I absolutely loved this book! I will say, in the beginning, it drags a little bit because Laurie is so devastated and blindsided by what happens with Dan. But it was very realistic and not rushed at all. So I appreciated that. And it was totally worth reading through to get to the rest, because the rest was gold! Of course, you can guess how the very end is going to turn out. But watching Jamie and Laurie grow as characters and getting to see their families and backgrounds and everything, I just loved it. I loved how British this book is too. And how it hit right on the nail how society wants to paint what happiness is supposed to look like for women.

This is more a story of growth and love, this isn’t a true romance. There aren’t any “romantic scenes” in the book, so if that isn’t your thing and you want a love story…this might be the book for you!

Bottom Line: Read it!!! This will most likely make my top 10 list for the year. I couldn’t put it down.

** I received a copy of If I Never Met You from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

This novel has a very difficult beginning as it portrays just how painful the breakdown of a long relationship can be. However, the aftermath for the very intelligent, very honest woman this book is about beginning to know who she is at heart beyond the desires and projections of others.

Although the plot centers around something that starts as a deception, the real story is about rock slid honesty and its rewards. In that way this book is a revelation and a validation. In my opinion this is the authors best book so far. It is certainly the most mature. And it is also a very satisfying romance novel. I highly recommend this book and any of this author's work.

This was cute. The ending wrapped up a little to quickly and conveniently for me, but I enjoyed the build up in the story. The main characters were dynamic and interesting without being overdone. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

This was my first Mhairi McFarlane read, but will certainly not be the last. A swift and charming romantic comedy complete with one of my absolute favorite tropes (fake dating!), IF I NEVER MET YOU is a delight from start to finish.

OᐯᗴᖇᐯIᗴᗯ: Laurie and Dan have been together for 17 years when Dan decides he is ready to move on, leaving Laurie heartbroken and looking for revenge. Jamie is the company playboy who is looking for a promotion but needs a change in image to help him get it. A chance meeting in a stick elevator give Laurie and Jamie a chance to hatch a plan that will help them both get what they want.

ᗯᕼᗩT ᗯᗩᔕ ᘜᖇᗴᗩT:
◇ I fell in love with both Jamie and Laurie. They were both so flawed but real.
◇ The dialogue and events in the story were fun and lively. I enjoyed the banter between the characters.
◇ It was easy to see where the story was going, but that didn’t make any less fun getting there.
◇ Laurie was one tough lady! I love how she was able to stand up for herself and let it be known that she doesn’t need a man to be her own powerful self!

ᗯᕼᗩT ᗯᗩᔕ ᗰIᔕᔕIᑎᘜ:
◇ Other than Jamie, most of the male characters were jerks! They all felt like they could make decisions for Laurie.
◇ The story was predictable in a “Hallmark” movie sort of way.

ᖇᗩTIᑎᘜ: ★★★★

A heart warming book about finding who you are again after a relationship leaves you gutted.

There was so much to love about this book. A fantastic fake dating trope where there was a good thorough acknowledgement of the rules, intense moments that make you realize the repercussions of said fake romance, and a brilliant job of being good supportive people. I found Laurie to be a little annoying at times, foolish for someone seven years my senior, but she grew on me. I will say I do have contradictory thoughts about the first third of this book. It’s slow and tough to get through, but it does such a good job creating the tension, emotional arc, and showing the backstory therefore establishing the characters and their current state of relationship. More novels need to do that. So often we’re quick to get to the good parts, but sometimes it’s the journey along the way.

Really pleased with this novel and happy to have read it. Laurie was a star and Jamie was a dream. And Hattie is probably my favorite character of the bunch, Emily too. Good strong supporting cast and good strong mains, stellar workz

I LOVED IT. This is a perfect contemporary romance! My heart aches for Laurie and her breakup but it swooned for her showmance from the get-go. A notorious ladies man with more substance than most know and a reputation that may not fit the bill? Yes, please. Jamie was totally swoon-worthy and Laurie was delightful. I loved the dynamic between her and her best friend, Emily, as well! This book is so cute and I smiled *most* of the way through. :)

I feel the ending came out of left field, but that wasn’t enough to mar my enjoyment of this contemporary romance book. I loved how the author doesn’t gloss over Laurie’s break up, and instead gives us a full picture of what Laurie is going through and what her state of mind is like as she strikes up a friendship with Jamie. The author takes her time building the relationship in a way that feels very authentic. The social commentary regarding feminism was fantastic. This was a breath of fresh air and a welcome distraction after reading so many thrillers and mysteries. I am a first time reader of Mhairi McFarlane, and look forward to reading a lot more from her.

If I Never Met You was an adorable read. I cried and laughed thru out the book, it was a roller coaster ride. I think it could have been a little fast paced, but over all it was pretty good.

I had read "Don't You Forget About Me" in the middle of a huge romance novel spree the end of last year, and lamented the lack of the usual romantic pacing (and the expected steaminess that comes with it) compared to what I had been reading. But then I went back and read parts of the book again, enjoying the character development, and the writing in general.
I liked this book even better. To me, the characters were well developed--Laurie spends some time reflecting on her failed relationship with Dan, and observing the racism and sexism in her work environment, and I didn't mind, because I was connecting with her. It was well written and not exposition for the sake of exposition. Because of that, the scenarios were not far-fetched. I'm a little more forgiving of the "fade-to-black" transitions here as Laurie and Jamie get closer. Some parts even had me giggling out loud.
I'd recommend this author to people who feel Sophie Kinsella doesn't really do it for them.

Four solid points for this book. Going into this book I had no idea what it was about all I was hoping for is that I would enjoy it and I surely did.

This book started with Dan and Laurie breaking up. "Dan's decision" according to her. A month or two passes and Dan came over to talk to Laurie to inform her that he was in a relationship and that they were pregnant. Laurie and Jamie decided to fake date so
1) Dan would get jealous
2) so Jamie would get a promotion (they all worked in the same place)
Eventually Laurie and Jamie fell in love.

At first I was pretty mad and my anger was directed at Dan why after 18 whole long dragged out years he chose to break up for bullshit reasons to only find out he just wanted to be with someone else. Me personally I would have killed him, but Laurie didn't cause she's mature so kudos to her.

As the book continued it was getting more and more better the relationship that developed was so cute. It was amazing to get a perspective from someone older than me even if it was in a fictional sense.

What I didn't like was the ending, the conflict coming at the ending I did not understand at all what the conflict was about, why they brought about that conflict. I thought it could have been done in a more realistic tasteful explanatory way. That was my only problem other than that it was good.

Great book thanks to Harper Collins and netgalley for this arc. This review was based on my opinion and wasn't influenced by anything or anyone outside the book.

This book was devastating and uplifting at the same time. My heart absolutely shattered for Laurie when her well ordered and settled life was turned on its head. How she manages to pull herself together and come out better than ever from her breakup was an engaging, slow moving romance that I had a hard time putting down.

I went into this one expecting a light and funny romantic comedy and got so much more than that. While the synopsis makes it clear that this book opens with a serious breakup, I was not prepared for how much of the story--the first third in fact--was going to be taken up by this aspect of the plot. Laurie and Dan's breakup is heart wrenchingly realistic and anyone who has felt blindsided by the ending of a serious relationship will recognize themselves in Laurie as she navigates her way through the aftermath of Dan's confession. 

Despite the seriousness of the tone set by the start of the book, a lighter balance is quickly struck whenever Jamie's character enters a scene. From the beginning, it is clear there is more to him than the roguish playboy everyone makes him out to be and I was quickly smitten. Fake relationships are one of my favorite romantic tropes and this one was exceptionally well-written. The chemistry between Laurie and Jamie is believable and engaging and left me wanting to much more than what can be delivered in a few hundred pages. 

If I Never Met You is smart, funny, and genuinely moving. McFarlane writes realistically flawed and endearing characters that you cannot help but root for and swoon over in equal measure. Perhaps even more telling is the fact that there are no steamy scenes in this book and I still loved the hell out of it. I look forward to reading more books by this author, so if you've read any please let me know where I should start! 

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

finished the book a few days ago, but I waited to write the review to see how much of the plot stuck with me.

Summary: Boy and girl have non-meet-cute. Girl's current relationship ends. Drama. Boy and girl contrive a plan- heavy on contrive, light on plan. Mischief ensues. Conversations are not had. Drama. Resolution. HEA.

I did appreciate that this book has a slight B plot of the female protagonist and her female best friend. Her growing understanding of the significance of that relationship gave some heft to the book. Her resolution and increased depth of knowledge with her parents also gives the books and the character some additional depth. The male protagonist also has backstory, which we don't get quite as much detail on, but still get to know so that we can have some clue about his motivations and history.

I liked the female protagonist. Since we mostly get things from her point of view, some of the decisions of the main male protagonist seem mysterious. The reader has slightly more insight that the character does, but it would have been nice to occasionally see things from his viewpoint now and then, we (readers) could be certain of what we were rooting for.

This is exactly the kind of book that is a good read right now and I expect will hold up as a comfort read for some people for years to come.

If I Never Met You is a fun delightful quick read that was a great escape from the real world. I found this to be a fun story that had some substance with themes of friendship, love, betrayal, loyalty and family.

Set in England, Laurie is a thirty something woman who finds herself suddenly out of an eighteen year relationship. This sudden change sets Laurie on a course that she does not expect but which has great outcome.

I was not familiar with McFalane but will definitely be watching for future releases.

This was better than I thought it was going to be and lets face it; there are many fake it type relationship books out there in the chick lit genre. I honestly thought it was going to be a repeat of all those just with different characters. It was not, which was a nice surprise> I found myself wanting and hoping the characters would realize their fake relationship( to impress those around them) is turning into something real.

Good characters and a believable story. An easier story to read.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

this is the classic fake relationship turns into something more. I genuinely was so freaking angry for Laurie at the beginning of the book. Her boyfriend was garbage and I wanted to reach through the pages and give him a good shake. Enter Jamie and a crap ton of swooning 😍 This was a fun read and I enjoyed watching the story unfold. The characters were diverse and unique. If you’re looking for a quick read, pick this one up! ⁣

Mhairi McFarlane's books are a joy to read. If I Never Met You is a romance, and a good one but it also tackles parent/child relationships, friendships, the expectations we place on ourselves vs. the reality of acceptance and (and!) is devastatingly spot on about the end of a long term relationship and the mix of grief and anger and fear and love that you don't know what to do with. There are loads of romances out there and we all need them now as we navigate Spring 2020 and the covid-19 pandemic, but If I Never Met You should be moved to the top of your "I want an escape!" reading. It's smart, funny, honest, and throughly enjoyable. I loved it so much I ordered a copy while reading the ARC. So, you know, very highly recommended and enjoy!

While an interesting synopsis and concept, I thought "If I Never Met You" was much too slow at getting started. We first met the main characters, and then spend a long period of time learning about the female lead (Laurie) and her reaction to being dumped by her live-in boyfriend of over a decade. The male lead (Jamie) is barely mentioned until about a 1/4 of he way through the story. By the time the real story began, I was already bored with the book but continued reading only because I had received an ARC and needed to write a review. I didn't feel writing a review on half a book was fair to the author.
Laurie and Jamie make a deal that will help them both out. Laurie wants to make her ex jealous while Jamie needs to shed his "playboy" reputation in order to get a promotion at work. The two strike a deal. Even after the deal is struck, it felt like Jamie was once again MIA as Laurie's story continued without him.
Eventually the story got more entertaining as Jamie and Laurie start interacting more in their "fake" relationship. Overall, I'd say stick with it because the story as a whole was good, just really slow to start.

When her partner over a decade leaves her, Laurie is left reeling. Not just because they work at the same firm—but because he got his new girlfriend pregnant almost immediately, after telling Laurie he didn't want to have kids with her.

Laurie is trying to recover, but it's not until being stuck in an elevator with office-playboy Jamie that she realizes that they have something in common. She needs a way to get out of the pity-rumor mill, and Jamie needs a steady girlfriend so he can vie for a big promotion with the bosses. No one ever said that their relationship needed to be real...

3.5 stars, rounded down.

It definitely got better as it went on, although I wanted an epilogue set one year later since the ending was a bit ehhhhh.

I think that this would have worked a lot better if it had been heavily edited a hundred pages (or more). Laurie and Jamie don't begin their fake-dating until nearly halfway into the book, and before that it's a loooooooong wave of Laurie trying to recover from her ex and his betrayal.

And the fake dating is...bland, although it's one of the most creative uses of the One Bed Trope that I've seen in a long while, and there is no denying that Laurie and Jamie had fantastic chemistry, even if a lot of the humor was missing for me. Perhaps it's because I was anticipating more humor and slapstick comedy instead of a fairly mundane contemporary romance that dealt more with recovering from a long-term relationship that died a slow death than the current fauxmance.

However, I did like Jamie, but mostly for his tyrannical lodger, Margaret, a fat tortoiseshell cat who demanded her own bedroom and a garden, and that is why he was unable to move. And I loved his parents, who were just the loveliest, and the most heart-breaking. And I liked his mercenary use of social media and staged photography.

The one thing I did love was Laurie's realization that the night she met what's-his-face (he doesn't deserve being named in truth) was that she did meet the love of her life. It just wasn't her ex. It was her best friend.

"Look at us in a garden center on a Sunday; we're officially wholesome, middle-aged, and deeply heteronormative," Emily said.


I loved that Laurie's relationship with Emily stayed strong throughout the entire book. A lot of contemporary romances ditch the best girl friend as soon as the love interest waltzes in, but this one didn't—it fully embraced the strong and lasting joy of friendship, and acknowledged that platonic friendships are just as valuable as sexual relationships.

You were equal with these men so long as you didn't make them feel unequal, lesser, challenged. If you stayed in your lane.


I also loved that the book leaned into double standards of women in a male-dominated professional environment. So much of this book—from the whispers, the cock-measuring, the bullshit "protection," the backstabbing of many of the women who had bought into the patriarchy—hit so close to home for me. Which is why the ending really annoyed me.

Crap people you happen to be related to: you need to stop thinking you owe them a limitless number of changes to hurt you.


Yes! Yes! A million times yes! Laurie's father—an absolutely narcissistic disgrace of a meatsack—was one of the reasons why she fell alongside the ex. She was seeking relationships that reflected the level of trauma she had had as a child, because that was what she knew. And she kept giving her dad power over her and power to hurt her, because he was her dad.

Now, if we can only apply this writing off of abusive and manipulative family members to mother-figures, without all of that sappily problematic "but she's your motherrrrr" excuses I see so often (Bad Moms Christmas, I'm looking right at you).

Anywho, that was a much longer review than I intended to write.

There were a lot of great things about this book, and a wealth of emotion, depth and nuance that had me singing. I just wished that it moved a bit quicker, because it was long for no reason, and that the romance was stronger.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review