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kelseyjameson'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
3.75
Moderate: Abandonment, Infidelity, Racism, Death, Pregnancy, Sexism, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, and Pedophilia
booksofbells'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
Moderate: Sexism, Gaslighting, Racism, and Bullying
Minor: Self harm
theloveofwordss's review against another edition
- 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
Minor: Infidelity and Racism
writtenontheflyleaves'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
3.5
If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane đź’Ľ
🌟🌟🌟✨
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🥀 The plot: When Laurie’s boyfriend of 18 years breaks up with her, it feels like her life is over, and to make matters worse, they still have to work together. But when a lift breaks down and traps her with the office lothario, Jamie, the two hatch a plan: fake a relationship to help her get her ex back and him get ahead in the firm. What could go wrong?
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Listen, I LOVE the fake dating trope. It’s a classic for a reason! The most charged moments in any rom com are always those sudden jolts of intimacy that make you question where you stand, and fake dating makes those obligatory from the get-go. However, this one didn’t quiiiite stick the landing for me.
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To start with the stuff I loved: a lot of the relationships and social scenarios in this book felt so real. The breakup in particular was painful because it was so lifelike - I was internally screaming at Laurie’s ex that he was a wanker while also understanding why he was being one. The way sexism played out in a competitive office also felt very well-observed, albeit kicked up to a melodramatic note at points. I didn’t think there was a lot of romantic tension building up as I was reading, but for most of the book I didn’t care because I identified so much with Laurie and was so invested in her life!
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However, as I got closer to the end, it started to nosedive a bit. Jamie’s love for Laurie came a little out of the blue. I couldn’t really feel them FALLING, you know? And that’s half the fun! It felt rushed, with the dialogue doing a lot of heavy lifting to move the narrative along, and the sharp 180 that Jamie does at the end of the novel didn’t make sense to me. Things fall apart so spectacularly and then just rapidly reassemble. It felt messy!
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❤️‍🩹 Read it if you’re not super bothered about a romance, but are looking for a sharp, funny story about healing from heartbreak, that’s set in the UK but not in London!! Huzzah!
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🚫 Avoid it if you’re looking for a sexy romance (whether tension or sex scenes, there’s none of the latter and imo little of the former) - Laurie’s growth is the star of this book, rather than the love story.
Moderate: Racism, Bullying, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Sexism
Minor: Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Car accident, Child death, and Pedophilia
theespressoedition's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
1) I had a really hard time understanding the narrator. I realize that's 100% to do with the fact that I am American and do not at all understand the slang or phrases that were in the book, but the narrator spoke them so quickly (even when I slowed down the audio) that I couldn't understand what they were referring to. This leads me to think if I was actually reading the physical book, I would've been just as confused.
2) It was a fake dating trope, which I freaking love! Buuuut there was very little chemistry between the characters and there was such a slow burn that never led anywhere? I mean, there was no steam or anything... despite a "sharing the bed" moment and plenty of other opportunities for something really romantic or spicy. It felt like a letdown.
3) There was a ton of additional information that felt unnecessary. Work politics and drama - but not just for the sake of the plot: entire scenes of just coworkers talking about nonsense. It felt forced for the sake of adding substance to the book. But it took away from the story.
Overall, I desperately wanted more from this. The concept was cute but the overall product fell short. Bummer.
Graphic: Infidelity
Minor: Racism
elsareads's review against another edition
2.0
The prose was readable enough for me to finish it though, and it had some redeeming moments, but overall it wasn’t enough for me to give it more than two stars.
Moderate: Car accident, Death, Cancer, Racism, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Pedophilia
teacupsandfirereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexism, and Racism
zombiezami'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
Graphic: Abandonment, Grief, Infidelity, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Cancer, Sexual content, Child death, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pregnancy, Sexism, Vomit, Terminal illness, Eating disorder, Confinement, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Cursing, and Pedophilia
Minor: Car accident, Racism, and Fire/Fire injury
samkcs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Minor: Pedophilia, Sexism, and Racism
kates_books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Minor: Cancer, Car accident, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, and Sexism