So, up front I have to say that I was really annoyed by the swearing in this book, some of which felt gratuitous. I understand that many - most? - adults swear and I accept that I'm unlikely to find a contemporary novel without it. But I felt that Mhairi McFarlane used it gratuitously, perhaps lazily, at times. Although I have read a few of her books, this reliance on swearing to create mood or for humour puts me off reading more. And that's a pity because I like her writing otherwise.

Mad About You might be described by a lazy reviewer as a rom-com but that would certainly be to sell it short. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the genre but this novel has a lot more depth to it. The central character is Harriet, a thirty-something woman to whom life has dealt some blows. She seems to have coped with these and is living a normal, if quite contained, life. And then gradually things start to unravel, not of their own volition but as a result of choices she makes.

I think Mhairi McFarlane's greatest strength is her ability to create believable characters. Harriet and her friends Roxy and particularly Lorna are complete individuals, Cal, Sam, Gethin and others are also each fleshed out, some more than others as befits their roles in the novel. I think she excels, though, with Scott and Jon, both of whom I actually spoke out loud to as I read the book.

McFarlane can always be relied upon to write a book that sweeps you up entirely and makes you want to devour it in one sitting and this upcoming release was no exception.

Mad about You follows Harriet who is having a bit of a rotten time, she has just broken up with her boyfriend and moved in to a house share with a handsome stranger who has his own secrets to contend with. This story touches on a lot of issues and handles them with authenticity and care and I loved seeing the strong female friendship representation woven throughout this novel.

I will pick up anything McFarlane writes and would recommend this to anyone who wants to get lost in a book and escape the world for a few hours.

A really lovely book that I couldn’t put down. Cal and Harriet had lovely chemistry and I was rooting for them to get together. Harriet certainly had to put up with a lot with the death of her parents and two significantly unpleasant partners.

Another excellent novel from Mhairi McFarlane. I love her style of writing and humour and this latest offer didn't disappoint. One of my favourite authors.

It isn't often you are blindside when reading a book. For the vast majority of this book its the sub-plot [to these kinds of books] that actually turns out to be the main story. It takes a bit for it to develop (and for your brain to reconfigure) but once that happens, what a brilliant story you then start to read.

One of my favourite authors. This book was classic Mhairi McFarlane: great character studies with sprinklings of life lessons. A perfectly paced and beautifully observed story... I really did race through it was well written also touches on some sensitive subjects.

I really enjoyed this. Even if it wasn't what I expected. I went into this thinking a cute romance. But honestly other than two characters getting together at the end this wasn't really a romance.
The "romance" was in the background. Wasn't the main focus. I kinda wish we saw more of them falling in love. Sure it was obvious it was coming with the hints. But I wanted more.

But the main story was actually a more important topic. Abuse within a relationship. How exes can behave when you leave them. But also the mental and emotional abuse during a relationship. How the abuser will make themselves look a victim when exposed.
I really didn't think this was the story when I picked it up. It was important and I'm glad I read it.

The book gripped me. I just wanted to keep reading. To see where Harriet would end up. How she would grow and if she got any form of justice against her exes.
I also did like her with Cal. But as I mentioned above I wish we got more of them being cute and falling in love.

LOVED! Hattie needs somewhere to live after turning down Jon’s marriage proposal. Cal offers her a room before even meeting her. Hattie instantly loves the house when she sees it,, but doesn’t like Cal - she is a wedding photographer and witnessed him running out on his own wedding. But is all as it seems, and what is Hattie really running away from. I loved this story, several twists I wasn’t expecting, with some humour and a lot of emotion. Definitely recommend.

Mad About You follows Harriet who has just broken up with her boyfriend after he proposed and Cal who has run out on his own wedding. The two end up living together and neither are too happy about it.

First off the bat, I don't think this should be advertised as contemporary romance. There is romance in it, but only around 15% of the entire book focuses on that. This isn't a problem in itself, but I had to change my expectations when reading it because there wasn't actually a lot of romance in it.

The story mainly follows Harriet's journey of healing and moving on from her past abusive relationship that has heavily influenced her and the relationship she was in afterwards. I thought that the portrayal of abuse and the effects that this had on Harriet was super accurate and unromanticised which I think is great and really important for people to read. It s]was helpful that it also showed the cycle of toxic behaviour and red flags that can be picked up. I liked that the women in the book were strong minded and self-assured, it was refreshing to read.

Overall, it was a good book with important topics discussed, however I would not class it as a romance as there is little time for the love interests and little time to connect with them as a couple.

A decent story with a decent plot. I definitely wanted to get to the end, I found it engaging and I felt invested in all the characters. But I'm not sure why this didn't feel like a Mhairi MacFarlane type of story -with the forbidden desperate crush between friends/colleagues that's usually carried from pretty much the beginning right till the end.
It was too neat and tidy and the relationship between Cal and Harriett felt too predictable.

I gave this 3.5 stars which is a decent 7 out of 10. Whilst I didn't love this one, I am certainly still a Mhairi MacFarlane fan

Another fabulous instalment by the author, who has fast become an auto-read author for me.

Harriet is a wedding photographer with a comfortable life and a stable boyfriend. But suddenly she finds herself in need of a place to stay and she comes across Cal, in need of a lodger. Let the fun begin.

This one is very vague with the synopsis and I would avoid reading the in-depth Goodreads version, as it was a nice surprise without it. I definitely went into this expecting some sort of a light and funny romance but be warned, there were some serious issues covered in this one in terms of emotional abuse.

The characters were just everything in this story. With their unique backgrounds that completely surprised me and some darker themes running through it. It was emotional in places and funny and a thoroughly enjoyable one.

I've read a few of Mhairi Mc Farlane's books before and she never disappoints. I was super excited to be approved this book to review and while it might be a bit of a slow starter it certainly makes up for it in the second half. I really fell in love with the main character Harriet and her love interest Cal.. Harriet , a fun wedding photographer gets cold feet when her own boyfriend gets down on his knee and proposes love for aĺl eternity. On paper Jon should tick all the boxes but he isn't for her. Off Harriet runs to her reliable mate Lorna who I also loved in the book. Great characters, great romance and some fun thrown in, what's not to love

I have read a couple of books written by Mhairi McFarlane and enjoyed them. They both surprised me greatly so I started reading Mad about You already with high expectations. And before I continue with my thoughts, let me tell you, wow! What a complex, warm, deep, thought-provoking read this was!

It actually started a bit slow. I didn't get an instant connection with our main character, Harriet, and I also didn't see how his new roommate, Cal, was going to win my heart either. But the writing was entertaining and witty so I started reading a couple of chapters every day for a bit of escapism. But after a few days, god! How wrong I was. The more I knew about Harriet, the more I wanted to know. She was such an interesting character. I felt that little by little I understood her better and better and I was totally rooting for her. Something similar happened with Cal. I loved learning more about him and his friend Sam. And every conversation with the three of them was fire!

I obviously ended up reading the second half of the book in one sitting and since finishing it a few days ago, these characters haven't left my head. I loved how this story slowly won me over and how well written it was. It has deep and a dark parts too but I was left with such a good feeling. Bravo Mhairi! I need to check a few more of her older books, as I am now a big fan of this author.

Mhairi McFarlane’s Mad About You is a wonderful character-driven story that follows Harriet Hatley, a wedding photographer who finds herself in need of a place to stay after rejecting her boyfriend’s marriage proposal. She ends up renting a space with Cal, a runaway groom in need of a roommate. But how can Harriet like a person who would do something like that? Both are avoiding their pasts, but could facing them help them find a future together?

McFarlane’s books always make me feel a ton of feels. Sometimes laugh-out-loud funny and other times a bit heat-breaking, Mad About You is a well-crafted and nuanced piece of contemporary fiction. The characters are relatable and compelling, and the themes are poignant. It’s pretty safe to say that I will enjoy most anything McFarlane writes at this point!

Harriet is such a fantastic protagonist and is so layered and dynamic. She’s smart and funny and a loyal friend, but she is also burdened by her past. Harriet goes on a tremendously emotional journey throughout the book as she learns to be vulnerable, love herself, and let others love her. She also has to deal with things that happened to her in the past, especially when someone from her past resurfaces. I think her character and the situations she finds herself in are very relatable and realistic, and I was so invested in her story and hoping for her to find happiness.

Cal is also a fantastic character. He’s so kind and funny, yet he is burdened by the past as well. When Harriet’s past comes back to haunt her, Cal is super supportive and is always there for her. Their relationship is fleshed out well, and I love their slow-building love story. The romance isn’t the main focus of the story, but it’s a lovely part of it.

Harriet’s long-time friendship with Lorna is another highlight of the book. These women are so supportive of each other, and they have such a strong bond. And Lorna is fantastic! She’s the kind of best friend everyone needs! Cal has a similar friendship with Sam, and they are so fun together. These healthy and supportive relationships stand in sharp contrast to some of the other toxic relationships Harriet and Cal have experienced.

I always enjoy reading Mhairi McFarlane’s books. They’re smart, fun, and poignant, and this book is no exception. It’s funny and sweet, and it also has a lot of depth. The story addresses serious topics like abuse, infidelity, toxic relationships, loss, and the negative impact of social media, but it maintains a hopeful and positive tone with the strong and uplifting friendships and the possibility of romance. It’s a well-balanced and layered story and one I’d definitely recommend to readers of contemporary fiction and romance.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

I loved this book and these characters!. Mhairi McFarlane’s characters are complex and well fleshed out which makes for a very interesting and addictive read. You just can’t wait to see how these people’s lives will unfold throughout the story.

The book follows wedding photographer Harriet Hatley, fresh out of a bad break-up, which has left her looking for a new place to live. She soon moves in with Cal and circumstances lead to a rocky start between the roommates, which sees Harriet begin to deal with her preconceived views and with a past that comes back to haunt her.

The female friendships in this book are amazingly portrayed and feel refreshingly real. It was very emotional to read about Harriet learning to trust the women around her and seeing them build confidence in each other.

While the story’s focus is on Harriet’s journey, it’s impossible not to root for her and Cal to find happiness together. The development of the friendship and bond that forms between the two characters is riveting to read and makes you crave their interactions and swoon over the budding romance. I did wish we got more moments between the two, especially towards the end of the book.

Overall, this was an amazing, albeit heavy read, as most Mihari Machfari’s books have been for me. The writing is amazing, and the big moments in the story feel wonderfully earned.

I recommend this book if you’re looking for women’s fiction with a nice sprinkle of romance

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Mhairi McFarlane is one of my go to authors, and Mad About You didn’t disappoint.

I loved the girl power elements especially whilst dealing with the hard subject of abuse.
The only criticism I would have is that I would have liked a bit more of the romance between her and Cal.

Thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I have read all of Mhairi McFarlane's books and this is by far and away her best yet! As always, it's funny and emotional and I would expect nothing less from one of my favourite authors. I can't wait for the book to be published so I can recommend it to other people.

Congratulations Mhairi, (in my opinion) this is your very best work - loved it.

I loved this book. It had fun, likeable characters, a nod to the perils of social media and a lovely romance.

This was my first ever Mhairi Mcfarlane and I’d heard such amazing things about her books that I was so excited to try this as the story was full of tropes I just love but unfortunately this one just didn’t work for me. The pace of the book was so slow and I felt for me there was elements of the story and the actual writing style of more women’s fiction and that is just not my genre of choice. The book would be really great for someone who likes those things though and for someone looking for a slower paced read. Mhairi is obviously such a talented writer and crafter of stories but sadly this one just wasn’t for me.

A lovely romance / girl power read that’s up to Mhairi’s usual standards! Harriet and Cal are loveable characters and it’s a funny and touching read. More on the romance would have been great but I still enjoyed every page regardless.