This is a sequel and I think having recently read the first is crucial to your enjoyment of this book! I did read the first, but it was eight years ago when it came out and I’m lucky if I remember details of a book I read eight days ago.

The first few chapters does the set up and the connections of what happened in the first but this is truly a continuation of that story and I really think you need to read, and remember, that one to properly enjoy this.

It took me about 25% of the way into the book to stop feeling confused or uncertain about prior references and to be in a place where I really enjoyed what I was reading. But then, I really did enjoy what I was reading! So please, pick up or revisit Who’s That Girl before you dive into this one and then I’m sure you’ll love seeing where the story goes!

Eekkkkk! Imagine dating a Hollywood heartthrob with tomato soup on your coat—that’s Edie’s life now! Mhairi McFarlane nails the chaos of falling for a superstar, with all the drama and laughs you’d expect. Edie’s totally relatable as she navigates the madness of fame and love, all while trying not to lose herself, she was really relatable! Nothing better than when a book makes you laugh out loud!
This book is like a cozy rom-com with just the right amount of heart and humor. Perfect for anyone who loves a good romance with a twist of celebrity chaos!

You Belong With Me is the sequel to McFarlane’s Who’s That Girl. It’s an interesting take on what it might be like for a typical non famous person to fall in love and have a serious relationship with a celebrity.

I do think the ending of the first book allows us to assume a certain type of ending but leaves a bit of mystery as well. In times like these I find myself wanting more so it was satisfying to have a peek into Edie and Elliott’s life down the road. My biggest critiques are around the amount of back and forth long distance relationship drama and accusations of cheating as well as some loose ends left untied- what ever happens to Declan? There’s also an epilogue that provides even less closure than the ending of the first book, in my opinion. Even still, this is a fun little rom com. There aren’t too many I don’t enjoy.

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC of this book I’m exchange for an honest review. Pick up your copy on September 3rd!

Mhairi’s books always make me feel so much when I step into the worlds she’s created and this novel was no different. I loved seeing Edie’s story continue as she grows and learns how to navigate through the challenges in her relationship and personal life.

I was interested in this book initially because it's named after a Taylor Swift song, and it ended up reminding me so much of the book "One for The Feeling", it had really enticing fangirl vibes and was such a fun time to read.

I'd read the first book, and boy this one was a miss. I've very much liked McFarlane's work in the past, but her books are starting to read formulaic and predictable. This one also lacked more of the 'laugh out loud' moments I'd come to expect from her humor.

I did not realized this is a follow up book. I haven't read the first and can't fit it in right now. I am so sorry! Thank you for letting me try!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mhairi McFarlane is one of my all time favorite authors. Her latest offering, You Belong With Me, is the long awaited sequel to 2016’s Who’s That Girl.

You Belong With Me continues Edie and Elliot’s story as they navigate their long-distance relationship, Elliot’s fame, and tabloid fodder.

I wish I could say You Belong With Me is a home-run. Unfortunately, this isn’t one of my favorites. The tension and conflicts felt very “same-y” and regurgitated and, frankly predictable (not something I have ever said about one of McFarlane’s books).

That said, this is still a beautifully written book. McFarlane has a talent for creating relatable characters. There is plenty of fun and witty banter, and lots and lots of emotions (like every emotion you can think of, sometimes all at once).

If you’re a fan of her previous works, you’ll still find plenty to enjoy here. While it might not be my favorite, it’s a solid read that adds more layers to Edie and Elliot’s journey.

I am so grateful to get to read an ARC of You Belong with Me as I'm a big Mhairi McFarlane fan, I absolutely loved her book Just Last Night.

This book is a sequel to Who's That Girl - something I wish I had known before reading. While I think you can read this book without reading WTG first, I wish I would have read it prior to this as it could have gave me background on the couple in this book and more insight to their history. I felt like I was coming into their story halfway through and while I gathered breadcrumbs, I would have been more invested in their relationship had I read Who's That Girl first.

Edie, a normal gal, and Elliot, a famous actor re-connect and start a romance filled with challenges that come with dating someone in the public eye and managing long distance. These characters felt deep and emotional which I loved - I liked them separate and together. However, the cadence of this book and the flow was very off for me, I found myself having to re-read pages at a time, feeling like I missed something? I'm going to go back and read the first book in the series and hope it helps get into this one more because I really loved the humor and heart in this!

I really enjoy McFarlane’s books. She has interesting characters for both the protagonists and the side characters. The dialogue is witty and the emotional twists and turns of the two main characters seem believable even though the hero is a world-famous actor and the heroine is a copywriter for an ad agency in Nottingham, England. Their romance seems so unlikely, especially adding on their separation as he films a show for HBO in New York and she lives close to her family in England. There is not chance really of their living together in the same town even though that is where he is from also.

I hadn’t realized that this was a sequel to an earlier book, “Who’s That Girl.” That’s one of the few McFarlane novels that I haven’t read before, but now I want to download it. There are regular references to what happened in the earlier book and it would have been earlier if I was more familiar with their past history. Instead, this book picks up when they’re already in love and now trying to cope with separation and paparazzi. But there are enough references that it all sorted itself out in my mind and I was happy to just go along for the ride.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

"You Belong with Me" by Mhairi McFarlane is an absolute gem. The characters are incredibly well-crafted, and their connection feels authentic and deeply moving. McFarlane's writing is both beautiful and engaging, drawing you into the story with vivid descriptions and sharp wit. I found myself completely absorbed from start to finish. This book is a must-read, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone. Thank you NetGalley, AVON and Harper Voyager and Mhairi McFarlane for the ARC!

2.75 ⭐ (rounded up to 3 stars)

Quick gist: 'You Belong with Me' is about a girl named Edie, and she has an actor boyfriend (Elliot Owen). Months after dating, Edie found out that Elliot had to potentially do an intimate scene with a female actress, causing her to spiral. Eventually, things worked out for them...or did things get worse? Only time will tell...

I kinda liked this book. Don't get me wrong, this book was good. But...I just wasn't that invested in it. I liked it, but I just didn't really enjoy the book that much. The storyline was great. The characters were good. But I felt like I felt bored while I was reading the book. If you like romance novels like this, I highly recommend it. x

I fangirled so freaking hard over this sequel! If you loved Edie and Elliot in Who’s That Girl?, you’ll be thrilled to dive back in. And if you missed the first book, no worries this one’s a must-read anyway. Elliot’s a major actor, and Edie’s just a relatable Nottingham girl who captured his heart. They had their fairy-tale romance, survived some bumps, and ended up with a classic happy ending. But what happens when the curtain falls? Can their love stay smooth with Elliot’s superstar status? Especially when you’re barely seeing him but spending your days with a charmingly supportive coworker? And let’s not forget the steamy scenes he’s filming with an even more famous beauty.

I absolutely adored this book! Mhairi has done it again with an electrifying, authentic romance. Elliot has climbed to the top of my book boyfriend list, leaving all other fictional guys in the dust. Edie remains hilariously real and refreshingly unique—like that friend who makes you laugh until you cry. The ending was a gut punch in the best possible way, and I honestly can't stop thinking about this!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this eArc

You Belong With Me was simply not the book for me. It took me a few days to get into because of the way it starts. I didn't understand why we essentially started in the middle of Edie's book, and I kept looking to see if this was the second in a series., but Netgalley did not denote it this way. I looked on the internet when I started and didn't find out until now that it is, in fact, the second book. So I was utterly and completely lost the whole time.

I spent a good portion of the book trying to determine who the hero would be- Elliot or the new guy from work? I honestly liked him better but cannot remember his name. Elliot never felt like a character I would like. I didn't like him. And I didn't really like Edie much, either.

This book also had a heavy Brit Lit dialect and I found it difficult to read. I didn't understand where the were or where they were going at times, and didn't understand some of the underlying nuance in conversations. Just overall not a book I enjoyed or would read again.

Ok, fans of McFarlane, this might hurt, but I did not love this. It was a little unnecessary of a write for me. Edie and Elliott get back together and the whole time it’s just a story about how Edie is a normal, insecure girl and Elliott is a famous actor and how they are coping with his fame. Ok, so it goes a little deeper than that, but you get the idea. To me it was repetitive and I did not care about these characters. I also found it very hard to read this one from an American perspective, with all the British references that I didn’t see in her other books. I’ve read several by her and this one I was super shocked that it didn’t quite deliver like the others. Maybe because it was a part of a series? Not a stand-alone?

I give this 3 stars, which is low for me. I received this as an ARC too and was super excited to read and then it just fell flat. I’ll still read McFarlane, but am less pumped about the next one. Let me know your thoughts!

You Belong with Me is the perfect follow up to Who's that Girl? You belong with me picks up after Elliott shows up on Edie's door step on Christmas day to profess his love for her. After a long wait for this book, we get to see how Edie and Elliott can make it work between Elliott's celebrity fame and Edie's normal life. I really enjoyed getting to know more about Edie and Elliott and the hurdles and high points of their relationship. I really enjoyed the writing. McFarlane wove the story of both characters so well, there was witty banter (my favorite), and side characters you could care about. I could feel the emotions between the two as they worked through their hang ups and barriers along the way.

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this book!

📖: You Belong with Me-Book #2 Edie Thompson. I haven't read Who’s That Girl? but was able to follow along.

🖋️: Mhairi McFarlane-new to me author

🗓️: 9-3-24, Read 8-21-24

🌍: New York and London

📔Format: E-book, 352 pgs.

⭐️Rating: 4/5

💬: Edie Thompson 36 and Elliot Owen 32 have broken up because Edie is unable to deal with the scrutiny of dating a celebrity. Elliot wants her back and is willing to do anything to make her happy. Edie has been given a promotion to run her own ad agency branch in Nottingham with a new employee-Declan Dunne. He is handsome, doesn't care about Edie's "scandal," and if she dated him her life won't be under a microscope.

⚠️: adoption, death of a parent, estranged parent, bullying, mental illness

Tropes, Topics & Themes:
✨Rom-Com
✨Adult/Women's Fic
✨Friends to Lovers
✨Celebrity Romance/social media/Paparazzi
✨Love triangle
✨2nd chance romance
✨long distance relationship

Not reading book one didn't really bother me because there were enough details about Edie and Elliot's relationship in this book. Elliot was delusional believing things would be easy for them. Between the paparazzi, social media trolls, and haters Edie and Elliot had to discern what was real and what was fake between them. I liked Declan and he was perfect for Edie, but Elliot was "the one." I enjoyed the side characters- Fraser (of course), Elliot's parents, and Edie's sister Megan.

🙏🏽Thank you NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for this ARC 🩷! As always, my review is my opinion and thoughts.

Thank you for the ARC! I'll have to say that if this and Who's That Girl were one, cohesive, longer book I think I would have rated it a bit higher. I still loved and enjoyed this one, but it felt like the ending could have been slapped on to WTG instead. It's still so well written and funny, but just felt like a played out book. Regardless, I loved what Mhairi did with Edie and Eliot and their story.

This was my first book by Mhari McFarlane, which probably didn’t help because I didn’t realize the book was a sequel. I felt like I had enough context to follow the story.

It felt very Hallmark style which was fine, giving it 3 stars because I’m not the greatest fan for 3rd person writting.

Edie and Elliot are together after their tumultuous meeting and whirlwind romance. But will it actually work out in the long run? Elliot's fame as an actor is only growing and Edie is finally in a good place with her sister. She simply is not going to give up her life to follow Elliot around the world as he picks up acting jobs. Is their relationship sustainable?

Thank you Mhairi McFarlane and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ebook ARC copy of this poignant and funny story! All thoughts expressed here are mine and mine alone.

This book picks up right where the first book left off which was so necessary because of how the first book ended. I really liked the continuation of how two people try to form a lasting relationship when one is a famous actor. This book tended more toward the serious side, but at the same time, upheld the hilarious nature of the first book. But that ending? Phew! It really was a rollercoaster and I felt all the emotions right alongside Edie.

I think it is so challenging to write a sequel of a romance because the reader cannot simply finish the story with "and they lived happily ever after." More context and more struggles are depicted, which is so much closer to reality than most romances portray. I really appreciated the reality of love in this book, but I was not expecting it to be so sad.