Meet Me in London: A Novel

by Georgia Toffolo

Overview

“Armchair travelers will adore this tour of Christmastime London…[a] charming rom-com from British reality TV star Georgia Toffolo.” —Publishers Weekly

Fans of Josie Silver's One Day in December and Christina Lauren's In a Holidaze will adore watching Victoria and Oliver's pretend engagement dissolve as their very real chemistry threatens to upend all their carefully laid-out secrets. Set against the most charming London backdrop, Meet Me in London is an irrisistable seasonal treat!

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…?

"An ideal Christmas escape!"—Laura Jane Williams, Bestselling author of Our Stop

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781335459978
Publisher:	Harlequin
Publication date:	09/28/2021
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	620,276
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

GEORGIA TOFFOLO is a UK-based broadcaster and TV personality. She has been a firm favorite with the public since her TV debut on Made in Chelsea, and winning over the hearts of viewers on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! Georgia resides in London with her beloved dog, Monty. Meet Me in London is her first novel.

Editorial Reviews

07/12/2021

A fake engagement between a department store heir and an up-and-coming fashion designer turns all too real in this charming Christmas rom-com from British reality TV star Toffolo (Always Smiling). Oliver Russell’s father is seriously ill, causing his high-strung mother to direct her anxiety at Oliver’s love life. But Oliver’s so busy taking over the family business and fixing the mess his cousin Andrew made by opening a new store in London’s Chelsea neighborhood, that he doesn’t have time to date, let alone marry and produce the requested grandkids. He drunkenly proposes to his local bartender, Victoria Scott, and, after he proves his good-heartedness by following her advice to reach out to the tight-knight Chelsea community, Victoria agrees to be his fake fiancé for the holiday season. Their burgeoning intimacy stirs up Victoria’s insecurities about her infertility in a nuanced subplot that unfortunately goes unresolved after Andrew threatens to reveal this information to Oliver and his parents. Readers will be frustrated that Andrew never receives his comeuppance, but armchair travelers will adore this tour of Christmastime London. Agent: Amanda Harris, YMU Books. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Armchair travelers will adore this tour of Christmastime London…[a] charming rom-com from British reality TV star Georgia Toffolo.” —Publishers Weekly

"Meet Me in London more than lived up to its magical promise.”—Sherryl Woods, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Magnolias series

"A classic romance with the added bonus of a festive feel. I loved the passion, the romantic tension, and the way the characters leapt of the page. An ideal Christmas escape."—Laura Jane Williams, Bestselling author of Our Stop

"A promising start to an engaging series by British TV personality Georgia “Toff” Toffolo."—Booklist

"A fun story for fans of the fake dating trope."—Library Journal

"A fake relationship between a wealthy department store owner and an inventive clothing designer kicks off this charming holiday romance. A cute holiday romance with a keen eye for beloved tropes."—Kirkus Reviews

"Uplifting, romantic and festive – the perfect book to curl up with. I couldn’t put it down"—Rosie Nixon, Editor-in-Chief, HELLO! magazine

"Fresh, fun and full of romance! I loved it!"—Heidi Swain,Sunday Times bestselling author

"The perfect escape… it's like one big warm hug."—Kelly McFarland, editor at CelebMix

‘Warm, funny and engaging, a five-star Christmas treat!"—Karen Clarke, author of The Little French Café series

From the Publisher

08/13/2021

DEBUT This debut romance by British TV personality Toffolo (the first in a series whose second installment, Meet Me in Hawaii, was published in the U.K. in Mar. 2021) stars Victoria Scott, who dreams of being a fashion designer. She's felt stalled since her ex-boyfriend takes that dream (and their work partnership) with him after cheating on her. Nowadays, Victoria spends her time managing a bar and teaching kids about fashion while working on her designs when she can. Oliver Russell is acting as the head of his family's department store franchise, and the company is building a new location in Victoria's London neighborhood. His dad is in poor health, and he will do anything to make his parents happy, even faking a fiancé. After a few chance encounters, Victoria and Oliver strike up a mutually beneficial partnership: Victoria will act as his fake fiancé until the new store opens and Oliver will host a fashion show at the grand opening for Victoria and her students. Victoria opens up Oliver's eyes to what life can be, but she is harboring a secret that she thinks threatens Oliver's life plans. The good news is they get along great, but things get a little too real as they spend more time together. VERDICT A fun story for fans of the fake dating trope.—Ashli Wells, Vanderbilt Univ. Law Lib., Nashville

Library Journal

2021-08-24
A fake relationship between a wealthy department store owner and an inventive clothing designer kicks off this charming holiday romance.

Oliver Russell is a family-oriented man, which is why he feels such pressure to bring a date home for the holidays. Not only would it appease his mother, who wants her only child to get married and produce offspring, but his father is sick and would like to see him settled. Victoria Scott is a passionate fashion designer with an eye for vintage styles, but it doesn't quite pay the bills. For now, her designs are mainly sold online or through friends. That's why Oliver first meets her working as a bar manager to make ends meet while teaching fashion design to underprivileged students. Despite making a disastrous first impression on each other, they soon realize there's mutual benefit to be had. Oliver is helping his cousin rehab the family's grand department store. He needs a tie to the community as a show of good faith and a stand-in girlfriend for opening day. In return, he promises that Victoria can host her students' runway show and showcase her own designs during the celebration. Readers who love a tantalizing slow burn will very much enjoy the pining between Ollie and Victoria. Their well-paced and tender romance feels organic and natural amid the delightful excitement of the upcoming Christmas season. While it's easy to sink into this wintry fantasy, both Ollie and Victoria have baggage that sometimes slows the momentum. At 32, Ollie still feels beholden to his family, letting them goad him into emotional situations he doesn't quite want. Meanwhile, Victoria's fear of relationships comes from an earlier accident that left her unable to bear children. She frequently questions her own womanhood as it relates to pregnancy and often feels less-than when looking for potential romantic partners, a plotline readers should be aware of.

A cute holiday romance with a keen eye for beloved tropes.

Kirkus Reviews