I See London
Series: International School, #1
Author: Chanel Cleeton
Publication Date: December 26, 2023 (Original: December 20, 2013)
Publisher: Canary Street Press
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ½
Synopsis:
For the first time in print! New York Times sensation Chanel Cleeton’s international, angst-fueled romance is perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover and Lucy Score.
Maggie Carpenter is a small-town Southern girl who’s never been kissed. She’s ready for a change—and to leave her ordinary life and a failed attempt to get into Harvard behind. She accepts a scholarship to the International School in London, where she’s suddenly mingling with the privileged offspring of diplomats and world leaders.
When Maggie meets Hugh, a twentysomething British guy, she finds herself living the life she has 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? There’s someone else, someone she can’t seem to keep her hands off of.
Half French, half Lebanese and impossibly rich, Samir Khouri has made it clear to Maggie that despite their intense attraction, he doesn’t do relationships. He’s the opposite of everything she thought she wanted—a player with no interest in commitments—but she just can’t keep away. Torn between her dream guy and the one haunting her thoughts, Maggie must fight for her own happy ending. But in a city like London, you never know where you stand, and everything can change in the blink of an eye.
International School
Book 1: I See London
Book 2: London Falling
I’m a big fan of Cleeton’s more recent books, so it was fun to go back to where her publishing journey started with the re-release of I See London. I See London was different from what I’ve read from Cleeton so far. The writing was still great, but I could see how much it has blossomed over the years. This was a new adult romance set at university on London. Originally released in 2013, this book had all of the qualities NA romances of that time. Maggie, having been rejected by Harvard, excepts a scholarship to study in London. While there, she learns a lot about herself and makes some frustrating decisions – the way teenagers do. She meets new friends, starts a relationship, and longs for another guy’s attention. There’s a bit of a love triangle that isn’t shocking in how it turns out and some fun drama. I wasn’t quite sure what to think of the cliffhanger ending. I didn’t love it, but it did make me interested in what might come next. Overall, it was a good read. Not quite what I would expect from Cleeton these days, but a good look back at where she began.