Having never read anything by Elle Cook before, I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. The characters were extremely well developed and the plot, while romantic and wholesome in places, managed to keep the story line at a pace that was realistic. I became very invested in Hannah and Davey’s stories and found myself cheering them on throughout the challenges they encountered. A solid five out of five stars.

*Thanks to Netgalley, Random House UK and Cornerstone for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.*

I actually read this book relatively late at night and I can thank this book and a heavy thunderstorm for breaking a brief but annoying reader’s block.

This is a book that I would definitely refer to as a cry-book. There were moments when I could feel the tears welling up as I swiftly moved to the next paragraph. The characters were brilliantly formed and relatable, and I can honestly say that I would love to have a friend like Hannah. Sure, she’s not the girl who goes to all the parties, but the things she enjoyed, the quiz nights, the regular meals with her friends - all the things that George seemed to look upon with disdain - were the sort of thing I enjoy. There is comfort in routine.

And to think that it all started with a wrong number!

When Davey accidentally calls Hannah instead of a prospective employer it’s as though destiny had a hand in things, because over the course of a few weeks they develop the sort of bond that can take months, maybe years to build.

But then disaster happens and instead of showing up to start a new life in London, Davey is in hospital having discovered that he’s got Testicular Cancer.

This is the moment that the tone of the story changes. It goes from being about two people learning about each other to one person pushing the other away. The second that Davey tells Hannah to move on because he doesn’t want her to be involved with this part of his life is the one where you just know she will, no matter how much it hurts.

I loved the characters, their stories, and their experiences. I hated that they had to suffer so much, but as I continued to read, and we saw both the wonderful landlady and neighbour find her happily ever after and best friend Matilda marry the man who knew and loved her better than anyone, I knew that something had to go right for Hannah.
I did not like George, but then I get the feeling that I probably wasn’t meant to.

This is a definite read. Pick it up, savour it, enjoy it, cry along with it.

The cover is misleading, but sometimes that’s part of the fun. Definitely do not judge this book by its cover. It may look like a contemporary rom-com, but it most certainly is not!

This book starts out as a traditional unexpected encounter but meant to be trope and I was settling in for a classic romance novel. But don’t be deceived. Yes it is a romance ish book and yes it starts off trophy but it really developed into so much more. A perfect summer read.

Wow I can’t believe this Elle Cook’s first book in this genre. I loved it and immediately wanted more books!

The story is initially told my Hannah but later also by Davey, which is good because otherwise we wouldn’t get both sides of the story.

In my mind, George was a cross between Christian in Clueless and someone from The Only Way is Essex. I really disliked him. He reminded me of my ex, especially when he spent £100 on a book then insisted he buy Hannah a pen and then got her to pay as it was £16! He was suss on so many levels.

I would love to see what happened with Hannah and Davey in the future.

Many thanks to Netgalley for this ARC

This was definitely one of my most favorite reads recently. So curious how this story was going to play out and who the main character would end up with.

I think that I went into this book with the wrong expectations. I was thinking that it would be a fun romance which it was far from. That's not to say that there isn't romance but this book was a lot more tragic than I was expecting it to be.

I really enjoyed the start of the book but I found that the second half wasn't as enjoyable. Mainly because I really hated George and every time he was on the page, I wished he wasn't. I did find his change after the holiday to be too drastic and it bothered me. But even still, the whole holiday was a red flag to me and I couldn't stand him (which I think is how I was meant to feel).

The ending is lovely however and I really wish that I could see it on film, it would be so beautiful.

This book covers some pretty heavy topics and I think that's the reason that I didn't love it as much as I was expecting. Not because I didn't want it to cover them, but because I wasn't ready for everything that was to come.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 4/5
Recommended for you if:
-You enjoy a meant to be/ fate/ chance encounter romance
-You enjoy a love at first sight trope (or in this case, love at first phone-call)
-You are looking for a beach/ poolside read
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Such a fun and unique love story which started out light-hearted and quickly turned into a tear-jerking and heart breaking one. Hannah lives in London and Davey in the US but they cross paths in the most unconventional way. Through a mis-dial. When Davey mistakenly calls Hannah, they feel an instant connection and their love story begins and evolves from texts to video calls to a lot more but everything changes the day they are supposed to meet.
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I really enjoyed this book and once the plot thickened, I found myself constantly thinking about what happens next! I wasn’t entirely sure about how it started out and felt that a lot of the beginning and the middle was a little slow but as it developed, it was beautiful and totally worth it. The plot twist was completely unexpected, unpredictable and brilliant, and reading the additional bit from the author at the end gave more perspective and increased my interest towards the book. It was great to have the dual POV but I do wish we had the narrative from Davey earlier on in the book. I absolutely loved Joan’s character and think she was such a comfort blanket and almost a fairy godmother for her. I highly disliked George and who Hannah became in his presence.
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This book is about how a simple random moment can completely change the course of your life, but also how despite the big plans you have for the future, nothing is ever for certain because the universe always has the upper hand
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This book explores a lot of important and difficult topics such as cancer, body image, diet culture in a very enjoyable and engaging way ((so please consider these TW before you read). I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am super grateful for the e-arc from @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for arc of The Man I Never Met.

A misdialled number leads to a long distance relationship between Hannah in the UK and Davey in Texas, what starts off as texting,after the initial call, then moves onto phone calls and video calls, each enjoying getting to know each other and Hannah helping him with his planned move to London and their feelings growing for one another but their plans make a drastic turn and their paths disconnect.

Heartwarming and emotional read. The characters are enticing and the story is engaging. Highly recommend.

I adore this book! The story, the characters, the what ifs… oh my god I couldn’t put it down.

Davey and Hannah are just perfect for each other. They love each other enough to break up, to leave what they’d started.. only to end up bumping into each other years down the line. Just incredible

This book was a last minute choice to read by the pool. Having seen a review from a friend it sounded like my kind of book so I requested it and wow it was so much better than I was expecting. The story of Davey and Hannah, after he misdials her number they discover they have this bond and even being on the other side of the world isn’t going to stop them. The book took a turn I was not expecting and it was very emotional but I couldn’t put it down. So much so I read it all in a day! Would highly recommend!!

A heart warming summer romance perfect for holiday reading. Likeable characters and a plot that is a little different from most. Will make you want to read in one sitting.

I loved this book! I couldn’t put it down. Really great characters, it sucked me in and I really cared about what happened to them. This is a romance novel you won’t want to miss.

The Man I Never Met is an easy, yet, emotional read. The characters are wonderful and the story is engaging. This book can be finished in one sitting. I highly recommend it!

A chance miss-dial leads to an amazing relationship. What a wonderful story, amazing characters, emotional and engaging. You won't be able to put this novel down so make sure you have the time to read it when you start it! And don't forget to have the hankies on hand.
Highly recommend

Another great easy to read romance! I love books that I can sit and read in one go! And this one kept me hooked! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book early!

The Man I Never Met is essentially a great rom-com and I can definitely see this being adapted into a movie.
A misdialled call leads to a long distance relationship between Hannah in the UK and Davey in US. When Davey doesn't appear on his flight their story takes an unexpected turn. The tale is filled with twists and what ifs. The characters are both so well written you become very invested in them and their journeys, rooting for them both the whole time.

I loved the addition of the other characters like George and Joan who really added to the story.

I really enjoyed this book, would definitely recommend as a good chick lit beach read and will be looking for future books by this author.


Thank you to @NetGalley, the author and the publisher @penguinukbooks for the advance e-copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Incredibly heart-warming with likeable main characters, The Main I Never Met is a really brilliant chick lit, perfect for summer and easy to devour in one sitting.
4 stars.

I really enjoyed this book, for the start it was a little slow but, towards the end it got better.

Very enjoyable read, the characters I really enjoyed especially Davey as his turmoil over the decisions he was making regarding his life and his diagnosis and Hannah.

The relationship between Hannah & Joan was a lovely touch also!

Very enjoyable read.

I couldn't put this book down as needed to know how it would all turn out. It was heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time as you followed our heroine and whether the path to love would be smooth or with bumps along the way.

The characters were likeable when they were meant to be and there was an edge to George from the get go.

Lovely read

Missdialed phone call connect to people in this heart-rending but cute novel. I loved all the characters but did think the weight was talked about ALOT when it wasn't necessary.