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.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

📖 Harriet is a popular wedding photographer, but is sceptical of ever finding love herself after a string of bad relationships. When she meets Cal under bizarre circumstances, she resigns herself to a single life, living in his house as a lodger. However, as their friendship blossoms, can they open themselves to change the narratives of their pasts?

💭 Ahhh, Mhairi McFarlane - I just love you! I requested this book on @netgalley after absolutely loving Last Night by the same author, and I’m pleased to report that this one made me giggle just as much.

She’s the only writer that has made me laugh out loud at a book in aaaages, and I just love the way she covers some really serious topics with a light heartedness that is so hard to pull off convincingly in a rom-com book without sounding cheesy.

The romance in this book is by no means the central plot - instead we cover themes of friendship, cancel culture, toxic relationships, gaslighting, internet harassment, grief, and so much more.

As in Last Night, I just loved the friendships in this story. You know when a character has a friend that is just a fantastic voice of reason, provides excellent advice, but is also still really fun and sassy? Yeah, I need a Lorna in my life 🤣

For both books I’ve read by this author, I just don't think that the book covers do the stories justice! They offer so much more than just a light, frilly romance, and I highly recommend her books 👏🏼

Mhairi McFarlane is one of those authors that I always enjoy and this book was no different, however, I had a number of problems with this book but they are probably more about me than the book.

Harriet is a down to earth wedding photographer. She is going out with a very rich, spoiled man called Jon who she's happy enough with. He is well aware of Harriet's stance on marriage and the fact that she never wants to get married. So you can imagine how pissed off she is when Jon proposes to her in front of his family (who already don't think that she's good enough for Jon) and Harriet feels that she has no choice but to accept the proposal. Within a matter of hours though, Harriet has broken up with Jon and managed to find a perfect room in a house share. The problem being that the other person in the house is Cal, who Harriet has had a "kind of" professional relationship with ....I shan't say more for fear of spoilers.

There are some pretty heavyweight topics addressed in this book but I think, at it's heart, it is about growing as a person and friendships.

I didn't have any difficulty with reading this book but I don't think I could say that I would recommend it.

Instagram link to come.

I quite enjoyed this, I think I’ve found a new favourite book author! Because as soon as I got my hands on this gem, I ate it up. The story was great, the characters were lovely. Chemistry was also to die for. I definitely would read again, recommend to others.

Well I'm not sure how I feel about this one , it's so angsty in some parts I couldn't get it any more.This isn't 100% about the romance in this story it focuses in other things like letting pass and moving forward..It was a little bit fun read but mostly I would say it was emotional.

I have such mixed feelings about this book! On the one hand, the writing was great and the overall story was refreshing and satisfying, but the anger and frustration I felt throughout the course of reading Mad About You did actively take away from my enjoyment of it at times. I have read one other Mhairi McFarlane book before, If I Never Met You, and really enjoyed it, and I know she is so well-regarded as a Romance author, so I was excited going into this one. I do think my main issue with the book is just that I ended up feeling more frustrated than happy about the ending, and I feel as though the huge buildup of the endless horrible experiences Harriet had to endure wasn't met with a big enough happy ending. I can appreciate the slow-burn of the romance, but it felt like it barely existed in comparison to the never-ending knockbacks Harriet had to go through. The writing can't be faulted as it produced such strong emotions in me though!

3.5 stars

Mad About You is a gripping novel about a 35 year old wedding photographer, Harriet Hatley, who is facing a series of challenges about her past that cause her to mishandle her relationship with wealthy Jonathan 'Jon' Barraclough.

Mhairi McFarlane's characher development is superb throughout this book. She has a wonderful way of giving you just enough but letting it get to too little too late. I was throughly invested throughout reading Mad About You.

A good read about relationship dramas and a few cringeworthy moments. It was really relatable I enjoyed this.
This book is full of girl power and community. Working together for the greater good.

I love Harriets character, she has days when she doubts herself but when push comes to shove she can hold her own and she is a force to be reckoned with.

Strangers coming together to become friends and allies, isn't that how all friendships begin, a stranger that you start talking to.

Brilliantly written and dealing with a difficult topic with power and emphasis on not going it alone.

This is my first Mhairi McFarlane book and not my last. I love her writing, the way she writes and her characters. It was an absolute joy to read. It made me chuckle constantly, definitely a fab rom-com and so glad to have been able to get the chance to read it on Netgalley. Thank you Mhairi and Netgalley for allowing me a copy of this book!