Wasn't totally sure what to expect with this one going in! The main characters spent most of it apart but I still enjoyed the story and way it unfolded. Very well-written and I would recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley and Elle Cook!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This has such a fun premise that I was hoping I'd enjoy it. It's a good read to keep guessing.

I can't be the only one who wondered if this book was going to be a big catfish plot. I started getting a bit concerned, but kept going and was glad to see that it wasn't. While I typically don't enjoy books where the romantic leads spend most of the story apart from each other, I did think it was proper in this book since the result was Hannah learning to stand up for herself and be assertive with her desires. I also appreciate the lack of conflict. George wasn't a bad guy, he just wasn't Hannah's guy. Hannah and Davey never had a big fight due to misunderstanding, etc. I especially loved the happy ending.

This story was a very transformative read for me! I went into this book with no expectations, unsure if I would encounter a romance, a tragedy, or something in between. As Hannah and Davey’s accidental transatlantic relationship began to unfold, I was certain I was entering a cautionary tale about cat-fishing in the digital age. But this story proved to be much more genuine than my instincts had assumed and I was reminded to have a bit more hope that things in the world will work together for good.

I wish the pacing of the book had been a bit different and that there had been less time spent on some of the more problematic characters (*cough cough* George *cough cough*). But the overall cast of characters was appropriately developed and quite likable. A sweet story with real world grit and a happy ending! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book.

Loved it. Was quite a journey with these two main characters and felt like went right along with them. Felt frustration, disappointment and giddiness between the two and enjoyed how it encompassed so many of my favorites tropes. . Highly recommend

It was the most impactful misdial of Hannah's life when Davey calls her twice thinking he is calling to interview for a position in England. What follows is an electronic long distance relationship that leaves both of them falling slowly in love and looking forward to connecting when he moves across the Atlantic for his new job. This novel's meet cute seems like it will be resolved in the first third of the book until Davey doesn't appear at the airport due to tragic circumstances.

Hannah is left reeling and rejected as Davey informs her that he thinks they should make a clean break and try to move on with their lives. The rest of the book is a study in coping, often poorly, friendship, and, hopefully, a MTB love.

Trigger warnings/Spoiler: If reading about serious health issues (cancer) will make a book too difficult, you may want to steer away from this one. However, as someone who is usually unable to read books with this topic, I did manage to make it through and still enjoy the novel.

From the description, I thought this book sounded lighthearted and fun so I picked it up. What a got, was a lot more than a lighthearted and fun read. This was both of those things, but it also had a surprising depth to it. In some ways, it reminded me of Jojo Moyes...whose work I really admire.
This is a thoughtful, character driven story about Hannah who 'meets' Davey by mistake when he mistakenly calls her number instead of the number for his phone interview. Twice.
Through the course of their relationship, both the ebbs and flows, Hannah and Davey both grow and change. Predominantly told from Hannah's POV, there are a few chapters narrated by Davey.
This is a smooth, perfect, read and I'm absolutely delighted by this book. It's a special treat to read and I'm very much looking forward to Elle Cook's next book!

Thank you so much, NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought this book would be more romance-heavy, but I'm glad it wasn't. It focused more on Hannah and Davey's lives individually. Later on, in the book, you get Davey's point of view which was nice to see his perspective on everything. I fell in love with Davey and Hannah and was rooting for them throughout the entire book. They seemed perfect for each other. The relationship between Hannah and her neighbor might be the cutest thing I have ever read. I want a neighbor like that. The book is set in London for the most part which I absolutely loved. It made it so enjoyable to read and transport myself to Europe. This book was so well written and I definitely recommend picking this up.

I very much enjoyed this book. However, I could not give it 5 stars as the pacing seemed a bit off. As the story progressed, it seemed as if the climax would be happening quite quickly. Some of the events that progressed the story felt gratuitous at times and a bit much. I quite liked the progression of the story after what felt to be the initial climax. I enjoyed the resolution as well. The characters were well written and quirky.

I really enjoyed this book. The book Is a romance novel with a twist. I love when a book is not what you expect. The characters are well developed and likable. One thing that really pushes a book over the level for me is caring about the characters. The author did a good job giving you a vested interest in the main characters life, but not providing unnecessary information that can make the story drawn out and boring. The storyline kept my interest throughout the book. I would definetly read other books by this author.

The Man I Never Met by Elle Cook
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Publication Date: 11/22/2022

There are some books that while reading them allow you to live inside of them, even for a moment. This is one of those books.

Hannah and Davey meet by chance when he dials the wrong number for a job interview. Neither of them could have anticipated what happens next.

Davey gets the job, ready to jet set over the pond and move to London where Hannah currently lives. But on the day Hannah is supposed to pick him up from the airport Davey doesn’t show up. The reason why will change both of their lives.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝘁 is a tale of what it means to fall in love, get your heart broken, and then have to learn to live in the aftermath. Sometimes we try out very best, but the best pieces of ourselves have been left behind, forever held by someone else. We try to move on, to live and love again, but it seems impossible.

Within these pages not only do we get to live with and fall in love with Hannah and Davey, but every other character that Elle Cook introduces. Each and every one is wonderfully fleshed out. We all know a Davey or a Hannah, or any other character so perfectly encapsulated within these pages. These characters and their emotions are so truly relatable. So much love and care went into these pages and these lives.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝘁 would be well suited for a movie or TV adaptation.

Amore! The Man I Never Met had all the feels. Some may question fate, but it is clear that Davey and Hannah are destined for each other. 5 stars! I only wish I could keep following their story.

Thank you @NetGalley and @RandomHousePuplishingGroupBallantine for the ARC The Man I Never Met.

This is the book I didn’t know I needed! Absolutely loved it, and read it in a day. Solid plot, lots of characters that are very well developed. I will say the only hiccup for me was which way to read George-was he deceitful and hiding things? I feel the reader was lead to believe certain things about him but didn’t get the full picture. Other than that, this book was phenomenal! Not tons of spice but had some spicy scenes. A solid read on fate.

Trigger warning- illness

This one held my attention to the end. It’s the story of a wrong number turned into a long distance friendship.
The only part I didn’t like is the lack of character depth in George. I kept waiting for a big reveal of something and it just felt like we rushed him out of the story to get to the end.

I would’ve given this book 8 freaking stars out of 5 if you would’ve asked me at any point in time while I was reading, until the last few paragraphs.

**Warning this could potentially be considered a spoiler**

The editor of this book really let the author down and the author really let the reader down. All because the author decided to tell us and not show us the “ending.” We have this fantastically written and drawn out story… yet, in the end, what should’ve been (at the minimum 3-5 pages) was summarized down to a couple sentences. It was exceedingly disappointing. I felt like I put myself through an emotional roller coaster for no reason.

If the ending gets revised before final publishing I will revise my review happily.

Amazing book, amazing story. Disappointing ending.

Mein Leseerlebnis

Das Buch hat mich nach dem Lesen des Klappentextes sofort angesprochen, denn die Geschichte hörte sich unverbraucht und faszinierend an. Und das war sie dann auch, perfekt für mich funktioniert hat sie trotzdem nicht.

Das lag primär an den Charakteren und vor allem ihren Dialogen. Beides fand ich nicht schlecht und ließ sich auch gut lesen, doch so richtig wollte der Funke nicht überspringen.

Woran das genau lag, kann ich leider nicht sagen. Unterhaltsam fand ich das Buch trotzdem, da in der Geschichte viel los war und es ein paar überraschende Entwicklungen gab. 🖤🖤🖤

Für wen?

Wer Liebesromane mit einer frischen und interessanten Geschichte sucht, sollte sich mal eine Leseprobe anschauen. Wenn ihr die Charaktere in dieser faszinierend und ihre Dialoge ansprechend findet, könnte das Buch etwas für euch sein.

What an interesting story with a unique take on relationships. While the ending was predictable (and I wouldn't have had it any other way), the path that it took to get there was exciting and unexpected. There were times when i wanted to throw my book at both Davey and Hannah for the choices they made, but i think that was part of the fun. Definitely a great book to throw in your beach bag this summer.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A couple meets through a chance wrong number call. Sweet romantic story about a couple that meets by chance.

Firstly, a big thank you to Elle Cook, NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story is touching, deep, and feels authentic but I don’t know if I would call it a romance. The man I never met reads more along the lines of a drama with some light comedic relief that’s centered around relationships.

With that said, I really enjoyed it.

Hannah receives a phone call from America and when she answers she speaks to Davey, who’s got the wrong number for a job interview. Hannah wishes him luck and assumes she’ll never hear from Davey again, but then he reaches out to let her know he got the job and will be moving to London in a month. So, these two begin to explore a friendship and possibility of more when he gets there. But a lot of things get in the way.

I found how their relationship developed from just a phone call to be very endearing, but I did start to struggle with the fact that Hannah & Davey lead separate lives for most of the book I would have liked to see more of their story together.

All the characters are so deep and rich, that I fell in love with them all especially Joan. There are plenty of moments I wanted to shake some of them, but generally I just wanted to become their best friend and be with them. Minus George.

I hope there's a second book that explores more of Davey and Hannah’s relationship together because I think it would be even better!

Hannah receives a call one day by mistake from someone named Davey. He is trying to get a hold of someone in order to interview for a job, but has the wrong number. She later receives a text from him, letting her know that he got the job. Over the next upcoming weeks, they call, text, and video chat. Soon, Davey will be moving to London for his new job, which is where Hannah lives. They have discussed their developing feelings for one another and make plans for Hannah to meet him at the airport when he arrives. When Hannah shows up at the airport to pick Davey up, he never gets off the plane. Where is Davey? Why did he not get on the plane? The rest of the story is about Hannah moving on from the relationship that she had started to build with Davey and trying to build a life for herself from what she thought it was going to look like.

When I made it about 33% into the story, I was like “Oh no, please don’t do this!” We do find out what keeps Davey off the plane and this will have ripple effects throughout the story. I love how the author handles the relationship that begins with the two characters in the beginning. I also love the journey that Hannah goes through afterwards. I am not a huge fan of George. I think he starts out one way and is either not what he presented himself to be or we are only seeing him as Hannah wants us to see him. I know that Hannah does not give her all and what transpires between the two is mostly her fault, but neither does George and I do not feel his accusations to her were fair. I do not want to give any spoilers, so there’s a lot I want to say about what I loved about this book that I can’t, but I will say that the author has done a remarkable job with including friendship, struggles within oneself, and second chances. I love that Grant was a true friend in this book and I was so happy for Joan.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for this advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!