This book was just not for me. It was very hard for me to get into the book until the 20% mark. The romance is sweet but felt kind of flat and I feel like Phoebe and Ren barely spent any time together. Phoebe and Ren did not confess their feelings for each other until close to the end of the book. And then after spending the night together, Phoebe just leaves the next morning with her deciding to end things before it even becomes something. The ending felt rushed and didn’t tie up loose ends with her job and another character in the book.

Loved this story of Phoebe from England visiting her sister in LA. Phoebe arrives to discover her sister has to immediately head out for a work trip. Alone in a new town, she finds new friends that end up more like family, including an old movie star with an amazing house just down the street. It was fun to read about some of the cultural differences through Phoebe’s eyes. I enjoyed all of the characters in this fresh and delightful story! I’m going to explore Lindsey Kelk’s backlist and keep an eye out for future books by her.

Love Me Do is out September 5th! Thank you Netgalley and Harper 360 for my e-arc!

This book is the quintessential feel good #summerread.

The relationships between the characters were well written and @lindseykelk stacked the tropes sooooo perfectly. Nothing felt like it was trying to hard and was a great binge read.

I also appreciated the strong “The Holiday” with with Kate Winslet vibes (best movie ever).

Thank you to @netgalley and @harpercollins for the ARC of this books for an honest review. Grab your copy on September 5!

Lindsey Kelk is clearly a very talented writer. With a strong beginning, I was able to get into the story right away, but the pacing after that felt off. This was a sloooooow burn. Phoebe and Ren don't get together until the 90% mark. So even though their romance should have been building for a long time (like, the whole book), the ending felt rushed and insta-lovey. I think it was a good fiction read, but the romance was so underwhelming (and the romance is what I read it for!). The romance doesn't do the ADORABLE cover justice, in my opinion.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

Love Me Do Lindsey Kelk

I loved me this book! I have never read anything by Lindsey Kelk but I will be reading her other books shortly.

I really enjoyed all the characters in this book. Every. single. one. How often does that happen?

I think there are some great lessons to learn from this book. It wasn't so much a romance, but the book has spice and a love story. I really loved the book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harpers Collins, and Lindsey Kelk for the e-ARC. This review is my own opinion.

I normally love Lindsey Kelk’s books. They are cute and funny and easy to sink into. This one stressed me out. The secrets and lies were just too much for me. It’s absolutely a me thing and not a her thing.

This was not holding my attention, it wasnt bad, just a lot of characters and little actual relationship development so far, just a bunch of sise plot points. We're introduced to Phoebe, whose planned vacation to visit her sister in LA is turned upside down when her sister has to leave for a work emergency. But Phoebe quickly bonds with her sisters personal trainer Bel, who just so happens to be hopelessly in love with her hot neighbor Ren. But as Phoebe tries to help hype up her new friend, she grows closer to Ren. This is a tangled web story with lots of back and forth and it just isn't working for me.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Set in LA, but featuring a British main character, this story has a lot of The Holiday film vibes and I Heart New York (also by Lindsey) feels, with plenty of uniqueness all its own.

I love a British main character new to the US, it’s an experience I can totally relate to and I soak that up. Phoebe is a greeting card writer visiting her sister in LA. The sister has to unexpectedly leave for work, so Phoebe’s alone in this LA mansion for her holiday. But she’s not alone for long! There’s hot neighbor, Ren, Bel, her sister’s trainer, and a mysterious and reclusive octogenarian neighbor. By the first week of her holiday, Phoebe’s matchmaking Ren and Bel and developing a friendship with a queen of old Hollywood. I read this last month over the course of a day, totally immersed in this happy, escapist, funny story.


Thank you to Harper Collins and Net Galley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

One of my top reads of the year!

Phoebe travels from her lack luster life in the UK to visit her older sister in LA. There, she finds friendship, Hollywood royalty, a new type of relationship with her sister, and love all while realizing how special LA really is.

My heart broke when I finished reading this book. There is something so special about Lindsey Kelk's writing. Each scene is developed with such humor that I found myself laughing out loud the whole time. I honestly have't laughed this much reading in a long time. The pop culture references, one-liners, and downright quirky humor had me rolling. I want to be friends with Phoebe. I felt so much of my own humor in her. I could read about her all day long and not be bored. Hand down, one of my favorite FMCs. Ever.

But, this book isn't just a showcase for Phoebe. All of the side characters were unique and so well drawn out. Myrna, the faded Hollywood actress (Shirley McLaine in my head) is so deadpan yet wise. Ren, the hot, bird-loving neighbor is adorable. Bel, the ditzy wanna be actress is nice, ditzy to a T. Suzanne is the older sister we all want: fierce, independent, and accepting. They all come together to tell this modern day Cyrano de Bergerac.

Beyond the comedy, Kelk tackles the large issue of being mentally abused within a relationship. She does it with such care and your heart breaks for Phoebe and what she still has to go through to gain back some confidence from a previous relationship. Some of the best books and movies are able to tell a series story, like this, but also allow the humor to pour through. This book did that in spades! This is not one to miss.

-letters
-helping someone with love
-Old Hollywood

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted copy. My reviews are always honest.

I recently had the pleasure of reading Love Me Do by Lindsay Kelk, and it truly captivated my heart. This delightful rom-com had me chuckling, swooning, and even cringing at times. The irresistible banter between the characters kept me hooked from beginning to end.

Lindsay’s writing style is charming and engaging, making it difficult to put the book down. The storyline follows Phoebe, whose hilarious and relatable narration had me laughing out loud. From awkward encounters to unexpected twists, Love Me Do is a rollercoaster of emotions, ensuring there’s never a dull moment.

I couldn’t help but fall in love with the well-developed characters. Each one was unique, bringing their own quirks and dynamics to the story. But must admit Myrne was my favorite!

As a fan of romance novels, Love Me Do certainly exceeded my expectations. Lindsay’s ability to blend humor, romance, and a hint of awkwardness made this book an absolute joy to read. I found myself emotionally invested in Phoebe’s journey, eagerly rooting for her happiness.

Overall, Love Me Do is a delightful and entertaining read that I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone seeking a feel-good romantic comedy. Lindsay’s talent for crafting engaging stories, memorable characters, and witty dialogue has certainly won me over. I eagerly await her future works and declare her as one of my favorite authors.

I’ve always enjoyed the British rom com writing of Lindsey Kelk. She’s a must read author for me. In Love Me Do, she takes her story to LA but peppered with British flair. Phoebe comes to visit her sister after a tough breakup. Her sister immediately leaves on a business trip, leaving Phoebe to meet her friends and neighbors on her own. Enter sexy Ren, trainer Bel, and a wealthy faded actress. Will Phoebe return to her old life after her holiday or realize the sun really is brighter in LA?

This wonderfully written book was such a blast to read and had me laughing my head off the entire way! Great characters and a great plot line. I only wish there was an epilogue!

Thank you so much @HarperCollins for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 05 September 2023)

SYNOPSIS | Phoebe is visiting her sister in LA for two weeks in the hopes of forgetting about her toxic ex & his upcoming wedding, however her workaholic sister takes an emergency business trip leaving her to fend for herself for the majority of this time. She grudgingly meets her sisters personal trainer (Bel), as she forgot to cancel her morning workout, & swoon-worthy next door neighbor (Ren) who take her under their wing & show her the hidden gems of Los Angeles.

WHAT I LIKED:
- Phoebe's humor is exactly my cup of tea & there was several scoff out loud moments (& several excellent one-liners!)
- the whole cast of wonderful secondary characters
- the Twilight references
- overall I just had a really lovely low-stakes enjoyable time reading this. It'd make a perfect pool side read.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- I didn't think there was enough interactions between Phoebe & Ren to warrant dropping the "I love you" after two weeks of knowing each other
- golden retriever love interest energy

A fast fun read. All Phoebe wanted to do when she landed in Los Angeles from the Uk was to have a good long visit with her sister- but it turns out that Suzanne is taking off that night for a work crisis in Seattle, leaving Phoebe to, she thinks to spend time alone. HA! Almost immediately she meets Ren, the hot neighbor (who doesn't seem to acknowledge it) who loves birds. And then she's woken by the arrival of Bel, Suzanne's trainer who takes her on a voyage of discovery through LA. Bel's got a lot of jobs to keep her going while she waits for her acting break including as a mermaid at a kid's party. She's also reduced to a pile of hair whenever she's close to Ren who she swears she's in love with. And then there's the reclusive and incredibly wealthy neighbor Myrne, a retired movie star. If you've read Kelk you know that this is a romp with lots of humor and heart and if you haven't read her- well you're in for a treat. And there's a happy ending. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Made me smile.

It’s been a while since a book took me this long to get through. I didn’t feel motivated to find out what happened next. I was not super invested in the characters. Somehow the connection between them (all of the characters, not just Phoebe with Ren) was lackluster. Honestly the main reason why I gave this three stars, and not two, is because the last 20% of the book was actually quite good. It just is unfortunate that the first 80% wasn’t…

Love Me Do
Lindsey Kelk
Pub Date: September 5, 2023

Love me Do is the PERFECT lighthearted, feel-good summer read! This was my first book by Lindsey Kelk, and I’ve already added some of her other books to my shelf!

I absolutely adored Phoebe and thought she was so relatable and genuine. Some of my favorite books have characters like Phoebe, and I thought her character development was just perfect! Myrna was another one of my favorites. As an 80-something ex-actress, she was just a vibe!

Read If You Like:
💖Friends to Lovers
💖Amazing Characters
💖Love Letters
💖LA Setting
💖Slow burn

Thank you Harper 360, Lindsey Kelk and NetGalley for a #gifted copy of Love Me Do!

Posted on Goodreads on August 29, 2023: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- September 5, 2023: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on September 5, 2023
**-will post on designated date

I wanted to love this book so much and I DID but there was definitely something missing that could have made it an easy 5-star read.

Main character, Phoebe writes greeting cards for a living and when she was presented with an opportunity to help her bestie Bel with writing a love letter, she was thrilled. The love letter was out-of-the-park phenomenal and made Ren fall for Bel. Only problem for Phoebe? She was quickly falling for Ren. She was pouring her own feelings into these heartfelt letters.

We can’t ignore the fact that through the entire book, it was so blatantly obvious that Phoebe and Ren belonged together. They were two peas in a pod and had super similar interests. I wanted to see MORE. Bel and Ren had nothing in common and their interactions were kind of awkward. I feel like the author could have made at least half the story about Phoebe and Ren finally realizing their feelings for each other rather than just a chapter or two at the end. I wanted to see what they would have been like completely in love with each other in LA.

Which leads me to the setting. There is something so magical about LA. I find the fame and fortune of Hollywood so exciting as someone who lives on the east coast and has never ventured out that way. There was mention of many A-list celebs and Erewhon which was so on trend. The author absolutely had me with the setting but the plot could have been better.

This is a 3.5 star for me. Phoebe spends 2 weeks dealing with a whirlwind romance, friendships & the mess that is Los Angeles. Super cute romance- we’re setup with an obvious love triangle from the beginning & we have to wait for Phoebe to be with Ren. I mean, we had to WAIT. Loved Suzanne and Myrna, I appreciated when they took away from Bel‘s page time- I found her insufferable. It got a bit slow for me towards the end. Phoebe and Ren getting together felt a bit rushed and sort of like an afterthought, it wasn’t a totally satisfying coming together. But the book was well-written, very funny- I loled a lot. Overall, a fun read.

Unfortunately I could not get into it. Don’t get me wrong, the cover is adorable and the premise sounded interesting but I just couldn’t connect with the characters as much as I wanted to. So in the end I had to DNF this one.

Love Me Do by Lindsey Kelk
Release Date: September 5th
5/5 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I have read books by Lindsey Kelk in the past, specifically In Case You Missed It, and I very much enjoyed her style of writing. Once I saw she had a new book, I knew I wanted to read it.

Phoebe Chapman needs to get away for a little while, and what better place than LA for a long awaited reunion with her sister. However, within hours, Phoebe is alone as her sister is called away on an extended business trip. No matter, she can read and relax and entertain herself. Enter Ren: her sister’s beyond handsome next door neighbor. There’s one catch, her sister’s friend is in love with Ren, and now Phoebe finds herself playing Cupid to the first guy she’s been attracted to in years.

I have to say, I always love a modern retelling of a classic tale, and this one gives off serious Cyrano vibes. This is done very well, as you can clearly see the author’s inspiration, but she makes it fully her own. I found the writing and characters witty, charming and engaging, especially Myrna, another neighbor, but this one a classic movie star. I have a mild obsession with Old Hollywood, so I loved her addition to the story. I would recommend this book to any rom com lover and will happily read it again soon!