I See London (I See London #1) by Chanel Cleeton

Title: I See London (I See London #1)
Author: Chanel Cleeton
Release date: February 3, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin
Pages: 319
Source: Netgalley/Publisher
Reading level: NA

Maggie Carpenter is ready for a change— and to leave her ordinary life in South Carolina behind. But when she accepts a scholarship to the International School in London, a university attended by the privileged offspring of diplomats and world leaders, Maggie might get more than she bargained for.

When Maggie meets Hugh, a twentysomething British guy, she finds herself living the life she 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? Another guy, the one she can’t seem to keep her hands off of.

Half French, half Lebanese, and ridiculously wealthy, Samir Khouri has made it clear he doesn’t do relationships. He’s the opposite of everything Maggie thought she wanted…and he’s everything she can’t resist. Torn between her dream guy and the boy haunting her dreams, Maggie has to fight for her own happy ending. In a city like London, you never know where you stand, and everything can change in the blink of an eye.

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So this is definitely one of those instances where you should not judge a book by it's cover.  I hate this cover but I absolutely adore what's between the pages.  I See London is a fabulous new adult novel that exceeded all my expectations.

To be honest, I didn't really have many expectations when I started I See London.  I was just looking for a quick, fun read and I thought this one might be good.  It was.  I'm quickly becoming a fan of the new adult genre and it's all because of books like I See London.  The characters, the setting, the story, and the writing were all wonderful.  

The characters in I See London greatly surprised me.  Maggie started off very closed off and almost a little too perfect.  She was very much a goodie two shoes.  That quickly changed with the help of her new friends.  Mya, Fleur, Samir, and everyone she met helped her come out of her shell and really grow as a person.  By the end of the book she was definitely someone I could see myself being friends with.  She wasn't the only character that surprised me though.  Every character in the book was a lot deeper than they originally appeared (except maybe Hugh.)   Fleur was not such a cold hearted bitch, Mya wasn't so perfect, Samir had a heart under his playboy exterior, etc.  Chanel Cleeton did a great job developing each and every character.

The romance was obviously a huge part of the story and it did not disappoint.  Samir and Maggie have undeniable chemistry from the start but that's not all they have.  They quickly develop a very real friendship.  They have a lot more in common than they originally think and even though they bicker like an old married couple, they really do make great friends.  The banter between the two of them was adorable.  Hugh was also a good match for Maggie but I honestly didn't see anything that spectacular about him.  Their relationship seemed only skin deep.

There were a few flaws with I See London though.  I think the biggest flaw had to be how unrealistic and overdramatic it was.  I really couldn't believe some of the things that happened to Maggie and her friends.  It seemed like some things were blown way out of proportion.  I won't bring up specific examples because I don't want to spoil anything but there were a few very obvious instances where this happened.

Overall, I See London was a very fun read.  I look forward to continuing Maggie and Samir's story in London Falling.

What others are saying about I See London:

Rampant Readers' review: "The majority of the novel was captivating and interesting, and kept my attention in the book."

Kimberlyfaye Reads' review: "I See London does, in fact, end with a bit of a cliffhanger and a teaser that has left me all but counting the days until London Falling is released." 

A Life Bound By Books' review: " I See London by Chanel Cleeton whisked this reader off to the city of London with its university, club and elite life as college Freshman and small town girl Maggie takes a chance on a new exciting opportunity in another country." 

Series:

I See London (#1)

London Falling (#2) - July 7, 2014