Okay I actually didn’t realize this is a sequel so I guess that’s on me, but I did feel like the parts of the story that I was most interested in was the relationship development that happened in the first book. I felt a bit like it relied too heavily on that and not enough on making this chapter of their relationship feel fully developed.

This was another delightful romantic comedy from Mhairi McFarlane. I love the Notting Hill-type celebrity/ regular person trope and this was a fresh take on it. I never read the first book in this series, but overall I don’t think you had to because I was able to follow the story just fine.

McFarlane is always a riot, and this book was no different! Even revisiting old characters, this book is fresh and fun. I read it all in one sitting and still felt I could go on forever. The wittiness and tension had me cracking up and turning the pages as fast as I could. I'll always read McFarlane's books because she simply does not disappoint.

This was so cute! I love Mhairi McFarlane and her writing style. I had no idea how this was going to end either so that was a fun romcom. I loved all of the characters, especially Elliott's brother! So cute!.

Another delightful story from Mhairi McFarlane. She has a way of writing banter that is rivaled by few, and the British-isms make me feel wonderfully nostalgic for my time in England. The conflict for this one was painful and arduous to read, but definitely understandable. I really liked the way she approached the conflict of fame in a relationship, and felt it was tackled with a fair bit of realism. Though, I will say that the choice in conflict is challenging for your standard romance novel. I think that trace insecurity and tenuousness is kind of infectious, and was just as convinced as the main characters that the relationship was too precarious to last. I think I would've liked more piece of mind in its resolution given the sheer onslaught of conflict. A brief speech at the end and a consequent engagement definitely didn't make this couple feel secure in their HEA. There's something very unsatisfying about finishing a romance novel and feeling lingering doubt over the couple's lasting power in spite of the wedding. I definitely would've liked for Edie's insecurities to be unpacked in a more significant way as this felt like the most glaring ongoing issue still waiting in the wings. On the whole though, the characters had wonderful chemistry and it's always refreshing to read a romance novel where everyone is genuinely communicating like an adult.

A famous actor navigates a complex relationship with his ghostwriter-turned-girlfriend. I didn't realise at first that it was a sequel - I definitely missed reading the first book. For some reason, this book took me months to read through. I enjoyed the second half better than the first. However, the banters were too much for me and I didn't get the context in most cases. Thank you, Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Thanks to Avon and netgalley for this advanced copy!

This is a sequel to Who's That Girl, a book I liked by an author that I have been loving. But this didn't do much more for me than the first book. Edie and Elliot are meant to be but they seem to constantly fight about the things they don't tell each other. I never got a sense of what ties them together. I don't know that this story needed a second book, but if you loved the first one I bet you'll love the second.

This book is a captivating and immersive read that hooks you from the first page. The writing is beautifully crafted, with vivid descriptions and strong character development that makes the story come alive. The plot is well-paced, balancing moments of tension with quieter, reflective scenes that allow the characters to grow. The themes explored are deep and thought-provoking, resonating long after the final page. Whether it's the emotional depth, the twists and turns of the plot, or the unforgettable characters, this book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys rich, engaging stories. Highly recommended for fans of fantasy.

I am a big Mhairi McFarlane fan, and I loved Who's That Girl! While there was room to expand on the ending of Who's That Girl, it did not need a whole book. Maybe if it had been a short novella it would have been better? This book didn't feel like something that truly needed to exist, which makes it hard to love. It was wonderful seeing Edie and Elliot happy together, but so many of the same issues kept popping up that I thought they dealt with in the first book.
I will continue to love Mhairi McFarlane books and her writing and I look forward to her next book. However, this was no the book for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for this review copy.

I started this one and it has not caught my attention enough to finish it. I haven’t thought about going back to it, and it doesn’t call to me to read it. I just found it a little boring.

Thank you netgalley for the chance to read.
It was really nice to see Edie/Elliot again, and it was incredibly funny. McFarlane is always funny, but this was particularly so. That being said...I'm sitting here unsure why this exists.
I thought we hit on all of these plot points in the first book and now just seem to be revisiting over and over again in a way that isn't enjoyable. The media twisting photos felt really strange and unnecessary. Like a few other reviews I saw, I found myself NOT rooting for them in the end, just because I was so annoyed by how repetitive everything was.
I just wish we got a bonus epilogue and not more content. This is one of the few times revisiting characters doesn't make me feel better.

I went from being totally entranced to achingly bored out of my mind that I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room.
 
At first I really, really liked this, but after getting further into it, I didn’t care for the plot. I feel like the blurb didn’t specify enough what this book was about, and it disappointed me a lot.
 
Edie was really annoying throughout most of the book; honestly, I could hardly stand her. Elliot, however, I adore that man. He had every single quality you want in a book boyfriend! He was charming, passionate, and utterly devoted to Edie.
 
Edie, on the other hand, seemed very uncertain about Elliot, and it was like she only tolerated him the entire time, making the relationship feel extremely one-sided.
 
Now about the writing… It felt very amateur a lot of the time, to the point I could barely make sense of what was going on. The Gen Z slang gave me the biggest ick.
 
I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy this book, because I did, but not as much as I wished I would have. Elliot was the best part about this book. #justiceforelliot
 
Tropes/micro tropes
Second chance
He fell first and hard
He brings her flowers
Cinnamon roll hero
Love triangle

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬.
 
3.3 ★

At the end of “Who’s That Girl?,” Edie found true love with Elliot, a charming Hollywood star, but their relationship is soon complicated by the intense public scrutiny that comes with his fame. Flirtatious co-stars and jealousy-fueled rumors threaten to tear them apart, causing Edie to struggle to trust those around her. Torn between love and the pressures of fame, Edie must decide if their fairy tale romance can survive or if she’s not meant for the world of the rich and famous.

I reread the previous book in the series shortly before this one, which may have been a mistake. While the first one sparkled, calling back to the Bridget Jones heyday of Chick Lit with its witty jokes and sarcastic tone, this one simply fizzled. Edie and Elliot kept rehashing the same argument over and over with no conclusion, and the entire book felt almost like a remake of the first with the whole coworker storyline. I missed Edie’s friends and family providing some comical levity, and found myself wondering, how at 36 years old, Edie could still be so naive.

is an engaging contemporary romance that combines the allure of Hollywood glamour with the challenges of navigating love in the public eye. Edie Thompson, an ordinary woman with a taste for simplicity, finds herself thrust into an extraordinary relationship with Elliot Owen, a charming and charismatic movie star. As their whirlwind romance develops, Edie must learn to cope with the overwhelming pressures of fame, the media’s incessant scrutiny, and the emotional complexities that come with being involved with someone whose life is already a public spectacle.

The book excels in portraying the contrast between Edie’s grounded, modest life and Elliot’s dazzling world of celebrity. The chemistry between the two characters is undeniable, and their connection feels genuine, which makes their relationship captivating to follow. However, Keep Him doesn’t shy away from the darker side of fame—exploring themes like jealousy, betrayal, and insecurity that threaten to unravel their bond. The media’s invasive presence, along with the constant gossip and rumors, creates an undercurrent of tension that keeps readers hooked.

You Belong With Me is the sequel to Who's That Girl and while that book ended with a small cliffhanger, I'm not sure this book was entirely needed. Or it could have been a novella.

Elliot and Edie have some of the same insecurities from the first book (jealousies, issues with fame and the media, etc.). I loved how the book started out and how happy they made each other but as the same issues kept popping up, I wondered if maybe the predictableness of the plot made them just seem... boring?

I love Mhairi McFarlane books but I think the book is mostly for the die-hard fans of the first book. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for this eARC. You Belong with Me is out now.

Mhairi McFarlane has the unique ability to intertwine romance, a little comedy, and real life issues. I can never quite guess where her stories are going but I’m always happy with her endings. They leave me thinking about my own relationships and how I can be a better person within them.

I hadn't read any of the other books in this series, but You Belong with Me was a great read! It's a little cyclical at times, with many of the same issues cropping up again and again but I feel that overall it works well.

#YouBelongwithMe #NetGalley

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited to receive this ARC, as I always I am with book by Mhairi McFarlane!! I enjoyed reading this highly anticipated sequel to "Who's that girl"! That being said if you haven't read the first book, you can still enjoy this one as a standalone since there are just about enough references to the first one for readers to catch up! I read the first one at least 5 years ago and needed a refresher. I devoured this in a couple of sittings. The author's practical but astute portrayal of the MMC and FMC's psyches was delightful as usual!

I did feel the ending was a bit abrupt/unexpected for the following reason. The main concern which Edie has about spending the rest of her life with Eliott is that - will she able to adjust to his celebrity lifestyle. This felt unresolved at the end. It was clear by the end that they both were facing different realities and in fact, I felt that they won't end up together after all. I was expecting a bittersweet ending. However, I think I won't be giving away any spoilers (since it's obviously a Happily Ever After kind of a story!) by saying that they do get together at the end. However, questions linger. At least that's what it felt like to me - that they weren't completely addressed/resolved. The ending almost felt like "love trumps all" but what happens after the euphoria settles? Will they still be together? Will it be easy for Edie as well as Elliott to navigate the obviously huge differences in their lifestyles? Will Edie be finally able to put her insecurities (some of the insecurities she had seemed excessive and repetitive) to rest? It felt like, maybe the author is potentially planning a third book in the series to explore all of this? Not sure! Perhaps this one was better off without a sequel, since it has opened up a Pandora's box instead of giving us closure.

All this is to say, although this was not my favorite of McFarlane's, I am, of course, excited to read her next!

I enjoyed this story a lot and thought it was very cute! Although there were a few grammar errors throughout the book.

Highly endorsed by emily Henry so i had to check it and boy oh boy am i glad i did!! perfect for romance lovers of eh, ali hazelwood, and abby jiminez!! this book was full of wonders and lovely surprises. had an amazing time reading this!!

thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.