This is Not a Love Story

by Mary Hargreaves

Fall in love with this hilarious, laugh-out-loud, heartwarming rom-com.

Please note, this is a fully revised edition.

Maggie Gardiner needs a makeover — for her life.

She had six glasses of wine at a work conference, shouted at a client and surprise surprise got fired.

To make matters worse, she has accidentally ended up in a long-term relationship with the boring guy who was supposed to be a one-night stand.

Something has to change.

So Maggie makes a list — ‘A recipe for perfection’:

1. Go vegan — it worked for that girl on Twitter. (But did you know they don’t eat cheese!?)

2. Get a new job (I have to now I’ve been fired.)

3. Take up yoga — that woman I hate-follow swears by it. (But I could just take a selfie in the studio — who would know!?)

4. Quit smoking — it's not 1999. (Technically, when I wake up, I’ve not smoked for 8 hours.)

5. Dump boyfriend — he’s not ‘The One’ (Also . . . Maggie and Martin? Really?)

Maggie is determined to tick off every item on her list. Only then will she become the best version of herself.

The Maggie she wants to be.

Won’t she . . . ?

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary

349 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 11, 2020

Reviews

[Barb (Boxermommyreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So let's just get this out of the way first. I have to give Hargreaves some credit because I can't remember the last time I despised a character so badly in the beginning of the book and made a complete 180 turnaround to end up loving them in the end. But that's just what happened with Maggie.

Maggie is a 27 year old miserable person. She has a live-in boyfriend she doesn't like, a job she doesn't even try at, and a lot of bad habits she thoroughly embraces. However, Maggie has decided she needs to make some changes. Like I said, I didn't really like Maggie at first. I even told my friend that I was more mature at 12 than Maggie was at 27. But deep down, Maggie did have some reasons. For one, she had very little self esteem. She grew up with a brother and sister and for whatever reason, always felt like she came in 3rd place. Maggie also has a group of friends whom have been together since school, and she also feels like she doesn't measure up to them. Because of this, and add in a tendency to get very drunk and make poor decisions (heck, she doesn't even really need to be drunk) and Maggie often comes across as a mean girl - in the beginning.

As the book progresses, Maggie starts making some changes. She meets some new people and realizes she really wants a better relationship with her family. She also wants to really have the plant her dear grandmother gave her to live - pay attention, the plant is very important. As is her relationship with her grandmother which was one of my favorite things in the book.

So needless to say, about halfway in I started cheering Maggie on. I wanted her to succeed and I also wanted her to realize all the things she had going on her when the book first started. This Is Not a Love Story will sometimes make you laugh and sometimes make you cringe but I dare you to read it and believe that it really isn't a love story. I beg to differ. I think it's one of the best love stories of all - learning to love yourself!

[Louise Beech · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one. Mainly because Maggie is a mess, as many other reviewers have said. But I love my characters to be imperfect, and her journey is all the more funny and real becasue we get inside her (first person) head. This is raw and refeshingly honest, and pure escapism if you're sad you can't go on holiday this year.

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute read, I enjoyed it, but I thought I as going to be laughing more than I did, it sounded so funny. I did enjoy it, but there were just a few laughs rather than the guffaws I was expecting, a great distraction and a nice story though.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

[readingwithkarin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aj napriek tomu, že má táto kniha na Databáze kníh naozaj mizerné hodnotenie, mne osobne sadla a veľmi ma bavila. Bolo to vtipné, úprimné a miestami som sa naozaj schuti nahlas zasmiala.

Sledujeme príbeh Maggie, hlavnej hrdinky, ktorá nie je spokojná so svojim životom. Hoci na Instagrame sleduje jednu “dokonalú” influencerku, ktorej sa túži podobať, dlho pre to vlastne nerobí vôbec nič. Až si jedného dňa vytvorí zoznam zmien, ktoré chce vo svojom živote uskutočniť a stať sa najlepšou verziou samej seba:

• Stať sa vegánkou
• Vyskúšať jógu
• Začať cvičiť
• Prestať fajčiť

„Každý z nás má v každém okamžiku schopnost překonat jakékoliv těžkosti a přeměnit utrpení.”

Aj keď kniha zodpovedá názvu, že sa naozaj nejedná o romantický príbeh, páčilo sa mi, ako Maggie postupne napreduje a mení si život od základov.

Autorka veľmi dobre vystihla dnešný svet, najmä vplyv a problematiku sociálnych sietí, takže ja túto knihu rozhodne odporúčam. Je zo života, ľahko sa číta a človek si z nej naozaj niečo odnesie.

[Samantha]

We've got our first DNF of the year!
DNF @ 38%

*I received a free e-copy of this book via Netgalley.co.uk, in exchange for an honest review*

From page 1 I hated Maggie and quickly realised the story probably wasn't going to be for me. I thought the premise sounded great and was really looking forward to this story. Unfortunately, Maggie is one of the most unlikeable characters I've ever read about and I'm not enjoying the story. I know that if I pushed through, I would end up hating it and I'd rather not waste my time. I gave it a good try, but this is just not for me.

The quote that pushed me over the edge: "what type of sick freak would carry on enjoying their yoga lesson whilst the rest of the room rhythmically inhaled their anus gas?"

[Kit Vickery · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character is extremely unlikable at first. It was a difficult book to get into, saved by the fact I enjoyed reading a book based in my city, and I really had to work on staying motivated to get past the halfway point. The experience improved from there (although I deeply object to the use of "I'm so autistic with these things") and I was quite engaged by the end but I doubt I'll be rereading this.

[~Emmy~ REYN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun Read

Beautiful motivating funny.
Really enjoyed this lighhearted read. I loved Maggies journey to making healthier life choices
I would read a sequel. I feel there is more to Maggies story

[Holly Marshall · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really struggled to get into this book, I nearly considered DNFing it before I was a quarter of the way through. However I stuck with it and although it did pick up towards the end of the book, overall the story was let down by the first half.
I found the writing style was just not my taste, it felt like a lot of rambling from the protagonist with constant tangents and felt a little messy. Because of this I found the main character to be really unlikable, she was rude and i just did not vibe well with her, this ultimately led me to not be that interested in her growth and development throughout the novel as I honestly didn't care that much.
The last 20% of the book was really good and I just wish that more of that was present earlier in the story and not just all at once in the last little bit.
This book just wasn't for me but I can definitely see how it could appeal to other people it was fun and quirky in places and could totally be someone else's cup of tea.
Unfortunately for me it was only 2 out of 5 stars.

[Angeline Hochban · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was cute and fluffy and funny. Exactly what I wanted to read.

However. I got completely tripped up on page 183 by “I’m so autistic with these things.” This book was published in 2020. There is no excuse for ableist garbage like that.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a book of fresh air for me. It has been a while since I have read a book that is as funny as This is Not a Love Story. The lighthearted nature of this novel what just what I needed and provided for a great escape.

Maggie is a mess, a genuine mess and I love her for it. It made her such a relatable and easy to like character. Everything she goes through is realistic and although slightly mad, it could happen to anyone. I found myself fully entertained by Maggie and her life, laughing and crying with her.

The real star of this novel for me was seeing the change in Maggie on her journey of self-development. She starts the novel with a very impulsive personality and although it made for hilarious reading, her transition from this character to one that wholeheartedly loves herself was really quite something. It is unusual to find the journey of a character so relatable but I really felt like I understood Maggie and her thought process, or lack thereof. This is all down to Mary Hargreaves’s writing style and characterisation.

The novel is told from the first person perspective of Maggie which I felt suited the story that was being put across. It meant that, as a reader, you felt all the embarrassment, love and sadness that Maggie felt, making it at points, quite an emotional read.

I loved this novel and found it refreshing that romance is not at the centre of the novel. There are a lot of romance novels that have maybe similar characters to Maggie but because of the type of novel they are the character development gets swept away with the storyline. I liked the change and being able to really feel and experience the change in Maggie because of things that she decided to change, rather than because of a love interest.

Although Maggie does go on a journey of self-discovery I also loved that it was in such a realistic and organic way. It was still lighthearted and full of hilarious moments that I think we can all relate to in the battle to improve ourselves. Maggie’s journey was written in such a way that it wasn’t condescending to the reader and was in no way preachy.

The other characters in the novel were all well described and played key roles in the plot. I enjoyed the dynamic between Maggie and other members of her family and it was a joy to read them becoming closer.

When I say I laughed out loud at this novel I genuinely mean it. Mary Hargreaves did a wonderful job with this novel and I would recommend this to anyone who needs cheering up or needs to de-stress. I loved stepping in to Maggie’s life and hopefully you will too.

[Patrice Gotting - #prdgreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

apologise if this is a rambling mess, my tour date got changed last minute so I thought I’d have a bit longer to process my thoughts and put them into coherent words.


The first thing you need to know is that I absolutely loved this and if I could give it more stars I would! – this is definitely by far my favourite book of the year, and I’ve read A LOT, having MS and being unable to go to work has left me with nothing else to do 😂 and I tell you it’s gonna take some beating to knock it off the top spot!


We follow Maggie, who having just dumped her boyfriend feels like now is the time to get her life together, but like so many of us has no idea where to start.


I was in agreement with Maggie when she said she needed to get rid of Martin, I didn’t like him at all, I may or may not have actually told him to piss off and stop mothering her out loud whilst reading 🙈


I felt sorry for her when she was listing all her faults and the things she felt she needed to change about herself but was 100% behind her achieving her goals like she was a friend I’d known forever.


One piece of advice I would give you if you’re going to read this book (which I highly recommend you do) I’d make sure you’re alone, because it will make you laugh, out loud a lot! – several times I got looks from my family because I just couldn’t hold it in! – one particular part, the unfortunate yoga incident, I thought I was safe, I was in my room on my own but forgot my window was open, I laughed so loud that I then heard a neighbour say to his wife “I wonder what’s tickled her”


I don’t want to give too much away, but there are so many layers to this story, you have friendship groups that are being tested, you have hilarious mishaps throughout but it’s not all lighthearted, there’s a very serious storyline about a family member with the onset of a very serious condition, you have another family with a big secret that they’ve been keeping about themselves and they were all dealt with in a sensitive way. I’m not ashamed to admit that parts of this even made me cry.


An absolutely beautiful story, that will stay with me for a long time & one that I will definitely be recommending to you everyone.


With her debut novel Mary Hargreaves has cemented herself as an autobuy author for me, I will gladly pick up anything she comes up with in the future.

[Alicja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my e-copy of this hilarious story. Mary Hargreaves’ ‘This Is Not A Love Story’ is a funny and uplifting book. Maggie is a mess, an actual mess. It’s perfectly normal to feel like a mess every now and then, especially in your twenties, where there are more things you haven’t figured out yet than those you did. But at the beginning of ‘This Is Not A Love Story’, Maggie is a bigger mess than most are on a daily basis. She has no idea where her life is heading, it seems that everyone around has it all together, except her: with the job that she hates, a boyfriend she doesn’t want to be with, and family she’s not that close to. Instagram and other social media are not helpful, always showing her perfect images of other people’s perfect lives, something we all see all the time, even if the reality is often far from that.

Maggie makes a list of all the things she would like to change: like changing her job and starting to exercise more. But takes her drunk outburst and losing her job, to actually stop and find the way to make firstly small changes that lead to bigger changes in her life. While I generally enjoyed ‘This Is Not Love Story’, with its often funny and uncomfortably real moments, I felt like the resolution came too quickly, and that almost everything has been too perfect by the end of the book. But overall, ‘This Is Not A Love Story’ has been a great escape from reality - it’s an easy and relatable read, where you can laugh at Maggie’s struggles (instead of focusing on your own problems), and yet understand what she’s going through.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would I give my age away if I said could this be the Bridget Jones of the 2020s? Perhaps, but it really doesn’t matter because this novel was hilarious, uplifting, sweary and features the most adoreable, genuine and loveable leading lady i have read in quite some time. Maggie is without doubt a walking disaster. She swears a lot, gets drunk at the most inappropriate times and acts on impulse without any consideration for the consequences. Frustrated with her life in a job she hates, with a boyfriend who drives her mad and dealing with a family who she constantly disappoints, well, Maggie has reached breaking point. We get to see the fallout in all it’s wonderful glory.

Driven by the ‘perfect’ lifestyles of women who seem to have it all and spend most of their time sharing pictures of their perfect life and perfect figures on Instagram, Maggie is determined to become the very best version of herself. She will find the perfect job, hone her zen with yoga and become a better, calmer version of herself. If only she could like herself a little bit more along the way and stop, stop behaving like such an idiot.

Maggie is of course fabulous and we watch her find her way, cheering and cringing at various intervals along the way. This was an absolutely gorgously funny read but also reminded me that we should be true to ourselves and learn to love ourselves just the way we are.

This Is Not A love Story is a brilliantly funny debut that I’m sure will strike a chord with women of any age.

https://talesbeforebedtime.co.uk/2020...

[GraceEmReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘This Is Not A Love Story’ was the perfect book to get me out of my reading slump. Maggie finds herself trapped in a life she doesn’t want with an uninspiring job, a suffocating boyfriend and a growing waistline. She’s know for being impulsive and we follow Maggie as she deals with the consequences of making rash decisions in a bid to live a happier life.
I enjoyed the writing in this novel, the overall tone is amusing and I laughed a few times but Maggie is still very cynical and hard on herself. She’s a flawed character and I didn’t support all of her choices/thoughts but it just made her more human, a realistic person. There are so many threads to her story including her job, her love life, her friends and her family but it didn’t feel like too much going on.
My one concern was when she began going to the gym because I was expecting her to finally be happy if she’d lost loads of weight. I’m glad this wasn’t the case and it showed that being active, eating good and looking after yourself can make you feel better mentally even if there’s no big physical changes.
I think this is a great read if you need something to cheer you up or you’re in a bit of a slump. It was fast paced and amusing, worth a read!
✨Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC ✨

[Lauren H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit, this is not a love story doesn’t really match my usual reading genre of ‘serious blurb and gloomy looking front cover’ but I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. Mary Hargreaves has really knocked it out the park with her first novel and I’m desperately waiting for another!

Maggie, the main character, is SO relatable and SO hilarious. She says everything you really think but never quite have the balls to, the situations she encounters are things that you imagine might happen to you (ok, I’d maybe not shout at the speaker during a conference like Maggie but that’s only because I’d have passed out at the third glass of wine...) and you really, really feel for her. The characters are well thought out, the conversation snippets and vivid scene setting draw you in and make you feel as though you are living these events and emotions right along side Maggie - so much so that my mood noticeably changed towards the end of the book as things turned out ok.

I can’t wait for my friends to read this book so we can laugh and cry about all the events in Maggie’s life!

[Charlotte Bonner]

I have decided to DNF this book. I was going to take longer to decide whether I would just pause or DNF as I only started it today, got 40% through and stopped just over an hour and a half ago.

But honestly this book has sent my mood plummeting. I was not expecting it to be a lot of negativity and general down beat attitude for a book about picking yourself up and changing your life. If this is how my mood is after an hour and a half, I don’t want to continue. Maybe it would pick up massively and have such an amazing end or even last half of the book but I don’t want to continue and find out.

This book is very raw and very real which I do love. But I’m not in right head space to read this anymore. I had such high hopes and was so excited for this book but I just can’t read anymore. I’m not giving it a rating as I haven’t finished. Normally I would rate my DNFs but I honestly believe if I wasn’t in such a bad place I may have finished and enjoy it a lot. So I don’t think it’s fair to rate this one based on my current mood and place in life.

[adri_booklover_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ako to už z názvu vyplýva, toto nebola žiadna lovestory, na ktorú som zvyknutá. Hlavná hrdinka Maggie mala v príbehu chlapov, konkrétne toho jedného, až vyše hlavy. Aj krásne romantické gestá sa nakoniec zvrátili do totálnej katastrofy. Na vine si však skoro vždy bola samotná Maggie.
Hlavná hrdinka nemala rada svoj život, svoju prácu, svoju postavu a rôzne iné veci a rozhodla sa s tým skoncovať. Keď už urobila nejaký pokrok, často ju to vrátilo späť ako boomerang. Napísala si body, ktoré chcela zmeniť a snažila sa ich dodržiavať. Plnenie bodov v tejto knihe bolo pre mňa najlepšie, najsrandovnejšie a celkovo to pridalo na mojom hodnotení.
Často chcela zmeniť práve to, čo videla na internete, instagrame, u svojich kamošiek, ale bola na to až moc lenivá. Často urobila najväčšiu hanbu, trapas práve sama sebe, či už v práci alebo vo voľnom čase. Nemohla však prísť o prácu, pretože nemala peniaze, ktoré častokrát utrácala na nezmysly.
Príbeh slúži skôr na pobavenie, nehľadajte v tom nejakú hlbšiu pointu. Je to fajn oddychovka, skôr taký priemer, miestami až veľmi nezaujímavé.

[Kerry-louise Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this I could just see myself at 23, looking at everyone else’s perfect lives and wondering what I was doing wrong whilst simultaneously pouring wine down my throat and making poor life choices. I liked the authors direct writing style, it felt current and very much how I speak with my friends. The dry whit and the humorous situations the character got herself into made me laugh and on more than one occasion I send a picture of a line of text to a friend, example;

‘Ah, wine. You sneaky little bastard.’

Who doesn’t relate to that! The language was unfiltered and the book felt refreshingly new.

For the most part this was an enjoyable read but I do have to point out that there was a sentence about autism that was a more than a little uncomfortable to read and would more than likely be offensive for others but I have contacted the publisher and they have said that they will work to get it changed and hopefully the author will acknowledge what they wrote was unacceptable.

[L.V. Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t usually read women’s fiction so when I do, it really has to hold my attention! I'm happy to say that Maggie’s voice in this book immediately captured me; it’s written in first person so you get to see all the rawness of her character and the massive chip on her shoulder - she’s bored of her life and compares herself constantly (and finds herself lacking!) She lurches hilariously from one disaster to another until she gets to the point of eventually going on a search for who she really is. Style-wise it reminded me of a modern Bridget Jones because it’s genuinely really funny - completely my humour - but the plot doesn’t center on the romance element; it’s all about finding yourself and accepting your own worth and in todays society with its social media 'perfection' branding, I think that's a very strong message.

[Michelle B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Is Not A Love Story is a genuinely funny and lovely book about one woman’s quest for a better life.
Maggie is not happy in her work or her relationship. She spends too much time on Instagram and Facebook and believes the people she sees online have ideal lives and that she should have such a life.
So Maggie writes a list for herself of the things she wants to do which she believes will give her a better life.
Maggie is a flawed character. She is impulsive and rather self absorbed but she is also very, very funny. Can Maggie change her ways? Can she do anything to achieve the life that she wants?
This book is a nice, amusing, lighthearted debut novel. I would definitely read another book by this author.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Daniela Rocha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such A GREAT READ!
I caught myself literally laughing out loud so many times (hello people on the train! I swear I'm not crazy!) and I should say it also got me to visit the treadmill a bit more often (I'll say no more)!

Maggie is as much of a mess as you and I, which makes the story relatable in so many aspects! Raise your hand:
if you have ever been stuck in a dead-end relationship for a little longer than you should have,
if you've worked a job you hated so intensively but had to keep doing it in order to pay the bills,
if your tightest group of friends behaved in a not-so-friendly fashion or
if you're ever out wearing a pair of trousers that were one size too little

Well, 🖐🏻🖐🏻🖐🏻🖐🏻

Hargreaves writing is fresh, witty, and amusing, which contributes to making this book a real page-turner! I cannot wait for her next launch 🧡

[Divya Mangotra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is Not a Love Story has a compelling premise- a protagonist who has seemingly ruined every aspect of their life and is now on a quest to piece it all back together. However, while the concept is intriguing, the execution falls short.

The book is often difficult to follow, and there is a lot going on at once, which makes it hard to connect with the characters or invest in their journey. The pacing feels rushed, and the characters are underdeveloped, leaving the story feeling unfinished and lacking depth. Despite its potential, the book doesn't quite live up to its promise. I will not recommend this one.

Rating: 2.5/5

[Amie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the sort of book that is genuinely relatable to someone in their mid twenties. Maggie is infuriating at times and you want her to pull it together, but she's also hilarious and she's trying! I laughed out loud at this and loved the way the humourous side mixed with more serious and challenging issues around family dynamics, relationships and figuring out what the heck you want to be "when you grow up". For anyone in their 20s still stumbling through life looking for answers, dive in, you're not alone!

[Anna Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant book. I do not normally read books like this, something caught my eye about the write up. It reminded me of any normal woman suffering low self esteem. It was like a true story, in fact I wonder if it was under the title of a story. I could see myself in so much of this book, impulsivness, doing things that lands me in the s..t etc. I was resding this in bed one night I was laughing so much in places, I almost choked with laughter. I recommend this book 100% Well done to the author.

[Lucie Aran · Rating 2 out of 5]

V poslední době nějak nemám na knihy, šťastnou ruku. Hledala jsem vtipnou oddechovku a tohle byla spíš óda na zoufalku, ničím nevybočující z řady, která si většinu věcí způsobuje tím, jak se chová. Silná kuřačka a stále hladová alkoholička, která si věčně jen stěžuje, jak strašně je tlustá (78 kg - to vážně?), kocoviny a to, jak je k ní svět nespravedlivý. Navíc většina v knize popisovaných situací, do kterých se Maggie dostává převážně vlastní vinnou, není ani tak vtipná, jako spíš smutná a místy docela nechutná.

[Billie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five. Fucking. Stars. This book was so good. I was laughing so much during this. Maggie is so relatable it’s insane - yes sometimes a little insufferable but so funny. She is sarcastic and witty and is so full of emotions. The book shows what it’s like being a young woman and shows that it’s okay to not have it all sorted out. About finding yourself and being okay with being who you are. My only critique is that I wish it hadn’t ended to abruptly, I just wanted a bit more for her ending. But definitely the funniest book I’ve read

[Sara Oxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a love Story by Mary Hargreaves a funny and real four-star read. I enjoyed this one and fond it to be very funny, but it had real and honest gripping parts that makes you look into yourself and really have a good look, but it just missed the mark a little bit. Maggie will speak to you though; she will explain to you why she doesn’t feel fulfilled and what she is searching for. That voice is what makes this story, its what makes this a compelling story.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so many feelings towards a single character, ever. Maggie is simultaneously the best and the worst, and I loved every second of it. From the mundane moments of her life (there weren’t many, it was always a riot) to the most extreme, I found myself consistently intrigued. One last thing I have to share is that this book was truly one of the funniest ones I’ve ever read. Can’t recommend it enough!

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Trapeze for this lovely novel.

I read this book during exam week and it was the perfect way to escape to another place during lockdown!

A truly funny book, the characters were relatable and easy to like. A really enjoyable laugh-out-loud read to get away from stress and immerse yourself in the hilarity of someone else's life.

[Jacqueline Allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more into crime/thriller books and even psychological thrillers too so I am extremely pleased and grateful to them for opening up my mind to something totally different.