A hilariously heartwarming romance!

Laurie’s world is ripped apart when her boyfriend of eighteen years leaves her. Laurie is holding onto the hope that her ex will return so she can handle seeing him each day at work. That is until she learns that he’s dating someone new and she’s pregnant. Laurie is beyond distraught and when she and the office playboy, Jaimie, get stuck in an elevator they open up enough to strike a deal. They will fake a relationship to help Laurie get back at her ex and for Jamie to get a promotion.

I loved Laurie from the start. She’s smart, funny and just a bit snarky at times. The other characters were well developed and I’d love to hang out with Laurie and her friends. The chemistry between Laurie and Jamie was fantastic. He’s swoon worthy and I wanted more. I’d highly recommend this book for romantic comedy fans.

I enjoyed this read. The main female protagonist is smart and funny. I never felt like she was a victim or conveniently obtuse regarding relationships in order to make the plot fit. The male protagonist was dreamy and not as fully drawn as the female protagonist. I could have done without the slight will they/won't they drama of the last couple of chapters. It seemed out of character, especially for the male protagonist. Overall, a fun read!

I've always been a huge fan of Mhairi McFarlane - You Had Me at Hello was one of my favorite romance books the year it came out and a book I constantly go back to. If I Never Met You just did not hold up comparably to her other works. The main character, Laurie, spends far too much time comparing everything and everyone on her ex, which I get because they dated for 18(ish) years. But after a while, it becomes extremely redundant - we get it!! Jamie, her love interest, is interesting but she compares her ex to him every chance she gets! Boring.

I highly recommend this book! I love Laurie’s transformation into a strong, single woman after her breakup with her boyfriend of 18 years. The fake dating trope was perfectly executed! I loved the chemistry between Laurie and Jamie. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

Trying to get back into reviews, so this is going to be short and sweet. I really loved the main character of Laurie. Mhairi McFarlane did a great job of creating a mixed race romantic heroine and her dealing with the micro and macro-aggression of being a woman of color living in Britain. Laurie though really touched me when you see that she is trying to take the next step with her long-time partner, Dan. She's ready to have a child with him and has her whole world turned upside down when he lets her know he's not happy, he doesn't want to have a child, and he's leaving her. Like today. From there McFarlane follows Laurie as she's off in this new world on her own. We get insights into her history with McFarlane showing us her relationships with her parents and best friends. The really great part though is when we get the character of Jamie and how he and Laurie end up being partners in a scheme to help him with a promotion and Laurie trying to show Dan she washed him right out of her hair.

This is the second romance novel by McFarlance I have read and I am going to have to go and read her backlist soon.

I received an E-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of my thoughts and opinions are my own. This book was about a woman named Laurie, who is left reeling after her partner of almost twenty years decides to break off their relationship. Not only does she feel broken and upset by having to work at the same law firm as her ex, Dan, but also with the news of Dan's new girlfriend pregnant. With the gossip flowing around the office, Laurie decides she wants to change the story and maybe the change encounter with the office playboy is the way to go. While Jamie Carter doesn’t believe in love, he also knows he wants to make partner and what better way to get that promotion than to "date" the office golden girl, Laurie. So they both agree to the terms of their fake relationship. Throughout the fake social media posting and dinners, the line begin to blur. Can what starts out fake ever become the real thing?
Overall, I really enjoyed the premise of this book. This book is unique the way the story did not just focus on the romantic relationships of the main characters, but also addressed relationships, such as between family and friends, as a whole throughout the book. This book had very witty and laugh-out-loud dialogue that made the characters more believable and realistic. I liked the author's writing style. There was a good use of language and enough details to understand the character's actions and motivations throughout the story. The author did a great job, at the beginning of book, introducing the Dan and Laurie as well as their relationship. I really enjoyed reading about a strong female character and the huge support system she had around her. I did not like the law firm work environment. The men were, mostly terrible human beings, and I did not understand why Laurie was still working at such a place. I felt most of the men were not fair to the women in the book and treated them like crap. I liked the chemistry between Jamie and Laurie. I found their easy banter and support that they gave each other made their relationship that much stronger. Jamie was a well written character and found I liked softer side of him that was brought out because of Laurie. Both of them were able to confront their past and move forward, which allowed them to reevaluate who they were as individuals. The story moved at a great pace. I did not like Laurie's motives for wanting to fake a relationship just to get back at her ex, but I could understand her feelings. I just kept asking myself "Why are you doing this? It is not like you would take him back due to the fact he will be a father soon and how is that fair?" Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would love to read more by this author. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good fake dating troupe.

I loved this book, and of the three Mhairi McFarlane titles I've read so far, this one was the best from the storyline to the character development and the prose. McFarlane really upped the ante with her writing, which had so many clever references (some I didn't quite get because they're very British pop culture) and lots of British wit (my favorite).

This book is told in the third person from the perspective of Laurie, a mid-30s lawyer, who gets dumped out of the blue by her boyfriend of 18 years, Dan. Ugh, Dan. The long-time pair have been everyone's quintessential comfortable and slightly boringly settled couple, plus they work in the same gossipy law office, so things are about to get even worse for the blindsighted Laurie. McFarlane really let Laurie wallow in a believeable way. I felt gutted for her.

But then one day, Laurie gets stuck in an elevator with Jamie Carter, the gorgeous, on-the-rise playboy at the firm. He's charming, yes, but his lothario status is a turnoff for Laurie, so she thinks it'll be totally fine for the two of them have a fake relationship that will 1) help Jamie professionally and 2) give Dan his comeuppance. Guess what, it doesn't exactly work out that way.

Jamie isn't just a suave pretty face and Laurie finds that she has lost some of herself in her relationship with Dan and begins to find herself again.... oh and did I mention that Jamie isn't just a pretty face with wonderfully curly dark hair?

Both Laurie and Jamie's characters really develop over the course of the novel, and I particularly loved how Jamie encouraged Laurie when she was frequently unsure of herself and also how he stood up for her with the nonsense she faced. Additionally, I really appreciate that McFarlane created a biracial character in Laurie, who is beautiful, smart, and has to deal with absolutely ridiculous sexism in the workplace as well as exoticism and racism almost everywhere. Well done, Ms. McFarlane.

I hope more U.S. readers pick up this author. She's one to watch.

The high-concept/tropetastic hook: After her boyfriend-since-college unceremoniously dumps her, thirty-six year old biracial (or "dual heritage") Nice Girl Laurie Watkinson tries to make him jealous by dating the playboy at the Manchester (England) law firm where all three work.

The far more nuanced details:

I'm not usually all that drawn by high-concept romances, but I found If I Never Met You a real pleasure. McFarlane doesn't just play the trope for easy laughs; she digs deep into the feelings of Laurie and her boyfriend/ex Dan, and shows how a good relationship can gradually slip away without you even recognizing it (and how the relationship you thought was so great really had its downsides, downsides that because you were in the midst of it, you had trouble even seeing). She also shows, rather than just tells, why white playboy Jamie feels the way he does about romantic attachments (Chapter 13, where Jamie talks about why "I'm kind of a communist when it comes to relationships" is especially amusing), and why he urges Laurie to buy into his plan for them to fake date (the law firm wants him to "show my conventional settledness" before they give him a promotion).

What was most striking to me, though, was Laurie's gradual understanding of the gendered dynamics at work at her law firm, dynamics that shape both how she and Jamie are perceived by their co-workers. Jamie, a self-confident overachiever, refuses to conform to what his male colleagues want of him, and so he is turned into the office villain and ostracized ("Laurie saw how the trick was worked: the alleged villainy was entirely subjective, a matter of taste not substance: waltzing and swaggering. She increasingly suspected Jamie's offense was his refusal to play the popularity game"). But Laurie is valued by her male colleagues more for who she is dating than for the quality of her own work, even by the men who insist they are her friends, are looking out for her interests in warning her away from Jamie. As Laurie recognizes, "she had always been aware Salter & Rowson was a toxically sexist environment." But "she had been protected" as long as she was dating Dan. Now, though, "as a single woman, she was fair game for the rough-and-tumble of such politics. She was—apparently—daring to have carnal relations with a male the testosterone club didn't like, and that had to be punished."

Laurie also gradually realizes that Jamie's reputation as a heartless playboy is who he is ("You're an actual womanizer, snaring the unwary by doing a comic parody of a womanizer"), but it is only one side of a far more complicated, and more interesting, person than she, or anyone else at the law firm, ever thought.

McFarlane is a strong writer on all fronts: character, plot, theme, and voice. I especially enjoyed the cast of interesting secondary characters (especially both characters' parents, and Laurie's friend Nadia, an odd duck but a damned articulate feminist), and McFarlane's way with words.

A few favorite lines:

"Her mother and father were opposite poles, Laurie realized; her dad said the right things and didn't mean them, and her mum might feel them, but she never said so."

"No one is going to think Hermione Granger here is having it off, big style, with Draco Malfoy"

"in the very unlikely event she found herself in love with anyone again, she'd assert herself. She'd say what she wanted, not endlessly accommodate his needs. If that made her a bitch at any point, so be it. There were no rewards for being a walkover."

"I'm sick of this perception of me as the greatest man slag of the northwest," he said.
"Then be less man slag. Bee the unslaggy man you want to see in the world."


McFarlane is a new-to-me author (perhaps I haven't heard of her because she's a Brit, and I'm in the States?), but I'll definitely be checking out her other books.

I dont recall reading from this author before but I must say that I did enjoy it. We meet Laurie and at times I wasn't all that crazy about her but then I started trying to put myself in her shoes and understanding what she had to go thru and I felt for her, to be betrayed like that after so many years and the humiliation she must have felt that I was rooting for her to get some time of redemption or just peace. I am glad that her and Jamie someone that was misunderstood were able to spend time and getting to know each other and being there when they needed each other the most.. g

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. Not sure what to expect when I started, I fell in love with Jamie Carter and this story. An interracial couple where that was not the main focus of the plot, just an added storyline. Will definitely be going back to read Mhairi McFarlanes other books now!

Laurie gets dumped out of the blue by her partner of a decade, and meets Jessie. Enter fake dating trope and cute, sweet romance.

This book has a great interracial couple, feminism, and amazing wit. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that at least half the book is dedicated to the breakup and aftermath, and the romance feels rushed.

I was graciously provided an ARC of this book through NetGalley and the publisher. My opinions are my own.

Mhairi McFarlane is the British rom-com queen as far as I’m concerned. She is an immediate read for me, and ‘If I Never Met You’ is a humorous, and at times, crushing addition to her catalogue. I loved all the references to current events, trends, tech, etc. Feels reminiscent of Bridget Jones in a way and would make a cute film on Netflix.

Laurie is dependable, reliable, and stable. I loved her drive and wit. She has had to cope with a lot in her life but has a supportive cast of friends that help her navigate her doubts and fears. She put up with A LOT from Dan. Jamie is one of the most realistic male characters and romantic partners I’ve read in a while. He’s unapologetic about his goals and ambitions, but not in a brutish, annoying Alpha male sort of way. Finally! His overall attitude is just so refreshing and is something I’d definitely like to see more in male characters of romance in general.

This is a fake dating rom-com, but it takes about 35% of the book to get there. Understandably, a breakup after 18 years together wouldn’t be something one could write off quickly, or immediately get over, so the pace worked for me. Though, the ending seemed bizarre and rushed, to be honest. The scenario just felt unbelievable for both of them.

The dialogue and internal monologue were easier to follow compared to ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’, which I struggled with due to lack of punctuation and some rambling run-on sentences. This text comes across as more polished. However, Goodreads reviewers tend to be mostly Americans, so I will say this book is Very British, and those who are unfamiliar with their colloquialisms and references to surrounding areas may struggle. Luckily, a lifetime of Anglophilia has paid off!

I loved this book! The cast of characters are well-rounded and the dialogue is hilarious. I’d recommend ‘If I Never Met You’ to anyone who enjoys contemporary British stories.

Is it possible for me to give this 5 stars over and over? Like wanting to 'heart' a social media post more than once?
This was my first book by this author, but it won't be my last. I'll go hit up her entire backlist after this. Lordy, I loved this story.
Criticism: The first few pages were slow. (Don't let that deter you.) The pacing is very 'chick lit' versus contemporary romance. All sex is off page.
Positives: the banter is stellar. The characters are fabulous, diverse, and have such distinct, clear voices. I read it through in one sitting and now it's about 1am, leaving me with 5hrs to sleep. Ack! But no regrets. This was a wonderful read and I've just found a new author!

Finally, a book set in England that doesn’t confuse me or lose me with its cultural references. I liked how this reads more like a story rather than a first person narrative. This was a well told story enhanced by a writing style garnished with dry humor and sarcasm.

Laurie, I connected so much with her. I’ve been through what she has been through and felt the things she has felt. She had reached the point in her life where she knew a life with Dan more than she didn’t. It’s a tough scenario for one who gets stuck in the comfortable, the mundane, the predictable motions of life with someone else who you closely tie your identity too. Instead of actually living your life, you go along with it all instead of breaking free to realize life’s potential. Laurie is sarcastic and funny. Her inner monologue was so entertaining and helped to keep the heavy stuff from being too much.

Jamie was sweet and a bit cocky, but underneath all that lies a boy of innocence and charm. I love that his character was the polar opposite of what Dan was. He didn’t try to manipulate or deceive. He was upfront and honest and really cared and wanted to see Laurie shine. I don’t like how the author made the age gap feel more than what it was between Jamie and Laurie at times. They are both in their 30s and Jamie sometimes felt like he was still in college at the beginning. But then there are times where Jamie just steals your heart. His naive insight to what love is, and slowing opening up to the possibility of love, made him incredibly endearing.

The side characters were pretty great too. It was wonderful to see the support system Laurie had after everything that she has been through. I love Emily the most and her sarcastic light she brought into Laurie’s life. She’s the one person everyone needs in their life. And I’m pretty sure we can all agree with out a doubt that Dan is a huge arse.

I love a good fake romance. The messy bits, trying to convince themselves that nothing is happening, but others can see it as clear as day that they have actually fallen. I freaking loved Laurie’s confrontation with those in her life that were there to support her and how unforgiving and truthful she was. She didn’t let anyone steamroll her. You felt the anger she went through bc I was right there along with her yelling at him lol.

I still got lost at times with the language differences, but the writing was done well and the story was captivating enough for me to really enjoy myself. I really liked this book and a big thank you to HarperCollins and Netgally for this ARC.

I really liked the novel. There was a lot of cursing but I believe that is normal I tend to read historical novels more but otherwise I felt this was such a cute and fun book!

Wow, this book was fantastic. I truly felt for Laurie and wanted her to succeed at everything she ever accomplishes in life. Jamie is utterly swoon-worthy. I loved watching the two of them fall for each other.

My only complaint is that this book being marketed as a rom-com, and it's not. The book is a truly excellent romance, but it doesn't have the things I'd look for in a rom-com: namely humor, to be honest. It's not a funny book. The basic premise is sad. There's a lot of important, hard-hitting topics discussed. I loved this book. I didn't laugh while reading it.

This book was fun! The pacing was perfect. The setting was real and inviting and the characters were deliciously real and flawed. I am eagerly anticipating more from McFarlane!

This is the second book I've read by Mhairi McFarlane and I've become a big fan of her work. She centers women's feelings and experiences, and her main characters are well-rounded, full people. I also love that she puts a huge importance on women's friendships. In If I Never Met You, Laurie is blindsided by the dissolution of her long term relationship. (The breakup, by the way, was devastating - I felt so awful for Laurie.) To make matters worst, she works with her ex - they are both lawyers - and so there is no escaping him. Enter Jamie Carter, the office playboy who is in need of a serious relationship in order to get promoted. (McFarlane points out how retrograde and sexist the law firm is.) Anyway, so they decide to embark on a fake relationship (which is my favorite!) in order to help Jamie's career and to make Laurie's ex jealous. I loved this book. Jamie was not close to being perfect, but he was kind and good and you could tell how much he cared about Laurie, which I think is the reader's main concern. And I really liked how Laurie came into her own, dealing with parental and work relationships. Now that I'm thinking about it there was kind of a plot hole (which I won't detail because it comes super late in the book), and I thought the book wrapped up way too quickly in the end. But this was a super enjoyable read and I raced through it.

I love the fake relationship trope and Mhairi McFarlane does not disappoint! This is a quirky, fun novel with a slew of amazing characters and a witty story line. I have just become acquainted with the authors novels through her previous release and have a feeling I will continue reading her past and future novels! She writes so well it feels like I am involved in the characters lives!

There’s not enough love stories out there about older women rediscovering themselves. Excellent and snappy writing, great characters and phenomenal friendships.