A London Love Story by TB Markinson & Miranda MacLeod

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The details…

  • Title: A London Love Story: Season 1
  • Authors: T.B. Markinson & Miranda MacLeod
  • Narrators: Lori Prince & Marisa Calin 
  • Publisher: 
  • Release date: May 12, 2022
  • Listening Length: 10 hours and 1 minute
  • Genre: romance 
  • Themes: self-discovery, friendship, love, family 

The blurb from the publisher…

Four young American women form an unlikely bond as they search for sapphic love and the meaning of life in London.

Taylor Elliott, an aspiring writer with few practical life skills, is on her last chance when she moves to London to work for the father she barely knows. Her world is turned topsy-turvy by a woman who’s so wrong for her she might actually be right.

Emma Garfield is a talented but stubborn chef from the American South who dreams of running her own Michelin-starred restaurant, but her temper gets her into hot water. She gives relationships a hard pass, but could her latest fling be different?

Jasmine Singh is a perpetual graduate student who was born and raised in Ohio. She has every step of her life planned to perfection, including marrying her very nice boyfriend, Dave, until a curious spark throws it all off course.

Lexi Channing is the biracial adopted daughter of a prominent Wall Street family in New York City. When she isn’t dealing with the world’s most demanding client, she’s pining for her straight best friend.

If you enjoy shows like The L Word and Sex and the City, don’t miss the latest collaboration of Miranda MacLeod and TB Markinson.

My thoughts…

Markinson and MacLeod never seem to run out of great ideas or new ways to tell stories. The London Love Story is proof of that. The multi-segmented story was originally published on the Kindle Vella platform by the duo in early December of last year. The 80 short installments, or episodes, were such a success that they decided to publish it in its entirety as a full length novel and as a audiobook. 

For those unfamiliar with the Vella platform, it is a new offering from Amazon. The platform affords authors the ability to share serialized stories as ebooks with readers over an extended period of time, much like a soap opera stylized television series does. Though new to this platform, Markinson is not new to the idea. Her Girl Love Happens series was constructed with the same concept in mind. She’s released 3 books, or seasons, of this series thus far. MacLeod, too, has taken advantage of this multi-segmented storytelling style. Her Love’s Encore series is a story told over the course of three books.

In preparation for the ebook and audio distribution of London Love Story: Season 1, Markinson and MacLeod turned the Kindle Vella episodes into 16 chapters. At 430 pages, there’s a lot packed into this hefty book. However, the pace and flow are masterfully designed, generating immediate interest in the characters, setting and plot. As well-crafted and constructed Markinson and MacLeod’s new brainchild is, the real pièce de résistance lies in their collaboration with Lori Prince and her fiancée Marisa Calin. Markinson and MacLeod’s choice for narrators was wisely picked; Prince and Calin’s performance is nothing short of phenomenal. Their delivery and timing is pure perfection and their voice work is top-notch. They breathe personality into the storytelling; it’s absolutely refreshing and makes for a fabulous listening experience. 

The story itself is set in London and centers around four women. It’s a lesbian soap opera of sorts with its scenes fading from one main character to the next. Friends and family of these intriguing leading ladies help elevate the drama and tension quite effectively, making the overall story arc more than fun. Season 1 of this tale ends with all four leading ladies’ arcs in cliffhangers, but Markinson and MacLeod promise to return shortly with more. They also promise to conclude the entire series with a HEA for each of the wonderfully complex and compelling women. However, it’s my hope that fans of this series don’t see that too soon! It’s also my hope that Prince and Calin return to narrate all future seasons!

Final remarks…

I love this collaboration between Markinson, MacLeod, Prince and Calin. The writing duo gives Prince and Calin so much to work with inside the constructs of this story, and these two narrators really run with it! Their performance not only enhances Markinson and MacLeod’s writing, it adds texture and color to each character and their respective narratives. A London Love Story: Season 1 is two thumbs up entertainment all the way. The writing is solid, the romance is fun, the sex is steamy and the narration is beyond fabulous. I hope to see more from all of these women. 

Strengths…

  • Wonderful, enjoyable characters 
  • Immersive story world 
  • Intriguing, entertaining plot
  • Impressive narration
  • Playful and fun storytelling
  • Steamy romance 

This audiobook can be purchased from…

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