I Heart London

by Lindsey Kelk

  I looked at Alex and then out at the city. It twinkled more brightly in the summer sun than any number of fairy lights.

  Well, I thought to myself, if you were going to start a story anywhere, where else would you go?

  THE END

  Angela’s Guide to London

  HOTELS

  The Sanctum

  For real rock and roll luxury in the heart of London town, The Sanctum is pretty hard to beat. They get a lot of celebs (apparently) lured by the huge bathtubs popped in the middle of the bedrooms and the abundance of mirrored surfaces. There is also a hot tub in the open-air rooftop bar. I wanted to throw a telly out of the window but that’s frowned upon.

  sanctumsoho.com

  Number Sixteen

  Pretty much my favourite hotel in London, Number Sixteen is impossibly classy and elegant while still being super homey and comfortable. It’s the fanciest B & B that has ever existed with delicious breakfasts, superswanky rooms and a lovely, lovely little garden. Plus they had an in-room lavender pillow spray.

  AMAZEBALLS.

  firmdale.com/london/number-sixteen

  Charlotte Street Hotel

  Charlotte Street Hotel is a dream. It’s right off Oxford Street (ie: very close to TopShop, Beyond Retro and M&S for Percy Pigs), it’s ever so pretty and all kinds of fancy types hang out at the bar. Plus I once saw Jake Gyllenhaal standing outside. For me, that is enough.

  firmdale.com/london/charlotte-street-hotel

  Avo Hotel Dalston

  If you’re awesome enough to head east, make sure you book in at the Avo Hotel. It’s a home away from home, if your home happens to be so incredibly super cool that it has Elemis toiletries, in-room wi-fi, Sony iPod docking stations and a memory foam mattress. So actually, it’s much better than my home.

  avohotel.com

  BARS & RESTAURANTS

  Bourne and Hollingsworth

  Super-cute twenties style speakeasy with gin cocktails in teacups? Um, yes please. This is my favourite place to pop in for a cocktail on a Friday night, it’s cool but not in a ‘cooler than you’ way. Make sure you get there early enough to bag a table.

  Rathbone Place, W1

  bourneandhollingsworth.com

  The Book Club

  My favourite Shoreditch hangout, aka the only place I go in Shoreditch. The cocktails are deliish, the fresh fruit juices are yummy and the food is great. If you’re feeling active, there are board games and table tennis. Otherwise, it’s a great place for a good oldfashioned bitchathon. Plus you can marvel at hipsters – always a fun way to while away the hours.

  Leonard Street, EC2A

  wearetbc.com

  The Lexington

  The Lexington not only serves a million different whiskeys in a good old-fashioned pub setting (which would be enough for most people), they also serves FISH FINGER SANDWICHES. Oh, and upstairs you can catch some of the most exciting up-and-coming bands in the world on their way through town. It’s an indiepop hipster crowd so make sure you dig out your big black glasses and cardigan, boys and girls.

  Pentonville Road, N1

  thelexington.co.uk

  Karaoke Box

  I love karaoke. I love Soho. Can you even imagine how much I love Karaoke Box in Soho? There’s a great song selection and most importantly, you can dim the lights. This is essential to a good karaoke experience.

  Frith Street, W1

  karaokebox.co.uk/soho

  The Diner

  America has made me a complete fatty when it comes to burgers but in becoming a fatty, I have also become much more discerning than I used to be. The Diner has some of the best burgers in London, as well as chilli fries and awesome cocktails. More than two A Boy Named Sues and I’m on my back. Amazing.

  goodlifediner.com

  CLOTHES & ACCESSORIES

  Beyond Retro

  I never used to understand vintage. Searching for clothes that fit in a jumble sale environment just seemed a lot like hard work but once you’ve found your first dream vintage dress, it all changes. There’s something great about finding a special piece that’s one of a kind. Plus, compared to my other love, it’s dead cheap.

  beyondretro.com

  TopShop Oxford Circus

  I know this is news to no one but America has exactly TWO Topshops. Two. One in New York (thank GOD) and one in Las Vegas (pretty far away). Therefore I beg you, do not take this wonder for granted. Be still my beating heart. Sigh.

  topshop.com

  Tatty Devine

  The fabulous ladies at Tatty Devine create jewellery and accessories with a heart and a soul. They’re quirky and cute plus they do awesome collaborations with bands like Camera Obscura and Belle & Sebastian. What’s not to love?

  tattydevine.com

  TREATS

  Mrs Kibble’s Olde Sweet Shoppe

  I can’t even attempt to explain to you how happy I was to find this place. The way I feel about Sherbet Fountains is the way some people feel about crack and they had boxes and boxes and boxes here. It was a dark and wonderful day. Long live Mrs Kibble.

  mrskibbles.co.uk

  Liberty

  Liberty is one of those incredibly fancy shops that used to be on my list of ‘good places to go to the toilet while out shopping’. These days it’s been promoted to ‘good place to blow an entire month’s paycheck’ but only after I’ve been to the toilet.

  Great Marlborough Street, W1 liberty.co.uk

  Benefit Cosmetics

  Benefit make-up has been on my favourites list for the longest time. I’m so happy that they have quirky destination boutiques now – I can browse merrily while applying a variety of sparkly concoctions to my face and then get a brow wax. Since I’m not allowed to tweeze my own eyebrows, this is a Good Thing.

  benefitcosmetics.co.uk

  Elemis Spa

  London is a busy city, fact. Elemis is a wonderful skincare brand, fact. So the fact that an Elemis spa exists right in the middle of that city is a wonderful, wonderful thing. It’s basically like going on holiday without actually going on holiday. Brilliant.

  Lancashire Court, W1 timetospa.co.uk

  About the Author

  Lindsey Kelk was a children’s book editor and is now a magazine columnist and author of I Heart New York, I Heart Hollywood, I Heart Paris, I Heart Vegas and The Single Girl’s To-Do List. When she isn’t writing, reading, listening to music or watching more TV than is healthy, Lindsey likes to wear shoes, shop for shoes and judge the shoes of others. She loves living in New York but misses Sherbet Fountains, London, and drinking Gin & Elderflower cocktails with her friends. Not necessarily in that order.

  To find out more about Lindsey’s novels, sign up for the newsletter, read exclusive extracts and enter competitions visit www.iheartlondon.co.uk and follow Lindsey on Twitter @LindseyKelk.

  Also by Lindsey Kelk

  I Heart New York

  I Heart Hollywood

  I Heart Paris

  I Heart Vegas

  The Single Girl’s To-Do List

  Jenny Lopez Has a Bad Week

  (novella only available on ebook)

  Copyright

  An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

  77–85 Fulham Palace Road,

  Hammersmith, London W6 8JB

  www.harpercollins.co.uk

  Copyright © Lindsey Kelk 2012

  Lindsey Kelk asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

  A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

  EPub Edition © June 2012 ISBN: 978 0 00 738373 3

  This novel is a work of fiction.

  The incidents and some of the characters portrayed in it, while based on real historical events and figures, are the work of the author’s imagination.

  All rights reserved under International Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No par
t of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

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