A witty and entertaining rom-com that I throughly enjoyed. The characters are fleshed and likeable, i rooted for them, the romance is sweet.
A new to me author that I will surely follow.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

*I got a free E-ARC through Netgalley, this in no way influenced this review*

I loved this book so much, which didn’t surprise me at all. The book flowed so naturally and I just couldn’t put it down.

Charlie is a very messy but oh so sweet main character. He’s trying to get his life back on track after having a messy past and I’m really glad with how the author handled this. Charlie is in no way perfect, but that’s what makes him so likeable.

There was a heavy case of insta affection, but I didn’t really mind it and found the scenes between Ben and Charlie to be very sweet and steamy all at the same time.

Really hoping for a third one in this universe

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Charlie is to busy and too broke, so he thinks that the love isn't for him until he meet Ben this gorgeous and funny men.
All this happen in a snowy London, so it's so cozy and very beauty 😍

I really liked Charlie’s character in this book, but something about the story just fell flat for me. I really enjoyed the dialogue, but the rest of the writing felt a bit muddled and I was not clear about what the author was trying to say or have the characters go through a lot of the time. In the first couple of chapters, I got the sense of desperation and exhaustion Charlie was feeling, but I also felt like the writing was confused and was struggling to set the tone and setting. The characters were nice, as they were portrayed in a way that felt realistic and human, but the rest of the prose was unfinished and in need of more revisions to make the vision for this story clearer.

When London Snow Falls is a delightful queer romance between a budding rock star and a barista who’s just trying to keep it all together. Their sweet story is a steamy read that packs an emotionally satisfying punch.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Charlie and Ben meet at the coffee shop where Charlie works. Ben is the frontman for an up and coming indie band, and his innocent coffee order turns into deliberate flirting. But Charlie doesn’t have time to date. Between coparenting his daughter, working full time, playing guitar in a band, and being a full time university student, his free time is nonexistent. Can Ben change his mind?

While this story initially appears to be a straightforward romance, it has a sweet and earnest quality that I really enjoyed. The author does a great job of seamlessly blending Charlie and Ben’s steamy chemistry with a wistful feeling that made me want to reach inside the book and give both characters a hug.

This is truly Charlie’s story, and it’s painful to watch him deal with his overwhelming anxiety sometimes. Some days are easier to manage than others, and he has a hard time letting himself be happy. It doesn’t help that his parents aren’t supportive of any aspect of his life. On the plus side, he has a supportive found family in his BFF Emily, his daughter, his coworkers and his band mates, and it’s nice to see him grow to think he deserves them.

Hayden Stone is a new to me author, and even though this book is second in a series, it easily works as a stand alone.

While I usually like my romances on the light side, When London Snow Falls is a satisfying queer love story. It combines mental health rep and struggles with banter, charming characters and hot chemistry, and is definitely worth reading.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It's the winter holidays and Charlie is struggling to keep up with all of his responsibilities when he's on shift at the café he works at and in walks Ben-an indie musician with a small claim to fame. There is instant lust between the two, but Charlie has a dating ban and a boatload of anxieties telling him that he's not good enough for Ben.

There was a lot to like here. I loved the way Charlie's anxiety and history of addiction was treated, though at times some of his worries did start to feel a little repetitive. Also his parents were awful. But Ben was so sweet and I loved that he was so open and accepting of all of Charlie.

I do wish that we would have had Ben's POV included and that some of the side characters had a little more depth. But I loved how the "3rd act breakup due to miscommunication" was actually solved pretty quickly because our characters actually talked it out.

Though I've not read it (and this does stand on its own), there is a small cameo from the couple in Stone's previous book, An Unexpected Kind of Love.

Oh this was so enjoyable! It is a great mix of witty banter and wonderful chemistry. Charlie and Ben are so cute together and it gave me all the feels. I loved Ben’s appreciation for knitting and how he used it as a support mechanism for when he moved. Overall, this is a sweet and steamy romcom story between a rock star and a young barista who must let go and find forgiveness in order to love again. I recommend this one!

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book to read and review. This was a delightful book and I adore Ben and Charlie. I also loved seeing Aubrey and Blake's cameos from the first book in the series. These can definitely be read as standalones. I loved the London setting and the theme of snow for a good chunk of the story. Charlie was so delicate, but also not at the same time (IYKYK), and I loved when he opened up more and shared his vulnerabilities. Also, this book was spicy which I loved so much. The book is indeed gay and it slaps. It was truly such a heartwarming and fun story; I loved how invested both characters were to each other as well as their individual hobbies and interests. I love these characters and this was a great book!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for giving me an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review*

I do not know how to put into words how good this book is, but I will try. Our MC (Charlie) is a 21 year old uni student who works as a barista in a cafe. He struggles with severe anxiety and has a past history with drug and alcohol addiction. He also has a daughter with his friend Emily during a one night stand when he was experimenting a lot with everything. I LOVE the fact that he’s a gay man with a daughter you don’t see that often in books true character will usually be bi or something. So he works really hard to help support his friend and daughter, pay off loans, rehearse with his band, and study on top of it all. Thus he has a dating ban enforced because he simply doesn’t have time.

Then he meets Ben. The personification of a wrench in his plans. But it’s just sex right?


This book is hot, not going to lie. I don’t read a lot of smut if at all and at times I felt overwhelmed by how hot some of the situations were. Bondage? Blindfolding? Sign me up. Dominant dirty talk? Hell yea.

Don’t let me give you the wrong idea though. This isn’t erotica. And not all sex scenes are descriptive.

I ADORED bens character. Quite literally want my own Ben if she’s out there. Ben is so kind and honest and open and understanding and always knows what to say to Charlie to make him feel better and calm down. He doesn’t judge Charlie for his past or for being a dad, in fact he embraces it all and loves him more for it. Ben is my goddamn hero.

This book did in fact make me cry which doesn’t often happen.

All in all it’s a must read book.

ARC provided by NetGalley

I read this book a few weeks ago and have been struggling to write a review. While I somewhat enjoyed the story between Charlie and Ben, this book did not hit me the same way that An Unexpected Kind of Love did. Charlie was clearly pushing himself beyond his limits and it made me quite sad to read how his family treated him.

i absolutely adored this book, it was such a pleasure to read even though parts of the story deal with heavy subjects such as homophobia, past addiction and anxiety. the imagery hayden stone’s words created was so vivid and atmospheric in my mind i felt like i too was standing in the middle of snowy london waiting for my very own ben. charlie as a main character was perfectly imperfect and i related a lot to him and his struggle with anxiety and feelings of worth. the banter and chemistry between charlie and ben is wonderful and i loved the growth between them as they navigated their budding relationship, there’s a few bumps along the way for them but they talk it out and make it work. this book was right up my alley and i thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of "When London Snow Falls" written by Hayden Stone. This book is scheduled to release on June 27th, 2022. It was a 3.5/5 star read for me!

The book centers around Charlie, a gay twenty-something year old English Lit university student who has a 2-year old daughter with his best friend Emily as a result of a one-night stand in which he was hopped up on alcohol and drugs. He has since cleaned himself up, and become a dedicated worker (barista) and father to Carys. He is a member of a semi-popular band and plays frequent gigs. He is determined not to get into a relationship at this time and to focus solely on work and school - but Ben comes along, challenging everything.

Ben is slightly older than Charlie, and the two of them banter frequently at Charlie's coffee shop job before eventually persuing a relationship with each other. Charlie suffers from anxiety and panic attacks, and tries to deny his affection for Ben. He wants to find all the reasons why their relationship will eventually not work out.

I did take some points off for there being so many vivid sex scenes written into this novel, however I want to point out that I am not a huge fan of tons of spice in any romance novel, regardless of MM, MF, or FF. It also made me very sad that Charlie's family did not truly accept him for who he is.

First thank you so much Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for this adorable advanced copy.

I am really in love with this book.
Ben Campbell is really a boyfriend material. He is so thoughtful, gentle, kind, and so damn sexy. And the best part about him is he is not so so perfect like prince in almost every romance books. He has his own problems, and weakness. That's part makes him more realistis. God, Can I get one Ben Campbell for myself ?

Charlie also is a great representation of someone who deal with anxiety. Because That's what I feel about myself, swinging this way and another and keep getting f*cked up. But we learn and so does Charlie. He started open himself.

Also I love Em, what a perfect friend she is!!!

I also found I enjoy the author writing style and thanks for him, "Petal" is now my fave name for couple nickname.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of When Longdon Snow Falls by Hayden Stone. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for providing an ARC to review.

When London Snow Falls is the story of Charlie Renfrew whose life is so full that there is no room for extras. So much so that he has declared a dating ban in order to keep his life scheduled. Enter Ben, the leader of an up and coming Indie band. He is determined to convince Charlie to break his rule and take a chance on love.

Charlie and Ben's story was much more intense than I expected. This book isn't a romantic comedy novel and instead is a serious look on relationships when one half of the couple has to deal with mental health issues. I appreciated how the author described that there isn't some miraculous fix and that relationships are hard work but worth it in the end. I became invested in the OTP (one true pairing) story and was happy to read all the ups and downs of their journey. I give this book 3.5/5 stars.

Charlie has a lot of responsibilities: he works in a coffee shop to pay for his schooling and to send money to his 2-year-old daughter and her mom (his best friend). He has no time for dating. But then he meets Ben and the two have an instant connection. But Charlie doesn't know how to fit Ben into his life, and also even if he could fit Ben in, he doesn't fully believe that Ben would choose him as a boyfriend since Ben is in an up and coming band and could have any guy he wanted.

Usually I'm not a fan of "instalove" which this book seems to have at first. I like more of a slow burn romance, but in this book, it's really more about Charlie's own personality and growth (he struggles with anxiety and also had a substance abuse problem in the past and has parents who aren't fully accepting of him) and letting himself believe that this relationship could actually work. So even though they do get together early on in the book (including some fairly spicy scenes), in some ways it feels like a "slow burn" with Charlie learning to trust himself and to trust those around him. In that sense, I did enjoy going on Charlie's journey to get to the point where he can have a real relationship with Ben.

I also liked the knitting content--Ben knits and it seems like he's made some really amazing items, even though he's only been knitting for a year or so. But it's fun to read what knitted item Ben is wearing in various scenes. And there's also a scene where yarn makes an appearance...and not for knitting!

4.25 stars

When London Snow Falls by Hayden Stone is the second book in the When Snow Falls series. Charlie Renfrew makes it through each day by focusing on school, his job, his band and his daughter. He struggles but his routines keep him on track for the most part. It isn’t until Ben Campbell walks up and he manages to stick his foot in his mouth that all that Charlie’s carefully laid routine is thrown out the window. Ben’s band is rising fast in popularity through the UK and Charlie finds himself surprised at the lead singer’s interest in him. Charlie tries to keep things casual with Ben but struggles to add another person to his already chaotic life. Charlie finds himself trying to decide if he can handle another responsibility or if a relationship on top of everything may lead to his downfall.

Charlie Renfrew has been outrunning his past for the last few years. Because he was a partier and struggled with addiction, he feels he needs to prove himself to his family. Ben Campbell is someone that Charlie struggles to accept into his life. Ben shows time and time again that he is interested in knowing the real Charlie and that he’s willing to accept whatever time he has free. But with the ups and downs of Charlie’s mental health and the responsibilities he has to put first, he hurts Ben by failing to be honest in their communication. Although you only get Charlie’s POV, you find your heart hurting for Ben who has his own past he struggles with and the moments when Charlie forgets to talk to him like a partner and not just another obligation. These were two very emotional MCs and I appreciated that there was no toxic masculinity preventing them from truly feeling and showing their overwhelming emotions. At first the two MCs find it easier to communicate through quick physical moments together but as the build trust in each other they venture into other sexual avenues.

This story follows two musicians on completely different paths. Charlie’s music is a way to escape the world for a while and feel the natural high of performing. Ben’s band is already making waves and he plans to ride their success to fame. The men find comfort in their shared love of music. Where music may take them plays an important role throughout the story because Charlie constantly questions Ben’s interest in him because he’s “just a barista” while Ben’s band is working its way to becoming a household name. Ben finds comfort in Charlie because he believes he found someone who doesn’t just see as someone who could be famous and instead wants to care and support him day to day. I loved Ben’s appreciation for knitting and how that was a way he found a support system when he moved from Scotland to London. Through the ups and downs of their relationship I never found myself not cheering for Ben and Charlie to get their HEA.


4.5 stars for Ben and Charlie finding warmth in each other when London snow falls.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a great and romantic read. The chemistry between Charlie and Ben was instant and great. It was a quick and immersive read.

Overall Rating - ⭐⭐⭐
Spice - 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Character Development - ⭐
Trigger/Content Warnings - Addiction, Co-parenting, (verbal) abuse
Representation - Gay love, separated families, long distance relationship

Plot; The plots cute, it's a pretty typical modern romance. I don't think there was much extravagant about the plot specifically, but I do like that there are so many areas of interest for each character, and they're talked about more than once and actually have plot significance. If you like romance, you'll like it. If you don't, you probably won't.

Characters; The characters are very 3 dimensional, I will say that. They have many sides, they all have pretty extensive histories, lots of personal interests, it's nice. There is basically no character development though. The issues on page 10 are the same as on page 210 (random numbers, but still true). There's also only one character that ever has any conflict really, which feels weird, but that may just be me.

Romance; The romance is cute, albeit fast. And I mean FAST. Granted, stereotypically (at least in terms of all my gay friends) that's not that surprising, really, but it did boggle my brain a bit. It was however very cute. They act like a couple from the first thing, random kisses and all, it's nice. Their sexual romance is definitely their selling point. It's not wicked spicy, no extreme kinks or anything, but it's descriptive and there's a few scenes that are like "Oooh o.o" It's also decently frequent for all the smut lovers.

Writing; The writing was fine? There's a number of what I believe are British-isms that some people might miss, but they're not distracting or confusing. I do find the writing to be decently repetitive. There's a lot of going back to the same thoughts and ideas for these characters and for the writing. It felt a little forced and by the end I was very "yes I KNOW, I get it" specifically with Charlie, but it was a deterrent from reading.

Overall Thoughts; Overall cute, definitely would rather read it around the holidays, cause it was weird to sit in the sun reading about the snow, but yeah, it doesn't feel problematic to me (as someone who isn't part of the LGBTQIA2+ community) and I think that's a good thing.

I have not great feelings about this one. The fact that it took me two full weeks to read and that I read 5 whole other books in that time should demonstrate that this was difficult for me to get in to. This book has a number of pretty explicit and kinky scenes in it but without those I would have sworn to you it was YA because the writing felt pretty immature to me.

I found my self skimming over passages and getting annoyed about how repetitive Charlie's thoughts, complaints, insecurities, and honestly poor treatment of Ben. Charlie as our single narrator is anxious and thinks very poorly of himself. As a person with anxiety that's normally fine with me but he never makes any progression as a character and every choice he makes is either a hurtful and poor one towards Ben or happens after someone else in his life tells him to give Ben a chance. The drama and insta-deep connection between Charlie and Ben was repetitive and frustrating for me. Lots of events happen in the book but nothing ever feels like it changes and for a love story to work for me the characters have to grow in to love or past conflict, not just be told over and over to stop breaking up with their boyfriend via text.

I found myself also disappointed by how shallow and underdeveloped all the side characters were in addition to the lack of growth or change in Charlie and Ben. I guess my feelings boil down to there isn't any fundamental flaw with the book (despite my complaints), but every thing was very surface level and that just isn't good enough to me in a love story.

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

If you like the sort of sweet-and-steamy, slice-of-life gay romances that are popular right now, you'll probably like this book. For me, it didn't have enough external conflict. DNF.