Did the description of this book imply that it was a romance novel? Yes. Was it actually a book about a woman's path to standing up for herself and an ode to female friendships with a bit of romance on the side? Yes. And while I was a bit confused by the contents not matching the packaging, I really enjoyed it.

One of my favorite aspects of this book was the protagonist, Harriet. I love anyone who can examine the more uncomfortable aspects of themselves and grow from it, and she does that in spades. It's worth noting that this book has a lot of past trauma, with a narcissistic emotional abuser playing a heavy role in the plot, so if that is uncomfortable proceed accordingly. For me, it was weirdly cathartic to see experiences that my life and those of my friends have touched on play out on the page.

A few pieces of the plot felt a bit wibbly and not fully resolved/fleshed out, but overall this was a satisfying book that I'm glad I read.

Mhairi McFarlane captures heart and warmth in this London rom-com.

Harriett is a charming wedding photographer that never wants to get married herself. Per usual, her fears around commitment and marriage surround her past. When her boyfriend of two years proposes, in front of his family who already doesn't like her, she accepts and then immediately regrets it and ends the relationship. In a rush to move out of his apartment, she signs a six-month lease with, who else, but the groom from a wedding she was hired for. They never met, because he ran out of the wedding before the bride even got there, leaving his best man to inform everyone.
Her initial impression of Cal is that he's a nice guy and will be easy to live with. Then, when his best friend shows up, low and behold, she discovers he is the runaway groom! Both are equally embarrassed by the situation and she offers to move out.
I did find the arc that includes another ex to be forced. In my opinion, it didn't add to the charm or the romance of this story. I'm also not a huge fan of miscommunication as a plot device. These two continued to overhear things they shouldn't and misinterpret them.
That being said, Cal and Harriett are adorable together. It's a super quick read and is perfect for a summer afternoon on a beach or by the pool.

CW: emotional abuse, gaslighting, negging
Once again, Mhairi McFarlane's latest novel is being mistakenly marketed by her publisher as a light-hearted enemies-to-lovers romance, rather than what it really is: a frequently angsty story about personal growth and recovery. The love story is just the icing on the cupcake. I didn't find Mad About You as engaging as McFarlane's 2021 release Just Last Night, but she remains one of my few auto-read authors.

Harriet is a successful wedding photographer whose most recent gig was abruptly curtailed when the groom called it off just as the bride was arriving at the church. Despite her profession, Harriet isn't a big fan of marriage, so her boyfriend Jon's very public proposal has the unintended result of Harriet breaking up with him. Wanting to move on as quickly as possible, Harriet accepts new lodgings, sight unseen. Her new home turns out to be lovely, but its owner is none other than the runaway groom who broke his fiancé's heart.

Harriet is horrified to learn that she is living with such a heartless cad, but Cal Clarke seems to be a nice, funny and handsome guy. He even helps Harriet rid herself of the exasperating Jon. But then she encounters another former boyfriend, and is far more traumatized by the memories of that toxic relationship. Can Harriet finally heal from the wounds that Scott inflicted, and is there a way to stop the same thing from happening again to another woman?

The novel's primary theme is the danger of judging others too quickly. Initially, Harriet thought Scott was the perfect boyfriend, but he turned out to be a nightmare. Cal did the unforgivable by jilting his bride on their wedding day, but once Harriet learns the full story she realizes there were justifiable reasons for his behavior. A lot of the fallout from Harriet's vendetta against Scott happens on social media, where people make scathing statements without knowing anything about the facts.

Harriet gets help from her two BFFs and two new friends she meets in a surprising way. The "sisterhood is powerful" theme pretty much overshadows the romance, which feels a bit like an afterthought. It mostly consists of Cal being supportive of Harriet while she gradually stops jumping to the worst conclusions about him, followed by an 11th hour shag and a Medium Sized Misunderstanding that is quickly cleared up.

Although the book has a serious tone, McFarlane never fails to throw in a few zingers, such as this description of the best man at the doomed wedding:

The best man looked at her with an expression of taut desperation. He was coated in a pastry glaze of sweat, like he'd been brushed with an egg wash and would form a solid crust at 180 degrees...he looked as if he were having an anesthesia-free foot amputation aboard a haunted boat in a storm.
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ARC gratefully received from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, I'm kind of sorry I read this in June, because if McFarlane continues to release books on the same timetable I won't be treated to a new one for more than a year. And that's a long time to wait for new material from an author whose layered work evinces so many different feelings.

Mhairi McFarlane is one of my all time favorite authors, so I jumped at the chance to read this digital reviewer copy of Mad About You.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book may be classified as romance, but it’s so much more than that. Mhairi has a wonderful way of taking a story and developing the characters so well that it’s difficult not to get emotionally invested. I appreciate that she doesn't shy away from difficult topics. If you are looking for lighthearted steamy read, this isn't the book for you. The plot doesn't quite give the full picture of some of the content warnings I've listed below.

Harriett is a wedding photographer with a bit of a sordid dating history. She's just broken up with the "perfect man" when he blind sighted her with the proposal she never wanted. In an effort to escape living with her ex, she takes the first rental she can find. Enter Cal, the charming homeowner who is trying to piece his own life back together from a disastrous almost-wedding.

When a secret from Harriett's past comes out, partly by her own doing, it rocks her world completely. Cal's friendship is the steady and gentle calm that helps keep Harriett above water.

Cal is just adorable, and the chemistry between Hattie and Cal is so real and refreshing. My only complaint is that I wish this book had been longer and gone more into detail about Cal and Hattie. It just felt a bit rushed at the end.

CW: gaslighting, emotional abuse, death of a parent, toxic relationships

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest feedback.

This book comes out in the US on August 9, 2022!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Mhairi McFarlane never disappoints in the "heavy" romance department. This book is much more than a romance., as her books typically are. This book is more about Harriet's healing from an abusive relationship, one she's been running from for years.
I love Harriet's character. She is extremely strong, not only removing herself from the mentally and emotionally abusive relationship, but also ending an engagement to a man she wasn't happy with.
When she moves in with Cal, I didn't foresee a relationship between them at first. I loved watching their friendship grow into something more, although I would have preferred to see a little more "sexual tension" building up prior to the end of the book.

I adore Mhairi McFarlane. Her ability to tackle heavy topics with grace and charm is unparalleled, and Mad About You is no exception. I love that she explores the bits *between* the relationships. The end of one perceived happiness, and the beginning of another, truer contentment.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first book by this author. As most of my contemporary romance reviews, I always mention how when I'm reading a romance, I have expectations. I expect a book to engage almost right away and not require work to read it. I want it to hook me into the romance, the tension, the banter, etc. What I do not want to find myself doing is skimming the content through out the book to get to "certain parts". That is what I found I did with this book, unfortunately. It was an okay romance, overall.

I struggled with this one. I didn't anticipate it to be about a woman finding herself and being strong when it's hard to be strong. I thought there would be more romance. I wound up skimming a lot just because a lot of the subject matter made me uncomfortable. I'm sure that there are folks who will enjoy this book and need this book, but it just wasn't for me.

This was my first book by Mhairi McFarlane and I have a feeling it won’t be my last! I quite enjoyed her writing style. It took me a while to really get into the story but once I did I was rooting for Harriet! This was advertised as a romcom but I would say it’s definitely more womens fiction as the story’s main focus isn’t the romantic story. Harriet’s personal development is the core of this story and what a pleasant surprise that was!

While Harriet and Cal’s relationship was fun to watch this is so much more than just their story. It’s about healing and finding yourself and moving on. There were a few times I really thought I knew where the book was going but then there was some surprise that threw me off and shocked me.

Definitely not a typical read for me but I am so glad I gave it a chance. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Mhairi McFarlane and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book, but honestly struggled to get through it. The first part of the book way very slow and we did not meet the love interest until a bit into the story. I also expected this book to be a rom com from the description, however I would not necessarily classify it as such especially with the toxic relationship that the Harriet is just getting out of. I simply do not think this book is for me.

This was a fun and thoughtful book. The levels of introspection and the complexities of relationships (good and harmful) were engaging.

Thank you @netgalley and @mhairimcf for a copy of this eARC in exchange of my honest review.

I literally love this author. And I adored this book. Harriet Hatley loves her job as a wedding photographer, but due to her past there is absolutely nothing that would make her want to walk down the aisle herself. Which is why when her seemingly perfect boyfriend proposes, she tells him no and moves in with a stranger.

Cal Clarke somehow found himself single and inviting a stranger to come live with him. It’s clear from the start that she’s his opposite, but he can’t help but be intrigued. And when her past catches up to her, he’s more than willing to help her navigate the complications. But is there more than just friendship in the cards for these two?

The author handled the sensitive subjects of this book incredibly well. This story was all about a strong female lead overcoming her difficult past, but had plenty of humor in it while doing so!

This one gets 4⭐️‘s from me!

I really wanted to love this book. The premise was great and the parts of the story I read was great. Unfortunately this authors writing style was not for me. I felt like the author had to explain too many details which to me feels like they don’t allow the plot to work it out or they couldn’t find a way to make it make sense. I felt that they had to use parentheses to make sure the reader understood where they were going with the story. Ideally I would love to be able to read and let the plot unfold. I’m big on writing styles and this one just couldn’t keep me interested. I had to DNF this one.

I did enjoy this book and Harriet's road to happiness. I took more issue with this being marketed as a romance story. While there is a romantic element, the book is more about Harriett coming to terms with and finally moving past her previous abusive relationship.

This romance read got me because the romance wasn't the main focus of the book. The main focus was the growth of the mc and it made for an excellent read. Harriet needed the journey this book takes you on and there is so much to unpack and get from this. I devoured this read in about 2 days and it was worth every second.

Harriet starts off in a relationship with Jon (kind of pompous if you ask me) but after a botched proposal she never wanted she ends up moving in sight unseen with Cal. Unknowingly, they do have some shared history and the novel takes off from there. I don't want to give anything away but it was such a great read.

10 out of 10 recommend.

4.5/5 ⭐️: It took me until about 20% into the book until I became fully invested in this story, but once I got there I couldn’t stop reading! This is much more than just a cute love story. It’s a story about moving on, healing, finding your voice, and finding yourself, along with finding love. Every time I thought I knew where things were going, some new twist was thrown in, and I loved that it was unpredictable, because most romcom aren’t.

I enjoyed this book but it definitely wasn’t what I thought it would be going into it. I liked that it felt with bigger issues but it wasn’t what I was expecting from the cover.

Harriet has her own wedding photography business and her well-off boyfriend dotes on her, yet, she feels nothing for him. After a surprise proposal in front of his entire family, Harriet breaks off the relationship and finds a room to rent. Little does she know, the owner is one of her former clients who walked out on his bride on their wedding day.

I really enjoyed this novel. It had some complex issues, but dealt with in an appropriate way. Sad to see how 30 somethings still act like teenagers, but it’s realistic.

Overall, I nice summer read. I would be interested in reading other books by this author.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would consider suggesting it for a book club read.

4.25🌟 This is the first book I've read by Mhairi McFarlane and certainly not my last! In Mad About You, we follow Harriet, who has called off her (short-lived) engagement and moves in with a handsome stranger. However, despite that tagline, I would definitely consider this more women's fiction than romcom! Harriet's personal journey is the heart and core of this novel, as we dive into her career, past relationship trauma, family dynamics, and friendships. There were moments that genuinely shocked me, but also truly heartfelt, emotional moments. Harriet was a character you can really root for; her resilience in the face of so many heartbreaks was so impressive. Cal was the perfect complement to her, and I enjoyed their relationship too! I'm a slower reader, but I absolutely flew through this because I needed to know what was going to happen next!

*Please check your content warnings, as this contains serious discussions about emotional and domestic abuse.

**Thank you to Avon & Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the eARC, in exchange for a review!

Thank you Harper Collins, Netgalley, and Mhairi McFarlane for this ARC of Mad About You! This book was phenomenal. It felt a bit slow getting into the story, but once I got about 7 chapters in, I could not put this book down! I loved Harriet. She felt like someone that I knew in real life, like I was walking alongside her joys and sorrows. The plot felt realistic with the finding of true friendships, friendships that fell flat, the betrayal in relationships, Harriet discovering her own self worth, the struggles and consequences of her actions, etc. Also, Cal is a total hottie. I was SWOONING over him the entire book! This was a well written, emotional, feel good (for the most part), novel. I cannot wait to recommend this to all my fellow readers and to pre-order a physical copy for myself.