When her partner over a decade leaves her, Laurie is left reeling. Not just because they work at the same firm—but because he got his new girlfriend pregnant almost immediately, after telling Laurie he didn't want to have kids with her.

Laurie is trying to recover, but it's not until being stuck in an elevator with office-playboy Jamie that she realizes that they have something in common. She needs a way to get out of the pity-rumor mill, and Jamie needs a steady girlfriend so he can vie for a big promotion with the bosses. No one ever said that their relationship needed to be real...

3.5 stars, rounded down.

It definitely got better as it went on, although I wanted an epilogue set one year later since the ending was a bit ehhhhh.

I think that this would have worked a lot better if it had been heavily edited a hundred pages (or more). Laurie and Jamie don't begin their fake-dating until nearly halfway into the book, and before that it's a loooooooong wave of Laurie trying to recover from her ex and his betrayal.

And the fake dating is...bland, although it's one of the most creative uses of the One Bed Trope that I've seen in a long while, and there is no denying that Laurie and Jamie had fantastic chemistry, even if a lot of the humor was missing for me. Perhaps it's because I was anticipating more humor and slapstick comedy instead of a fairly mundane contemporary romance that dealt more with recovering from a long-term relationship that died a slow death than the current fauxmance.

However, I did like Jamie, but mostly for his tyrannical lodger, Margaret, a fat tortoiseshell cat who demanded her own bedroom and a garden, and that is why he was unable to move. And I loved his parents, who were just the loveliest, and the most heart-breaking. And I liked his mercenary use of social media and staged photography.

The one thing I did love was Laurie's realization that the night she met what's-his-face (he doesn't deserve being named in truth) was that she did meet the love of her life. It just wasn't her ex. It was her best friend.

"Look at us in a garden center on a Sunday; we're officially wholesome, middle-aged, and deeply heteronormative," Emily said.


I loved that Laurie's relationship with Emily stayed strong throughout the entire book. A lot of contemporary romances ditch the best girl friend as soon as the love interest waltzes in, but this one didn't—it fully embraced the strong and lasting joy of friendship, and acknowledged that platonic friendships are just as valuable as sexual relationships.

You were equal with these men so long as you didn't make them feel unequal, lesser, challenged. If you stayed in your lane.


I also loved that the book leaned into double standards of women in a male-dominated professional environment. So much of this book—from the whispers, the cock-measuring, the bullshit "protection," the backstabbing of many of the women who had bought into the patriarchy—hit so close to home for me. Which is why the ending really annoyed me.

Crap people you happen to be related to: you need to stop thinking you owe them a limitless number of changes to hurt you.


Yes! Yes! A million times yes! Laurie's father—an absolutely narcissistic disgrace of a meatsack—was one of the reasons why she fell alongside the ex. She was seeking relationships that reflected the level of trauma she had had as a child, because that was what she knew. And she kept giving her dad power over her and power to hurt her, because he was her dad.

Now, if we can only apply this writing off of abusive and manipulative family members to mother-figures, without all of that sappily problematic "but she's your motherrrrr" excuses I see so often (Bad Moms Christmas, I'm looking right at you).

Anywho, that was a much longer review than I intended to write.

There were a lot of great things about this book, and a wealth of emotion, depth and nuance that had me singing. I just wished that it moved a bit quicker, because it was long for no reason, and that the romance was stronger.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review

Thank you for the ARC!

I throughly enjoyed this book. My first read by this author and it won’t be my last.
The story line kept me entertained, the writing was really good. The characters were funny and witty. I liked their chemistry.
It was a really good fun read.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

3.5 stars. I didn't care for this when I started, but by the end I was glad I stuck with it. There's a slow build to this. A quarter of the book is establishing Laurie and Dan in their relationship and then the break up. I expected a more typical fake romance arc to this, but this is really more about the re-invention of Laurie - the rediscovery of her personality and her spunk as she deconstructs her relationship with Dan. And in the end I liked that twist. Jamie's story isn't as well developed as Laurie's, and I thought the transformation of his relationship philosophy was too abrupt. But overall I was content with the end of this one. (Language, sexual references, off-page sex)

I enjoyed this book. It felt a lot more "real" than many romance novels. Rather than just being an entertaining story, I could actually see this story happening in real life.

Laurie comes home one evening to find her boyfriend of 18 years, yes 18 sitting on the couch with his head in his hands looking like someone died. With both of them having older parents that are what comes out of her mouth. Relived that no one has passed the next shock for her is that he no longer wants to be together and he does not want to be a parent as well. Thinking that this has to do with them talking about starting a family she tries talking to him but it is no use he wants to end things after 18 years.
Frustrated with the whole mess she must continue to see her ex because they both work in the same law firm. She finds out a few weeks later when he shows up at her door that he is with another woman and to top it off she is pregnant. She also works for a rival firm.
Laurie works throughout the night trying to put together when he left. If not physically at least emotionally and mentally. Finding the time marked with his Spotify playlist for running she at least has that answered.
Jamie Carter wants to change the way people in the law firm look at him and so he approaches Laurie with a plan that they could arrange like they are dating with some staged photos. The whole idea is to make it to the Christmas dance that the firm puts on.
When people start to think that it is fake, they go on a few dates and then she travels with him to meet his parents for a weekend. Things change between them but neither say anything. It stays that way until the dance. That night is a huge jump for the two of them until someone gets ahold of Jamie's phone and posts something online. From there it goes downhill and you begin to wonder if anything can save them. Read this good story to find out what happens. A really good book.

DNF 20%

I really thought I was going to like this book. It had good reviews and seemed like something I would enjoy from the blurb. Unfortunately, I found myself not connecting with the main character Laurie. By 20% when I still wasn’t really caring what was going on I decided to stop and call it done. If I am not interested in what the characters are doing and feeling than its not for me.

*ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.*

A pleasant read throughout, interesting characters, and a good beginning to a romance. Unfortunately, the ending seemed very rushed, and it was a little bit of a letdown.

Another fake boyfriend story. However it's still a fun and quick read. Perfect for the start of spring.

If I Never Met You- If I Never Met You is a chick lit novel from Mhairi McFarlane about a woman, Laurie, in her late thirties whose partner of eighteen years has unceremoniously left her. The novel follows her trying to pick up the pieces of her life, self esteem, and career after such a shock. As a ploy to get back at her ex,Jamie Carter, the younger hot lawyer she works with comes up with a plan to help each other out by pretending to be in a whirlwind relationship. This agreement will help Jamie look more established to be considered for a partnership and Laurie gets to stick it to her ex. I’m digging this new wave of multicultural romances! Laurie is half black/half white and her love interest is white and younger than her. I will say that it was very British with cultural references that may require a bit of research on your part if you are not too familiar with British culture. This book to me was more about a woman rediscovering herself in the midst of a brutal breakup with the only man she’s been in a relationship with a side of romance. If you are looking for a slow burn romance that focuses on the development of the protagonist, check out If I Never Met You. This book was provided by the publisher from Netgalley in March 2020 for an honest review.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and I am happy to give my honest review.

This is my second book by this author and I was really excited to nab it an ARC. I love her writing style and her characters have so much dimension and feel like real people.

This book starts out with the very emotional and angsty breakup of longtime couple Laurie and Dan. She is 36 and spent half of her life with him. He doesn't want to marry to have children and decides he needs to live his own life. She is blindsided and crushed, as one would be.

Jamie is another lawyer in the firm that Laurie & Dan work at. He is new, a few years younger, and seen as a playboy who works hard. I liked him right off the bat. They start a fake relationship to make her ex jealous and give him a better reputation. Fake relationships are good until someone catches the feelings, right?

I loved seeing these two fall in love. It was a delicious slow burn and since you don't get Jamie's point of view you wonder where Jamie's feelings are at. The scene of him asking her to go home to meet his parents broke my heart. I also really enjoyed that this was an interracial romance and Laurie's struggles being mixed were treated with respect.

I highly recommend this book if you want your heart put back together after being broken so artfully. Mhairi is becoming one of my favorite authors and I can't wait for her next work.

Content warning for cheating (by her ex and a quick kiss with another man before Jamie & Laurie officially get together), mentions of pregnancy, parental terminal illness, and death of a family member as a child.

Aren't we all looking for something light and fun during this time of uncertainty? Pick up this wonderful book that will lift your spirits. Just what we need right now and you won't be disappointed. Happy reading!

4.5 Stars! This was an absolutely fabulous romantic comedy. How good it is is evident in the fact that the fake relationship trope is one of my least favourites and yet, I adored this book. The premise is that Laurie is shocked when her boyfriend of 18 years, who also happens to work at the same law firm as she does, breaks up with her unexpectedly for his new pregnant girlfriend. While she is picking up the pieces publicly at work, her hot playboy coworker who is not well-liked at the office, Jamie, proposes a mutually beneficial fake relationship to aid her in making her ex jealous and improving his profile at work by lessening the appearance of his man-about-town ways.

The things I liked most about this slow burn, super angsty, romantic comedy was the role of female friendships. My heart was completely broken in the beginning along with the heroine’s- this is super angsty but never maudlin. Even at her lowest, the heroine has a hilarious sense of self-irony. I loved that even the ex and his new girlfriend weren’t true cartoon villains even though it’s not like you were rooting for them. They were eminently human making eminently stupid yet human mistakes. I like that this book often felt bittersweet and true to life- things weren’t perfect, there was loss and pain and real life issues. Not everything ended prettily and pat, although overall this IS HEA. There was a lot of depth to the plot and frankly a lot of laugh out loud humour. The plotting and story-telling was very well done. This never felt like it was dragging, it’s very well-paced. As my first book by this author, I’m inclined to go back and read everything by her because this was amazing.

What else was fabulous was the real diversity and representation in this book. The law firm where Laurie worked reflected the reality of modern day England which IS multicultural. The heroine is black (well, biracial) and her experience of microagressions and of being a black woman were soooo realistic and nuanced and apt and accurate that I as a black woman kept going back to check if the author was black or multiracial herself (she doesn’t appear to be) because SHE GOT IT- from hair to questions to stereotyping, she had it down! I am beyond impressed because regardless of the author’s own race, she was able to discuss race in a way that made characters aware of how inappropriate they were being without this being a “call-out” book.

The minor things that I didn’t like is that I felt like the Ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend whilst trifling and time wasters, were not as villainous as they were portrayed. It’s true that things don’t always work out but it did feel at times like no one should ever break up ever. On the whole though, the author did provide a lot of nuance in Laurie’s reflection and insights into the relationship that explains this issue and goes into the elements of the break up that WERE egregious. Also, with Jamie, a lot of his man about town behaviour chickens came home to roost and made his life very messy and somehow, even though he took responsibility for his actions, the way it was turned around on the women as being at fault for taking him seriously felt a little gaslight-y to me. And putting myself in the heroine’s shoes, if too many women have had issues with a guy, there comes a point where you wonder, “maybe it’s you” about the guy. And this discussion DOES come up even though it’s not fully addressed.

My minor issues with this notwithstanding, I still really enjoyed this book. I have been in a bit of reading slump but I thought this was BEYOND fantastic. I couldn’t put it down. I’m already projecting it to probably end up on my favourites list at the end of the year! Bold claim so early in the year, but yes I said it. Highly HIGHLY recommend this. (Content Warning for attempted child molestation).

I received a complimentary copy of this book from William Morrow Books and Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review.

I tried to get into this book. I think it might be a case of wrong book at the wrong time. I have hopes the next time around will be better.


I voluntarily read an early copy.

This was so clever! I felt all Lauries emotions , and I never thought it could work but I’m so glad it did. All the lawyer and office discussions and interactions were so realistic. The secondary characters were amazing. I loved her best friend and her realness. This is my first book by this author. I’m glad I discovered her. I received this ARC from Netgalley.

This wasn't my favorite Mhairi McFarlane book as it took me a while to get into it and connect with the characters, but once I did I found myself enjoying it a lot by the end!

Oh, the repercussions, good and bad, of a 🕸web of deceit!

This novel's multi-dimensional drama was good. Of the main characters, playboy Jamie was my favorite. Yes, he is ambitious, but he also has surprising frankness, kindness and emotional depth as he teams with Laurie to create a fake romantic relationship to trick Laurie's ex-boyfriend Dan and their bosses and other colleagues. The death of Laurie's long-term relationship with Dan made her a really sympathetic character. But more than that, she's got things to resolve with her parents, sexism and paternalism at the office, and a catty social circle to handle. Her BFF Emily does stand loyal and irreverent to the end, but Laurie has major trust issues that she eventually realizes go much further back than Dan's betrayal. She's a complex character and, despite her flaws, a heroine who deserved her happy ending.

I loved the development of the friendship and then attraction between Laurie and Jamie, but the ending resolution was a bit rushed. And the social outings with Emily were barely coherent at times: my least favorite part of the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed Mhairi McFarlane's take on the fake boyfriend trope.
The romance had its subtle, touching moments; she included such a variety of other elements and subplots; and the characters, right down to the office busybody, came across as real, flaws and all, people.

Thanks to publisher Harper Collins and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

I found this book to be super fun! The world and character building took a little longer than I would have liked. In fact I was a bit bored by the slow start of the first half of the book but like a roller-coaster once we got to the top it was a fast downhill race from there! A great office romance story to take your mind off what's happening in the world. I could see this being made into a movie.

Never judge a book by its cover they say. Well I must admit I did judge this book by its cover. There has been a recent glut of these nicely illustrated romance books and I assumed that’s what I was getting. Which is fine. I enjoy those books and find them entertaining. But this book was so much more. It was heart wrenching and 20% in before you really even got to know one of the main love interests. I loved it. I love Laurie. I feel like I really emotionally suffered through this with her. I loved the feminism and diversity. This was a terrific book.

I'm going to be honest...when I first started this book I thought I had made a mistake in picking it. I was worried that the storyline of Laurie and Dan's 18 year relationship falling apart was gong to be dull and not engaging. Luckily, I was wrong! Laurie was a well rounded character and I really felt for her during all of the things she went through in this book. The set up of Laurie and Jamie's relationship was actually believable, though it did start out in an unconventional place. I absolutely loved seeing Jamie and Laurie fall for each other AND I really appreciated the way that they handled that later on in the book. The only thing that felt a bit off to me was the pacing. We spent a large portion of the beginning of the book seeing Dan and Laurie and it takes until about 30% before we see the plot really take off. As a result, the ending felt kind of rushed. Another thing that bothered me was a technical issue. The characters continually verbalized their laughter. Literally saying "har har" or "hahahah" "lolllll" instead of just writing "so and so laughed." I didn't notice it the first or second time but once I did, I saw it all throughout the book. There were a few references that I kind of felt were outdated and misplaced, though I'm also not British so perhaps they are references that is very commonplace in Britain. Overall, this was still very enjoyable and I plan to pick up more from this author.