Edie has found "the one". When Elliott shows up at her door on Christmas day proclaiming he's madly in love with her. Elliott is basically Hollywood royalty. Can Edie learn how to live in the limelight? They get along so well that she wants to try. It's hard when the press is like a third wheel in your relationship. When her past is raked up by jealous people who want to destroy her what will Edie do? Thanks to @NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of You Belong with Me by Mhairi McFarlane.

When I saw this book I jumped at the chance to read a new Mhairi McFarlane book. I’m newish to her writing and really enjoy her funny, casual style. Her characters are easy to relate to, the emotions genuine and the books are often really funny. I should have done a little homework before picking this one up as it’s a sequel to a book I haven’t read. I enjoyed it anyway.

In the beginning I felt like I had joined this book in the middle of a conversation. As It turns out, I had. Luckily it was easy enough to figure out the basics of the previous book and get invested in the story of Edie and Elliot. This is a second-chance-at-love story and the main characters are great together. Too bad they live on separate continents and have incredibly different life styles. The world is pulling them apart and it would be easier to brake up than to stay together.

I wish I’d read the original story first as I believe it would have increased my enjoyment of this one, but I liked it well enough any way. Rounding up from 3 1/2 stars.

This book was to stretched out. I would have enjoyed it more if it was shorter. However it was funny, and provided all the feels.

This book was so cute! I really loved the two main characters and the story was so cute. I would highly recommend reading this book!

Mhairi McFarlane delivers a poignant, witty, and captivating story in "You Belong with Me," which delves into the intricacies of a relationship between an everyday woman and a renowned actor. Edie Thompson, who once found herself entangled with the charming Elliot Owen, a Hollywood star, grapples with the unique challenges of dating someone in the limelight. When Elliot unexpectedly arrives at her home on Christmas Day, Edie is swept into a whirlwind romance that is both magical and intimidating.

As they navigate the pressures of media attention, the struggles of a long-distance relationship, and familial complications, Edie and Elliot's journey is enriched with clever dialogue and relatable situations. The novel explores their relationship dynamics in depth, capturing the emotional peaks and valleys with a sincerity that resonates with readers. The supporting characters, particularly the evolving friendship between Fraz and Elliot, contribute additional layers of warmth to the story.

This book skillfully intertwines humor with heartfelt moments, ensuring that readers remain both entertained and emotionally engaged. McFarlane addresses challenging topics head-on, allowing for authentic character development and transformation. Although the breakup in the third act is heart-wrenching, the resolution offers a sense of hope and fulfillment.

Overall, "You Belong with Me" is a charming continuation of Edie and Elliot's journey, seamlessly blending romance with reality in a manner that captivates readers from beginning to end. It comes highly recommended for McFarlane enthusiasts and anyone who appreciates a thoughtfully crafted, emotionally resonant love story.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

This was a great follow-up to Who's That Girl, and I just adore Mhairi McFarlane's writing style! Edie and Elliot are end goals and I love them! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the digital ARC!!

This book was a DNF for me. The beginning felt super abrupt, and I just couldn't get into it. I gave about 1/3 of the way through. I have liked other books by this author, so I think this one was just a miss for me.

Mhairi McFarlane is the queen of the romance novel in my book. You Belong with Me is another winner. The only problem is how fast you will inhale this book and then have to wait for her next creation! Prepare to fall in love with Edie, Elliott and their cast and crew all over again.

Is it even a Mhairi McFarlane novel if you don't feel ALL the feelings?

Mhairi is in a class of her own, as far as I’m concerned, and this book did not disappoint. She has a way of writing that builds rapport with the reader, a sort of familiarity that speaks to inside jokes and boozy brunches with close friends. This is what makes her writing magic - the actual storytelling is merely a bonus. And boy, does she excel at that too.

If you’re familiar with Mhairi’s past works, you’ll know that romance is usually secondary to character growth, and so I’d wondered what a full-length sequel about an existing couple would look like. Thankfully, the book still hits that balance between insightful self-discovery and romantic tension. I loved reading a book that acknowledges what so many romances do not, that real relationships are work, and their success or failure hinges on both parties being willing to set aside differences and insecurities to make the effort.

While I feel this book is fully worthy of 5 stars, I do wish that we’d seen a little bit more of Edie and Elliot loved up and on the same page, rather than navigating trial after trial. (Again, minor complaint, not worthy of knocking a star off of my rating.)

Some parting thoughts: Loved getting more of Frazer! The sleepwalking scene - holy cringe, I about died. Mhairi’s banter and social observations are always stellar. May Declan find the happiness he deserves, and may Jack fall into a large hole.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the advanced reader copy of this book, provided in exchange for my unbiased opinion. (I squealed like a small child on Christmas when I found out I was accepted for this one.)

This book was great! I love romance books, and this one was no exception! The characters were wonderful and realistic, the plot was well written, and the setting was gorgeous. I cannot wait until this is published so everyone can read it!

This was a very interesting read, I had never read the original book (Who's That Girl) so I read it immediately before this one, and LOVED it, it may have been a 5 star. This one was so fun because I got to see the characters thrive and struggle more, but the situations felt very contrived and I was screaming at the characters to just TALK to eachother.

I'm glad I read it, but I don't think it needed to be a full novel.

i didn't realize this was a follow-up book to another one of this author's, so i was a bit lost at first. but her writing is so good and her characters are so genuine that i picked it all right up and really ended up enjoying the story.

I will start off saying it is probably best to read Who's That Girl first, I didn't and had a harder time understanding. This story is the sequel to that story. I did have a harder time but I could still enjoy the story. It had some fun and witty banter that I enjoyed between these two characters. I don't necessarily think I could feel the love between the characters but I did feel some humor. I enjoy love romance and humor but I wanted to feel something more for these two. I do this Mhairi McFarlane is a great author and look forward to reading more in the future!

I didn't realize this was a sequel to McFarlane's "Who's That Girl". Reflecting, I do wish I had read that one first to get the background of these characters but reading this as a standalone, I very much enjoyed this story and it was easy to pick up what led these characters to where we meet them.

McFarlane weaves an emotional story about two people who love each other, trying to figure out their relationship when they live very different lives. Yes, the comparisons to Notting Hill are inevitable: a celebrity in the tabloids falls in love with a "normal" girl who lives a much more private life. But the nuances of insecurities from both MCs and how they respond to the obstacles they face create a wonderful & unique story that I really enjoyed.

This story is told from a 3rd person POV, following Edie and her inner thoughts. Despite not having the dual POV, you get a sense of what both Edie & Elliot are feeling as they navigate their long-distance relationship. This was a little slow at first for me (hence why I think it might have been better to read the prior book first) but once I got attached to this story and these characters, I could not put this down. I was rooting for their HEA and it comes with some holding my breath, will they won't they make it events. Highly recommend this (especially for those who don't like the open-door spice because you will find none here).

💖 Second Chance
⭐️ Celebrity x Ad Exec
🫶 Found Family
💬 Text Banter
3️⃣ 3rd person POV

I really enjoyed this book and the witty banter. I caught myself smiling multiple times throughout the book. I could really imagine the emotions and feelings that dating a famous, heartthrob could bring. All of the feelings of inadequacy and worrying about beautiful costars that would come in that situation. Elliot was amazing through all of that. My only complaint is that I would've liked more of the ending and epilogue.

First off, this is a sequel to Who’s That Girl and once I realized this, I went and picked up the first book. Having been a fan of Mhairi’s writing for awhile, this was a welcome bonus. However, I feel that the first book could have ended with the Prologue added to the end and no other further details needed. The addition of 300 more pages of doubt and issues being thrown at this couple seemed unnecessary. The last book released by MM wasn’t nearly as good as Mad About You or Don’t You Forget About Me and now I’m not sure if this author is my auto go-to. I may need to proceed with caution. One feature of her writing that I’m noticing is the British slang usage in her writing that doesn’t translate well for American audiences. I’m lost a good bit of time trying to decipher the meanings.

I’m bummed that this didn’t work for me.

This book was not my favorite of the author, though I remain a huge fan! The book is difficult in that it picks up directly from the prior book, and doesn't give a whole lot of background if you didn't read that one. The story was a little awkward and I didn't love the relationship or the female main character that much in this one (especially compared to the first book!).

As a huge Mhairi McFarlane fan, it is just lucky for me that coincidentally, one of her final backlist books that I read, just within the last year, was the prequel to this ("Who's That Girl"), so with that book fresh in my mind, I 1) was looking forward to this and 2) could follow the plot. I do think it would be super hard to follow if you haven't recently read (or remembered really well) the prior book. So, given that I was the ideal niche reader for this book, I only found it to be okay. Dare I say my least favorite of hers. It was nice to get some closure on the relationship from book 1, but it could have been a long epilogue or something. In most books, I have confidence that it will all work out, but since it basically worked out at the very beginning, I was just worried the whole time that it would fall apart. I found the FMC to be a bit annoying in this story and it was just a stressful read. I am pleased with the ending and so I close the back page feeling content, but just don't feel like this is going to be on my list of favorites of hers. I appreciate her willingness to go back and give this couple more closure, but don't know that a whole book was needed. Nonetheless, I anxiously await her next book!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC of You Belong with Me in exchange for an honest review.

I will first say up front that I did not/could not finish this book in it's entirety, which is the first time that has happened this year. While I understand that this is the second book in the series, I typically am able to hobble by even if I have not read the first book (which I learned after the fact was written about 10 years ago-even if I had read it, I likely would not remember the storyline). There's usually enough back story present that doesn't require me to back track and read the first book. However, that was not the case here. Even after the first quarter of the book, I really had no idea what exactly was going on or who the characters were. Color me absolutely confused. Clearly, this is not the fault of the author. I should have done my research ahead of time and learned that this is in fact a sequel and the first book really should be read to get a better context for where this one was picking up.

That being said, aside from being entirely lost in the story line, I found it incredibly difficult most of the time to actually understand what was being said or discussed. Whether it was slang or just poor sentence structure, I could not follow what was being talked about. It's entirely possible things were being said to be funny, but I clearly was not picking up on that from total lack of understand at times. Because of this complete disconnect, I just could not connect with the characters. Overall, this book just wasn't a good fit for me. Because I did not finish the entire book, I will not be reviewing it on Goodreads. They may be others who have recently read the first book and would very much enjoy the sequel. Unfortunately, I was not one of those.

This novel from Mhairi McFarlane had me in a vice for most of it but I couldn’t get enough. It’s her follow up from ‘Who’s that girl’. I have always loved her witty writing and uncanny ability to get emotional and real with her characters. Loved seeing the after story of Edie and Elliott. Thank you @mhairimcf and @netgalley for this ARC.