Review of The Man I Never Met

The Man I Never Met completely surprised me. While the beginning moved a little slowly, once the story picked up, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. The premise felt refreshingly different from most romances I’ve read recently, and I loved how the author wasn’t afraid to take the story into a very realistic, emotional place.

The novel follows Hannah, who lives in London, and Davey, who lives in the US. Their story begins with something as small as a wrong-number phone call, but that one moment changes everything. From there, the two begin texting, calling, and video chatting, and their connection grows deeper with every conversation. As Davey prepares to move to England, Hannah arranges to meet him at the airport… but he never shows up.

What follows is heartfelt, emotional, and at times completely unexpected. This book took me through every emotion—hope, heartbreak, joy, and everything in between. I loved that it wasn’t just a typical love story, but also a story about timing, resilience, and how certain people can leave a lasting mark on your life, even if the relationship doesn’t unfold the way you imagined.

Overall, The Man I Never Met is a touching, bittersweet, and unforgettable read. If you’re looking for a romance that feels both swoony and grounded in reality, this is one you won’t want to miss.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What starts as a simple wrong-number call quickly turns into something so much more—a deeply emotional journey filled with friendship, love, and fate. Hannah and Davey’s connection builds slowly but beautifully through texts and calls, and it genuinely made me smile.

Then comes that turning point—and what happens after gave me all of the feels. It’s heartbreaking, heartwarming, and incredibly real. I truly went through the emotional gamut: happiness, anger, frustration, sadness, hope… you name it, I felt it.

Every character is well-drawn, and the friendships and relationships portrayed felt so authentic. I especially appreciated the growth both Hannah and Davey go through and how the story never veers too far into cliché. My only minor critique is that the middle slowed a bit—but the emotional payoff was more than worth it.

This is a story about timing, fate, and the kind of love that lingers even when life gets in the way.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballentine for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A charming, heartfelt romance about missed connections, fate, and taking chances. Sweet, emotional, and full of hope.

Elle Cook's The Man I Never Met begins with an intriguing premise: a misdialed call leads to a transatlantic connection between Hannah in London and Davey in the U.S., sparking a virtual relationship that blossoms into love. However, despite this promising start, the novel struggles to deliver a satisfying romantic narrative.

A significant portion of the story focuses on Hannah's relationship with George, a character that I found very unlikable and whose presence detracted from the central romance. This subplot, coupled with limited insight into Davey's perspective, made it challenging to fully invest in their connection.

Additionally, the novel touches on serious themes, including chronic illness, but I felt that these topics were not handled with the necessary depth and sensitivity. I was also concerned about the portrayal of body image and the emphasis on weight, which I found problematic.

While the initial concept held potential, The Man I Never Met ultimately fell short in it’s execution for me, and it left me yearning for a more cohesive emotionally resonant story.

Elle Cook’s writing is really engaging—emotional without being overdone. The pacing worked well, and the concept had a lot of promise. I wasn’t a fan of the extra romantic tension that popped up partway through, though. It distracted a bit from the connection I was most invested in.

I did like how the story played out over a longer stretch of time. Watching things evolve over a year and a half made the whole relationship feel more grounded. The ending brought things to a close nicely, but I was hoping for more softness, more tenderness in those final chapters.

Even if this wasn’t totally my vibe, I’m definitely curious about what else Elle Cook has written. Her storytelling has a lot of heart, and I’d like to see how she approaches a different kind of story.

*The Man I Never Met* by Elle Cook is a charming, swoony romance that starts with a wrong number and turns into something way deeper. It’s all about unexpected connections and falling for someone you’ve never met but feel like you’ve known forever. Heartfelt, a little magical, and totally addictive.

I loved this book — it was cozy, heartwarming, and beautifully written, with a slow-burn romance that had me hooked. The story was so well-developed and layered, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters. If you’re into rich, thoughtful stories with a love story that builds perfectly, definitely pick this one up

Thank you to Random House Ballantine and Elle Cook for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

I have no idea why it took me so long to read this one, but I'm absolutely sorry it did. What a beautiful and engaging love story! Including the MMC posthumously could have easily went wrong, but it was done so well I absolute enjoyed it! With a feel or Josie Silver and Sophie Cousens, this book is for everyone who loves love. And a good love story.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

Thank you, Ballantine and NetGalley, for the complimentary e-ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hannah picks up a call from an unknown number from the USA, and the next thing she knows, it’s the start of an interesting conversation and unexpected plans with Davey.

This book started as a typical romcom, and I didn’t expect much - but wow, I was wrong. It took some sudden turns, leading to important character developments. I could generally see where the relationship was heading, but the details along the way were amazing! I highly recommend reading the author’s note, as it answered my questions about why the story took certain turns.

I don't know why it took me so long to read this book, but I absolutely loved it! I loved it so much that I actually bought the audiobook so I could listen to it in the car, which if you can do the audiobook, it's so good. I loved the characters; the book did make me cry a little so bring tissues just in case, but it was just a good romance.

A totally fun and romantic book, The Man I Never Met was a really good time. I liked the main characters but also the side characters which is a rare thing. I feel like there was a nice meant-to-be aspect, like our main characters were going to find each other no matter what. Lovely and perfect for Valentine's Day reading, I would recommend.

*The Man I Never Met* by Elle Cook offers an interesting premise, following a woman who starts a relationship with a man through letters after his unexpected death. The concept of connecting with someone posthumously is both intriguing and emotional, and Cook does a great job of exploring themes of loss, love, and missed connections.

However, while the premise is compelling, the execution falls a bit short. The pacing felt uneven, with parts of the story dragging on longer than necessary, and the emotional depth didn’t always come through in a way that resonated with me. The characters, while sympathetic, lacked a certain depth that would have made their experiences more impactful.

Overall, *The Man I Never Met* is a heartfelt and thought-provoking story, but it didn’t quite leave the lasting emotional impact I was hoping for. It’s a solid read for those who enjoy contemporary fiction with a touch of romance and introspection, but it may not stand out as much in the genre.

4.5 rounded up

This book was better than I was expecting it to be and I hate I put it off for so long. The characters were wonderful and overall I enjoyed the plot.

About halfway through the book the story switches to dual POV, giving us both Hannah and Davey's POV. I liked the author's decision to include Davey's POV in the story. For me it gave readers a sense of what he is going through and filling in the time until he and Hannah reconnect. The ending was sweet as well.

For fans of Josie Silver. This is my first book from Elle Cook and I will be picking up more of her books.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

-Romantic
-Heartbreaking
-Sentimental
-Serendipitous
-Binge read

For fans of Josie SIlver and Beth O'Leary.

I will be reading this authors previous titles and can't wait to see what she does next. I'm a fan and have recommended this to many!

It was cute and the dual pov helped you connect to both characters as they grew individually and together. I never wanted this to end

There was definitely something magical about this book - it was heartwarming, heartbreaking, and absolutely engaging. I definitely didn't expect the way that this book would unfold - and I absolutely adored it.

This book started out strong for me. I loved Hannah and Davey. Their meet story was so cute and so full of anticipation. Then it didn’t happen and I was so sad, I actually had a hard time reading through it. The the vacation with George and I was like ahhh Davey was the Gateway to George, so spicy. Then they came back to London, and I think the correct term for George is wanker. I hated how he treated Hannah. And Davey was with Charlotte and I wanted to scream she was killing him literally! But I LOVE Grant, he did the hard thing out of love and desperation. And thankfully it worked. The ending kept me in suspense!


*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*

The idea of meeting the man of your dreams through a random text is a bit inconceivable, but this story was just lovely. You will laugh, you will get all the feels and you will need to keep tissues close.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

My feelings are all over the place after finishing this book. I was up and down and up again. It was so well written and the characters so flawed and real. One character is British, and it is partially set in England, so there are lots of British phrases that were fun to catch. You saw the characters face pain, hurt, and love all in a years time, and it felt so real. If you are feeling like taking a journey with some pain, some romance, and lots of travel and life throw in, this book is for you.