What starts as a misdial, turns into a year of getting to know you - falling for you - hardships, other relationships, self-discovery, and in the end, fate.

I really really loved the beginning of this book when the two MCs, Hannah, and Davey were getting to know each other. I think the world of online dating, them getting to know each other through text felt very real and ideal. Hannah was so likable, I felt like I was happy for her, and I felt for her. The middle part of the book is a bit sad, and it’s a bit heavy. I feel like George and Charlotte were just waving their red flags high and I just couldn’t wait for Hannah and Davey to get back to each other. I loved Grant and loved his part in this story.

What made this book even better was that I wasn’t sure how the two would find each other again. In the end, I loved the way that they did it.

I’m a huge rom com fan so my expectations were pretty high on this and it honestly met all of them: the witty banter, the character development, and the drama. I really loved this! It’s cheesy and cringy at times, but those are the best parts. Sometimes I felt like I was reading about myself, and that’s always and interesting insight. All in all, I loved this book and I will be reading more from Elle Cook!

Wow this book. I was not expecting the way in which it would punch me in the gut and put me in my feels. ⁣
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I was driving with tears rolling down my cheeks listening to this and continued to intermittently have tears while reading throughout. ⁣
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What a beautiful, heart wrenching but also heart warming book, that I did not see coming. ⁣
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Hannah receives a phone call from the wrong number, and it ends up leading to regular phone calls and face times with a wonderful man Davey who lives in the US, while she is in London.⁣
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These two fall for each other and form this beautiful connection via just chatting. When Hannah goes to pick up Davey from the airport, for them to finally meet, he isn’t there and their hopeful relationship is flipped on it’s head.⁣
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This follows their lives separate from each other, while you desperately hope that some day their paths will cross again. The real and raw emotions portrayed from these characters, I truly felt deep in my core.⁣
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Grab the tissues, but definitely give this a read. ⁣
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Londoner Hannah picks up a call from an unknown number, she has a brief conversation with an American named Davey who misdialed while trying to call into a job interview. She thinks nothing of it after she wishes him luck. A couple of days later, she receives a text from him saying he got the job. Thus starts their long distance friendship that quickly turns into a relationship with their in person meeting to take place a month later when he moves to London.

But when Hannah goes to meet him at the airport, Davey never shows. After finally getting into contact with him, she finds out the reason for the no show. They start to move apart but that connection is still there - even while they both embark on new relationships.

This book had me in the feels: the giddiness of first contact to almost meeting to Hannah and Davey’s connection throughout the book. I expected more of a light hearted romance than the emotional roller coaster that happened. Hannah and Davey’s connection was well developed and thoughtful. The secondary characters were balanced (except George made me want to throttle him - which I assume was the point of his character arc). I recommend this book if you like romances with a little more meat and depth.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Ballantine Books for this ARC. The Man I Never Met is out now.

The book started so sweet and I thought it would be such a happy story. Then it got depressing real quick. This wasn’t your typical romance read, but it was a good story. The ending left me underwhelmed, I wished there was just one more chapter to tie it together better.

A hopeful story of a misdialed call leading to what could be a happy ending. The slow build of this love story to be met with the slight plot twist and the build up of hope ever after kept me hooked to this book. I enjoyed it until the very end.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

The Man I Never Met
by Elle Cook
Pub Date: 22 Nov 2022

This is not the first time I have read a book about a wrong text/phone call to someone that leads to an unexpected relationship. I think it is such a fun concept to have a connection with some random stranger and getting to know them before actually seeing them. This story is about Davey who mistakenly calls Hannah instead of the person he is supposed to have a phone interview with. I loved the execution of their love story across the miles and was counting down the days until they would meet face to face. Of course, that would be too easy to end the story there with a happily ever after. Sigh. There is a major setback and heartbreak that follows. This part of the book was harder to enjoy. There was a legitimate reason why their meeting didn't happen, but I hated the separation and Davey forcing Hannah to go on with her life. I really disliked the fact that both of them had other relationships during this time. And while eventually the story comes full circle and has a lovely storybook ending, it took too much of the book to get there. I really would have loved more of the romance highlighted between Davey and Hannah and less of the interlopers standing in their way!

3.5 stars

very intriguing plot, got through it very fast. the plot heavily relies on fate and chance so that seemed a bit unrealistic and overdone at points but i enjoyed the fairytale of it all.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Man I Never Meet is a contemporary fiction novel of love, hope, heartache, patience, and survival to name a few key points.
It was a page turner, watching these characters grow and develop in a years time. It was fun spin to have Hannah POV first portion of book. As the book progresses- half way or more- we begin to hear Davey’s POV.

Davey from Texas has an online job interview in England. He dials the wrong number and Hannah answers. They laugh and went about their day. Davey lands the job and sends a message to let Hannah know. Awkward, but it strikes a cord in Hannah. She’s wanting to respond but how weird is that? He’s quick to respond back. Which leads to more texting, phone calls, video chats. They both feel a strong connection for one another. A fast friendship is blooming into genuine feelings. Time is drawing closer for Davey to move to the UK. Hannah has taken her new found interest in Davey She takes her personal time to look at apartments for Davey. Feeling a real bond, she decides she will meet him at the airport. She makes a signs to greet him . . . .but he doesn’t show up. His plane has landed but no Davey. She waits for hours. She is Heartbroken, sad, angry, frustrated, and feeling foolish. Overwhelmed with a basket of emotions she trudges home to be alone with her sorrows.
Eventually Davey makes contact with Hannah explaining how life had a different outcome for them. With this twirl, he breaks off their relationship.

He wants ZERO contact.

Hannah heartbroken is swooped in by her good friend George. They had booked a holiday together and he is not letting her bail on the trip. They have a great time. By the end of the trip they end up as friends with benefits. Once home, they decide to continue to dating only each other. Davey has never left Hannah’s thoughts. She thinks she sees him in every tall blonde man in England.

Fate is not done with Davey’s and Hannah’s story.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine for ARC read in exchange for my honest review.

DNF at 27%

I unfortunately was unable to get to this title before the release date, but still wished to read it before the end of the year. Sadly, I felt no connection to the story despite finding the synopsis intriguing.

The Man I Never Met by Elle Cook is a charming will-they-won't-they love story. I really enjoyed both love interests, Hannah and Davey and I think that this book did a wonderful job of portraying a romance in the modern world of technology. Overall, it's a delightful read and I would recommend it to friends who love romance books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for giving me an ARC of The Man I Never Met by Elle Cook in exchange for an honest review.

Based on the cover alone, one would think that this is a book about a woman who falls for a decapitated man on an escalator. It’s not. But it is about a woman who falls for a man who dialed her number by accident. Who even answers the phone from numbers they don’t know? The unanswerable question of this book!

Hannah is an English woman who doesn’t know how to send calls directly to voicemail. Davey is an American who doesn’t know how to write down correct phone numbers. He accidentally calls Hannah and instead of her saying “wrong number”, hanging up, and moving on with her life, they develop a texting friendship which leads to phone calls, which then leads to FaceTime, but unfortunately, never leads to phone sex! I know-
BUMMER right!?

The first half of this book was a little slow. I felt like I was listening to two people date over speakerphone and this pervy little voyeur felt unsatisfied, because all they did was talk and talk and talk. The classy Davey never even sent a dick pic. How un-American!! However, things get more interesting as their relationship veers off track and their lives move forward separately. I was much more entertained reading about them finding their way back to each other, which was very rewarding in the end.

Overall, this was pretty good. The second half is definitely better for me than the first half. I like that it didn’t follow a particular trope and was definitely unique with its premise. I felt frustrated with Hannah at times because she’s so passive and I like my heroines with a little more spunk. Per usual, I could’ve used more steam as this book was entirely closed door. If you’re looking for a low steam, outside of the normal trope romance, I think this will definitely be a winner.

Smut- 1.9 stars
Romance- 4.4 stars
Story-4.0 stars
The underuse of phone sex in romance novels- neg 12 stars

4 stars!

"The Man I Never Met" by Elle Cook kept me engaged, guessing, and wanting more. It's heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time! Jump into this story knowing as little as possible for maximum immersion.

I confess I am a cynic about romances where people only talk through text/messenger/technology in some way, so I initially thought the worst in Davey. I totally thought this story was going in a much less happy, much more seedy direction, but I'm glad to report it didn't go that way. I chose this book because my husband and I met online many, many years ago (before apps were even a thing!), so I thought it might resonate a little. I am happy to say I really enjoyed this book. It was not what I expected, but in a good way. Despite that Hannah and Davey's relationship happens entirely over technology, I truly believed in their love story. Maybe that's because I have personal experience in this area, but it felt real to me. Some may say it's unrealistic or overly sentimental, and those people may be right, but so what? We'll accept love stories between aliens and humans, but we can't accept that someone misdialed a phone number and got to talking to the person on the other end of the line? HMPH!! I really liked the characters in this book, especially Hannah and Joan, and their relationship dynamic. On the other hand, screw George FOREVER. That's all I'll say about that.

TW: a lot of talk about weight/eating and not eating/exercising and overexercising; depression, cancer, mental health

Thank you to NetGalley, Elle Cook, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Dell for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.

Three words to describe “The Man I Never Met” would be authentic, lovely, and refreshing.

I’m so glad I picked this one up when I did!! I flew through it in a couple of days. This isn’t your classic rom-com — it deals with a heavy topic — but I rather not spoil anything so message me if needed.

There’s not a character in this book that you won’t love (besides Charlotte)

There’s friendship, there’s love, there’s heartbreak, and survival, and hope. It’s such a mature story and one I think a lot of people could really resonate with. Set in London, Hannah works in marketing, and one day receives a call from Davey, an American interviewing for an architecture job in London. He is meaning to call-in to interview but misdials and gets Hannah instead. A friendship blossoms and that’s all I will say so that I won’t spoil anything.

PICK THIS ONE UP! It is just such a REAL story and I loved it so much.

OUT NOW! (Nov 22) Thank you so much to @netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up!

While it wasn’t perfect, I really enjoyed this book. I expected it to be more lighthearted than it was, which wasn't a bad thing, but just unexpected and I think it threw me for a loop and impacted how I felt - especially when I almost chucked my kindle across the room at 30%. But I didn’t, and I’m glad I did not because I would have missed out on a great book. It was multilayered and the writing was very good. If you like Beth O’Leary you’ll enjoy this one!

I read a portion of this book-til just past when the main character doesn't show up, and then I set it down to pick up something else. It's been months and I just can't make myself go back to it, so it's a DNF.

Pub date: 11/22/22
Genre: romance
One sentence plot summary: Brit Hannah meets and falls in love with American Davey after picking up a misdialed call - but when Davey's move to the UK doesn't happen, they'll both have to learn to live without each other...for now.

The premise of this book is so interesting - I loved how Hannah and Davey were thrown together in such a strange and coincidental way! I enjoyed that they got to know each other just as I was getting to know them as the reader. The middle of the book, right when they were separated, dragged a bit, but I was glad to see them find ways back into each other's lives. I appreciated that I didn't know where things were going - some romance is a little too predictable!

This book fits well into the "sad romance" subgenre that's so popular nowadays, and I think if you like books like that, you'll enjoy this one!

Thank you to Dell for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review and PRHAudio for providing a complimentary audiobook.

3.5 Stars

This story was so sweet and heartbreaking and ultimately, full of warmth and growth and love!

As someone who survived cancer and is incredibly triggered by it used as a plot device in stories, I feel it is incredibly important to warn readers that cancer is a MAJOR plot device in this book and romance. Unlike most stories that use cancer as a plot device, I feel like this one handled it sensitively and with the accuracy that only someone close to cancer could. That author wrote it in honor of her husband's battle and you could tell the personal connection allowed for an authentic use of cancer in both the plot and dialogue. With that said, I still want to warn readers who might not be able to handle that right now and encourage them to protect their mental health around this subject.

What starts out as a sweet and adorable story involving an incredibly unique meet-cute, The Man I Never Met takes us through a year of our two main character's lives as they learn to grow and live for theirselves despite the major road bumps like has thrown their way.

Hannah answers an unknown number call from the States, It's Davey on the other line, calling in for a job interview in London. Problem? He has the wrong number, but now Hannah feels like she needs to know if he gets the job. So when he does and updates her via text, they start a long distance friendship that grows organically into something more...something close to love. But when Davey is supposed to arrive in London, he doesn't show up at the airport, leaving Hannah distraught! The fall out from this missed flight and what caused it (see above if you want to be clued in) causes Hannah and Davey to be sent on opposite trajectories of self discovery. But fate isn't through with them yet, and they might find a way back to each other.

I really enjoyed this story and flew through it and really connected on a deep level as someone who has survived cancer and had a rough time processing its aftermath. The ending was sweet and left me feeling content, although I WOULD HAVE LOVED IT TO BE LONGER AND SLIGHTLY MORE SATISFYING.

If you are looking for something that is romantic, but offers more depth than a rom-com, this would be a perfect pick!

Whoa did this book pull at my heartstrings. I should preface that I’m American and my husband is British so some themes in this hit close home. I loved how the story line was handled and how you were able to see things for both characters perspectives to really feel for both of them. Would recommend this books with the trigger warning of course

The Man I Never Met by Elle Cook
Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: 11/22

What starts out as a misdial turns into a sweet friendship that leads to more in this “will they, won’t they” nail-biter romance. I stayed up way too late reading this one so that I could see what was going to happen.

When Hannah picks up a call from a wrong number, she doesn’t realize that it’s the call that’s going to change her life. Davey lives in the US and is trying to call in for a phone interview in London when he accidentally dials Hannah’s number. It could have ended there, but they both felt a connection and started a long-distance friendship through calls, texts, and video chats. The two grew close, and with Davey’s plans to move to London, they both hoped to get to know one another in person. When Davey gets a health scare that sends his life off the rails, he cuts off all communication with Hannah, urging her to go live her life and not to wait for him.

This book was equal parts beautiful and heartbreaking. It was so well written that I felt Hannah’s heartbreak and Davey’s longing while they dealt with their new normal. They both tried to move on with their lives, and we see through each of their POVs which direction they chose and how it worked out for them. It’s frustrating that they spend most of the book apart, but this story is more about their journeys back to each other than rushing towards a HEA.

Read if you like meet cutes, romance with a lot of depth, women’s fiction, and Only in December by Emily Stone. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the arc to read and review. The Man I Never Met is available now.