I love a good romcom, especially one that has a fake relationship! Why do people think that a fake relationship will ever be a good idea!? Of course they're gonna develop feelings, and I am here for it! I'm adding Mhairi McFarlane to my list of authors to read!

I am a huge Mhairi McFarlane fan! This one was just as lovable as I expected.

Laurie is a lawyer who is content with her life and her 18-year relationship. Seemingly out of the blue, Dan tells her he's leaving to find himself, and (surprise) finding himself involves impregnating another woman. Laurie is faced with debilitating grief and confusion over the breakup. After a chance encounter in a broken lift, Laurie gets involved in a pretend relationship with the office lothario, Jamie.

As any good romcom reader will imagine, in the course of their phony relationship, our pair finds real connection. It is supremely satisfying and romantic. I honestly laughed out loud a couple of times-- especially when McFarlane writes a side character named Nadia.

Overall, this is a highly recommend for fans of Jill Mansell, romance, romcoms, and wonderful characters,

I had a hard time getting into this one because her partner of 18-years was the world's biggest asshole. It was really hard to feel sympathy for her when she was grieving their relationship because it was obviously a horrible one. Once we got to the fake dating part though, I couldn't put it down. I loved the banter between the two MC's along with watching her grow into someone comfortable asking for what she wants out of love, life, and her career. I wish there was less emphasis on the dependable version of herself being boring but I loved watching her grow more comfortable in herself.

This interracial fake dating romance was a fun read you need on your TBR.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from William Morrow Paperbacks through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

I was hoping to really enjoy this one. The cover is cute and the premise sounded like something right up my alley. Who doesn't love fake relationships? There were times that I enjoyed what I was reading and other times where I just wanted to skim.

But, let's just move right along to the review and start with the characters.

How would you deal with a break-up being 36 years old and having been with that person for 18 years? Laurie gets to face this terrible situation that also gets worse. I really felt for her because I can only imagine being that age and feeling like you have to start completely over. Plus with how dating is now, I would want to start over, ha. She is very independent and strong-willed. I like how she stuck up for herself a lot.

My only complaint with her was how long she wallowed in pity. It lasted for a long time in the beginning of the book and most of first 30% felt like it did a lot of repeating. I think that the book could have been shortened quite a bit early on and it wouldn't have changed the rest of the book.

Jamie is an okay character. I don't really think there was anything that made him stand out. He was an average womanizer who decided that he wanted more. Read it before and I just wish there would have been more to him. It probably didn't help that he was only mentioned a couple times in the first 30% and didn't have a bigger role until almost halfway through the book.

Besides her ex-boyfriend, the minor characters were very minor. Even her ex-boyfriend at times became very minor once various plot twists were over with. I wish there would have been more from them.

As for the plot, it was decent. There were certain plot twists that surprised me and really intrigued me to keep reading. There were also some plot twists that felt unnecessary and just felt like they were added for the sake of drama. I mean I like drama but it can't just be all willy nilly. I also wasn't a fan of the ending. It felt rushed and I absolutely hate rushed endings!

Overall, this book just missed the mark for me as a whole. It was too slow in the beginning to keep my interest and the rest of the book just lacked too much for me to fully enjoy.

This is my 2nd novel by Mhairi McFarlane, and I quite enjoyed it. McFarlane’s novels always have a little more depth than your typical romance novel, and If I Never Met You was no exception. The novel starts off with Laurie’s unexpected breakup with her partner of 18 years. The first half of the novel deals a lot with the repercussions of this and sets up her fake romance with her very attractive coworker Jamie in a stint to make her ex jealous. This is a common trope used often in romance novels, but I think it was well executed in If I Never Met You.. Laurie was an interesting enough main character, and Jamie, her love interest, was actually really sweet which was quite refreshing given most love interests start off as completely unlikable. The drama at the very end felt a bit rushed and not entirely necessary. Overall, I enjoyed If I Never Met You and McFarlane’s quick witted writing style, but the first half dragged on a bit and the ending felt bit rushed.

3 1/2 stars - It’s very British, to a distracting degree. There’s so much cultural jargon! It’s similar to a novel written in the early 1900s dialect of the American south. The need to decode and decipher the language of the story distracts from the possible enjoyment of the story. Stream of consciousness story telling. Lots of drinking, maybe it’s a Brit thing, that I just don’t get. I read the first 10% and then skipped to 32%. It was like I hadn’t skipped a word. my guess is I skipped over most of the woe-is-me, protracted pity party others complained about.

All in all, the meat of the story is very decent. It’s surely not the worst story I’ve read. However, I wouldn’t recommend it to a friend. I think it requires significant trimming and a jargon eradicating rewrite if it’s intended for an American audience.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Once again, Mhairi McFarlane completely delivered with If I Never Met You!

Laurie has found herself unlucky in the love department as of late (to put it mildly)! At 36 years old the world she thought was securely built has crumbled! Her boyfriend of 18 years tells her he’s not that into her and dumps her. More uncomfortable yet is the fact that they work together! But the icing on the cake for Laurie is when she finds out he’s been cheating on her....and his girlfriend is pregnant!!!!

Just when Laurie’s world is turned upside down, she gets stuck in an elevator with Jamie! Laurie and Jamie work together and that’s where Laurie thinks their similarities end. Jamie is a handsome, very eligible bachelor who as far as Laurie can see is a love ‘em and leave ‘em type of guy. Well Jamie has a proposition Laurie may not want to turn down— Jamie wants to change his workplace image with a longterm girlfriend and Laurie want their workplace to stop pitying her so Jamie suggest they create a fake relationship! It’s a win-win, right!?!? I completely love what Mhairi McFarlane had in mind for these two!

I adore the fake it ‘til you make it premise and Mhairi’s fresh spin on it had me staying up waaaay past my bedtime because I simply could not put this book down! Mhairi brilliantly creates characters that are so darn endearing and that you can’t help but cheer for! I loved all of the laugh out loud sass, snark and sarcasm, as well as all of the heartfelt moments! I really enjoyed this lighter read and think it would make a fantastic vacation book! If I Never Met You is 4.5 star novel that I highly recommend!

I loved this book. It was unexpected in the best way possible. Laurie used the biggest knock down of her life to rebuild herself to be more powerful than she ever expected. This book is full of amazing and hilarious characters and watchimg Jamie reveal his true self was so rewarding. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for more than just a standard romance.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review .
I liked this quirky romance that follows the chaotic love life of a woman who is dumped by her childhood boyfriend and forced to confront the realities of being single in a world full of expectations. Laurie's world is further disrupted when her ex announces he's found someone else and is expecting a child. In an effort to save face she agrees to a fake relationship with a known libertine determined to change his co-workers opinion about him. While the scenes with Laurie and her ex felt real and emotional, I felt the author dragged their drama for too long in the story where it almost feels like Laurie doesn't truly recover.
Overall well written and appealing.

I loved it.

I don't usually write a review right after I've finished a book, usually I want it to marinate a little bit or I don't have anything to say right away. But, I really liked this one a lot. I think it will be a rereader for me. Laurie has been with the same man since age eighteen, and while not being married at 36 is a little odd, she assumes they're committed. They have a mortgage together, and furniture, and have been discussing kids. But then she is dumped, out of nowhere, and she has no idea how to be an adult without him.

This part felt pretty brutal, to the point where I would consider a content warning to people who have been through a recent break up. Or maybe it was just me feeling a bit close to home, having been with the same man for sixteen years, since I was eighteen. Sure, I am much more secure in my relationship, with marriage and children under our belt, but still. I empathized with how lost she felt and how mourning the loss of the relationship and her self as <i>Laurie and Dan</i> is a full other thing than mourning the loss of Dan as a partner.

This emotionally difficult read part of the read is what took me a little to get through, especially as this is a new author for me and I really only like angst if I can trust the author for the payoff, but I am happy to report that it is worth it. Laurie finds herself and her worth and at least one new friendship while also fulfilling the romance part of the book. Jamie pretty obviously falls for her almost immediately, and while the reader is given all the hints, it is still believeable that hurting Laurie doesn't see it. No one really has to hold the stupid ball for this one to work. I love the fake relationship trope but it does require some "oh he's just pretending" dumbness that can get old really fast, but as Laurie goes through her newly single life, she's figuring out who her real friends are, not just convenient couple friends, and her joy at finding a connection with Jamie is very true, including her lack of experience at relationships and what non-friend attraction even feels like anymore. If I had to go 'back on the market', as it were, I don't think I would have any idea how to read those clues.

There's a lot of flippant slang and references that often get a little twee, but it didn't bother me, possibly because it's all very British and therefore slightly removed from me judging accuracy based on age. The banter rang true to me. Both Laurie and Jamie go through some dark stuff and reveal deep things about themselves but the narrative manages to give that appropriate weight while keeping the overall tone of the book in romcom territory.

I'm glad <spoiler> Dan wasn't happy at the end. There's the idea that he could be someday, and you hope so for the sake of the kid (even fictional kid), but I appreciated that we didn't have to go high road etc and have him be perfectly happy with his choices. I want catharsis in my fiction and I enjoy a good ex or rival cryfest at the end of a book. </spoiler> The very very end wrapped up somewhat quickly, but open ended enough that it felt believable rather than wrapped up with a bow. <spoiler> I was expecting a little kid drama, given that Jamie says he doesn't want kids at all, and Laurie may have said she is 50/50 about it but it seemed she felt strongly about losing Dan and being at the age where she would need to start trying. I'm not someone who thinks everyone (even fictional heroines) needs babies ever after, but I felt like it was something Laurie truly wanted and was only denying because she felt Dan's ambivalence. Still, it wasn't brought up as an issue, and in Jamie's email to Hattie he mentions marriage and kids in a way that seems as though the 100% no kids thing is a relic from past lothario Jamie. So I don't feel nervous on that front. </spoiler>

Overall I would recommend this highly (provided the breakup stuff wouldn't be too much for the person) as a great romance that stays light while still dealing with more than just fluff.

If I Never Met You is a classic enemies-to-lovers story with an epic dose of karma. While some of the side characters' antics seemed a little less than believable in terms of the outside interest shown toward the main romance from inconsequential bystanders, the satisfaction of sticking it to these characters still landed all the same. This was a fun, light read.

This was a cute story but I didn’t connect with the characters the way I wish I could have. I felt similarly with her other novel. Cute but not necessarily my type

I really appreciated the humor and dialogue in this! I love a good fake relationship set-up. Although it got off to a rocky start trying to get comfortable with the writing. Overall, I really enjoyed this read.

I didn’t want to put this book down once I got going (I would’ve read it much faster had I not been so busy with life, ugh!). I really enjoyed Mhairi’s writing style- it was witty and fun but still tackled real and more serious topics. I thought the characters were well developed and while it had a rom-com feel the characters connection had real / relatable elements. Loved this book!

Four shiny, funny, heartwarming, in the love of rom-coms and all the sweet, entertaining but also a little tolerable angsty stars!

I think I truly admit Mhairi McFarlene is one of my favorite rom-com writers along with Marian Keyes. She has humorous, sarcastic sense of humor. She knows how to deal with inner feelings, impeccably approaches dysfunctional family problems, traumas, losses and handles those heavy issues with care. When it comes to the angsty parts of her books, they are always well balanced, not to heart ripping, agitated, painful but also not hearts and flowers kind of sweetness you’ve found in them. It hurts you but never breaks you. And she truly knows how to create lovely characters.

I loved her previous works. I lately enjoyed “Don’t You Forget About Me” and I felt like I got another early Christmas gift when I found this precious, lovely book at my shelf. After Simple Minds invasion, this book made me sing Purple Rain aloud (I’m still so sorry for the disturbance I gave. I know I made too many children cry. But let’s look from the bright side! I got paid bribe money to stop singing. Another’s pain my gain!) What can I sing? “I never meant to cause you any sorrow. I only wanted to one time to see you laughing!”

I know this arranged, fake office romances are similar and foreseeable.

Here is the formula:
Mostly the man-whore Alpha male suffers from bad reputation threatening his hardly earned position. So he needs someone to impress his bosses and fix his bad boy image.

We have always steady, hard-worker, tough, mostly smart business woman who hates the guts of the Alpha male but finally she accepts the offer (because of a carrier leverage or a heartbreak or boredom, choose one of them)

But their faking relationship turns into a real one and none of them are brave enough to confess how they feel for each other, so they do stupid mistakes, tell lies, ends relationship. And we see some breakup- suffering- dealing with the feelings- loneliness- more angst, tears, suffering parts.

Then we see a great gesture comes from one of the parties. And they kiss and we get our happy ending.

And the differences of this book from this formula:

Jamie Carter is not pretentious, irritating man-whore. From the beginning he respects Laurie and he always acts like gentleman and walks on the eggshells not to make a mistake. He is ambitious, smart, hardworking Alpha, but when he is with Laurie, who knows where he stands and he never patronizes her, on contrary to
Laurie’s shameless ex Dan, he believes Laurie can do anything she puts on her mind.

And Laurie is not typical dull, carrier oriented, obnoxious girl we read from several rom-coms. She’s smart, funny, sexy. Her confidence wounded because of betrayal of her ex which is normal because they truly grew up and spent nearly half of their lifetimes together. First she accepted this faking game for making jealous his ex who dumps her, telling he doesn’t want children and he impregnates a woman from their office after their breakup! (So he is the winner of slap contest and I personally love to give him best leading douchebag award of the year!) So Laurie is shaken, shocked and her heart is broken. But this faking game helps her to see her own life with another perspective and discover her own family resentments, past mistakes.

Other parts are book fit the formula but I loved both of those characters. Their faults, flaws, past mistakes, suffers, insecurities are easy to empathize. And of course I really enjoyed the writing of the author. She’s a humorous wizard who knows how to play with the words and gives them magical, joyful meanings which always make you laugh, sigh and warm your heart.

So this book was positively amazing break and great choice as a weekend reading after all those scary Halloween overload! I can admit that I even love this book more than “Don’t you forget about me”.

As a summary: I TRULY LOVED THIS BOOK!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers/William Morrow Paperbacks to share this wonderful ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review.

This was a sweet romance with characters that show growth. It was an easy read, and I liked the fact that it was about romance, not just sex.

However, it was a little too drawn out for me. Plus, I have several British friends, but still some of the references went over my head.

I enjoyed the story, but didn't emotionally connect to it.

I want to thank the publisher and net galley for an ARC which did not impact my review.

Laurie and Dan have been together since their freshman year of college. It's been nearly 20 years, now they're both successful lawyers at the same firm and it feels as though their life is pretty great, even making plans to have a baby. Out of the blue Dan drops a bomb that he's unhappy, he doesn't want the life they've built together or kids. Reeling from this news Laurie's not sure how to navigate anything from here, especially the office. Unfortunately for her, Dan's not done making her miserable, when the office gossip mill gets wind of Dan's new girlfriend's pregnancy Laurie decided it's time for payback. Thanks to a broken elevator, she hatches a plan with Jamie the office playboy to help him get the promotion he's after, and help her make Dan feel a fraction as miserable as he's made her.

I have so many feelings about this amazing story. It's such a beautifully well-written book. It was a bit of a slow build, going through the entire messy breakup and fallout with Dan and then rebuilding trust with Jamie. I was so broken for Laurie and what Dan did to her, I think the grief of going through something like that was accurately portrayed. Laurie was such a relatable character for a woman in her mid-30's, feeling so unsure of herself now that her long term partner doesn't want her anymore, the fear of stepping out and trying to find someone new, the comfort of a mid-range mascara and tinted lip balm. I adored Jamie, he was so sweet and kind with tons more depth than I initially expected. I loved how he encouraged and supported Laurie, never being intimidated by her drive and personality, helping her and giving her the courage to stand up to her dad. Another aspect that I really loved was Laurie learning who she was after spending a large chunk of her life devoted to helping Dan advance, learning that she's just as capable and deserving as he is. I could honestly go on about all of the things I loved about this book forever. It was so heartfelt, realistic, poignant, and yet amidst all the drama and difficult subjects talked about, it was hilarious, there were several points were I was absolutely cackling. I absolutely can not recommend this book enough.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved this authors previous works and I'm sure I will continue to enjoy her future books as well

If I Never Met You did not appeal to me. The majority of the book was sad and filled with angst and only the last 5% was an HEA. As small aside: I found it hard to understand all the British in-jokes and slang. I would not actively recommend this book to my patrons.

I'm beginning to see a pattern to these sorts of books: take some singles from their later twenties to mid-thirties, throw in lots of drinking and wisecracking, add a dash of painful backstory to round them out, and watch them come through in the end. I'm all for it, even though all the drinking has zero appeal for me--is it really that impossible to have honest conversations without getting generously liquored up?

In this version, a young biracial lawyer (check the Diversity box) gets dumped by her longtime boyfriend and agrees to a fake revenge relationship with the office playboy. It's great fun, after the literal 20% of the book about the dumping process and subsequent pain. Even I was thinking, oh, get over it already! Bring on the real love interest!

Once sufficient time has passed, and I want another quick romantic story with more drunken young people, I'll definitely try another book by this author.

Thank you to the publisher for the galley!