This was fantastic - couldn't put it down. Rare to read a romance this slow burning that still works, AND is really fucking funny. Highly recommend this author, I loved her previous book as well, and will definitely pick up the rest of her backlist when I get the chance.

Another great read from Mhairi McFarlane! This is such a good book, I read most of it in one day. The characters are likeable and believable and I was really invested in the main character, Laurie and finding out what would happen to her. The story is well written and flows perfectly with just the right amount of detail and no bits that felt like padding. I definitely recommend this book. Thank you #netgalley.

Laurie and Dan have been together forever! When Dan suddenly announces he's leaving Laurie, she doesn't know what to do. Enter Jamie, a work colleague who has a reputation for being a ladies man. When he suggests a fake relationship to make Dan jealous, Laurie agrees...

I LOVED this novel. Everything Mhairi writes is hilarious and heartwarming and this book is just that. I devoured it in two days and was rooting for Laurie and Jamie from the beginning. I'll be recommending it to everyone I know!

Such a lovely story. I loved the romantic elements of it and seeing the relationships develop across the book. I also loved the friendship between Laurie and her best friend.

"If I Never Met You" was a breath of fresh air after some heavy reads. I gobbled it up like a double meringue, fat with cream. Mhairi McFarlane is possessed of a wonderful turn of phrase ("shoe horns" and "uncommitted vampire" made for excellent description). I loved the story and characters. A hugely enjoyable read and prime example of feel-good fiction.

This is my third book by Mhairi McFarlane, and she is fast becoming a firm favourite.

A tightly plotted fake dating story with a lot more depth than you'd normally expect from a 'chick lit' rom com. Realistically flawed characters that are still likeable and a great supporting cast that truly add to the story.

This is a well paced read that is both fun and heartfelt. I devoured this in one day.

A easy romcom read. Laurie is left completely alone and shocked when her long term boyfriend leaves her. Being heart broken she starts a fake relationship with her works player Jamie. Jamie turns out to be more than she bargain for and something blossoms between them.
A nice easy book to read to take you away from daily life

This is the second of McFarlane's books that I have read, and I .enjoyed it as much as the first.
Laurie and Dan are the perfect couple - both lawyers in great jobs, at the same firm. House under their belt, together for many years, and the prospect of a wonderful future together.
Until Dan drops a bombshell. He's not feeling it anymore.
Laurie is sucked into a whirlwind of emotion. What happened? Why her? Why them?
Then she finds out he's with someone... and she's pregnant.
Enter company stud, Jamie.
He comes forth with a plan for a faux romance between the two of them that will benefit both - His career prospects, and her revenge relationship, guaranteed to shake Dan's new boat.
I really loved the whole story, from beginning to end. The way the characters developed, I felt I really knew them, and the twists and turns to get to that HEA... Fantastic!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read from this author & it definitely won’t be the last!

The novel was witty, sweet, sad & entertaining!

Fake dating is one of my favourite tropes & this didn’t disappoint!

This is the first book I’ve read by Mhauri McFarlane
It started off quite slow but then I really got into it and loved it.
A couple of places the character is written in the third person and I wasn’t as keen on that.
I loved the idea of the story it was funny and witty and once I got into it I couldn’t put it down.
Will certainly be reading more of her books :)

If I never Met You is a funny and sweet romcom-esque book which I enjoyed far more than I expected to. Laurie is a serious and successful lawyer whose life is turned upside down when her long-term boyfriend breaks up with her. The plot has lots of predictable elements - getting trapped in a lift with a handsome but rogueish colleague, leaning on her friends to get over the heartbreak etc, but the writing is warm and witty and I flew through this book in a day.

Fantastic as always - I loved how both characters were more complex than they were originally portrayed as. Almost a bit Pride & Prejudice...!

Laurie and Dan have been together 18 years, since they were 18 years old and met at university. Resolutely unmarried and happy about it, until Dan drops the bombshell that he's not happy, he doesn't want to try for a baby as they agreed, in fact he doesn't want the future they've mapped out together, he wants to find himself.

Laurie is devastated, even more so when she discovers that Dan hasn't been entirely honest with her. Then Laurie gets stuck in the office lift with Jamie, the office lothario, who proposes a deal, she act as his girlfriend to help him prove to the partners that he is settled and worthy of joining their ranks, he will stop people feeling sorry for her by acting as her fake boyfriend - as one of the prettiest men Laurie has ever seen she knows Jamie can make Dan jealous.

Of course, as with all fake relationship romances, soon Laurie starts to see that there is more to Jamie than his reputation as a ladies' man, but can people ever change?

Loved it, loved that Jamie wasn't a cardboard cut-out but a sensitive and caring man with friends and a loving family. Loved that being with Jamie helped Laurie to see her own true worth. Loved the family dynamics, I even loved Laurie's friends which is unusual for me.

Overall, a charming, funny fake relationship romance that breathes fresh new life into a well-worn trope.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I always relax when I start a new Mhairi McFarlane book because I just know I'm going to enjoy it. What a brilliant writer. She does poignancy, humour, and realism so well. I'm just sorry I've finished this book, but the solution to that is reading it again. Yes, it's that good. There's nothing I don't like about this book. I love the characters (Jamie is lovely), I felt what happened with Dan was realistic, and yet this isn't just about a romance. It's about Laurie's relationship with her mostly absent father, her mother, her best friend, with herself! It's about being a female in a mostly male environment in the law firm where Laurie works. A really good read.
With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A great book with humour, pathos, great characters and a novel story line. Laurie, Emma, Jamie and eventually Hattie were all people you’d love to know - and feel like you do!
I was so sorry when this book ended, but that’s a sign of a great read, I can’t wait for the next one by Mhairi

Oh Mhairi McFarlane, how I love your books. Each piece of work is wonderful and this latest offering If I Never Met You is another gem.

Laurie is a perfect. She is so well written and incredibly likeable. Best friend Emily is brilliant. Jamie is swoony (he was Richard Madden in my head!!) All characters were described so accurately I feel like I know them personally. This is a recurring bonus with Mhairi’s books.

The plot was enjoyable, flowed well and moved at a good pace.

The only downside, there were numerous typos and missing/extra words in sentences. This became quite annoying as the book progressed.

However, I absolutely loved this book and would thoroughly recommend it to romcom readers everywhere. Thank you NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I adore Mhairi McFarlane's books and If I Never Met You is no exception. I love the fake relationship trope and I found myself rooting for Laurie and Jamie. I am always left with a good feeling after reading this author's books not only because of the romance but because her female characters are knocked down by life and always manage to find the strength within themselves to find hope and courage to face the future. The perfect feel-good novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Problem with this author is that I fly through her books in a day and then have to wait a year to read another one. They are all quite brilliant and a treat but when I find a read as good as this, my natural reaction is to binge.

Anyway, this was the old fake relationship trope, but in this author's usual way, the witty sharp observations really made it stand out and resonated with me.

It was a painful read at times too, especially at the start as Laurie's relationship with Dan ends. I was totally devastated for her, dumped at 36, feeling the betrayal and seething with anger on her behalf.
I loved Laurie and her insights into the behaviour of her ex and particularly her friends was a real eye opener. I love it when a story makes me ponder and question things about my own life and that of my friends.

The office politics were absolutely spot on as was the commentary on the role of social media on how we feel about ourselves.

I loved the way this one ended too; actually, I'm in the rare position of having absolutely nothing to whinge about with this book, it was a fabulous, uplifting, thought provoking and witty romance that had all of the feels.

Highly recommended. Complete story.

I'm so glad I found Mhairi McFarlane! I only read her first book around 6 months ago and since then I've read them all. So often books are described as 'laugh out loud' and I've learnt not to get my hopes up, but in Mhairi's case it's true!
'If I Never Met You' was one of my favourites. Having recently been dumped after many years, I identified so much with Laurie and was willing her to come through and I'm glad to say she made me feel stronger too. A fab read - and actually great to have a bit of a man's view as well.
I'm only sorry I've read all her books now and will have to wait a while for her to write more!

Mhairi is an auto-buy author for me. Everything I've read from her has been 5 stars, but I promise I do read them cover to cover to make sure they are indeed 5 stars.

What I love about Mhairi's female leads is their strength. They are knocked down hard and they get back on their own two feet. They have a few really great friends that are honest but supportive. I look up to her female leads, if I'm honest. I would like to think I may have that strength.

In If I Never Met You, the one-liners of brutal honesty that Laurie gives out are absolute bangers. The number of times she left someone who wanted to cross her with their jaws on the floor was impressive. I could only dream of being that bold and quick-witted. She didn't get to choose what happened to her, but boy did she make a name for herself out of it. It's one of those "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" but she had absolute decorum about how she carried herself through it all.

This was absolutely another 5 start Maihri McFarlane for me. No damsels in distress here that need saving. She's a breath of fresh air in the contemporary romance novel industry and I am here for it (only slightly fangirling). Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a copy to review. I'm going to buy a physical copy anyway, because I loved it so much, but I am grateful for the chance to have reviewed here, too!