Review: We Met in December

We Met in December by Rosie Curtis
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this book but it felt like a mish-mash of ideas from various books and films with a plot that only had one premise.

Jess moves to London from her home in Bournemouth after finding her boyfriend is cheating on her with a woman at work. She joins an improbable flatshare in Notting Hill where Becky, a college friend, has inherited a house from her grandparents and rather than sell it for millions she decides to rent rooms to a group of random friends and ex-colleagues at below-market values. Jess moves in to the house in December and is instantly attracted to one of the other tenants, Alex, but Becky has decreed no inter-house relationships.

Alex used to be a lawyer working with Becky but changed career to train as a nurse. Having just come away from a broken relationship he isn't looking for a girlfriend, yet finds himself drawn to Jess. However, a one-night stand with another housemate seems to create an impenetrable divide - will Jess and Alex always be just good friends?

Told over the course of a year in alternating points of view we see Jess and Alex becoming close, very good friends but never becoming involved romantically ...

I have to say that this was Bridget Jones meets Notting Hill meets One Day - but not in a "If you liked that, you'll love this" way but more like I've seen this all before. Jess is in love with Alex practically from the first day and falls deeper in love as they get to know each other. Alex on the other hand has a friends with benefits relationship with their flatmate and doesn't understand why he feels upset that Jess is considering Tinder. Get a clue, mate!

Overall, I felt this was a lovely advertisement for Notting Hill and walking tours of London but the romance left me cold, too many side stories about Jess' mum and nanna, Becky and Jess' friends Sophie and Gen and not enough guts to the Jess and Alex story.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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