The Man I Never Met is a charming and poignant book. Hannah and Davey are an endearing couple who never meet in person—Hannah lives in London, and Davey lives in Texas—but they begin a relationship of phone calls and video chats. Fate brings them together, life intervenes, and destiny seems to keep playing a hand in their lives. I was there for the highs and lows, for the laughter and the tears, for the love and the disappointment. I highly recommend this lovely story.

Loved it! Flew through it so quickly!
Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review! Make sure you read this one!

All the stars, all the feels, all the emotions!
I absolutely went into this book thinking it was a romcom set in London….right up my alley - I didn’t even read the synopsis.

I picked it up and read the dedication and immediately knew I was in for much more than romcom. I was in for something special. This book has the light and airy joy romcoms bring us all, but then it has depth, it has heart,. It has real life struggle and “life isn’t fair” moments. I love that having read the dedication, then the book and finishing with the author’s note at the end, it all came full circle. You can clearly feel the heart and emotion the author put into this story, pulling from her own life’s experiences to make this one hit home.

I absolutely loved this. Hannah and Davey felt real. They were attractive, quirky, funny, self deprecating and flawed. Their relationship felt real and you felt their pain. I absolutely loved that this could have been a phone it home rom com, but it had real grit and depth to it that I absolutely savored and loved.

Hoping and praying this finds its way to Hollywood for an adaptation, because this was special!

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I first started this book I was completely expecting a normal book of this genre with its normal tropes and was completely blindsided. I am so happy that I was. If I knew going in what this book would have entailed I will be honest to say that I probably wouldn't have picked it up. I would have automatically assumed it would have been a sob story and it so isn't.

This story is heartwarming and shows how a quick connection can mean so much. I loved this book so much.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to read this book! This book started off good and I was excited to see where it would lead…but I did not expect that plot twist! I definitely was not looking to read a sad book at the moment but it was good! I will say it does get slow at times. I felt like it took way too long for the the characters to get together which I understand is a big part of the book but I just wanted a little more of them together in the book. I do love how the ending was perfect for them in the way that it matched with their first date.

The Man I Never Met really surprised me. Hannah gets a call from a wrong number from an American man, Davey, who is trying to get in touch with a potential employer. She wishes him luck and expects to never hear from him again, except he gets the job and is London bound, and a romance blooms with a series of texts, picture, phone calls and video calls. But when tragedy hits Davey, everything changes. This book felt intimate and genuine. It had me smiling so hard I cried and had me heartbroken where I was crying with Davey and Hannah as they struggled with life’s challenges. It has some hallmark movie vibes and it’s just addicting. These characters are great and flawed and frustrating at time and I just loved them so much. The ensemble cast was lively and realistic. Davey’s journey was heartbreaking and Hannah is just an absolutely wonderful character. She’s witty and honest and authentic. I got some Sophie Cousens vibes in the writing style too. The Man I Never Met is smart and fun and sweet, I adored the idea of fate throughout this and the journeys these characters went on to find their happy endings. Just a gem of a book and I highly recommend it!!

I couldn’t finish it. I rarely dnf a book but sometimes I just have to and this was unfortunately one of those books. It was cutesy but just not for me. I was not a fan of the writing style.

3.5 stars rounded up it was cute and sweet but I felt like the resolution took forever to get to. I felt like Hannah gave up on things too easily, which although was part of her character, was kind of annoying. I wanted her to stand up for herself more and not just take whatever affection a guy was willing to bestow upon her. I loved her relationship with her neighbor Joan, that was one of the highlights for me. Overall, a worthwhile read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this one!

Hannah picks up a call from an unknown number from an American named Davey who misdialed her while calling into a job interview. She thinks nothing of it & wishes him luck, expecting to never hear from him again. When Davey texts her saying he got the job & will be moving to London, she can’t help but be pleased. Soon texts turn into phone calls & video chats, & their friendship grows into a relationship they are eager to start. But when Hannah goes to meet Davey at the airport, he isn’t there, the reason why changes both their lives in instant.

While most books follow a three-act structure, I really felt it in this book. The first act is really quite sweet, with Hannah & Davey starting off as strangers & becoming friends as they continue to text each other. The author really captures the ease in which you can share such intimate details with a stranger, & form a close bond despite, or because of, the distance between each other. Their texts and calls are filled with butterflies and longing, & the hope that their growing relationship could become a reality.

Then act two brings all of that to a crashing halt as Hannah is waiting at the airport for Davey for hours, but he never shows. At this point my cynical brain wondered, was it all a scam, is Davey even who he says he is, was all this just a bit of cruel fun? But no, the answer is less conspiracy & more depressing. The sharp turn from lovely to misery & hardship was a real downer.

Act three, a bit rushed, a bit of a movie-like ending, I honestly didn’t know what I wanted for the characters in the end. I think the first act was a real delight, the author captured the beginning stages of romance building in a way that rang true. I understand the importance of the story she was telling, but I do wish the first act wasn’t violently smashed to pieces to make way for act two. My last parting thought, when I read the description I wasn’t sure if it was a romance or not, & now having read it, I am still not sure it is a romance in the general formulaic sense, perhaps closer to women’s fiction with the heavier topics it follows.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Man I Never Met by Elle Cook comes out November 22, 2022!

Thank you @netgalley and Random House Publishing for an early copy of The Man I Never Met by Elle Cook in exchange for an honest review. 🤍

The Man I Never Met is a slow-burn, second chance romance about Davey, a 29-year old easy-going architect from Texas who misdials Hannah's number, thinking it was the number for his job interview. The misdials turns into something more romantic as halfway across the world, Hannah from England and Davey from Texas begin their long-distance friendship. The texts turned into phone calls, then video calls. They share everything about their lives. Until the day Davey is supposed to move to England for his new job, the most unfortunate thing happens to him.

Have you ever read a love story where the main characters never really physically meet towards the end? The Man I Never Met is such a slow burn that if I wasn't so curuious of what will happen next, I would have DNFed this. The emotions I felt while reading this went from being "kilig" to frustrated to angry. It was a roller coaster of emotions. I wanted to scream at Hannah and Davey for the choices they have made, if they chose differently, they would have been together sooner!

I loved the part when they were getting to know each other. The pining and joy that a new budding relationships bring - it was just heartwarming. I loved that Hannah and Davey's relationship grew through just sharing each other's thoughts and what happened throughout their day. I loved Hannah's friends Joan, Miranda and Paul - they're the emotional support everyone needs.

What I didn't really like is the part with Hannah's relationship with George. He was sweet at the beginning but was quite controlling in a sense all throughout. I wished I didn't have to read through those parts.

Rating The Man I Never Met ⭐⭐⭐.5/5. Would recommend if you love slow-burn romances! Out on November 22, 2022.

What happens if you fall in love with someone you have never met?

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the eARC. All opinions are mine alone.

The Man I Never Met by Elle Cook is about Hannah, a twenty-something-year-old Londoner, who receives a misdialed call from Davey, an easy-going American who is calling into a job interview. What starts as a misdial turns into something more.

I felt so many emotions with this book from the "new love" excitement when Hannah and Davey reconnect post misdial by phone to sadness, frustration, hope, annoyance, and final happiness at the end. Even though this was a long-distance relationship, the excitement or "honeymoon stage" of a new relationship was so palpable between Hannah and Davey.

If you enjoy fish out of the water, second chance romance, and destined to be together tropes you will certainly be entertained by Hannah and Davey's story.

The Man I Never Met will be widely available November 22nd 2022.

The Man I Never Met opens with a fantastic opening line- “do you remember where you were and what you were doing the moment your life changed forever?” I was instantly hooked by that intriguing line, and loved so many things about this beautiful story.

Hannah gets a wrong number call from Davey when he is attempting to call overseas for an interview, and something about the interaction piques both of their interest to the point that they begin to text and chat. Their meet cute occurs over the phone, and they begin to share their lives from afar. Davey is from America but gets the job in England where Hannah lives, and both are excited to finally meet in person. But then on the day of his flight, Davey never shows up. The rest of the book deals with the fallout from that day, his reason for not coming, and the next two years of their lives.

I went in to this book expecting a lighthearted rom com, and it went so much deeper and ended up being incredibly touching. I don’t want to spoil why Davey doesn’t show up on the promised day, so I will just say it becomes a bit heartbreaking and makes you hurt for them through the middle chapters. The story is beautifully written and made me tear up at times, but also made me laugh and made me love the interactions between the characters. Davey’s best friend, Hannah’s next door neighbor…these characters are people you would want in your own life! Also be sure to read the author’s note at the end of the book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a very cute read! I loved the way Davey and Hannah met and how fate brought them together. My only criticism was the pacing throughout the middle of the book. It felt repetitive at times and could have been shortened slightly. I also wish that at the beginning of the chapters, the narrator was stated every time. It wasn’t always consistent, so I would be expecting to read another chapter from Davey’s POV, but it would be Hannah, and I wouldn’t realize this until a few sentences in.

Davey mistakingly calls the wrong number and ends up talking to Hannah. He lives in Texas and she lives in England. What starts as a misdial turns into texts, phone calls and then video calls. When Davey has a job interview in London, Hannah plans to meet him at the airport. But he never shows up.

I read this book so fast. I couldn't wait to find out how it was going to end. Thinking of all the possibilities of what could happen made me not want to put this book down. My curiosity was piqued the entire time. I really enjoyed the flow of the author's writing. With the romance, humor and an emotional storyline, it had just about everything.

The progression of Davey and Hannah's relationship felt so natural. Their conversations flowed as they talked about anything and everything. There were a few other relationships in the book that I also loved. Overall, a book that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

The Man I Never Met may just be my favorite book of 2022! For fans of Josie Silver's One Day in December, this is a must read! Hannah receives a phone call from an unknown number. On the other end of the line is an American guy from Texas who's trying to reach a potential employer in London for an interview. After clearing up the confusion, they go their separate ways....until the guy, Davey, texts her the next day. From that point on, the book in a complete emotional roller coaster. There are times when I wanted to yell at Hannah and Davey for the choices they made, but at the same time loved them through it because they truly were relatable and flawed. Loved every single moment from cover to cover.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

Can a misdialed phone number lead to happily ever after? Davey, an architect living in Texas, is supposed to call Jonathan White, the head of a London architecture firm, for a job interview, but he wrote down the number wrong and he called a woman named Hannah instead. She politely tells him he has the wrong number, and he hangs up and redials, once again getting Hannah. Davey cannot believe he misdialed the same number twice, and when he recites the phone number he intended to call, Hannah informs him that is her number. They chat for a little while, and Hannah suggests he "google" the phone number for the architecture firm and wishes him best of luck in finding the right number and with the job interview. Davey later sends her a text informing her that he got the job. They text for a while, including sharing names and other details about themselves. The texting progresses to WhatsApp calls and then video calls, as Hannah and Davey build a long-distance friendship, and possibly something more. Davey is moving to London in January, and they arrange for Hannah to meet him at the airport. However, Davey fails to show up. When Hannah is finally able to get in touch with Davey, Davey has the best possible excuse for missing his flight but also one of the worst (in terms of tragic/devastating) possible reasons.

As I was thinking about my review while reading the book, I was not going to share Davey's reason for not going to London, letting it be a surprise for other readers. However, after reading the "Author's Note", I decided to include it. The reason Davey misses his flight is because he is in the hospital, where he will be diagnosed with stage 3 testicular cancer. The author's husband also battled testicular cancer, and the author, with her husband's permission, uses parts of his diagnosis and treatment when formulating her story. Her husband hoped that this story would encourage readers to tell the men in their lives to check their "downstairs regions" regularly for any changes/lumps/bumps/irregularities.

Returning to the story, after Davey starts chemotherapy, he tells Hannah that he is ending things between them. This is not how things were supposed to be between them, and he does not want her to put her life on hold for him. It is not fair to either of them to attempt this long-distance relationship right now. Davey asks Hannah not to call him again. The story then progresses with Hannah getting on with her life, including a vacation to Thailand with a friend/trainer from the gym that turns into a relationship (although not the healthiest relationship), Davey's struggles with chemotherapy and desire to quit before finishing all three rounds of treatment, and Davey's choices about what to do once treatment is finished. Hannah and Davey will talk or almost talk on several occasions over the ensuing year, but largely their lives will progress separately, with occasional thoughts about the other person but no attempts to contact. They will eventually meet in the most unlikely circumstances but also the perfect setting given their past history.

My favorite part of the story is the exchanges between Hannah and Davey as they get to know each other. There is a sweetness, joy, vulnerability, and openness to these conversations. I also liked the friendship between Hannah and her neighbor Joan, with their Sunday morning ritual, and Joan finding love again after years of being a widow.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Hannah and Davey meet when he misdials her phone. A continent apart, they begin a fun and flirty relationship. He is moving to her country and they plan to meet when he lands at the airport.
He is a no show and his reason throws everything and Hannah into a spin. It is an emotional up and down story that proceeds through a year and a half of their lives.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story and hoped that Hannah and Davey would one day meet, even if they were old and gray when it happened.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A heart-wrenching read with loveable characters and a story that draws you in so deeply you won't want to stop reading. The story is about much more than two people falling in love and that's what makes this book wonderful.

One misdial changed the course of Hannah's life in an instant. She receives a call from an unknown number and on the other end of the line is Davey, an American man calling in for a job interview in London. Hanna wishes him luck and expects to never hear from him again until he texts her that he's gotten the job and will be moving to London. The pair continues speaking and as their friendship grows so do the sparks of romance. Then, a shocking event prevents the two from meeting at the airport and may even end their relationship for good.

The Man I Never Met is an interesting story that draws you in right from the beginning. It is a will-they-won't-they romance about the characters finding their identities through rough circumstances. The story is slow to medium paced and happens over the span of about a year, but never feels boring. I also find the use of different times, seasons, and weather throught the story an interesting element.

There are happy moments, sad moments, and frustrating moments throughout the novel which made me feel for the characters and genuinely care about how things would turn out. The characters deal with heartbreak, loneliness, internal struggles within themselves, and even some right person, wrong time themes.

The author made me fall in love with the characters and the adorable relationship that forms between them, then suddenly the story takes a gut wrenching turn. I was left feeling frustrated but sympathetic for both of the characters and worried at some points for their future. I was engrossed in the story and just had to know how it was going to end. Don't expect your typical romance but I promise the journey will not disappoint. A great read and I would recommend it 100%!

Themes: identity, loneliness, right person wrong time, will they won't they, romance

Story Elements: plot twist, dual POV

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really liked the premise of the book but the execution fell short for me. It starts out as a chance meeting with a wrong phone number between two people who live in different countries. While the author tried to pan this out slowly it still came off a bit insta-love...especially since our main characters relationship purely exists on the phone. And once it starts to seem like they might actually meet in person...[ the main character suddenly gets testicular cancer out of the blue. He stays in America and stops speaking to our female protagonist. A huge chunk of the books doesn't even involve our main characters interacting at all with each other as they both go on to have relationships with other people. We get sporadic chapters from the male protagonist POV that seem oddly placed. In fact, most of the book doesn't even involve our main characters interacting with each other but yet they still have feelings of love for each other despite never actually meeting in person. (hide spoiler)].

The ending feels rushed and not very satisfying. After all the drama throughout the book it felt like the book finished right when the real story should have been taking off. I feel like this book would have been so cute without the manufactured drama that went on just a little too long.

***Advanced copy obtained from Random House/Ballanttine via Netgalley***

'The Man I Never Met' was an engaging, unique and heartfelt story of two people who connect with each other through a misdialed number. This is a story that I didn't want to end, and it will stick with me. I thought Davey and Hannah's choices were ones that I wouldn't have made, but there was a realism to the times we live in that made an impression. The mostly British setting is appealing to me and I highly recommend this to all.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.