Reviews with content warning for Rape - This Lovely City

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This Lovely City by Louise Hare

20 reviews

mattypallett's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Really well-written. Enjoyed reading it but don’t really have much stronger feelings for it than that. I liked the cast of characters, they felt realistic.

I found a major part of the plot to be too much like something from a melodramatic soap opera for my tastes.

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asourceoffiction's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I absolutely loved this book. It evoked such beautiful (and often painful) images of South London soon after the arrival of the Windrush, and what would be the beginning of the formation of our beautiful, diverse capital.

This is far from easy to read; the treatment of these characters at the hands of the public (and the police) can be horrific. But where this story triumphs is in its beautiful characters (I dare you not to fall completely in love with Lawrie), and their hope for the future that they never lose sight of.

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alicerebekah's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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sheryl_macca's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

The Lovely City is based in 1940s-50s London. It's a story of the changing picture of England in the time of Windrush; Racism, women's liberation and the secularisation of society.

Murder mystery and a romance entwine to form the plot but for me the weight is most definitely on the romance when I'd have preferred more examination of the murder mystery.

The cast of characters is small and diverse but the book is plot driven. Character development is a little lacking. I wanted deeper emotion.

The duality of the windrush generation is explored well. From the welcome they receive from the 'mother land', 'a good strong pair of hands' to rebuild England after the war, entertaining musicians who bring their new music to the dance clubs to the racial slurs, the scary otherness reported in the newspapers, the rumours at church of how the newcomers are 'different from us' and the crimes that are being automatically pinned on them for a fast solve all over the city.

There's also a melancholic mood, a sense of judgement throughout the book. It's subtle enough to give just a wary feeling that Lawrie and Evie, our protagonists, no doubt feel every day since they are both people of colour.

It's a good story, it's well written. It's not a powerful or in depth read. It's a much lighter book than I anticipated.

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hannahrhian's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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rosh's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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epellicci's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This Lovely City is a gripping historical fiction full of mystery, emotion, and action. Hare writes wonderful, three dimensional characters that drive a story full of twists and shocking reveals. I found this book to be a real page turner and loved the way Hare built suspense and depth by switching between Lawrie and Evie's, and past and present perspectives.
Focused heavily on the prejudice and rascim faced by the black British and Jamaican communities in the 1950's, the themes of the story are painfully familiar to the prosecution still witnessed today. I found the book a moving insight into the terror and anger of a community let down and all too easily targeted.

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