Well, in many ways I loved this book. It was heartwarming, sweet, emotional….. all the things. I would give it 4 stars. I loved the overall book more than that, but the ending has me taking away a star.

First of all, pacing is good. I found myself enjoying the story and wanting to keep reading. There was some great character development that takes place as the characters navigate the difficulties and heartaches of life. That doesn’t mean I didn’t want to rail at them sometimes for their stupid decisions, but overall, they come into their own and learn so much more about themselves.

The one main downside I had to this book was the ending. It was so anticlimactic to me. It really does all come down to a few pages and I was so disappointed in that fact. I felt like we needed more.

Cute story, disappointing ending….

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What started out as a wrong number dial turned into two people across the pond from each other forming a friendship and a connection that was ripe with the potential to be more. Hannah Gallagher lives in England and when Davey Carew rings her number twice, they have a brief exchange because he’s in Texas, frantically trying to call in for an interview in London. He winds up getting the job and notifies Hannah, and from there, they become texting buddies. It’s fun and exciting to get to know someone without getting to know them in one’s personal space although Davey is moving to London.

I enjoyed their relationship build up via text, phone calls and video chat. Despite the distance and over electronic devices, they manage to bridge a gap emotionally. Watching Hannah interact with Davey in comparison to her friends, coworkers and others, it’s obvious that she’s sharing a part of herself that she wouldn’t with just anyone. They are adorable in conversation and eager to meet up someday, maybe as only friends or perhaps more since their attraction is growing. So when the day finally comes and Davey doesn’t show up, Hannah is so confused. I definitely wasn’t expecting Davey’s reason to be what it was, that was most certainly an unexpected surprise.

Like any missed opportunity, the reader is mourning alongside Hannah and Davey for almost what could’ve been. Because of certain reasons, they continue along with life separately and do not keep in touch. I actually liked that both Davey and Hannah have POVs represented from this point forward because Davey is experiencing something profoundly life changing and it’s taken over all of his hopes and dreams. As for Hannah, she’s swimming along as best she can and recalibrating herself. Watching them both become adrift in different ways and succumbing to whatever is easiest or most convenient is frustrating, but apparently necessary for their personal growth and maturity. There are parts where they both needed a good shoulder shake, yet I still kept my fingers crossed for them. And as luck or fate or coincidence or whatever would have it, sometimes it is all about being at the right place at the right time. The characters are likable and relatable, the story itself is cute and engaging with some serious themes that are thought provoking when it comes to living life to the fullest and seizing the moment. While I’m glad there was an epilogue, it still felt a bit rushed and abrupt as a summarized narration given all the lead up of the entire story.

The Man I Never Met by Elle Cook
4⭐️

Hannah is living in London, when she receives a call from an American trying to dial into his interview. After the misdial, Hannah and Davey become fast friends (and maybe more) when Davey gets the job and is moving to London shortly. Soon, tragedy strikes and Davey is unable to make finally meet Hannah and move to London. Antics ensue, and this book finally ends with a Happily Ever After.

Maybe because I just read a book by Mhairi McFarlane, or that this was such an unapologetically British book, but the style and overarching story reminded me so much of her book I had to remind myself it wasn’t.

Overall, I really loved this book. It was a cute, different story that was more focused on self-growth, with a heartbreaking love story about fate intertwined. The side characters were so well thought out and amazing, and the main characters I just wanted to give a big hug for all that they had to go through! The book really hit its stride around the 50% mark. I struggled in the beginning but now I realize it was all setup for the remainder of the book. I believe most of it was needed, just wish it could have been a bit speedier.

Not going to lie, I genuinely thought that Hannah was being catfished. I get that they had video chats, but still. The premise for Davey not being able to move to London seemed a bit outlandish to me but honestly, I think it was handled really well. It wasn’t until we had Davey’s POV that I realized it was real and then I really started to get into the story. Having Davey’s POV at the 50% mark was a bit jarring though, since I really thought this story was only told by Hannah. That said, having Davey’s POV was huge and so crucial to the overarching story.

Some minor things that I got hung up on: The talk of body image and self doubt was a bit tiring after awhile. I understand that Hannah was going through the motions of being in a relationship, but reading all of those negative thoughts was a bit upsetting. Also, the last chapter felt a bit rushed, but I understand the call back the author was trying to make. I just wished we had gotten a bit more of Hannah and Davey’s story together!

All in all it was a really good book, and can’t wait for it to be released! This book will not disappoint so I highly recommend reading it!!

Also, thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for the much appreciated ARC in return for an honest review.

A completely unexpected romance I just couldn’t put down! The fast pace of Hannah and Davey’s story kept me on the edge of my seat, and I loved Hannah’s personal story of finding herself along the way. And that ending - the setting and that scene? *chef’s kiss*

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. #TheManINeverMet #NetGalley

I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy this novel reading some of the reviews but I'm glad that I gave it a go because I really ended up enjoying this. It's an interesting spin on the normal type of romance and while it's a bit darker than most I still enjoyed it for what it was. I really enjoyed getting to know Hannah and wished Davey was more expanded on in his chapters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Where to start?!?!? This is a must read!!! So much heart, love, growth, I absolutely could not put this book down!

The characters were delightful, the dialog was funny, touching and wonderfully written and the story is beautifully crafted.

This is absolutely a new favorite!

Thanks to @RandomHouse for the gifted ARC! A bittersweet love story spanning the Atlantic begins with a misdialed number. An emotional story with good ebb and flow and a cinematic ending, but Davey’s chapters lacked the depth given to Hannah’s. For fans of One Day In December. Releases 11/22.

3.5 / 5 stars

I loved this book! So many romance novels are the same story, over and over, but this one felt fresh and original

This is the perfect beach read. So incredibly well paced and keeps you wanting more. As the title of the book goes, will they ever meet? When Davey mistakenly dials Hannah instead of his job interview they continue the conversation and develop a long distance friendship.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I liked the premise, but this just wasn’t good. Poor characterizations, horrible relationships, unhealthy relationships with food and exercise, etc.

I also hate that one of the romances kept getting described as hot and sexy, but it was all tell and no show.

This just fell flat and felt immature.

*** Thanks NetGalley for providing me with ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. ***

Absolutely fantastic! Could not put the book down. Going to recommend to everyone to check out this book!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest (and in this case, somewhat spoiler-y) review. -- PLEASE NOTE: I will post this review on Amazon and my Instagram when it's closer to the Pub. date. It's on Goodreads now.

“The Man I Never Met” by Elle Cook
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5
✈️ to: London, Tuscany

“The Man I Never Met” completely took me by surprise. The story doesn't waste any time and opens with a fated accidental call between Hannah and Davey which leads to a budding friendship and potentially something deeper. While it took me a minute to get into the story, I quickly became invested in their long distance (and virtual) correspondences.

Through their calls, readers learn that Davey will soon be moving to Hannah's hometown of London. And their romance seems inevitable... but Davey never shows up. I didn't see the reason why Davey didn't come to London from a mile away. His reason adds depth to what might otherwise be a light/fluffy story and tests the two characters past their breaking points.

I didn't actually find Hannah relatable at all (I love the Doctor Who Christmas special and do NOT love the gym). The secondary characters in this story are superb. Joan is a national treasure and must be protected at all costs and there's a lot of depth to a character that easily could have been written as one-dimensional counterpart to Davey.

Without spoiling too much (more), my only real complaint is that I left "The Man I Never Met" wanting more. The build up was long and the payoff was short.

This book spans all the emotions!

Did you ever get a call from an unknown number and answer it, just to hear “oh, this must be a wrong number “, sorry? Then you move on with your day. Hannah and Davey’s story starts out like this, but when the wrong number turns into a repeating right number, a relationship is formed.

I laughed, sighed, and talked to the characters frequently. They both made mistakes, immature decisions but never forget each other. One chance phone call could lead to nothing or everything, depending on what they do. Life throws curveballs at them and they deal. Will they end up together, or keep missing out?

I enjoyed this book and will definitely look forward to others by this author in the future!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

The Man I Never Met by Elle Cook
Pub Date: 22 Nov 2022
🌟🌟🌟🌟💫/5

Heather takes a phone call from an unknown number. It turns out to be a misdial from an American guy her age who plans to move to London. They begin messaging and video chatting, developing a friendship and looking forward to meeting each other in person.

This book had me feeling all the feels. It was at times excruciating to find Davey and Heather missing opportunities to be together. It hurt but at the same time was so good. Loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. #TheManINeverMet #NetGalley

Love a good romcom...so this book caught my attention. The Man I Never Met is a real feel good book centering around main character Hannah who falls for an American named Davey, who accidentally misdials her on the phone. As it turns out Davey, is going to be moving to London where Hannah lives. Hannah gets closer to Davey and goes to meet him at the airport but he doesn't turn up but for a very good reason... I don't want to spoil too much but it. is a real page turner with lots of humor thrown in.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine &. NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital. arc

This was such a cute book. I loved how we were able to see the characters grow throughout the year & I LOVED that it switched to dual POV. I felt the ending was rushed.. I wanted more of Hannah & Davey. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is my first book by Elle Cook. It's a bit of a time jump, kismet, romance trope that I really enjoyed.
A colorful description of the characters made me fall in love with them just as they did. The storyline was well developed. It was a fun read and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

i liked this story and read it in one sitting. Enjoyed this story and how it was told. Good story and premise.

I really am blown away with the ending. The emotions and roller coaster the reader goes through for that? Definitely mad that I finished this book for the ending. Definitely a good read but wish the ending was better! Some may love it though! Thanks NetGalley for the read

There was a lot that I enjoyed about this book, however there were many things that sat the wrong way with me. I did not enjoy the constant talk about weight with the main character. I felt that while yes, she could be insecure about her body, it could have been handled in a different way, a way that might not be triggering to people.

Moving on from that, this story was a rollercoaster of emotions. I thought going into it that it would be more rom-com, but it was so much more than that! There were a lot of moments where I was so frustrated for and because of the main character, Hannah. While there was a happy ending, I still wish I could have had some more from the ending.