⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Man I Never Meet is a contemporary fiction novel of love, hope, heartache, patience, and survival to name a few key points.
It was a page turner, watching these characters grow and develop in a years time. It was fun spin to have Hannah POV first portion of book. As the book progresses- half way or more- we begin to hear Davey’s POV.

Davey from Texas has an online job interview in England. He dials the wrong number and Hannah answers. They laugh and went about their day. Davey lands the job and sends a message to let Hannah know. Awkward, but it strikes a cord in Hannah. She’s wanting to respond but how weird is that? He’s quick to respond back. Which leads to more texting, phone calls, video chats. They both feel a strong connection for one another. A fast friendship is blooming into genuine feelings. Time is drawing closer for Davey to move to the UK. Hannah has taken her new found interest in Davey She takes her personal time to look at apartments for Davey. Feeling a real bond, she decides she will meet him at the airport. She makes a signs to greet him . . . .but he doesn’t show up. His plane has landed but no Davey. She waits for hours. She is Heartbroken, sad, angry, frustrated, and feeling foolish. Overwhelmed with a basket of emotions she trudges home to be alone with her sorrows.
Eventually Davey makes contact with Hannah explaining how life had a different outcome for them. With this twirl, he breaks off their relationship.

He wants ZERO contact.

Hannah heartbroken is swooped in by her good friend George. They had booked a holiday together and he is not letting her bail on the trip. They have a great time. By the end of the trip they end up as friends with benefits. Once home, they decide to continue to dating only each other. Davey has never left Hannah’s thoughts. She thinks she sees him in every tall blonde man in England.

Fate is not done with Davey’s and Hannah’s story.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine for ARC read in exchange for my honest review.

DNF at 27%

I unfortunately was unable to get to this title before the release date, but still wished to read it before the end of the year. Sadly, I felt no connection to the story despite finding the synopsis intriguing.

The Man I Never Met by Elle Cook is a charming will-they-won't-they love story. I really enjoyed both love interests, Hannah and Davey and I think that this book did a wonderful job of portraying a romance in the modern world of technology. Overall, it's a delightful read and I would recommend it to friends who love romance books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for giving me an ARC of The Man I Never Met by Elle Cook in exchange for an honest review.

Based on the cover alone, one would think that this is a book about a woman who falls for a decapitated man on an escalator. It’s not. But it is about a woman who falls for a man who dialed her number by accident. Who even answers the phone from numbers they don’t know? The unanswerable question of this book!

Hannah is an English woman who doesn’t know how to send calls directly to voicemail. Davey is an American who doesn’t know how to write down correct phone numbers. He accidentally calls Hannah and instead of her saying “wrong number”, hanging up, and moving on with her life, they develop a texting friendship which leads to phone calls, which then leads to FaceTime, but unfortunately, never leads to phone sex! I know-
BUMMER right!?

The first half of this book was a little slow. I felt like I was listening to two people date over speakerphone and this pervy little voyeur felt unsatisfied, because all they did was talk and talk and talk. The classy Davey never even sent a dick pic. How un-American!! However, things get more interesting as their relationship veers off track and their lives move forward separately. I was much more entertained reading about them finding their way back to each other, which was very rewarding in the end.

Overall, this was pretty good. The second half is definitely better for me than the first half. I like that it didn’t follow a particular trope and was definitely unique with its premise. I felt frustrated with Hannah at times because she’s so passive and I like my heroines with a little more spunk. Per usual, I could’ve used more steam as this book was entirely closed door. If you’re looking for a low steam, outside of the normal trope romance, I think this will definitely be a winner.

Smut- 1.9 stars
Romance- 4.4 stars
Story-4.0 stars
The underuse of phone sex in romance novels- neg 12 stars

4 stars!

"The Man I Never Met" by Elle Cook kept me engaged, guessing, and wanting more. It's heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time! Jump into this story knowing as little as possible for maximum immersion.

I confess I am a cynic about romances where people only talk through text/messenger/technology in some way, so I initially thought the worst in Davey. I totally thought this story was going in a much less happy, much more seedy direction, but I'm glad to report it didn't go that way. I chose this book because my husband and I met online many, many years ago (before apps were even a thing!), so I thought it might resonate a little. I am happy to say I really enjoyed this book. It was not what I expected, but in a good way. Despite that Hannah and Davey's relationship happens entirely over technology, I truly believed in their love story. Maybe that's because I have personal experience in this area, but it felt real to me. Some may say it's unrealistic or overly sentimental, and those people may be right, but so what? We'll accept love stories between aliens and humans, but we can't accept that someone misdialed a phone number and got to talking to the person on the other end of the line? HMPH!! I really liked the characters in this book, especially Hannah and Joan, and their relationship dynamic. On the other hand, screw George FOREVER. That's all I'll say about that.

TW: a lot of talk about weight/eating and not eating/exercising and overexercising; depression, cancer, mental health

Thank you to NetGalley, Elle Cook, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Dell for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.

Three words to describe “The Man I Never Met” would be authentic, lovely, and refreshing.

I’m so glad I picked this one up when I did!! I flew through it in a couple of days. This isn’t your classic rom-com — it deals with a heavy topic — but I rather not spoil anything so message me if needed.

There’s not a character in this book that you won’t love (besides Charlotte)

There’s friendship, there’s love, there’s heartbreak, and survival, and hope. It’s such a mature story and one I think a lot of people could really resonate with. Set in London, Hannah works in marketing, and one day receives a call from Davey, an American interviewing for an architecture job in London. He is meaning to call-in to interview but misdials and gets Hannah instead. A friendship blossoms and that’s all I will say so that I won’t spoil anything.

PICK THIS ONE UP! It is just such a REAL story and I loved it so much.

OUT NOW! (Nov 22) Thank you so much to @netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up!

While it wasn’t perfect, I really enjoyed this book. I expected it to be more lighthearted than it was, which wasn't a bad thing, but just unexpected and I think it threw me for a loop and impacted how I felt - especially when I almost chucked my kindle across the room at 30%. But I didn’t, and I’m glad I did not because I would have missed out on a great book. It was multilayered and the writing was very good. If you like Beth O’Leary you’ll enjoy this one!

I read a portion of this book-til just past when the main character doesn't show up, and then I set it down to pick up something else. It's been months and I just can't make myself go back to it, so it's a DNF.

Pub date: 11/22/22
Genre: romance
One sentence plot summary: Brit Hannah meets and falls in love with American Davey after picking up a misdialed call - but when Davey's move to the UK doesn't happen, they'll both have to learn to live without each other...for now.

The premise of this book is so interesting - I loved how Hannah and Davey were thrown together in such a strange and coincidental way! I enjoyed that they got to know each other just as I was getting to know them as the reader. The middle of the book, right when they were separated, dragged a bit, but I was glad to see them find ways back into each other's lives. I appreciated that I didn't know where things were going - some romance is a little too predictable!

This book fits well into the "sad romance" subgenre that's so popular nowadays, and I think if you like books like that, you'll enjoy this one!

Thank you to Dell for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review and PRHAudio for providing a complimentary audiobook.

3.5 Stars

This story was so sweet and heartbreaking and ultimately, full of warmth and growth and love!

As someone who survived cancer and is incredibly triggered by it used as a plot device in stories, I feel it is incredibly important to warn readers that cancer is a MAJOR plot device in this book and romance. Unlike most stories that use cancer as a plot device, I feel like this one handled it sensitively and with the accuracy that only someone close to cancer could. That author wrote it in honor of her husband's battle and you could tell the personal connection allowed for an authentic use of cancer in both the plot and dialogue. With that said, I still want to warn readers who might not be able to handle that right now and encourage them to protect their mental health around this subject.

What starts out as a sweet and adorable story involving an incredibly unique meet-cute, The Man I Never Met takes us through a year of our two main character's lives as they learn to grow and live for theirselves despite the major road bumps like has thrown their way.

Hannah answers an unknown number call from the States, It's Davey on the other line, calling in for a job interview in London. Problem? He has the wrong number, but now Hannah feels like she needs to know if he gets the job. So when he does and updates her via text, they start a long distance friendship that grows organically into something more...something close to love. But when Davey is supposed to arrive in London, he doesn't show up at the airport, leaving Hannah distraught! The fall out from this missed flight and what caused it (see above if you want to be clued in) causes Hannah and Davey to be sent on opposite trajectories of self discovery. But fate isn't through with them yet, and they might find a way back to each other.

I really enjoyed this story and flew through it and really connected on a deep level as someone who has survived cancer and had a rough time processing its aftermath. The ending was sweet and left me feeling content, although I WOULD HAVE LOVED IT TO BE LONGER AND SLIGHTLY MORE SATISFYING.

If you are looking for something that is romantic, but offers more depth than a rom-com, this would be a perfect pick!

Whoa did this book pull at my heartstrings. I should preface that I’m American and my husband is British so some themes in this hit close home. I loved how the story line was handled and how you were able to see things for both characters perspectives to really feel for both of them. Would recommend this books with the trigger warning of course

The Man I Never Met by Elle Cook
Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: 11/22

What starts out as a misdial turns into a sweet friendship that leads to more in this “will they, won’t they” nail-biter romance. I stayed up way too late reading this one so that I could see what was going to happen.

When Hannah picks up a call from a wrong number, she doesn’t realize that it’s the call that’s going to change her life. Davey lives in the US and is trying to call in for a phone interview in London when he accidentally dials Hannah’s number. It could have ended there, but they both felt a connection and started a long-distance friendship through calls, texts, and video chats. The two grew close, and with Davey’s plans to move to London, they both hoped to get to know one another in person. When Davey gets a health scare that sends his life off the rails, he cuts off all communication with Hannah, urging her to go live her life and not to wait for him.

This book was equal parts beautiful and heartbreaking. It was so well written that I felt Hannah’s heartbreak and Davey’s longing while they dealt with their new normal. They both tried to move on with their lives, and we see through each of their POVs which direction they chose and how it worked out for them. It’s frustrating that they spend most of the book apart, but this story is more about their journeys back to each other than rushing towards a HEA.

Read if you like meet cutes, romance with a lot of depth, women’s fiction, and Only in December by Emily Stone. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the arc to read and review. The Man I Never Met is available now.

I think this book is best experienced without knowing anything about its plot. But on the other hand, if you do that, there might be some moments that blindside. It's your choice, but either way my review is safe to read.

This is a beautiful story of two people, at times heartbreaking, at times heartwarming, trying to just make their way in life, and maybe towards each other?

I loved the emotional authenticity of the book. Both of the main characters have things they're dealing with (one more than the other), their emotional journeys through these were handled so beautifully. They don't always make the best choices, and you do want to give them a good shake sometimes, but they always stay true to themselves.

I also loved the way the book handled those giddy feeling of falling in love online. Throughout the beginning of the book where the two main characters don't meet face to face but get to know each other, and have feelings for each other on the phone. Despite the distance, and relative short time that this spans, the author did such a great job making their connection feel deep. I couldn't avoid reading these sections with a goofy grin on my face. It took me back to the excitement of chatting with crushes on MSN (AIM for you Americans).

There were some fantastic side characters in the book. I would LOVE a spin off for at least one of the characters (one of the MC's best friends). But everyone (with just one exception) was just awesome. I especially thought the adorable older neighbor with the very serious coffee rating just fantastic.

I would highly recommend not skipping the author's note in this one. I feel that it adds one more layer to the depth of the emotions in the book, making aspects of it feel even more meaningful.

Now on to what I didn't like. There was one character that I really was not OK with, not only did they stick around for WAAAAY longer than they should have, I didn't like all the body positivity issues they pushed onto the main character. Some said that this was inevitable because of their job, but not only do I not agree with that, I also think, it was a disservice to make this person such an obvious ass

Finally, my biggest issue with the book was that I didn't see the main character go through any growth. She is a bit of a She is a bit of a pushover, and she acknowledges this too, so I really wanted to see her make some of her own choices towards the end. Take her life in her own hands and drive it in the direction she wanted it to. But even to the very last page, it felt like she was being pulled along.

Overall rating: 4.2⭐

Thank you so much to Ballantine, Dell Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC!

Man, I don't even know where to begin to review this. It's hard to do without spilling major spoilers. First off, I'm pretty sure I mostly loved this. Yes, I loved it. But parts of it were difficult to read. I wanted to alternatingly reach through the book and slap / shake the characters and hug them really tight. I was annoyed with them often. In fact, I feel like it took a bit too long to get to the end. But what would you cut? I can't think of anything that could be left out. So much was really far-fetched and unlikely to ever actually happen IRL, but {shrug}. The writing was great and I loved the character development. Even all the little side characters were unique and had just enough personality to be memorable. I'd love to revisit them. Fairly big TW with this one, in that there's a big battle with cancer and the emotion and turning upside down of life that entails. It was handled with care, I thought, but I've been really fortunate to not have to go through that myself, so I'm not a good judge. Overall, I'd highly recommend this to any fan of women's fiction. I'd probably categorize this as a rom-com with a more serious tone. Strong 4.5 stars for me.

Wowwww this one was an emotional read. Based on the synopsis I expected it but didn't know how much to expect. I found it be thought provoking and charming and I would recommend it to anyone that has room in their life for a sorrowful read.

I really enjoyed this. I've read some romances with frustratingly dumb heroines lately, so it was nice to have a FMC with more wit and intelligence for a change.. This was an interesting mix of fated love story and the sucky realities of life (cancer). Overall, though, it was a quick, enjoyable read and I'd like to see more from this author.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

THE MAN I NEVER MET - Elle Cook

TEARJERKER - 5 stars

Plot - 5 stars - After a mis-dialed phone call, Davey and Hannah start to talk and get to know each other, finding that they are kindred spirits. Their relationship develops over the phone and video chats, enough so that they feel they might go to the next level as soon as they meet. But that turns out to be a problem.

Writing - 5 stars - I was drawn into the story right from the first page. The characters are well developed, and I couldn't wait to get to know them better. The concept was fascinating. It was a contradiction in my mind--something that could easily happen to anyone, but also something very unexpected and unlikely.

Characters - 5 stars - This is where the story shone for me. Both Davey and Hannah and sweet and kind and come across as people who'd be great to hang around with. They have real problems to deal with and are struggling through them the best they can. There's an immediate connection between them that was very appealing. Their actions and reactions were normal, and the difficulties between them made sense.

Title - 5 stars - Clear, and it tells the gist of the story without any details. But the reader is always hoping that perhaps they will actually meet.

Cover - 5 stars - Beautiful color to draw the eye but sticking to the current trend of cartoon characters.

Overall - 5 stars - What a wonderful book! Cook has definitely got a career as a contemporary romance writer! The story is very relatable. Everyone fields a wrong number from time to time, and it's intriguing to think about chatting with that person. The development of their relationship felt right, and I definitely was rooting for their happiness, although I kept reminding myself about the title of the book and worried about what would happen. Sure enough, the difficulties they faced were troubling but common (sadly) in today's world, so I could easily imagine them happening. Davey's actions and Hannah's reactions made sense, but it was hard to watch it unfold. What particularly impressed me was Hannah's resilience and her ability to face facts and move on. She was good about focusing on herself when she needed to, looking for ways to improve and make a happy life for herself. Her friends (Miranda, Paul, Joan) were all great supportive characters who added warmth to her life and to the book. My favorite part was the hope that Cook was able to instill within the story. Despite the trauma and unhappiness each of them faced, there was such that inkling of hope that made the book uplifting and enjoyable. This was an excellent concept, and Cook was able to follow through and make it a success. I will definitely be looking for more from this author.

A sweet British chick lit novel, and with more emotional depth than I expected. Early on in this book, main character Hannah gets a wrong number call from the US, from Davey who is trying to call in for a job interview in the UK. This leads to a surprise friendship and maybe more as they continue talking and texting - until Hannah goes to the airport to meet him and he doesn’t show up. And I won’t say more than that so as not to spoil it, but the book continues for the next year plus from both of their perspectives.

I really enjoyed this one - it reminded me a little of fellow relatively new Brit rom com author Lia Louis with its lightness being paired with sadness- kinda like a cross between Sophie Kinsella and Jojo Moyes. I loved the characters and the little details, and didn’t even mind the characters being kept apart as it didn’t feel contrived. I will definitely keep an eye out for Elle Cook’s future books, and now want to also try her historical fiction which I learned from the authors note that she publishes under the name Lorna Cook.

I loved Hannah and Davey's story. It's so thoughtful, romantic and a little angsty.
Hannah is in a dead end job in London when she picks up a phone call from an unknown number. Davey has called Hannah by mistake from Texas looking for his future boss in London. Davey and Hannah hit it off automatically and start planning to meet each other. Looking at the title, I had a feeling that this might not happen.
Davey is diagnosed with an illness and is unable to come to London. Davey's life is thrown off balance and Hannah is left a little lost, too. Will they be able to be together or will they each choose a different pathway? I loved how honest and raw both characters were drawn. I loved all of the side characters, too. I wish that I had Joan as my next door neighbor to rate coffee with!
If you love stories like Sleeping in Seattle, you may like this one.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in return for my honest review.

REVIEW FOR THE MAN I NEVER MET

3.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House- Ballantine, and Elle Cook for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

BEWARE- there may be spoilers ahead

The vibes for this story were a cross between Laura Jane Williams and Sophie Cousens, especially the latter. This was definitely not a big, romantic comedy- this was a lighthearted love story with a tinge of sadness of what could have been. I really enjoyed a unique storyline, but thought some of the elements could be a bit better.

I felt like both the main characters were very blase about their relationship. Their lack of initiative caused them to do this song and dance for so long, and neither of them were willing to take the leap. That's the biggest complaint I have with the story- they pretended that fate kept them apart but really it was their lack of self awareness and overall lack of initiative. I'm a sucker for a HEA so the story redeemed itself, but looking back on it, the back and forth between the two was just so overly dramatic and could have been solved quickly.

Overall, if you're a fan of softer romances then I would definitely add this to your TBR