I See London

by Chanel Cleeton

[Nicole Lynn]

review coming, but lets just say I cannot wait for the next book!

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UPDATE: Finally posting my review from my blog

This review was previously posted on my blog, PopCrunchBoom Books


My Review:


I See London follows Maggie Carpenter’s adventures attending the International School in London. She needed a change from her ordinary life in South Carolina & when she got a scholarship to attend a school in London–she took a deep breath and accepted it. Now she’s living in London and attending a university filled with the privileged offspring of diplomats and world leaders. This leads to nights at the hottest clubs and wearing designer brands borrowed from new friends. Soon, Maggie finds herself swept up in the life she’s always wanted while also dating older, twenty-something Hugh. There’s just one problem. Maggie can’t seem to keep her hands off the hot, yet very arrogant Samir Khouri. Half French, Half Lebanese, and ridiculously wealthy, he seems way out of her league. Plus, he’s not the one-girl relationship type of guy–leaving Maggie torn. But in a place like London anything can happen and everything could change in the blink of an eye.


This novel had a different style than what I’m used to. I haven’t been reading a lot of contemporary in a while and it was refreshing. Maggie was a little annoying in the beginning, but I’m going to just blame it on her age and let it go. She does grow tremendously throughout the novel–a reason I’m really enjoying the New Adult genre. Maggie transitions from the childishness of her teenage age into the semi-maturity of womanhood as a young adult. What I really enjoyed in this novel was seeing this evolution in Maggie. Watching her adapt to her new surrounding, make mistakes and grow from all her experiences. I think I enjoyed this part the most (and this genre as a whole) because I relate to it so well as someone in her early twenties. I’ve been through those transition years, but I’m also still growing into adulthood. It’s great being able to see this in fiction (not that I’m dissing my YA, cause I LOVE ME some YA!). Cleeton does a great job of illustrating this and I See London fits seamlessly into the New Adult genre.

I do have to admit that I wasn’t the biggest fan of either of Maggie’s love interests. Hugh never really did anything for me and Samir took a while for me to like. However, I appreciate the way Cleeton wrote Samir. He had faults and the reader, like Maggie, wasn’t really suppose to like him either. Even so, as the story continues the reader and Maggie begin to see a clearer (more rounded) picture of Samir and the world his character lives in.

Maggie comes across a lot of new experiences and faces some challenging choices, especially when it comes to her love life–one that was non-existent before London. Her struggled attraction to Samir was a major challenge in the novel and Cleeton did a great job with their sexual tension.

In the end, I really enjoyed this novel. From Maggie’s growth as a character to her relationship with Samir, this novel was really enlightening and entertaining. In true New Adult fashion it had growth and romance. This genre is quickly becoming a new favorite of mine :) I can’t wait to pick up the next installment in Maggie’s time abroad: London Falling!