Mad about You: The biggest romcom of 2022: heart-warming, laugh-out loud funny and wonderfully romantic

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On the other hand, Cal’s character is this cute charming man who comes to rescue Harriet in a very subtle but not-so-overpowering way.

Mhairi McFarlane discusses her eighth novel, Mad About You Mhairi McFarlane discusses her eighth novel, Mad About You

A plot that gets under your skin, and one scene in particular that will have women everywhere cheering out loud’ LUCY DIAMOND 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.

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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 by Mhairi McFarlane | Goodreads Mad About You by Mhairi McFarlane | Goodreads

As they both start living together, Cal and Harriet form an unlikely bond going from strangers to roommates to friends. Even better, they become great support for each other as they both try to navigate their uncertain future, leaving their old lives behind. 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. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a book so much. A hero and heroine to root for, a plot that races along with the pace of a thriller and the heart of a romance, and an ending I will never forget' Gillian McAllister, That Night 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.Though the cover might convey something different, Mad About You is more of a women’s fiction than a romance. Burningly funny, achingly romantic, and a plot so tightly crafted it's like a song' LAURA JANE WILLIAMS 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. 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.)

Between Us: The biggest rom com of 2023: smart, romantic and

Mhairi’s writing is always just super witty with layered, emotional depth . . . Loved. Adored. All-star.’ LIZZY DENT 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. 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! 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. 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.And while this has similar themes to previous books, they have a new twist to them. This is, in part, because they’re viewed through different lenses—Cal and Hattie are both characters who’ll react differently to the events they experience than those before them. And, as ever, the story that is told is treated with kindness and gentleness. 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! A dream house-share seems like the perfect place to hide, but her unlikely housemate Cal is no stranger to running away himself. And he's also hiding secrets of his own . . .

Mad about You: The biggest romcom of 2022: heart-warming

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. 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. It really felt like the actual positive romance was thrown in there just so the publisher could market it as romance (given it is the most profitable and best-selling fiction genre). I would classify this as a contemporary fiction or start a new category called 'stressy n depressy' reads. I honestly don't mind when books are 'mis-categorized' because the author doesn't have control over those decisions and I don't mind when romcom books are more com than rom, but the com wasn't poppin enough for me to say I really enjoyed this read. If you like rom-ish com books, I'd go with Lindsay Kelk. The deputy editor said, ‘It would be really great if you wrote Bridget Jones’ Diary, but as if she lived in Nottingham’. It was the naffest thing I’d ever heard, but when I actually sat down to write it, I found myself having obscene amounts of fun. And then I remember getting a phone call from the girls upstairs in sales, and they actually said, ‘What happens to her next?’ They were treating it like it was a piece of fiction,” says McFarlane. “That was the first time I thought, ‘There might be something here’.”

Summary

On the other hand, she meets Cal Clarke, who unlike herself, is a hopeless romantic who has had his own wedding disaster. He is a guy who stood his fiancée up at the altar, minutes before the ceremony. Now single too, he has a place that Harriet desperately needs.