that it only exists in the period of time where he was a mess. There's a bit of back and forth here where Charlie is absolutely sure he can't possibly have something good and keep it, but I didn't mind. I understood where he was coming from. The moments of them together are sweet and hopeful.

Definitely recommend for a sweet, quick romance.

This romance had lots of little moments between the heroes that made it a pleasure to read. I really liked their meet cute and banter. It has great winter vibes.

The book deals with heavy issues (anxiety, past addiction, unsupportive family), and it adds a sense of reality to the romcom. They have to work to overcome real life issues, and their communication helps them do so. I look forward to reading Hayden Stone's next romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher!

I was in a reading slump for a while-- nothing really kept my attention. Then I began When London Snow Falls and I couldn't stop reading.

Charlie and Ben are the perfect romantic heroes. Both of them damaged in unique ways, yet both completely lovable. Stone provides just enough roadblocks for them, and clever ways to overcome those. I ached over the way that Charlie's family treated him, and the revelation of Ben's back story. The sex scenes are clever and well-written as well as being intriguingly erotic.

Highly recommended!

Such a cute wintery romance book. I have never read anything by Hayden Stone so I was very pleased to find out how enjoyable their writing was. I am an avid reader of romance and would recommend this to anyone who enjoys romance also. Great book!

Such a heartwarming story!

I knew this would be a good book, because I already loved An Unexpected Kind of Love (also a courtesy of Netgalley - thank you) and I was not wrong. In fact, I think I like this story a bit better.

Charlie Renfrew is an absolute sweetheart and Ben Campbell is a babe. This is as much a story about the importance of communication and family than simply about two gay men. I think it is one of those stories that to those not already in the know, would illustrate that non-straight people fall in love exactly the same as the straight people. There aren't that many differences between us.

I love how amazing father Charlie has been and how friendly he's been with the mother. This is an endearing story of love, overcoming adversity and even complicated family relations. I could not find a single major fault in the whole story and it simply deserves five stars,

This was a cute read! I enjoyed the story and love the family that was created from this. It was good to see how characters were able to work through their feelings and grow.

Charlie's a single dad, a college student, and a man who suffers from anxiety and panic attacks. Then he meets a gorgeous guy at the café where he works, and his life gets a little brighter. Ben is in a popular rock band and about to become very famous. He's sweet and not about to let the gorgeous Charlie get away without at least getting him to take a chance on being with him. But he'll have to have a lot of patience, be a freaking rock, and have the understanding of a saint because Charlie's life is...complicated. Will Charlie let Ben in, to his life, to his heart?

What I like most about this story, and there's a lot to like, is that both Charlie and Ben are very relatable. Not only are they likable, but their lives, their issues, their behavior, isn't out of the realm. All of have issues, all of us are imperfect, and Charlie and Ben are the same, and so easy to relate to because of it. I felt for Charlie because of not just his anxiety, but his horrible family, but Charlie made it work. Yes, he was a ball of scattered thoughts, but he had a heart. He was a great dad, a great friend, and when he finally let himself be, he was a great boyfriend. And Ben? Just so adorable with his lovely smile and his determination and patience, yet his willingness to give Charlie space when he needed it. Their story is altogether so wonderful, with a lot of heart, a stellar secondary cast, and a couple of likable, relatable leads.

This is such a swoony book. This book is Insta-love so if you are not here for that don’t pick this up. Between the band tear and cute moments shared between characters I would say for sure this is a great beach read.