I loved this! 'The Man I Never Met' was a book I felt compelled to read, after seeing lots of glowing reviews from my most trusted book friends. From the beginning, I was completely invested in this couple (Hannah and Davey) and their wellbeing. I also really enjoyed learning about Joan from next door, and seeing her story develop. This is a novel about fate, love, friendship and overcoming obstacles. There are some beautiful settings in it too. I was enthralled by Elle Cook's writing and look forward to more from her in this vein.

Not at all what I was expecting and I absolutely loved it. A really lovely contemporary romance that I found hard to put down and could easily have binge read in one sitting. I would highly recommend for lovers of Eva Carter or Josie Silver.

When Davey misdials Hannah's number, at first they think nothing of it.

After all, Davey lives in Texas and Hannah lives in London.

But when Davey gets a job in London, their paths are sure to cross. As messaging turns to video calling, this feels like the start of something.

4.5☆

Hannah and Davey's meet-cute was very romcom worthy and I absolutely adore the way their friendship blossomed so effortlessly. I found myself smiling along at their connection. Davey's openness and willingness to be honest and vulnerable with his feelings is so refreshing. My heart broke for what Davey goes through and ached for the way it affected his relationship with Hannah. You reach a point where you wonder whether it will even happen for them but it all ends up exactly as it should.

I wanna talk about the side characters cos they were absolutely fabulous but special mention to Joan, she's amazing and Paul too, he's the boyfriend you want your girl pals to have. One that becomes one of the gals and I loved it

I am trying so hard not to say too much and give anything away because this book had me gripped and I devoured it in one sitting. The pace and the writing were excellent and I live for dual POV.

Lastly, I want to echo the authors thanks to her husband, Steve, for allowing her to share parts of his journey within this book. It's an incredible thing to allow something personal and vulnerable in the hopes of helping and inspiring others.

Suppose you are expecting a sweet, cosy, fluffy read. In that case, this is not the book for you – this book and its characters have depth, they have intense yet relatable problems to overcome, and it took me on an emotional roller-coaster that I was not prepared for – I LOVED it! A modern romance with a few light sex scenes (but nothing major to offend readers) along with its dramatic and tense moments, this book has it all.

I read this in one sitting due to the absorbing way this author writes, and I became so invested in Hannah, George (Urgh!) and Davey that I stayed up late to finish it. There are some sensitive issues within this storyline that some readers may find upsetting, but I felt these were handled sensitively and gently so as not to lose readers down a dark hole.

Does Hannah get her happily-ever-after too? I cannot either confirm or deny…you'll have to read the book to find out! This would make an ideal book club read, as I know there has been a mixture of thoughts on this storyline and its characters, providing a lot of conversation starters.

this book started so well, i’ve loved the concept and the story builds up and surprisingly i loved both main characters. but sadly the ending was all rushed and became so flat that it left me angry. i was so happy that finally Hannah and Davey met and all I see is that’s the end. No more insight and that was all i’d been waiting for.

thank you to netgalley the arc.

One day Hannah picks up a call from an unknown number - Davey lives in the US but is moving to London soon and he dialled Hannah’s number by mistake, instead of leave it at that the pair form a friendship and keep in contact almost daily in the lead up to Davey’s move where Hannah is set to meet him at the airport… only he never shows up.

The reason I gave this a 3 star is because I felt somewhat misled, the synopsis and cover make it’s seem as though it’s a right person/wrong time romance but it’s really really sad and quite depressing! It’s really heavy in parts too and I can imagine it could be quite triggering for people.

The story was very emotional and I did enjoy the build up but the end felt quite rushed to me. I also didn’t like the constant references about weight and eating (although that’s personal preference)

Not a bad book at all, just not what I was expecting. If you go in expecting a sad story with a very small subplot of romance rather than a romcom then you’ll probably enjoy it a lot more.

I got The Man I Never Met by Elle Cook from NetGalley for a fair and honest review.



The Man I Never Met by Elle Cook is a contemporary romance novel that stats with Hannah answering her phone from Davy who is going for a job in London although he lives in Texas USA.

Over the next few months the two of them connect via the internet until Hannah goes to meat him at the airport and he does not get their.

This is one of those romances that is high on the cuteness scale and while there are some discussions of and sex scenes The Man I Never Met I would probably call it a mostly closed door romance.

While the novels ending does feel a bit rushed for me this did not damage my enjoyment as I do feel some writers do add to the length of the novel by expanding the length of the story which for me can damage the enjoyment of the book as a whole.

As a reader I did feel that The Man I Never Met biggest weakens was the start, which fo the first ¼ of the book felt slow and there are times I felt the book had dragged on, however once I got to this point it was as though I could not put it down.

With what was happening with Davy’s life and how Hannah was both affected by it and how she reacted along with her relationship with George a fitness trainer who she goes to Thailand on holiday with as friends.

For me The Man I Never Met by Elle Cook while being a half closed door romance that dealt with a number of issues such has men’s health and uneven relationships with such sensitivity that it really did drew me as a reader into the story,

This makes The Man I Never Met by Elle Cook a really cute romance for readers who feel that romance novels a built on emotional connection between two people rather than the physical one.

A brilliant example of the second chance love trope The Man I Never Met is a gorgeous read that I sped through in a day. Davey and Hannah's story is the epitamy of a slow burn romance and I was just itching for them to get together the whole way through. That's the hook that keeps you gripped from start to finish. Davey's story brings such a lump to your throat and along with Hannah they are both lovely main characters that you really feel like you to get to know the more you read. I adored the rest of the cast of characters (with the exception of George!) I'd love to have read more of a epilogue but only because I wasn't ready for the story to end!

A beautiful story full of happy accidents, fateful coincidence and chaotic decisions that will leave you smiling so much it hurts.

When Davey dials a wrong number and Hannah answers on the other side of the world, they have no idea of the journey they just started together. And when Davey realises he's taking a new job in the same city as Hannah, it's fate. But love never runs smooth, does it?

Both characters are brilliant, real, and relatable - of course they make stupid mistakes and bad choices, but they're just human after all. Both points of view had a unique voice and really let us get into the minds of the characters so we could rally behind them and wait patiently for that mad dash to the end.

Oh my what a beautiful story. I devoured this in two sittings and it has had me laughing and crying in equal measures.
Hannah and Davey are such great characters and this will they/ won’t they story is one to keep you turning the pages to find out what will happen next.
I loved the other characters in the story too - Joan, Miranda and even George were brilliant additions to the cast and I loved seeing their interactions with Hannah.

Hannah answers her phone one day, a number she doesn't recognise. On the other end is Davey, a Texan who has the wrong number for a job interview. The two of them stay in touch, and what develops is a beautiful, open and honest friendship. Davey is moving to England, and Hannah cannot wait to meet him. Then, something truly shocking happens and their relationship is instantly destroyed. No spoilers here, but I found myself sobbing and desperate to know what was going to happen.

The author has created two wonderful characters in Hannah and Davey, the POV chapters gave a lovely insight into both of their lives. The ending did however let the book down slightly for me, it felt rushed and didn't quite match up to the emotion of the rest of the story.

Regardless of this, I couldn't put the book down, I needed to find out if they would ever meet and get the ending they deserved - read it to find out!

4.5

Can fate really draw two people together & what happens when life gets in the way of fate?

Hannah & Davey are so right for each other but they're on different continents...for now, but Davey is heading to London so they have a bright future right? Well you'll have to read the book to find out.

The Man I Never Met has a wonderful cast, I particularly loved Joan & am so pleased with how her part played out. Elle Cook has written a novel that draws you in, has enough emotion to play with your heart a little, grey characters who I loved to hate & a throughly satisfying ending.


This is a story of friendship, love & what happens when fate takes a backseat to life.

The story
Hannah lives alone in London and has a relatively quiet life. She sees her best friend Miranda once a week, has coffee with her neighbour and landlady once a week and rarely dates the same person for long. She gets called by a wrong twice one afternoon and it ends up changing her life. Davey is an architect in Texas interviewing for a job in London. When he gets the job, the conversations between them continue and they get closer and closer. Except when he’s meant to step off the plane to move to London, he isn’t there.

My thoughts
This is the first contemporary fiction story from a traditionally historical fiction writer (Lorna Cook). It’s hard to gush without giving the story away but I was totally drawn into Hannah and Davey’s world while reading this story. I loved the real-life ups and downs, wrong turns and extremely human emotions shared by the characters. Neither Hannah or Davey are perfect, but several supporting characters voice hints of the truth along the way, which hold their relationship together in the most special way. Such a goodie ❤️

Read an eARC copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.
My rating 4.5/5 - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️💫

Fate, destiny, kismet.

A book that will truly tug at your heartstrings. What starts out as a transatlantic wrong number, blossoms into something unique. Think You've Got Mail, but set in the time of WhatsApp messages, calls and video calls.

I really liked Hannah and Davey. Their characters seemed genuine and Elle/Lorna Cook did a good job writing about the emotions that both of them dealt with. I also really loved how supportive their friends were and how they all played a pivotal role in the story.

Having read one Lorna Cook book previously, I'm intrigued about what she'll write next as Elle Cook.

I really enjoyed this read and how the romance grew between Davey and Hannah.

The reason he didn’t turn up was unexpected and it was definitely an emotional journey!

They did both annoy me slightly (like cmon Davey if you’re in London just say!) and Hannah putting up with George.

However, they were both self-aware of their lack of going after what they want.

I do like a good romance book and this one was brilliant. Not only dealing with love in relationships it also had the upsetting health side of it too. The characters were brilliant with a good storyline and laugh out loud moments along with some upsetting moments too. This book has a bit of everything in it. A real page turner.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I’d like to thank Laura O’Donnell from Cornerstone for sending me a proof of this beautiful book. I had heard amazing things about this book and was very excited to get started. I have to give a special mention to my lovely friend Lisa who first put this book on my radar.

What can I possibly say about this book that will show just how much I loved it? Do you ever finish a book and think my words will simply not be enough? That is me right now!

Hannah and Davey are the unexpected romance that you want to see succeed. From the first accidental phone call to the moment they are due to meet you can see the easiness of their relationship. There were no dramas or second guessing what the other one was thinking and initially no expectations. Perhaps that is why they worked so well?

When Davey didn’t show up I was immediately running through a lot of different theories in my head and whilst my guess was right it did not take away from the story at all. Seeing how both Hannah and Davey navigated their way through these circumstances made for an emotional read at times but I was still willing for them to find their way and realise they were meant to be.

Alongside these two loveable characters we have a whole host of secondary characters that are just brimming with personality. There’s Miranda, the best friend who needs all the gossip and Paul, Miranda’s boyfriend who isn’t afraid to offer his advice but happily rolls his eyes whilst the girls catch up on gossip. Then we have Joan who grades her coffees out of five and never had adult sleep overs on the first date…or does she?

This book was all I hoped it would be and so much more. I can’t say much about the plot without giving away the whole story but it definitely took twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting. I had the smile on my face, the laughs and the tears, and the lump in my throat. It was an emotional roller-coaster and a book I will not forget for a long time.

Romance isn’t a genre I tend to read very often, as I find a lot of them fall very flat for me, but the cover of this one caught my attention and I’m SO glad it did because I LOVED this book. From just a few pages in I was hooked and I was sad when I finished it!

I loved hannah. And davey. And Joan. In fact there were very few characters I didn’t like (George, I’m looking at you!) When Davey misdials Hannah, it’s the start of something very special, and I was here for it! I’m in a long distance relationship myself, no where near as far as Hannah and davey but still, and so I really connected with a lot of their story. The phone calls; the FaceTime dates simultaneously watching the same films, and I think that’s why I loved it so much, because it was nice to read a romance that felt so real to me.

When something happened that put a stop to their relationship, I felt the hurt too! I spent half of the book willing them to get back together and getting angry every time Hannah mentioned George (who I hated, if I haven’t already said that!)

The whole story is AMAZING! I never wanted it to end, but when it did I was left with such a warm fuzzy feeling. This book also gave me massive ‘me before you’ vibes. It’s nothing like it so that’s not a spoiler, but just gave me that sort of vibe, so if you enjoyed that, you need to read this!

The only negative I will say, is parts felt rushed. The story skipped ahead a few times when I would have liked more of what happened between those points, but obviously I know it had to skip so the book wasn’t 1000 pages long so not a massive negative. I just didn’t want the story to end so wished it had been dragged on a bit more 😂

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance read of this book I was so excited to be approved this book on Netgalley and I was not disappointed.
A great set of characters! I loved Hannah and Davey and laughed out loud a few times at Joan and her antics!
It is a stunning debut into this genre for Elle Cook, aka Lorna Cook. I couldn't stop turning the pages to find out the ending. I can't wait to see what this author writes in this genre next!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐