Mhairi McFarlane is one of my favourite authors and as usual this book packed a big emotional punch. I do think her books are increasingly moving away from the lighter rom-com, and this one in particular felt quite heavy in places. I was really gripped and couldn’t put it down and I loved the romance between Harriet and Cal.

Is there a better author for the light and funny alongside tackling a breadth of themes. This is another brilliant read from one of my favourites. Definitely recommend it if you want an example of women's fiction that is well constructed with impeccable characterisation and many moments of LOL.

Mad about you - Mhairi McFarlane

I was really looking forward to this book as I have loved all of this authors previous books so much, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. I found it a little bit of a slow burn and a heavier read than her previous books, maybe this was just down to my own mood when reading as from looking at other reviews I am definitely in the minority with this opinion. This will not put me off reading more from this author in the future.

At first, I was really enjoying the story and the writing. There were a couple times I found myself smiling at some of the narrative. However, I started to feel like it was something I had read before. I stopped reading at 50% as I got bored sadly.

Harriet is a Wedding photographer but the Bridegroom has done a runner. A month later Harriet and her partner are away for the weekend with his family when he unexpectedly and publicly proposes to her. Although she says yes at the time, will she go through with it?

A delightful read.

Ahhhh such an uplifting and emotional read! Cover from important topics. The writing was witty & loved allll of the characters! Absolutely wouldn’t say no to a sequel <3

Mhairi McFarlane was featured on Caboodle, the rewards programme from National Book Tokens:

Mhairi McFarlane is back with the funniest rom-com of 2020!
When Laurie is dumped by her partner of eighteen years, she’s blindsided. Not only does she feel humiliated, they still have to work together.

So when she gets stuck in the lift with handsome colleague Jamie, they hatch a plan to stage the perfect romance. Revenge will be sweet…

But this fauxmance is about to get complicated. You can’t break your heart in a fake relationship – can you?

Win a signed copy of Mhairi McFarlane's hilarious new novel, If I Never Met You, plus her bestselling books, Don't You Forget About Me, Who's That Girl? and It's Not Me It's You.

10 runners-up will also win a copy of If I Never Met You.

As always, Mhairi McFarlane delivers with a laugh out loud book! Sharp witty writing & characters that you can get behind & relate to. I’m chomping at the bit for the next one - loved it. 4 stars ****

I really enjoyed this, even though I enjoyed some of the author's other books more. I loved that it delved into more challenging issues related to trauma and abuse. I liked the characters. I thought the ending was a bit too convenient but oh well, I still enjoyed most of the book.

Two strangers. One big coincidence. Driving each other crazy is just the beginning…
Harriet Hatley is running away from everything.
Great characters, really interesting RomCom storyline that just sucks you in and kept me hungry for more and to see how the dramas worked out for them all.
I'll definitely look for more books from McFarlane, loving her writing style. Highly recommended.
Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley #MadAboutYou

always reliable for light reading phase, life affirming and an escape from real life. would recommend

Mad About You by Mhairi McFarlane was released earlier this year and I absolutely inhaled it!

I did, however, find it quite tough to review as there was quite a different tone to this book and in my opinion this was not a romance. This isn’t a criticism at all, but rather something to be mindful of if you’re a romance reader, as the focus is more on friendship and advocating for yourself.

In this latest instalment, we meet wedding photographer Harriet who is running away from her boyfriend’s family and her boyfriend’s family and she doesn’t want to get married! Cal is a runaway groom of a wedding Harriet didn’t end up photographing! Due to circumstances relating to her boyfriend Jon, Harriet ends up as Cal’s lodger.

From a previous relationship and then from her relationship with Jon, Harriet had endured a lot of horrible experiences within her love life, and I felt that the relationship pay-off at the end wasn’t really big enough and I would have preferred more of a HEA- or rather for it to happen slightly earlier in the book. I did, however, love Harriet’s friend Lorna and how Harriet’s friendship developed with Cal, especially given how they met.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed Mad About You and I flew through it even though it wasn’t a romance. I like that the author doesn’t shy away from difficult and tricky issues and discusses them in a sensitive way without glossing over them.

McFarlane has been an auto-buy author for me for a long time, and I am already looking forward to Between Us which is out in April 2023!

CW: gaslighting, domestic abuse/coercive control, toxic family relationships, social media bullying.

4.5

This was such a great read & my first Mhairi McFarlane, something I am going to correct sharpish.

Hattie jumps off the page as someone you can't help but like, vivacious & funny, but with past issues, I want to be friends with her & Lorna. This isn't your standard rom-com though, it covers so much more with grief, gaslighting & mental abuse as some of the themes covered, but through it all there is a wonderful balance of humour & friendship.

I genuinely loved the friendships portrayed in this, Cal & Sam and Hattie & her girls, they were realistic & didn't sugar coat what its really like with friends sometimes.

If you're looking to a quick, fun, humorous but heartfelt read grab this one.

I am obsessed with Mhairi's writing, her style and voice are truly engaging and I always enjoy her well-crafted characters and hugely entertaining stories. This does not disappoint! Another beauty - highly recommend.

I was very excited for this one, I am a huge fan of Mhairi Mcfarlanes books and this was just as great as her previous work. Honestly it took me a long time to read it, it took me a while to get sucked in but when I was, about halfway through, I raced through the rest of it. It was a different kind of romance, focusing on friendship and grief and also a depiction of dementia. I really loved the main character Eve, she was real and relatable and kindhearted and her friendship with Susie was so lovely. But when she finds out Susie has been keeping something big from her, she doesn't know what to do, as suddenly she can't turn to Susie for an explanation. I found the concept interesting and the dementia aspect eye opening and my heart absolutely broke when we find out more about Fin and that he's not the monsters he's been made out to be. Highly recommend this one, although be aware of grief, dementia and abuse, if that is triggering for you.

I’ve read almost all of Mhairi McFarlane’s books and loved every one, so it was no surprise that I loved Mad About You too. I read it in two sittings and finished it crying on a train. But along with the crying it made me laugh out loud, rage and cheer (internally). Harriet is just the loveliest, most relateable MC and I loved (and hated, where appropriate) the supporting characters too. Everyone just fees entirely real and though one part of this book felt a little far-fetched, it was so satisfying that I didn’t even mind. And now I’ve added the two Mhairi McFarlane books I somehow haven’t yet read to my TBR.

In true Mhairi fashion, this book doesn't disappoint.

Harriet feels so three-dimensional, almost as if she's a close friend of yours. She is flawed and at times you want to shout at her but she feels real which makes you root for her all the way through. There is so much heart (and heartbreak) in this which I think sets it apart as it is a much slower burn than some of her other books.

I'm a big fan of all of Mhairi's titles but Made About You feels different somehow. It explores the characters, what drives them and who they are in a way that makes it feel well fleshed out and not your run of the mill, enemies to lovers/will they won't they trope.

Love Mhairi McFarlane books and this one did not disappoint! The characters were realistic and relatable and the story was a perfect escape!

4.75 stars

Mhairi McFarlane has become one of my auto-read authors. Her books are just fantastic and cover so many different themes and topics.

I like that whilst there is a romance at the centre of the book, there is so much more to the story and Mad About You was such an emotional but empowering story about letting go and moving on.

Honestly will always recommend a Mhairi McFarlane book!

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another brilliant feel good rom-com from the brilliant Mhairi McFarlane - Mad about You certainly ticks all the boxes if you’re looking for a warm hearted, funny read that tugs the heart strings while making you laugh out loud.

Many thanks to all concerned for allowing me to read and review this terrific book.