I found it! I finally found it! A rom com novel that didn't make me cringe! So many have done it before, and yet I keep coming back to the genre. Reading If I Never Met You, I never once rolled my eyes, sighed or gurned. That's some serious progress.

If I Never Met You has all the tropes of the rom com - the jilted lead, the steady man, the playboy love interest and the sassy best friend. But the difference here, is that this book had substance. I wouldn't say that it necessarily inverted any of those tropes, but MacFarlane fleshed them out - there was background, character, motivation. The story was good and the setting was real.

Laurie has been with her partner Dan for eighteen years. They're the unmarried couple in everyone's friendship group and are established as forever. That is, until Dan destablises things, leaving Laurie bewildered, lost and searching for answers. A chance meeting in a broken down lift with the office rogue, Jamie Carter, leads to the pair hatching a plan - a chance for Laurie to show Dan what he's lost, and Jamie to show that he's stable enough for a promotion. With a few posts on social media, they can get everyone believing that their fake office romance is real.

What made this better than all the rest though, is the weight behind it. Dan's break-up with Laurie felt real, and there was no prosecco-drinking, let's-hate-the-bastard moment with the flimsy best friend. Instead, Laurie is logical, pragmatic, broken, hurt and starts to take back control. She finds her own reason why, with the support of a real best friend, who she supports in turn (unlike so many rom com novels where the best gal pals are just a supporting act for the MC).

The bond that Laurie and Jamie form feels comfortable and real - he is attractive, but there's a lot substance to him than that, and Laurie and Jamie hold their own as their friendship and loyalty to each other develops. This loyalty also means that they defend and protect each other. There are some really heartfelt and touching scenes where their friendship adds strength to each other too - it's not just about the lust they feel, that in itself is a slow and steady build. They also drop in references to films, music, TV and events into conversation - like real people with real frames of reference!

The law office where they work is a much more interesting environment that then standard PR/Millennial stereotype, and requires a much more serious kind of character. Although with a level of misogyny that was rampantly uncomfortable.

(There are also some "bonus" traumas that are thrown in there for a couple of chapters at a time, however, which add to the backstory but aren't really dealt with beyond that).

I also loved the setting - Manchester. It is a genuine pleasure to a read a rom com that is not set in London, but is instead set in a realistic city (including real restaurants - I've eaten at Rudy's pizza!) with North West and Midlands links.

Aside from an ending that fell into the rom com trap, whilst trying to give a slightly more feminist twist, this book was everything that I was looking for, and I loved every page.

If I Never Met You was my first outing with author Mhairi McFarlane, and as a fan of the fake relationship trope I was immediately attracted by its blurb.

It tells the story of Laurie and the capers she finds herself in after being blind sighted by the breakup of a ten year relationship. Her devastation is compounded by humiliation as her personal life has also become workplace fodder due to her ex also being employed at the same law firm.

I felt Laurie a likeable character and immediately felt an akin to her. She’s incredibly sweet, dependable and awkward in way that made her disarming. Unfortunately for her there are those that find this to mean she is an easy pushover.

There none more surprised by Laurie when she finds an ally in office heartbreaker, Jamie Carter. The two of them devise a fool proof plan and showmance that aims to restore Laurie’s dignity as well improve Jaime’s approval rating with company bosses.

I enjoyed the evolution of their friendship and the genuine bond they developed. As I love with the trope, the more time Laurie and Jamie spent together the more the lines blurred between what was real and what is fake. The added injection of humour to the proceedings made for an overall enjoyable read, and the certainty that this will not be my last book by Mhairi McFarlane.

Laurie has been with her boyfriend Dan since the first year of university, they work for the same firm, own a nice house and their relationship is solid. But then he leaves, and a few weeks later is living with another woman and expecting a baby. After getting trapped in the work lift with the office playboy Jamie, Laurie goes for a drink with him. His image may be getting in the way of him making partner, she needs a date for the office Christmas party to get a level of revenge on Dan - so they agree to a pretend relationship that will cover what they both need, with clear ground rules. But it's never as simple as it sounds.

I loved this. Mhairi McFarlane's books are always fun, with smart characters who feel like people you'd want to know. Laurie's best friend Emily was also great, and I really liked the realisation that the great love Laurie met in first year was Emily, not Dan, as it was Emily who was there for her all the way through. So many romance books ditch the friends, so seeing that recognised alongside the Jamie relationship was great. I loved that Laurie felt like she'd lost it all at the beginning, but that she always had much more than she realised.

Definitely worth reading!

It took me a while to get into this book and at one point I was going to leave it, however I’m a glad I persevered as it was excellent.
It starts out with Laurie being dumped by Dan, her boyfriend of 18 years, with no good reason. This was the part that seemed to drag on a bit.
But then Laurie meets Jamie and they pretend to date. Laurie goes through the journey of finding herself too.
I thought the premise was excellent and although slightly predictable at times, it was executed well. A highly recommended, light and entertaining read

Laurie's life comes crashing down when Dan, her boyfriend of 18 years, breaks up with her out of the blue. He says he doesn't want to get married or have kids and needs to find him. Getting over your ex is hard enough, though Laurie has to see him every day at the law company they work at. She's just about holding it together and getting over the pain when she's dealt two more blows: he has a new girlfriend. Who is pregnant. When she gets stuck in the lift with gorgeous womaniser Jamie and he proposes that they fake being an item, Laurie is hesitant. But the chance to make Dan jealous is too much to give up, so she agrees. She gets the satisfaction of causing Dan some of the pain he's caused her, Jamie gets the benefit of looking like he's settled down and is a good prospect for a promotion. With rules outlined and set end date for the 'affair', nothing can surely go wrong?

I love the whole 'fake relationship turns into a real one' trope and with Mhairi writing it you're in good hands! Laurie is such a great character to follow, she's smart, funny, kind and seeing her gain her confidence back just makes you want to cheer her on! Mhairi has a way of making her characters and situations so relatable, which just makes the book so heartwarming. I loved it, I devoured it in a day!

This is great! It's well written and very funny. Of course it's unrealistic and there are parts where I had to suspend my disbelief but I didn't mind it - the book as a whole was a fun and warm read.

My second Mhairi McFarlane read and was not disappointed.

Lauries life suddenly goes into free fall when her partner of 18 years (half her life) tells her it’s over as he needs to find himself.
He then suddenly finds himself a father to be, when his new girlfriend gets pregnant early into their new relationship.

Poor Laurie has no idea why, where or when it all went wrong, but still has to work with her ex every single day.

Then a chance encounter in a lift gives her the opportunity to make him jealous and help the office stud get the promotion he wants through a fake relationship! What could possibly go wrong?

This book is a lovely read, covering true friendship, tough family relationships, office politics and bullying and brings home the fact that what you see on social media can be very far from reality.

Thankfully I read this over the Christmas holidays and was able to indulge myself and read it nonstop.
Great read, great characters. Put this on your must reads of 2020.

After 18 years together, Laurie’s boyfriend Dan announces he’s leaving because he’s not ready to settle down. Laurie is devastated, but things only get worse when a few weeks later she discovers that Dan has a new girlfriend, who is pregnant. When she gets stuck in a lift with office flirt Jamie, they hatch a plan to get back at Dan and help Jamie’s image. But will their pretend relationship work?

I really enjoyed this book. The relationships between the characters was well written and believable. I found myself bristling on Laurie’s behalf, especially when her colleague Michael was around. I so desperately hoped she’d hit him, when he tried to manipulate her through his ‘love’. The story worked well, it didn’t feel like it was dragging at any point and the finale tied everything up nicely.

A great story and one for all romance fans to read,

Where to start with my review of ‘If I Never Met You’... Getting to know Laurie and Jamie has been such a pleasure. The story starts with Laurie being dumped by her boyfriend of eighteen years Dan, but what’s worse is that he’s met someone else not long after the break up. At work, Laurie and Jamie are both Lawyers at the same firm. They meet in a lift that has got stuck so they end up chatting. Jamie comes up with a win win plan. Will this turn out to be a disaster??

Mhairi has had me laughing out loud to feeling frustrated and wanting to bang Laurie and Jamie’s heads together (figuratively speaking obviously!) at multiple points in the story. Her words are witty, hilarious and very emotive at the same time! All of the characters were unique and I also adored the friendship that Laurie has with Emily ❤️

‘If I Never Met You’ is about love, friendship and most importantly taking the chances that life throws at you. I feel like this story should have film rights! I give ‘If I Never Met You’ 5*/5* 😊

Thank you to Harper Fiction for an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley.

I bloomin love a Mhairi McFarlane novel and this latest one is another beauty! So glad this was my first read of the year!

There is so much emotion to it and I was so invested in the love story that I feel like I miss the characters already!

Our main character is Laurie, who I loved! The way she reacted to situations was so relatable and I was willing her on throughout. She shows real strength, not least as a female in a male dominated industry, which she handles in a very dignified manner!

Jamie is another central character and the two of them embark on a plan for numerous reasons...that I won't spoil. He is pegged by everyone as a 'Jack the Lad' but there were so many times I found myself saying "Awww" out loud with him, I was starting to get funny looks on the train!

The supporting characters are entertaining, there is humour and a lot of twists and turns. I just love the authors style and creativity with the plots.
This one will definitely be a hit!

Thank you to @netgalley and @HarperCollinsUK for the opportunity to review.

This was released on 1st January 2020 in the UK!
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A plan thought up in a lift? Really? Indeed,
Laurie and Jamie, both working as lawyers in the same office, find themselves stranded in a broken down lift. Laurie has recently been ditched by Dan,her partner of 18 years, who has taken flight with Megan, now pregnant. The pain and heartache that Laurie feels is so well described. Jamie is the 'enfant terrible' of the office with a 'Past'.
Somehow they decide that a faux romance would not only help Jamie to a partnership, but also show Dan what he is missing.There are some lovely family scenes, some moments which seem a little bit implausible, but the romance suddenly becomes a little different from its original plan.
I enjoyed this book. Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy.

I thought that this story was really good, it was a heartfelt story and one I could really relate too, I think a lot of people have been in the same, or similar positions so it meant a lot reading the story.

The characters were really strong and well developed and I thought that they worked well together which helped carry the story so well, it was easy to follow and I loved the flow of the story too. It was a lovely book to be able to pick up and read.

It is 5 stars from me for this one, I really enjoyed it - highly recommended!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book starting of with a young couple in love discussing the next stage of their lives baby ??
Suddenly the couple are separated because he can't see himself with a family being tied down
Laurie is shocked so shocked they been together since they were 18 she cant believe this is happening
They both work at same lawyers firm thankfully in separate areas
Suddenly her ex wants a meet to tell her his new girlfriend is expecting a baby a baby?? Jeez she must have got pregnant on first date? Or did she? Some digging through social media ensures they had met previously and she had been lied to
Laurie then decides to go out with the local lethargio Jamie he has an ulterior motive he wants promotion and has been told to sort himself out before he will be considered so Laurie is the perfect girl the bosses love her she can do no wrong
They decide his social media is the perfect place to put pics of their fake romance, she hopes to make her ex jealous he wants promoting what can go wrong???

Mhairie McFarlane is one of those authors who doesn’t put a foot wrong. She has quickly become one of the queens of chick-lit and If I Never Met You doesn’t disappoint. This is the story of the break up of a very long term romance. Laurie has been dating Dan since they were at university and they work in the same law firm in Mancheste,r when, just as she is thinking it is time to start a family with him, he decides he wants to break up with her. Laurie is left totally devastated and the pain increases when he reveals what has actually happened. Mhairie has the ability to allow us to feel Laurie’s pain and this is one of her strengths as an author that she is able to express the characters feelings in a very realistic manner. Laurie begins to fake date another man, James, who works at the same law firm. He needs to improve his image so dating Laurie both achieves this and also potentially makes Dan jealous. Both Laurie and James are very likeable characters and become good friends. Mhairie’s books have to some extent predictable outcomes but the journey to get to these outcomes is great. My one complaint is that I would like her to write a little quicker. At the moment she appears to be bringing out one book a year which is a shame when she provides so much enjoyment in her writing.

I was looking forward to reading this and wasn’t disappointed. It’s the story of Laurie whose life is turned upside down when her long-term partner reveals that he is leaving. Absolutely devastated she and a colleague, initially portrayed as pushy and arrogant, cook up a plan to fake a romance to help his career and make her ex jealous.
As ever with Mhairi McFarlane, this book is an absolute joy, packed full of humour and genuine laugh out loud moments that have you falling in love with the two main characters and willing them on. I sped through it, not able to get enough and also reluctant to let it end. A truly fabulous read and the perfect way to spend a few hours.

I love a good fauxmance story  - and they don’t get much better than the new book by Mhairi McFarlane.
If I Never Met You is emotional, romantic and laugh out loud funny (in places) but at the same time it is incredibly insightful - not just on matters of the heart but also culture in general.
The story is wonderfully engaging but that’s not the only thing that kept me gripped, the writing is punchy and clever throughout the whole book, which is no mean feat. 
Already a fan of Mhairi’s, I was delighted to learn her new one was coming out - and on New Year’s Day (what a way to start 2020).
This book gets off to an exciting start and never really lets up. 
When Dan announces he is leaving, I felt Laurie’s disbelief followed by the devastating realisation that he meant what he was saying, as if it was happening to me. The scenes were perfectly written so that by the time Jamie suggested his plan to help them both I was already rooting for them - and he got better with every chapter.
This was yet another book where I was desperate to see where it ended but at the same time didn't want to read too quickly because then it would be over. As it happened, it wasn't really a choice because I couldn't put it down. 

With thanks to Harper Collins for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Sometimes a book comes along that you know you are going to love because the author has never let you down! Ms MacFarlane is that author for me. She writes such witty, articulate and fantastic character-driven stories. This book may fall under the genre of “Chick Lit” but it’s so much more than that. I spied this book months ago and loved the synopsis but January seemed such a long way off but fear not, NetGalley came and granted me my Christmas wish! This book is set in Manchester which is not too far away from me so it felt more special knowing the streets and areas mentioned. For me, it brought the book to life. It’s so refreshing to read books not set in London which in my experience are much too frequent.

“What a bleak cow. Last I heard she was hopping on Marcus from KPMG and he has community d**k, so no one’s taking her advice”

“A what?”

“You know, used freely by everyone. Open access. A civic resource.”

The focus of the story centres on Laurie who is a bright, thirty-something career-minded woman who thinks she has got everything she ever dreamed of (or so she thinks) but then the rug is well and truly pulled from under her when her long term boyfriend up sticks and moves out to “find himself”. Laurie is absolutely devastated but fear not Jamie, a fellow lawyer who also happens to be the office Lothario, devises a plan to get them both what they want. Jamie is desperate to climb the corporate ladder but needs Laurie to help convince his employers he’s the responsible type. What could possibly go wrong when all 3 parties work in the same office … Cue the comedy!

“I don’t owe you a snog, Jamie Carter!”

“No, you don’t.”

“But that doesn’t mean I want to kiss you any less.”

What then transpires is full-on belly laughs and giggles which I have come to expect and adore from this author. On paper, these two characters should not even attempt to try and convince people they are now a genuine couple. She is a well-respected lawyer who has a fantastic reputation and he is a lawyer with shall we say, a dubious past. To be fair they have both been utterly honest in what they both want but let’s face it when they both start feeling things they didn’t bank on that’s when the plan goes a tad awry. I have to say this book is so much more than comedy. It’s a touching story too full of beautiful heart-warming moments that you couldn’t help feel the warm and fuzzies.

“If you’re a mistake you’re the greatest one I ever made…”

MacFarlane never falls to write real characters. Her plots are never complex but focus on real stories I’m sure all readers can relate to. Laurie and Jamie were a total delight to read. She didn’t make them perfect or farfetched in how they behaved oh no, these two people could be people we work with. What I loved was how a simple story was written with great attention to detail. I honestly did not want this book to end! From the razor-sharp banter to brilliant characters, I loved it. So often secondary characters are forgotten and fade into the background but in this book, they were given all the attention they deserved. Laurie’s bestie, Emily, had some of the best lines. This girl really did come into her own with such great one-liners; hilarious! Every work colleague, friend and foe were key to the story as much as Laurie and Jamie. If you love romantic comedy with a well-developed plot, take a leap of faith and read the book. You won't be disappointed!

My first review of 2020, and it's got the year off to a flying start!

Laurie and Jamie work in the same office; she has been in a long term relationship with another colleague for eighteen years and is completely shocked when she finds herself dumped. Jamie is regarded as the office lothario and needs to smarten up his image if the powers that be are going to take his ambition seriously. Who better to partner up with than the well-respected Laurie? Will the course of office-romance-on-paper run smoothly? What can possibly go wrong . . .

Firstly, let me say I've always enjoyed novels by Mhairi McFarlane, and this one is no exception. Beautifully crafted with original, interesting characters and great situations which kept me focused to the very end. Great entertainment with clear descriptions allowing me to easily imagine both Laurie and Jamie. There is plenty of fun and romance in this novel, although I think it's just a bit early - first day of the year! - to uphold the publisher's claims of 'the funniest romcom of 2020; after all there are another 365 days to go! Definitely worth a plump five stars and a recommendation to all lovers of a good read to add this to your list.

My thanks to publisher Harper Collins for my copy via NetGalley; this is, naturally, my honest and unbiased review.

My thanks to HarperCollins for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘If I Never Met You’ by Mhairi McFarlane in exchange for an honest review.

Laurie is a lawyer working in Manchester. She has been a relationship with Dan since they met in university eighteen years ago. She is ready to consider having children when Dan ends their relationship. A few weeks later Dan drops a further bombshell that devastates Laurie.

When she gets trapped in a lift with her handsome colleague, Jamie, they hatch a plan to stage a fake romance to help her gain revenge and him to impress the senior partners by laying to rest his reputation as a ‘player’ by having a serious girlfriend.

I pretty much fell in love with Laurie and her best mate, Emily, from their opening scene in the pub that set up the story perfectly. This was such a witty, smart novel though it’s not all fluff and does explore more serious themes including the casual racism that Laurie experiences as a biracial woman and issues linked to feminism. I felt that the author struck a good balance between these aspects.

Mhairi McFarlane takes her time in establishing her characters and the unfolding of the story felt very organic. The closing chapters take place in the run up to Christmas, which made this a seasonal read for me.

This is the second novel that I have read by Mhairi McFarlane and I have enjoyed both very much. I have now bought a couple of her earlier novels and look forward to reading more of her work.

Highly recommended.

Mhairi McFarlane has got to be one of my most favourite contemporary romance/women’s fiction authors. I was ecstatic to be given an arc of this book to read.

This is another great story. Laurie is instantly likeable and Jamie who we are initially led to believe as ambitious and cocky we find is actually anything but!

Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.