The story of wedding photographer Harriet, who having broken up with her boyfriend Jon, rents a room - sight unseen - in a house owned by Cal. A turn of events sees Harriet encountering a previous boyfriend, Scott with whom she had a toxic relationship with, which prompts her to explore its influence on her subsequent behaviour with Jon.

I love Mhairi McFarlane books but in terms of romance, this one falls slightly short - possibly because drawing in a new romance is the last thing that our heroine should be doing as she's reflecting on her past relationships.

However it's still an entertaining read. We have a strong-but-doesn't-quite-know-yet-it heroine, a likeable if low-key love-interest, supportive friends, and, of course, our pantomime villains in Jon and his atrocious family. One to recommend - along with all of the other Mhairi McFarlane books.

I really really loved reading this book!
Mad about you is a lovely easy read rom com story but I really didn't feel like it was predictable which I feel many rom com books can be!

I have read a few books from Mhairi McFarlane now and she is definitely becoming a favourite author for me.

The book itself also touched on such important issues with regards to toxic relationships. I thought Mhairi introduced this well and although it involved a heavy subject it was still an enjoyable read which made you route for the main characters.

While I'm a big Mhairi fan and read many of her previous books, this one just didn't do it for me. I couldn't connect with the characters, the story was incredibly slow and it took ages for us to even meet the love interest.

Saying that, I do enjoy her writing and I think this story has such potential. I love the idea so much and some scenes were really fun to read! I just think it was a bit too long and could be edited down quite a bit.

This book was classic Mhairi McFarlane: great character studies with sprinklings of life lessons.

I did really enjoy Harriet's story, and like the exploration of her relationships - including aspects of abuse and gaslighting. This book had moments that were quite moving, as well as a likeable heroine.

One of my qualms, however, was that both Calvin, and his relationship with Harriet felt somewhat under-baked: there just weren't enough moments of exploration (despite some emotional conversations). I felt like his role in the book was a bit sparse, and then the ending, when it came, just felt rushed and less believable.

But overall, it was an enjoyable read (although somewhat long). I give it a 3.5/5.

One of my favourite authors Mhairi McFarlane never fails amaze me.

I throughly enjoyed this book as I did with all her others. 10 out of 10 amazing.

A new Mhairi McFarlane book - yes please!!

I could not wait to get started on this. Having read all of the authors previous books, I was beyond excited.

The book started slowly for me and I struggled to engage. I don’t know why this was and put it down to me being tired. It was at 48% when I felt fully engaged and committed to the story. This is really unusual for me with Mhairi’s books - I’m usually hooked by 5%

I liked Harriet…but found her character difficult to connect with until later in the book when we were informed of her backstory.

Supporting characters weren’t as strong as normal, I quite liked Jon’s Mum, she was a strong vile character with plenty of traits that leave you loving to hate her!

The ‘romance’ between Harriet and Cal was almost non-existent. This book would have been better labelled as general fiction as the romance element seemed to come from nowhere with both parties suddenly declaring ‘I’m in love with you’ at the end of the book - which was pretty confusing.

So, despite what may sound like a negative review, I did enjoy this book. I just couldn’t help myself from comparing it to the author’s previous work. It certainly wouldn’t put me off reading future work, and Mhairi McFarlane remains one of my favourite authors!

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 📚

Wonderful, witty, warm - Mhairi McFarlane never misses. Mad About You is a marvel, just like all her books!

I have to admit to being a fan of Mhairi McFarlane and this book was all that I hoped. I really enjoyed it. Harriet is a wedding photographer in a fairly humdrum two year relationship with her partner Jon. She attends a wedding booking that doesn't go ahead and the bride is left at the alter. Harriet's relationship with Jon implodes and she finds herself as the lodger of Cal, the runaway groom.
I think this is one of Mhairi McFarlane's best novels, It is in turn funny and sad and has some interesting messages about self esteem, social media and toxic men. I enjoyed it very much and highly recommend. Thank you to Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel

I love this authors books so was looking forward to reading this. This was so much more than just a book about romance and although this book was heartbreaking to read at times this was balanced with humour and had me laughing out loud at some points. This book sought to bring topics such as gaslighting and cohesive control out in the open which I personally thought was done in a very sensitive and insightful way and that topics like these need to be brought out in the open more and not just brushed under the carpet as they often are.

The character of Harriet was one that as a reader I found myself invested in and her character was a very relatable one. She has been through a lot and deserves a break and a chance to find happiness. I would love a sequel to show what happens between her and cal and if she gets her happy ever after.

This is Mhairi McFarlane at her best - the wit was on point, and the British humour was perfection.

Mad About You is so much more than a rom-com. It is beautifully written and utterly hilarious - which is not a surprise when it comes to Mhairi. The characters were incredibly relatable, and the issues touched upon were represented well. It is very rare for a rom-com to actually make me laugh-out-loud, but this book achieved it whilst simultaneously tugging on my heartstrings.

My only criticism would be that I didn't quite get the feels between Harriet and Cal; nonetheless, it was so fun to read and go through Harriet's journey with her.

4.5 stars because her previous book Last Night was always going to be impossible to top.

Once again knocked out of the park🌟
From relatable characters that literally have the same conversations that me and my friends do, to completely accurate scenes of mortification and drama that happens in ever 20 somethings lives. AND absolute rom com vibes? The settings are always so freakishly in sync and familiar from my days dating a guy in Headingly to when I used to hang out in Prestwich. Mhairi never fails to deliver joy, heartbreak, passion and hope in one cosy package. My all time favourite author and this is my all time fave book of hers. 5 easy stars, and I now have a new book boyfriend.

ways enjoy Mhairi McFarlane books.
This is a book about love, friendship, believing in yourself and finding courage to stand up to abusers. There is a lovely romance quietly building along the way. I enjoyed the female friendships, looking out for each other and standing together. There are light moments interwoven and I enjoyed the good, kind, positive males and male friendships. There are some truly awful characters!
I did want a bit more from the Harriet/ Cal romance. That part was a little rushed for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to read and review.

Loved this book! It was witty and clever with colourful characters who made me either love or hate them….depending on their connection to Harriet and how well they treated her. Harriet is the unlucky in love heroine who sets out to help the fiancée of her ex partner in a spectacular fashion. I absolutely loved the ending and would loved to read further stories about Harriet’s friends, Lorna and Roxy.

I feel ridiculously happy whenever I see that Mhairi McFarlane has a new book out and Mad About You did not disappoint.
As always, there are likeable characters, witty exchanges and a love interest but what makes this author's books so interesting is that she isn't afraid of including issues which affect many of us. In this book, Harriet is still dealing with the damage caused by an abusive relationship and how that has shaped her current relationship. It's hard not to empathise - and rejoice - with the women affected by Scott's abuse.

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

Yet another hit from Mhairi McFarlane. I always love her books because they're smart, well-written and touch on real life issues that anybody could face in their romantic lives. In this case, Harriet goes through a break-up with her perfectly normal boyfriend Jon and it unleashes a stream of almost impossible events. Harriet has a proper backstory and in-depth character development. I'd really recommend the book with the trigger warning that it does include references to coercive control.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley!

Mhairi wrote Last Night in 2021 and in return received my undying loyalty.
Mad About You is another fantastic book filled with British charm, wit and wonderful characters.
Like every Mhairi book, this one too is bound to make you cry and then laugh and finally *swoon*.


posting this on goodreads too! (because this book deserves all the love xx)

What a true gift it was to receive this ARC. Mhairi continues to produce words I want to spend ALL my time with.

Mad About You, while full of laughs, gags and heartache—delivered in true Mhairi fashion—felt a very different experience to me. I really enjoyed the book, I just feel that there was a little too much going on for any one thing to cause that big emotional punch. Regardless, it was subtle and steady and I still felt the highs and lows as intended.

I don’t want to spoil plot points, of that there were many, but Harriet had to face challenges in her past, present and future relationships. She doesn’t have a huge support network, she feels very lonely, but is forced to be brave. I loved Harriet, I’m not sure the time frame truly allowed for her to be ready to be as ‘in love’, as she was but I’ll absolutely take it.

It was all expertly woven together. I think, on reflection it’s really all okay—it just wasn’t what I’d expected. If you know me you know I want the romance and this was probably her least romantic book. The male hero didn’t get a ton of page time, but he was still amazing and I loved their moments together most of all.

Mhairi McFarlane’s books do not disappoint and this one was no exception! The writing style is so authentic and enjoyable - I read this book in a day!
The storyline is somewhat of a departure for her, tackling some all too real issues that are happening in this age of social media, but still has all the qualities you would expect from this author. I did however feel some parts were rushed towards the end but perhaps that’s because I didn’t want it to be over!

I always look forward to a new book by this author and this one certainly lived up to expectations.

Harriet, a wedding photographer who doesn’t believe in marriage. Cal, a runaway groom. Two unlikely friends. But when Harriet’s past comes calling and threatens to derail her life, Cal is there to support her every step of the way.

An excellent story which deals with the serious subject of emotional abuse with sensitivity and humour. With a great mix of characters, this was a great read

Another absolute 5 star read from Mhairi Mcfarlane!! All of her novels feature strong, independent women that I am desperate to be best friends with.
Harriet is a brilliant lead character, she’s just broken up with Mr-Right-On-Paper and moved in with a stranger. I loved her friendship with Lorna and Cal was written perfectly. The last quarter had me on the edge of my seat and I stayed up desperate to find out what had happened. I now have a serious book hangover from this one! A must read, then go back and read her others.
Thank you so much for this arc.