Mad About You

by Mhairi McFarlane

Harriet Hatley is the most in-demand wedding photographer in town, but she doesn’t believe in romance, loathes the idea of marriage, and thinks chocolate fountains are an abomination. Which is why, when her long-time partner proposes, she panics. Suddenly Harriet is single… and living down the hall from her ex. She needs a new apartment, like, yesterday.

Enter Cal Clarke, a hopeless romantic who just experienced his own wedding-related disaster. Harriet and Cal are like chalk and cheese, but as they go from strangers to roommates to friends, it becomes clear they’re both running from something. When Harriet’s most heavily guarded secret comes to light, her world implodes. And Cal, with his witty humor and gentle advice, is a surprising source of calm at the center of the storm.

With her career, friendships, and reputation on the line, Harriet must finally face her past in order to take control of her future. Because if she’s willing to stop playing it safe and risk everything to share her truth, real love and happiness may be waiting on the other side…

International bestseller Mhairi McFarlane delivers a sharp, emotional new novel about a woman who calls off her engagement to "the perfect man" and moves in with a charming stranger who makes her question everything about her life, her past, and the secrets she's kept for far too long…

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

416 pages, Paperback

First published April 14, 2022

About the author

Mhairi was born in Scotland in 1976 and her unnecessarily confusing name is pronounced Vah-Ree.

After some efforts at journalism, she started writing novels. It’s Not Me, It’s You is her third book. She lives in Nottingham, with a man and a cat.

Reviews

[Haley pham · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like books then WHY HAVEN’T YOU READ THIS ONE!?

[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

MMs books are never really about the romance - they are always about the growth of the characters - but i definitely think this is the best romance MM has written.

again, the romance is not the focus of this book. its about trials, abusive pasts, letting go and moving forward. its a story about strength, resilience, and uplifting others. that being said, the connection between cal and harriet is so genuine, so charming, so realistic, that it completely outshines everything else in the book. even if it is just a side plot.

so go into this expecting it to be a womens fiction novel with a main plot that is pretty heavy, but you can also be looking forward to the brief interactions between cal and harriet that totally steal the show.

thank you avon and harper voyager for the ARC!

↠ 4 stars

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the edgiest, most angsty, and triggering Mhairi McFarlane book I’ve ever read! The sharp writing, combined with genuine, relatable characters, drew me into this thought-provoking story filled with powerful messages.

The gaslighting, psychological abuse, grief, cheating, and the power of friendship are all woven so well into Harriet’s heart-wrenching story! Normally, I’d be hesitant when a book’s blurb misleads you. The plot made it seem like this would be an entertaining enemies-to-lovers story, but that’s not the case at all! Yes, there’s tension, sexual chemistry, smart banter, and witty dialogue, but this book is so much more than that!

Hattie is the kind of heroine I’d want to invite over to my house for long chats, bottles of Chardonnay, and late-night homemade cookies (well, “homemade” meaning “husband-made”—nobody should mistake me for a cook). I’d give her long hugs, remind her how amazing and strong she is, and tell her she’s brave enough to stand up to her bullies and teach them the lessons they deserve. I call her Hattie because the author made me feel so connected to her through her magical, creative mind, bringing unforgettable characters to life!

I was ready to give this book five stars because of its meaningful, provocative, and bold approach to sensitive subjects, even though the lack of romance and the extra drama in the heroine’s life left me feeling a bit agitated.

But… I loved Cal from the start. He was a great hero, and I really wanted to see a slow-burn romance between him and Harriet as she dealt with all the whirlwind, intense incidents in her life. Instead, their love story felt like insta-love—a quick hookup that seemed obligatory rather than fully developed.

Still, I enjoyed this book! Ms. McFarlane’s brilliant descriptions, her ability to reveal the depth of her characters’ souls, and her talent for writing truly heartbreaking, angsty stories made me love it. It may not be my all-time favorite of her works, but it’s definitely a MUST READ!

Special thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for sharing this amazing digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mhairi McFarlane's latest rom-com has the romance part dialed down considerably to a minor part, instead this about 35 year old wedding photographer, Harriet Hatley, having to face a series of challenges about her past which includes a traumatic and toxic relationship that she managed to escape, but which she has buried, never talking about it and never addressing the issues that arose. The consequences of this have her mishandling her relationship with the wealthy Jonathan 'Jon' Barraclough, who wears his heart on his sleeve, in love with her and demonstrating it by showering her with expensive gifts and trips abroad. In the present, Harriet finds herself in a socially awkward scenario at the celebrations of his parents 40th wedding anniversary, when out of the blue Jon proposes marriage in front of his entire family. The trouble is Harriet had made it clear marriage was not for her, to allow him to save face in public, she accepts, only to break their engagement immediately after.

Harriet goes on to move out, to become Cal Clarke's lodger in his beautiful home, only for him to turn out coincidentally to have jilted his bride at a wedding she had been hired to photograph. In Harriet's eyes nothing could excuse his unforgiveable behaviour, could it? In the meantime, she is shocked when it seems that Jon refuses to accept their break up and in her opinion is acting out of character when he goes off the rails, followed by Jacqueline, his poisonous mother turning up on her doorstep to unfairly harangue her. Cal turns out to be an unlikely source of much needed support in the face of this madness, and before long the two establish a supportive and fun friendship, particularly when she realises she has made assumptions and misjudged him, he is a man with his own relationship issues. Her life is set to become a nightmare when she writes a letter to warn the bride to be of the malevolent Simon, the ex-boyfriend who abused her, only for her to become the target of online mobs that threaten her mental health and her business.

Harriet is fortunate to have a wonderful best friend in Lorna, who has far greater clarity when it comes to Jon than Harriet does, and is unshakeable in being there for Harriet when her life unravels. However, it is her more recent friendships with Nina and Marianne that inspire the audacious actions that the trio plan that bring a satisfying end to the manipulative Simon saga. This fun and entertaining read tackles some dark and heavy topics with panache, Harriet is forced to address problematic character traits that bring her nothing but misery, but she rises to the challenges beautifully supported by a stellar cast of characters. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

[Susan's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the direction that Mhairi McFarlane's writing style is taking her!



Her first few novels were all about relationships with a somewhat familiar trope: a woman is betrayed by her boyfriend. Said woman moves away or meets a fabulous looking guy, who falls for her like a ton of bricks. She is still hung up about her Ex, but soon finds out that "Adonis-guy" is always going to treat her right, and adores her to boot!



Here, the story mostly centers around mental abuse. Harriet's big secret is revealed during one of her wedding photography shoots. An old flame torches her peace of mind when he turns out to the the best man at that wedding. Scott Dyer was totally bad news and Harriet was lucky to have made it out of that bad relationship with her sanity intact - thanks to the support of her friends.



When Scott lets loose his devious plan for revenge, his followers on the internet make Harriet a social and commercial pariah. She may well have to relocate to a new town and start her life afresh.



But this time Harriet has a surprise coming to her: at her darkest hours, one of her friends betrayed her, but a new one proved to be touchingly loyal when she needed him most.



I felt like cheering at the end of this one, even though the "romance element" was not central to the plot for a change.



I'm rating this one 4.6 out of 5 socially relevant, well-written stars!
...

Previously: My first reaction when I heard another Mhairi McFarlane was about to be published:
I was so happy when I saw that her new book was coming out in August.
THIS is how we crazy happy dance in Canada!

[Ashley (back!) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Why did a woman's voice have to be a chorus to count?"
mess mess drama drama but we ate it up RTC

-

reading my first mhairi mcfarlane with bsf dawn<3!!!

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A lot of how you feel about the book will depend on how you feel about the main character. The rest will depend on whether you considered this a romcom based on that title and cover. I disliked the main character but luckily, I wasn’t looking for a romcom. Hence the mixed feelings.

Story:
(The GR blurb for this book is quite misleading because it makes the book sound like a story of Harriet and Cal. It isn’t. It is Harriet’s story almost all the way.)

Harriet, a wedding photographer, has been dating the “perfect man” for about two years, but when he proposes, a lot of doubts she’s been having come together and she breaks off the relationship. Suddenly single, she moves into the first good house-share she can find. Her new landlord, Cal, is also escaping a past relationship, but that’s about the only thing the two have in common. When Harriet’s past rears up its ugly head, she needs to ask herself some hard questions and decide whether to run away again or confront the past to clear her future.
The story is narrated in the third person limited perspective of Harriet.

I was not looking for a romcom. This book isn’t a romcom. So it clicked for me at least in that respect. But those who imagine this to be a sweet “chicklit” that is full of pep and love will be disappointed. It is not romantic to a great extent; it is not comic except for a few scattered scenes; it is not light-hearted at all. (Oh, and no steamy scenes at all. This is a plus point for me, but might be a minus point for some romance lovers.)

The title is perfectly suited for the book but not in the way you would imagine. “Mad About You” takes the other meaning of the word “mad”, as in loony/weird/stalker-ish. There are quite a few couple-based relationships in the book. If I count all of them, including currently dating or married or ex-couples or those mentioned for a few pages, there are about 8-9 pairs. Of these, most are toxic, involving gaslighting or cheating or dominating or mercenary agenda or mental abuse by at least one partner. However, I don’t think most readers who look at that title will think of this meaning while picking up the book. “Mad About You” thus might lead to very different reader expectations. (That bright pastel cover doesn’t help matters.)

The strongest point of the book is in the way it highlights insidious relationships (as is evident from the count mentioned above.) What I also appreciate is how the author didn’t shift from her agenda to a great extent. Unlike so many writers who cram in as many dark/important themes as they can, McFarlane sticks to toxic relationships and never loses her focus. She analyses such relationships from various angles and also covers online abuse and how people jump in to troll someone based on one person’s version of events. I love the confrontation scene towards the end; that’s the best part of the book.

What didn’t work for me was the plot & character development. The plot is not entirely predictable but there are too many convenient coincidences that fit in as neatly as a beginner’s jigsaw puzzle. I would have let this go if the characters were better but most of them ended up irritating me. The most frustrating one was Harriet. The writing sort of forces us into supporting Harriet and understand what she is going through. But there are many cases where she herself accuses without justification, takes very questionable decisions, and jumps to conclusions faster than you can say “Harriet!” I think your liking of this book will be highly dependent on the extent to which you connect and empathise with Harriet's character. I simply couldn’t. Cal was a loveable character but doesn’t get enough of page space. A couple of the other characters conveniently change from white to black to white again as per the needs of the plot.

Furthermore, the writing style also didn’t satisfy me. For some reason, I simply couldn’t get going with the pace, though I still don’t know what slowed me down. There is a lot of informal slang for which I couldn't even guess the meaning at times. There are way too many adverbs in use. Sometimes, a single regular-sized para ended up with 8-9 adverbs, which was very distracting. The chapter endings at times are really odd, like it would stop right in the middle of a scene and the next chapter begins in continuation with the next line of the very scene. (This isn’t a thriller; there was no need for such mini cliff-hangers.) There is the mandatory romantic arc but it was too rushed, thus making it more like forced couplehood than genuine love.

This was my very first Mhairi McFarlane novel and looking at the number of fans she has here, I am sure she is a fabulous writer. So this book might just be a wrong one to begin with. I will definitely read a couple more of her works before I can make up my mind on whether her books and I suit each other.

I have been going back and forth on the rating for this one. Most of the novel fell between 2.5-3 stars for me. But the confrontation scene and the spotlight on gaslighting deserves at least a 4 stars. So I’ll go with the average and rate this 3.25 stars.

My thanks to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for the DRC of “Mad about You”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.



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Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.

[Dawn Solaris · Rating 4 out of 5]

★彡 3.5 stars 彡★

“Why did a woman’s voice have to be a chorus, to count?”

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈ Because the world lets men be louder, their opinions generally more heard? Oops, forgot that honesty ain’t the way (¬ᴗ ´¬ )

Hear ye, hear ye, guess who’s in love? Me! Guess who’s getting a new devoted reader? Mhairi McFarlane! Guess what Mad About You is about? A story of resilience, womanhood and recognising yourself! Add in a little friendship and romance while we are at it ◟( ˃̶͈◡ ˂̶͈ )◞

Trashing Harriet’s exes and her so-called friendships with bestie Ashley was one helluva experience, so cheers to a wonderful buddy-read °ᡣ𐭩 ° .

⋮ ⌗ ┆ ᏖᎧᎮᎥፈᏕ ᎴᎥᏕፈᏬᏕᏕᏋᎴ ⋮ ⌗ ┆

[◉°] Death Of Parents

[◉°] Gaslighting & Manipulation

[◉°] Feminism & Womanhood

[◉°] Friendship

⋮ ⌗ ┆ ᎷᎩ ᏖᏂᎧᏬᎶᏂᏖᏕ ⋮ ⌗ ┆

: ̗̀➛ 🅣🅗🅔 🅢🅣🅞🅡🅨 & 🅣🅗🅔 🅕🅔🅔🅛🅢: Harriet, a wedding photographer who loves capturing her clients’ big days, is more or less trapped in a clever wedding debacle of her own when her seemingly-perfect boyfriend pushes the limelight on her. With a quick retreat and the shortest engagement of the century, she needs a place of her own, ASAP. A phone call later, she’s living with an infamous figment of one of her career-related mishaps… the landlord happens to be an attractive dude, too- this damn luck!

The premise reads like a regular enemies-to-lovers™ romcom but you’ll be surprised to hear that the romance takes a back, back-seat in this book. It took me one book by McFarlane to understand that you don’t go in expecting romance, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised naur, I was warned beforehand by fifty little birdies (,,>﹏<,,). No wonder Emily Henry is a big McFarlane fangirl, because the themes of women’s fiction wrapped in with a substantial amount of romance here? … The fantastic formula in question, is theirs, y’all ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و ♡

: ̗̀➛ 🅗🅐🅡🅡🅘🅔🅣 🅗🅐🅣🅛🅔🅨: Not going to lie, I was expecting the most cynical of cynics, and reading the first few chapters I thought that’s all Harriet was going to be. I’m damned if I say that she wasn’t one heck of a complex character. She’s so impeccably layered, and I’m stunned at how many things this girl is. To be honest, she might be the tiniest bit immature with the way she handled things throughout the book (which might have made me a little frustrated at her). But this girl’s seen a toxic relationship that’s impacted her in all the bad ways, so I get her pains and I understand where she comes from.

: ̗̀➛ 🅕🅡🅘🅔🅝🅓🅢🅗🅘🅟: Bless my heart, because I’ve been blessed with the right amount of female friendship in here. Seriously m’ladies, get yourself a friend like Lorna, who stays through thick and thin, through every kind of toxic ex you throw at her. Lorna has patience, because I swear to god I would’ve been less civil to the trash bags, darling Harriet used to have a history with (would’ve skinned them alive and sautéed them in style).

“Is this definitive proof I have the worst judgment in men?”
“No, you don’t. What you have is trust that has been abused. Men aren’t your fault.”

The takeaway was that, sometimes… you forge friendships in the unlikeliest of places, such as your toxic ex’s string of benevolent exes who are all survivors like you and that warmed my heart to no end. Similarly, friendships you never thought were anything less than faithful turn out to be brittle when you least expect them to (ó﹏ò｡) God forbid such friendships find us

: ̗̀➛ 🅒🅐🅛🅥🅘🅝 🅒🅛🅐🅡🅚🅔: Who’s barely there, but whenever he was? Trust that I was cheering like a crazy hyena. Harriet defines Cal as a Gatsby - an entirely lovable individual who doesn’t need to try and be cool… he just is. My opinions on him were a fluctuating mess, oh lord. I went from being sceptical of him, to being charmed by him, to being mildly annoyed by him, to loving him by the end. Also, what’s up with him being such a crackhead? I was laughing like I finally lost it since the ripe age of 5, actually. Since I love communicating in quotes…

“Fucking hell. When you’re done with Scott, can you publicly destroy my reputation, too?’ Cal said, passing in the hallway, with wide eyes.

What he said. What I have etched on my mind. What I’ll revisit for fun, every time I’m pissed at the world.

However, the reason it’s not a star higher, is Cal’s high leap in catching feelings. No, it wasn’t insta-love per se… because they came together after loads of banter, and misunderstandings and all. The issue with the backstage romance was that they barely interacted in the book, and somehow, by the end, Cal still affirms to being “madly in love” – a little inconsistent, if you ask me.

»»——★ fιnαℓ тнσυgнтѕ ★——««

➳ Her writing style, the way she serves such laugh-out-loud moments decked in fancy prose is right up my alley. So I’m definitely catching myself on a Mhairi McFarlane read-a-thon soon (reading ‘em all with lovely Ash! *wink wink*) >ᴗ<

ﾒ𝟶ﾒ𝟶

｡･ﾟ♡ﾟ･｡｡･ﾟ♡ﾟ･｡

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harriet is a wedding photographer but has no desire to marry which she has made abundantly clear to boyfriend Jon. So why does he blindside her with a very public marriage proposal at his (ghastly) parents 40th wedding celebration? She accepts out of huge embarrassment and almost immediately breaks it off with Jon making it possibly one of the shortest engagements in history! On the plus side Harriet won’t have to put up with Jon‘s mother anymore, yuck, what a woman! She needs to find somewhere to live and first, enter Cal Clarke who has an ensuite bedroom for rent.

It starts out a hoot with plenty of laugh out loud moments as you’d expect from the smart writing of Mhairi McFarlane. I really like the character of Harriet who is smart, she has her issues but almost because of this she feels authentic and relatable. I do enjoy the way the author manages to some people up in just a few words and yet you really see them. There are some enjoyable coincidences and several scenes that are almost movie or TV worthy they are so lively and entertaining.

So, it starts on a fun note but this book feels more serious in tone than some of her earlier novels as it deals with gaslighting and control. The endgame resolution for this is really good and I’d have loved to have been there in real life, take that Scott, Harriet’s ex! It also deals with friendship and loyalty some stretching the boundaries of the latter. There is less of a romance element in this than in previous books which I’m happy about however, I do feel the romantic hook up at the end seems a bit sudden and possibly predictable, enjoyable though it is.

As usual, it’s a good read from a talented author and also many thanks for the “God’s own country” setting – Yorkshire, where else!!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins/Harper Fiction for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

[preoccupiedbybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

An entertaining, emotional and exhausting story about friendship, and moving on from past choices and mistakes

Gosh I've read a few books by this author now, and know to expect more than just a romance, but I feel wrecked! Starting with the breakdown of a relationship (as Mhairi McFarlane often does) between Harriet and her boyfriend, we are treated to a well written story about how Hattie's past is affecting her present. Incorrectly labelled as an enemies to lovers rom-com, this did have its witty moments, great banter and humour, but it was so much more than that!

There was so much going on, from toxic relationships involving gaslighting, manipulation and abuse, to the death of parents, cheating and friendship. It definitely wasn't my favourite by this author; I felt a bit stressed and overwhelmed with how dramatic Hattie's life was, but I definitely appreciated the writing style, and how it came together at the end, with the message about standing up to bullies for yourself, and for the sake of others. I also really felt the commentary about online abuse, and how quickly we are to jump on a story and judge others online, when we don't have all the facts, and have only seen one side of the argument.

I did like Hattie, I felt for her, she felt real and flawed, and had faced some hardships in her life, was dealt some really bad cards if you like. She did feel a bit immature, but I could forgive her that considering what she had been through previously. I also really loved Lorna, her best friend since childhood. Cal, the love interest was lovely, but didn't get enough page time in my opinion. I really wanted to see them fall in love, but felt that the romance was rushed and like a bit of an add on?! I do like that this author doesn't just write about romance, but took too long to include it, and it focused to much on exes, in what really looked like and sounded like a great rom-com!

I felt like I'd been wrung out by the time I finished, loved the main characters, but wanted to dropkick other ones..

So if you're looking for a book with some serious issues, along with some great friendships and feminism, and a side of romance, then give this a shot! I will always read what Mhairi McFarlane writes, and think she's a fantastic writer!

Published April 14th 2022.

Many thanks to NetGalley UK and Harper Collins UK for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review!

[Obsidian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not do it you guys. I could not give this book more than a star rating. The more I thought about, the more issues I had besides this not being a romance book though it is promoted as one. The main character Harriet had too much stuff that just didn't work for me. And I loathed the fact that there is a very real topic in this one (gaslighting/coercive control). And the larger issue was that the whole thing with Cal was too contrived. There was no there, there. Most of the book dealt with Harriet's past relationships so there was no room for him at all. I did not cheer at the ending especially since it was just told to us as an aside. I still saw lots of plot holes with regards to one of Harriet's friends, Jon, Cal's parents, etc. I don't think I have disliked one of her books this much since "After Hello" (gave it one star) and didn't love "You Had Me at Hello" (gave it 3 stars) as much as other people did. I absolutely loved her last two books, so this was definitely a surprise.

"Mad About You" follows wedding photographer Harriet Hatley. After a disastrous wedding where the groom bounces before the nuptials she is ready for a long weekend away with her boyfriend Jon and his family. Going away with Jon's family is always tricky, but Harriet is determined to keep a smile on since it's a celebration of his parents anniversary. Unfortunately, Harriet who does not want to get married, gets a surprise when Jon proposes in front of his family. Harriet, forced to say yes, quickly turns that into a no when alone. This leaves Harriet with a timeline to get out of Jon's home so they both can hopefully move on. Due to her friend Roxy, Harriet is able to find a room in a lovely home with a landlord named Cal. Things are tricky there, but things get even more messy when Harriet's ex Jon refuses to let her go quietly which brings up past memories from Harriet's last relationship.

As I said upfront. This is not a romance. This book really should just be marketed as women's fiction. There are really serious topics included in this one and it takes some time before everything starts to unfurl for Harriet. One thing that made me sad was that I saw a lot of readers saying that they gave up on this book because Harriet seemed to be such a victim. And I would like to emphasize with regards to some of the plot she was. I will definitely say though that she had way too many blinders with Jon and I don't think McFarlane ever threaded the needle there. For example, we find out that Jon would never let her hang fairy lights in the house, that he hid pictures that meant a lot to her away. That would have been enough for me to leave, and based on Harriet's past it should have been too. I just don't think McFarlane ever just showed us that Harriet was keeping her head buried about way too many things and her judgement seemed off. That's another reason why the budding whatever with Cal didn't work. There were too many red flags and excuses there. It didn't seem believable at all. And there's zero build-up.

The other characters felt flat to me outside of Lorna and Sam. If only the book had followed them both. Roxy didn't ring true at all. Once again there's no set-up for what happens there and then there's no resolution. Jon was the same issue. So was Harriet's past boyfriend before that. I also called BS on the way that whole thing got resolved. It just didn't fit. But it did remind me a bit of the [redacted] thing which made me grimace. I think that McFarlane got it right in how people always seem to pile up on women online and decide they are suddenly 'experts' on everything under the sun when it comes to women they have decided to hate.

The writing was typical McFarlane, she tries to be breezy through some tough topics, but it doesn't work. Also there's a whole info dump told to readers via a letter that I loathed. It was such a cheap move to do and I think that it happened because at that point we were at around the 50 percent mark or more and we still didn't know what happened in Harriet's past besides it affected her still.

The flow was awful. A great portion of the book deals with Jon, then with Harriet's other ex, and then some madness with her friend, and oh yeah there's Cal. It does get boring and it feels like nothing is happening.

The ending didn't feel earned in my opinion. Though it does end on a Happily Ever After (HEA) I would still argue this was not a romance for the simple reason the couple does not center in it at all and we don't get to see the buildup between them. Cal was treated like an afterthought and only appears sporadically it felt like. For a book to be a romance besides how it ends (HEA or HFN), the central focus should be on the development of a romantic relationship between two people. And that piece was definitely missing here.

[Antonella · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you haven't read this author before then you might be surprised by the "deeper" & "emotional" twist...

not me....
I was expecting a kick and sure I got it...

maybe this is my favorite book by this author so far...

it has a perfect mix of women fiction and romance that I find excellent!!!

cw: abuse, gaslighting

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I was hoping for a bit of a fun and sweet romcom but this wasn’t quite that… A romance… eh, that’s debatable. I always feel this way when The love interest isn’t clear for a decent bit of the book, and the couple gets together at 98%. sigh.. This had a lot of important topics and was heavier in a lot of ways. It wasn’t bad by any means, just not what I was in the mood for.

Audio book source: Libby
Story Rating: 3.5 stars
Narrators: Heather Long
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Contemporary
Length: 10h 49m

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

NOTE TO PUBLISHER: Stop marketing this author’s books with misleading covers. It is not in the best interest of readers, who end up disgruntled with an unexpected genre.
McFarlane is a gem, so I knew to ignore the cover. And although this novel didn’t work for me like her others, I’m still rooting for her career and anticipating her next release.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hit or miss, McFarlane always brings across the banter. And this one is a hit, so that's always a plus. The heart of this story, and what drives a lot of the plot, is emotional abuse and the lingering effects it leaves on its victims. Also friendship, trust, and healing so it's not a huge downer. Indeed, I think it handles that subject extremely well, considering the depth of the darkness it manages to explore.

Man, that still makes it sound like a huge downer and it really isn't. I liked Harriet and her insights. She's observant and wry without being cynical or judgmental and that's a lovely balance. I felt for her struggles with her exes and trying to find a healthy balance in her relationships (not just romantic, but with friends, roommates, and clients, too).

And I just don't have a lot more to say about it, because it's too big and the spoilers are too many. So I'll just say I liked the characters and the plot and the romance worked, too. And that epilogue slew me for how perfect it was. It's a fully-justified five stars and I'm glad I picked it up.

A note about Chaste/Steamy: There aren't any really explicit sex scenes, but there's enough build up and discussion to keep this from being chaste, either. So I can't really tag it with either Steamy or Chaste.

[Sylvie {Semi-Hiatus} · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 out of 5 stars.

[luce (cry bebè's back from hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

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2022 is proving to be an underwhelming reading year. With the exception of Either/Or
by Elif Batuman and re-reads, I have only dished out 3, 2 and even a few 1 star ratings. So, when I got an arc for Mad About You I was convinced that McFarlane would be the one to break this cycle…regrettably that did not happen. Having loved her last two releases, If I Never Met You and Last Night, I was fully prepared to fall for Mad About You. After all, in my review for Last Night, I described McFarlane as a writer who outdoes herself with each new book. Sadly, Mad About You proved to be the exception to that rule as it felt very much like a step back rather than forward. It actually reminded me of McFarlane’s early releases (by no means bad but definitely not as good as her later ones). The pacing was rather meandering, Harriet was not a particularly memorable main character, and the romance was, to be quite frank, subpar.
Like most of McFarlane’s releases, the book begins with a breakup, this time initiated by our heroine rather than her partner. Harriet is a wedding photographer in her thirties who has no interest in getting married. She lives with her boyfriend, who is from a very posh and snobby family who have never shown her any warmth or genuine affection. We learn that Harriet is an orphan who was raised by her grandparents (who have also passed away). Additionally, early on in the narrative, there are hints that point to Harriet having had a traumatic experience in her 20s. She doesn’t really open up to her boyfriend and feels guilty about it. When he puts her on the spot however Harriet realizes that he isn’t the Nice Guy he tries so hard to make himself out to be. Harriet rushes to find somewhere else to live and ends up living with Cal Clarke. When they find out that they are exactly strangers to each other things get a little bit awkward and Harriet overhears Cal making some rather disparaging remarks about her.
Turns out they both have rather complicated relationship histories. Cal’s ex is very cartoonish and a lot of her inappropriate behaviours are played up for laughs. The story doesn’t take Harriet’s exes as lightly and much of the narrative delves into the repercussions of having been in an emotionally abusive relationship. Harriet eventually bonds with women who have experienced what she has and together they decide to confront their abuser. Things don’t go smoothly and the story also touches on the way internet mob mentality works. Harriet and Cal’s relationship didn’t entirely convince me as we get few ‘domestic’ scenes where we just them hanging out in the house or interacting while doing everyday things like cooking etc. That would have added realism to their living situation but we always seemed to get scenes where they are either confronting their exes or dealing with some other drama. I did find the way Harriet’s abusive relationship is handled to be a bit a la daytime tv. Usually, I love the way McFarlane portrays friendships but here Harriett’s friends amounted to nothing. There is the good-funny friend and the backstabbing-bad friend. There was no nuance to them and consequently, they did not come across as believable people. The love interest was such a non-person and consequently I never felt any chemistry between him and Harriet. It would be nice if McFarlane didn't always go for a white handsome guy as her lead...
I found the pacing slow and repetitive. The story spends too much time on Harriett’s shitty exes and very little time on developing her character. Her relationships with Cal and her best friend felt very superficial.
Also, at one point someone references Netflix’s Bridgerton which came out in December 2020…and yet no mentions of covid (as far as i remember of course). Is this book set in an alternate reality? it was a minor thing but it took me out nonetheless.
I’m sorry to say that I found Mad About You to be a surprisingly disappointing read. Hopefully, McFarlane’s next book will see her going back to form.

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read if you like:
✫ Women’s Fiction
✫ Friends to Lovers
✫ Close proximity

TW: Toxic relationships; emotional abuse

Summary: When Harriet Harley ends up single and homeless following a breakup with her new fiancé, she moves in with Cal Clarke, a stranger dealing with his own pre-wedding breakup. When Harriet’s ex-boyfriend makes a stunning accusation, Harriet is forced to confront her past as she figures out what she wants for the future.

Thoughts: I love Mhairi McFarlane’s writing and feel she is on of the most underrated authors on Bookstagram and in general. Her character development is always superb as she creates these well rounded, three dimensional individuals, flaws and all, that you feel you could have encountered in your own life.

Although her plots are sometimes a bit slow getting started, you always feel she’s given you just enough, never too much and never too little. You always come away feeling you Have regained a sense of what is important in life.

My only criticism is that while I understand the focus of the plot is on Harriets growth as an individual in overcoming past trauma, I wish we could have had a bit more of Cal, as well as, more interactions between him, Harriet, and Sam.

I really enjoyed Mad About You and highly recommend not only this novel, but all of McFarlane’s previous work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Julie - One Book More · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mhairi McFarlane’s Mad About You is a wonderful character-driven story that follows Harriet Hatley, a wedding photographer who finds herself in need of a place to stay after rejecting her boyfriend’s marriage proposal. She ends up renting a space with Cal, a runaway groom in need of a roommate. But how can Harriet like a person who would do something like that? Both are avoiding their pasts, but could facing them help them find a future together?

McFarlane’s books always make me feel a ton of feels. Sometimes laugh-out-loud funny and other times a bit heat-breaking, Mad About You is a well-crafted and nuanced piece of contemporary fiction. The characters are relatable and compelling, and the themes are poignant. It’s pretty safe to say that I will enjoy most anything McFarlane writes at this point!

Harriet is such a fantastic protagonist and is so layered and dynamic. She’s smart and funny and a loyal friend, but she is also burdened by her past. Harriet goes on a tremendously emotional journey throughout the book as she learns to be vulnerable, love herself, and let others love her. She also has to deal with things that happened to her in the past, especially when someone from her past resurfaces. I think her character and the situations she finds herself in are very relatable and realistic, and I was so invested in her story and hoping for her to find happiness.

Cal is also a fantastic character. He’s so kind and funny, yet he is burdened by the past as well. When Harriet’s past comes back to haunt her, Cal is super supportive and is always there for her. Their relationship is fleshed out well, and I love their slow-building love story. The romance isn’t the main focus of the story, but it’s a lovely part of it.

Harriet’s long-time friendship with Lorna is another highlight of the book. These women are so supportive of each other, and they have such a strong bond. And Lorna is fantastic! She’s the kind of best friend everyone needs! Cal has a similar friendship with Sam, and they are so fun together. These healthy and supportive relationships stand in sharp contrast to some of the other toxic relationships Harriet and Sam have experienced.

I always enjoy reading Mhairi McFarlane’s books. They’re smart, fun, and poignant, and this book is no exception. It’s funny and sweet, and it also has a lot of depth. The story addresses serious topics like abuse, infidelity, toxic relationships, loss, and the negative impact of social media, but it maintains a hopeful and positive tone with the strong and uplifting friendships and the possibility of romance. It’s a well-balanced and layered story and one I’d definitely recommend to readers of contemporary fiction and romance.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

[h o l l i s · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally got to read one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Did it live up to my expectations? Well, it may not have crossed the five-star threshold but I dove into this right after work and barely moved until I finished it, neglecting meals and more. So that definitely says a lot.

I'll admit, this does in some ways read a little differently from McFarlane's other works. It still has the MC going through a complicated life change. It still has a core group of besties (though this, too, has something a little different going on.. shh, no spoilers). It still has a creep-up-on-you kind of romance in the aftermath of the end of a longterm relationship (though this one was an interesting change of pace, too). And it has a challenging set of emotional circumstances to navigate. Infact, I think Harriet might've had The Most to go through of any recent McFarlane MC.. and yet she never acted like it. This could've been a depressing read, fraught with angst and an overdose of emotional turmoil, and yet it was so well balanced to avoid this but also Harriet, for all her self-proclaimed bad luck, isn't mopey. Isn't dwelling. Even if she deserves to do and be both because hoo boy, it's a lot.

But all that to say.. this is, for this author, an almost flashy kind of story. There's a bit of a girl gang, Avengers-style, with a Big Bad and the mission to defeat them and the subsequent takedown. In a public way. And it's all centered around a very timely plot point about a narrative shift, and subsequent support, for an abuser. It's a bigger scope than most of McFarlane's stories, which tend to be loud in quiet subtle ways. But it was incredibly important and there was a lot of good dialogue, and perspective, and shifting loyalties to see play out and that was compelling, if occasionally tough, reading.

And, meanwhile, we had some good laughs, some self-discovery, and a slow-burn awakening of something delicious, all in true McFarlane style, as the MC slogs through the mire to earn herself a lovely ending (or beginning, depending on perspective).

I cannot recommend this author enough. I will never get sick of reading her books and every time I chew through a new one it makes me want to go back and reread all the ones that came before.

---

This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.

[Jayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was "mad" about "Mad About You".

But not the good kind of mad.

This was my first Mhairi McFarlane book and it's easy to see why this talented author has a huge reader following.  

The publisher's blurb portrays "Mad About You" as a rom-com. 

The book's female protagonist is an in-demand wedding photographer who loathes romance and does not want to get married (loved that!) and moves in with a charming stranger, who also happens to be a runaway groom (loved that, too!).

Although I chuckled a few times, the majority of the book focused on themes of emotional abuse, control freaks, toxic relationships, and social media's ability to unfairly destroy one's livelihood.  (Huh???)

I listened to the 11-hour audiobook that could have easily been edited down to a 9-hour audiobook.  Narrator Heather Long did an excellent job with the book's narration.

I enjoyed the author's witty writing style and her compelling characterizations and will certainly be giving her another try. Hopefully, next time, I will be the right kind of "mad" over the author's next release.

[Syndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

After so many books from Miss McFarlane, I finally found 1 that I loved. Mad About You is about toxic relationship. The plot touches me and I finally sympharize with Harriet. She is such strong heroine.

She is a survivor of abusive raltionship. With Miss McFarlane talented writing, the story speaks for itself. The twist and turn keeping me on my edge. I loving it.

A wonderful read.

5 stars

[Katie Lumsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by my favourite romcom writer. A real pleasure to read.

[Britany · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started out so good, and then went down a road that was totally unnecessary. It's completely changed my mind on this entire read, and I feel like it's totally mis-marketed.

Harriet is a wedding photographer and somehow we visit three different relationships in this book. I think it was all just too much, and I didn't believe (at all) the one that is talked about on the back on this bookcover. There is a whole storyline that isn't addressed at all in the description and it was not something that was fleshed out enough. Onto the next!

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

In chapter 5, our heroine, Harriet, returns her boyfriend Jon’s engagement ring the same night he tries to trap her by proposing in front of his obnoxious family. To avoid humiliating him, and to avert an ugly scene, she accepts. A couple of hours later, when finally alone with him she returns the ring and she gives him what for. Decisively and with no fooling around.

She moved swiftly across the room, sliding the ring from her finger and placing it on a French chest of drawers, then turned and folded her arms. Jon, seeing this, looked unperturbed.... ‘Jon,’ Harriet said, in a voice so low and grim, it didn’t sound like her own. ‘What the hell did you do that for?...You thought once I was permitted to plan a party, all my silly little feminine objections would magically fly away? It was one of those little lady ideas that don’t really matter in real actual life?’ ‘Come on, Hats, I’d never think your opinion doesn’t matter, you know that. You’re being a bit mischievous here,’ Jon said, and she tried not to scream. ‘I suppose I thought… As ridiculous as it sounds, I thought no harm in asking.... She took a deep breath into her lungs. ‘I don’t want to be with you anymore. This is over, Jon.’ ...
She hard-gulped, as the tears surged up. ‘I’d hardly say this and not mean it, to punish you. That would be vile.’ ‘Then why say it now?’ Harriet said, thickly: ‘You’ve kind of forced the issue tonight.’ ‘So you weren’t happy before I proposed?’ Deep breath. Say it. ‘No.’ Jon said: ‘Really?’ in a broken voice, which was a small stab to her heart. ‘Yes.’

I almost cheered out loud. It is a not uncommon tactic for an author to put her readers through the mill with a mushy hearted clueless heroine in order to stir up sympathy, tension, anticipation, suspense, and to make the inevitable break even more dramatic (so she can find her REAL love interest or provide a cathartic climax). In many comedic romances, the heroine would have allowed herself to be won over, given him another chance, caved into pressure and argument, or delayed and delayed the painful confrontation. Nope. Harriet was a heroine I could really get behind, not just root for in spite of her weaknesses and bad decisions. She never waivers, despite some entertaining confrontations with annoying Jon and his awful mother. So this got off to a great start, and in the ups and downs of Harriet's adventures going forward, the novel never let me down.

Luckily, thanks to one of her friends who is a realtor, she is able to get out from under Jon's roof almost immediately and finds a house to share with a guy who seems nice in a perfect house in a nice neighborhood. She is a wedding photographer and to her dismay, it turns out her landlord and housemate is a groom who famously left his bride at the altar at one of her weddings. When Jon shows up at their house and ends up punching him, both of them start to view each other with suspicion and trepidation.

Oh, hah hah. We all know I’ve got the section of my Wikipedia subheaded Controversy covered. If the waiter comes while I’m in the gents, I’ll have an espresso, thanks.’ Timely call of the bladder, Harriet thought. ‘Notice that our Calvin assumes he’ll have a Wikipedia,’ Sam said, once Cal had gone, and Harriet properly laughed this time.
‘In fairness here, I should tell you he’s not that guy.’ ‘What guy?’ ‘The one who traumatised a woman for life, in public.’ ‘Ah.’ Harriet didn’t know what to say and hesitated. ‘He kind of is that guy though?’ ‘Technically yes, he IS that guy. But he’s not that kind of guy.’ Harriet felt this might be an argument of creeps the world over. Yes I Did The Thing But I’m Not Defined By The Thing, Like Those Other Guys Who Also Did The Thing. ‘The unfortunate thing is, he’s a hopeless romantic...

While Harriet is working through her relationship with Cal, and dealing with Jon’s persistent almost-stalking, she meets a former boyfriend at another wedding she is working. Everyone loves this charmer but behind closed doors, he is a gaslighter, controller, and an emotional abuser. "Uh Oh," I thought, "Here’s where we have a long flashback where we are taken through the heroine’s ordeal with a monster in excruciating detail in which she ignores ALL of the red flags." But no. Once again Mhairi McFarlane doesn’t take the well-travelled route. When Harriet sees herself in his fiance’s sparkly on the outside but sad behind the eyes behavior, she writes her a letter telling her and the reader her story. This decision by the author keeps the past in the past and reader is not only spared too much anxiety and frustration but keeps the novel in the present and moving forward.

You think you’re going to pen her a letter saying your fiancé is a monster, and she’s going to write back first class and say aw thanks for the heads-up, doll, consider him binned?”...

‘Who stops these men? How do we stop them? Scott never hit me, he never physically attacked me or hurt me in any way where I can point to a scar. But he demolished me....
If I leave another woman to suffer Scott Dyer because I’m frightened of intervening, then nothing has really changed. If I don’t do it, Lorna, then I’m still scared of him. That’s just a fact.’

And she does it because she believes women should help other women. One of the themes of this novel is the importance and power of female friendship and advocacy.

But no good deed goes unpunished. Harriet is subjected to all kinds of havoc in which not only her business and reputation are threatened, but also some of her friendships. Things get pretty bad but I hope it won't be a spoiler to say, “Fear Not!” Some new friendships are made and we are treated to a very satisfactory girl-power-variety takedown.

If there was a special place in hell reserved for women who didn’t help other women, perhaps there were special rewards for those who did. Harriet did not feel alone anymore. They couldn’t have achieved this without each other, they couldn’t have vanquished this man, except as a team.

As events marched towards the climax, I noticed my heart was actually thumping hard in my chest. No, I wasn't having a heart attack, thank God. The book was just that gripping right there.

There is a nice romance that provides a hopeful happy ending for our heroine, but it is very much secondary to the drama of Harriet’s journey to understand her actions (both good and bad) and achieve emotional closure. I don’t think Mhairi McFarlane is capable of writing a book that does not have plenty of humor interwoven naturally throughout serious situations and conversations as well as more lighthearted moments. As well as thoughtful insights and character arcs. This one is in my top 5 by one of my top 5 favorite authors. Definitely 5 stars.

P.S. One quibble. The title made no sense. She was not mad about anyone. She is not crazy or crazy about anyone. That is not what this book is about. She had plenty of people mad, even enraged, at her. But not about her.

[Littlebookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Harriet's partner Jon proposes in front of his entire family, Harriet feels as if she has been thrown into a nightmare, pressured into accepting, without any real choice. The engagement is short-lived, and Harriet, in need of a quick escape, soon finds herself lodging with Cal. Only it turns out the world really is a small place, and once she realizes who he is, the groom who ditched his bride at one of her recent weddings (Harriet is a wedding photographer), she is eager to be on the move. However, as the old saying goes, 'don't judge a book by its cover'. For as Harriet, confronted with a face from the past, finds her life thrown into turmoil, Cal ends up being an unexpected shoulder to lean on.

McFarlane has been one of my favorite authors since her debut, You Had Me At Hello, rarely putting a foot wrong. I have noticed a shift in her style over the years; where her early books could be firmly placed in the chick-lit genre, I would place her more recent works in the women's fiction category instead, and that applies to Mad About You as well.

Whilst the book does have romance and plenty of humour, I would say the romance takes a back seat to other events going on in the story. The book is more focused on Harriet's exes, as opposed to her developing relationship with Cal in the present, which has both its positives and negatives in my opinion. First comes the break up with Jon, and the fall out from that, which takes up a fair amount of the book. However, then Harriet bumps into her ex, Scott, at a wedding she is covering, and we learn that she was the victim of gas-lighting and spent years in a coercive relationship. The latter half of the book is focused on Harriet finally facing up to her past and exorcising some demons.

Given the subject matter mentioned, the story here is certainly not all light and fluffy, and I do think McFarlane deserves credit for the way she is able to juxtapose darker subject material alongside a contemporary romance, and generally strike the balance right. There is still enough humour and fun in this book so as for it not to feel depressing or dreary, and yet it carries with it an emotional weight. I also really liked the theme of female solidarity that the book showcases, as Harriet ends up teaming up with another of Scott's exes as well as his current fiance to take him down, not to mention her solid friendship with best friend Lorna, who is her rock throughout the entire book. As in some of her previous books, the story also highlights how social media can be used to devastating effect.

On the slightly negative side, I did feel that for me personally too much time was devoted to the exes here, particularly as there is not just Scott, but Jon too, not to mention we have Cal's ex Kristina, the woman he jilted at the altar! As such it often feels like there is too much going on in the book and no breathing space. When it comes to Jon, I did actually like the portrayal of his character, and that it was not just him to blame for the failing of this relationship, but Harriet too, as whilst she may not have admitted it to herself at the time, she was in many ways using Jon as a safe bet after Scott. As such I thought both relationships made sense in terms of the context in which they were presented, however, it did mean that the present day evolving relationship with Cal didn't get as much air time, and given how much I liked the scenes that Cal and Harriet did have together, I just thought this a shame. Also whilst they totally worked as friends throughout most of the book, and whilst there was an undeniable spark between them, I did think the ending felt rushed and may be not quite convincing between them, simply because it hadn't been properly built up to.

Also, this is more of a minor quibble, but having read all of her 8 books to date now, there is rather a tried and tested formula to a lot of her characters, in that many of her heroines and heroes and secondary characters even, feel as if they are all moulded from the same essential template, with very minor adjustments. I suppose if something works, why change it, but perhaps it would be refreshing to try something a little different. I will say that I did really enjoy the dynamic between Cal and Sam, and this healthy male friendship was something McFarlane has not portrayed before.

Overall, not my favourite by McFarlane, but still a highly enjoyable read.

[Jeeves Reads Romance · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve been putting off writing this review because I really had to mull over how I wanted to rate it. The book is not bad, but it was not at all a successful reading experience for me. For some reason, McFarlane’s books continue to be marketed as rom coms, with cute covers and blurbs that don’t even begin to scratch the surface of the emotional stories inside. I even checked the marketing for this one after reading, and saw something about it being “funny” and playing up the “forced proximity” and “roommates to lovers” angle. Which… is absolutely not what the book is about. Sure, our heroine moves in with a roommate, but the romance is a SMALL part of the book, and it’s woefully underwhelming. It’s also riddled with red flags that I could tear apart if I wanted to. But I don’t, because this is actually women’s fiction, and the romance is essentially a subplot in a book about moving on from past relationships and understanding gaslighting.

Let’s talk about the plot for a minute. The book is about Harriet, a woman whose relationship ends with an engagement. Harriet had already been thinking about breaking up with her boyfriend, so when he springs a proposal on her in front of his family, she knows that she needs to accept in public and then let him down easy in private. The end of that relationship brings up some larger issues, and Harriet is forced to confront them after she moves out. Wanting to get her own place as quickly as possible, Harriet moves in with a stranger in need of a roommate. Cal and Harriet don’t get along at first, but they soon realize that they’ve made terrible first impressions. And as Harriet spends more time in Cal’s home, she acknowledges that her past relationships may have been more troublesome than she wanted to admit.

It’s easy to frame this as a romance, because the changes in Harriet’s life come about after she moves in with Cal, and technically they do end up together at the end. But… it’s a lot more complicated than that. Gaslighting, cheating, and abuse are all themes, with a significant portion of the book spent on personal growth and emotional discovery. Harriet spends most of her time away from Cal, and the moments they’re together are not what I’d call swoony. Case in point? She’s not even sure that he’s single for the vast majority of the book, and when they do finally get together, it’s sort of like… that’s it? The women’s fiction element is stronger, and I think McFarlane’s work needs to be marketed towards an audience who will appreciate it. This is my second experience with her work, and the first one took quite awhile to win me over, though it definitely did – because the characters at least spent a lot of time on the page together. This never hooked me. Not only was the story much heavier (and less romance-focused) than anticipated, but it was also FILLED with British expressions that I didn’t understand. I’m familiar enough with the culture that I can usually piece together phrases I don’t know, but I spent a LOT of time deciphering text. So you can see why the reading experience was not successful for me, though not necessarily because of the quality. I had to give this a low rating because not much worked for me and the marketing is misleading, but women’s fiction lovers who go in with different expectations may have an entirely different experience.

[Heidi (MinxyD14) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mhairi McFarlane never disappoints. Never! Her writing is the perfect mix of intelligence, hilarity and emotion. Nothing about this book is in your face or overdone.

Perhaps I may be biased about this book because my mom is an off-the-charts, gas-lighting narcissist, and I can empathize with Harriet, the female MC, on a deeper level. However, it was moving to watch her internal battle and evolution from being "blamed and shamed" by "a good guy" to gaining more confidence in helping other women. The Millicent Fawcett, suffragette phrase "Courage calls to courage everywhere" is used in the story; it is relevant and timely. Harriet has fast become a favorite heroine for her courage to both walk away from and embrace relationships in equal measure. I love this book!

Like most of MM's masterful authoring, there is a love story in the mix, but it is subtle and unfolds with just the right timing and as a supporting plot point, not the focus. If you have never read her work - please, put this one close to the top of your TBR pile. There is a lot of British humor, which translates easily.

I listened to the UK Audible version and read the Kindle version at the same time. The narration by Chloe Massey was exceptional. Her northern accent was brilliant, and she isn't too bad with the brief Welsh one either (aka Bryn-laden, haha). I cannot wait for a re-read of the US release in August 2022 so that I can share tons of highlighted quotes on GR.

[Cami · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars!!

This is my second book by this author and I remember the first one being a normal trope but being very well written and making it different and unusual. I felt the same about this book it was unusual and interesting. I’m usually someone that likes the sexy stuff and I don’t really think this author does much of that but I am still enjoying her books. You need to be ready to keep up with a LOT of characters.

Harriet is the main character and she is a photographer and happens to shoot a lot of weddings. Jon is her current boyfriend. When they are away for a weekend with Jon's family and celebrating the anniversary of his parents, Jon surprises her by proposing in front of his family. She feels obligated to say yes but immediately when they are alone she changes it to a no. This of course becomes the end of their relationship putting her in a predicament of needing a new place to live since they currently live together in Jon’s home.

She ends up renting a room from Cal Clarke and after several serious misunderstandings they become friends and not just flat mates.

While working a wedding Harriet sees the ex-boyfriend she had before Jon. Scott Dyer is a controller and an emotional abuser whose behavior is a perfect example of gaslighting/coercive control. To outside folks he comes across as extremely charming and an attentive loving boyfriend. Harriet is faced with a dilemma when she discovers that Scott is getting married to a sweet girl named Mary Ann. She feels like maybe she should warn her of Scott’s behavior.

This little bit of info I have given as a description is not even close to everything that is going on in this story. You have Harriet’s friends Lorna & Roxy. You have Scott’s friend Sam and his ex Kristina and then later on you have another ex of Scott’s whose name I believe was Nina. This story is about relationships be it romantic or just friendship. It covers so many aspects of emotional abuse and a bit of grief and betrayal.

I wasn’t sure at the beginning if I was going to like Harriet but by the end everything came together and made sense and she is a truly lovable character.