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msmkrm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- 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
This was my first time reading Mhairi McFarlane, and while it leans more towards women's fiction than romance, I have a feeling that going forward, her books will be my go-to when I need a good cry.
hey_jemma's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- 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
3.25
jaquelync88's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
clowdywings's review against another edition
3.0
This one was alright.
It’s a contemporary romance, but with the emphasis on contemporary.
The main character is the highlight in the first part of the book. The love interest doesn’t get a lot of pages in this mediocre section. I had a hard time staying interested and only pushed through because of the promised romance.
My problem is that it was not only predictable but also poorly paced. Some scenes were included that didn’t have much impact on either the overall story or character development. The writing was strange occasionally.
It’s a contemporary romance, but with the emphasis on contemporary.
The main character is the highlight in the first part of the book. The love interest doesn’t get a lot of pages in this mediocre section. I had a hard time staying interested and only pushed through because of the promised romance.
My problem is that it was not only predictable but also poorly paced. Some scenes were included that didn’t have much impact on either the overall story or character development. The writing was strange occasionally.
brisingr's review against another edition
4.0
/ fake romance is the best trope ever, i love some good british rom-com, this was cute and the banter between the charas was delightful. a!! joy !!
vivianaxmoreno's review against another edition
4.0
Last month, I read Mhairi McFarlane's Don't You Forget About Me and immediately fell in love with her writing style. If I Never Met You also made the same impression. The writing is sharp, witty, smart, and beautifully crafted. When I read her novels, I sometimes have to re-read something because she is so great at intricately webbing complex ideas with the regular musing of an individual living in this world. And I might also stumble through the phrasing not really in my vocabulary, but there's fun in that as well.
While I knew the premise of the novel, I didn't expect the emotional toll it would take on me. And, woah, did I have EMOTIONS while reading this. Even though I had just cracked it open, or rather clicked open the book on my iPad, I was immediately affected by the dissolution of Laurie and Dan's relationship. Me, someone who has not been in Laurie's place and not even close to it, shouldn't have been able to relate and feel as much as I did at the grueling exchange. But I did. And it left me gutted, absolutely devastated. Emotions I couldn't even pin down to name were crashing over my chest and heart.
This is what Mhairi is capable of. She perfectly laid out the scenes of something so horrible and heartbreaking and made it real, not the abridged version of pain and loss, but the whole messy bit that cuts through even those with no experience of it at all. I really can't even express how deeply this portion affected me, but Mhairi truly did that.
The rest of the novel spoke to the fake relationship turned real relationship trope, which I also loved. There was something so satisfying about peeling back the layers of Jamie and unveiling his true, warm-hearted self. It reminded me that you cannot just form an opinion about someone based on rumors and offhand chit chat. You have to give someone a chance to at least create their own image and share their authentic self (even if it is in line with the rumors, which in this case it is not).
I do wish we had more insight into Jamie's heart and mind in order to flesh out his what-seemed-a-bit-sudden shift from calling down marriage to being swept up in his love for Laurie. While the email read by Hattie indulges a substantial bit, I would've loved to have a few more thoughts during his evolution of his perception of true love.
The characters of Emily and Nadia added what I love in novels. In the case of Emily, she is that person who struggles with her life decisions, wondering if everything she's built and done is worth as much as a square of plastic. This is something I think everyone feels at one point, and I appreciated the focus on this because it acknowledges the pressures we face to be perfect yet pleasing to everyone. And, Laurie's bit about how she found the love of her life when she met Emily at Bar CaVa (not Dan), made me burst. Because we often don't regard our closest friendships as something as monumental as falling in love, but they are. Those people become your family–– your call when you need comfort, who makes you laugh and cry, who loves you unconditionally. And Nadia served as the unwavering, sure-of-herself persona I love to see. She is unapologetically herself and holds impeccable values and morals.
Another crucial part of the story for me (although, weren't they all crucial) is the charged final straw of Laurie and her's father relationship. Before the breakup, Laurie would appease Dan's wishes of just let it go, he doesn't mean to be that way, and she begins to realize this more and more as she interacts with her father without Dan's voice on her shoulder. Enter Jamie, who helps nudge Laurie into an understanding that her father really doesn't deserve her wonderful self, regardless of blood (which shouldn't be an end-all-be-all factor anyway). While Laurie arrives at the moment where things spill forth all on her own, the supporting role Jamie occupied filled my heart up. When she confronts her father, I could almost feel the snip of scissors cutting the string Laurie had been holding between her father and herself–– relief washed over me because no one deserves that toxic relationship in their life.
I guess you could say I had some thoughts. Additional points will probably crop up in my mind, but I'll leave it at this: I loved this novel.
While I knew the premise of the novel, I didn't expect the emotional toll it would take on me. And, woah, did I have EMOTIONS while reading this. Even though I had just cracked it open, or rather clicked open the book on my iPad, I was immediately affected by the dissolution of Laurie and Dan's relationship. Me, someone who has not been in Laurie's place and not even close to it, shouldn't have been able to relate and feel as much as I did at the grueling exchange. But I did. And it left me gutted, absolutely devastated. Emotions I couldn't even pin down to name were crashing over my chest and heart.
This is what Mhairi is capable of. She perfectly laid out the scenes of something so horrible and heartbreaking and made it real, not the abridged version of pain and loss, but the whole messy bit that cuts through even those with no experience of it at all. I really can't even express how deeply this portion affected me, but Mhairi truly did that.
The rest of the novel spoke to the fake relationship turned real relationship trope, which I also loved. There was something so satisfying about peeling back the layers of Jamie and unveiling his true, warm-hearted self. It reminded me that you cannot just form an opinion about someone based on rumors and offhand chit chat. You have to give someone a chance to at least create their own image and share their authentic self (even if it is in line with the rumors, which in this case it is not).
I do wish we had more insight into Jamie's heart and mind in order to flesh out his what-seemed-a-bit-sudden shift from calling down marriage to being swept up in his love for Laurie. While the email read by Hattie indulges a substantial bit, I would've loved to have a few more thoughts during his evolution of his perception of true love.
The characters of Emily and Nadia added what I love in novels. In the case of Emily, she is that person who struggles with her life decisions, wondering if everything she's built and done is worth as much as a square of plastic. This is something I think everyone feels at one point, and I appreciated the focus on this because it acknowledges the pressures we face to be perfect yet pleasing to everyone. And, Laurie's bit about how she found the love of her life when she met Emily at Bar CaVa (not Dan), made me burst. Because we often don't regard our closest friendships as something as monumental as falling in love, but they are. Those people become your family–– your call when you need comfort, who makes you laugh and cry, who loves you unconditionally. And Nadia served as the unwavering, sure-of-herself persona I love to see. She is unapologetically herself and holds impeccable values and morals.
Another crucial part of the story for me (although, weren't they all crucial) is the charged final straw of Laurie and her's father relationship. Before the breakup, Laurie would appease Dan's wishes of just let it go, he doesn't mean to be that way, and she begins to realize this more and more as she interacts with her father without Dan's voice on her shoulder. Enter Jamie, who helps nudge Laurie into an understanding that her father really doesn't deserve her wonderful self, regardless of blood (which shouldn't be an end-all-be-all factor anyway). While Laurie arrives at the moment where things spill forth all on her own, the supporting role Jamie occupied filled my heart up. When she confronts her father, I could almost feel the snip of scissors cutting the string Laurie had been holding between her father and herself–– relief washed over me because no one deserves that toxic relationship in their life.
I guess you could say I had some thoughts. Additional points will probably crop up in my mind, but I'll leave it at this: I loved this novel.