Not the man I thought he was

by Phoebe MacLeod

Madison reckons she’s a pretty good judge of character. When a disaster at work brings professional photographer Toby into her life, she has him all worked out within minutes. As their work collaboration blossoms into friendship, her preconceptions about him are only strengthened. The problem is that Madison has got one aspect of Toby completely wrong, and it tears their friendship apart when she finds out. How will she make sense of his revelation and, more importantly, how on earth will she get him to talk to her again?

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, Chick Lit, Fiction, Friends To Lovers, Humor, Contemporary

325 pages, Paperback

Published May 21, 2021

About the author

Phoebe MacLeod is married and lives just outside Sevenoaks in Kent. She has two grown-up sons at university, and a disobedient dog. She enjoys reading, cooking, playing the piano and walking the dog. She’s also keen on vintage and classic cars and can often be seen behind the wheel of her own classic - a 1928 Ford Model A.

Reviews

[Obsidian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great friends to lovers book! Once again though I seem to be stuck in slow burn territory. I think the author did a great job bringing things along, but at one point the book just seemed to have too many fits and starts to it which is why I have it four stars.

Full Review:

I think I will definitely pick up a Phoebe MacLeod book in the future. I loved how she took the time to fully develop Madison. And it was great how she then used that to also give us readers insight into Toby as well. Their growing friendship was great to read about. The main reason why I did eventually have to reduce it by a star though was that I just thought the book started to run in place after a while. We also had the ridiculous thing that happened with them deciding to see each other "naked". Sorry, not sorry, it was dumb and I was like what is happening.

"Not the Man I Thought He Was" follows freelance travel writer Madison. We follow her during an awards night where she and her friend Toby win an award. And then later Madison wakes up with Toby in her bed trying to figure out what happened. The book then unwinds to almost a full year later with Madison being called in by an editor she has done work for before about a review of a hotel she did. Madison manages to pitch an idea about going back to an hotel and there's a suggestion that Toby (a very well known photographer who is also nearby) go along with her and they pose as a couple. From there the book follows them on some destinations, but also while they are both back in London living their lives.

I liked Madison. I liked that she had her close friend and kept her flat as her space and no men allowed. And I liked that she wasn't focused on finding a guy at all. Her growing friendship with Toby was also great to see and you get to see how they compliment each other.

The writing was very good I thought and there were a few times I cracked up. I already mentioned the flow issue, so won't belabor that.

I did think Madison and Toby had good chemistry.

A very solid romance!

[anissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

she thought her love interest was gay for 75% of the book 💀

[Veronica Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a miscommunication nightmare.


*massive spoilers ahead*


This was my first experience with an audiobook and it was interesting. The narrator was average & the story itself was very slow paced and extremely predictable. I was just patiently waiting to see it all unravel.

Madison and Toby just don’t click to me. I don’t feel any connection at all, but that’s because she assumed he was gay & he didn’t express any flirting or feelings towards her.

I didn’t like it nor hate it. Forgettable.

[C.J. Morrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read with likable and realistic main characters. Madison is feisty and independent, Toby is sweet and shy.
What I liked about this book was the very original story and the travelling! I also enjoyed the 'cringe moments' - you need to read it to find out what they are but there are quite a few and they are funny.
Lovely ending which added to the warm, fuzzy feeling.
It was also nice to catch up with Charley and Ed from the author's first book, I liked how their story had developed too.
Recommended for romcom/chicklit lovers.

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pick-me girl denkt dat kerel gay is op basis van 1 zin aan het begin en komt er pas achter dat hij dat niet is na 90% van het boek. Miscommunication trope kan soms, maar dit is wel wat overdreven.

Ze hadden een leuke vriendschap, maar ik voelde wel echt geen chemistry dus veel romance vind ik er niet aan. De simpelheid van het verhaal is wel goed voor mij om als audioboek te luisteren en het is lighthearted en easy, maar dan vond ik haar andere boek veel beter.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute but predictable.

[Stephanie Maynard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Call me basic but I love a predictable romance. Okay this one does err on the side of absurd, but I am judging this book based on vibes and I loved the pace of seeing two people’s lives sort of plod along over the span of 12 months and that’s what pushes this review from a 2 to a 3.

The most unrealistic part of the plot of this novel is the fact that we find out that Toby is completely inexperienced with women!? But somehow is still a great kisser and great in bed. He’s in his 30s and works with models day in day out and he’s never been set up or dated? Just seems like an incredibly incongruous plot line and I would have loved it if the storyline was more like he chose not to be with other women since he’d met Madison.

[Mark McArthur-Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second book. Always a tough one, but Phoebe has knocked it out of the park with 'Not the Man...' I loved the characters - they were warm, human and thoroughly believable. By the end of the book you feel like you really do know them. The story kept making me laugh (the 'finger in the car door' is a gem) and kept me reading too. In fact, I started it and only got up to get coffee until I'd finished it. A definite 'recommended' from me.

[Annalisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

ok even without the thinly veiled body shaming and homophobic undertones, this book was so bad. there was zero chemistry between the main characters, the writing was so boring and fact driven and devoid of any emotion, and the plot was nonexistent. also, you can’t call it a romance if the FMC thinks the love interest is gay (for no gd reason) for 75% of the book but anyways I’m a hater for this book and am shocked I finished it but I am apparently God’s bravest soldier

[Tori Janzen · Rating 1 out of 5]

The slowest start to a rushed ending. The fact that he was shorter than her was brought up an uncomfortable amount of times, FMC labeled MMC as gay for no reason other than a gut feeling. Much of the first twenty some chapters felt unnecessary. Ending felt off, FMC seemed like she was mothering her new bf through the start of a relationship. Can’t believe I didn’t DNF this book. It has been years since I’ve taken that long to read a book.

[Mrs Jemma Brunniche · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read

I love Phoebe’s writing, it has humour and good characters. I enjoyed that we also got an update on Charley and Ed from her last book, I thought that was a nice touch as I always want to have an update on characters at the end of a book.
I’m looking forward to reading more.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

So let me get this straight…. An award winning successful photographer charges only $400 for a multi hour, fully edited boudoir shoot?
Ya lost me there.
Also, there was zero chemistry between the two MC’s the entire book.
This one fell FLAT.

[pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great easy read

I loved this book really nice characters great to find out what happened to rd and Charles from the previous book great beach book

[Joanne Grimshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just loved it!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is just about the stupidest premise for a romance novel I've ever heard of and I have to round down for that, I'm sorry (but it's also why I was morbidly curious to pick it up). You're like 76% of the way through the book (a year in book time since they met and became friends) and the fact that she somewhat baselessly believes the male lead is gay is still awkwardly between them. Literally the third act "break-up" type scene is where she finds out for the first time that he's a straight man who has feelings for her. This is like a sitcom episode plot. As you might expect, there's not much room for very much explicitly romantic chemistry or romantic interactions, thus even though I do ship it, my feelings are all a bit mild. That being said, this was like the most pleasant the book could possibly have been based on the premise I described. I was interested in both of their jobs (travel writer, high-profile photographer) and following their travel misadventures was kind of nice. Um, the male lead is described as a decently good-looking and, though reserved, relatively socially competent 30ish-year-old who as a photographer is even comfortable working with naked women in professional contexts and yet has never kissed anyone before (I think? Maybe it was he has never had a girlfriend) and lol I could see that being me one day (or at least it's me at 19 and I can't see myself dating in the near future, it's weird to admit as a big romance reader that I cannot imagine kissing anyone personally and I kind of don't want to) so I guess I have a soft spot for the fact that he found happiness.

I've been on a happy mindless book kick for the past week or so as I procrastinate studying for my last exam of the year and this book fit the bill nicely. (the fact that this is the first book I'm reviewing in a long time also probably has to do with procrastinating studying)

[Benita VanWinkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read! And perfect for a photographer!

As a professional photographer, it is always a challenge to see if we are portrayed correctly, along with having a real life… I loved reading this and seeing a positive spin on the job as well as the work that goes into it! Nice job! Next book request- tackle a successful female photographer that is a photojournalist or documentary photographer! GREAT JOB - LOVED THE STORY!

[Jag Sanghera · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice and easy read.

Very predictable but you can’t help but love the story and characters.

They are just so sweet and you want to be their BFF.

[Kelsey Townend · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love a friends to lovers 🙌 easy read tbh

[Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ganz okaaay

[Divya Mangotra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun, light and no-frills attached storyline. I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend if you are on the lookout for an easy breezy romance read.

[jasi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love love love a good friends to lovers rom-com!!
It was a great slow burn, I loved it. I thought it was very funny that Madison didn’t realise her feelings at all because she thought Toby was gay, I lost it HAHAH
I listened to it as an audiobook and I’ll definitely listen to more of Phoebe MacLeods works. The writing seems good, not too complex but just easy to get through.
This was cute and heartwarming, I can really recommend it :)

[Claire Brass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, enchanting and easy to read

I love this book. Great to catch up with characters from the previous book too.
Recommended for an easy, enjoyable read.

[Belle Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lovely cosy book to escape into. I especially loved the travel aspect and the places were described so well that the author made you feel as if you were there. The character's were very well developed and Toby, in particular was a real dream! I really enjoyed this slow burn romance.

[Steph Cheslock · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overall this book left me wanting. I almost didn't finish it. There was a lot of telling instead of showing. The characters lacked chemistry and the main character's motivation seemed disjointed the entire book--like I never really got to know her despite being in her head. Though the book was predictable, which isn't a problem as this genre is generally predictable, it wasn't believable and the author didn't lead me to the big twist--honestly I was as shocked as our main character. Would not recommend.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF
*If the main character was a man and he told a woman at work to get naked in a hotel room for “desensitization” to each other’s bodies for pretend dating in a whack hotel room it would be sexual harrassment. But since it is a woman in a “laugh out loud” rom-com it’s a lead up to love. Gag me. I got chills and not the good kind. Her baseless assumption he was gay and treating him like a child because of it was also a massive no-no. Maybe the takeaway is that the MC needs the love of a good man but I’ll never know bc I couldn’t finish.

[Sabanz · Rating 1 out of 5]

If goodreads had a "Dropped" button I would've pressed it. I couldn't get past the 10th chapter. Some sentences repeated the same word and I kind of found it odd and weird but it wasn't a big issue. The characters felt bland and lacked personality. Usually when I read a novel, I want to feel a connection of sorts to the characters but with this book it felt like I was just reading sentences with no real emotion behind them.

[Nancy Rosser · Rating 4 out of 5]

light and fun

Great characters light and easy to read. Hope for a sequel or a second book from the author in the near future

[Autumn D’Auria | bookedbyautumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was such a cute romance story of Toby and Madison. I got annoyed at how clueless Madison was throughout the story. I still thought this was still a cute book despite all the negative reviews on good reads. I listened to this as a n audiobook and it took me about 3 days to listen to in multiple sittings varying in length.

[Katalin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Phoebe McLeod’s women; their self journey’s are always great. The romance, as usual, is minimal. Unlike some of her other books, this one has a bit more substance and heart flutters.

However the premise of her thinking he is gay the whole time is a bit far fetched and uncomfortable.

[Robyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
Average and nothing memorable.
Maybe a spoiler but I had a major ick how Madison assumes that Toby is gay and find out he isn’t until 78% in … felt very 2013 so I was shocked that this book was published last year
Overall very mid