This was my first Mhairi McFarlane book, and I am HOOKED. She has managed to create the most wonderfully flawed characters-- especially our heroine Georgina-- and give them depth, generosity, and pure love! I am really quite smitten with her writing of women and her clear gaze on the danger of existing as a woman today. While many are pursuing this avenue now, writing #MeToo stories that we absolutely need, McFarlane does it with such beautiful honesty and reflection that it is impossible not to understand ourselves more deeply. Really, this is not just a fluffy rom-com.

Running, not walking, to find her other books! Read this!

Georgina is quite the character! She’s rather funny and optimistic despite the constant turmoil her life seems to be in. Although quite intelligent, she is a bit afloat with her career choices. Her family, though loving, isn’t always the best. Her ex is the worst (and far too much story time is spent on him)! She does have wonderful friends though.

This wasn’t your typical romance. It was awkward and weird and read felt. Also it didn’t play a large part in the overall story which was more about Georgina’s coming into her own.

There have been comparisons to Bridget Jones Diary and I do see that, though, I think Georgina is a smarter character (though they both have similar luck). The story is quite lengthy (perhaps a bit too much) and oddly the conclusion felt a bit rushed. Overall, pretty enjoyable but a tad too long.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and HarperCollins Publishers for a copy in exchange for a review.

While I really enjoyed this story, I felt that both the cover and description were a poor match for the dark issues that it encompassed. Sexual assault, domestic abuse, gaslighting, etc. I went into this expecting more of a cute romance so I was surprised at how deep and dark this thing went. That said, Georgina was a great character and following her growth throughout the story was very satisfying. All her personal screw-ups and misunderstandings gave this a Bridget Jones feel.

What a sweet, fun romance! I found myself laughing out loud.at the main character's narrative. It's about a woman who, after finding her boyfriend of 6 months having sex with his personal assistant, gets a new job at a bar where the owner is actually her first love. The twist is that their relationship was short-lived, and when they (re)meet, he doesn't seem to acknowledge knowing her at all. A really enjoyable romance that I couldn't put down-- the romance felt VERY realistic. I couldn't help rooting for the main character.

I read a good fifty pages or so, but just couldn't get into the story. I really didn't care for the characters.

This is my first Mhairi McFarlane book, and I loved it! A beautiful story that unfolds in an excellent manner.

I have to admit that this one started a little slow for me, but once it grabbed me, it held tightly and didn't let go until the end - that ending! I'm a sucker for a second-chance romance and this one delivered. It was swoon-worthy at times and made me cry at others. The characters were so well fleshed out and distinctive. There was a lot of depth to this one and a very timely message.

My first book by the author, but not my last.

Having read and enjoyed one of Mhairi McFarlane's earlier releases, I was excited to get an advance copy of Don't You Forget About Me. Sadly, I didn't have the same experience with this book and I struggled to finish. For me, the characters weren't very interesting or enjoyable. Also, the book is meant to be humorous, but I didn't find it funny at all. Overall, just not the right book for me. Hopefully, the next book I read by this author will be more like my first experience!

Fun read! I loved following the trials and tribulations of a 30+ year old navigating life. Georgina is happy with her decisions, even if her family doesn't approve of her work choices. She makes the best of situations. She is an empowered female lead! Fun reading about the situations Georgina got herself into...from her pink coat....attacking a stripper...confronting cheating exes.

Three jump to four, three jump to four, three jump okay stop procrastinating and make decision God dammit, my finally decision is rounded up FOUR STARS! Click! Click! Click ( Taking the selfie of my determined and decisive face)

Who isn’t a serious fan of 80’s greatest “Brat Pack” movies? When Judd Nelson’s bad boy character named John Bender punches the air, you may hear the blaring song in your head and start singing Simple Minds’ classic “Don’t You Forget About Me”! That was how I felt when I grip the book into my hands and accompanied by this motivational and inspirational but definitely not rational mood, I start to read it.

THE THINGS I LOVED MOST:

Brilliant Scottish sense of humor and smart writing skills of the author! ( I want to send friend request to her brain and start to talk with her like Steve Martin’s character at” The Man with two brains” has done!)

Slamming poetry parts (which reminded me of Amazon’s Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s best stand up performances)

The evaluation of Georgina! She learns to face the struggles with her past and solves her issues with her family.

The motivational message of the book: Just make peace with yourself, learn to love your faults and mistakes and move on!!!

BUT THE THINGS PUSHED ME SO HARD TO GIVE THREE STARS( I didn’t but I was about to)

HERO: Lucas!!!He got on my nerves! From the beginning his lack of attention, his behavior around Georgina made me angry! Because as soon as I read the first part of the book, I started to think they made for each other but then some unexpected thing broke them apart. I didn’t like Lucas’ attitude as if he didn’t even know her before. Come on! After 13 years you cannot completely forget the person you kissed and felt something before. If you forget there is two explanations: 1)YOU’RE REAL DOUCHEBAG ( that’s mostly what I thought for the hero) 2) YOU MUST SUFFER FROM AMNESIA!( Nope, he was not a Memento man!)

LACK OF ROMANCE PARTS:
There are too many characters on this book. I enjoyed the best friends surrounded around Georgina who reminded me of Bridget Jones’ ultra-modern version of gang! And the troubled family members are also okay and entertaining. But the focus on their stories affect the balance of the romance parts.( Till the end, we never see any close encounter or any big angsty revelations between the characters)

But I still enjoyed the funny and sarcastic tone of writing( I laughed so much aloud at the Italian restaurant parts, my neighbors came to check on me and made sure I was not choking when my husband just shrugged and explained them that was my regular “donkey toned laugh”) and Lucas’ last proposition speech soften me! I no longer hold a grudge against him.

I love the ending put a silly smile on my face! I’m a hopeless, idiotic romantic who feels delightful as soon as the characters find their HEAs!

So yes, this is my first book of the author! I hope to read more of her novels. I end up with the amazing song’s lyrics: “Will you call my name? As you walk on by”

I dropped the mic and Nilufer has left the building!

Special thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARCCOPY in exchange my honest review!

Georgina is a bit lost, hopping from job to job with no direction. Dating around and unable to find love, yet she is tied to memories of her sweetheart from her school days - Lucas McCarthy. When he shows up at the pub she is helping out for a night all the memories come flooding back, and she nearly falls over in shock- but he barely gives her a second glance. He doesn't seem to remember her. And what's more is she finds out McCarthy is part owner of the pub, though Georgina has far too much to worry about than crimes of the heart, her old boyfriend has taken up stalking her at her new place of work. And after finding him sleeping with someone else, she has no intention of ever going back to him. Yet that doesn't stop him from, getting in close with her family and showing up to harass her at work, but Lucas McCarthy steps up in new and surprising ways. And saves her more than once, from the revenge of a stripper from Asgard and the very public stunt of her ex-boyfriend Robin. Who can't seem to take no for a answer. On top of this, Georgina harbors a secret from her school days that has weighed her down, and possibly kept her from following her dreams of becoming a writer. This is a harrowing tale of one woman's disappointments in herself and life, yet when she finally decides to open up and share those things she finds a whole new attitude of life. With a little help from her friends, her family, and dealing with the feelings of the past she finds that life is really, really brilliant.

“I remember a Fay remark that was long lost in memory, until now: “No one else is going to fix you. The only person who can fix you, is you.” So Coldplay lied.”

Don’t You Forget About Me was surprisingly an excellent read with some real depth. The book is being compared to Bridget Jones’ Diary, and that is actually a pretty accurate comparison. Georgina, our narrator, really reads like Bridget. She’s funny, real, and very very witty. At the start, Georgina is working at a perfectly horrid Italian restaurant as a waiter and gets sacked. She later finds her boyfriend in bed with a co-worker. Not a great night. Circumstances would have it that her next job would be bartending at a pub who happens to be owned by her first love. This all sounds like a romantic comedy and for the most part it is. However, the later portion of the book touches on some really dark and serious subject matter and handles it with grace.

Her friend group I also absolutely loved. Rav, in particular, was a scene stealer for me. He had some pretty great one liners, but all of her friends were equally great. Our romantic lead, Lucas, was great, and I really enjoyed his and Georgina’s relationship progression throughout the book.

Don’t You Forget About Me is definitely worth reading especially if you’re in the mood for an actually funny at time romantic comedy with a refreshing outlook on relationships and dating in the modern age.

“I feel a light-headedness, and a newfound lightness. I’m not carrying it anymore. I spoke the words aloud, used my words, and broke the curse.”

I went into this book thinking it was a romance, which made the beginning seem slow. But once I caught on it was more a women's fiction, I really started to enjoy it. The last half was wonderful. The ending was satisfying and well worth the wait. I wish it had gone on just a bit longer...

Cute book. More of a growing up tail from someone who took a bit longer to grow up. Very easy read. Took me a day and a half to finish. A poolside read for sure.

Poor Georgina is still trying to find her place in life and I’m so glad to say she does come into her own! Really enjoyed this book

This book was entirely unexpected. I'd pulled it up on my Kindle expecting a rather run-of-the-mill romance that I would pick up and put down as I pleased.

Reader, I was wrong.

I whizzed through this book in a long afternoon, neglecting all manner of pressing responsibilities in favor of falling deeply, madly in love with Georgina and her world. Halfway through the book I realized it wasn't a love story about Georgina and a man (namely a dashing, Matthew-Goode-in-Leap-Year-esque type named Lucas) but a love story about Georgina and herself. The romance is only a piece of the very delicious pie McFarlane has made.

And oh, what a pie it is. McFarlane's writing is charming, witty, and beautiful enough to breathe humor and feeling into even the dullest parts of everyday life. I would happily read her grocery list at this point. And each character, major and minor, leapt off the screen - from Georgina, a more well-adjusted but no less engaging Bridget Jones; to Lucas, who was exactly the sort of wallflower teenage boy I would've lost my head over; to Georgina's gang of truly top-notch friends; to her roommate Karen, who I desperately want to meet against my own better judgment; to Devlin and Esther and the delightfully ditzy Kitty, and everyone in between. All of them hold a dear, eternal place in my heart. Except

I hadn't heard of Mhairi McFarlane before this book, but rest assured I have promptly put all of her books at the top of my shopping list, and I'll probably end up clearing my entire calendar so I can whisk through them all like some sort of pale, bookish goblin.

This was a nice light read. It had a lot of humor in it that Ithought was perfectly done. I was totally rooting for the main character.

This charming, witty, and downright hilarious book follows our main character Georgina who is 30, is unlucky and hasn't settled down and built her life yet. She's been fired from her job and walks in on her boyfriend cheating on her. She lands a last minute gig as a bartender, but the owner happens to be her high school love Lucas who doesn't remember her! I loved this book so much, between the romance tensions, the hilarious family and exboyfriend scenes, I couldn't put this down.

I really liked this book!! It is fast paced and from the start of the book you cheer on George. I am going to have to go back and read her past books.

Great light-hearted and engaging read, McFarlane always delivers when I am in search of a contemporary romance with fully fledged characters.