Mad About You is another excellent Mhairi McFarlane book. I’m pretty sure at this point, I’m guaranteed to love whatever she writes, and Mad About You was no different. From page one I was sucked in, and I read the entire thing in a single sitting.

There’s not a whole lot I can say different here to how I’ve reviewed McFarlane’s previous books, to be honest. Yes, it’s a different book, with a different story, but it’s also Mhairi McFarlane, with her signature beats. There’s the humour, the romance, the friendship, and the balance of the narrative as it treads along heavier topics—all of it ties together into a book which, although it might not be my outright favourite of McFarlane’s, is up there among them.

What I love best about Mhairi McFarlane’s books, really, is how distinct they all are from one another. Maybe this is a bit harsh a generalisation, but after 8 books, you might expect books to start blurring into one, particularly the characters. But none of that happens here. Harriet and Cal are as distinct as any of the mains of the previous books. They feel real, they jump off the page. This is a book you won’t be able to put down and it’s because of them.

And while this has similar themes to previous books, they have a new twist to them. This is, in part, because they’re viewed through different lenses—Cal and Hattie are both characters who’ll react differently to the events they experience than those before them. And, as ever, the story that is told is treated with kindness and gentleness.

All of which to say, this is a highly insufficient review to really get across just how much I loved this book. Perhaps it should have been wholly expected—I was always going to love it, and I was always going to struggle to find the words to explain exactly why.

Although it’d be nice if I could at least come up with a single synonym for “different”.

This was a truly cracking book, the second I’ve read lately that sees an awful, abusive man nearly succeed at stamping out the beautiful soul of the woman he’s trapped. It is great to see authors tackling the issue of emotional abuse and to explore how damaging it is and how isolated women can become. Thankfully Harriet, the star of this amazing novel, escaped before she completely disappeared and reading the story of her healing process is inspiring. Mhairi manages to weave entertainment and light heartedness in appropriate places too which is welcome and truly funny. I was enthralled by this story, her talent as an author shines from every page. Would absolutely recommend.

This was so, so, so good. Ms McFarlane has done it again.

This was a classic McFarlane story: witty, relatable heroine (with an equally witty and loveable best friend), and an interesting and gorgeous love interest, covering important issues but with McFarlane’s classic humour and charm.

I’ve always described McFarlane’s books as being very fleabag-esque: the way you will feel sucker punched by a plot point, and you feel awful but then she follows it up with such a funny line that you find yourself laughing even though you also feel like you want to cry. She manages to encase really difficult topics in light, witty writing that keeps the mood from sinking too far down.

There were many things that I loved about Mad About You. The fact that Ms Mhairi (nearly) always sets her books in the north. It’s such a rarity to read books not situated in London, and Leeds has a special place in my heart so this book was a dream.

McFarlane knows how to write heroines that aren’t stereotypically beautiful or ‘perfect’, but she never makes them out to be ‘not like other girls’ either. They feel real, and relatable, and they’re always, always, funny as hell. Harriet was interesting, flawed, funny, and i loved her.

This was a very raw book, a vulnerable book—i would look up content warnings before reading (I have included a short list at the bottom of my review), but it covers such an important issue with tact and great care.

My one critique is that this s less of a romance story, and more a story with a romance sub-plot. Harriet and Cal’s relationship happens slowly and more in the back ground than as the main plot device. It was still there, and I really enjoyed watching their journey, but it was definitely not the focal point of this story.

Five whole stars from me!


Content Warnings:
gaslighting
Emotional abuse
Parental death (occurred before the events of the story)

I've been a fan of Mhairi's work since her first novel, discovered completely by accident in an Amazon deal.

Her writing is always sharp and witty, and every one of her characters shines brightly off the page, grabbing your attention and keeping you reading. It's fair to say that the characters are so consistently well written that the end of a book feels like you have left a close acquaintance behind. She's often labelled under the 'Romance' category, but there is so much more to this writing than that.

'Mad About You' was a very quick read for me, purely because I didn't want to put it down. A real combination of joy, cracking one liners and moments of real emotion.

If you haven't read one of her novels before, you really should.

When wedding photographer Harriet Hatley's life unexpectedly turns upside down, she finds herself moving into a house with Cal Clarke. They share a brief but strange past connection, something Harriet is horrified by. But as they live together, Harriet begins to realise that her first impression of Cal isn't what it seems, all while Harriet confronts the reality of two of her ex-boyfriends. Both of who crop back up in Harriet's life with the potential to really damage her reputation. Can Harriet face the past in order to save her future?

I really enjoyed reading this, Mhairi always write with such warmth and humour, even when tackling difficult situation. She reminds me of Marian Keyes in that way. This has a number of trigger warnings, such as gaslighting and emotional abuse. The ending is a bit fantastical, but honestly sometimes you just have to go with something that's a bit OTT, treat it like a romcom film!

Speaking of romance, there is a romance plot in this but it's not really the centre of the story. It's more about Harriet dealing with lots of elements of her past, her parents dying when she was a child, and it's also about friendship. How some grow over time, some fade away and how new friendships bloom. The friend most at the core of this is Lorna, who was a lovely side character.

I read this in two days as it was just the perfect thing to pick up in a long January, but you'll enjoy this any time of the year if you're looking for a comforting warm story

I am a huge fan of Mhairi McFarlane, having enjoyed every one of her fabulous novels so far. She has a way of immersing the reader in a romantic world whilst also weaving the narrative with more serious and thought provoking issues. Her last novel 'Last Night' pushed closer to the weightier issues than previous novels, a trend which is once again evident with 'Mad About You'. The cover and blurb promises us a romance, which is delivered with our heroine Harriet and her landlord Cal, but this feels like a sub plot of Harriet's journey.

The main thrust of the story sees Harriet breaking up with her boyfriend, Jon, as he attempts to trap her with a proposal he knows she does not want. Hence, her fleeing and moving in with Cal without having ever met him in person. What follows is a story of Harriet finding her way in the world, orphaned very young and still suffering the trauma of a past emotionally abusive relationship, she has a lot to learn about loving herself and allowing herself to be loved by others unconditionally, whether this be in friendship or a romantic partnership. There are certainly some heavy moments, with different strands of the narrative not always necessarily easily flowing, but the overriding sense of kickass girl power in the novel left me very satisfied.

Overall, a worthy addition to McFarlane's catalogue. I would have liked to see more development and prominence given to Harriet and Cal's romance but this was certainly a full and emotionally charged plot. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've loved every book Mhairi has written and this one is no different. I told myself I'd stretch it out over a week to make it last but got so engrossed in Harriet's story that I read it all in one sitting! This is a great story of female friendship, revenge and unexpected love. I was rooting for Harriet and Cal and was thrilled by the ending.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy.

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.

Harriet is a wedding photographer who hates weddings, so when her boyfriend Jon proposes to her in front of his (terrible) family, she knows they are over. A series of events lead to her moving in with Cal - a groom from a wedding she previously photographed who left the bride at the alter. After an awkward realisation, Harriet promises to find somewhere else to live asap. But then her deepest secret is revealed and the life she built comes crashing down around her.

Tropes: Forced Proximity, slow burn, found family.

TW: Abusive relationships, gaslighting, cheating.

Overall feel: Think The Other Woman meets Flatshare.

I will read anything Mhairi McFarlane writes. I have never not enjoyed one of her books and this is one of my favourites so far!

Before anything else, I will say that this is definitely more contemporary fiction than a romance. I was slightly disappointed in the romance of this book. It was a bit rushed and the epilogue seemed to come out of no where (Harriet doesn't want to get married, but then gets married to Cal when the reader has barely seen them together). Going into this, don't expect the romance to be the main plot and I think you will enjoy it a lot more!

Now the only negative is out of the way, let me talk about why I really enjoyed this book. The characters in this were brilliantly written. I loved Harriet as a main character. I found her really relatable and routed for her throughout. It is always really impressive when authors make you truly despise certain characters whilst also showing that they are human, and Mhairi did this with several (looking at you Roxie, Jon and Jon's mum - all characters that we all know from our day to day lives and cannot stand).

This book also discussed hard topics really sensitively (see trigger warnings) and balanced them out with genuine laugh-out-loud funny moments. This was an enjoyable but emotional read throughout, and I would really recommend you pic this up!

As a wedding photographer, Harriet Hatley is happy to share in the merriment of the different couples days, Her own thoughts on marriage? Not for her, thank you very much, So when her then-boyfriend asks him to marry him in front of his family (who she doesn't really get on with) she reluctantly says yes - only until they reach their hotel room and she calls it off and time on their relationship. Having let their failing relationship go on for too long, each time she approached the subject he'd blindside her with a holiday, dinner out etc.

Finding a room to rent she moves out, sight unseen after the landlord was happy with a telephone conversation. Although as his best friend arrives it is clear that their paths have crossed before. Sam being the best man at a wedding the didn't happen and her new landlord is the runaway groom. Overhearing a conversation between the two of them it is clear that Cal isn't happy about the connection. Even more so when her ex Jon arrives frunk and punches Cal.

If this weren't bad enough she is brought face to face with another ex at a wedding. having escaped his gaslighting and abusive ways she reaches out to his current fiance which has consequences for Harriet. A journey through parental loss, abusive relationships, speaking up and friendships. Takes a while to get into it as it rehashes things from the past but a good book nevertheless.

A very enjoyable read, a quick easy read which I would recommend, it’s nice to get a book that captures the imagination ..

This book was like a silent assassin, a steady enough read about Harriet splitting with her boyfriend and moving into a house share with newly single Cal until bam around halfway through the real story starts and boy it was good. This was a very insightful read with a very relevant storyline and the way Mhairi McFarlane wrote this giving the reader the opportunity to get to know Harriet, her friends and her background before adding in a huge missing chunk made for some really heartbreaking chapters. This really does pack a punch and I was really gripped by the depth of it, there’s some great female solidarity and yes underneath all that the story I was expecting, that of Harriet and Cal.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

This author does not miss and her books only get better as she goes along. Easy five stars. I would read this author if she wrote the weather report. Mhairi McFarlane gets love and unusual women.

I have read a couple of Mhairi’s books and really enjoyed them This was no exception. A lovely romantic feel good novel that I read in 2 sittings. I tried to eek it out for longer but I just couldn’t. I loved the main characters but I wish there had been a bit more romantic liaisons between Cal & Harriet. This book was a joy to read and I can’t wait for her next book. Read it you won’t regret it!!

You know whenever you pick up one of Mhairi’s books that you’re in for a treat and Mad About You is no exception. She has come to be one of the most enjoyable writers of romantic fiction and I for one am already eagerly awaiting her next book!

In the meantime I thoroughly recommend that you spend time with Harriet, a heroine that you really can empathise with unlike a lot of books these days where it’s difficult to be invested in what happens along the way.

This book is gorgeous, one of my favourites of hers. Again she seamlessly blends, wit, warmth and romance with something far deeper. McFarlane's novels always have a lot to say about what it is to be a woman in the world, and the ways that life can leave its mark on you for good or ill, here she navigates relationship abuse and coercive control with an empathy that will make your heart ache and grow two sizes bigger as you read.

I love all of Mhairi's books, and this one was no different. I don't have much to say apart from the fact that I am already looking forward to the next, and it's devastating that I'll likely have to wait over a year for it!

Is there ever a more perfect day than the one where you get a new Mhairi McFarlane into your hands? I absolutely demolished this yesterday evening and loved every minute. Indeed I am slightly mad at myself for not saving it to read more slowly, but I couldn't. Lovely characters, brilliant story, moving journeys, this book had it all. Loved it!

As usual, Mhairi’s writing is a joy to behold. The dialogue is fantastic, with lots of wit, humour and conversations you can imagine having with your friends IRL. Speaking of friends, friendship and female solidarity are huge themes in this book, along with standing up for yourself and knowing it’s never too late to make the choice you want.

Although it’s not the main focus, the book does have romance in it and I love love love the romance in it (it is slow burn and closed door). Mhairi has a way of writing characters that have your whole heart in a very short amount of time. They felt real, realistic and well thought through.

I’d really recommend this book - along with all of her other books!!

I would approach with caution if themes of emotional and domestic abuse are difficult for you to read. Other content warnings include death of a parent, infidelity, domestic violence and cancer.

CW: gaslighting, emotional abuse

Harriet Hatley is a wedding photographer, who isn't interested in ever getting married herself. Her boyfriend unexpectedly proposes to her at a family dinner, leaving her in an awkward position. She says yes as she feels like she has no choice given the situation and then later decides to leave him as she realises that she doesn't really love him. Harriet moves into a house-share with a man named Cal, an agreement that both of them agree to before actually meeting in person. To both of their surprise, they discover that they know each other: Harriet was Cal's wedding photographer...at a wedding in which he disappeared and left the bride on her special day. Can she really live with someone who would do something like that?

I enjoyed reading this book, though it took a direction I wasn't expecting it to take at all (based from just reading the blurb). It had a lot of charm and humour, as well as some great side-characters, despite also tackling some deeper issues surrounding emotional abuse and gaslighting. I loved Harriet's character - she felt really real and relatable. I would have liked the ending to be a little longer so that we could have seen a bit more about how everything panned out for all the characters, but overall, it was a great read.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.