Although I don't read many books in this genre, I can always make an exception for a new Mhairi McFarlane novel. I've loved all her previous books and was pleased to be granted access to this one on NetGalley.

Laurie is 36 and a lawyer in a firm in Manchester. When her boyfriend of 18 years leaves her unexpectedly, she is shaken to the core. A chance encounter in a broken lift with the office Lothario, Jamie, (no, not that kind of encounter!) results in a plan to get back at Laurie's ex and further Jamie's career. But acting out the perfect relationship is tough when the line between appearances and reality become blurred.

All the usual elements of a great McFarlane novel are present here - a tough heroine, wit and charm, a predictable but cute romance and great female friendships. What was really striking was the love between Laurie and her best friend, Emily - there's the sense that actually the women in Laurie's life are the most important thing which is a great message too.

I'd recommend this book whole-heartedly. Yes, the plot is obvious from the start, but any deviation from the expected would be a disappointment in this case! Read and enjoy!

Aww I loved this book! It demonstrated emotions that are common for everyone and, whilst you could guess what was going to happen, it was delivered in a great way that kept you entranced into the story.

I'm always surprised at how much I love reading Mhairi McFarlane's books because they are pretty formulaic if truth be told, and yet her writing is so engaging and fun; her storytelling well-paced and her characters likeable that I race through them despite knowing what's coming. Pure entertainment and fun and wit.

I absolutely loved this book! Laurie's long term partner ends their relationship and she is devastated. Things are made worse by the fact that they work for the same law company. One day she gets stuck in the office lift with Jamie, a drop dead gorgeous colleague who has a reputation as a womaniser. They hatch a plan to pretend they are in a relationship in order to make Laurie's ex jealous and to improve Jamie's chances of being offered a partnership. This is a funny, well written story. Even if the ending is predictable, it will leave you with a smile on your face and a nice warm feeling! Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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Mhairi McFarlane's terrifically fun read is endearing and engaging whilst having some surprisingly insightful thoughts on the nature of relationships and women in general. 36 year old lawyer Laurie Watkinson lives in Manchester, working at provincial law firm, Salter and Rowson. Her long term partner of 18 years, Dan Price, is a lawyer there too, so when out of the blue Dan breaks up with her citing he is not ready to settle down and have children with her, Laurie's world falls apart. Her pain knows no bounds when she learns Dan is involved with another woman, Meghan, and that she is pregnant. Feeling desolate, humiliated and casually discarded, her capacity to trust takes a huge hit as Dan proves to be a liar and nothing like the man she had believed him to be, although there is a part of her that still loves him. Matters are exacerbated in a workplace of strong competitive rivalries and gossip that an empty, tearful, grieving and fragile Laurie is not equipped to deal with.

Laurie finds some comfort and strong support in the company of her long term best friend, Emily who works in the PR industry, and the quirky, cloche wearing feminist, Nadia, not to mention her fabulous friend and gay co-worker, Bharat. When exceedingly good looking and ambitious playboy lawyer, Jamie Carter, allergic to marriage and relationships, hatches a plan that will save face for Laurie and help his career, she cannot help but be tempted, a woman scorned seeking some measure of vengeance. She and Jamie are to embark on a time limited relationship, played out on social media on Facebook and Instagram with carefully staged photographs, besotted with each other and in love, but all completely fictitious. Emily warns against this plan, and the possible repercussions with the unintended consequences that are likely to arise but Laurie will not be deflected. Jamie turns out to have far more depth than she could have imagined, their unexpectedly close relationship and comic banter builds her self esteem, confidence, whilst ugly male attitudes and egos erupt in her workplace. Will it all end in tears?

The highlights of this romantic comedy are how it underlines the vital support to be found in friendships, and that whilst finding and developing a relationship is a great thing, what is more important is observing Laurie having her eyes opened to the shortfalls in her relationship with Dan that she was unaware of at the time, a hard won clarity and perspective gained through bitter experience and distance. Laurie travels a difficult and challenging road to being and understanding who she is, this matters more than a relationship as it allows her to deal with the slings and arrows of misfortune that come her way, and take control of her life. A wonderfully entertaining and captivating read. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.

I read a lot of romcoms, but Mhairi McFarlane's books always stick out in my mind. This one is no exception.

How would you react if your partner of 18 years suddenly ended things? Even worse, what if you worked at the same company and had to see them EVERY day?
After finding out her ex's new girlfriend is pregnant only a couple of months after they split up, Laurie strikes up a "fauxmance" with the office playboy Jamie, who's looking for a respectable girlfriend to improve his chance of getting promoted.

However, she soon finds out there’s a fine line between *pretending* to be in love and actually falling for your charming, handsome fake boyfriend...

This is more than just a 'chick-lit' novel. The characters are realistic and relatable. There were moments where my heart ached for Laurie and I was really rooting for her to get her happy ending.

Although you can pretty much predict the outcome right from the start, that didn't take away from my enjoyment. Would recommend!

This is the first book I have read by this author and it certainly won’t be the last, I obviously didn’t know what I’ve been missing.

Laurie and Dan have been in a relationship since university; they live and work together and are just deciding whether to start a family when Dan decides that it’s not working for him and leaves. Laurie is devastated as Dan promises that there is no one else involved, until she discovers there is.

Gorgeous and sexy Jamie, the office lothario with a dodgy reputation, has a proposition for Laurie: why don’t they fake a romance to make Dan jealous and help him gain a promotion? Although unsure at first, Laurie thinks why not, it will help her move on, boost her confidence and show Dan what he’s missing. I mean what can go wrong?

Great book, great characters, perfect ending. Loved it.

Honestly loved this book!
Mhairi has a way with words that is clever, entertaining and vibrant and her novels always explore very interesting characters and scenarios.
This story was a contemporary look at dating, romance, families and office politics and I was hooked! So many excellent character dissections that examined first impressions, reputations, rose-tinted glasses, male/female friendships, infidelity, paternal relationships, toxic masculinity, race, class, social mobility/ambition, and much more. It is packed with wisdom and an emotional intelligence that is enriching and rewarding.
It had me laughing out loud and wiping tears

If I Never Met You is the first book I’ve read from this author. I loved the writing style and there were some great characters. This book will entertain you to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins and the author for the chance to review.

A Predictable Rom-Com ... actually not quite!! The ending was the one you crave but the journey was far less clichéd . Our Hero is actually likeable from the start not the usual conceited vain work in progress and our heroine is strong in the face of adversity but seeks reassurance and restitution and the developing relationship from near stranger to friend and beyond is realistic and the warmer for it!!

I won’t lie - I genuinely did an enormous “squee!” when the email came through to say I was able to review this book. Right since Mhairi’s first novel I have been an enormous fan of her characters, the way she writes with a mix of wit and emotion and her gripping prose.

‘If I Never Met You’ is no different. Immediately gripping with a mix of actual belly laughs and punches to the gut, it is beautifully written and perfectly paced. The characters are jump-off-the-page real.

I absolutely cannot recommend any of Mhairi’s novels more highly and this is no exception. She’s truly my go-to in this genre.

If I Never Met You although a little slow to start is a lovely romantic read that develops really well. Laurie and Dan both solicitors in the same firm have been together for 18 years when out of the blue Dan announces that he’s unhappy and needs ‘to find himself’ stating there is no one else and just like that leaves her devastated. Working together is very difficult for Laurie so when an extremely good looking colleague comes up with the suggestion that they fake a relationship after some hard thinking Laurie agrees.
Both will profit from this relationship Jamie is looked upon as a philanderer but wants to show the bosses he’s suitable for promotion by being in a steady relationship and Laurie will show she’s getting on with her life and doesn’t need Dan in it anymore. With this arrangement the story really takes off, it has sadness but above all humour and the development of a lovely romance.
There is a cast of well rounded characters whose personalities are well expressed and they add much to the enjoyment of this book.
A feel good ending, but, and it’s really my personal quibble, for me it ended too abruptly I felt it would have benefited from an epilogue so we could see a little more into the futures of these two lovely people.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

This is a really lovely, heartwarming story with (mostly!) likeable characters that I raced through almost in one sitting through sheer enjoyment. Laurie Watkinson has been with Dan Price since university eighteen years ago. They are comfortable, have really good jobs as lawyers at the same firm in Manchester, a nice house and are planning on starting a family. Correction. Laurie is. Totally out of the blue comes a bombshell. Dan is unhappy, they want different things, it’s me not you, blah, blah and he dumps her. With indecent haste he begins a relationship with Nicole who, with equally indecent haste, is pregnant. Laurie is floored. Talk about a metaphorical kick in the teeth. Dan is clearly a liar and a cheat. Whilst stuck in the lift at work with Jamie Carter who has a reputation as a bit of a Lothario, they devise a revenge plan that helps them both and fake a relationship ... and so let the fun and games begin!

What I like most about this book is the really good characterisation as they are really believable. Jamie is not what he seems, he’s actually quite sensitive and vulnerable which he hides with armour plating. He’s clever and ambitious and so I guess he ruffles feathers as other blokes seem to find him challenging (it’s a testosterone thing!) and can’t wait to drag him down. He’s honest which Dan certainly wasn’t. Laurie is also very clever and doesn't altogether appreciate her worth. She’s loyal, quick witted, funny and an excellent friend. I love the banter between her and Jamie, they are at ease with each other, it’s on equal terms, they can be themselves and that makes their ‘friendship’ profound.

There is really lovely humour throughout the book plus a dash of wit, a smidge of sarcasm and a dollop of lol! The conversations between all the characters have a genuine feel of authenticity which I really like. The story is well paced, it feels fresh and current which the Manchester setting adds to. I think the author has been very clever with her choice of locations as they match the personalities. Manchester is a vibrant, exciting and fun, young city and so it’s a great environment for the unfolding romantic comedic drama. Lincoln where Jamie’s lovely parents live, is a beautiful old city with great history just as his parents have.

Overall, a very enjoyable, fun read and I love the ending ... and...it happens at Christmas! Awwww. So appropriate to the time of year leaving the reader with a real sense of satisfaction and happiness. It is well written, it’s smart, keeps you interested throughout, it entertains and takes you through a range of emotions - what more can you ask for?!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins, Harper Fiction for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the idea behind this book and it grabbed me straight away. Unfortunately I struggled with it a bit. I found the pacing very slow and it took me a while to get into it.

Lawyer Laurie Watkins on is 36, she is in an 18 year relationship with university boyfriend Dan. He suddenly tells her it's over. Office lothario Jamie Carter proposes a showmance of convenience to make Dan jealous and enhance his career prospects....

A clever romance with substance. There's comedy, cut throat office politics, and relationships with family and friends; bags of emotion too.

The author is becoming one of my favourite with each book that I’m reading.
The story is interesting and I finished it in one sitting. The fact that the heroine is older and my age made me more curious about the book and what’s to come.
After a long time relationship, she finds herself alone with no perspective on the future and honestly, I found this depressing. A younger man, one of her job colleagues makes an appearance and from now on they have to work together for a project. This means a great friendship will develop but there are hidden things or truths that I didn’t know how to read faster to see the outcome of the story.
I’m always looking forward to read more books by the author.

An absolutely fabulous read from Mhairi McFarlane.

When your long term relationship ends, how do you remember who are you without that person? Laurie finds herself asking this exact question when the man she intended on starting a family with calls quits on their relationship.

Suddenly faced with a new, unexpected path in life, Laurie is lost. That is, until her coworker Jamie approaches her with a plan. fake a relationship to make Lauries ex jealous and help Jamie be taken more serioisly at work. win, win for both, right? but what happens when real emotions enter the equation?

A fun, light hearted read full of warm, engaging characters. A breath of fresh air from the wonderful Mhairi who never ceases to amaze!

Enjoyable book set in a Manchester law firm. Laurie is a bright young woman treated badly by the love of her life, Dan. So when Jamie offers her an opportunity to show Dan what he is missing, she takes a risk, despite her best friend Emily counselling her against this plan.

A modern story including the perils of social media, office politics, parenting issues. I enjoyed the story, a real page turner for me. There is sadness and humour, and a great cast of characters.

My only quibble was that a magistrate will not use a gavel in court - they are not used in the UK.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for a digital ARC in return for my honest review.

Laurie and Dan have been together for nearly twenty years, they both work at the same law firm in Manchester and are about to start trying for a baby. That is until Dan tells her that actually he doesn’t want a baby, he doesn’t want a future with her and that she makes him “feel like he is in a tunnel.” It’s over. They’re done. When Jamie, a Jilly Cooper-esque cad of colleague (this is actually how he is described much to my eternal delight), suggests to Laurie that they embark on a fake relationship to a) make Dan jealous and b) increase his chances of being taken more seriously at work and possibly bag him a promotion to Partner she agrees. I mean, what can possibly go wrong?

Oh Lordy, I loved this book! I’m not exactly shy in my love for Mhairi McFarlane’s writing. I have devoured every one of her novels and I tried really hard to eek this one out but I failed miserably. Laurie and Jamie are just so wonderfully written that I fell for them. Hard.

Laurie is thirty six, heartbroken and suddenly single. She asks Dan who she is supposed to have children with now and my heart filled with love for her. She realises that she has absolutely no idea who she is now she is Laurie without the ‘and Dan’ and her future terrifies her. Then there is Jamie, a man is drop-dead gorgeous and boy does he know it. He views women as disposable items and absolutely categorically does not believe in love. OK?

The electricity positively zings between them. The writing is sharp, filled with humour and heart and I was rooting for them from the off. Despite Jamie being an arrogant so and so I really fancied him – I’m not sure how Mhairi does it. Her protagonists are always so real and identifiable that even when they’re as cocky as Jamie you are still endeared to them.

This is a romance novel but it is also an exploration of societal pressures, race and sexual politics, dating and toxic masculinity. If you’re reading this thinking, “God, that sounds a bit preachy” then you’d be totally wrong. There are no neon signs with “here’s a woke bit” identifying these moments. These issues are woven into the fabric of the novel.

As Laurie and Jamie get to know one another they in turn get to know themselves too. Their slow development as the grow from colleagues to friends is just gorgeous to read. Sharp, zingy writing makes this a fun and joyful read whilst also hitting me right in the feels with its exploration of a woman rebuilding her life.

I think this may be my favourite Mhairi McFarlane book (I say that every time). It made me laugh, it made me cry and quite honestly I read it with a big soppy smile on my face the whole time. Her writing is pin sharp and perfectly pitched, this book deals with some pretty huge themes in a sensitive and kind way and her characters leap from the page. I absolutely loved it. Thanks Mhairi.

Parts of this book were so familiar, I’d felt I’d read it before. So...a bit formulaic to start with, but fun, nevertheless.
But as I got into it, and realised the characters weren’t lightweights, but people of some substance, my ideas changed. Laurie is a complicated, interesting professional woman, so the makeover and re-finding herself section were satisfying and believable.
I enjoyed it so much, I even read the acknowledgements and notes at the end! (Praise indeed!)