This book! I wasn’t expecting it. The description sounded like something I might be interested in - a complicated love story - so I took and chance on it. I haven’t read any of the author’s other books, but it was her first foray into contemporary fiction, and Elle Cook (aka Lorna Cook) knocked it out of the park. It made me laugh, cry, cry some more, then smile. The joy of Hannah and Davey’s initial meet-cute - a misdialed number number - that leads to a long-distance relationship, where they’ve never even met each other, a relationship that seems so full of potential, only to be derailed by a tragic event just when they’re on the cusp of something really great. The book is single POV right up until their “breakup” when we then start to get both POV, which really amps up the heartbreak and drama. We follow Hannah as she tries to move on from Davey, rebounding to her friend George and half-heartedly trying to keep that relationship alive. We get Davey’s perspective as he tries to survive and get his life back. The obvious chemistry between the pair from the very beginning crests and wanes over time as they message or talk or see each other, but neither are truly willing to fully move on. This has all the heartbreaking, gut wrenching emotional depth and character investment you could want in a romance. Perfect for fans of Emily Stone!

Hannah receives a misdial from a man in America trying to reach his interviewer in London. He lets her know he got the job and she offers to help him find a place to live during one of their digital conversations. Their contact eventually evolves to video calls and they find that they really like each other. But then Davey is a no-show at the airport. Turns out he has testicular cancer and has to stay in TX for treatment. He ends their budding friendship and, although Hannah tries to move on, there’s always a part of her thinking of him. Perhaps it was never meant to be, or perhaps fate had something else in mind.

A fun premise with an engaging story. I don’t know if this is supposed to be romance, but I’d classify it as women’s fiction with romantic elements because both main characters have other relationships after meeting (maybe this is a British romance because I’ve noticed this in others I’ve read?).

I loved the premise of this romance. I loved the promise of funny banter and romantic intrigue that I thought the book would bring. I was mentally preparing myself for the likes of Christina Lauren. But I ended up with a slow, depressing story of missed connections and a side toxic relationship. I’m not sure even contemporary romance is the correct place for this, though I will admit that I was really invested in the beginning. Eventually the story was giving me JoJo Moyes’ Me Before You feels, in that deep guttural crying in the shower way. If I’m going to be emotionally gutted, I like to know what I’m stepping into. Ultimately, the book suffers from too little romantic investment and too much emotional suffering. It’s well written and I can see why some readers love it, but I was looking for a fluffy romantic good time and got a very different experience. 2.5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my unbiased review!

When requesting the advanced copy, for The Man I Never Met, I expected a light-hearted easy read and what I got was neither. The book is made of mostly light-hearted banter, pulling you in instantaneously, and having you smiling by the end of page two. That said, Cook does a fantastic job of getting you attached, catching you off guard, causing mayhem on your emotions, and putting you back together by the end…read: you are in for quite the emotional roller coaster.

You will be reeled in from the first chapter alone, as Hannah’s internal dialogue is nothing short of amusing and relatable. Cook has built characters you probably encounter in your everyday life: the good-looking guy who isn’t quite what the outside shows, the gym rat…who might be just that, the older lady who may be the best friend you’ve ever had, and your best friend who pushes you to do things you most certainly would never do on your own. It’s these characters that will have you in a vise, take you on adventures, endure their mistakes, and find their true loves.

If you are looking for a good cry, laughs, and many adventures - this book is absolutely for you.

Trigger Warning and loss of star explanation contains SPOILERS at the end of the review.



**SPOILERS BELOW**



The book lost a star for two, kind of three, things. First, there is a character, who is rather unlikeable, who sticks around too long. We could have said goodbye to him a bit earlier and the complacency we see from Hannah in regard to his actions/words towards her is unsettling. Second, the apology does not cut it. I needed more drama and anger with this apology - Davey dropped her after everything they went through, traveled to London and didn’t tell her, and had her pining for him for a year and a half and she just accepts a simple “I’m sorry” after everything?

TW: Illness; Cancer; Loss; Controlling Partners; Food Control and Body Shaming via Partner

I keep going back and forth between 4.5 - 5 stars. I cried a lot during the book and it sent me on an emotional roller coaster.

In the UK, Hannah answers a misdialed call from the US. Davey was trying to call his potential employer because of an upcoming move to the UK.

They happen to strike up a friendship and then just before his big move, he doesn’t.

We follow Hannah as she navigates the feelings she has to when he doesn’t move, breaks off their relationship, and learns the reason why. We follow her as she dates a bloke who I found myself absolutely despising his character and just hoping for Davey to reach out to Hannah and confess his feelings. (And vice versa)

Did I mention emotional roller coaster? Did I mention tears? And lots of them? Super writing, amazing story - one that leaves you crying and yelling at the characters because you are holding onto hope even when they have none.

Thank you NetGalley & Random House for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Every now and then, you are thrown something so unexpected that you just know and feel that it’s meant to be. What starts as a wrong number, can be the start of something beautiful, or heartbreaking.

Davey (I did have a hard time with a grown man calling himself Davey) makes a phone call to a wrong number. Hannah answers. She’s in London, he in Texas…but looking to relocate to London. So what I thought would be a cute romance, ended up in much more. Heartwarming and emotional story about finding love in unexpected ways and letting someone in to our lives, for good or bad.

Thanks to Ms. Cook, Random House and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone!

4.5 stars. Do you ever pick up the phone when an unfamiliar number is calling you? Honestly, I never do (so many spam calls these days). Hannah, though, decides to pick up, not realizing that her life was about to be changed forever. So begins a serendipitous, slow burn love story between Hannah and her accidental caller, Davey. The setbacks along the way are heartbreaking, and one character makes for a frustrating distraction. Still, this book was so bingeable-- I devoured the audiobook and couldn't get enough. Hannah is an easy to love main character, and I enjoyed how Davey's perspective is integrated into the plot.

Read if you like:
-One True Loves by TJR & Would You Rather by Allison Ashley
-Closed door romance
-Long Distance Relationships
-Emotional Romances

4.5 stars, rounded up.

This book is so stinking cute!! There is no other way to describe it than that.

Hannah is minding her business in London when she randomly gets a call from an unknown number and for whatever reason, she feels inclined to pick it up. On the other end of the phone is Davey, a Texan who is trying to dial a potential future employer for a job interview. He quickly hangs up and to call the actual interviewer and that should be that, but no, they keep talking.

I won't say anymore because I don't want to spoil anything, but oh my, I loved this book!! I read it all in one sitting, I couldn't stop. I was cheering on Hannah and Davey the whole time. Part of what I found so enjoyable was that all of the characters were so real. Flaws and all, but not too many flaws (for most anyway). They were very well developed which really helped add to the story. I loved it even more when Davey's perspective was thrown in there too, I wanted more of him!

The only reason I didn't give it the full 5 stars was because the ending felt a little rushed for my taste. I wish there would have been a couple extra chapters in there before it ended.

If you're looking for a quick, cute read that has it all, the heartaches and the joy, this is the book for you!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Contains:
- missed connections
- second chance romance

When a incorrectly dialed number connects Davey with Hannah instead of the company he's trying to interview with, the two instantly hit it off and become long distance friends. Months of texts, phone calls, and video chats soon have both feeling more than friendship for each other, and the pair decide to meet up when Davey moves to London for the job he was calling for. Except Davey doesn't show, and when Hannah learns why everything changes between them.

The Man I Never Met was an emotional will they/won't they romance romance with the timing for Davey and Hannah never being quite right... Eventually they do get that happy ending I was so hoping for, but lord did it take them forever.

This is such an interesting premise for a book...man from America (Davey) dials wrong number in England. Woman (Hannah) answers. Davey & Hannah make a connection in that brief exchange & start talking to each other on the phone through texts & actual phone calls. Davey is supposed to moving to England at the beginning of the year. They are finally going to meet at the airport. Then Davey doesn't show up. ***SPOILER ALERT***

Davey doesn't show because he has been diagnosed with cancer. He stays in America for treatments & tells Hannah they need to stop whatever their relationship is because he can't drag her through an illness. This leads to Hannah dating someone else as well as Davey as they continue to pine for each other.

I like how this story is woven together. There were times Hannah was a bit annoying as she could be a pushover but seeing her find herself by the end is well worth it.

Highly recommend reading this unique story

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

WOW. I requested this book on a whim because the premise of it sounded interesting and it looked like a cute romance novel that I'd be able to devour. I didn't expect to have my heart ripped apart and slowly pieced back together page by page. I believed Davey not showing up at the airport was going to lead to some convoluted miscommunication trope, but instead it explored a very real, heart wrenching story that tests both Davey and Hannah, separately and together.

I appreciated their storylines both together and apart. I craved the next interaction between Hannah and Davey but their separate stories made the book that much more enriching.

I do wish that the ending had more of them together as a developed relationship, but for me this book was all about the journey to be together

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I'm so sorry to say this but the fmc was annoying. She was in a relationship with a man for 10 months and she didn't even really like him or know anything about him. I wish the book had more of Davey's pov throughout the book and not just at random times.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Have you ever experienced a moment that you knew would change your entire life? When Hannah answers a call from a wrong number and connects with Davey, that’s exactly what happens.

Against all odds, through text and video chats, Hannah becomes friends and then slowly more with this man she’s never met - who also just happens to be moving to London. But when the time comes for him to arrive at the airport where she’s waiting to greet him, he never shows.

What comes next is a heartbreaking but beautiful story about relationships and life and the chances we never take (and the ones we do).

This was Elle Cook’s (aka Lorna Cook) first novel in this genre and I thought she did a great job. I loved the characters and the changing POVs between Hannah and Davey. And Joan, Hannah’s neighbor, was just the best.

I felt so many things while reading this book - it was definitely an emotional ride!

And although the story went in a way I wasn’t expecting (with less swoon-worthy moments than anticipated), the ending was sweet and worth the wait.

My advice to readers is to go in totally blind read the author’s note at the end!

Thank you NetGalley & Random House - Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have so many thoughts but I cannot say much without spoiling the book.

So I will say this: go into this blind. Do not read the synopsis. This is an emotional read and for me it was very irritating at times, but worth it in the end. This fictional story felt more real than any I’ve read in a long time. I think many will come out the other end of this one feeling all sorts of feels. Good and bad

The author tackles an extremely tough subject that she personally went through, and the addition of the author’s note at the end was a way for me to appreciate the story even more. I will definitely recommend this to others and hope many will find it as beautiful as I did

What an emotional rollercoaster of a read! I loved the premise of this book. Hannah and Davey meet due to a misdialed number and what came next had me hooked. I loved the dual point of view and blew through this in a day because I needed to know what happened. The story takes an unexpected turn and deals with some more series topics so be prepared for that.

If you loved Sleepless in Seattle or Love is Blind this is the book for you

3.75 stars

Grab your copy out 11/22!

Thank you @randomhouse and @netgalley for the early copy

This book was absolutely stunning. I thought it was going to go one way, and Cook completely threw me on a loop. A heartbreaking, gut-wrenching loop that left me weeping. The writing was completely raw and the MC’s were extremely relatable and honest. Their thought processes felt like how I would imagine myself going forward with each situation. The hope, the confusion. It was all so beautifully written and kept me reading well into the night. I was hurting when they were hurting, and happy when they were happy. Everything about this book was just perfection. I loved it.

I'm adding Elle Cook to my list of cozy British authors like Beth O'Leary, Sophie Cousens, and Josie Silver. This was LOVELY!! In that kind of sad and tragic lovely way a romance book can really rip your heart out. God I really felt for Hannah and Davey (honestly my biggest concern about the book was that he's a grown man going by Davey).

I'm a real sucker for a texting/phone call long distance relationship romance, and the first third of this book did it SO well.

This is a perfect read for a cozy night in, and I definitely recommend it!

Thanks to Netgalley & Dell Publishing for the advanced e-book!

The Man I Never Met by Elle Cook was a refreshing read and new concept. I ended up liking this book a lot more than anticipated! It pulled at my heartstrings and kept me interested. It went from one to dual POV. All the characters had good growth and I really liked them all and rooted for them! I recommend!

Such a cute novel!!! I loved seeing the relationship between hannah and davey grow over the years and how they managed a friendship when they were in different countries. I also really liked that it was dual POV. The only thing I didn't liked was the ending, it felt too rushed. But overall is a good book!

I really enjoyed this book. The premise was fresh with a tried and true star crossed lovers backbone. The settings were great I'm a total europhile. The characters were human and flawed but not obnoxiously so. The writing was talented, clean, descriptive, not pedestrian but accessible. The only complaint I had is that maybe George got too much play. I didn't like him obviously but then again we've all made mistakes like George some for longer than 10 months. Towards the end I could feel what was coming and that was a little let down but the way it played out was charming enough to keep me happy. All around a very good book.