Laurie is a likable, strong, intelligent protagonist. In fact, I think this would make a great Netflix movie.

Mhairi McFarlane does it again and this time with an even better fake romance trope. Laurie and her long time boyfriend who is also a colleague in the same law firm breaks up with her suddenly. the rumor mill has that her ex's girlfriend is not pregnant - and yet he told Laurie that having kids was not in his future. Well Laurie is not going to take this lying down and takes an opportunity to have this fake relationship with the ever so handsome and charming Jamie Carter. Nothing is ever typical with McFarlane because she writes her characters with heart and sass - always so funny with a hint of sarcasm. Women are strong and not helpless and underneath it all is a great journey of what is most important to look into the future but also realizing past mistakes. I really enjoyed this fun rom com, with relatable characters and amazing dialogue. I highly recommend this very much!

I absolutely loved that Laurie was a diverse main character and had authentic hair. Her journey to get over this horrific thing that happened to her was very realistic. I loved Jamie. I loved that he was flawed but had a soft spot for his family. Their relationship was one of my favorites and I can't wait to read more from this author.

This one was very cute. I love the trope of Bad Boy Fake-Dates Smart Girl, but what made this stand out a bit more was how respectful he was. Our leads worked well together, were written with nuance, and the writing was also quick and funny while the romance was a slow burn (also catnip to many of us romance readers).

If I Never Met You was my first book by this author. And although I LOVE all thing British, there were a lot of British slang and cultural references that took some getting used to.

The story is based on a fake relationship/dating trope, which has been done many times before. In this case the author focuses more on the friendship part between the couple, the slow build up, the confiding and getting to know each other and then the falling in love. The feelings between the couple didn’t overwhelm me, but I never had the feeling as if this was the goal of this story.

Instead the author wrote an emotional story about moving on after being dumped after almost two decades. And there was the crux of it all. If I would have been in the same situation, my life would have been shattered, I would have been physically and emotionally drained. There would have been no chances that I would have wanted to have anything to do with guys after that, revenge or no revenge. Eighteen years of a relationship, down the drain, with an ex-boyfriend already impregnating his new girlfriend – that’s quite the heart-breaking MESS – and from there right into a fake one – it just wasn’t believable to me, or something I could relate to.

Also the book might sound like a rom-com, but wasn’t one. At least not like any I’ve read before. I missed the banter and overall it read more like British chick-lit, than anything else. As so often, I was thrown off by the cover and blurb. In the end, the book was heavier and more emotional than I thought it would be.

<b>3.5 out of 5 Stars rounded up!</b>

I'm so torn about this one you guys. There's so much to love about this story and these characters, but parts of this slow-burn romance fell flat for me. Which is truly unfortunate because it's clear McFarlane is a terrific writer. This book felt honest and real, and illustrated themes and concepts that are rarely depicted in my reading experience. In fact, several passages made me cheer upon reading because they felt like a breath of fresh air. This is namely due to the fact that our lead heroine isn't white presenting/is mixed race (as she states in the novel). Books like this prove why diversity matters across all genres. Not only do people deserve to see themselves represented in popular works, but it also helps highlight issues that members outside those groups wouldn't normally be exposed to/think of. For that reason alone this book deserves your attention and loads of love.

With that being said, this still didn't land like I was hoping it would. My main issue was pacing (read: I don't feel like the "action" started until after the 35% mark) and repetitive passages over addressed issues that could have been put to better use. I'd happily have forgone some of these duplicate scenes that often were devoted to Laurie (our powerful and diverse MC) in turmoil over Dan (her unfortunate ex) for more of her budding romance with the "sexy yet misunderstood" Jamie. I already really enjoyed their chemistry, and feel like the believability would have expanded with more access to character-growth scenes. Especially because the few scenes we did get devoted to this were *Italian chef kiss*.

At the end of the day, there's definitely more good than bad, and I'm intrigued to see what McFarlane graces us with next.

Mhairi McFarlane is a new to me author and one I will definitely read in the future. In I Never Met You we get a fake romance that was fun, charming and had me grinning. Laurie is heartbroken when her longtime boyfriend breaks up with her and moves on. What is even harder, they work together and everyone knows her humiliation. What is a girl to do? Well find a fake boyfriend, right?

Enter Jamie, fellow office employee and hot and sexy. They can help each other and have the perfect fake relationship. I just loved Laurie and Jamie. Yes, he is charming, sexy and known as a playboy. But she realizes there is more to him as she spends time with him. Though Laurie is hurt over what her ex did, she is smart and confident She just wants to get past the gossip. But what happens when lines begin to blur?

If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane was such a fun and charming read and one I highly recommend.

Happy reading!

Mhairi McFarlane took me from heartbreak to restoration in 400 pages and I loved it! You could feel Laurie's anguish over the demise of her 18 year relationship, but I love that it wasn't all woe is me (though there was a little bit of that) - she is a fierce, independent, intelligent woman and she stood up for herself in a way that I found very admirable and even inspirational. I also really enjoyed Jamie's character and the way they advocating for each other and grew as individuals. I was taken aback by the small (and possible slightly triggering) reveal from Laurie's background - after reading Don't You Forget About Me which also had a character that had a traumatizing event in her background, it made me wonder if this is a tidbit that was included in all of the author's books. Other than that, I enjoyed watching Laurie regain her self-confidence, find new love, and recognize that love (real love) comes in many different forms. I look forward to checking out Mhairi McFarlane's back catalogue and I'll definitely be adding her to my "auto-buy" author list. 4 out of 5 wine glasses.

20 Years. What would you do if after being with someone for 20 years they tell you that they don’t want to be with you anymore? That is what happened between Laurie and Dan. They had been together 20 years; they worked together and were even talking about having a baby. Dan decided suddenly that he didn’t want to be with Laurie anymore. What does she do now? She talks to Jamie a friend at work and they decide to make Dan jealous by starting a fake relationship, which will also hopefully help Jamie be taken seriously as well as get a promotion.
As Laurie and Jamie get to know each other they also get to know themselves. They go from being just colleagues to friends. Now that Laurie finds herself single and heartbroken at thirty-six, she now also finds herself trying to find out who she is, especially without Dan.
This was a great read. Sometimes you read a book that makes you smile in parts. This book made me smile the entire way through.
A definite must read.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a free copy I exchange for an honest review.

A nice beach read romcom about letting go and moving on. The characters were likable and relatable.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

If I Never Met You is the first book I have read from Mhairi McFarlane and it definitely will not be the last! I love fake relationship romances and this one was super well done. Laurie and Jamie were perfect characters in my opinion. I can't wait to read more from this author!

If I Never Met You
by: Mhairi McFarlane
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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After my friend’s 34th Zoom birthday party on Friday where I had too many @whiteclaw, I spent Saturday laying around and listening to If I Never Met You. This was SO good! I liked Laurie, I liked Jamie, and I liked their fake relationship story.
It’s also the 3rd book I’ve read lately where the male lead was significantly younger than the female lead so maybe I should change the age range on my Tinder profile? (Just kidding. I don’t have a Tinder. Yet.)

Mhairi McFarlane is a new auther for me and I'm glad that I had the chance to read one of her books thanks to Net Galley. In this book Laurie is devastated when Dan, her partner of eighteen years, decides to end their relationship and moves out. Whilst Laurie initially thinks this is down to a case of cold feet, she soon finds out that Dan is now in a new relationship with a baby on the way. Needless to say this prompts Laurie to want revenge on her ex but in the best, comedic way possible. Laurie teams up with the smooth talking womanizer from her office, Jamie Carter, who is angling for a promotion, and they agree to pretend they are in a relationship. However, what happens when the lines blur, and real feelings begin to appear in the fake relationship?

If I Never Met You was incredibly witty and laugh out loud hilarious. The storyline of Laurie and her partner's break up felt genuine and relatable I loved Laurie as a character and found myself routing for her in light of her heartbreak.

All in all, If I Never Met You is a book I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a fresh, hilarious take on contemporary fiction.
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Laurie’s world is turned upside down when her partner Dan drops the devastating bombshell that he doesn’t want children or to be in a relationship with her anymore. This is particularly hard as they have been together for 18 years, they met at university and work as lawyers in the same office. As if the situation couldn’t get any worse Dan confesses a few weeks later that he is in a new relationship and his new partner is pregnant!!

After a chance meeting in a broken lift with Jack the lad lawyer Jamie, Laurie agrees to have a media showmance, it will make ex Dan jealous and help Jamie’s reputation as he is trying to make partner in the law firm.

Laurie is a great character, funny and strong. After spending so long with her partner it is hard for her to start again with someone new, it’s not easy as she works in an office that is rife with gossip.

Everybody needs a Jamie, he is gorgeous and when you scratch below his surface he is actually a very caring and ambitious guy who stands up for Laurie.

I loved this book, I think you have melted my frozen heart, outside was cold and raining but inside I was cuddled up with this lovable romance. I loved how two characters that are like chalk and cheese and would never normally spend time together become close friends!! #ifinevermetyou #netgalley

I almost stopped reading this book because I felt so sad for Laurie, but I'm so happy I kept reading! I absolutely loved this story and the characters. A fake relationship is one of my favorite tropes and Mhairi McFarlane made it feel fresh.

I really do want to begin by thanking NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced e-copy for an honest review.

I've let my thoughts on this book simmer for a while now because I don't want to do an injustice to this author or their book by simply giving it two stars and leaving it at that. This book IS a good book, it is well written and well developed, its characters are rounded and relatable and the plot is of my entertainment.

However, I didn't enjoy reading it... It felt far too convoluted for a romance, to the point that I couldn't appreciate the banter between the main couple (and I always love my bit of banter). I kept going from bored to uninterested with every turn of the page. Maybe it's me, or perhaps, the timing. All I know is that I was very happy when I ended it...

Still, I don't want to keep anyone who might enjoy this from giving it a chance, so if you like fake-dating trope this could be it for you, because honestly like I mentioned it has no technical faults.

DNF at 8%.

I listened to an hour of this audiobook, and....it just didn’t grab me. Is this...*too* British for me??? Something about the writing definitely put me off and I immediately didn’t care about the characters. I was really looking forward to reading this book too :(

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Confession time, I am not a huge fan of romance books, any sub-genre. But the plot line of this called to me and a few friends on GoodReads raved about it, so I decided to try it. I do need to keep up with all sections of the store so I can help any customer who comes in (when we are open), so it wouldn't be a waste of time.

And oh my goodness, was this JUST what I needed right now! I COMPLETELY fell in love with the H and h and BFFs Emily and Nadia. I LOVED the female friendship and while there was the "other woman" and a complicated relationship with the h's mom, the female relationships were so AWESOME. Every woman needs friends like that. Made me miss my besties a bit more than I already do, not going to lie.

While I am not a fan of potty mouths, they were not shy about using bad language, but it did fit the situations, it wasn't just used to shock. Kind of nice, but also weird, was God was mentioned a few times, but no church, no beliefs were really expressed, so not a book with a religious bent and probably not one for someone who wants to read Christian romances. It did had off-page unmarital sex in it as well, so be warned if that is not something you would like to read. Also lots of vicious gossiping and alcohol use.

SPOILER IN THIS TRIGGER WARNING.

Also, the father-figure in this book is absolute garbage and he left his eight year old daughter in a situation that could have ended in her being assaulted.

I know this sounds like I didn't like the book, but I did. I just know these things would be a turn off for some readers. And the way the world is going now, do we really need to spend our time on a book that doesn't speak to us?

This book DID speak to me. I loved it. The characters, the setting, the secondary characters all felt real to me, as well as the primary ones. The plot of the man leaving his college sweetheart of 18 years for someone else felt very real and probable to me. The reactions did as well. I LOVED that the heroine wasn't in her 20s!! THANK YOU. Women who are older than 20s DO exists and it's great to see that represented in a contemporary romance.

I loved the strong female relationships and that they were all independent and smart and were THERE for their friends when they were needed. That might have been my favorite part of the book to be honest. Also, the moving on from the jerk who needed to "find himself" and found himself in the arms of another woman...I STILL seethe for Laurie on that one. But the best revenge is to let the other woman have him.

Oh, one more thing that I liked, the COMMUNICATION. When there was an issue, the characters did their best to communicate what they were thinking, feeling and trying to understand the other person's side of things. Well, the ones who weren't catty gossipers. They used words to hurt. I guess it's a good example of how to and how to not use words. Which makes sense, as most of the characters in the book are lawyers. Laurie was a criminal lawyer, which I wasn't sure I would appreciate, but there was a scene where she defended a young person who was absolutely horrible and it ended rather interestingly. (Not going to spoil it, you should read it for yourself. I was surprised by it to be honest.)

I love Jamie's parents and want to adopt them, they were so sweet. Lots of sorrow in that family, but they didn't let it destroy them.

Laurie's family wasn't the healthiest, but she and her mom were better for having an air-clearing and she was better for finally confronting her dad. I also liked that her mom had a BFF who was visible in the book and giving support to both the mom and Laurie. I just loved the female relationships in this book!

Ok, enough gushing. 5, shiny I think Jamie is my book boyfriend now, stars! Highly recommended, even if contemporary romance isn't usually your thing. It usually isn't mine, but this was so much MORE than just a romance. I will be recommending this to most of the customers we have (when we can finally open-no stress there...)

So let me end this with a PSA-support your local small businesses and support your local small bookstore by buying this book! : ) Stay healthy and safe.

My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers/William Morrow Paperbacks for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

I absolutely loved everything about this book. It was so refreshing to have a main character who isn't early 20s and is already established with a career. There was a perfect blend of romance (fake dating and "there's only one bed" are arguably the best romance tropes) and personal growth. The way Laurie's relationship with her mother develops is heartwarming. Carter is an amazing love interest and I really enjoyed getting to see the true side of him. This book had the golden ratio of humor and seriousness and I think McFarlane discussed the more sensitive topics very well (disclaimer: I have no personal experience with these issues so check with an own voices reader on the representation).

Overall I give this a high 5 stars and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley/HarperCollins for the free arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say, I sobbed through the first twenty percent of the book. The author has written this story so beautifully, it made me feel all the emotions with Laurie. I loved both Laurie and Jamie's characters but I wish there was more Jamie and less Dan in this book. I feel like Dan didn't deserve so much real estate in a book where he is a complete jacka**. Jamie on the other hand, was absolutely amazing and I wanted to read more about him! Laurie is also a complete rockstar and a complete survivor to go through all of her experiences and come out so strong. I was rooting for her right from the first chapter. I loved this book and read it through the night. I want to warn you that it is one of those books that are difficult to put down once you start reading them. I also loved the beautiful friendships in this book. I definitely have an Emily/ Hattie in my life and can totally relate to the wonderful relationships described in the book. This is a standalone book and I would highly recommend it.


* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*