I started this book on 7/30/22 but with the start of school and other craziness I just couldn’t get going. Finally yesterday I made myself get into it then couldn’t put it down.
👍🏻British novels will always before my favorite. They make ordinary things funny.
👍🏻Harriet is lovely. She has overcome a lot on her life and yet she remains kind, ground, and confident.
👍🏻My favorite relationship in the story might be Harriet and Lorna. Their friendship is priceless.
👍🏻Cal. He’s the best. So funny and endearing. Loved him.
👎🏻Wish Harriet and Cal could have been more of the focus
👎🏻There was a cheesy factor to the Scott storyline. Parts were great but other parts were a little much for me

🔥Everything pretty much happened off the pages.
😶There was a decent amount of language. They literally only used one word but it’s my least favorite.

Overall I enjoyed this one! It was heavy and light all at the same time. I would love another epilogue with Cal and Harriet and a book 2 for Lorna’s story!

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

CW: partner abuse (psychological, emotional)

Mhairi McFarlane has the unique talent of writing a love story that doesn't center around love - but in the best possible way! Her books deal with real issues and characters who organically develop and evolve - falling in love just happens to be a small part of their evolution.

When a book opens with a groom being stood up at the altar - you know it's going to be a good one ;-)
Harriet Harley is a wedding photographer (of the aforementioned doomed wedding day) and finds herself an unlucky participant in the business of love. After her own broken engagement with the "perfect" man, she is suddenly in need of a place to stay.

After a series of unfortunate roommate disasters, Cal is desperate for a new renter. He accepts Harriet's offer sight unseen because she sounds "normal" and low maintenance - exactly what he needs. As Harriet's life begins to unravel under Cal's roof, he can't help but be pulled in. Cal has his own issues (don't we all!) but he is a source of strength for Harriet in her time of need.

Mad About You is the story of a woman's journey to forgiving her past and moving into her future. Harriet learns to accept the parts of her past that have marked her life and use them as stepping stones instead of stumbling blocks. Mad About You is a story of love, second chances, and the strength of women.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager, Avon for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Y’all, this book just wasn’t it for me. There were parts I enjoyed, parts I really liked, and parts I hated reading. It started off great but overall it was just too slow and boring and repetitive for me to love it.

It isn’t really a romance at all, yet there was a couple at the end. I felt no chemistry between them other than friends or roommates.

It read like a woman’s fiction that wanted to be a romance.

I do think there will be a good audience for this one and that loads of people like a slow burn woman’s fiction romance about woman in emotionally abusive relationships, as I’ve seen loads of great reviews for it, but it just wasn’t the book for me.

I really hate writing not great reviews as there really wasn’t anything wrong with this book.

I enjoyed it, but didn’t love it and won’t remember it.

I feel very conflicted with my review of this book. I know that Mhairi McFarlane is a bestselling author who is known for her British rom-coms, and I thought that's what I would be reading - but I very quickly realized that this leans much more women's fiction, which I was not expecting or interested in at the time. The cover art is also rather misleading, but that seems to be the current trend in publishing right now.

Overview: Harriet Hatley is an in-demand wedding photographer, but she doesn’t believe in romance and isn't interested in marriage. When her boyfriend proposes, she panics - but it turns out that there's more she is running from than a marriage proposal. Suddenly single, she finds a room to let in the home of Cal Clarke, a hopeless romantic who just experienced his own wedding-related disaster (that Harriet was loosely a part of).

A lot of this book just felt like A LOT to me. Too much description, too many oddly worded sentences that I had to read 5 times to understand, too many characters, too many long and unnecessary scenes with friends and other side characters, and it took me too long to get through. Any of the romance that I was expecting was whittled down to one chapter toward the end of book. No thanks!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Avon Books and Harper Voyager, for giving me an electronic copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Mad About You by Mhairi McFarlane is about Harriet Hatley–a wedding photographer that calls off her engagement to the “perfect man” because she doesn’t really believe that a wedding or marriage is in her future at all. This turn of events results in her moving in with a complete stranger (well, kind of) and a lot of time to herself to unpack how all of her past relationships have impacted her life.

While it does have romance, it’s not the main driving force in this book. I feel like I spend more time as a reader getting to know Harriet and watching her fall in love with herself and move forward. No relationship in this book is forced. They all feel organic and meant to happen on their own timeline.

This book was written for you if
-You love an imperfect main character that you can relate to as she figures herself out
-You like reading books in which you have no idea what will happen
-You’re interested in Women’s Fiction with a dash of romance

Friends to lovers, yassss! I've heard of Mhairi McFarlane but this was my first foray into her books and I can't wait to get my hands on more (looking at you, Just Last Night!) This was partly a romance but there was also just so much more going on that I really enjoyed. Harriet and Cal were everything to me and my only complaint is that this book wasn't longer. Pick it up y'all!

Thank you to NetGalley, and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Let me start with, I absolutely love the whole "move in with a stranger" trope. There is just something about it that I absolutely love. This book was excellent. The growth of the characters is what I like when reading. Harriet was put through hell from an EX and seeing her come out on top made me cheer for her extra hard. Both Harriet and Cal were likable. The banter and tension are top-notch.

This book... hits in a different way. It should come with a trigger warning concerning the topic of emotional abuse, but what an uplifting story in the end. If overcoming difficult relationships speaks to you, then read this book. The strength of friendship shown in this tale is phenomenal!

Thank you to #Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this gem of a novel!

Harriet Hatley, a renowned wedding photographer who is in no mood to marry herself, is in a bit of a pickle. Her boyfriend, Jonathan 'Jon' Barraclough, is perfect on paper. He's wealthy, sweet, takes Harriet on lots of trips, and is smitten with Harriet. The only problem? Harriet is just not on the same page with him. After a truly disastrous dinner party celebrating Jon's parents' anniversary that ends in a proposal meant to trap Harriet and Harriet panicking, our FMC is suddenly a single 35-year-old woman of Leeds. What makes it all worse? She's living in Jon's spare bedroom until she can move, which she needs to do ASAP.

Cal Clarke has had a string of horrible roommates and needs a new tenant immediately. When Cal and Harriet's worlds collide, more than just a home is shared between the two of them. And when Harriet's past comes knocking, and by knocking I mean like a wrecking ball, Cal is the calm center of the eye of her storm.

As Harriet's job, relationships, and friendships start going up in smoke and tensions arise, it is not a shining white knight that comes to Harriet's rescue, but rather someone else Harriet has not seen in a very long time - herself.

Something I am learning about Mhairi McFarlane's works: the romance element does not always necessarily mean love for another, but also love for oneself, too. I adore how she shows how the world can tear down a woman but then how a woman can build herself back up again in this cruel world indeed. Mad About You is a wonder, and reading this book has provided me with a new favorite author indeed.

I wanted to like this one, and certain aspects I did (e.g., I like books that take place in British cities besides London), but the main character cried so much and the romantic resolution, such as it was, was so tertiary to the plot, that it became difficult to wade through all the tears and obsession over past relationships. Meh.

It’s been a bit since I read a zero smut stars book, but here it is guys. Maybe I’ll give it a 0.5 bc there is kissing and mention of sexy times. I’m not totally mad at it. My dopamine receptors are real pissed, but they are greedy whores.

Harriet is a real hot mess wedding photographer who seems to have her life together. She starts the book dating Jon who is a rich tool with an awful family. Thankfully they breakup and she moves in with cute Cal who is groom who fled the alter at a wedding she photographed (she didn’t know his identity before she moved in). We also learn that Harriet was the victim of a horrible emotionally abusive boyfriend, Scott- a shit stain sociopath who oozes back into her life and fucks it all up.

Harriet spends most of the book dealing with the fall out of her relationships with all of these men. Every time the doorbell of her and Cal’s place would ring I’d get nervous- “who the hell is it, now?!?!” “How do all these people have her address?! She’s only lived there for like 2 weeks!!” I mean, I’ve lived in my house for almost 10 years and my close friends still ask me for my address.

Despite the chasteness of this book, I still liked it- it was charming and witty and I love a messy heroine always and Harriet is certified Messy AF. The characters were well developed (so many great, supportive female friends), the story line was interesting, and in the end like Rihanna- she found love in a hopeless place.

Smut- 0.5 stars
Romance- 4.1 stars (extra star for forming lovely female friendships)
Story- 4 stars
Slutty dopamine receptors- 17 stars

Mhairi McFarlane is one of my all-time favorite romance authors so I was thrilled to get my hands on this one.

This book certainly made me feel all the feels and wrung every drop of emotion out of me. There's emotional abuse, gaslighting, grief, parental loss, cheating, and lying, but there are also powerful female friendships, found family, love, growth, strength, and the overcoming of horrible situations.

Harriet Hatley is a wedding photographer, so she sees her fair share of love and wedded bliss. But when her own seemingly-perfect boyfriend proposes (and does it in a way that makes her feel like she can't say no) all she wants is to get out of it. She needs a new place to live, ASAP.

She ends up taking a room in a complete stranger's house...only to find out he's the groom from one of the weddings she was hired to photograph. Things start out very awkwardly between them, but given the forced proximity they can't help but start to thaw towards each other.

Harriet's life is an absolute mess though. Not only is she being pestered by her ex-fiance but her other ex (the super manipulative and abusive one) comes back on the scene and tries to tank her reputation.

The characters felt like they practically jumped off the page, they were so vivid. I loved watching Harriet's growth throughout the story too. She really showed her strength despite all the obstacles that were thrown in her path.

Mhairi McFarlane is an expert in her craft. Her romcoms/romances are known to also address abuse in its many forms and are exceptionally well done. This newest title follows Harriet Hatley, wedding photographer, who has called off her engagement and moved in with a flat mate she assumes is a stranger. A previous abusive relationship makes commitment hard for Harriet and finding love just seems unlikely.

CW: Abusive Relationships, Manipulate and Narcissistic Partners.

I received a reviewer copy of Mad About You by Mhairi McFarlane from the publisher Blackstone Books from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: Harriet Hatley is a wedding photographer who is well sought after, but when her boyfriend proposes and she is forced to end the relationship, she is in search of a new place. She find a new apartment owned by a landlord named Cal who has his own bad relationship story. As Harriet begins to explore why she cannot open up to love, she decides to go out on a limb and her world is turned upside down and she finds friendship and support with Cal.

What I Loved: Oh gosh I truly loved this book. I thought this was an especially lovely romance. This book isn't even really a romance for most of it, it really is just a lovely story about two people who find each other at the same time. Harriet is a character I absolutely adored and loved her self-discovery and her journey to moving past trauma she hasn't dealt with. This is also a 'me-too' story that shows the devastation that it can have on the people who are speaking out. I loved this story of finally processing your trauma, so you are ready to be able to trust in love.

What I didn’t like so much: Honestly, I loved this one so much. I really liked this one, maybe I wasn't fully convinced by the romance but I loved Harriet so much that I still cheered.

Who Should Read It: People who love love stories that are a little less about partner love and more about loving yourself and finding acceptance as a human being.

Summary: A very beautiful story about doing what's right and processing trauma.

This is a fun friends to lovers romance. Harriet is a wedding photographer who was hired for wedding where the groom disappeared right before the wedding started. She leaves her long term boyfriend after he proposes, after she realizes that she likes him but doesn’t love him.
She ends up renting a room from a guy named Cal, he’s recently had his own wedding issues. She and Cal start as strangers, become friends, and are beginning to have feelings for each other when Harriet’s manipulative boyfriend from her past comes back to bite her.
She has to stop running away from him to save her reputation and stand up to him before she can have a meaningful relationship.
I really liked this book, Mhairi McFarlane doesn’t disappoint. The characters are well rounded and the plot takes a surprise twist. 4.5 stars.

Synopsis
International bestseller Mhairi McFarlane delivers a sharp, emotional new novel about a woman who calls off her engagement to "the perfect man" and moves in with a charming stranger who makes her question everything about her life, her past, and the secrets she's kept for far too long…

Harriet Hatley is the most in-demand wedding photographer in town, but she doesn’t believe in romance, loathes the idea of marriage, and thinks chocolate fountains are an abomination. Which is why, when her long-time partner proposes, she panics. Suddenly Harriet is single… and living down the hall from her ex. She needs a new apartment, like, yesterday.

Enter Cal Clarke, a hopeless romantic who just experienced his own wedding-related disaster. Harriet and Cal are like chalk and cheese, but as they go from strangers to roommates to friends, it becomes clear they’re both running from something. When Harriet’s most heavily guarded secret comes to light, her world implodes. And Cal, with his witty humor and gentle advice, is a surprising source of calm at the center of the storm.

With her career, friendships, and reputation on the line, Harriet must finally face her past in order to take control of her future. Because if she’s willing to stop playing it safe and risk everything to share her truth, real love and happiness may be waiting on the other side…

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/<id type="integer">4945608540</id>

This book had a lot going on. How many bad relationship things can ine person deal with in the span of a few weeks? Read this to find out! That said, it was funny and sweet, and Harriet was very relatable. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 This is one I would pick up from the library if I saw it on the shelf.

"Once I revoked my permission to be treated that way, what else does he have?" -- Harriet

Oh man, did this book punch me in the heart. I love Mhairi McFarlane and will read everything she writes. I love the way she tackles serious topics and makes you feel all the things.

Mad About you is about Harriet Hatley who is a popular photographer primarily focusing these days on wedding photography. She does not believe in romance and is shocked when her boyfriend proposes even after knowing she does not want to get married. Soon, Harriet is single and looking for a place to live when she stumbles upon Cal Clarke who has a room for rent. Cal recently had his own wedding disaster but different from Harriet he is a romantic who believes in love. Soon Cal and Harriet becomes friends and he helps her navigate a situation which has placed everything for Harriet (career, friends, etc) on the line.

This book is HEAVY. I related way too closely to Harriet and her struggles with a past relationship so much so I had to take breaks from this book because my feels were strong about this one. But in true Mhairi fashion she writes some amazingly compelling characters that you just cannot stop reading. There is one part when Harriet is at her lowest that I felt so strongly for her. You want things to work out for her and you root for both her and Cal because of how well these characters are written.

I loved this book and would definitely recommend it but with the caveat that you should read content warnings. This one has strong themes of gaslighting and emotional abuse which are presented in a way that could certainly be triggering to certain readers.

Overall I would give this one 4.5 Stars!

Huge thank you to Avon and NetGalley for allowing me early access to this title in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I'm a Mhairi McFarlane fangirl. I've only read 3 of her books (I really need to get through that backlog) but even in just the first few pages, her writing brings me joy. The humor, the heart, the depth of characters, they just work for me. Just like her other books, once I started reading Mad About You, I just couldn't put it down.

I think Mhairi McFarlane is really fantastic at handling deep emotions. One of the many reasons why her books are easy to connect with and why they feel special. The depth and delicacy with which emotional abuse and gaslighting is handled in this book is really superb. Throughout most of the book Harriet grapples with aspects of her past, her grief of losing her mom, and the terrible exes that took away her confidence.

The romance takes a bit more of a back seat in this book but I still loved Cal, the love interest, and all the deep conversations they have together about themselves, their families and their past. I loved watching their love slowly develop. One thing that slightly annoyed me here was that Harriet made so many snap judgments about Cal and kept keeping him at a distance because of these, even though at the same time, she was coming to realize that her judgement when it comes to reading people wasn't always accurate. Despite this, they were really so cute together, that I was reading the ending with a big silly grin on my face, melting into a puddle. I enjoyed their romance so much, I just really wish there was a lot more of it :D

There were some terrific women friendships in this book (and one bad one). So many great moments of women supporting women and really making a difference in each others' lives.

Overall, just another amazing Mhairi McFarlane book that is superbly written in both form and content.

Overall rating: 4.2⭐

Mad about you was a cute book, but I found myself skipping paragraphs because of the “filler” being repeated information, I also think the author missed out on making Cal’s wedding day refusal story more interesting, I was looking for more shock. Cal seemed like a nice guy, and there were mentions of him being attractive, but I wished he had more spark.

Thank you for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I love that this book was about the growth of the characters and not just a romance. I have been so excited to read books from this author and this was a great one to start with!

I loved that while marketed as a romance that it wasn’t front and center and lessening the other aspects of the story and really it was about letting the characters shine.

I loved that while talking about hard topics in this one that the author also focused on resilience and pushing past trauma.

Thank you Avon for the ARC of this one in exchange for my honest thoughts.