This was not the romance I was expecting. There were quite a few issues, one of which was the writing. Another was the casual use of slurs, like g**sy. I hated the man character, too. She was supposed to be a 30 year old woman but she acted like a teenager.

What a delightful surprise. Loved this new to me author's voice, style, and the pages kept me reading late into the night.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

This was a very interesting book, both fun and deep at the same time. I expected it to be just a fun romantic comedy, but it turned out to be more than that. I thought it was very well done with good writing and fun characters. I loved Georgina's friends, especially Jo. I think every woman would like to have a good group of friends like Georgina has. Georgina herself was, I thought, a very nice and sympathetic character. It is fun to root for her against her badly behaved ex, Robin. Devlin and Lucas were wonderful characters as well, each shining with individualism despite being brothers. To have so many characters in a book and have them all so well-defined is a talent. I would hand this to lovers of typical romantic comedies as well as women's fiction fans. I think both groups would be happy with this book. The only thing I can say that was a deficit to my pleasure in reading this was the use of a lot of British slang and pop-culture references. I feel like the "entitled American" complaining about something like a British author including British slang, but it truly is the only thing that bothered me, and it can draw you out of the story at times. Not a big deal, but a warning, in case you don't want to have to do a lot of inferring. This book made me laugh and cry and I'm not typically a sentimental type. Mhairi McFarlane is a new favorite author for me.

If you're looking for a slow British rom-com, this is it.

I think it took some time to get the ball rolling, I didn't need as much build up to feel attached and emo by the end of it.

4.5 stars

I picked this up from NG last year with every intention of reading and reviewing it prior to its far, far, far away release date. Long story short, I had a breakdown, quit reviewing for a while, and <b>Don’t You Forget About Me</b> was one of the casualties.

Friends, I'm so happy I came back to it this week. It's funny, romantic, tender...all the best adjectives. :). McFarlane is a new author to binge, except I'll have to wait for my library to catch up & get on the McFarlane greatness train because the price of these books is R I D I C U L O U S. Straight up. This book is awesome. But it is not life changing and this price tag is ludicrous.

Moving on.

In a lovely - you don't want it to end - prologue, we're introduced to classmates Georgina Horspool and Lucas McCarthy. After a language arts teacher pairs them up for a book study on [book:Wuthering Heights|6185], they fall in love. It's a delight to witness their awkward, delightful courtship, and I enjoyed every bit of it. Months later, after increasingly daring make-out sessions, they make plans to spend the night together after a party to celebrate the end of school. We watch as Georgina secretly buys condoms and reserves a hotel room, worries about losing her virginity, and pines for Lucas. That night, she's practically glowing with excitement and happiness and anticipation...until a classmate pulls her away from the group, and the prologue abruptly ends.

When we catch up with Georgina twelve years later, she's what I would politely call 'a hot mess.' After a string of unremarkable jobs in the service industry, she's just been fired from her waitressing job at one of the worst restaurants in London. Then, after deciding to pop in on her boyfriend and rehash the whole thing, she interrupts him in flagrante delicto with his PA. The day is a disaster. Returning home to the flat she shares with her curmudgeonly roommate, she worries how she's going to pay her share of the rent. A fortuitous call from her brother-in-law leads to a gig at a brand new local bar (<i>The Wicker</i>) and a surprise meeting with Lucas McCarthy - one of the co-owners.

It's clear from the start of the story something awful happened that long ago night. Georgina is a wonderful, generous, kind and loving woman who appears to have lost her way in life and her belief in herself. What's unclear is why. I had my suspicions (which proved accurate), and McFarlane keeps it a secret until a painful, emotionally gutting scene late in the second half. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

<b>Don't You Forget About Me</b> hits its stride after Georgina gets hired on at <i>The Wicker</i>. Lucas initially pretends he doesn't remember Georgina, but it's obvious to us (and Georgina sort of, too) that he's a big fat liar. When she finally confronts him and asks point blank if he does, he pretends he only vaguely remembers her. Lucas - since we only ever get Georgina's PoV - remains an enigma for much of the story. Fortunately, his actions speak volumes for him. He's Georgina's steadfast champion - against bullying strippers, douchey ex-kinda sorta- boyfriends, and Georgina herself. He's always looking out for her, and simply can't keep up the charade of not caring for her. Reader, I loved it.

McFarlane rounds out her “will they or won’t they,” second chance love story with a wonderfully odd and quirky group of secondary characters - friends, family and enemies (the ex & Georgina's stepdad) - and they enhance this story in every way. Georgina’s friends are loyal and funny and helpful and supportive - and I hope each of them eventually gets his/her own story, too; her family is alternately frustrating, amazing, hurtful, and good; and her enemies are awful from start to finish. I especially loved Devlin (Lucas's brother), and Kitty, who works with Georgina at <i>The Wicker</i>, and has one of the funniest scenes in the book.<blockquote>She asks if she can call her car insurer back, I say sure, and flit around cutting limes into wedges, while Kitty at the end of the bar discusses the premium on her Fiat Cinquecento.

Kitty says: <i>"Oh, what? K for kilo. Oh I see. . ."</i>

I don't normally listen in on phone calls but I catch her expression at this moment and Kitty looks so perturbed, it's impossible not to be intrigued.

<i>"I. . .I mean, Insect. Tits."</i>

I frown in startled confusion at her.

<i>"Tits again. Yellow. From the start? Kilo, Insect, Tits, Tits, Yellow.”</i>

I stuff my fist in my mouth to stop myself from laughing.

Kitty mutters a few more words, and goodbye, and rings off.

I cry: <i>”What THE HELL was that about?”

“Oh my God, he said to spell my name with the police alphabet and I didn’t know it! Oh my God! I said tits!”</i>

I am nearly bent double laughing.

<i>”Tits Tits Yellow?!”</i> I gasp.

<i>”I couldn’t think of anything beginning with T! Oh my life.”

“Strangely enough, Tits Tits Yellow is my porn name,”</i> I say, and as the words leave my mouth, realize Lucas is in earshot, approaching.</blockquote>
It’s a fabulous cast of secondary characters, and they are a lovely addition to the novel.

But this is a story about Georgina - and sometimes Lucas, who she still loves - and much of the novel is McFarlane positioning Georgina for the big reveal. Like another book I recently read (and loathed), <i>The Wicker</i> provides the perfect plot device at just the perfect time: a contest pitting contestants against one another as they share embarrassing/humbling moments from their past. Georgina has a lifetime of funny stories to tell, and also…

Well, I’m not going to spoil the story except to say get your tissue ready. I wasn’t prepared for her revelation, and the power of her words is still with me days later. Friends, it’s devastating. It isn’t the end of this novel, however.

McFarlane still has a bit of showing off to do & wow, she does. Lucas and Georgina's mischievous friends...well, they all conspire to give Georgina the nudge she needs to go after love again. I absolutely loved this last sequence - the set-up, the dialogue, the sweetness, the heat and altogether awesomeness of it all - and I was so sad to finish this wonderful book. I just didn’t want it to be over, and I was sad to say goodbye.

Definitely one of my favorite books I've read in 2020.

This book is the story of a first love reimagined with a second chance. I really liked some aspects of this book, it I couldn't get behind Georgina. She was whiny and irritating for the first half of the book, so by the time we learn more about her past I wasn't as invested as I would like to have been. There were some incredibly funny parts and throughout the book I was surprised at the witty back and forth, very reminiscent of Lorelei Gilmore in my opinion, which made the pacing keep up my interest eventually.

I loved this book! Really fun and cute read and loved the story! This one is a great one to add to a reading list or pack for a vacation!

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

I wasn't sure about this book at first, but it is impossible not to like Georgina. She's having it rough lately. She got fired from her job, found her boyfriend cheating, her family lie is messy, and she feels like a failure. Because good luck is not in the cards for, she gets a job at a bar where one of the owners is a former love, Lucas, who doesn't remember her.

There was so much to love about Georgina. She's flawed, broken, determined, and strong. Her friends and family are a ratchet, and they add so much to this book, but most of all, they love and support her, even when though their ways of showing it is misinterpreted or questionable. While there is a lot of humor in this book, there is a lot of heaviness too. The pendulum of emotions is what I found makes this book so great. Georgina at her most vulnerable were the best parts of this book and the most emotional. I

This book was on my tbr list for awhile and I'm glad I did not over look it. It was more than I imagined.

5 stars.

I loved this book! It was very funny! I can commiserate with the run of bad luck Georgina has. I liked that the two characters fell in love in high school but because of a misunderstanding the relationship was cut short.

This was a fun book to read, it was very witty and made me laugh. I look forward to more books from this authors. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book

Wasn't a fan of this one. Not sure if it was the story or the way it was written. Maybe I will give her next one a chance.

HAPPY GALENTINE’S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I know what you’re thinking. A day for the ladies and you pick a romance book? From the cover and description you might think this is your average romance – or an homage to The Breakfast Club, but that would be selling this soooooooooooooooo short. Yes, Georgina and Lucas eventually got their happily ever after for now, but I ain’t kidding when I say eventually. Like nearly the last page kind of eventually. And in all honesty, the entire premise of him “not remembering” her even though she clearly thought of him as her first love and was willing to present him with her V-Card would have infuriated me if that would have been the focus of the story because . . . . . well, that's kind of stupid.

Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut, it wasn’t the focus and this was just so great and handled a couple of different serious issues in such a “user friendly” sort of way and I loved pert near every lady in this from Georgina to her sister Esther to her friends Clem and Rav and Jo and Nana Hogg (talk about LOOOOOOOVE – total HBIC) and Kitty. Oh lord, Kitty was a riot . . . .

“Oh my God, no one does that, what am I, some sort of Victorian person?! Yeah, like, I wrote my diary in my big death nightie and, like, ate mutton pie and that. Wrote it with one of those pens that are feathers.”

“What the hell is a big death nightie?!”

“Those nighties that ghosts wear and they put old people in. You know. Like in a Muppet Christmas Carol.”

“Hahahaha. The Muppet Christmas Carol. RIP Charles Dickens.”

“I know who Charles Dickens is!”

“Do you? My bad.”

“He’s the bear, he tells the story.”

I didn’t like Georgina’s mother much until nearly the end because she was a bit of a twat (I can say that since it’s British, right?), but she got her redemption arc. And Esther’s sweet husband and Dev and Lucas were all great too – and Keith.

It was truly just a nearly perfect little comedy for me (with a couple of aforementioned serious undertones) that made me chuckle again and again and really celebrate how great gals are. Netflix needs to option this yesterday so I can watch it on a loop in my PJs until the end of days.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

I really enjoyed this book! Georgina was genuine and the emotions we see from her are real and understandable.
Her life is not perfect. She is 30 and doesn’t have it all together- how refreshing! Often heroines have it all together- except their love life. Georgina was real and didn’t have it all together- which made her all the more relatable.
The misunderstood and passionate first love- it was beautiful. I love a good love story and this one was great. Teenage love, misunderstandings, truth, and reconnections- good job Mhairi!
The only things I didn’t like were all of the extra characters. I felt the friend pool could have been narrowed down to just Jo her high school friend. The stepfather- Geoff- overall felt useless. His storyline and the controlling of her mother really didn’t add anything. I think all that happened regarding Georgina and her mother’s relationship could have happened without Geoffrey.

**I received a copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

I checked out this romantic novel but sadly I could not connect with the writing style.

This book was not one that I expected. I sadly was not able to finish the book. I loved the cover and I thought it sounded like a great great.

Don't You Forget About Me brings the fabulous Mhairi McFarlane to the United States (finally!) and readers who are new to her funny, heartfelt women's fiction are in for a treat. I've been a big Mhairi McFarlane fan for a few years now and was thrilled to read this!

Don't You Forget About Me is full of charm, with characters you can't help but root for even when they seem as if they'll never figure it out. I'm so pleased that this book is out and it's definitely recommended for those who like women's fiction and is absolutely recommended for those like me who like their (unfairly judged in thr United States, imo) chick lit.

This book was so frustrating!! I think the initial plot was genius, and I understand why someone would hesitate to remind someone else "hey, we know each other!" that happens all the time. But for it to go on this long?! Frustrating and had to DNF...maybe i'll pick it back up one day because I really do think the premise is genius, and some reviews say the final 15% closed the deal for them.

So...Georgina's life to date is totally not what she thought it would be. She's thirty years old, still working as a waitress & hasn't got a thing to show for it.
She ends up getting fired, walks in on her boyfriend having sex with his PA & so what else is there to do but go out with her friends & drink her problems away. A chance, short notice need of a barmaid for a wake becomes a potential new job opportunity & being reunited with the guy that was quite possibly her true love from sixth form. But they lost touch after the prom & she never saw or heard from him again. But here he is after twelve years, older, wiser, quite good looking & her potential new boss. But he doesn't know who she is & so she's got to act cool & not effected by him in the least.

So, I really enjoyed this book a lot. I couldn't put it down & it's bad when my eighteen year old son catches me still reading at 1:30am and tells me I'm up late. Mercy! I don't know if it's just the book is that good, I'm on this romance novel kick or a combination of things but I was riveted by Georgina & Lucas' story and how it unfolds. How Georgina starts figuring things out & realizing that she has control over her life & all the crazy stuff that happens to her, she can let it effect her or learn to stand on her two feet and get it together.
I would definitely recommend it!!