Jemology

The key to fully enjoying this spin-off book to [b:London Calling|20939138|London Calling|Clare Lydon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1393661778s/20939138.jpg|40309860] is to not read it straight after London Calling. Put a few books in between, or better yet, wait a few months :)

The book features a pair of movie-star-pretty London lesbians. Fortunately, the first person POV used in the first book is eschewed in favor of alternating 3rd person viewpoints from the two ladies. This makes for a more even characterization. Both ladies are equally well-delineated. The dialogue also feels more organic and realistic. But the cliched predictability of the first book is taken to new heights as the plot progression virtually duplicates the formula of the first book. At multiple points in the book, I had to remind myself this wasn't London Calling anymore. But the parallels were too glaring to ignore. From the bad setups, to the needless break-ups (caused by pesky exes), to the sweet make-ups (after lengthy pep talks from relatives and hospital visits)---the pattern was just too similar. The plot device used to drive our ladies apart for a little bit of angst felt too contrived to be believable. There was an unexpected last-minute twist but it wasn't nearly enough to lift my overall negative impression of the book, which is a shame really because it is actually better than the first book.

Rating: 4

Tip: Pick this up if its been a while since you've read London Calling, and you want more of the same. Or better yet, skip the first book and read this instead.