Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Wanderlust Wednesday: Books Set in England


Since June marks the 2-year anniversary of my big UK/European adventure, I'm feeling nostalgic...and I'm also feeling the need to read alllll the books with settings of places I love. For the next three weeks, I'll be recommending books set in each of the countries I visited: England, France, and Italy. I love travelling vicariously through stories when I can't actually travel myself, and I know I'm not the only one, so I hope you'll enjoy these lists!

First up: England. If you know me at all, you'll know I'm obsessed with London. If I find out a book is set there, I can't wait to get my grabby little hands on it!


  • A Brit on the Side (Castle Calder #1) and A Brit Unexpected (Castle Calder #2) by Brenda St John Brown ~Set at Castle Calder (which is, sadly, fictional), these books are so much fun. I especially love the second book since the main character is British and uses some hilariously creative 'Britishisms'. Brenda revealed recently in her Facebook reader group that the third book in the series takes place mostly in London - as if I wasn't excited enough to read it, now I'm doubly excited!  
  • London Belongs to Me by Jacquelyn Middleton ~ From the moment I heard about this book and saw the beautiful cover, I knew it was meant for me. People on Instagram even kept recommending it to me, knowing I love London and I'm a total nerd. I loved Alex's journey - both her physical one through London, and her mental and emotional one. As someone with anxiety, I appreciated seeing Alex's realistic struggles with anxiety and panic attacks, but the story was so much more than that. It was about friendship, finding yourself, and learning to stand up for yourself and be strong. It was also super nerdy and made my little fangirl heart very happy. I can't wait for the sequel, London, Can You Wait?
  • London Belongs to Us by Sarra Manning ~ I actually just finished this book last night and it became an instant favourite. From early on, I could see why it was dubbed 'a love letter to London'. This book is a whirlwind ride through the city, taking place in the span of twelve action-packed hours. I laughed so much through this book, and fell even more in love with London.
  • Every Word (Every #2) by Ellie Marney ~ The Every trilogy (one of my favourite series ever, a modern-day Sherlock tale) is set in Australia, but in the second book, Every Word, they travel to London and spend most of the book there, which I loved. I read this book shortly after I came back from Europe, and there's one scene in particular where Rachel goes out into the city, and I knew exactly where she was going before she said. I was so thrilled! 
  • Falling in Love With English Boys by Melissa Jensen ~ I read this book ages ago and loved it. It's one of those books I have a feeling I'd feel differently about now (mostly because my reading tastes have changed and I've become a more critical reader), so I'd like to reread it and see if it holds up to my memories of it.
  • Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill ~ This is actually the opposite of the previous book. I read it ages ago and was fairly meh about it. So many of my reader friends loved it, so I wondered if it was a case of the right book at the wrong time (plus I read an ARC and it was riddled with mistakes, which turned me off a bit). This is another book I'd like to reread, but in the hopes of enjoying it more the second time around.  
  • Londontown: A Photographic Tour of the City's Delights by Susannah Conway ~ A lovely photo book by photographer/blogger/creative person extraordinaire Susannah Conway, which divides the city into North, South, East, and West, and showcases some of the lesser-known parts of London as well as famous attractions. Besides the beautiful photographs, it also includes a handy little guide of the closest tube stops to the areas Susannah photographs.   
  • Never Kiss a Man in Christmas Jumper by Debbie Johnson ~ I read this book this past winter and it was just as cute and funny as I hoped it would be. Set in Oxford, this one is a change of pace from the London-set books, but just as enjoyable. 
  • I See London (International School #1) by Chanel Cleeton ~ A story about a young woman who leaves her ordinary life in the US to attend a university in London where most of the students are children of rich and powerful people. 
  • Coming Down (Love in London #1) by Carrie Elks ~ This is a really intense second-chance romance that deals with some serious issues. 
  • Unwrapping Her Perfect Match (London Legends #3.5) by Kat Latham ~ This is a novella in the London Lads series, about a team of rugby players. I haven't read the other books in this series, but after reading this funny, sexy story, I have the others on my TBR.

Speaking of my TBR...here are a few books set in London that I hope to read soon:
  • Firelight (Darkest London #1) by Kristen Callihan
Be sure to check back next week because I'll be sharing recommendations for books set in France!

What are some of your favourite books set in England? Have you read any of the books on my TBR and think I should bump them up? Have any recommendations for books set in England (especially London)?

2 comments:

  1. I really liked the International School books. Act Like it was so fun. I really want to read the second book. Have you read Letting in Light by Emma Davies? It is set on an English country estate, and is a wonderful story.
    Sam @ WLABB

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  2. I usually avoid books set in the UK, being from the UK myself, because I'm always worried they won't be accurate. I guess I read a few inaccurate books in the past and it put me off. I really want to read some set in London soon, though, so I'll definitely try out some of your recommendations.

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~Marie

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