I See London by Chanel Cleeton

I See London by Chanel Cleeton
Release Date: February 3, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Pages: 319
Series: I See London #1
Review Source: eARC from InkSlinger PR

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Maggie Carpenter is ready for a change— and to leave her ordinary life in South Carolina behind. But when she accepts a scholarship to the International School in London, a university attended by the privileged offspring of diplomats and world leaders, Maggie might get more than she bargained for.

When Maggie meets Hugh, a twentysomething British guy, she finds herself living the life she always wanted. Suddenly she’s riding around the city in a Ferrari, wearing borrowed designer clothes and going to the hottest clubs. The only problem? Another guy, the one she can’t seem to keep her hands off of.

Half French, half Lebanese, and ridiculously wealthy, Samir Khouri has made it clear he doesn’t do relationships. He’s the opposite of everything Maggie thought she wanted…and he’s everything she can’t resist. Torn between her dream guy and the boy haunting her dreams, Maggie has to fight for her own happy ending. In a city like London, you never know where you stand, and everything can change in the blink of an eye.

My Thoughts:
I fell for this book very quickly. I loved the characters, the voice, and the setting. I always enjoy books set in London, and I See London gives readers a great feel for the city, while also showing us little bits of France and Italy.

I found Maggie to be a relatable character. She’s studious, and throughout high school she put academics ahead of other things. This means she doesn’t have a ton of experience with guys, but with starting college in a new country, she finds herself wanting to make friends and go out. I loved seeing Maggie’s eyes opening as she explored London and made friends from all over the world. She really grew as a person as she met all these people who came from such different circumstances than what she’s used to.

Maggie’s romantic entanglements are a large part of the plot of I See London I definitely preferred one guy over the other, and I’m sure most people would agree with me, but I’ll let you guess which guy that is. The chemistry between these two is just completely off the charts. I kept internally screaming at them to get their shit together, because they make such a lovely pair. There’s flirting and romantic tension, but also a completely sweet friendship that you can see should clearly become more.

The book ends not necessarily on a cliffhanger, but it does leave readers up in the air as to how Maggie’s love life will end up. The book shows us a great first year of university for Maggie, with her exploring her boundaries in a new place and exploring who she wants to be. We get closure on what (or who) Maggie wants, but it’s unclear how it will all work out. Needless to say, I’m incredibly excited for the sequel, London Falling, to release this July.

I read a lot of books, and I’ve read a lot of New Adult books that blend together, but weeks after reading it, I can still remember I See London vividly. I can still recollect the emotions it created in me. This, to me, is what makes a strong book: being able to hang on to the feelings it gave you, making you excited about the book when you remember the reading experience. I See London is a great addition to the New Adult category.

The Cover:
Not bad.

Rating:
[Strong 4/5]

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