When I saw the cover for If I Never Met You on NetGalley, I fell in love. Interracial romance? Beautiful people illustrated on a beautiful cover? Count me in! Then I read the description, and was sold even more, if possible--British interracial romance? working class/ professional characters, with no millionaires in sight? Yes, please! I'd never read anything else by Mhairi McFarlane, and social media focused romances aren't my favorite, but fake relationships are a fun trope, and I loved the cover and the character diversity. So I was extremely excited to be approved for an advanced copy.

If I Never Met You did not disappoint. Yes, there did turn out to be a filthy rich character, but Laurie's dad is both reprehensible and mercifully not in the story too much. Everyone else are normal people, with normal ranges in income. I did get a little frustrated at how long the introductory section, involving Laurie's breakup (not a spoiler), carried on--there's honestly little relationship established between Laurie and Jamie before the 25-30% mark of the story. But the story kept moving along, and those early sections set the tone for how Laurie handled life and what she'd had to face so far. All of the information included helped to make complex, real characters--from Laurie and Jamie to their respective friends and family and exes and coworkers.

I don't think I've ever read a romance where I've highlighted so many lines (Don't worry; I had an electronic copy--I wasn't defacing a physical copy!). Laurie, despite having a life that was so dramatically different from my own in almost all external markers, was just incredibly relatable. Her insights were clever and often deep. Her resilience was inspiring. Her struggles were relatable. The amount of alcohol she and every other character in this story seemed to drink was alarming, but even that wasn't necessarily abnormal or unhealthy. I just don't relate to consuming copious amounts of alcohol on the regular. I chalked it up to cultural differences and moved on. Otherwise, I related to and rooted for her in so many ways.

And the relationship between Laurie and Jamie? Absolutely wonderful. A slow burn build up, from indifference and irritation, to camaraderie and collaboration, to friendship, to so much more than friendship, full of misunderstandings and miscommunications, but also sweetness and generosity and tentative attraction and then sizzling sexual tension. Their relationship felt real, full of shared experiences, not only fun and sexy ones, but grief and trauma and insecurity and all the shared emotions and experiences that make real relationships what they are. They were adorable and swoon-worthy.

The diversity of this book feels effortless and real, from Laurie's biracial heritage, to Laurie's sassy gay Sikh work friend. Jamie has non-romantic close friendships with women, which is a refreshing change from common depictions of romantic heroes, and in general, despite his obvious physical beauty, is not caught up on projecting toxic images of masculinity. Those who do, including so many of her unpleasant coworkers, are definitely not the heroes in this story. Even the setting, in Manchester, was a charming change of pace for a British novel's locale, instead of a more stereotypical London setting. Manchester's cold winter rain felt real, as did everything else in this story.

The book is also full of commentary, both direct and indirect, on being oneself in a world that doesn't fancy that. Of being a woman in a male-dominated workplace, of being a black woman in a white-dominated professional world. Of being the "nice one" and the "reliable one" and "supportive" and hard-working, and how feeling the obligation to maintain those titles can affect our ability to be authentically ourselves, and how others react if we cease to fill those roles. There were so many universal themes here, not only in Laurie's experiences, but also in Jamie's unapologetic, ambitious, non-conforming (and yet female-affirming) character, and how that affected his relationships with the males around him. In Laurie's mom's boldness and strength, despite the struggles she faced as a black woman, a musical performer, and a single mom. There's reflections on parenting and healthy boundaries and forgiveness and unhealthy relationships and toxic workplace cultures, on grief and anger and gossip and petty jealousy and true enduring friendship and tight family bonds and unfit parents, on how our pasts affect our ability to built relationships in the future, and on how to determine when those relationships are healthy for us or not.

Those comments might have made another book seem heavy handed or preachy, but instead in this one they flow organically through the experiences of Jamie and Laurie and those around them. And they're balanced out by the fun and the banter and the flirting and the uncertainty and the discoveries of the tentative relationship that Laurie and Jamie slowly build throughout the course of their story. I laughed, I nodded along, I swooned, I was angry, and I just overall loved this book.

I rarely, if ever, reread books, and yet I find myself longing to reread this story already, to absorb any details I missed the first time around, and appreciate the relationships and the insights all over again. I will probably buy a physical copy of this when it is released, and I will certainly recommend it to my friends and fellow readers. I am very grateful to #NetGalley for giving me a free copy of #IfINeverMetYou in exchange for an honest review, and I highly recommend this #HarperCollins title.

You can find this and all my other reviews, plus extra content, at my blog at https://onceaweekormore.wordpress.com

All the stars! I LOVED this book.

I loved Laurie and really enjoyed her journey to reclaim herself.

I do wish that there had been more interaction between Jamie and Laurie. There needed to be just a little bit more romance.

My vindictive side was so happy Dan got what he deserved!

Mhairi McFarlane is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I will be recommending her in reader's advisory.

This was a romance novel that begins with a significant break up and quickly followed by a fake relationship. A significant part of the book is dedicated to the break up and the remained is the fake relationship where the main character begins to fall in love. It was interesting, but full of British cultural jargon that was not familiar to me.

Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley!

What a wonderful take on the fake relationship romance trope. Mhairi McFarlane writes beautifully about love, loss, and emotional growth. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy modern romance with realistic situations and a focus on character growth.

What an unbelievably cute novel! I was hanging on every word and never wanted to put it down. I love the inclusion and multi cultural tones as well.

I will admit that I wanted to read this book at first just because of the cover. I don't think authors touch on the subject of interracial relationships enough and the cover and synopsis sold me on this story.
This is my first book by author Mhairi McFarlane, but it won't be my last. This book was touching, cute, sexy, and funny.

I look forward to more from this author!

I love a good romcom, especially one that has a fake relationship! Why do people think that a fake relationship will ever be a good idea!? Of course they're gonna develop feelings, and I am here for it! I'm adding Mhairi McFarlane to my list of authors to read!

I am a huge Mhairi McFarlane fan! This one was just as lovable as I expected.

Laurie is a lawyer who is content with her life and her 18-year relationship. Seemingly out of the blue, Dan tells her he's leaving to find himself, and (surprise) finding himself involves impregnating another woman. Laurie is faced with debilitating grief and confusion over the breakup. After a chance encounter in a broken lift, Laurie gets involved in a pretend relationship with the office lothario, Jamie.

As any good romcom reader will imagine, in the course of their phony relationship, our pair finds real connection. It is supremely satisfying and romantic. I honestly laughed out loud a couple of times-- especially when McFarlane writes a side character named Nadia.

Overall, this is a highly recommend for fans of Jill Mansell, romance, romcoms, and wonderful characters,

I had a hard time getting into this one because her partner of 18-years was the world's biggest asshole. It was really hard to feel sympathy for her when she was grieving their relationship because it was obviously a horrible one. Once we got to the fake dating part though, I couldn't put it down. I loved the banter between the two MC's along with watching her grow into someone comfortable asking for what she wants out of love, life, and her career. I wish there was less emphasis on the dependable version of herself being boring but I loved watching her grow more comfortable in herself.

This interracial fake dating romance was a fun read you need on your TBR.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from William Morrow Paperbacks through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

I was hoping to really enjoy this one. The cover is cute and the premise sounded like something right up my alley. Who doesn't love fake relationships? There were times that I enjoyed what I was reading and other times where I just wanted to skim.

But, let's just move right along to the review and start with the characters.

How would you deal with a break-up being 36 years old and having been with that person for 18 years? Laurie gets to face this terrible situation that also gets worse. I really felt for her because I can only imagine being that age and feeling like you have to start completely over. Plus with how dating is now, I would want to start over, ha. She is very independent and strong-willed. I like how she stuck up for herself a lot.

My only complaint with her was how long she wallowed in pity. It lasted for a long time in the beginning of the book and most of first 30% felt like it did a lot of repeating. I think that the book could have been shortened quite a bit early on and it wouldn't have changed the rest of the book.

Jamie is an okay character. I don't really think there was anything that made him stand out. He was an average womanizer who decided that he wanted more. Read it before and I just wish there would have been more to him. It probably didn't help that he was only mentioned a couple times in the first 30% and didn't have a bigger role until almost halfway through the book.

Besides her ex-boyfriend, the minor characters were very minor. Even her ex-boyfriend at times became very minor once various plot twists were over with. I wish there would have been more from them.

As for the plot, it was decent. There were certain plot twists that surprised me and really intrigued me to keep reading. There were also some plot twists that felt unnecessary and just felt like they were added for the sake of drama. I mean I like drama but it can't just be all willy nilly. I also wasn't a fan of the ending. It felt rushed and I absolutely hate rushed endings!

Overall, this book just missed the mark for me as a whole. It was too slow in the beginning to keep my interest and the rest of the book just lacked too much for me to fully enjoy.

This is my 2nd novel by Mhairi McFarlane, and I quite enjoyed it. McFarlane’s novels always have a little more depth than your typical romance novel, and If I Never Met You was no exception. The novel starts off with Laurie’s unexpected breakup with her partner of 18 years. The first half of the novel deals a lot with the repercussions of this and sets up her fake romance with her very attractive coworker Jamie in a stint to make her ex jealous. This is a common trope used often in romance novels, but I think it was well executed in If I Never Met You.. Laurie was an interesting enough main character, and Jamie, her love interest, was actually really sweet which was quite refreshing given most love interests start off as completely unlikable. The drama at the very end felt a bit rushed and not entirely necessary. Overall, I enjoyed If I Never Met You and McFarlane’s quick witted writing style, but the first half dragged on a bit and the ending felt bit rushed.

Thank you HarperCollins Publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a eARC, all opinions and thoughts are my own.

Laurie has been with her college boyfriend, Dan Price, for 18 years. They live together, they work together, and they have what she thought was a relationship that was bound to lead to marriage and children. At the age of 36, Laurie and Dan have finally decided to start a family and a mere month before Laurie goes of birth control, Dan drops a bombshell revelation on Laurie that changes her thoughts and ways of looking at people and life in general forever.

Laurie’s journey in this book starts with a gut wrenching revelation from Dan. Not only is he not ready to start a family with her but he just plain out doesn’t want to be in a relationship with her anymore. Honestly, that was one of the saddest parts of this book until Dan drops the biggest revelation of them all and Laurie’s heart wasn’t the only one breaking the whole time. Dan not only has a new girlfriend, but ladies and gentlemen she is also pregnant. Dan has only been moved out for a little over 2 months and he’s new woman is 2 months pregnant. This comes to a surprise to Laurie because 1 they agreed to keep quite about their split at the office and 2 he may have or may not have started seeing the woman while Laurie and he were still together.

Jamie Carter (31 years old) is the playboy of the office. He is known for his hook ups and care free attitude. Though he is serious about one thing, getting a promotion. After a chance encounter in an elevator (called lift in the book because they are English) both Jamie and Laurie take a friendly liking to each other and come up with the deal of the century. Honestly, at some point I thought Jamie arranged their meet up. Hahaha. Laurie and Jamie begin to fake date to help each other but the thin line between faking and real feelings begin to blur really quickly.

My favorite character was Laurie a biracial woman who is so much stronger than she thinks, has the best of friends, and as to go through so much to really find herself. I really enjoyed the over message of this book, the humor was really good, the character dialogue was amazing, and although it was a romance book, we really got the opportunity to really see how Laurie and Jamie fall for each other in a non physical way. If it is smut you are looking for, this book is a no go. If you are looking for an angsty second chance at love kind of book this is definitely it. I continue to struggle with standalone stories wrapping themselves up very cliched and this one, got a little cliched at the end. A very good read overall. You can get your copy March 24, 2020.

3 1/2 stars - It’s very British, to a distracting degree. There’s so much cultural jargon! It’s similar to a novel written in the early 1900s dialect of the American south. The need to decode and decipher the language of the story distracts from the possible enjoyment of the story. Stream of consciousness story telling. Lots of drinking, maybe it’s a Brit thing, that I just don’t get. I read the first 10% and then skipped to 32%. It was like I hadn’t skipped a word. my guess is I skipped over most of the woe-is-me, protracted pity party others complained about.

All in all, the meat of the story is very decent. It’s surely not the worst story I’ve read. However, I wouldn’t recommend it to a friend. I think it requires significant trimming and a jargon eradicating rewrite if it’s intended for an American audience.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Once again, Mhairi McFarlane completely delivered with If I Never Met You!

Laurie has found herself unlucky in the love department as of late (to put it mildly)! At 36 years old the world she thought was securely built has crumbled! Her boyfriend of 18 years tells her he’s not that into her and dumps her. More uncomfortable yet is the fact that they work together! But the icing on the cake for Laurie is when she finds out he’s been cheating on her....and his girlfriend is pregnant!!!!

Just when Laurie’s world is turned upside down, she gets stuck in an elevator with Jamie! Laurie and Jamie work together and that’s where Laurie thinks their similarities end. Jamie is a handsome, very eligible bachelor who as far as Laurie can see is a love ‘em and leave ‘em type of guy. Well Jamie has a proposition Laurie may not want to turn down— Jamie wants to change his workplace image with a longterm girlfriend and Laurie want their workplace to stop pitying her so Jamie suggest they create a fake relationship! It’s a win-win, right!?!? I completely love what Mhairi McFarlane had in mind for these two!

I adore the fake it ‘til you make it premise and Mhairi’s fresh spin on it had me staying up waaaay past my bedtime because I simply could not put this book down! Mhairi brilliantly creates characters that are so darn endearing and that you can’t help but cheer for! I loved all of the laugh out loud sass, snark and sarcasm, as well as all of the heartfelt moments! I really enjoyed this lighter read and think it would make a fantastic vacation book! If I Never Met You is 4.5 star novel that I highly recommend!

I loved this so much!

To be fair, I love this genre and it fits right in with the likes of Christina Lauren, Sophie Kinsella, or Jasmine Guillory. This book was so much fun to read. I also loved the characters, they were funny and smart and so human and relatable. I loved the main character's journey and how she uses a huge setback in her life to build herself back up, which I think is a great story in 2019. I also love the romance tropes this book falls into and watching these two reveal themselves to each other was entertaining and sweet and I loved it.

Will definitely recommend. Thanks Netgalley for my copy of this ARC!

I loved this book. It was unexpected in the best way possible. Laurie used the biggest knock down of her life to rebuild herself to be more powerful than she ever expected. This book is full of amazing and hilarious characters and watchimg Jamie reveal his true self was so rewarding. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for more than just a standard romance.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review .
I liked this quirky romance that follows the chaotic love life of a woman who is dumped by her childhood boyfriend and forced to confront the realities of being single in a world full of expectations. Laurie's world is further disrupted when her ex announces he's found someone else and is expecting a child. In an effort to save face she agrees to a fake relationship with a known libertine determined to change his co-workers opinion about him. While the scenes with Laurie and her ex felt real and emotional, I felt the author dragged their drama for too long in the story where it almost feels like Laurie doesn't truly recover.
Overall well written and appealing.

I loved it.

I don't usually write a review right after I've finished a book, usually I want it to marinate a little bit or I don't have anything to say right away. But, I really liked this one a lot. I think it will be a rereader for me. Laurie has been with the same man since age eighteen, and while not being married at 36 is a little odd, she assumes they're committed. They have a mortgage together, and furniture, and have been discussing kids. But then she is dumped, out of nowhere, and she has no idea how to be an adult without him.

This part felt pretty brutal, to the point where I would consider a content warning to people who have been through a recent break up. Or maybe it was just me feeling a bit close to home, having been with the same man for sixteen years, since I was eighteen. Sure, I am much more secure in my relationship, with marriage and children under our belt, but still. I empathized with how lost she felt and how mourning the loss of the relationship and her self as <i>Laurie and Dan</i> is a full other thing than mourning the loss of Dan as a partner.

This emotionally difficult read part of the read is what took me a little to get through, especially as this is a new author for me and I really only like angst if I can trust the author for the payoff, but I am happy to report that it is worth it. Laurie finds herself and her worth and at least one new friendship while also fulfilling the romance part of the book. Jamie pretty obviously falls for her almost immediately, and while the reader is given all the hints, it is still believeable that hurting Laurie doesn't see it. No one really has to hold the stupid ball for this one to work. I love the fake relationship trope but it does require some "oh he's just pretending" dumbness that can get old really fast, but as Laurie goes through her newly single life, she's figuring out who her real friends are, not just convenient couple friends, and her joy at finding a connection with Jamie is very true, including her lack of experience at relationships and what non-friend attraction even feels like anymore. If I had to go 'back on the market', as it were, I don't think I would have any idea how to read those clues.

There's a lot of flippant slang and references that often get a little twee, but it didn't bother me, possibly because it's all very British and therefore slightly removed from me judging accuracy based on age. The banter rang true to me. Both Laurie and Jamie go through some dark stuff and reveal deep things about themselves but the narrative manages to give that appropriate weight while keeping the overall tone of the book in romcom territory.

I'm glad <spoiler> Dan wasn't happy at the end. There's the idea that he could be someday, and you hope so for the sake of the kid (even fictional kid), but I appreciated that we didn't have to go high road etc and have him be perfectly happy with his choices. I want catharsis in my fiction and I enjoy a good ex or rival cryfest at the end of a book. </spoiler> The very very end wrapped up somewhat quickly, but open ended enough that it felt believable rather than wrapped up with a bow. <spoiler> I was expecting a little kid drama, given that Jamie says he doesn't want kids at all, and Laurie may have said she is 50/50 about it but it seemed she felt strongly about losing Dan and being at the age where she would need to start trying. I'm not someone who thinks everyone (even fictional heroines) needs babies ever after, but I felt like it was something Laurie truly wanted and was only denying because she felt Dan's ambivalence. Still, it wasn't brought up as an issue, and in Jamie's email to Hattie he mentions marriage and kids in a way that seems as though the 100% no kids thing is a relic from past lothario Jamie. So I don't feel nervous on that front. </spoiler>

Overall I would recommend this highly (provided the breakup stuff wouldn't be too much for the person) as a great romance that stays light while still dealing with more than just fluff.

If I Never Met You is a classic enemies-to-lovers story with an epic dose of karma. While some of the side characters' antics seemed a little less than believable in terms of the outside interest shown toward the main romance from inconsequential bystanders, the satisfaction of sticking it to these characters still landed all the same. This was a fun, light read.

I didn't like this book. It's was long and I did not like the main characters. The plot of the book is a long term relationships with someone you work with and then break up. The other party then immediately meet someone else and they are expecting a child. The other party brave being single for the first time as a adult. After being stuck in a elevator with the new guy in the office begins a fake relationship. This book has 44 chapters very long and drawn out.

If you 👍 the description give this book a read, maybe you will enjoy to more than myself.

I received this advanced copy though Net Valley and the publisher for my unbiased review.