3 Stars
This was a cute, light romance read. The characters were all loveable and a lot of fun, I loved Myrna - her dry humour was the best. The last few chapters felt so rushed to me though, especially the last chapter, it all wrapped up way too nicely for my liking and I kind of wish we got more of the story for Samantha. A great summer read for sure though!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!

Phoebe Chapman didn't want to be home in England at the time of her ex's wedding so she travels to Los Angeles for two weeks to visit her sister, Suzanne. Unfortunately, Suzanne has to head out of town immediately on a last-minute business trip but Phoebe soon meets Ren, the handsome carpenter/bird watcher next door, and Bel, her sister's beautiful personal trainer who has a huge crush on Ren. Phoebe who has a way with words agrees to play matchmaker for Bel despite her own feelings for Ren and spends her vacation with the two of them. Phoebe also becomes friends with an elderly recluse on the street who was once a Hollywood starlet. LA was meant to be a relaxing vacation but this trip might be life-changing for Phoebe!

I enjoyed this fun friends to lovers rom-com and especially the nod to Cyrano de Bergerac! There's more than just romance here - the story also touches on family, friendship and toxic relationships plus there's some exploring of the hidden gems of Los Angeles as Bel and Ren take Phoebe to the beach, hiking, and to a Dodgers game so she gets to know the real LA. Loved the British humour and the secondary characters - Phoebe's relationships with Bel, Myrna, and Suzanne are every bit as much fun as the one with Ren.

This is a fun, feel-good read - perfect as a summer beach read or when you need an escape to sunny California!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Canada for sending a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Lindsey Kelk was an author I read a lot of in my 20s so I was excited to get a chance to read an advanced copy of her latest - Love Me Do. Phoebe Chapman has not had the best luck with love lately so she decides to visit her sister abroad in LA. Although her sister has to go on an unexpected worktrip immediately, she is taken under the wing of her sister’s personal trainer, Bel. She also meets the handsome birdwatching carpenter next door, Ren. When Phoebe learns that Bel has a massive crush on Ren, she decides to play matchmaker. Between playing matchmaker and an unexpected friendship with an older retired actress down the road, Phoebe starts to really fall for Los Angeles.

It took me a bit to get into this one, and I was a bit concerned I may have outgrown this author too but I quite enjoyed this one! I absolutely loved Phoebe’s friendship with Myrna. That plot line really hooked me. I would have loved even more of her. She was such a fascinating character. I found myself often irritated by Bel’s character. I don’t think we could be friends, but I appreciated her by the end of the story. And of course Phoebe, I really enjoyed her character and the growth she goes through as the story progresses. I also really enjoyed Ren, he was so shy, sweet and a little old fashioned.

The story was light with lots of heart and humour. I really enjoyed my time with this one!

Thank you to @netgalley & @harpercollins for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! Love Me Do is out on September 5th!

⭐4/5 stars⭐

This was a really fun rom com that had "The Holiday" (movie) vibes. Myrna stole the show for me as the neighbour in her 80's with no filter. She was hilarious, exuded old hollywood, and I needed more from her!

There were many laugh out loud moments and the romance between the two main characters was sweet. I needed a bit more between the sisters, and less Bel.

Overall a cute read that would make a great beach read!

A sweet romance with a Disneyland scene? Lindsey Kelk is speaking my language! I loved this Brit=visits-LA-and-falls-for-the-neighbour story. The female friendships were possibly even better than the main romance (which I loved). I've only read one other book by this author and I'm realizing that I need to change that, because I enjoy her writing style a lot. Great vacation romcom!

This was my first Lindsey Kelk book and I will 100% be back for more. Our MC Phoebe hits all the right notes for me - funny, caring, a bit in over her head. I'm also a sucker for a fish out of water story and watching Phoebe's L.A. experience unfold is a joy.

The romance with Ren is sweet and charming, but I really loved the relationships between the women of the story. Myrna forever!

What a fun, fun, travel fling, neighbors romance!

I have a number of Lindsey Kelk’s books in my audio library that have been waiting a while for me… but this is the first one I’ve read. What a great place to start - a fantastic storyline and beautiful writing. I even managed to forget it was a clean romance (though more and more of the books I pick up lately tend to be).

I loved the tropes that kept piling on top of each other here - Phoebe takes a holiday from England to LA to visit her sister, and when her sis has to spend most of the trip up in Seattle, she befriends the neighbor Ren. He’s restoring his grandfather’s house so his brother can sell it. She also befriends a neighbor down the road when delivering mail that came to the wrong address, who turned out to be a long-ago movie star. And Bel, the personal trainer who keeps showing up, becomes her bud and personal LA tour guide, falls in love at first sight with are.

Phoebe has a brilliant time helping Bel get Ren to notice and date her, basically using some Cyrano techniques… eventually her sister returns but Phoebe has to go back to England, right after the big party her new friend is planning - there’s just so much going on here and it’s a fantastic thrill ride! I didn’t want to put it down because I had to find out if Phoebe and Ren would figure themselves out and take Bel out of the equation or keep being silly about what they all felt… even if she was only visiting for a couple weeks.

A great read and I highly recommend it to all romance readers! I need to go read the other books I own right away now!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and HarperCollins Canada, and this is my honest feedback.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
This was adorable. It’s a very cute, friends-to-lovers romcom with a happily ever after. There was so much great chemistry between the characters and the writing was superb! I loved this so much. Nothing felt forced or one dimensional. It’s a very easy binge read and a great book to read for the summer. Gives off mega beach vibes. It’s also a feel-good novel that discusses putting oneself first and personal growth.

*I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

DNF @ 41%

While I liked the premise of this book, the beginning is very slow going and as of the 41% mark I felt no chemistry between the characters or any investment in them. I also didn't really like the FMC, Phoebe. I can definitely see how this book would appeal to other audiences though, this is just my opinion/experience.

**Thank you to Harper 360, HarperCollins & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own.*

During her two-week trip to LA, Phoebe unexpectedly becomes a matchmaker for her sister's friend Bel and the appealing new neighbor, Ren. What takes her by surprise, however, is her gradual romantic feelings for Ren, which she realizes only when she's already emotionally invested.
Getting into this book was was a challenge for me. I anticipated a fun, beachy, summer rom-com based on the gorgeous cover, but it came across more as women’s fiction, which wasn't what I was in the mood for. I had to push through the first quarter, and it just didn’t get better. Despite the presence of romance, the premise revolved around Phoebe setting up Bel with Ren, despite her own feelings for him. Phoebe and Ren shared a few moments where their mutual attraction was evident, yet Phoebe was merely a visitor, and Ren was committed to Bel, leading to a tangle of emotions.

The story felt predictable and lacked innovation to me. Certain elements closely resembled scenes from the movie "The Holiday,” and in comparison, I found the movie more enjoyable. The impersonation trope, which, for me, is almost as bad as miscommunication, turned me off. I found it really cheesy :(

The characters presented a mix of positives and negatives for me. I found Phoebe cute and funny, but her choices were cringy. Ren came across as a nice guy, and his shared interest in bird watching with Phoebe, was random but endearing. However, I found Bel to be quite annoying. I didn't appreciate how she forcefully inserted herself into situations.
I am disappointed that I didn't like this one, as all the reviews are so positive! I will try to give this author another chance. I see she has a popular Christmas book that I have yet to check out.

💕 A easy binge read that is adorable, fun, entertaining and totally swoon worthy for summertime! A perfect book to bring with you to the beach or on vacation! 💕

This book also IS total “The Holiday” vibes with its British MC flying to the Hollywood Hills to stay at her sister’s mansion! She befriends a Hollywood starlet that lives on the same street just like in the movie with Kate Winslet and Arthur!

With themes of personal growth, empowerment and putting yourself first, this book is definitely a FEEL GOOD read!

Thank you kindly to Lindsey Kelk and Harper Collins Canada for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on September 5, 2023!

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
*********************************************************
She’s written the perfect romance . . . for someone else

Greeting card copywriter Phoebe Chapman knows a good romantic line or two—and it makes her a fantastic Cupid.

So, when she lands in the Hollywood Hills—a place that proves film stars, golden beaches and secret waterfalls don’t just exist in the movies—she can’t resist playing matchmaker for her handsome neighbour, carpenter Ren. But you can’t hide from love in La La Land.

And isn’t there something a little bit hot about Ren, her own leading man next door?

An excellent premise lead to a wonderfully readable book – Phoebe is funny and adorable and Ren may be a fixer-upper (truth be told) but their relationship as she matchmakes him out is adorable. A lovely little chick-lit book that I will recommend to its genre-lovers far and wide. #shortbutsweetreviews

I had difficulty with the pacing of this book. It was fast and not enough at the same time. I don't know how to explain it. I didn't like the main character and had difficulties staying focus in the story.

I DNF at 25%.

A character driven family drama with a side of romance is how I would describe this one.

I found (probably with good intention) that some of the characters were infuriating and some I loved. Mostly I wished for more Myrna and less Bel.

Just a quick read, and I liked it just fine but not one I'll remember in a few weeks.

I would like to try the Christmas wish by the same author as so many have told me I should have started with that one!

I love it when my rom coms actually make me laugh out loud! Lindsey Selk is a master of the rom com! Wanted to finish this one so I’d see how they worked out there happily ever after but I didn’t want it to end. The perfect summer romance!!!

ARC Review: Love Me Do by Lindsey Kelk

She’s written the perfect romance…for someone else

☀️ close proximity
🌴 LA setting
❤️ insta love

Phoebe is a greeting card copywriter who hasn’t yet experienced the romance she writes about 📝 While on vacation she meets her sister’s hot neighbour, Ren, who is the whole package. She’s convinced herself it’s definitely just a crush.

I loved loved loved the characters! Myrna is such a legend 😂 This was a refreshing read and made me want to take my own little adventure! 🥾

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Canada for this enjoyable ARC!

4.3⭐️

In its essence, Love Me Do is a modern day gender-swapped Cyrano de Bergerac meeting the romantic classic The Holiday. It’s an insta-love, “friends”-to-lovers, Hollywood glam love story. It’s a cute summer read, though it didn’t feel like the most original story. 3.5 stars

Love Me Do follows Phoebe, a greeting card copywriter from England, visiting her sister in the Hollywood Hills for a two week holiday. After her sister leaves town for a work emergency, Phoebe is left alone in her sister’s fabulous LA home. She quickly gets swept up in a world of extravagant characters; her sister’s bubbly personal trainer, Bel, her beyond handsome neighbour Ren, and the majestic, yet reclusive, former film star, Myrna.

After learning Bel “has feelings” for Ren, Phoebe decides to play matchmaker and lends Bel her words to sweep Ren off his feet. What could go wrong?

Overall, Love Me Do is a sweet story about healing and opening yourself up to new experiences. The female friendships shone, while I found the romance taking a back seat. I do wish we had a little more time with Phoebe and Ren (no offence to the man, but he was just kind of there).

Thank you HarperCollins Canada and NetGalley for an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review. Love Me Do is already out in the UK and releases in North America on September 5th.

Book Review
Love Me Do by Lindsey Kelk

Phoebe- healing herself from an emotionally abusive ex and the loss of her grandmother, Phoebe is full of self doubt… she is also a people pleaser who goes along with the flow of things without stopping to think what she wants for herself

Ren- wood working, bird watcher who is shy and quiet (he actually took a back seat for me, he was just meh)

Bel- hated her at the beginning - just too over the top positive, peppy …ugh. She redeemed herself though- I believe this was the authors intention- don’t underestimate her

Suze- loved her interactions with her sister and Bel, also wanted more from her… I feel like the author teased a bigger more complex character that what the reader saw on the page

Myrna- the star of this book, I wanted more of her

Overall
I thought this was more of a character driven family type drama than a romance
Sure it was lighter, full of humour and funny scenes but it was the womens relationships with each-other that was the highlight for me

Thank you to @netgalley and @harpercollins for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

This book is one of the funniest things I have ever read and made so many five star pop culture references but unfortunately these didn’t make up for the utterly ridiculous plot and lack of flow. I think lots of people are going to love this but I’m not one of them. Glad I read it but I like my reads to be a little more realistic and relatable.

This was a summery delight. I've read plenty of books set in LA, but something about this escape into the Hollywood Hills felt different; more intimate and soft. I loved it.

It follows Phoebe Chapman during her brief visit from England to stay with her sister. But instead Phoebe finds herself alone in a beautiful home and roped into a matchmaking scheme between Bel, her sister's personal trainer, and the handsome bird-obsessed man next door, Ren.

And of course feelings get gloriously muddled in the process! I'd say the romance is more of a subplot, but it was super sweet while also bringing an opportunity for Phoebe to reflect on healing from a previous abusive relationship. Considering the timeline, their relationship develops fast, but I don't know—it worked for me! I loved their sentimental appreciation for love letters.

Ren was great, BUT the friendships were truly the star of this story for me! Not only between Phoebe and Bel, who was the epitome of sunshine and butterflies, but also between Phoebe and Myrna, a crotchety eighty-two-year-old former movie star. I could have read an entire story following only these three ladies. So many laughs!