Lockdown on London Lane, by Beth Reekles, takes place at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, following five parallel narratives all taking place in the same apartment building that has been locked down for 7 days after someone living there tested positive.
One storyline follows Ethan, a YouTuber and Twitch streamer whose girlfriend was visiting her parents when the building went into lockdown, meaning that he was trapped in the building and she outside the building for the duration of the quarantine. It’s primarily dealing with him missing her and realizing how much he values her presence in his life. Their storyline is absolutely adorable, though not much happens in it until about halfway through the book. I started out not really caring, but, by the end, it was far and away one of my favorite of the book’s subplots.
Another follows Imogen and Nate, who had had a one-night stand and are then trapped together after knowing basically nothing about each other. Imogen has always been very chaotic and free-spirited, and definitely isn’t looking for any sort of relationship, while Nate had never done anything like a one-night stand before. Their conflicting personalities are definitely really fun to read about, and I absolutely adore this opposites-attract romance.
A third plot-line follows Isla and Danny, who’ve been dating for a month. While it’s going well and they both feel serious about the relationship, they definitely aren’t prepared for being thrown together for a week. The main focus of this storyline is Isla’s struggle with still feeling as if she has to maintain a facade of perfection for Danny, that they aren’t far enough into their relationship yet for her to show him anything but the most polished version of herself. Their struggling to work around each other and eventual growth to working with each other was really well-developed and enjoyable to read.
An additional storyline follows Liv, who held a wedding preparation party for her best friend, Kim, for whom she’s the maid of honor, which results in her getting trapped with Kim, who is a huge Bridezilla, and the two other bridesmaids in her one-bedroom apartment for the duration of the quarantine. The main focus of this storyline is on her friendship with Kim and the strain that the wedding is putting on both of them, but her romance with one of the other bridesmaids is also a key part. I really wanted to love this storyline, but I just didn’t think that the romance aspect was developed well; I’m usually willing to make all sorts of excuses for wlw romances because I’ll take whatever representation I can get, but it really should have been fleshed out a bit more. I did enjoy the friendship aspect of this though. Regardless, this was probably my least favorite of the storylines; it was still good, just not as good as the others were.
The fifth storyline follows Zach and Serena, who have been dating for four years and had already been living together for a while at the start of the lockdown. Their relationship is already a bit strained at the beginning of the book, but constantly being around each other only emphasizes this and makes Serena start to have doubts about how well they really know each other, and whether they’re actually feasible as a long-term couple. This story is definitely the most emotional and realistic of the subplots in the book, taking a strikingly different tone from the rest of them. However, I still believe that it’s a vital part of the story; the book at its core is exploring the effects that that isolation can have on people at different stages in their lives and relationships, and it can’t effectively do that if it acts entirely positive all of the time.
The way in which this book explores couples at five different stages of their relationship is really interesting and well done’; every couple’s dynamic is unique and flawed and well-developed, never feeling contrived or unrealistic. Reekles’ exploration of the ways in which the lockdown (and resulting extended time in close proximity) played out in a different way for each pair is definitely the most interesting aspect of the book. and makes the story greater than any of its individual parts.
The only criticism I have is that the pacing feels a little off sometimes; each storyline has its individual rises and falls, so there will inevitably be times where one character’s POV will be really slow, which is usually balanced by an eventful chapter for another character immediately after. However, there were definitely a few parts of the book that felt like a definite lull, which I think could have been an easy fix with some light reshuffling. However, those few moments definitely weren’t too noticeable, and, while the book is definitely character-driven, it isn’t slow overall in any respect.
It really did feel a bit like being transported back to the start of the pandemic. Kim’s wedding worries, references to Animal Crossing and stores running out of toilet paper, and the overall atmosphere of being unsure how life would play out even from one week to another are all well-represented. I particularly appreciated the care that Reekles took to capture the elevating state of worry about the pandemic over the course of the week as situations developed rapidly. It’s really well handled, and used as much more than simply a plot device for forcing the couples into extended proximity, though the various relationship dynamics are still very much at the heart of the book. Regardless, if it still feels too soon for you to read anything pandemic-themed, this is probably not the book for you at this moment.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Each of the storylines felt balanced, realistic, unique, and well-developed, and I was really attached to almost all of the characters and situations. Reekles handles each couple’s dynamics and issues really skillfully; everybody feels human and three-dimensional, which is something that takes a lot of skill. It’s a book about humanity, and love across a variety of stages. My only qualm in recommending it would be if somebody is completely uninterested in reading anything dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic because it feels too real. because it is definitely a presence and important backdrop for the characters’ development in the novel. Otherwise, I would enthusiastically recommend it to anybody who loves contemporary romances, or who is looking to see romances depicted in a realistic way.
Lockdown on London Lane comes out on February 1, 2022, so definitely check it out if you’re interested!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
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