I had mixed feelings about this book while reading. I loved the story and relationship growth between Harriet & Cal but there were so many different sub-stories as well that took away from their relationship in my opinion. We were exposed to Harriet's imploding relationship with her ex-boyfriend/fiancé and then we learn about her other previous abusive relationship and the fall out from that. I feel like having the two sub stories of both exes was too much and it would have been much cleaner if there was only one ex relationship explored.

First book from this author and loved her smart voice. The characters are genuine and the story was thought provoking. I will be picking up more from this author.

I tried hard to get into this book but the main character was all over the place & had roo much going on that it was dragging on and confusing

I will get on any emotional rollercoaster that Mhairi wants to take me on.
This book was great in so many ways, Mhairi really has a talent to deal with tough issues in a witty and smart way without going into too many details. This novel is sharp, funny and emotional, and I loved every single second of it 💜
As a victim of emotional and physical abuse, this book brought back some memories but, BUT girl takes the power back! It’s all about that right? Loved it.

TW: emotional abuse

This was difficult to read. Approach with care.

Critically misclassified as a romance. Romance story line is introduced in chapter 53 of 55 and feels desperately out of place.

Mhairi McFarlane is a talented reader. This one did not work for me, but I would absolutely recommend "Don't You Forget About Me."

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Let me start by saying, I am a huge fan of Mhairi McFarlane, and she has done it again with Mad About You! Her stories have more soul and depth than your typical contemporary romance, and they are always refreshing! The hero and heroine are both likable, and you are rooting for them to be together in the end. Thank you Mhairi for another great story, and thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for this advance copy!

Although this wasn’t my favorite Mhari McFarlane novel, MAD ABOUT YOU was still enjoyable in its own right. I connected with Harriet and liked the strangers to roommates to friends to eventual lovers romance even though that was not the main focus of the book. The only thing that bothered me was Jon, who was obnoxious and frustrating, and although I know that was how he was meant to be written, it was a little too much for me at times.

Thank you to @netgalley and @avonbooks for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. And thank you to @thechicklitbookclub for organizing the buddy read and zoom call with the author @mhairimcf .

I love Mhairi’s books because, while I consider it romance and chicklit, the books are more about learning who you are and how strong you can be. The romance is always secondary. This book is no different for Hattie, who is turned down a marriage proposal because she photographs brides…she isn’t a bride. Hattie moves out on John and finds a room to rent from Cal. Cal who becomes her biggest supporter by the end of the book. I just love all the feel good these book bring.

4 Stars

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #avonbooks #ltbreaderteam #thechicklitbookclub

This book shouts comfort read!
I love McFarlane’s books since ever but this one topped everything.
This book gave me so many different feelings and it never got boring. I got to know so much about the characters past and characteristics that it felt like I had known them since ever.
The plot made the book so outstanding and I especially loved Cal and Harriet because they were so relatable.

Thanks netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wordy book and it took a little discipline on my part to finish it, but it turned out to be a great ending and I really enjoyed it!

This book was an interesting story of a women named Harriet and her romantic relationships that have changed her. Mad About You was written in 3rd person which was difficult for me to get into and felt like two different stories within the same book, I feel like because of these items the book fell a little flat for me and I was not invested in the story.

This book discussed Harriet’s life from a third person POV, which was difficult for me. I went in under the impression it would be a romance book with cutesy elements, but it was not. Essentially, this was a story about Harriet’s self discovery after facing a bout of gaslighting, which McFarlane goes into detail about delicately but well discussed. She doesn’t glorify or romanticize this fact, which is much appreciated. Instead, she discusses it in true light for the nasty that it is.

But, all that being said, I expected romance and was let down. This book would have been something different based on the aesthetics of the cover in my brain, but alas, it is what it is. I’d still recommend it overall.

A 3.5 star read.

Mhari McFarlane tried to mix in many tropes along with issues, attempting for a light-hearted, breezy romance that didn't work out for me. I loved the solid chemistry between our two MCs- Harriet and Cal- but the prolonged wait for something to happen was somewhat tiring, and the buildup was disappointing.

I really didn't understand if I should take this book seriously. There are a bunch of topic highlighted here, which I appreciate. But looking at the side characters, specially the Baracloughs, who felt fake and super exaggerated, this ain't something important.

I can't say who would like this book, but I imagine this could be someone's perfect combination of humor, drama, and friendship.

Big thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for a complimentary advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This story was cute, but fell a bit flat. It focused too much on the first part of the story vs. the second. The description implies more of the latter, which the earlier relationship is the majority of the story.

Anything British hooks me instantly. So, going past that - I really loved the characters. Started out slow, but then built up.

This was just okay! Kind of forgettable. I liked the characters but found myself struggling to keep reading. I think it could have been a little shorter.

Mhari McFarlane writes such excellent stories, and I think it's almost a disservice to this one to assume it's a romance, because while there's a major romantic subplot, the bigger story has Harriet finding herself independent of a relationship, finding friendship and connection and standing up for herself. It was a really solid story, though as usual with this author I found that this was slightly too long.

Fun read! Started off a bit slow but you get into it. Leans more towards fiction than romance but would recommend!

Loved this one so British and adorable Also using this as a place to show my support for the Harper Collins union. Thank you to Harper for the gifted ARC my honest review.

✨ Review ✨Mad About You by Mhairi McFarlane

This one is hard to review since it crosses several genres and does a LOT across its pages.

**vague, light spoilers ahead**

Here's what worked for me:
1) it was so funny; it had me giggling as I listened
2) there's so much character development, especially of main character Harriet but also of Cal (her landlord and potential new love interest)

Here's what didn't work for me:
1) this book had a lot of sadness and trauma tied up in Harriet's gaslighting exes, and there's not just one but two that stretch across the book's pages. These men deserve our hatred but they just took up so much space here. I am glad that it shows women breaking free from these men, but it was also really hard to read.
2) I wanted a bit more out of the relationship with Cal; I loved their connection but I wanted this developed more than the interactions with the shitty men.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)
Genre: women's fiction (technically m/f romance, but minorly so?)
Location: UK
Pub Date: out now!

Thanks to Avon and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!