At 30-years old, Georgina’s life isn’t where she thought it would be. She never completed college, she works at a subpar Italian restaurant, she’s dating a self-centered comedian and her family (and everyone else for that matter) never takes her life seriously. In short: she’s a joke. And Georgina would love to change that, but it just doesn’t seem possible.

On one unlucky night, Georgina gets fired from her job and then walks in on her boyfriend having sex with his agent. Now Georgina is jobless and single—not a winning combo. But lucky for her, she gets a job opportunity to be a bartender at a pub for a wake. Not ideal, but at least she can pay rent.

Georgina really takes to bartending and the one-time job turns into a full-time job offer. She feels her luck has finally turned around, that is until she discovers who her boss’ financial partner is—Lucas, the one who got away 12-years earlier. Lucas and Georgina secretly dated in high school and it’s been over a decade since they’ve seen each other. And it appears he doesn’t even remember who Georgina is. If that isn’t a bruise to her ego, Georgina doesn’t know what is.

We watch Georgina fumble with finding herself again and learning to stand on her own two feet, standing up for herself more than she ever has. She discovers what she wants in life and what she doesn’t. And she puts herself out there in the name of love, even if that meets rejection. She’s not who she was when she got fired or discovered her boyfriend cheating, but she’s so very happy about that.

Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane is a funny chick-lit meets romantic comedy novel. This was the first time I’ve read anything by this author and I loved all the humor and witty phrases throughout this book. Unfortunately, other parts of the writing I didn’t enjoy—the colloquial dialogue mixed with more formal narrative. I thought this would be more of a romance according to the cover and the synopsis, but a romance this is not. There is a cute little romantic element at the very end, but it was short lived. The story is truly about Georgina growing as an individual, and that’s something I can appreciate. While not my favorite book in this genre, I did enjoy it. 3/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow and Mhairi McFarlane for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Georgina seems to have only bad luck. SO much happens to her that is not her fault. Her family doesn't seem to believe that she gets into these situations by accident and criticize her in a way only your family can. When she takes a new job her past comes back to haunt her, as the owner is an important man from her past. A colorful cast of characters made this book enjoyable. I laughed out loud at some of Georgina's predicaments, and I teared up through her heart break.

Georgina Horspool loses her job as a waitress for telling the truth. She then goes to her boyfriend's apartment to discover him in bed with another. How bad can it get? Her brother-in-law gets her a one night job at his friends soon-to-be opened bar and all goes well until the owner's brother and co-owner appears and he is nonother than her high school boyfriend and love of her life, Lucas McCarthy. They separated badly, yet she still has feelings for him. He claims not to know her, a blow to her ego, but she then pretends not to know him either. They end up working together and she finds out he has just lost his wife to cancer. Can their feelings reignite? This story is hard to put down, Well written with characters one can relate to. Enjoy.

I've read a lot of books set in England and normally don't have any problem with the British phrases and slang. This one was much harder to read and I thought some of the scenes were over the top. I found myself skimming parts of the book that didn't involve Lucas and Georgina together.

Oh my goodness. This book was spectacular. I laughed, I cried, my heart broke and slowly mended itself back together. I fell so hard for these characters. I will probably compare most books to this one for a while.

I LOVED this novel. From chapter one, I was chuckling. I loved Georgina, who is fired from a job at a terrible restaurant despite doing nothing wrong. Looking for solace, she stops at her boyfriend’s house, only to discover him in bed with his assistant. Scrambling to be able to pay rent, she lands a job as a bartender, only to learn that it is half owned by the boy she fell in love with in high school. She’s had no contact with whatsoever with Luke in the 12 years since graduation because of a misunderstanding, and he’s only become sexier with time.

Georgina is not a stumbling Bridget Jones’-type character. She’s competent, but events in her life have derailed her college education and her confidence in herself. As events from her past haunt her and the guy she just broke up with continues to harass her, it’s wonderful to see her evolve and grow. She does this in part with the help of her friends, who are all empowering in a fun (that is, you don’t feel it’s overtly political) way. About how when our parents or ex-boyfriends don’t care for us the way we should be cared for, we, counterintuitively, don’t always take care of ourselves the way we should. Getting back at them through self-neglect (not a great strategy, in case that’s unclear).

Highly recommend.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the sneak preview to this book, which RELEASES SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 in the United States.

Georgina Horspool leads a comedic life even if she intends otherwise. After getting fired from her latest waitressing job at an “Italian” restaurant even Chef Boyardee would eschew, she gets hit in the face with another shock. Georgina’s finds her boyfriend in bed with another woman, who is also his PA. Needing a new job pronto, she takes on a temporary assignment at a pub that turns out to be owned by her first love and his brother. Their parting had a profound effect on her life, one that she never really recovered from and now, he appears not to remember her. And now, they will be working together as she is hired for a permanent job.

Georgina’s long held dream to be a writer has never materialized. Georgina seems to be stuck in the recently coined term, adultolescence which her judgy family continually reminds her that it is not on. She and her friends frequently bemoan the vagaries of dating and finding “the one” as since they hit their thirties. Working with Lucas McCarthy, her old flame, Georgina finds she is still very attracted to him, but he holds her at arm’s length. The romance in this story is quite slow burn.

I was expecting more of a romance; most of this story is more typical of the Women’s Fiction genre that focuses mainly on Georgina’s self-analyzing introspection as well as interactions with family and friends. As with a lot of people who however deal with their lives through humor, Georgina’s antics have some dark undercurrents. Since the author is British, there a lot of slang terms that will not be familiar to Americans, but readers will get the gist. Also something I find common in Brit-Lit is though this is labeled a romance, steamy scenes are few and far between or not even on the page. The humor in the story is definitely helps to level out some of the angsty parts.

A charming read for fans of Bridgette Jones. I don't usually read this genre and found it to be a fun way to engage! I loved the romantic arc, but i loved the character growth even more. Charming and cry-worthy with all the feels.

This is a fun and delightful escape into romance. The characters are well-drawn and vivid and the situations are excitingly awkward for the characters. This was a pleasant read.

What a sweet, serious story about first love, life, and consequences. I loooooved this book. I told a friend as I was halfway through- I have a new one to recommend to you, but I need to finish it first so I make sure the ending isn't wrong. And now that I finish, I can confirm- the ending wasn't wrong. The story of reconnection with your first love mixed with the terrible expectations young women are up against is beautifully told. I also really appreciated Georgina's circle of friends (and the vivid descriptions of each) and the family thread. This was my first read of Mhairi McFarlane book. Now I must get all the others!

I have officially found a new “must read” author in Mhairi McFarlane! Almost immediately after diving into Don’t You Forget About Me, I just knew I was going to love this book! This novel melds the romance and Women’s fiction genres together brilliantly! I thoroughly enjoy how Mhairi added so much laugh out loud humor and jarringly realistic situations and then mixed it all up with quirky awesomeness. I think I went into this novel thinking it would be a super light read and I was surprised by how much depth was packed into the storyline. Don’t You Forget About Me is a 5 star novel that I highly recommend! I truly look forward to seeing what Mhairi McFarlane comes out with next!

This is the story of Georgina, a thirty year old woman who works as a waitress and dreams of becoming a writer. After getting fired from her job, she takes another waitressing job whose owner happens to be a guy she dated in high school. The main focus of the story is her journey of letting go of the past and finding out who she really is and what she wants more than the romance. It was a fun read and I enjoyed the story!

Don’t You Forget About Me is one of my favorite books from the past few months. It’s got a great slow burn of a romance, a very witty main character and a cast of wonderful friends of the sort we all wish for. The plot and character revelations along the way were so enjoyable, I almost hated to get to the very satisfactory ending. I’m going back now to read Mhairi McFarlane’s previous books!

This was a great read. It was slow paced, which isn’t always my favorite, but it worked well in this scenario! The relationship between the characters felt genuine and well developed. I really enjoyed this one!

This was so good it was a slow burn so if you don’t like that type of thing then I would not read this but it has so many cute moments and the cover is awesome and this is my first book by this author but it is not gonna be my last

4.5 stars. I don’t read hetero romance novels very often. It takes a rare mood, and just as importantly, a recommendation from a well-aligned friend.

<i>I’m hugely enjoying something I didn’t expect to enjoy whatsoever, so the sense of enjoyment is potent—two and half times the strength of a scheduled pleasure.</i>

Honestly, I can’t even say I was armed with that right mood when I cracked this one open. But I’d requested the ARC after said recommendation, and I figured what the hey. The pub date wasn’t for a while, so if I wasn’t feeling this straight shit, I’d just put it on the back burner for that mood to come.

<i>I didn’t think I could convince them I’d be that stupid. Victory: pyrrhic.</i>

Fast forward slightly more than a day later, and I was done — a flayed, wrung out, and happy reader. I had face hurts from laughing. And yes, maybe a little from crying too, what’s it to you.

<i>Here’s what life has taught me so far: don’t worry about that thing you’re worrying about. Chances are, it’ll be obliterated by something you didn’t anticipate that’s a million times worse.</i>

I don’t always put a lot of quotes in my reviews, but I was powerless to resist doing it this time. I could include 10x as many and still not come <b>anywhere close</b> to the number of brilliant lines I highlighted. I value humor highly and it’s rare to find it firing on all the cylinders that it was here; it’s what hooked me in right away.

<i>To be honest, a lot of counseling appears to be accepting you’re up to your tits in shit and finding you’re zen about it. Saying: at least my tits are warm.</i>

HOWEVER. This story was so much more than these quips would imply. So well beyond that that it drives me to reflect, not for the first or fortieth time, on how much I loathe the “chick lit” label and its implied frivolity. An author this intelligently witty has so much more to deliver than just funny, and McFarlane did it with grace, profundity, and emotion. I experienced the story right along with the protagonist, and I even took away several profound nuggets that I want to remember and apply in my own life.

Thanks, Hollis, for being so discerning and persuasive that I was compelled to seek out and devour this straight shit. It was a wonderful experience!

<i>**ARC requested and received from NetGalley and the publisher.</i>

I really enjoyed this book but I do wish it had not been such a slow burn. sometimes I just want the tension to be done so I can read the cute moments!

I'm always a sucker for Mhairi McFarlane books. They're my go-to when I'm on a long flight and need an excuse to ignore the world and get sucked into a happier place. Don't You Forget About Me was no exception. McFarlane does a great job, as per usual, of character and plot development. It was a story that focused on personal growth, as well as the romantic as well. I'd recommend McFarlane any day for a nice escape.

My first McFarlane novel. Georgina was a very well-rounded character whom I related to. I would have liked to know Lucas better though. I loved her diverse cast of characters and Nana was great comedy. My only other wish was for Gina and Luc to get it together a little sooner. Overall a great beach read for the summer!!

I liked this a whole lot. I expected a romance, but it was really more about the heroine's journey than the romantic subplot, and I found the writing to be sharp, smart, and incredibly funny. This has made me want to track down Mhairi McFarlane's entire backlist, after this great introduction to her writing.