Member Reviews

Phoebe takes a two-week holiday from England to LA to visit her sister and take a break from her life. However, she's caught off guard when her sister promptly leaves on a work trip, leaving Phoebe to navigate LA on her own. Fortunately, she finds herself drawn into the lives of some locals who introduce her to the city—and perhaps even to friendship and romance.

This was my introduction to Lindsey's writing, and it proved to be a delightful, breezy summer read!

While it started a bit slowly, around halfway through, I became more engrossed in the storyline and characters, finding it increasingly difficult to set the book aside. I developed a fondness for the supporting characters and appreciated the dynamics between everyone.

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This was cute! Listened to the audiobook and finished it in one sitting I just didn’t want to put it down. Characters were sweet and I liked to see Phoebe’s growth throughout this with learning to love herself more about a bad relationship, finding a new place she felt at home, and finding friendships.

Pop-culture references got to be a bit much for me which is what brought this rating down (just a few too many for my liking - TV show, movie, actor, singer refs throughout the whole book) which can be fine in small doses but I just found myself noticing a lot of them. But besides that criticism I really loved it and would recommend if you don’t mind that in books.

Definitely want to check out more of this author in the long run!

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This was a nice book about self-love and romantic love. It was easy to read. However, I find Kelk's written style to be a bit flat and too predictable. Some of the tropes drawn on were a bit overused.

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Lindsay Kelk is fantastic at writing engaging, funny, and most importantly not corny romcom reads and this one didn't disappoint! Phoebe is a Cyrano de Berganac character in this fun in the sun read set in LA. I loved it!

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While on vacation to America to see her sister, Phoebe finds herself attempting to play matchmaker with her temporary neighbour and new friend. After an emotion filled letter starts off their relationship with lots of help from Phoebe, all seems to be going relatively well until she realises she is falling for him as well…

Love Me Do was such a great book to read while on holidays, it felt like a warm hug and had me laughing out loud multiple times. The film and TV references were also such a nice touch with the book being based in Hollywood with some nods to various famous actors and movies.

This book had me feeling all warm and fuzzy. It had me smiling and laughing so much and I absolutely loved the characters and some of the situations they get themselves into - mermaids, need I say anything else? It was so fun to read about Phoebe building a friendship with the bubbly and over the top Bel and also trying to set Bel up with her gorgeous and endearing neighbour Ren. The characters were so great, especially our witty and blunt Myrna she really made the whole story that much better.

I would definitely recommend reading this book if you are after a laugh out loud romcom with some really heartfelt moments.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for providing me with an eARC in return for an honest review.

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This book was SO CUTE!
I absolutely adored the plot, the writing and the characters. Everything was extremely enjoyable and I felt like I was there with the characters. Linsey Kelk did a great job of immersing the reader into the narrative.
I was entertained from the get go, and I honestly was so sad that the book was over.
I'd 100% read a sequel (and I wanna know what happens, so please write us a sequel Lindsey!!).

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Lindsey Kelk could write the instruction manual for an air fryer and I wouldn’t get bored reading it (iykyk). I was forever giggling at Phoebe’s hilarious stream of conscious narration, both in her head and out loud, with the funniest accidental double entendres. Not only was the romance an absolute blast (who doesn’t want to be introduced to the dreamiest love interest when he’s birdwatching shirtless?), but Love Me Do is inter-generational friendship goals, explores the unspoken rules of friendship and healing from past relationships. I loved that this was inspired by Cyrano de Bergerac, falling in love with a person through their words and believing that we are enough as we are.

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Well, Love Me, Do has been a fun read! I loved Phoebe Chapman, who falls in love with her sister Suzanne’s hunky neighbor Ren while visiting her in Los Angeles. Blind Freddy could see that Phoebe and Ren were meant for each other, but Phoebe is gun-shy, having lived through a less than stellar relationship with her ex. To add to her woes, Suzanne is away on business for much of the story, however Suzanne has forgotten to cancel her personal training sessions and Bell, the trainer, has admitted to Phoebe that she adores Ren. What ensues is a story that manages to combine charm, humour, a spot of angst and some insights into LA’s lesser known charms. Throw in aging former movie star Myrna Moore and the story picks up some sparkle and glamour, along with the cracking wit of an old lady who knows exactly how to put people in their place. This has been an easy and truly entertaining story to read.

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Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for sending me a copy of this ARC to review!

Love Me Do follows the story of Phoebe, a Brit who is on holiday in LA to visit her sister. When she arrives she meets Bel, her sister's personal trainer, and Ren, the handsome man next door, and is immediately swept under the arm of them both. Now Bel is head over heels in love with Ren but Ren doesn't know Bel exists. Enter Phoebe the matchmaker who in a few short weeks is determined to connect these two. During this process, she begins to fall in love, not just with LA.

Honestly, I thought this book was just okay and nothing to rave home about. While it was super fast-paced and easy to read, I just couldn't get into it. It was super predictable and while it's marked as a romance, I think only 5% of the book had any romance. I also think Ren as a character could have been written better. Saving grace had to be Myrna, the 82-year-old ex-actress who was very funny and witty. I would have happily read about her story. Otherwise, it was just an okay book.

If you are after an easy, uplifting story this one might be for you.

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I am a huge fan of Lindsey Kelk, so when I saw she had a new book out, I jumped at the chance to read it.

Love Me Do sees Phoebe travel from the UK to visit her high flying sister in LA. Upon arrival, her sister has to travel for work, leaving Phoebe on her own. At first disappointed, Phoebe soon meets her sisters personal trainer Bel, and soon aims to set her up with her smoking hot neighbour, Ren. Throw in an elderly ex-film star, and you’ve got all you need for a signature Kelk novel.

This book was exactly what I needed - full of laughs, friendship and family, and throw in some self growth for good measure. Definitely a must read for all fans of Kelk!

Thanks to @netgalley and @harpercollinsaustralia for the review copy.

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Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins and Lindsey Kelk for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.
I really enjoyed this friends to lover romance, it was filled with so much tension, angst, love and humour and ticked all the right boxes for me . This was my first book by Lindsey Kelk and it wont be my last, i love adding new authors to my list. I loved how relatable the characters felt and will be recommending it to all my fellow book lovers. Do yourself a favour and read it now! Happy Reading!

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Love Me Do is the perfect Summe read.

Phoebe is left disppointed when she leaves England to visit her sister in LA, who then leaves for work just as she arrives. However she uses the time alone to have fun, make new friends and discover herself. Phoebe takes chances and learns to love herself again.

This novel is perfectly told against the Los Angeles back drop with a drop dead gorgeous new best friend, a dreamy next door neighbour and old Hollywood neighbour.

The female friendships in the story are a standout and delight to read. Each character genuinely wants the best for each other, including an ex-girlfriend. Each supporting person adds to the storyline. There is humour and delight in every chapter.

Friendships, relationships, humour and a whole lot of fun make this a fun read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Australia for the copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

#LoveMeDo #Netgalley

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This was a sweet read; the characters were funny and quirky.

Phoebe a spends the summer in LA after hearing her (horrible) ex is getting married. She stumbles across Ren in the bushes next to her sister's house Bird Watching and feels an immediate Connection and ease, the next day she finds out that her new friend is interested in Ren so she shuts down any of her thoughts of Ren.
She writes Letters to Re to help her friend start a relationship with him, but the whole time she is trying to fight her own growing feels.

✨Slow Burn
✨Friends to Lovers
✨Summer Love
✨Matchmaking

Star Rating - ⭐⭐⭐.5
Spice - 🌶️

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Greeting card copywriter Phoebe travels from London to LA to visit her sister. She quickly falls into using her literary prowess to act as matchmaker between Ren, her bird loving next door neighbour and her new friend Bel.

I really loved this delightful story and found myself reading with a smile (and often laughing out loud). The hot LA summer was the perfect backdrop, and I enjoyed the contrast between Myrna and her echoes of old Hollywood, and the effervescent Bel. While the book was light and happy, it delved into deeper topics with sensitivity and reflection, and avoided falling into cliches. The author generously invested in Phoebe’s various relationships, which resulted in a story with more depth and authenticity than your standard romance. I bought the audiobook just so I didn’t have to put it down!

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Thanks to Netgalley, Lindsey Kelk and Harper Collins Australia for this copy to review!

What a gorgeous summer romance. I had a really good time reading this book.

I do like a holiday/vacation romance, and I loved the English in America thing going on in this book. There were some really funny comments and quotes, super enjoyable.

I really liked Ren and Phoebe. Phoebe's past made me heartbroken, but her growth and journey throughout the story is amazing. And Ren is just the best. I really loved his passions and views of the world. I wish there was dual POV in this book, but I understand why it didn't make sense.

My only real issue with this story is that the end felt very sudden - I really felt like I needed another chapter or an epilogue or something. Otherwise, it's super enjoyable and very fun.

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This was okay. It passed the time but overall I found it a bit bland and almost impossible to really get invested in.

Phoebe is visiting her sister in LA although her sister is leaving immediately for a work trip, kind of leaving Phoebe on her own, which she doesn’t really mind. Especially as she’s adopted right away by Bel, a loveable girl from Wisconsin trying to make it in LA. Bel is Phoebe’s sister Suzanne’s personal trainer and she’s happy to show Phoebe around. Bel is also crushing hard on Ren, Suzanne’s neighbour and Phoebe happened to run into Ren on her first night. She’s happy to matchmake them, even though she herself is attracted to Ren. Due to her past relationship, Phoebe is lacking in confidence romantically, and considers Ren well out of her league. Phoebe also makes friends with Myrna, an elderly former actress who lives in a grand old house just up from her sister’s. She finds herself settling into LA.

I honestly don’t really have a lot to say about this one. It was fine. I liked Phoebe and the exploration of her past relationship was done well without really dominating the narrative because it’s been over for a while. Ren was fine, he and Phoebe hit it off well but I have to admit, the whole thing with Phoebe insisting on setting Bel up with him because she thinks he’s hot, got a bit tedious. Her sister even tells her that Bel falls in love every other week and it’s unlikely that Ren is The One like Phoebe seems to assume. It’s immediately obvious that they have nothing in common and can’t find a single thing to talk about but Phoebe kind of interferes and suggests Bel write Ren a letter – which she of course, then writes. But she doesn’t write what Bel would write, she writes what she would write and then watches as Ren falls in love with the letter.

It might be fine for a set up but I think it goes on a bit long as she keeps desperately trying to convince Ren that he could have feelings for Bel when it’s entirely obvious that Ren isn’t interested in who Bel is at all and Bel isn’t interested in Ren’s personality either, she just thinks he’s unspeakably hot. That means that the main romance itself doesn’t really develop until basically right at the end of the novel and Phoebe handles it all really badly and Ren is far more understanding than she deserved and then the book just…ends.

I have mixed results with Lindsey Kelk’s books and this one definitely doesn’t make it into my favourites category. Bel felt too over the top, shoehorned in merely to give Phoebe a reason to be scared to go for Ren herself and Myrna felt like every portrayal of an aging Hollywood star that I’ve ever read. There was nothing original about it and to be honest, nothing memorable either.

I did enjoy when Phoebe and her sister were finally real with each other. But everything else was unfortunately just a bit bland.

5/10

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Lovelorn Brit Phoebe Chapman finds herself playing matchmaker to Bel, her sister’s personal trainer and Ren, the next-door neighbour. The only trouble is that Bel has a crush on Ren, but he has no idea that Bel even exists. Soon Phoebe is writing love letters to assist her new friends, whilst finding a rare friendship with an 82-year-old film star.
This story is not only a romance but one that explores friendship. I enjoyed seeing Phoebe grow and find herself, after leaving behind an abusive partner. Her ability to develop by helping others, was quite touching. The secondary characters in this story, added to this book, rather than posing a distraction. An overall enjoyable read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Lindsey Kelk strikes again! This is just plain ol’ romcom at its best! I loved her ‘On a Night Like This’ and hoped this book would bring the same feelings. Well, I am happy to report I think it does and perhaps even surpasses the ‘LOL’ and life journey moments. I am here for it. I am happy to say that Lindsey is quickly moving to my instant read author list.
‘Last time I checked, there wasn’t a regulatory committee that agrees on one single, official definition.’ ‘I think you’ll find there is,’ I scoffed. ‘It’s called the internet and it convenes daily.’
Phoebe visits her sister in LA for a couple of weeks, trying to keep her mind off her ex and his upcoming wedding. Phoebe is such a relatable character with concerns and anxieties that I am sure many of us can relate to. These may be serious concerns or simply riotous in nature but gosh! It makes for enjoyable reading.
‘All words had power; the ones we read, the ones we spoke and the ones we listened to. I understood that now. We had to be careful which ones we let in.’
I love that it is not all about the romance - there is a lot more to Lindsey’s books I am discovering. This is just as much a journey of self discovery with the romantic element not the main focus. Delightfully this is more about being true to yourself, not changing to please others in an effort to live your best life.
‘No one knew what went on behind closed doors. How many other women spent their evenings uploading smiling photos while tears streamed down their faces? How many other women thought putting pictures of the good times out in the world would bring them back around again? Was it manifestation or self-delusion?’
I loved all the characters in this book whether it be in isolation, as pairs or in a group - quite an accomplishment when you think about it. Shout out to Myrna especially for bringing all the iconic status. Also, this book is a nod to Los Angeles and I loved the inviting descriptions of attractions that were not the natural go-to’s.
‘A smile carved faint lines around his mouth. ‘LA is whatever you want it to be,’ he replied. ‘You get out what you put in. Most people don’t see what you saw, they stick to the shiny surface, but if you dig a little deeper that’s where the good stuff is.’

Love Me Do is pure escapist fun - light and bright. A delightful story that will make you laugh, it will make you cry (in laughter more than likely) and it will take you on an amazing journey with fun characters to visit parts of LA that were really enjoyable.







This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

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Bridget Jone’s Diary meets The Holiday meets Set It Up, meets 10 Things I Hate About you… kind of.

Kelk’s charming tone really shines through in this novel. I’ve had the pleasure of reading The Christmas wish, and while that novel is plenty charming, I feel like this one really tickled me!

With easily recognise able and familiar character archetypes and tropes that are still unique and refreshing I found it to be such an easy read.

The romance plot itself was okay, without Kelk’s charming tone and the setting of LA it might have fallen flat.

Where the story shines is with the bonds that the main cast of characters form, especially Myrna, playing the stereotypical old Hollywood starlet who despite being a stereotype is never overused or tiresome.

The novel itself really gave me Kate Winslet from The Holiday vibes. A “frumpy” British girl trying to escape the ghosts of her romantic past by escaping to LA on a much needed vacation and ultimately finding herself, and true love of course.

It’s a really pleasant summer read, highly enjoyable and fairly quick and easy to get through.

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Review: Love Me Do - Lindsey Kelk

I was lucky enough to receive this book as an ARC!

Love Me Do is a delightful journey into the realm of love, friendship, and second chances, set against the backdrop of the glamorous Hollywood Hills.

Phoebe Chapman, our lovable protagonist, arrives at her sister's home in the Hollywood Hills with a heart that's given up on love. Little does she know that her stay will become a whirlwind of emotions, romance, and newfound connections.

The story introduces us to two captivating characters – Bel, her sister's personal trainer with an undeniable crush on the sweet and sensitive carpenter next door, Ren. When Phoebe realizes the potential for love between these two, she offers to play the role of Cupid. What follows is a heartwarming tale of matchmaking and unexpected connections.

The narrative beautifully intertwines love letters, a blossoming friendship with an 82-year-old film star, and Phoebe's own journey of self-discovery and romance. The author masterfully captures the essence of Los Angeles and its unique charm, making it a character in itself.

Phoebe's evolution from a person who's given up on love to someone who finds herself falling not just for the city but also for the allure of love is portrayed with authenticity and warmth. The characters are well-developed, and their emotions feel genuine, making it easy for readers to become emotionally invested in their stories.

Love Me Do is a heartwarming exploration of love in its various forms – romantic, platonic, and the love of a city that captures hearts. It's a reminder that love can be found in the most unexpected places, and that, sometimes, playing Cupid can lead to our own unexpected connections.

For fans of contemporary romance and stories filled with heart and hope, Love Me Do is a must-read. Get ready to be charmed by Phoebe's adventures in the Hollywood Hills and the love stories that unfold amidst the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles.

Rating: 4 / 5⭐️’s

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