Bărbatul care n-a mai venit

by Elle Cook, Dorina Tătăran (Translator)

„Pot doi oameni care nu se cunosc să se iubească?“



Hannah îl iubește pe Davey, iar Davey o iubește la rândul lui... și atunci de ce nu se întâlnesc?



Un telefon dat din greșeală, care schimbă două vieți...

Davey o sună pe Hannah din America. Au parte de o conversație simpatică, dar care n-ar trebui să ducă nicăieri. Pentru că Davey locuiește în State, iar Hannah în Londra. Însă Davey obține o slujbă în Londra și drumurile lor par că urmează să se intersecteze.

Pe măsură ce mesajele se transformă în apeluri telefonice iar apelurile telefonice în apeluri video, începe să se contureze ceva ce pare a fi o poveste de dragoste.

Apoi Davey dispare. Și atunci apare întrebarea: oare poate cineva să iubească un om pe care nu l-a întâlnit niciodată?



„Povestită cu tandrețe, umor și căldură, povestea lui Hannah și a lui Davey îți va face inima dornică de mai mult.“
Holly Miller, autoarea romanului Ce-ar fi fost dacă...



„O poveste contemporană de dragoste, care îți adresează, în fapt, o întrebare simplă: cât de mult crezi în destin și cât de tare poți continua să iubești un om chiar și atunci când totul pare să fie împotriva voastră?“
Anamaria Manolescu, coordonatoarea colecției Nemira Fiction

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Adult

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2022

About the author

Elle Cook worked as a journalist and in PR before becoming a full time novelist. The Man I Never Met is her first contemporary novel and The Last Train Home is her second. She is also the author of six historical novels under her real name, Lorna Cook.

Reviews

[Margaret M - (having a challenging time and on GR as much as I can) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not just a lovely story; it is a romantic one, it is heart-breaking one and also a very important one. One I hope many read because it is a romantic story that carries a weighty theme, of illness, of choice and of hope and survival.

I am not a huge follower of romcom books, so I was glad that ‘The Man I Never Met’ offered so much more and had real substance to the story and the characters. While like all romantic stories, it has the compulsory happy ending, this one dealt with and sought to raise awareness about a very real problem among men. Yes, testicular cancer.

Touching, credible and tormenting and with an outcome I could not predict as I was reading.

The Storyline

A call to a wrong number makes the connection between Hannah and Davey. He is calling for a job interview in England and she, the unexpected recipient of the call that will change her life.

After successfully landing the job, Davey is making plans to relocate to the UK and realises Hannah could be more than his first friend in a new country. As the chemistry between them ignites feelings and attraction that take both by surprise, they begin to plan a future. However, just when you think you might hear wedding bells someday, their plans are unravelled like confetti in the wind.

The expected journey does not happen when Davey falls ill and after hospital tests is diagnosed with stage 3 testicular cancer. Cutting off ties with Hannah, he begins intensive chemo while she is forced to continue life 3000 miles away, being denied even friendship from Davey.

Another unexpected happens when Hannah goes on holiday with a friend George who turns out to tick more boxes that Hannah thought. Even the one that says ‘boyfriend’ material.

I will stop there with the plot because to read this is to enjoy it. To immerse yourself in the story is to become more aware of this illness (if you didn’t know already) and to observe this story is taking me back to one of those well known phrases, that is also used in the book “If you want to make God laugh, tell him you’ve got plans”

Review and Comments

While ‘The Man I Never Met’ avoided the overly gushing expressions of love, it had real emotion. Instead of the run of the mill friends to lovers or enemies to lover’s trope, this story had great meaning and messages for everyone. It was authentic and all too real.

Without knowing the authors story, I knew Elle Cook had some first-hand experience of cancer, either as a nurse, a patient or one that has the unenviable job of watching loved ones go through this illness and gruelling treatment. There was a heart-breaking moment when Davey refuses any more treatment and it brought me back to the time my own father was in a cancer ward and a young boy refused treatment and begged his parents to let him go, he could not take the treatment any more. I am teary eyed writing this and it changed my outlook because until then I couldn’t fathom anyone saying ‘no more’ while there was life, but I understood it after that. A very heartbreaking theme the book also draws on.

Note to the author

Thank you for writing this beautiful story. Thank you to your husband for allowing his story to be told that will raise awareness of testicular cancer. This story was told with great sentiment, purpose and meaning. It could have been gloomy and downbeat given the theme and your own personal experiences. However, your story telling turned this into a lovely romance that most people can connect with. Thank you and I hope continued years of health and happiness for you both.

Back to the story …

Yes, in places the love story felt a little far-fetched, but that was overshadowed by the real and harsh realities of dealing with cancer and it’s treatment. It was authentic and credible without being a gloomy story.

Instead for me, this story was one of hope, of awareness and most importantly of survival and my kind of love story - One that’s built from solid foundations and getting to know your partner. I’m not into bed hopping stories where the guys know the colour of your bedsheets before they know the colour of your eyes.

This book has the perfect balance between the happy and heavy themes, just like life. Its standout is the inspiration it took to write the book. Its joy was in the beautiful relationships that were built around this story and the writing gives this the ‘feel good’ factor that will match any romantic story.

A story that is moving, evocative, credible and told with love, hope and survival at its core.

[Shelley's Book Nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

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Davey dials Hannah's number by mistake, trying to set up a job interview from Texas to England. After he gets the job he texts Hannah to let her know he will be moving there and they embark on a friendship that leads to phone calls then video calls and eventually turns into more.

My gosh, the chemistry between these two jumped off the page, and the romance of it all made me swoon. But then when Davey's flight lands in England he is not on the plane and Hannah is crushed. And reader, you will be too...What happens next broke me.

Don't let the cover fool you, this is not a fluffy romance, it is a very emotional book and utterly unique. The sexy time is steamy without being vulgar. I loved the dual points of view and how each chapter covered a month in the year the book takes place. Elle Cook wrote the illness in a very realistic way and there is a good reason for that, her husband suffered the same thing.

I had no idea that this author writes other books under the name Lorna Cook and I went to look up some of her other offerings and I already have a copy of The Dressmaker’s Secret on my to be read pile. If you enjoy realistic romances with some surprising twists along the way, this is the book for you.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Elle Cook, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for the giving of the ARC.

#TheManINeverMet #NetGalley

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars, rounded up

I just adored this book. Barely put it down over the last day because I needed to know how it was going to end.

Hannah, who lives in London, receives a phone call from a man who dialed the wrong number for a job interview. Davey lives in the US and is relocating to England. He sends her a message later to let her know that he got the job. As they are both single, they begin texting, calling, and eventually video chatting as Davey progresses toward moving. They develop feelings for each other and Hannah arranges to meet him at the airport...but he doesn't show up.

What happens after that just gave me all of the feels. It's heartbreaking, heartwarming, and very real. Every character in this book is well-drawn and the situations are incredibly authentic. I truly went through the gamut of emotions--happiness, anger, frustration, sadness, despair, hope--you name it I felt it! I liked and appreciated the growth the characters went through and the genuine friendships portrayed.

There are a few too many coincidences to make it fully believable, but I set that aside because it's just such a wonderful book. This author writes historical fiction under the name Lorna Cook, but I hope she continues with the contemporary romance because I will definitely read more of it.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy sentimental , honest, genuine love stories about two people who form an intimate bond even though they haven’t seen each other physically. That Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail vibes always create romantic awakening effect on me!

This book started sweet-soft- swoon kind of romance but than things get way too much dramatic with big pulling the rug out from under moment!

At the beginning we’re introduced Hannah in her mid twenties, living a peaceful but mostly lonely life in London. But when she answers a wrong number, she meets with Texan guy, in early thirties, everything starts changing completely. That lovely guy who tries to call for job interview is Davey and after the call ends, Hannah thinks she won’t hear from him but she cannot be so wrong.
I just devoured the pages and kept smiling as I read their interactions. I loved how their relationship developed in a short term.

It is heartwarming to witness how their friends bloom over texts, video calls. Hannah cannot be happier that Davey will move to London sooner so they may take a next step to their relationship.

Hannah is ready to meet him at the airport for their first meeting face to face. But after likely three hours at the airport, she realizes he’s not gonna show up and she keeps calling him but she cannot reach him. Finally Davey calls him and … big unexpected ( way too much dramatic) twist later, we realize the fate’s big twist prevents them to be together.

Will they have a chance to beat the fate and find their way to each other or this will be broken love story resolved with ugly tears, angsty screams!

You need to read and find out!

I dropped one point because I was expecting a feel good, swoon romance but this book was more depressing and sadder than I expected.
It was still well written, well developed and enjoyable.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/ Ballantine/ Dell for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about ships that pass in the night. . . They've got nothing on Hannah and Davey. If you are a Josie Silver or Beth O'Leary fan, you will want to check out this new contemporary fiction title from Elle Cook. The ending is perfection! I also want to commend the author for so candidly sharing the experience a family member had with a major health issue. A very frank window into an experience we don't often read about in a romance novel. I definitely recommend adding this to your holiday reading list.

Thank you to Dell and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

[Rosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A contemporary drama that gave me pretty good feels, though it is not perfect. Loveable characters. Good storyline. Emotional plot. NOT lighthearted. NOT a typical romance. Watch out for the trigger.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Story Synopsis:

When Londoner Hannah gets a call from an unknown number, the last thing she expects is that the caller – an American named Davey who misdialled her number while calling for a job interview – would soon become someone special. Davey, who gets the job, messages Hannah to thank her, and soon the two become friends, calling and texting each other regularly. Their feelings grow in due course, and both of them eagerly await the day Davey will land in London.
When the big day arrives after a month, Hannah is all excited, and waiting at the airport with a huge banner. But Davey never comes. The reason, once she learns of it, is devastating. What lies in their future?
The story comes to us in the first person perspectives of Hannah and Davey, with Hannah’s pov getting about 75% of the focus.

Bookish Yays:
😍 Hannah begins the book as a somewhat sheltered 27-year-old who is an easy pushover. Though it takes her long to become self-reliant, her growth is carved in a realistic way, rather than showing an almost instantaneous transition from under-confident to go-getter. Her character is flawed but relatable.

😍 Davey, on the whole, is a loveable person who struggles with what was happening. His emotional journey is one of the best sketched I have seen in this genre for male characters, who are usually shown as stoic and strong. Though there are fewer chapters from his perspective, they are more impactful.

😍 The development of Hannah’s and Davey’s relationship on the phone is charming. Drawn to each other by their connection of mind, the two of them share a healthy virtual correspondence. Their romance was mostly the kind of romance I like reading about, with more focus on the heart than on the body.

😍 Hannah’s elderly neighbour Joan, best friend Miranda, Miranda’s boyfriend Paul, and Davey’s best friend Grant – all are wonderful supporting characters in this book. I love how they had a vital role to play in the plot rather than just being there as add-ons.

😍 Don’t let the pastel cover fool you – this is no lighthearted book. I mostly loved the initial scenes where the relationship between Davey and Hannah blooms. But when the story shifted track after Davey fails to turn up at the airport, I struggled a bit to adjust to the change in emotions. Post this point, the content is a mix of heartbreaking and touching, which worked very well for me once I adapted to the switch in tone. I liked the realism of the characters’ feelings.

😍 Though an emotional story, there are enough moments of humour sprinkled here and there to lighten the situation somewhat. It’s not a romantic comedy though; don’t expect too much comic relief.

😍 There are some smooth coincidences and the mandatory happy ending – both of which are to be expected in this genre. But the predictability didn’t affect my enjoyment as the characters made it easy to root for them all the way.

😍 The depiction of the “issue” that made Davey miss his first meeting with Hannah is written so well! After I read the author’s note, I realised why the entire thing felt so authentic and touching. Well done!

😍 The author’s note at the end is so heartfelt and genuine. I loved her detailed note about the inspiration for this story. My best wishes to her family.
(FYI, her name is Lorna Cook, and she writes historical novels under her actual name. Under the pseudonym of ‘Elle Cook’, she writes contemporary fiction, with this being her first contemporary work.)


Bookish Nays:
👀 George is one annoying character, which would have been fine had he been in a minor role. But a great part of the story has him involved with Hannah, who ignores all the red flags in his behaviour. The two together weren’t convincing as a couple, especially as George isn’t a layered character, but mostly clichéd.

👀 The ending is somewhat rushed. After that long build-up, I was hoping for a more extended meeting scene. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t satisfy as well.

👀 Hannah’s perspective involves a lot of talk about her weight. A part of this is because George is a fitness trainer, but even otherwise, she seems obsessed with staying thin either for her own sake or for George’s sake. The content was borderline fatshaming, though none of the characters were even close to being fat.

👀 I am stunned by how much mention alcohol gets in this story. Almost every alternate scene involves at least one glass of some or the other alcoholic drink. What’s worse is that none of the characters think that they drink too much.

👀 Am I the only one who felt awkward when Davey texted Hannah his shirtless photo on their very first virtual photo exchange? What good guy does that?!


Overall, despite some nags about the shortcomings, I quite enjoyed the story. I am not one for cheesy or steamy romances, so a story where romance plays a secondary role to drama always works better for me.

Recommended to readers who would like a contemporary romantic-drama with characters they would love to root for.

Note that Davey stays Hannah’s “the man I never met” for most of the book. So if you are the kind of reader who won’t be satisfied by the lack of an actual meet-cute, or you want the romance to feature in a major role, or you want steamy content, this book isn’t for you. There is steam but all of it is behind closed doors.

If you need to know triggering content, don’t forget to take a look at the tagged trigger because it is a major one.

3.75 stars.


My thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Man I Never Met”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.


Content warning: cancer, chemotherapy and its side effects.





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[Kaceey · Rating 5 out of 5]

You had me at Hello!

I think we all consider ourselves mood readers to an extent. Lately, I’ve been all about the thrillers, never even considering one of the many romance or contemporary books presently gathering digital dust on my virtual shelf.

Case in point….this book. I wanted to read it but couldn’t find the energy to lose myself in an emotional romance. But when I saw the audio available I thought maybe this is what I need to power through.

And wow! It wasn’t at all what I expected. In fact, it was so much more!

Hannah is living the single life in London. Does she want more? Of course! But for now, she’s perfectly happy with her job and all her delightfully eclectic friends.

One random wrong number is about to change everything for Hannah.

Davey is ready to launch his career in architecture. He has a phone interview with a perspective employer in London. In his nervous excitement he mixes up the phone number and misdials not once, but twice. On the other end of the wrong number is none other than Hannah. Must be destiny.

What starts as a casual friendship over the phone quickly escalates into the possibility of a future as Davey prepares to move to London.

Only he never shows up. No call, no text. Was poor Hannah ghosted? Impossible! Davey was different! Wasn’t he?

From here the book travels down highly emotional and difficult roads I didn’t expect. Initially I was upset with where it was taking me but quickly realized I needed to just sit back, take a deep breath and let the characters take me on their journey.

The audio was outstanding with both narrators really bringing the characters to life! Bravo!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballentine

[Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh!! Who has read this book??? 🙋‍♀️ This book was definitely 💯 % FOMO… and guess what??! You all were right! I loved it! 🥰

Kismit?? Who knows..🤷‍♀️ Would you answer a wrong unknown number? ☎️No? Me either! 😂 However Hannah does…and Davey may just be… the one… WHAT??! 😳I know right!!! He has the wrong number… but they just keep talking… 😉… he is supposed to be calling for a job interview… In London… where Hannah lives… but instead.. he gets Hannah’s number 🤭… Guess what?? Davey got the job!!! 💼 Bags packed and he is on his way to London… ✈️and Hannah is waiting..😍

Okay this book gave me ALL the feels… and I mean ALL!!! I laughed..😂… I swooned..😍… I screamed at BOTH characters…🙄… I cried… 😭… I freaked out.. 😬… yeah ALL of those things. … I couldn’t put this book down!! 👏👏

Such a fantastic book!! The reviews on GR are on 🔥 … this is NOT a typical story of boy meets girl.. 😉 🤫 Pick it up and find out.. there is much more than this cute cover.

[Sheyla ✎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many feelings!

A wrong phone call places two strangers in each other's orbit.

Hannah is single and living in London. She is a young woman who is happy with her life, she spends time with her best friend and her friend's husband.

Davey is British but he has been living in the USA since he was a child.

When Davey calls Hannah by mistake, their paths will intersect. The same night Davey send a text telling her that he got the job. He is going to be moving to London. More texts followed over the next few days. They graduate then to phone calls and lastly to video calls over the next few months. A friendship begins until new feelings start developing on both sides.

As Davey's move becomes imminent, the two can stop thinking about it and be excited to finally be together. Hannah decides to pick him up at the airport but Davey never shows and the reason behind it is a big one.

Thoroughly enjoyed this love story of serendipity mixed with hope! I liked both characters and I was rooting for a happy ending. The secondary characters were also quite interesting and good friends all around.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A misdialed call, text messages, and video calls connect two people - Hannah in London and Davey from Texas in ways they never imagined. Davey misdialed Hannah while calling in for a job interview in London. They have a brief chat and Hannah believes that will be it, but then Davey texts her to inform her that he got the job! Hannah is happy for Davey; he is happy, and they decide to keep in contact.

Hannah agrees to meet Davey at the airport when he moves to London. She made a big sign and can't wait to meet him in person. She waits and she waits, and she waits. Concerned she texts him but gets no response. His plane has landed but he is nowhere in sight. There is a life changing reason why he wasn't there.

This was a wonderful, sad, hopeful, and lovely book. I enjoyed both main characters and their exchanges together. I loved how the author had two strangers connecting without meeting in person. I also enjoyed how the *oops* wrong number changed their lives. Most people would have answered and said, "sorry, wrong number" and moved on. Not Hannah!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book about connections. I loved how in the beginning, one small thing (calling the wrong number) changed both of their lives. How making a simple mistake can have such a BIG outcome. The author also deals with a sensitive subject in this book with grace.

A brilliant book which pulled on my heartstrings and left me smiling.


#TheManINeverMet #NetGalley

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com

[DeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 heart-filled stars * now available

In this delightful tale of a misdialed phone number, we meet two young people in different parts of the world. Hannah works in marketing in London and Davey is an American interviewing for an architecture job in London. However, he dialed Hannah by mistake for the interview.

As Hannah and Davey start a text conversation, it leads to more as Hannah fills him in on the London scene and they get to know each other as well as you can over the phone. At this point in the story, I thought I was just in for a sweet romance and then I remembered the title. You can maybe guess what happens next in the story. Hannah arrives at the airport to greet Davey and he’s a no-show.

I won’t divulge why he’s not there, but the book goes in a different direction and my heart was broken that the two might never meet.

I really enjoyed the characters in this one, they seemed genuine, and I rooted for Hannah and Davey in different ways. I loved the friendships that Hannah and Davey both had – I think that’s an element often missing from books. There’s a scene in a poppy field that was my favorite, and it was worth the wait.

I gave a contented sigh and smile as I closed this one, my heart full!

I went into this one without reading anything about it, in this case, that worked out marvelously! The author’s notes at the end were terrific, don’t miss them.

Jayme and I had another good buddy read with this one. Her review may agree with mine, do check!

My thanks to Random House/Ballantine for the opportunity to read and honestly review this one.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hannah is happily going about her day in London when she receives a phone call from a number she doesn't recognize. On the other end of the line is, Davey, an American living in Texas who is trying to phone into an interview with an architectural firm in London. Hannah explains he has misdialed her by mistake and so they hang up as anyone would do when a stranger rings a wrong number.

Imagine Hannah's surprise when she receives a text days later from the same number and Davey informs her that he got the job and she finds that she's genuinely happy for him and sends her congratulations.

The calls and texts don't stop there. They seem to have a real connection that neither of them can deny. All they have to do is wait until the new year and then Davey will be in London where they can meet properly and Hannah can finally get that kiss she has so longed for.

Hannah arrives at the airport the day of his arrival, welcome sign in hand, but there is no Davey. She waits and she waits but goes home in shame and defeat. Where is he and why didn't he show?

Elle Cook created two amazing characters with Hannah and Davey. I adored them both so much and I was cheering them on from the start. I actually thought going into this that it was a romantic comedy (I guess a cartoon cover is all it takes for me apparently!) and it is not that at all. This book gets very heavy and it caused me to get emotional on several occasions mostly because what they deal with is something I'm all too familiar with on a personal level and I did have to sit the book down a few times to gather my wits.

*I will spoiler tag the trigger at the end of this review for those that are curious or worried before starting this.

But this book isn't all doom and gloom. There are moments of happiness and joy especially as we near the end. Hannah has wonderful friends and great support. She also has a sexy personal trainer that just might help to keep her mind off her lost love and missed chance.

All in all I thought this was a fantastic book and according to the authors note at the end it is her first foray into the contemporary romance genre. I'm truly impressed and I hope she continues to pursue this as I will continue to read them.

This book can be a little depressing and there were only snippets of swoon worthy moments so if those are deal breakers for you then move along. For other readers still curious I assure you that you'll be rewarded with an emotional and heartwarming story. 4 stars!

Trigger warning: Cancer diagnosis/chemotherapy

Thank you to NetGalley Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for granting my wish to read this.

[Nilguen · Rating 4 out of 5]

***English Version***

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„No, this is not going to be a shallow romance, right?” were my thoughts as I read the first few pages of the book. However, the further I got into the story, the more compelling were the themes the author was writing about. It’s contemporary literature about love across borders thanks to global infrastructure in work and communication, as well as pressing health issues that particularly affect men. The story itself was a 3 star experience. However, the fact that the story took place largely in the UK, featuring quirky but endearing characters, plus raising the reader's awareness of pressing health issues ultimately enhanced my reading experience. Solid 4 stars!

Thanks for NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.


***Deutsche Version***
„Nein, das wird doch kein seichter Liebesroman sein, oder?“ waren meine Gedanken als ich die ersten Seiten im Buch las. Je weiter ich in der Geschichte ankam, jedoch, umso dringlicher wurden die Themen, worüber die Autorin schrieb. Es ist zeitgenössische Literatur, die von der Liebe handelt über Grenzen hinweg dank der globalen Infrastruktur in Job und Kommunikation sowie pressierende Gesundheitsthemen, die insbesondere Männer betreffen. Die Handlung an sich war ein 3-Sterne-Erlebnis. Die Tatsache jedoch, dass die Geschichte größtenteils in Großbritannien stattfand und schrullige, aber liebenswürdige Charaktere beinhaltete sowie dringliche, gesundheitliche Themen ins Bewusstsein des Lesers rief, wertete meine Leseerfahrung letztendlich auf. Solide 4 Sterne!

Vielen Dank an NetGalley für das Leseexemplar im Gegenzug für meine ehrliche Meinung.

[Mirna S · Rating 1 out of 5]

So I think I might be in the minority regarding how I feel about this book...

I desperately wanted to like this. I loved the premise and was curious to see why Davey didn't show up at the airport. But the execution of it all fell entirely flat for me. I felt so let down by how things happened and how they were told. At the end of things, I just wanted more. I think we got too much of one thing and not enough of what was working.

For starters, I think this book could have used more dual POV. We don't get Davey's POV until much later, and VERY little of it. It wasn't enough for me. Seeing his POV through all stages of their relationship could have been helpful to the storyline and made us see how hard he was falling for Hannah. I also think that that would have made his reason for not showing up that much more intense and devastating because we would have seen how excited he was to see Hannah. His storyline is so, so important, and I felt like it was a disservice not to include more of the story through his eyes and what he was experiencing.

I also think part of the reason why this fell flat for me was my own expectations. I didn't expect the book to be so focused on Hannah's other relationship with George. The fact that it was so toxic and surface level didn't make it any better either. Part of me understands that Hannah needed to try with someone else, but their relationship was so off-putting that it made me lose interest in the story.

It was honestly surprising to read how little Davey was in this story. It didn't feel like Hannah and Davey's love story in the end with how little he was in it and how focused it was on other parts of Hannah's life. I guess I just expected/wanted them to find more ways to stay connected while they were apart, but what we got was so far from that that it left me feeling dissatisfied. Ultimately, I didn't feel like I knew either of them. They both felt like distant characters, ones I could never fully grasp or connect with.

The biggest letdown was definitely the ending. It felt so rushed and underwhelming. Getting mere pages of Hannah and Davey together in person was such a disappointment. I couldn't believe I went through all that to barely get to see them together. I think their relationship deserved more, and I'm sad we never got to see their story entirely told. It felt incomplete to me.

Overall, I think this had the opportunity to be a cute and heartwarming story, but it just didn't work for me. I see that many other people did like it, though, so that's something to keep in mind!

Thank you, Netgalley and Ballantine Dell, for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughts: I went into this book completely blind and I am so glad that I did. If I had assummed it was a rom-com, I would have been very disappointed, as this book is most certainly not a rom-com. What it is, is a wonderful blend of contemporary romance with a whole lot of heart and the best of women’s fiction.

This story takes us on the journey of Hannah and Davey. What starts as an accidental text becomes a love story. But what happens when life gets in the way? What happen’s when the romantic HEAs of novels doesn’t happen in real life? This book is less about the happy ending and so much more about the journey to figure out where we belong, where we want to end up, and what we are willing to risk to get where we want to in life.

I loved each of these characters and felt for them, and their struggles, as if they were my close friends. The author’s character developement is so well rounded and detailed, I can see them existing completely off of the page and in the real world.

I listened to this on audio, and while both narrators were excellent, I have completely fallen in love with Fiona Button’s narration (this is the second book I have listened to her narrate). The pain she manges to depict on audio is breathtaking, and there were many tmes while listening, I could feel myself tearing up.

This was such a great read and I highly recommend it especially if you are looking for romance with a bit more depth. I cannot wait to read more from Elle Cook.

Read if you like:
•accidental meetings
•meet cutes
•romance with depth
•women’s fiction
•book by emily stone

Thank you to PRH Audio for the ALC; Dell and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchage for my honest review.

[Emmyreads444 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a cute book. I loved how we were able to see the characters grow throughout the year & I LOVED that it switched to dual POV. I felt the ending was rushed.. I wanted more of Hannah & Davey. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads)]

DNF @ 30%: Really enjoyed the writing and the plot of this one, but something just happened in the story that I wasn't expecting and I honestly just don't feel up to reading that sort of story line at the moment. I may come back to this someday, but for now I am leaving this one here.

CW: cancer

[Jennifer Sellers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would’ve given this book 8 freaking stars out of 5 if you would’ve asked me at any point in time while I was reading, until the last few paragraphs.

**Warning this could potentially be considered a spoiler**

The editor of this book really let the author down and the author really let the reader down. All because the author decided to tell us and not show us the “ending.” We have this fantastically written and drawn out story… yet, in the end, what should’ve been (at the minimum 3-5 pages) was summarized down to a couple sentences. It was exceedingly disappointing. I felt like I put myself through an emotional roller coaster for no reason.

If the ending gets revised before final publishing I will revise my review happily.

Amazing book, amazing story. Disappointing ending.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

First off, this was a good change of pace. I've not read a RomCom / Chick Lit for ages.

It's romance, I knew going into it that I would have to suspend my disbelief and keep my eyes from rolling during parts of it, and that's fine. What is not fine for a book published in 2022 is the following:

Fat phobia. We don't need this in books being published in this decade. Every character comments on calories, being overweight, commenting on other people's weight. Gym culture, denying food. It's toxic. We don't need it.

Grown men don't cry - again, we don't need this in this era. To create a male character with cancer and then have their tears shut down because they are male. Toxic. Damaging. We don't need it.

And let's talk about that cancer storyline. People with cancer are tired of being told they've got to fight, to be strong and keep going, being guilt tripped with regards to their treatment oath decisions. Let's create a space for them to talk about how they feel, their fears, and the impact it has on them. Shutting these conversations down is a lost opportunity.

I see in the author's note that her husband having cancer is a personal experience for her, and maybe because she got a happy ending, she can write about it with such lightness.

I know this book is ultimately fluff, but I've seen fluff do better.

If you are weight conscious, believe men have feelings or have lost someone to cancer, this probably isn't going to be for you.

Two stars.

[Val (pagespoursandpups) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story gave me the "will they, won't they" feeling the entire way through the book. I felt Hannah's devastation at the airport, I felt Davey's devastation when his life fell off the rails he envisioned and I felt love for each of the characters (except George of course).

A story with all the feels about a girl, Hannah, living in London - picking up a phone call from a random number and starting a conversation with Davey, living in the States. What started out as a wrong number turns into a series of phone calls and texts between Davey and Hannah. Davey has taken a job in London and has plans to move down and meet Hannah in person. When Hannah is left at the airport after hours of Davey not showing up and not texting, she is understandably distraught. She can think of over a dozen things that could have happened, not many of them good. When she finally finds out what has delayed Davey's arrive in London, it is far worse than she even imagined.

I didn't know much about what to expect before opening this book and I highly recommend that method for this one. Don't listen to the chatter, just pick this one up. There are heavy subjects - but there is also the perfect amount of levity to even out the balance between light and dark. Both Hannah and Davey must decide which direction their lives will take. Do you stay with the safe? Or do you follow your dreams?

I loved this book and read it quickly because I needed to know if they would end up together. Not gonna tell you that but I will say that the ending was a little too abrupt for me. I mean this is what I have been waiting the whole book to find out and it was revealed in little over a page. There were also a few unresolved situations - like the package she threw in one of her closets - I wonder why it was mentioned. Elle Cook did a great job with character development - I could see exactly why Davey would make the choices he did, just as I could see why Hannah would choose the path that she did. And all the characters are so likeable save for the one that is meant to be rather unlikeable.

Highly recommend this one - I think more women's fiction than RomCom. The perfect blend of yearning, confusion, frustration and discovery. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the arc to read and review.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah answers not one, but two calls from an unknown number which both turn out to be a misdial from a Texan named Davey who is trying to call into a job interview. She wishes him luck and thinks that is the end of it, but he ends up texting her to let her know he got the job and will be moving to London.

Oh, my heart. First of all, if you are looking for a rom-com, look elsewhere. This story is a romance, but one with some depth and definitely sadness that I would classify as a contemporary romance.

The way Hannah and Davey spent time getting to know one another via text, phone calls and video chats felt like it progressed naturally. I adored both characters and just wanted everything to work out for them, but wasn't sure how things were going to end up. This book took me through a rollercoaster of emotions, but I loved it. The less you know going into this one the better.

Although Elle Cooks has 6 published historical fiction novels under the name Lorna Cook, this was her first contemporary novel and she nailed it. Immediately after finishing this one, I went straight into her 2nd contemporary novel "The Last Train Home", and now I can't wait for her to write another. 5 stars.

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

💕😭💕 ~ review up soon~ish


Hannah & Davey

Currently reading notes:
~ dual 1st, present tense
~ England setting

Narration notes:
I’m pleased as punch that there were 2 narrators!

[Bookish Meag 🩵 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really had high hopes for this book.

It sounded so interesting and intriguing, and it was in the beginning. I was so in love in the beginning of this. It was great, and I sped through reading it, until it fell flat. It fell apart in the middle for me and I really struggled to keep reading. I ended up not finishing it completely and just skimming through the rest. I read the last four chapters fully and it left me so disappointed. How are you finally going to let Hannah and Davey meet in person, in the last chapter, after all this time, everything they went through and end this like that? That was suppose to wrap this book up? I was crushed by this. Hannah and Davey deserved more of a proper relationship. We all deserved more of them having a real relationship.

George ruined the book for me, I didn’t like him from the start. Hannah never should of been with him. All those chapters of them together should of been Hannah and Davey.

I know the illness prevented them being together for a portion of the time. But still…… just 🥺🥺💔💔 I’ll always feel like this never ended properly, and just abruptly cut off when it should of flourished.

Just because this wasn’t love for me, doesn’t mean you want love the hell out of it. Everyone has different taste and opinions. This book has a ton of five star reviews and a lot of people loved it. Please don’t take my thoughts or review personally.

I will say I really liked most of the characters. I really loved Joan and Hannah’s friendship, it was warm, simple and easy. Joan, Geoff, Davey, Hannah, Paul and Miranda were really great well thought out characters.

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the premise of the book but the execution fell short for me. It starts out as a chance meeting with a wrong phone number between two people who live in different countries. While the author tried to pan this out slowly it still came off a bit insta-love...especially since our main characters relationship purely exists on the phone. And once it starts to seem like they might actually meet in person... the main character suddenly gets testicular cancer out of the blue. He stays in America and stops speaking to our female protagonist. A huge chunk of the books doesn't even involve our main characters interacting at all with each other as they both go on to have relationships with other people. We get sporadic chapters from the male protagonist POV that seem oddly placed. In fact, most of the book doesn't even involve our main characters interacting with each other but yet they still have feelings of love for each other despite never actually meeting in person. .

The ending feels rushed and not very satisfying. After all the drama throughout the book it felt like the book finished right when the real story should have been taking off. I feel like this book would have been so cute without the manufactured drama that went on just a little too long.

***Advanced copy obtained from Random House/Ballanttine via Netgalley***

[Chelsey (a_novel_idea11) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you believe you can fall in love with someone you've never physically met?

Hannah was skeptical. But when Davey accidentally calls her - twice - and they strike up a friendly conversation, she's shocked to find herself falling in love with a man that lives 5000 miles away. With Davey set to move to London in a few weeks, maintaining the long distance, FaceTime relationship is feasible. That is, until life decides to make other plans.

This wasn't your typical romance and I loved it for that. It was definitely a pretty unique plot and I think the whole "can you fall in love with someone you've never met" question is super relevant to many people with online dating. However, I also liked that this wasn't related to online dating!

Davey and Hannah's relationship felt authentic to me. I really do believe you can get closer to someone without ever meeting them - it almost relieves the pressure and you're more yourself. Davey and Hannah seemed to open up to each other in ways that they didn't with the people who were physically present in their lives. I was interested to see what would happen once Davey actually got to London. The fact that he didn't, just made it all the more interesting.

While I find all romances predictable, I did like that this book tried to shake up the standard meet, fall in love, break up, get back together storyline. Maybe it didn't totally succeed but I did still really enjoy this one because it felt different. The story stalled a bit for me here and there and it took me quite a while to get through, but overall, it is one of the better romance books I've read!

If you love a good romance but want it to be a little messy this is definitely for you.

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[tej · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was definitely slow-paced. It starts off with a long-distance relationship where Davey has misdialed and reached Hannah. They go back and forth for a bit. The main 'conflict' in this book that the characters need to overcome to have an emotionally gratifying ending is #that Davey has cancer# and that should have been the only 'conflict'.

The crapy partner's plot was not needed for either of them, it frankly didn't add anything for me, and it made me respect Hannah less. If a guy says the only thing I wanted from you was to get on birth control, so I don't have to wear a condom, you walk away. In Hannah's case, she ignores all the red flags and stays for longer than she should have. George sucked. It didn't help that this part of the book felt even slower than the rest. I like slow-burn, but these chapters were boring.

You know how for Spanish Love Deception, the book could've been solved if they just talked to each other honestly - the same could've happened here. The main leads just needed to get over themselves; he thought he was a burden when the people around had made clear he was not (therapy is the answer), and she frankly lacked a spine. The ending was like two lines and an overview of like a year wasn't the emotionally gratifying ending you want in a romance.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House, as I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book #189 of 2022.

[Caitlin Carnes · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book doesn’t know what it wants to be—rom com, Hallmark movie, Grey’s Anatomy episode—but whatever it is, it’s not good. Star bump because the audiobook is nicely done.

[Sarah | Kerosene.Lit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book! It was torturous waiting for this romance to unfold ... and I loved every minute!

When a misdial connects Davey to Hannah, an unexpected friendship (and romantic feelings) develops between them. But when the two finally plan to meet at the airport, Davey doesn't show ...

The worst part is, I can't tell you why! Following mostly Hannah as she attempts to move on with her life, this story kept me on the edge of my seat. But there's also sprinkles of Davey's POV, which immensely raised the angst while also giving a much needed look inside his headspace.

For two characters who spend the majority of this book apart, the chemistry is so palpable. What talent Elle Cook has! I cried during the final chapters. My heart was exploding with joy. So, even though I felt like I was on the edge of an emotional collapse while reading this one, I'd happily read it again and again and again.

(heat level: fade to black / mild details)

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a binge-worthy, gorgeous story! 💕

“Life is far too short to stay in any situation that doesn’t light you up from the inside out.”

[Iris Bicho · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5✨
Foi giro mas não sei muito bem o que achar de umas partes