Goodreads says, "What do you do when your fake engagement starts to feel too real… Aspiring clothes designer Victoria Scott spends her days working in a bar in Chelsea and her evenings designing vintage clothes, dreaming of one day opening her own boutique. But these aspirations are under threat from the new department store opening at the end of her road. She needs a Christmas miracle, but one is not forthcoming. Oliver Russell’s Christmas is not looking very festive right now. His family’s new London department store opening is behind schedule, and on top of that his interfering, if well-meaning, mother is pressing him to introduce his girlfriend to her over the holidays—a girlfriend who does not exist. He needs a diversion…something to keep his mother from meddling while he focuses on the business. When Oliver meets Victoria, he offers a proposition: pretend to be his girlfriend at the opening of his store and he will provide an opportunity for Victoria to showcase her designs. But what starts as a business arrangement soon becomes something more tempting as the fake relationship starts to feel very real. But when secrets in Victoria’s past are exposed, will Oliver walk away, or will they both follow their hearts and find what neither knew they were looking for…?"
Oliver Russell, at first glance, has it all. His family owns department stores and have aquired a lot of wealth. The one thing he doesn't have is a girlfriend and his parents, who aren't getting any younger (plus, his dad is sick), would love for him to bring home a girlfriend for the holidays. He is their only child and sometimes Oliver really feels the pressure to settle once and for all. When at a local bar, he meets Victoria, an aspiring fashion designer, who teaches fashion design to children and works at the bar to pay her bills. Despite their initial meeting which was less than stellar, he realizes that he could use Victoria's help. He needs someone in the community to help him open the department store and who better than Victoria? He can showcase her students' fashion designs as well as her own at the store's opening. This opportunity is too good to turn down for Victoria, so she takes on the job of not only helping Oliver with the department store, but also as his stand-in girlfriend. She knows she could benefit from this "relationship" immensely. As Victoria spends more time with Oliver, she comes to realize he is more than just some rich guy and perhaps there is a genuine connection between them. Fans of the fake relationship trope will enjoy Meet Me in London by Georgia Toffolo.
Victoria is a complex character in Meet Me in London. She has a lot of baggage that stems from a car accident that left her infertile. She can't seem to get over this aspect of her life and it's a difficult pill for her to swallow. My heart went out to her as this is a sensitive topic and she often comes back to it and makes references to feeling less than. I do think this difficult topic could have been fleshed out more by Toffolo as this is what holds her back emotionally. Then there's Oliver who at first seems like your basic rich guy; however, he also has some baggage that stems from his family. Even though he is in his thirties, he still feels like he owes his parents something and feels pressured to live up to their expectations as the only child. Plus, add on his father's serious illness and you have got one heck of a guilt trip.
If you love the fake relationship trope and a slow burn romance, then you'd appreciate Meet Me in London. I thought overall Oliver and Victoria's relationship felt authentic and I was definitely sucked in. This trope worked for me, especially in a holiday romance as it felt very much like a Hallmark movie.
Also, I love the setting of London during the holidays in Meet Me in London. I do wish Toffolo would have incorporated more of this, but what she did include was still very enjoyable. Fans of holiday romances won't be disappointed.
Are you a fan of holiday romances? Is Meet Me in London on your holiday TBR list? Let me know in the comments below.
I have a copy of this one, but I just haven't gotten to it yet! Sounds like a great read!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to your thoughts on it! Thanks for visiting, Angela!
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