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jess_justmaybeperfect's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Minor: Pregnancy, Cancer, Child death, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Infidelity, and Pedophilia
sparkinspace's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
No explicit sex either! :)
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Pregnancy and Child death
Minor: Cancer, Car accident, and Misogyny
k_winchester's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
In the beginning, I was a bit surprised where it started, only because I definitely expected when I picked it up for it start well after post breakup based on the premise. And while reading the first quarter or so, I did keep thinking okay but when do we get to the "good stuff" (ie the fake dating). That all being said, by the time I reached the last few chapters, everything came full circle SO nicely and I took back my feelings on the beginning. 😂
I really loved the way this grew - how the characters came together was so satisfying and so believable - almost slow burn. I found myself thinking about the characters a lot when I wasn't reading it, and I absolutely LOVED the utter Britishness of it.
I will say this is technically is 4.5 stars from me only because I wanted more humor and shenanigans to come with the fake dating trope, but I loved the realness of Laurie all around - her heartbreak, reasons for getting it the scheme, reasons for being mistrustful, her growth outside of Dan, friendship and relationship with Jamie, lady friendships, dynamics with her parents, her snark, all of it. 👌👌👌
(PS: 2)
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Sexism, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, and Pregnancy
Minor: Pedophilia
usingatelescope's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Pedophilia, Child abuse, Sexism, Child death, and Pregnancy
schmoopyplanz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I wouldn't call it a romance as much as just general fiction.
The author writes *very* triggering material. A good writer, but trauma is never forewarned and always hits hard.
This is the most light hearted one, and my favourite despite that.
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Racism
Minor: Emotional abuse and Pedophilia
This is the least triggering Mhairi McFarlane book I've read. None of her books have warnings of sensitive subjects that readers may find harmful, but every other one needs it. This one is no exception.catsandmetaphors's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Fake dating with eventual real feelings, one bed trope, but add amazingly written friendships, complicated familial relationships, and the issues a biracial woman faces in modern-day Britain. The latter was admittedly somewhat underutilised.
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Child death, Cancer, and Pregnancy
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Author: Mhairi McFarlane
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 2.50
Pub Date: March 5, 2020
T H R E E • W O R D S
Slow • Predictable • Forgettable
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Together for the past 18 years, Laurie feels she and her partner Dan are ready to start trying for a baby. When one evening, she broaches the topic, Dan quickly realizes he doesn't want children and ends things. Heartbroken, Laurie's once perfect life is in shambles and the thought of dating again horrifies her. Several months down the road, Dan announces that his new girlfriend is pregnant, Laurie feels humiliated.
That is until a chance encounter in a broken-down elevator with the office playboy who doesn't believe in love presents a new possibility. Jamie is looking to impress the bosses, and she wants nothing more than to make Dan jealous, so they agree to enter into a fake relationship with strategically staged photographs and a specific end date in mind...
💭 T H O U G H T S
I picked Mhairi McFarlane as one of my twelve authors for my 'Author Taste Test' challenge for 2023. Since I owned If I Never Met You I decided that would be the book I'd go with, unfortunately it was just one of those books that didn't work for me.
Firstly, the whole book was way longer than it needed to be. It just took too long for get to the new relationship. The whole breakup felt way more developed than it needed to be. I know an in depth exploration of the breakup was warranted, but this went too far. Heck, Jamie (the love interest) didn't appear consistently throughout the first half of the book!
Additionally, the chemistry between Laurie and Jamie was lackluster (maybe that's to be expected when two people are pretending?). The dialogue felt forced and a lot of the humour fell flat. I felt zero connection to the characters. The author tried to add depth, which I appreciate, yet it just felt like she tried to put in too much with some scenes seeming highly unrealistic and implausible.
Fake dating is one of those tropes that is very hit or miss for me. This was certainly a miss, as I don't feel it was utilized to its potential. The revenge pretenses of Laurie embarking with such an arrangement also came across as very juvenile.
Lastly, the whole scene with Laurie's father's friend felt like it came out of nowhere. And because it occurred so close to the end of the book it wasn't fully addressed and resolved. I think it was an important plotline, but why the author chose to wait so late to drop it into the story puzzles me.
When I first read the synopsis for this book, I thought I'd enjoyed, unfortunately that was not the case. I definitely don't think it was the right book to start with from this author. If I Never Met You was highly forgettable, but I'll definitely give her another try with a different book, as I really think it was the plot and not the writing that I didn't jive with.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fake dating fans
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Those who said family mattered above all else were wrong. People you love, who love you back, matter above all. Crap people you happen to be related to: you need to stop thinking you owe them limitless number of chances to hurt you."
Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Racism, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
Minor: Death of parent, Death, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Child death, Grief, and Cancer
sibling deathgeorginainvisablestring22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Infidelity and Sexual harassment
Minor: Racism, Gaslighting, Grief, Pregnancy, and Car accident
azkabanslibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Addiction, Bullying, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
lujisa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Death, Racism, Car accident, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Chronic illness and Pregnancy