The first thing to know about this book is that it's not really a romance. The cover and the synopsis would lead you to believe it's the typical meet-cute rom-com chick lit you'd expect, and there is an element of that. There's also definitely a feel-good, happy-ever-after component as well. But overall, this book is about overcoming relationship trauma, women empowering other women, and coming out whole on the other side of something awful.

As a survivor of a relationship with someone very much like Scott, I can tell you McFarlane gets the elements of an emotionally abusive relationship exactly right, so much so that the book should probably come with a trigger warning (Panic attacks! Free gift with purchase!). The feelings of shame and guilt conjured by an abuser, the belief that it's your fault, the distorted thinking that makes it impossible to see what the relationship is doing to you, the fear -- all of that is spot on. When I finished the book, I texted a friend who saw me through my own abusive relationship and told her she has to read it, because it's the best description I've ever seen of what it was like to be me during that time. Survivors will see themselves in Harriet, and, like me, will be grateful for the understanding McFarlane offers. Even after all this time, it's healing to feel like someone gets it.

Also realistic is Harriet's choice of Jon as her next relationship -- someone solid and kind, someone she doesn't love so he can't hurt her. I get it. I also get Jon's reaction when she broke up with him after his public proposal, because it's how my abusive ex reacted too -- like he couldn't quite believe any woman would be dumb enough to dump him. The stalking and the anger -- the way McFarlane depicts those things makes me think she's been through it. Jon, in his own way, was just as bad as Scott.

Less well-constructed is Harriet's new romance with Cal. So much of the book is about Harriet's past that we don't get to see as much of her present and future as I would have liked. I sort of got the impression that the Cal angle was added just so this would be marketed as the aforementioned chick lit. Otherwise it might have come off darker than that, which is not what McFarlane's fans expect.

I've seen some criticisms of Harriet's character, saying that she's not well-rounded, doesn't have a personality, or is too bland. I can see where those takes come from. To me, it just seemed like Harriet's character development reflected the real-life personality of a victim of mental abuse -- unsure of who she is, unsure of how to trust her own opinions.

I really liked this one, but I can see that it wouldn't be for everyone. If you've been through (or are going through) something like what Harriet experienced, this book is validating and could help you decide what to do next. If you haven't, it may be hard to relate to. That's okay. I feel like Mhairi McFarlane wrote it just for me.

4 1/2 stars

Another beautifully written Mhairi McFarlane book. As usual, she isn't afraid to delve into the tough topics....and this time she jumps into some deep and dark waters for sure. I find it necessary to remind people that even though books have cute cartoon covers, it doesn't mean there is marshmallow fluff and rainbow sprinkles on the inside. The old saying "don't judge a book by its cover" has never been more true than today in the age of these cartoony covers. That said, the subject matter inside is definitely on the more serious side. Yet, have no fear because you will smile some when reading the book because there is also irony and a bit of humor blended in at times.

The main character, Harriet is a wedding photographer who is surprisingly anything but a romantic after her personal history with relationships. It makes it impossible for her to move forward in the relationship she's currently in and leads to all kinds of chaos from that point on. I'm not going to give a lot of the plot information because I think it's best enjoyed when you read it and have the "aha" moments as you go. I'll just say that things come together and make sense once all the information surfaces. But it's quite the journey getting to that point.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

I’m the description it paints the book to be more of a rom com. But as you read it. The romance plays a rather small part in the book as a whole. Unless you’re looking at the aftermath of past relationships.

Cal and Harriet together didn’t add to the story to me. I think they could have been fine as just roommates.

Looking at past books by the author it seems her rom com books are more about character development. And that’s what I’m seeing. I think If you take away the aspect that it’s meant to have romance and the book is much better. Harriet doesn’t need to be in a relationship, the whole theme of the book seemed to explain the why of that.

I feel pretty indifferent about this book. I didn’t love it. Didn’t quite hate it. It just wasn’t that exciting to me. There was a lot going on and a lot of drama and I think it all felt a bit chaotic to me. Too many working storylines it felt like. I just wish Cal was cut out of it. Or at least the drama of Cal and Kit and the wedding and then that Harriet likes him etc etc.
I want the book to be about finding yourself and your relationships with your friends. Romanticizing your life. Not relationships.

The writing style wasn’t bad. But I loathed that when a character was speaking and laughing “ha ha ha” was also in the quotations. Might as well have the character just say LOL. It was off putting to say the least.

*** BOOK REVIEW***
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Mad About You
Author: Mhairi McFarlane


Trigger warning: psychological abuse in relationships

This review contains spoiler alerts. I couldn’t figure out a way to write it without it them.

I wanted to like book. I loved the last book I read by Mhairi but this book just didn’t hit the mark for me.

I didn’t find myself to particularly care for the characters. I did like how all the girls teamed up together to put their abuser in his place and to no longer allow him to get away with his behavior.

However, I’m not sure I buy the fact that Harriet got into a relationship with Cal so soon. The whole story took place within a couple of weeks and she made some major life revelations towards the end. I can’t help to think that one her her position would run to another relationship.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for a copy of Mad About You in exchange of an honest review

Mad About You will take your heart on an emotional roller coaster ride.

Mad About You definitely falls on the more serious side of the rom-com genre. I would even go as far as to say that it’s more a fiction book than a romance. There aren’t many light fluffy moments, and even the romantic aspect of the story is on the light side. Now that being said, this book is beautifully written and is a powerful and emotional read. I should warn readers that this book has major triggers around abuse, cheating, and just toxic relationships. If these are hard things for you to read, this book is probably not for you.

The story follows Harriet, whose boyfriend Jon proposes to her in front of his family. Harriet is not interested in marriage (with anyone) and decides that her relationship with Jon has come to an end. Harriet finds a room to rent and hopes she and Jon can go their separate ways. But as you can imagine, things don’t go that way (it would be a very short book if it did). I went into this book thinking that this breakup scene would be done and over within the first few chapters. That was not the case. Their breakup is drawn out (almost to the end of the story) and takes some ugly turns. Jon doesn’t take the ending of their relationship very well and starts to resort to manipulative and toxic behaviour to try to win Harriet back. As much as this drawn-out breakup was unexpected on my part, I appreciated how Mhairi broke that typical “break up” mould and showed readers how toxic breakups could become.

During this story, Harriet also bumps into another ex-boyfriend, Scott. Her relationship with Scott is full of psychological abuse and gaslighting. Scott and his abuse are a big part of this book. He’s a pretty terrible character, and I really just wanted to jump into this book and punch him in the nose. Mhairi does a good job of showing readers abuse’s effect on its victims. She also highlights how hard it is for victims of abuse to come forward. There is this fear that no one will believe and also having to relive that abuse. This part of the book is intense and will affect your emotions. But Mhairi does a brilliant job at approaching this tough issue with understanding and thoughtfulness.

One bright and light thing in this book was the friendship between Harriet and Lorna. These two were just incredible. The support and encouragement they gave each other were just so heartwarming. I loved how they could laugh and give each other that push they needed to succeed.

The relationship between Harriet and Cal was bumpy and not smooth sailing. Both characters have a lot of emotional baggage (mostly around terrible exes), and a lot of misunderstandings happen between them. I liked the fact that their story wasn’t an insta love story. Heck, even their friendship wasn’t smooth sailing. But even when things were rocky between them, they were still there to support and listen to each other.

Thank you, HarperCollins Canada, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Harriet Hatley is a wedding photographer who loves being part of all the marital bliss it entails-but wants no part of it herself. so when her boyfriend proposes at his parent’s anniversary dinner, she begrudgingly says yes, only to revoke her response a few hours later.

obviously now single, Harriet moves out of her devastated ex-fiancé’s home, and into the first house she can find. upon arriving, Harriet settles into a beautiful en-suite, which happens to be owned by one of her former clients; none other than Cal, the groom who ran out of his own wedding a month prior.

feeling some hostility towards her landlord, especially after having the guts to decline her own marital mishap, Harriet and Cal are slow to warm up to each other. to make matters worse, Harriet puts Cal in the middle of several ex-boyfriend situations, including one that puts her life in utter turmoil. despite their differences, the new roomies are drawn to each other’s emotions & determined to guard one another from the ghosts of their pasts.

i really wasn’t expecting to love this book as much as I did. what I judged as a typical corny rom-com was sooo much more than that. the storyline focuses majorly on themes of self-love and worth, meaningful character growth and the power of moving on, as well as friendship and unity. there are hints of a romance bubbling throughout, but it really comes into fruition as the little cherry on top of so many other powerful moments in the story.

thank you for this ARC @netgalley, @avonbooks & @mhairimcf! this was a terrific read that’s available to all readers as of yesterday! ☺️

This was a great book!! I loved how the author wove the story together and I found the premise to be intriguing. I would read other books by this author.

I haven’t loved a book the way I love this one in quite some time. I read it in under 18 hours on a day where I worked from 8-5 and didn’t bring my Kindle with me.

Mad About You isn’t really a romcom, so if you’re looking for something that’s 100% lighthearted fluff, skip this one. However, the romance is a subplot, and it’s an excellent one that will have you swooning every time it shows up.

If what you’re looking for is a deliciously funny and heartbreaking story with a completely absurd but completely accurate feminist commentary on the atrocity that is gaslighting abusers who think they’re the victim, this one is absolutely for you. I want to put this book into the hands of every woman who’s heard about my absolute sh*thead of an ex and every woman who has ever had an absolute sh*thead of an ex. You deserve better, and you will find it.

Hattie was lovable and funny, and navigated the complexities of breakups, unresolved conflict with friends, betrayal, awkward roommate tension, and her professional reputation being destroyed with all the grace of a prima ballerina. I loved Cal and Sam and Lorna and the joy and levity this book brought to a slough of topics that would otherwise be extremely difficult for me to read about.

Please read this book.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, sweet and heartwarming.. It held my interest and I wanted to find out what would happen. I enjoyed this book and would read others by this author.

This is more women's fiction than romance. The writing is brilliant, but the exposition involving the ex went on far too long for me. This is my second Mhairi McFarlane book, and it's clear I'm not her target audience. DNF around 30%.

✨ Happy Pub Day to "Mad About You" by Mhairi McFarlane! This is a fun, witty opposites-attract romp that I have been recommending to everyone! 4.5⭐

📷 Harriet Hatley has bad luck in love! She is a wedding photographer who is navigating the the ghosts of her past relationships while trying to get stable again. It's hard to explain this book without spoilers, but I'll say she takes a hard look at several toxic relationships in her life.

👯‍♀️ There are such good friendship themes in this book! I just want to jump through the page and join Harriet's friend group. There were several twists that I didn't see coming and lots of laughing and gasping aloud. Harriet really takes us with her on a journey to finding herself and it's hilarious and relatable. Harriet has the best one-liners and she and Sam are a hoot and a half! 😂

⚠️ emotional abuse, gaslighting, infidelity

Shareability: readers looking for a funny, unexpected romcom with emotional depth. Good for fans of "It Ends With Us" (if it were a comedy instead of a drama) and "The No-Show" (British, several love stories in one book)

Spice: 🌶️ little to none, but I didn't miss it

Pairs well with: karaoke 🎤

WOW! This book was much more than I expected!

It started off a bit awkward for me as I got used to McFarlane’s writing style and vocabulary. I literally had to look up a word like every other page, which ruined the pacing a bit. 🙈 Let’s just say I’m thankful I read it on my Kindle app.

It did get better though, and once I hit the 30-40% mark I literally couldn’t put it down, staying up until 3 a.m. one night before finally finding a place where I could stop.

I would say this is more contemporary/women’s fiction than romance with Harriet’s past relationship and dealing with the repercussions of it being the main focus of the plot.

As the book goes on, we (the reader) and Harriet learn the full picture of how toxic it was and continues to affect her in the present, how people aren’t who they seem, the missed red flags, and the emotional abuse, manipulation, and bullying she was and continues to be subjected to. I mean, she really went through, and goes through, the wringer!

I loved her relationship with her best friend Lorna and her growing friendships with Cal and his best friend, Sam; it gave me found family vibes. I thought Cal’s story was also well done and the growing trust between him and Harriet was really sweet.

But because their relationship was more of a subplot, I felt the romance between them near the end was rushed—but it was cute and satisfying.

I definitely recommend this book because the topics and themes are really important. I’m looking forward to reading more from McFarlane.

Thank you, @netgalley and @avonbooks and @harpercollins for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Mhairi McFarlane’s MAD ABOUT YOU is out in the U.S. today, & she has done it again—another aggressively good rom-com that is both the quintessential pinnacle of the genre & transcends it entirely.
•
“Don’t dignify a horrifying episode by giving the man some sort of high-concept romantic comedy motivation.”
•
The set-up: wedding photographer Harriet is coasting along happily until her blue-blooded boyfriend proposes to her. In public. When she’s made it abundantly clear that marriage isn’t for her. After which follows a breakup (bad) & a desperation-induced, sight-unseen room rental from someone who turns out to be a groom she saw pull a runner on his wedding day (worse).
•
“He? The other tenant’s a man?”

“It’s the twenty-first century. Men can be people too.”
•
An exhaustive list of things I loved about this book would exceed the IG caption limit, but topping the list is McFarlane’s writing, which delights on a sentence level over & over again. At one point she refers to someone looking “as if he were having an anesthesia-free foot amputation aboard a haunted boat in a storm.” I MEAN!!!! There are also hilarious references to Catherine of Aragon, Bezo’s cock rocket, TaskRabbit shags, & the difficulty of finding non-problematic crushes.

And yet this book is not 100% laugh riot. Like all her books, MAD ABOUT YOU tarries in some serious subject matter (here a past emotionally abusive relationship). Her characters are so nuanced & her observations about human nature so incisive that it’s tough to read at times. But it fulminated in moments of female solidarity & gruesomely perfect skewerings of the behavior of men that were so cathartic I sobbed.

I have one gripe and it's not a small one (in a book I loved less from an author I didn't already adore, this would have had me chucking the whole parcel into the ocean). The shitty upper-crust boyfriend has migraine, & in a single sentence this gets depicted as headaches that are “convenient & passive-aggressive,” a finicky response to petty dissatisfactions. This is basically my worst nightmare of what other people think about my migraines, the kind of misinformation that sows self-doubt & hinders compassionate response to what is for many a debilitating condition. This character note could so easily be spliced out without any reduction in our overall sense of either the character's shittiness or the author's wit. Here's me hoping that it will be in subsequent printings, in the same way that references to Harry Potter are getting edited out of works now that we understand it as more signifier of damaging beliefs than anodyne piece of cultural nostalgia.

That aside…it’s taking everything I have not to throw over my work day to re-read this book. Thanks @avonbooks for the dARC!

Mhairis last book, Just Last Night made my top books of 2021 making this one of my most anticipated this year.

Made About You is a misleading title because although she’s mad about him…it’s not quite in the way you expect it to be.

This is a book that tackles gaslighting and toxic relationships. In classic Mhairi style she proven she’s mastered complex relationships and always make her characters vulnerable and compelling. Just like her others, Mad For You is full of hard, sad emotions but with the added reward of hope for the future.

Harriet is no stranger to bad relationships, and she has just jumped shipped on most recent one proving love just isn’t in the cards for her. A sudden change in her romantic life will lead her to a situation that might just be the jump start she needs to get out of a toxic hamster wheel of grief and self doubt.

While this was a bit heavier than I was expecting I did enjoy and couldn’t put it down, it’s Mhairis writing that always pulls me in. The main focus on this book is Harriet finding her voice and the relationships she has with the women in her life. If I had to be picky I do wish a little more of the focus had been spent developing the main healthy romantic relationship a bit more but the ending is a satisfying conclusion that I enjoyed.

Just Last Night is still my favorite but I will always gravitate towards Mhairis words and characters.

*closed door but moderate amount of strong language

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC.

I went into this book assuming that it was a contemporary romance, and there was a romantic subplot but it was definitely not the focus. Still, I wasn't disappointed at all because the story was so strong. I found myself laughing out loud and fuming right along with Harriet. And in the end, I found myself tearing up. I loved reading about Harriet and her growth. I adored Cal as well.

I highly recommend this one, but do check the trigger warnings if you have certain relationship topics you want to avoid.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars

Mad About You is the new heartfelt and charming novel by Mhairi McFarlane. It follows Harriet, a successful wedding photographer who does not believe in romance or marriage. When her boyfriend proposes, she panics and says no. To avoid her ex, she moves in Cal, a hopeless romantic. The two are opposites, but begin to find common ground..and maybe more.

This was a very emotional read that can get very heavy. I recommend going in knowing that it is more character-driven vs. romance-driven. I do wish we got more of Cal and Harriet together because they were so adorable. A lovely read with memorable characters.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

🏠 Book Review 🏠

Mad About You by Mhairi Macfarlane
3/5 ⭐️

I have mixed feelings; the first half of this book I’d give 2/5 ⭐️ while the second half gets 4/5⭐️. I don’t really know where to begin so I’ll make a list.

1) Writing Style - if you have been taught by the American education system 🥲, this will be a difficult one. The slang was hard to figure out even with context clues. Sentences were so long and too descriptive that I couldn’t get into the book until the 50% mark.

2) Misleading Synopsis (MINOR SPOILERS) - The synopsis makes it sound like a rom com with the roommates trope but you only get the rom shoved in at the last minute and the com I genuinely just couldn’t understand (probably my fault tho cause American). The love interest is introduced like 40% in, but the story mainly revolves around Harriet and her trash exes.

3) Harriet the heroine - I didn’t love her but I didn’t hate her. She gave me a case of “I have a tragic back story and I’m gonna do some not so great things, but we’ll ignore that cause I have baggage.” Harriet in the first half I could not stand, but the second half I would be friends with.

4) Message - This was the redeeming quality of the book. I think the author did great in showing how manipulative emotionally abusive people can be. How they genuinely believe some of their lies and isolate their victims from their friends and family.

5) “Now go stand in the corner and think about what you did” - A jaw dropping show-stopping John Tucker must die moment. My favorite part of the entire book.

I think overall this book was okay, but the synopsis and the way this book turned out didn’t match up which turned me off from it. I think the book would’ve been better off starting at the 40% mark.

Thank you to @netgalley, @avonbooks, and @harpervoyagerus for this arc in exchange for a honest review! Mad About You comes out tomorrow, August 9th 💛

What a lovely book! This was my first Mhairi McFarlane read and I am officially a fan! I was warned ahead of time not to expect a cute little rom-com, as this author tends to write in more of the contemporary/women's fiction genre. Without this warning I might have been a bit disappointed, so I want to make sure to pass that wisdom on to you. Thankfully, disappointed, I was not!

To be honest, I was actually expecting chick lit of the Sophie Kinsella variety. As fun as those books can be, I’m glad that Mad About You was a heavier read that tackled more serious issues. I loved the characters and the way they helped each other grow and move on from their difficult pasts. I think anyone who has dated in their late 20’s-30’s can relate to Harriet and Cal in some way. They are both so genuine and relatable. The book touches on themes of grief, toxic relationships, gaslighting, and complicated friendships but it’s also a story about resilience and moving forward.

While this was definitely a heavier book, the writing is still chock full of that incredible banter, wit, and cheeky British humor that I crave. The connection between Cal and Harriet is heartwarming and hilarious and I could not get enough of these two! I really enjoyed this one and highly recommend it as long as you go in with the right expectations!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book; all opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for allowing me to be an early reader.

I’m giving this 3 stars rounded up from 2.5 because I’ve loved the authors other books and hoping this was just me and not the future of her work. This kind of fell flat for me.

Harriet is a wedding photographer and at her current job, the groom leaves the bride at the altar and leaves the best man (Sam) to explain things to some of the staff, including Harriet. He doesn’t do a great job, but life goes on and Harriet and her boyfriend Jon go away with his parents for the weekend where he proposes. When they get back home she realizes that she really doesn’t want to be with him anymore much less marry him, so she ends things and moves out of their house and finds a room to rent, not knowing that it is with Cal, the groom that ran out on the bride. They become sort of frenemies and while they live together pretend that there aren’t some sparks. But at the same time, at another wedding, she meets up with another of her ex’s and sees how he is with his current girlfriend and she wants to try to prevent her from living the same nightmare she went through.
There’s a lot of side drama and I wish it had been more focused on Harriet and Cal because that would have been adorable.
Thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

@read_pair_share review

Thank you @mhairimcf @netgalley @avonbooks @harpercollins for the chance to read and review this free eARC.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (0-5)
Steam: 🔥🔥 (0-5) Closed Door and only one brief scene.

Trigger Warnings:
🔬domestic emotional abuse
🔬loss of parents/orphaned as a child

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 I went in blind because I forgot to reread the book blurb like I usually do . . . one word: roommates!
🤩 Unique, intriguing, but not a romcom, and barely a romance; although, the part that’s romance is quite precious. Besides contemporary fiction, we could label this one some sort of emotional thriller.
🤩 The Prologue—you just need to know how it’s connected to the rest of the story! And a very tender, clever, sweet epilogue.
🤩 Strong theme of women supporting and uplifting each other.
🤩 I’m a sucker for British phrases—it’s bloody smashing!
🤩 Music splashed throughout.
🤩 MC is a wedding photographer—we get to experience some of her work life.
🤩 Some serious fun added into otherwise tough book topics because of dear friends like Lorna, Sam, & margarita karaoke nights!

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 My four stars is not for the book itself (which is quite wonderful and binge-worthy) but for the book blurb—it makes it seem way more romance, even romcom, when it’s actually pretty heavy, intense, and more like an emotional thriller.