Victoria and Oliver's pretend engagement dissolves as their very real chemistry threatens to upend all their carefully laid-out secrets.
If you like Christmas romances that take place during all of the hoopla, but aren't holiday-centric, then Georgia Toffolo's Meet Me in London should go on your TBR (to-be-read) list! This story features a "fake relationship," and yep, you know where this one is headed ... the characters begin to develop feelings for each other, but everything is not coming up roses because there are plenty of obstacles in the way. Oliver Russell is the heir to the Russell and Co. department store fortune, and his family is opening another store in Chelsea. Oliver is heading the project while also battling his mother's attempts to get him settled down with a suitable woman. When Oliver tells his mom that he has a new girlfriend, she insists that she meet the love of his life over the holidays. The only problem is that this new girlfriend doesn't exist. Victoria Scott wants to be a fashion designer, but until that day happens, she is working as a barmaid in Chelsea while dreaming of the clothes she wants to create. Oliver patrons her bar one night, and struck by her stunning good looks, asks her to be his fake fiancée. Victoria agrees under one condition - that she get to stage a fashion show at the Russell and Co. department store opening. Thus begins Oliver and Victoria's fake relationship! The "couple" will have to battle disapproving relatives, secret pasts, and career expectations as they try to make their engagement believable to the world. Can they pull it off without getting their very real feelings tangled up in the midst? As a person who is obsessed with dresses, I really enjoyed the department store and fashion aspects of this novel. The behind the scenes business workings of this book were especially intriguing, and I enjoyed seeing how the opening of Russell and Co. all came together. However, the main focus of this novel - the fake relationship between Oliver and Victoria - was just okay to me. Nothing really stood out to make it memorable, thus I have no strong feelings about it. The romance in this novel felt rather vanilla, which isn't my cup of tea considering I read over 100 books a year - I need stories that stand out in the crowd! That said, this story isn't bad and will absolutely be loved by many - it just didn't feel fresh and compelling to me personally.
Availability: Book; eAudiobook in cloudLibrary
Rating: *** Stars (I liked it) Reviewer: Brooke, Public Relations Librarian
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GENRE: Contemporary Romances; Holiday Romances; Romantic Comedies
THEME: Fake Relationship (Whether to make someone jealous or out of necessity, these characters pretend to fall in love, only to find it feels so real.)
TONE: Heartwarming
WRITING STYLE: Engaging
LOCATION: Chelsea, London, England
SUBJECT: Christmas; Department Stores; Engaged Persons; Family Businesses; Fashion Design; Gender Roe; Infertility; Men/Women Relations; Secrets; Sexual Attraction; Women Bartenders; Women Fashion Designers
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