First time in eight years a plot twist surprised me out of a blue and it was a romcom. 😪

I love romcoms, but I think I was not this book's target audience. The start was very simple and very promising — Hannah and Davey fatefully connect with a 'called your number by mistake' trope, develop an attraction, and 1/3 into the book, things are rosy for them with plot geared up to drop the other shoe quite soon.

But then the shoe dropped, it was not in the way I expected. The plot twist came out of the blue and hit me in the face the way truck-kun hits an isekai protagonist. As one can extrapolate from that description alone, I did not enjoy it. As someone who had experienced getting diagnosed seemingly out of nowhere with a condition that fundamentally changes one's life, I did not relish getting blindsided by this development. I didn't see it coming and after double-checking the synopsis, it was not forewarned anywhere. I do not like to use the phrase 'that was triggering,' but honestly, kind of was.

I persevered and finished the book.

I expected the story about ups-and-downs and struggles of a couple whose relationship started long-distance and who had to cope with both learning each other as people face-to-face and with the culture shock of one of them moving overseas. Instead I got a weepy, mawkish, cliche storyline about two people who could have solved roughly 70% of their angst if they communicated better with one another.

The Man I Never Met felt like a navel-gazing, involuntarily jerky flashback into post-A Walk to Remember 2005-era fanfiction.net. I've been there, I lived through that, I don't want more of that.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

Was this the rom-com I was expecting? No. But was it a good book? Yes!

I enjoyed the premise of this book a lot & was really rooting for the main characters. Although some of the book was a little slow paced for my liking, I just couldn’t put it down!

Thank you to Random House & Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

The premise of this book had me intrigued from the start, however it isn't as much a long distance romance book as two very different lives taking some hugely emotional & devastating twists and turns. I have to be hones and say I really wish there had been something in the blurb that warned of a cancer/chemotherapy active storyline, I know this probably creates a spoiler and I will mark public reviews as such, but for me personally I would have preferred to know that before embarking on reading it. Having said that,I was hooked on the book by the time that plot emerged and I felt able at the time to persevere, it was handled sensitively and reading the author's notes at the end I can see why, and what an important potential this book has.
I loved both characters, the dual point of view chapter helped with the voice & flow and the peripheral characters, especially Joan, were perfect!

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The story follows Hannah, a British gal working in marketing and living a comfortable life. She goes out with her friends every Saturday for drinks, she likes to frequent the gym and have Saturday morning catch-ups with her neighbour, Joan over coffee. An unexpected call from a wrong number leads to a surprise connection with an American hottie named Davey, and the two quickly begin chatting everyday. Their friendship turns into the promise of something more, both looking forward to Davey moving to London. Only Davey doesn't make it to London due to unforeseeable issues. With their relationship in an uncertain place the couple decide the best thing to do is move on from each other at this time. But will fate bring them back together?

Ok so I read the blurb for this book and I thought it sounded promising, a love story, some angst, something that keeps them apart for a little while, all fine and dandy! I usually prefer more romance-based books so this was out of my comfort zone. But the twists this book took I did not expect! I thought this was going to be a romance with some obstacles in the way for the couple to overcome to find their happy ending but what I got was a whole lot of depressing moments, a toxic relationship between the main character and an other man for a majority of the book, and a glimpse of a happy ending on the last couple pages.

Though I didn't really like the storyline, the author did a good job of writing the characters as I was invested in their journeys. There were times I wanted to shake Hannah with the way she let George treat her as well as my excitement as she ran through the train station in that particular scene. I was also massively invested in Davey’s storyline and there was plenty of eye rolling from me in terms of some of his decisions as well as the similar need to give him a good shake. There was definitely chemistry between Hannah and Davey I just didn't get to see enough of it, I would have loved if the end was just a bit longer too!

Overall it's a good complex and emotional book, with character growth and personal journeys, it just wasn't my cup of tea but I'm sure it will be others!

I COULD NOT put this down. It sent me on an emotional rollercoaster and I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. The storyline was brilliant (although the sudden cancer plot line threw me for a loop), and the characters were really well developed and loveable (except George. Fuck George.)

I love that this was a love story about two people that hadn't even met yet. I also enjoyed Hannah and Davey's separate journeys of self discovery, until they finally had their happy ending together. Who knew a book could be depressing AND heart warming at the same time?! I'd definitely recommend this as a quick, easy read.

This was a sweet book.

I enjoyed it well enough. The characters were likable and the plot definitely interesting. I was eager to keep reading as soon as I started. There wasn't much for drama and I would've preferred just a little more in terms of interaction between the main couple. I understand the whole premise was they existed on opposite sides of the world and they had the whole will they won't they thing going for them, but they were sweet in the together-not togetherness and it would've been nice to have them have more scenes together.

It wasn't the best thing I've ever read but I'm happy to have read it. It was raw and captivating and it definitely tug at my heart strings.

Liked this - was a bit more meaty than expected when I started it and it was not the predictable easy read I thought.

This is my first book review through NetGalley and I had been hoping to get off to a better start. While I have only recently started to get into the romance genre, I am aware of many of its flaws, which were unfortunately prevalent throughout this book. The Man I Never Met felt very bland and unoriginal for me, following a generic plot that was easy to foresee. The characters could have been fleshed out more and there should have been more explanation for the main character’s actions as, to me, it seemed that most things she did were very blatantly to progress the plot, rather than because it is how she would respond. The book was filled with overused and boring tropes, such as the favourite amongst romance authors, unfortunately including the classic ‘’the main character is attractive but doesn’t know it’ trope. This, alongside the consistent but largely subtle hints of fatphobia made this a difficult read.

I couldn't put this book down, so many twists and turns that I didn't see coming, however it finished just perfectly

I loved both of the main characters and was pulled into the story instantly! Their relationship was just so beautiful, I absolutely loved reading about it. I also loved Hannah’s relationship with her friends, they were all so endearing, it was such a raw, emotional book that also came with frustration for characters, and humour and such loveable, heartwarming moments. I really enjoyed this and thought it was written so beautifully with two amazing main characters created who I loved getting to know.

A fantastic story that is full of laughter, tears, love and happiness. Absolute rollercoaster of a journey through the story but loved every moment of it!!

I really want to give this book 4.5 out of 5 but it won't let me do half-star ratings unfortunately.
I was a bit unsure about what to expect as I love Lorna's historical fiction. I was not disappointed. This book is sensational and it has romance, weddings, shopping, love, family, connections, hope, hurt, loss and the grit of real-life drama. It would have been 5 stars but I personally didn't enjoy the sex scenes. I think hinting at sex is far more sexy than detailed descriptions. Everything else about this book was incredible.

The Man I Never Met is a fun and light read, great for when you need something quick and refreshing, but crave a little bit of depth. I wouldn’t say it’s more than that though.

Hannah has a steady job, a nice place, a sweet 70-year-old neighbour named Joan, who she taste tests Nespresso flavours with, but something is missing from her life. However, that missing thing comes to her when she least expects it, when she randomly answers her phone one day and meets Davey, who mistakenly dials her number instead of the company he was supposed to interview with.

This synopsis is right, this is a classic will-they-won’t-they romance, with a few heartwarming parts, but ultimately I didn’t think it was good enough to set it apart from all the others. I would say it’s an original idea made into a pretty unoriginal romance book, which is a shame.

Cook’s writing is funny at times, it’s cute and sappy, as you would expect, but it relies too heavily on cliches and predictable encounters. It’s not a bad book in any way, it’s both enjoyable and entertaining, and I finished it in two sittings, which is always good. I did really enjoy reading about Hannah’s relationship to Joan, they were just the cutest. All in all, not the best book I’ve read, but I’m interested to see what Elle Cook writes next.

I absolutely loved The Man I Never Met. The novel follows Hannah and Davey who first speak when Davey dials an incorrect number for a job interview, they begin talking over the phone, messaging, sending photos and then video calling for hours at a time. Davey is making plans to move to London and Hannah can’t wait to meet him, planning all of the activities they'll do when he arrives and helping him find the perfect flat to live in. But when she’s left waiting at the airport with no communication from Davey, she starts to wonder what is going on. Miles away in America Davey is struggling to come to terms with his cancer diagnosis, in denial of the fact that he won’t be going to London after all. In his state of confusion and desperation, he ends the blossoming romance between himself and Hannah, preferring not to drag her into his new and painful reality. Whilst both of their lives continue separately and they both begin dating someone new, they can’t stop thinking about each other. Both wondering what could have been…

This was a thoroughly enjoyable romance with two likeable protagonists and a host of great side characters, including some great friends. The travel elements in this novel make it the perfect read for a holiday, with the characters visiting Thailand, Italy and more. I loved the inclusion of both their perspectives and this helped keep the story moving when they were apart for a chunk of the story.

A five star read for me and a book I’m likely to re-read!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CgeFGp3Lv7_/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I found this book to be well written and enjoyable. The characters were well developed and relatable.
The way Cook portrays relationships, grief and friendship was really well done (even though I did find one character annoying, they were important to the story). 👏

I'm not a big romance reader so The Man I Never Met was my first romance read of the year. I really liked it, reading it in just one sitting. I couldn't stop grinning every time a text message would come in from Hannah or Davey 😊
I really liked the POV perspective of both characters, it didn't switch to often and get confusing like others I have read.
The only negative thing I can point out is that I didn't think the ending (last page) was the best - I felt there was something missing, but that is purely because of my own taste.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I don’t often pick up romances (I enjoy them but I am more of a fantasy, ancient historical fiction gal), however I really enjoyed this book!

It follows Davey and Hannah who meet after Davey misdials Hannah’s number. Davey is living in Texas and Hannah is in London so when they decide to become friends they have to settle for texts and phone calls and eventually video calling.
Davey has got a job in London and so they are counting down the days until they can see each other in person. However, when Hannah is left at the airport with no sign of Davey she starts to think he has stood her up. When she finds out what really happened her world is never going to be the same.

This is a classic romance of the ‘will they won’t they’ that will have you screaming at the world to just let them be and live their lives.

I fell in love with these characters as soon as I opened the book and going on their journey of ups and downs was a rollercoaster.

One of this books’ main storyline’s could be a potential trigger warning for some people so I will put more information at the end as it could be perceived as a minor spoiler.

The only reason this book is a 4 star read for me is because there was a hint of the miscommunication trope and I really don’t like that.

That being said this was the perfect palette cleanser in between other books I am reading and if you like the romance genre I think you will love this!

I feel like this is a book where you can just lose yourself in the story for a day and just enjoy it! It also has a happy ending which I love!

TW & POTENTIAL SPOILER:
This book has a main plot line that involves someone getting diagnosed with cancer and going through treatment. Happy ending though.

This was a lovely, heartwarming novel. I enjoyed the build up, starting with friendship and then building to more. I look forward to reading more of Elle Cook's writing.

This was honestly a lovely, wholesome story to read as someone who has been in long distance relationships myself.
I really enjoyed the storyline and the premise of this as a transatlantic romance. The ideas were very sweet and what kept the book alive was the many missed chances of meeting that Hannah and Davey shared. It definitely kept me on edge! Their characters were well-rounded and I really found myself rooting for them.
For me what let the book down was the ‘filler content’ with Hannah & George, as well as Davey & Charlotte. I *really* disliked George as a character so much (he had too many red flags, let’s be honest). I just felt like too much time passed to keep the strong momentum of the main love story.
As I read in the acknowledgments, this isn’t typically the style of book Cook would usually write but it was still a definite success. I would definitely read on for Hannah & Davey’s story if there was a 2nd book on the horizon.
3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review has been posted to Goodreads.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for this eARC. All thoughts are my own.

I love and hate this book at the same time—it made me cry quite hard. Be ready for some tear-jerking moments between Hannah and Davey.

Hannah lives in London. Davey is in Texas, but when he makes a phone call for an interview in London, he misdial, and instead calls Hannah. From that moment, the two start a friendship. But the constant back and forth allows them to develop feelings although they have never met before. On the day that Davey is supposed to be moving to London, something happens, something that pulls their friendship apart. However, they cannot forget what they had, and it's up to them to find a way back to each other.