Skip to main content

Member Reviews

Don't You Forget About Me is a story about two friends, Lucas and Georgina, who met in school and ended up dating one another. They drift apart for unknown reasons and reconnect when Georgina is hired as the bartender at the bar Lucas owns after she's fired from her waitressing job at a local Italian restaurant.

I'll be honest and state that I couldn't really connect with the characters. I understand that Georgina is going through a tough time, especially after she was fired and then found her loser boyfriend in bed with someone else. But this book had a hard time holding my interest. There's major miscommunication between the two leads that could have been solved by simply discussing what happened between them. I didn't really care for Lucas and there was no spark between him and Georgina to make me want to root for these two to end up together.

There are some very important topics that were discussed and I think that Mhairi McFarlane wrote those specific scenes with a lot of emotion. They connected me to Gerogina the most. Overall I would give this 2.5 stars.

**Thank you to William Morrow Books for giving me an ARC in exchange for my honest review**

Was this review helpful?

Does anyone else sing this title every time they read it or is that just me??

“You always remember your first love… don’t you?”

Georgina works for the crappiest Italian restaurant. Not only does she get fired, but she shows up so surprise her boyfriend and finds him between the sheets with someone else. Now without a job and a boyfriend, she takes a temporary gig bartending for a wake at a new bar that hasn’t opened yet. She is so thrilled to be offered a full time job but there is only one problem... the man she fell in love with twelve years ago is a co-owner.. And doesn’t remember her at all.

Lucas has grown up since the last time she saw him twelve years ago on prom night. Still as handsome as ever (if not more), but a little more brooding and a business owner with an adorable dog. While Lucas has become a successful grown up, Georgina dropped out of college and has been working crappy jobs ever since. She is aspiring to be a writer but hasn’t written anything since her diary entries about her days with Lucas in High School. Crossing paths with him again brings back the pain of what happened twelve years ago and why the memories of that night have haunted her ever since.

But maybe it’s not too late for the truth, and just maybe, a second chance with the one that got away.

It’s always a bad idea starting a book at 9pm. I could not put this book down and read well into the early morning to finish! If you are a fan of Sophie Kinsella, you will love this book! I loved the humor and it didn’t overshadow the serious topics in the story. I could relate to Georgina because she is clumsy and has terrible luck, yet she laughs off her misfortune. I saw immense character growth for her which I always love in a novel. This is a story of romance and self discovery with sass, witt, and depth. I absolutely loved the characters! If you love second chance tropes and hilarious scenarios that will have you laughing out loud, this should definitely be on your reading list! Mhairi McFarlane did an amazing job with this novel and now I want to read all of hers other novels as well.

Thanks so much to William Morrow Paperbacks / HarperCollins for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! Publishes September 10th!

Was this review helpful?

Such a believable, enjoyable romance! As usual, Mhairi McFarlane's depiction of the main characters' relationship with each other and their respective relationships with friends and family is so spot-on. This work tackles some weightier themes than seen in prior books but she pulls it off.

Was this review helpful?

This story is about Georgina who ends up being a barmaid at at a newly open pub. When she accepted the job she didnt know she would be running into the boy she fell in love with when she was In school.
I really thought I was going to read a romance but this didnt have that much of it. I felt like there was a lot of things going on with all the characters but still felt like it was all of the place. I just felt like this read wasnt for me. Thanks Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This is the first book that I've read that is labeled #chicklit. Now I want gum. (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiclets">Chiclets </a>were my very favorite gum, next to grape Hubba Bubba which I still find in a Lakeview gas station occasionally) Anyhow, I think the main character, Georgina would approve of gum obsession. I mean I don't know for sure, but she seems agreeable to that sort of quirkiness.



At the start of the story, she gets fired and finds her boyfriend in bed with someone else within like an hour. It's a lot. That was the part that reminded me of Bridget Jones, which is the only example I could find of #chicklit. When she gets a new job bartending she finds out that her old high school crush owns the place.



This isn't a capital R-Romance, but it has romance in it. I like that the story isn't all light and fluffy because life usually isn't and the backstory of her father dying made the happy parts better for me as a reader.



In conclusion, I love Mhairi McFarlane. I'm now seeking out every book she has out in the world.

Was this review helpful?

I think I was very misled by the synopsis of this book. While parts of it are funny and fantastic and I love Georgina as a character, I felt like I didn't connect with the book as a whole. There is a lot of serious material here--sexual harassment, family issues, relationship issues. Some parts of the book were just lengthy paragraphs of dialogue between Georgina and her friends. The whole thing felt like a big mess at times. I think I was expecting a lighthearted rom com. This book is also easily about 100 pages too long.

I appreciate Harper Collins sending me an ARC to review. I wish I had loved it more!

Was this review helpful?

A wannabe writer, Georgina, is battling a lost job, a break-up with a cheating boyfriend, and an overbearing family. At her new job, she finds out her boss is her high school boyfriend, Lucas – who doesn’t remember her. The book follows her journey of becoming a better writer, standing up to her family, and accepting herself, as well as struggling with what her latent feelings for Lucas mean.

I’m not a huge fan of chick-lit books, but I had a blast reading this. It was a quick read, and I loved Georgina as a character. The middle of the book slowed down, but I was kept hooked with the promise of Georgina’s growth and character development. She becomes surprisingly self-reflective and thoughtful and I ended up loving her so much more at the end than I did at the beginning. McFarlane really puts in care with her writing and manages to combine humour, sadness, and entertainment that balances well. I really enjoyed reading this book and loved how sweet the ending was.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!

Was this review helpful?

I was definitely sold on this by cute cover and the earworm the title provided. This is a great comp for readers looking for books like those by similar British authors like Jill Mansell or Katie Fforde. It was a little too long for me with a middle that dragged a bit, but I found the ending very satisfying, and thought the growth that Georgina went through felt authentic.

Was this review helpful?

Both hilarious and heartwarming. I would go to see this movie! Georgina is spinning her wheels in the hospitality arena. Unlikely and outrageous events seem to follow her around resulting in frequent job changes. Catching her semi-famous comedienne cheating on her the same day she gets fired lands her at rock bottom. Her brother-in-law fixes her up with a one-day gig tending bar for a funeral reception and while there she bumps into her first love -- but he doesn't seem to recognize her! More than a fluffy romance, this book explores Georgina's relationships with her friends, housemate and her family. Will she ever get to be a writer? Will she have the nerve to use her own material in the open mike contest at her bar? There is lots of snarky dialogue as well as a great cast of quirky characters. Nana Hogg may have a small role, but she will not be forgotten.

Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I would like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC in return for an honest review.
This may be an unpopular opinion...
I wanted to love this story as this summer has had an amazing amount of RomCom novels. However, this fell flat for me and it did not read like a RomCom but rather was more drama. The initial romance between Lucas and Georgina was sweet and full of possibilities and then it was over (no spoilers but the whole scene just didn't make sense to me).
When they reconnect it is odd because their ending had been so weak. I would have liked the author to really develop the initial relationship so the return was impactful. I am so sorry I didn't love this book as I never like to leave a negative review. I would absolutely read this author again, I was just expecting a romantic comedy centered around a return to one's first love and this was not it. Book itself was well written and aspects of the book were engaging.

Was this review helpful?

Between that cover and the synopsis, I was expecting a fairly fluffy romance. Let me tell you right now, this is not that at all.

I might have liked Georgina if the story would have been about her. Instead there’s eleventy billion characters and plot directions and I found myself skimming through anything that wasn’t her and Lucas. As for Lucas, I didn’t feel like we actually learned anything about him.

Plot wise, it’s a mess. The writing was all over the place and I never felt settled. I will say there are a lot of great passages about misogyny and gaslighting and how women are expected to act and I think a lot of those sections are was kept me interested. The last two or three chapters felt focused and would have been worth the wait if this book wasn’t 400+ pages.

Overall, I was completely misled by the synopsis. I don’t think I would have requested it if it would have been more accurate and I’m left wondering if two stars is too high.

FYI: there’s a very long scene of a character talking about being sexually assaulted.

**Huge thanks to William Morrow for providing the arc free of charge**

Was this review helpful?

This author was new to me and in the beginning I couldn't quite figure out her writing style. But after a chapter or two I got into it, and I couldn't put the book down. It was funny, sad, heartfelt, entertaining, and it made me think about how when somethings happen in your past, do those things shape how you are in the future. A great read-and now I'm going to check out her other works.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC and a chance to read this book.

Was this review helpful?

A wonderful title to recommend to readers who love romantic comedies. Great characters, good pacing, and a unique premise that is a little bit different than the typical love story. Sophie Kinsella fans, I think, will particularly like this book.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I needed this story! It was just a fun read. Georgina is awesome. She always seems to get into wacky crazy situations, but she has people to help her get through it!

Thanks so much NetGalley! Adored this one

Was this review helpful?

I have to admit that, solely based on the cover, I wasn't expecting this to be quite so thoughtful. That being said, I love this book! I honestly hadn't read anything by this author before and I am kicking myself for that fact. But the good news is that now I get to go read her backlist. This definitely is very British but I couldn't necessarily compare it to any other authors. I loved the story, the second-chance romance, the characters ... truly, everything.

Don't You Forget About Me comes out next month on September 10, 2019, you can purchase HERE! I loved this so much and highly recommend it!!

Did I have him, even fleetingly? Only my diary stands as proof, yet I can't bear to look at it. It lives at the bottom of my bra drawer, always close and yet forever untouched.

Was this review helpful?

I found this book of struggling barmaid Georgina and her long ago love Lucas to be utterly charming.

The book focuses on Georgina, who is a little lost after losing her father and quitting college about ten years ago. Since then, she's bounced around like a pinball at service jobs and dating disappointing men who don't take her blonde cuteness and lack of career seriously. After losing a horrendous job, Georgina is given a temporary bar position that reunites her with her first love, who seems not to remember her at all.

Through all this Georgina struggles as the black sheep of her conservative family and struggle with her dream of writing.

I enjoyed the book's gentle humor and interesting plot, and I would definitely recommend the book to others.

Thanks to NetGalley.com, the author and publisher for my ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Cute light hearted chic lit book. If you're looking for something light and fun to read, this should be your next go to. It's a quick read and will have you hooked from the first page.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This was a fairly cute and fun romance novel that had a bit more substance than I first expected. I am debating between 3 and 4 stars with this book, so I think I am going to land in the middle with 3.5 stars.

Georgina gets fired from her job, then comes home and finds her boyfriend cheating on her. Feeling like a failure in all areas of her life, Georgina lucks into a great new job. The only catch-- her new boss is a long lost high school friend with whom she has a complicated history.

There were stretches in the middle of this book where the pacing slowed down a lot. I thought the book seemed really shallow at the beginning, but by the end I was pleased to see the depth of Georgina's character, especially when she finally opens up and shares her story. That was such an honest and real moment that really helped me to connect with Georgina (up until that point, I just wasn't sure what to think of her!). There were some great moments in this novel, like the end which featured one of the most amazing declarations of love that I have read...I loved that moment as well! I can't say that I loved every single moment of this book. I did not connect with many of the minor characters, like Georgina's friends and family, and I thought those sections slowed down my enjoyment of the story. Also several key parts of this story reminded me a lot of The Flatshare, so I couldn't help but compare the two books. Yet, once the book hits its stride in the end, I could not put it down and really enjoyed how the story wrapped up!

This book comes out in the US on September 10, and it's worth a read if you enjoy romantic comedies! Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Sadly, this book just wasn’t for me. The writing was so overtly pretentious that it made connecting with the story nearly impossible. I spent most of the time trying to decipher the nonstop run-on sentences instead of enjoying the reading experience. I’ve heard great things about this author so I’d still be interested in her other books, but unfortunately this one wasn’t a hit for me.

Was this review helpful?

I really liked this book! It's the best kind of "chick-lit" book - a great story, fun characters that kept me interested, and well-written and not formulaic.

Georgina starts a new job as a bartender after she has to leave her old one under awkward personal circumstances. She's surprised to find the owner of the pub and her new boss is her ex-boyfriend and the love her of her life, Lucas. She's even more surprised to find that Lucas doesn't seem to remember her at all. Or does he? It's fun to see how the plot unfolds int his one!

I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?