One evening as she is leaving the gym, Hannah gets a long distance call from an unknown number on her cellphone. It was a stranger named Davey who was calling for a job interview and had written down the wrong number. Hannah wishes him good luck, and later that evening she gets a text telling her he got the job. This starts a long-distance friendship which later turns to both of them having genuine feelings for each other. They talk often and about everything, and realize just how much they have in common and how perfect they are together. They make plans for Hannah to pick Davey up at the airport when he arrives to start his new job. Hannah goes to the airport to meet him and Davey's flight arrives, but Davey isn't on it. She tries calling him and doesn't get an answer, and the same with email and text. When Hannah finally is able to reach Davey and finds out he isn't coming after all, and the reason why, she is devastated. Is this the end of their story, or will they someday get their happy ending after all?
This book was so good, but so devestatingly sad. It started out like one of the Meg Ryan rom-com's from the 90's, and then turned into something Cecelia Ahern might write, and then (finally) the world rights itself again, and we get the happy ending we so desperately need at this point. I can not tell you how many tissues I went through during the middle part of the book, but it was quite a few. This is definitely one you are going to want to read.

Woww! This book was amazing in many different ways. The journey you are taken through and how it evolves in the end is truly magical. I was first drawn to the idea around this book from never hearing it before and finding it adorable of a misdial turning into a romance! However it evolves into so much more than that!!
Although the book isn't focused on cute romantic scenes, I was still pulled into their romance story even though it was on pause for a long period of time. The way they always loved each other was beautiful to me.
The beginning of this book resonates with me and felt comforting from how they started dating through long distance, which is what me and boyfriend started as.
The author truly described and executed this book beautifully and deserves a copioius amount of recognition for it.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves The Song of Achilles, Archer's Voice, and The Fault In Our Stars.
This book truly exceeded my expectations and I would highly recommend it!

Wow. This book put me in all my feelings through the entire story.

One day Hannah gets a call from an unfamiliar number. She answers on a whim to hear an American voice on the other end. Wrong number. The man immediately calls back and they have a laugh over how he has a job interview and wrote down the number wrong. Hannah wishes him luck and its over. Or not? Davey, the American, lets her know that he got the job and is moving to London. And a friendship is born. Texts turn to calls and then turn to video calls. A relationship, no matter how unconvential, is born and they can't wait to meet. But everything is turned on its head the day Davey is supposed to arrive in London. Hannah and Davey thought they were meant to be, but life seems to hae other plans for them.

I think it is important to go into this story 100% blind. It's important not to see the twists coming, even as they break your heart, because it adds to the emotional power of the story. It's a beautiful, albeit tough, story. Hannah and Davey are both so real and human, I felt like I knew them both personally... I laughed with them, I cried with them and I felt their pain. Their friends and support systems were also well written. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book. It is well worth the tears and heartache.

One of the most brilliant books I've read this year. Perfect for people who loved Always in December and Letters to Juliet! Following Hannah and Davey over the course of a year, The Man I Never Met is the story of two people miles apart learning to move on. After Davey accidentally calls Hannah thinking it's the right number for his job interview, the pair continue to chat while Davey plans to move to London. On the day he's due to arrive, Hannah heads to the airport but Davey doesn't show. From there this is a book of whirlwind emotions, hardships, and adventure.

WOW I can't love this book much more than I already do. Hannah and Davey are both deep, amazing, and funny characters. Hannah's growth over the course of this year is tremendous and seeing her shift to care more for herself and putting herself first was the best. Davey faces a battle that drains him in every way. His vulnerability was beautifully done.

The best part of this book though was seeing the US and UK crossover. As someone who's lived in both and sees both places as home. I LOVED THIS!!! All the little elements that Elle/Lorna included was perfect and it added so much to the humor. Go read this immediately because it's amazing.

Okay, wow! I was not expecting to fall so hard for this book, but I completely fell into the story of Davey and Hannah. Elle Cook is a pseudonym for Lorna Cook, historical fiction author, and this is her first foray (although I hope not the last!) into romance. Graciously her husband permitted her to use part of his real life story as inspiration for Davey’s story and the results are so sincere and honest.
It’s a little tricky to describe this book without giving too much away, but it all begins when Hannah, based in London, accidentally receives a call from an American number belonging to Davey who is trying to phone in to a job interview. Wishing him luck, Hannah and Davey begin casually messaging each other just out of good nature. As unbelievable as it sounds while I write this, the chatting between them naturally develops and seems completely believable and effortless. Davey gets the job in London and now has more reason than ever to talk to Hannah. Chatting transitions to calling and FaceTiming as a more than casual relationship develops. Again, I know it seems far fetched, but Cook’s writing is so smooth that I believed every moment of it. The reader finally arrives at the point where Hannah and Davey are finally going to meet in person, but “life altering circumstances” prevent this from happening. Up until this point it has only been Hannah’s POV and then suddenly we get a glimpse into Davey’s mind. I loved this alteration and felt like Davey became more of a real person, and less a figment of Hannah’s imagination. As life would prove it, time moves on and Davey and Hannah still never meet although they each continue to think of the other a little bit as the one that got away. The time they have no contact is some of the hardest to read (the romance reader in me just wanted magic to happen to put them together), but the story building is beautiful. Without divulging any spoilers, you just have to keep reading because the narratives for Davey and Hannah work themselves out over time, distance, other relationships and healing. There is a sense of fated mates continually pulling at these two, but they still do not meet. No worries though because a happy ever after is promised and the ending is just so perfect for the story. Elle Cook does a terrific job of drawing out tension and anguish from her characters and getting to the heart of emotional connections. This book made me FEEL things for Davey, FEEL things for Hannah and I loved riding along on their journey. Content warnings for illness in a loved one and body sensitivity. A big thank you to Random House Publishing—Ballantine, Dell and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Charming....

This is a very unique, sweet read. with lot's of character development. Hannah gets a wrong call from Davey, twice, as he wrote the UK number down wrong. I liked the two characters, though Davey may want to know what ellipses mean when texting. Davey is facing some life altering decisions and that is very much his story. While dealing with heavy material. the book manages to be charming and hopeful while they navigate life separately for the most part.
Recommend.

This book really surprised me. I was looking for a bit of a palate cleanser after having read a heavy book, so I picked up what I thought was going to be a sweet and simple romance. And while The Man I Never Met does contain a lot of the elements of a typical romance, it offers a whole lot more than that, too. I devoured this book, reading it in one day because I couldn't put it down. Highly recommend!

Dual perspectives done right.

Hannah and Davey's love story unfolds over long distance and the course of a year and a half. They have never actually met in person... Their story is heartbreaking and beautiful with just a hint of fated lovers.

If you are looking for an unexpected, slow-burn love story with a big emotional pay off in the end give this one a chance.

Content warning: cancer diagnosis/treatment

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I adored this book. Normally I like my romances with a good helping of steam, which this did not have, but I honestly didn't miss it. The story follows Hannah, a twenty something British woman, and Davey, a twenty something American man (who was born in England). They cross paths when Davey accidentally calls Hannah. Something clicks and they keep talking and messaging each other. The call he was supposed to make (and eventually succeeds in completing) is for a job interview in London, which he lands, so the two begin planning for what they will do when he arrives. They begin falling for each other and both can't wait for his arrival, but when Hannah goes to the airport, he never shows up. Without giving away anything, the reason is devastating and changes the course of both of their lives and their relationship. They part ways without ever meeting, both dating other people, but never really finding happiness. They dip back into each others lives briefly from time to time but it seems like it just isn't meant to be. However, neither can let go of the idea of the other.

Things I liked: The sweeping, emotional journey, the character development - I LOVED all the main characters, the side characters, everyone, the physical and mental health issue representation

Things I didn't like: I would have loved to have read more chapters from Davey's perspective, and as always, I'd have loved some spice, but as mentioned, I didn't really miss it. I didn't like the emphasis on Hannah's weight; I understand it was meant to point to how her relationship with George wasn't right, but it felt not quite developed enough to make its point and just left me a little uncomfortable, but not enough to deduct a star.

I loved this book and would recommend to anyone.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A wrong number leads to love in this delightful story by Elle Cook. It's full of all the swoony romance you could ever want, with a healthy dose of pining and heartbreak. The characters of Hannah and Davey are well-drawn and you will instantly become attached to them and want only good things for them for the rest of their lives. But we can't have a romance without a setback of some sort, and this one is a doozy. Some may want to check content warnings before proceeding. The story starts out as lighthearted but takes a bit of a darker and more serious turn part-way through.

I will say that this book made me want to throw my Kindle across the room in frustration a couple of times, and more than once I found myself yelling, "Can someone please get on a plane?!" But in a good way, if that makes sense? That level of frustration was a sign of how invested I was in this book and these characters. Bravo.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Random House/Ballantine for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story gave me the "will they, won't they" feeling the entire way through the book. I felt Hannah's devastation at the airport, I felt Davey's devastation when his life fell off the rails he envisioned and I felt love for each of the characters (except George of course).

A story with all the feels about a girl, Hannah, living in London - picking up a phone call from a random number and starting a conversation with Davey, living in the States. What started out as a wrong number turns into a series of phone calls and texts between Davey and Hannah. Davey has taken a job in London and has plans to move down and meet Hannah in person. When Hannah is left at the airport after hours of Davey not showing up and not texting, she is understandably distraught. She can think of over a dozen things that could have happened, not many of them good. When she finally finds out what has delayed Davey's arrive in London, it is far worse than she even imagined.

I didn't know much about what to expect before opening this book and I highly recommend that method for this one. Don't listen to the chatter, just pick this one up. There are heavy subjects - but there is also the perfect amount of levity to even out the balance between light and dark. Both Hannah and Davey must decide which direction their lives will take. Do you stay with the safe? Or do you follow your dreams?

I loved this book and read it quickly because I needed to know if they would end up together. Not gonna tell you that but I will say that the ending was a little too abrupt for me. I mean this is what I have been waiting the whole book to find out and it was revealed in little over a page. There were also a few unresolved situations - like the package she threw in one of her closets - I wonder why it was mentioned. Elle Cook did a great job with character development - I could see exactly why Davey would make the choices he did, just as I could see why Hannah would choose the path that she did. And all the characters are so likeable save for the one that is meant to be rather unlikeable.

Highly recommend this one - I think more women's fiction than RomCom. The perfect blend of yearning, confusion, frustration and discovery. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the arc to read and review.

When a random number shows up on your phone (one that isn’t even from your country), do you answer? For Hannah, curiosity wins out and she answers the call. Davey lives in Austin, TX and dialed the wrong London number for a job interview. But when Hannah picks up, twice, she gets curious about this American man and the status of his interview. Texts turn to calls which turn to video calls and even the prospect of love as Davey did indeed get the job and will be moving to London in a matter of weeks. But when the day finally arrives, he never does. Can Hannah move on with her life if she never meets him?

This book went places I never imagined but it also took a piece of my heart with it. I just loved every bit of this book and couldn’t put it down because I had to know how it would play out for everyone involved. I cried, I laughed, I swooned, I rolled my eyes. I felt all the feelings.

It sounds crazy to follow along with the life of someone heartbroken over a man they never met, but it also made a lot of sense to me. There’s something about those big what if’s in our lives that are incredibly hard to let go of. When if he showed up? What if we fell in love for real? What if this man could have changed my life? The not knowing is harder than anything else. Ok, I’ve reached the rambling part of my review so I must have loved this book.

The Man I Never Met is so much more than a romance. It spans a year and a half of Hannah’s life and I really felt like I was living right along with her. It’s quirky, it’s emotional, it’s often heartbreaking. But it’s also beautiful and hopeful and thought provoking.

The Man I Never Met is my favorite kind of rom-com. There's romance, some heat, but also a little left to the imagination. There's some snarky dialogue and characters that are as lovable as they are believable.. I can't do rom-coms that are just too cute, that have too much of a Hallmark movie vibe, but the Man I Never Met has just the right balance of will they or won' t they, can Hannah and Davey overcome the challenges they face, with the comfort of knowing that there will likely be a satisfying ending, which there was, and which I loved.

Davey dials Hannah's number instead of the job that he is interviewing for and it makes for a super fun meet cute.
After Davey gets the job, he messages Hannah that he got it and then things start up from there. Davey lives in Texas but will be moving to England for his job and Hannah and him strike up a friendship that leads to more. They are so excited to see each other when he moves there in January, but unforunately for both of them, things do not go as planned.
Davey doesn't show up that day and then when he finally responds to her, days later, she finds out the reason why. The book wasn't quite as happy as I expected it to be, and it was quite sad, but there were lots of moments of joy throughout. I loved Hannah and Davey's friends and family, they were always rooting for them and wanted them to be happy.
I am giving this book a 3.5 star rating because I really felt like it skipped over a lot of things. Each chapter was the next month, we had to infer a lot. Also, there were so much time that Hannah and Davey spent apart, or with other people that it felt odd to me and rushed at the end. I realize that the author had personal experience with this situation and that part was done with perfect care.
Thank you to Random House, Netgalley and Elle Cook for an early copy.

My main beef with this is just that it's not what I thought it would be since the main characters spend nearly the entire book apart from each other physically and are not in contact for a large chunk of it as well. But it is engaging and short, so I can't be too mad.

It's no surprise to anyone who knows me that I love emotional reads. I've had a very busy week, with parent conferences on top of regular teaching duties, after taking an extended weekend for my bday. Sometimes I have more time to read when I'm out and about and traveling - when I'm home and dealing with all the regular stuff, I run out of time to read!
It took me almost a week, but I really enjoyed The Man I Never Met. I finished it early this morning - my bestie who's in town this weekend thought I had a cold… nope, I was just trying to hold in all my sobs as I finished it.
Davey dials the wrong number, expecting to call the interviewer for an architect position he wants in the UK. Instead, calling from Austin, TX, he calls Hannah, in the UK, and a random friendship begins. Their new friendship builds as he finds the right number for the interview, accepts the job, and plans to move to the UK. Throughout this process, they both develop feelings for each other as they anticipate his move. Not sure why anyone would leave Austin (one of my favorite cities), but I kept reading regardless.
As the title suggests, the main characters don't meet. My heart broke a bit when that happened. But the surprisingly serious storyline kept me engaged. And the ending… that's where my tears came in this morning. To quote my friend, "I know you don't cry in real life, but do you always cry when you're finishing a book?!" Many times, yes. I just have a lot of feelings (I'm not that girl from Mean Girls but I totally understand her vibe) and a good romance just hits me with all the feels, in the best way.
This book comes out Tuesday and I think it's great, especially if you enjoy romances set in the UK. Thank you Random House and NetGalley for a widget to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. And thank you Elle Cook for sharing your personal life in this book - I'm excited to have read your contemporary debut, and I look forward to reading more of your books, both historical and contemporary.

I liked The Man I Never Met from the very beginning. I loved the “Cute Meet” that Hannah and Davey had.

The middle got a little slow and I didn’t really like the whole Hannah and George thing but I understood why the book needed it.

I loved the ending the most. It was perfect 😍

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for a copy of The Man I Never Met in exchange of an honest review

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book!

Star Rating: 3⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pub Date: November 22, 2022

I am so torn on my rating of this book. On one hand, it's a solid 4⭐️ read. On the other hand, the plot drags as the two main characters make bad decision after bad decision after being put in a bad situation they didn't choose (and, in some cases, they did choose).

First off, the good. I loved the interactions between Hannah and Davey. Their chemistry was so well-done, and the way their relationship grew organically through phone calls and texts. Plus, they had the most adorable meet-cute, and I'm a sucker for any love story in which the lovers meet in a non-dating app/non-modern way. I like old school meet cutes - wrong numbers, bumping into someone in a coffee shop, etc. There's just nothing romantic about a story that starts with a right swipe, you know? The romance, up until the "big twist," was so romantic. The sexual tension, the longing and pining, and the build-up to the in-person meeting. Perfection!

Everything after that, though...a little bit of a let down until the last thirty pages or so. The story dragged at points, and both Hannah and Davey made bad choice after bad choice that had me screaming "NO!" at them in my head so many times. The bad choices, honestly, just compounded into a story that lost that tangible connection between Hannah and Davey for a while. I feel like their relationship was the strength of the story, and the middle of the book lost that important element.

The ending, though, was sweet and everything I could have hoped for. The poppy fields, the chance encounter, the friends playing a role...I loved it all. I just wish the middle had kept some of the heart that Hannah and Davey gave the beginning of the book.

This novel follows Davey and Hannah after an accidental dial leads to an unlikely friendship and romance, resulting in a scheduled meeting at the airport despite miles between then. After Davey fails to show up, this novel follows their lives after the failed meeting. With surprises along the way this is an emotionally tender and sweet love story.

First, thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Elle Cook for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Second, this was not the book for me, I unfortunately DNF’d it. I loved the premise, but it was boring. It was also hard to keep up with the text exchanges. They were thrown into paragraphs. In my option they should have been spaced out to make it easier to read.

More than half the book doesn’t even include Hannah and Davey together.