WEEKENDS WITH YOU

An American florist and a Londoner with wanderlust find their chemistry is at odds with their circumstances in this debut.

When Lucy Bernstein moves into her best friend’s warehouse flat in London, she’s pleased to discover that tall, handsome Henry Baker is one of her seven new flatmates. But it turns out that Henry is only in town one weekend a month—the rest of the time he’s traveling as a photographer and auditioning other places to live. Each chapter is one of his London visits, which double as “Warehouse Weekends”—times the flatmates dedicate to hanging out together and being tourists in their own town. They are a fun, rowdy bunch, and though it can be tricky to sort out the names and personalities, there’s good banter and vicarious living to be had here. Henry reciprocates Lucy’s attraction, but the logistics are against them. Lucy vacillates between holding back to protect herself and trying to give it a chance. Henry vacillates between flirting with Lucy and saying London has “nothing for him.” While the book makes their mutual attraction very clear, it’s less detailed on other reasons to root for them. Neither has much in the way of a backstory. Henry’s soul- and new-home-searching suggest something unsettled in him, but outside of it being an obstacle to a relationship with Lucy, it’s not explored. Lucy, meanwhile, has a classic case of wanting but not clearly asking for things, then being filled with resentment when she doesn’t get them. This is a relatable trait, but a frustrating one, and it would make her more sympathetic to have it grounded in something, or for her to have some self-awareness around it. A subplot about the flower shop she works for and her seemingly thwarted dreams for advancement there underscore the problem.

Its unique setting is this novel’s strong suit.