Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I didn't realize this was part of a series, so I was not familiar with these characters because I didn't read the first one. It was an enjoyable read, but not my favorite romance I read this year. Just overall okay.

3.5 stars

It's the age old question - what really happens to your favorite fictional couples after the last page? In this case, Edie and Elliot have to navigate living two very different lifestyles while being a brand new couple. And apparently the way they handle this is by fighting and mistrusting each other. For the first half of this book they both drove me nuts. They were constantly arguing and wouldn't communicate their feelings and then got annoyed at each other for not understanding their feelings. It was just... a lot. Even in the times they weren't fighting they seemed to have zero chemistry. Around halfway through the book both Edie and Elliot finally developed personalities and I enjoyed their relationship a lot more. There were some really sweet moments between them that were nice to read. H0wever, they still COULD NOT STOP ARGUING. After investing two whole books in them I was really rooting for their relationship but they just don't seem like they would work out in the long run.
OUtside of the relationship issues, not much happens in this book. There are a few subplots, with someone selling their story to the tabloids, Elliot's brother's wedding, and the return of Jack, but they were so bland that it wasn't enough to keep the story going.
If you loved the first book, maybe you'll enjoy the continuation of Edie and Elliot's story, but I found them kind of annoying in both books so this one just didn't really do it for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC!

I liked this book. I love Edie as a character and really enjoy reading about her life. I also like Elliot as a character but there is something about them together that does not click for me. I do think they are cute together but I was not yearning for them to be together. McFarlane’s writing is witty and beautiful at the same time and I will definitely be reading more of her books.

2.5 Stars

Mhairi McFarlane is one of my favorite authors. An auto-buy, auto-read, don’t read the synopsis because I trust her with my life kind of author. Welp, I didn’t read the synopsis for You Belong with Me and just jumped in head first having no idea it’s actually a sequel! I read the first book eight or so years ago & had mostly forgotten about it because admittedly it’s my least favorite of her books. After forcing my way through the first few chapters I realized my mistake and promptly shelved this one to re-read Who’s That Girl?

Once I finished my re-read I could see with the pretty abrupt ending what MM was going for with You Belong with Me. But honestly, I’m so sad to say I just wasn’t invested in the story. The first book was good not great and for me and this is the sequel I would have never asked for. One more chapter? Would have been lovely! A little epilogue? A great idea! A fluffy novella to wrap up Edie & Elliot’s story? Brilliant! But a whole book? It dragged on & on for me and I really had to muscle my way through it.

Mhairi McFarlane is still a queen to me & her writing was on point as always! I will forever read her books. If you loved the first book then you will probably like this! I think you need to be really invested in Edie & Elliot and I just wasn’t.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I feel like although this was cute and I do love a sequel this just fell flat a bit. I was a little bored in the middle and almost didn't finish it when I was 25% in.

I loved the first Edie Thomspon book, re-reading it many times over the years and the sequel so did not disappoint! The book had all the witty banter that McFarlane is famous for along with the grounding energy of people's real lives and insecurities, written with sensitivity. 5 out of 5 stars!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a great read! I would recommend it to a friend. I loved it! Five stars. This book is a captivating exploration of human emotions and relationships. The narrative unfolds through the lives of richly developed characters, each facing unique challenges and growth. The author’s prose is both lyrical and engaging, drawing readers into the story with vivid imagery and relatable experiences.

I DNF’d this book at about 45% unfortunately.


After I decided to DNF, I read some other reviews and discovered that part of the issue I was having was because I didn’t know that this is a sequel. One of the big problems I had was feeling very confused as to what was happening.


Another thing I found frustrating was the vernacular. The writing felt thick and heavy to me, and I felt like I spent a lot of my time trying to interpret the “British-isms” from context clues. Honestly I thought I was pretty up to date with British jargon but obviously I’m not.


What I ultimately determined is this is the kind of book I would’ve read in my 20s when I was a snob about education levels and refused to read any book “lesser” than classic lit, or thick heavy (and obviously prophetic lol) dystopian books full of meaning, subtext and especially angst. These days I’m more interested in light fluffy books. Women’s lit is out, puff pieces are in. Basically this is the world’s longest “It’s not you it’s me”.


I think if this were a movie I would eat it up, but the book is not for me.

you belong with me by mhairi mcfarlane is an entertaining read, but it didn’t quite hit all the right notes for me. the story is a continuation to “who’s that girl?” and it revolves around the two main characters, Emma and Jamie navigating their relationship under the public scrutiny and long distance.

in all honesty, the main characters acted a bit… childish at times? both of them struggling with issues of jealousy, him being in the public eye and the package it comes with? it dragged and dragged until i almost felt i wanted to drop the book and pretend the sequel doesn’t exist. i can see other people enjoying this book, but it was a disappointment for me.

lastly, thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Edie, a normal person, is dating Elliot, a Very Famous Person. He has to travel internationally to work on films while Edie stays in their hometown to pursue her own career. The long distance, work relationships, and their respective insecurities put a strain on relationship. They love each other and want to make it work, but is that enough?

I enjoyed the cast of characters. After Edie was outcasted at work, it was nice that a new coworker came in and treated her without judgement. I kept thinking I knew which way the story would go, but as I kept reading I was also confused which way I was supposed to root for as a reader. This was my second McFarlane book and I look forward to reading the rest of her work!

I was really drawn to this book because of the author. In practice though I struggled to connect with the plot and ended up not finishing it. Thank you for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book without initially knowing it was a sequel. Despite not having read the first one, I really enjoyed it. This is my second by McFarlane and she writes such depth to her characters that we often don’t find in a romance. This isn’t heavy on plot, but rather on how Edie and Elliott navigate a relationship, which we often don’t see in this genre and I felt it was explored well. Fans of hers and particularly those who read the first one will be happy with this one, or others such as myself who come in blind.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Publishing.

Mhairi McFarlane is my favorite romcom author but I was disappointed with this follow up to Who’s That Girl? (2015). The author has been playing with the romcom format for a while and I have generally enjoyed her twists within a pretty rigid genre: though the plots may not be traditional, the romance and sprightly comedy are always top notch. This one just didn’t work for me.

Picking up from where Who’s That Girl? ended, everywoman Edie Thompson and glossy famous actor Elliot Owen decide to give it a go, despite the strain his career puts on their relationship. And there’s part of my problem: instead of the usual will they-won’t they we have a couple who are trying to make it work. It should be an interesting wrinkle on the romcom format but I found it a bit of a contrived slog instead. It didn’t help that I found myself not particularly caring about Edie and Elliot.

Edie’s career is taking off as she now runs the Nottingham branch of London advertising agency Ad Hoc with a new work colleague, Declan. Unlike the author’s previous novels, there is little focus on Edie’s life outside her romance; her friend group and family are very much back burnered and her professional triumphs are downplayed. This is usually the area where the author scores, with fully rounded out characters and a believable complex life for the main character. Instead we just have a lot of angst about tabloids and gossip.

However, the author has kept her genre-topping sharp wit and ridiculously funny banter, even if it occasionally feels misplaced. That alone will keep me coming back.

Thanks to Avon and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Was confused at first since i didn't know there was a book before this one, so I had to go back and read that one first! But overall, a good read 😊

Thank you, Netgalley, for the chance to read this 🩷🥹

I'm such a fan of Mhairi McFarlane's writing.
You Belong with Me is a sequel to Who's That Girl which I didn’t know going in. I wish I had read the first book before.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and had a fun time reading it.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I didn't think Who's That Girl needed a sequel before I started this, and I still don't think it does now that I'm done. The same problems that caused Edie and Elliot to not work in the first book are the same problems that cause them to not work in this one. Even after the ending, I still don't feel like they resolved any of their major issues. Edie needs to do a bit more self reflection. It is just so tiring to hear her become jealous again and again and hold Elliot up to a standard she herself does not meet over and over. I thought Elliot was boring in the first book and I still think he's boring in this one. This book made me question whether they should really be a couple.

The humor in this was a bit too aggressively British for me to enjoy, but to be fair all of the Mhairi McFarlane books I have read have been so as well. I think if you usually enjoy her humor you will continue to enjoy it in this book.

This book felt unnecessary to me, but if you love Edie and Elliot and felt unsatisfied by the ending of the first book you may find something to enjoy in this.

This was a cute book. Part of reading it was my bad, as I didn't know it was book 2 in a series. I feel like I need to go back and re-read that one.

I didn't realize that this was a continuation from a previous book, but now that I know, I understand why the beginning was all in from the start.

I actually kinda liked that about it, although since I didn't have prior knowledge of the friend group, some of those bits were hard to decifer. Also Mhairi's writing style is very jokey and make fun, which I appreciate, but it was a little hard to get into it from the start. Usually I really enjoy that kind of writing because my brain hasn't met a side tangent it doesn't like, but like I said, was a little jarring to just jump into.

I did enjoy that these characters had what most likely resembles relationship drama, I mean however close one can get when one is a very popular actor, but the jealousy feelings felt that of something one would typically feel in a relationship where things are a bit uneven in the way that Edie felt.

It had addictive parts when we were trying to sleuth out the leaker, and just how sharp witted they were with each other.

All in all, a good read.

Thank you to Avon Books and Netgalley for an e-copy.

Mhairi McFarlane does it again. She has written another book that feels so real.

I read "Who's That Girl" for the first time right before I started this book. I discovered Mhairi McFarlane and hadn't gotten to that book yet. So with the 2nd one coming out, it was the perfect time. And I'm glad I did read them back to back! I needed more Elliot and Edie immediately. (Note: you really should read the 1st book before reading this, I personally do not consider this a standalone).

You Belong With Me picks up right where Who's That Girl ends. Elliot and Edie decide to give their relationship a true shot. To summarize a quote The Notebook: "it's not going to be easy, it's going to be really hard. But I want you, forever".

This book takes us on that journey. And wow what a journey it is. McFarlane has opened my eyes to many things. Like....don't believe any celebrity gossip you read online unless it's coming directly from the celebrity. It's most likely 1000% a lie, and if it is coming from them...it may not be the full truth. Celebrities deserve privacy. Elliot and Edie went through a lot together in a short amount of time, simply because the media posted lies about them constantly. It seemed exhausting. But their relationship was truly a testament that love can get you through a lot. Challenges can stretch and grow relationships and if you allow it to, it can make the relationship stronger.

Elliot is the fully package of a book Boyfriend. The gestures he makes to be what Edie needs each and every time are so swoony.
"You do belong here, Edie, because you belong with me. And I belong with you." SWOON.

There is so much character growth in Who's The Girl and that continues in this book. We see Edie embracing her life and the "ah ha" moments from book 1.

I don't want to spoil the book, so I'm going to end by saying that this book pulls at your heartstrings and feels so genuine. Another job well done, Mhairi McFarlane.

"That's when home is another person. Wherever you are, you're home to me."

Thank you Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with a copy of this book.

I wasn’t one of those WHO’S THAT GIRL? fans who were disappointed, confused, or upset by the ending. I felt–and continue to feel–like I understand Edie so well that I would’ve acted in precisely the same way. But when YOU BELONG WITH ME, the surprise sequel, was announced, every nerve on my body perked up with anticipation. It took me on a rollercoaster of emotions, but YOU BELONG WITH ME is a worthwhile and satisfying continuation of Edie and Elliot’s relationship.

Edie and Elliot have decided to give their relationship a go. This is already hard enough because Elliot is in New York filming a hot new TV series with a magnetic co-star, while Edie’s life in Nottingham is flourishing with the arrival of a surprisingly charming new coworker. But they also have to grapple with events from their past and personal lives being blasted all over global gossip pages. With both external and internal voices telling them that they won’t work out, that this is just a temporary relationship before they move on to partners better suited for their different lifestyles, what will become of our favorite MMcF couple?

I have a massive emotional book hangover after this. For anyone who’s ever wished to read more about their favorite couple after the HEA, YOU BELONG WITH ME is SO good. I already knew that Elliot had great Boyfriend potential after Who’s That Girl?, but he exceeds expectations here. Whether he’s nearby or an ocean away, he always does all he can to support Edie, validating her concerns and so on. Indeed, the onus is often on Edie to convince herself and show Elliot that she is as committed to them as he is… something she struggles with for the whole book.

Call me a sucker for reacting this way, but for the last 100 pages or so my heart was in my throat, my hand was in front of my gaping-open mouth, and I was trying to hurtle through the pages before my heart shut down out of anxiety for these two. It’s so satisfying to watch the unfolding of a relationship and be like, Yep, these two are it, this is exactly how my favorite couple would deal with XYZ. 10/10 no notes for the emotional rollercoaster these two took me on.

Lest I get my reviewer cred revoked, I will acknowledge that some of the subplots felt too easily resolved too early on, and that I didn’t really like the Declan storyline. All in all, though, this is the dream sequel I never knew I needed. If you adored Who’s That Girl? as much as I did, if you’re as big a MMcF fan as I am, then reading YOU BELONG WITH ME is a no-brainer. Thank you, MMcF. This will be a treasured story I shall read again and again.