This Lovely City by Louise Harr

Just before we went into lockdown, I have to confess I did do some panic buying. It’s ok though because I wasn’t stockpiling toilet rolls and pasta, no for me the real fear was not having enough books to read. Crazy I know!

One of the books that I bought was This Lovely City by Louise Hare. I finished it a while ago and I have to say it was a great book to pick. I read it at a time when lockdown was really getting to me, my anxiety was through the roof and I just needed to escape. This Lovely City totally transported me away from it all.

The story is set in London at the end of the Blitz. Lawrie Matthews is a jazz musician fresh off the Empire Windrush. By day he is a postman and by night a musician. Living in a small room in South London, where he falls in love with the girl next door.

One morning, he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and makes a terrible discovery which turns his life is turned upside down.

I loved reading this, it’s part historical fiction, part murder mystery and part love story and it is absolutely compelling. It took me on a rollercoaster of emotions, at times I was really angry at the way Lawrie is treated and I also found parts to be heartbreaking, but overall I felt really hopeful.

The characters are just fantastic, Lawrie and Evie had me rooting for them all the way the through. Every time I picked up this book, I felt like I was totally and utterly transported back in time, and it was wonderful.

This is Louise Hare’s debut novel and I’ve added her to my list of authors to watch. I really hope she’ll write more as this was just a great read.

Have you read this one? Come and let me know in the comments what you thought of it.

Have a great day.