Review: How the Other Half Lives by Clare London (London Lads #2)
Note: This ARC was provided by the publisher via Signal Boost Promotions in exchange for an honest review.
How the Other Half Lives is a lighthearted novella written by Clare London and it's the second one in her London Lads series. This is the second edition, but not having read the original one, I can't really compare or contrast, not that it really matters much on my end because I quite adored this story of two opposites who anonymously but consciously become a part of each other's lives even before they meet face-to-face. Sounds intriguing, does it not?
Martin Harrison is an antiques specialist who prefers to keep things in their proper place. He likes order and simplicity. His friends may make fun of his lack of anything exciting happening in both his life and his home, but he's not complaining. He is the way he is, just like his new neighbor, Russ McNeely, a promising chef who is as free a spirit as one can get. He's messy and disorganized, but he can't really be bothered with utterly mundane chores.
While Martin and Russ may have never met, they are part of the flat-sitting program set up in their building. One peek at each other's flats and it's clear just how different they are. But soon enough, they start adding personal touches to the other's home, whether the actual resident likes it or not. Leaving notes is the only communication they've had, but when a scheduling mix-up occurs, neat and orderly Martin finally gets to meet topsy-turvy Russ.
I so applaud the manner in which Clare London decided to write this story. Readers get the significant bits of Martin and Russ's story, making for a concise but still wholly entertaining read. Both men are set in their ways, but the flat-sitting they do unexpectedly opens them up to the unsolicited but begrudgingly appreciated interference of the other. They get the basics on one another by the observations they make while checking one another's flat.
Martin and Russ may not have thought they needed to make changes, especially since they had resisted their best friends's insistence that changes were necessary, but when they inadvertently became a part of each other's lives, those changes came slowly and in small increments. Theirs was a unique but irresistible story, one that I thoroughly enjoyed. How the Other Half Lives gets five stars and the London Lads series continues to impress me. ♥
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Read my reviews for the London Lads series:
Chase the Ace (novella one) - five stars - My Review
How the Other Half Lives (novella two) - five stars - My Review (posted above)
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Date Read: 24 February 2017
Learn more about Clare London.
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