Review of Hot London Nights by Clare Lydon

The good thing about Clare Lydon is that she’s the consummate professional writer and no matter which of her stories you read, you know it’s going to be well-written, entertaining, and romantic. I’ve read most of her work and everything is at least 4-star material. But Hot London Nights is one of her best. I absolutely loved this one.

This is book 7 of the London Romance series, which can be read as standalone novels. There are a few of the characters from the other books that appear in this installment but there are no spoilers so I’d say to jump into this series wherever you fancy, though I recommend them all. In Hot London Nights, TV star India Contelli is looking for a flat in London ready to settle in the city. But she wasn’t expecting to find estate agent Gina Gupta irresistible…

What I love about this book is that there are two love stories for the price of one. The main is between India and Gina but there is little one starring two women in their 70s who were confronted with a very different society when they were young. It’s a great reminder of how lucky we are (at least in the UK) that same-sex relationships are more accepted than ever before.

London is such a cosmopolitan city and it’s cool to see it reflected in this book. Gina Gupta is of Indian descent and Ms. Lydon did a good job in reflecting the differences in culture, food, and family relationships. It made the story much richer and the characters multifaceted.

As you can imagine, London is a big protagonist in this novel. Not only the beautiful sights from the unusual perspective of the rooftops that India loves but also there is a subplot around London Pride which the author describes in all its splendor. This book reminds us of the Summer nights in the city, the river Thames, the bridges, and the different places that make this city one of the most beautiful in the world.

The romance itself is partly sweet, partly hot as hell. The main characters have chemistry in spades and it’s easy to cheer for their happily ever after. I’m glad that their “black moment” even if a bit dramatic, didn’t feel contrived. After all, there are always crazy exes around lesbians. There is also Gina’s business subplot that had a little unexpected twist. I love when authors surprise me and I didn’t see this coming at all but somehow it made sense in the context of the story.

So if you are looking for an enjoyable, romantic and hot story with the beautiful setting of London, then this one is for you. 5 stars.

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.