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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. She ends up renting a room from Cal Clarke and after several serious misunderstandings they become friends and not just flat mates. 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. It’s almost time for what the publishing industry should probably just go ahead and dub “Emily Henry season.”
Mad About You by Mhairi McFarlane | Goodreads Mad About You by Mhairi McFarlane | Goodreads
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. There’s not a whole lot I can say different here to how I’ve reviewed McFarlane’s previous books, to be honest. Yes, it’s a different book, with a different story, but it’s also Mhairi McFarlane, with her signature beats. There’s the humour, the romance, the friendship, and the balance of the narrative as it treads along heavier topics—all of it ties together into a book which, although it might not be my outright favourite of McFarlane’s, is up there among them. 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. 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.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! My heart always soars at a new Mhairi novel, I love love love her. She's so great at treading the narrow line between humour and loss. I read this with delight and envy' Marian Keyes, Again, Rachel 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. And this somewhat redeems her too. The way her character grows and develops, navigating life issues and battling everyday challenges, is surely a treat to read. 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.
Mhairi McFarlane (Author of If I Never Met You) - Goodreads Mhairi McFarlane (Author of If I Never Met You) - Goodreads
Burningly funny, achingly romantic, and a plot so tightly crafted it’s like a song’ LAURA JANE WILLIAMS 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 show All of which to say, this is a highly insufficient review to really get across just how much I loved this book. Perhaps it should have been wholly expected—I was always going to love it, and I was always going to struggle to find the words to explain exactly why. 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.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 plot that gets under your skin, and one scene in particular that will have women everywhere cheering out loud' LUCY DIAMOND
Mad About You | Mhairi McFarlane | Book Review - bookGeeks Mad About You | Mhairi McFarlane | Book Review - bookGeeks
This was my first Mhairi McFarlane book and it's easy to see why this talented author has a huge reader following. It's pathetic, I knew I did from that first moment we met. It was...not love at first sight exactly, but - familiarity. Like: oh, hello, it's you. It's going to be you. Game over." Mhairi’s writing is always just super witty with layered, emotional depth . . . Loved. Adored. All-star.’ LIZZY DENT In Harriet, we see a woman who has undergone a lot of emotional abuse and gaslighting. We see a woman who despite her hardships, finally finds the courage to stand up for herself. An entertaining, emotional and exhausting story about friendship, and moving on from past choices and mistakes
BookBliss
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! 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). McFarlane (Who’s That Girl?) strikes romantic comedy gold with this tale of reunited sweethearts who have to grapple with the past. During their last term of high school, popular Georgina Continue reading »
Mad about You By Mhairi McFarlane | Used | 9780008412456 Mad about You By Mhairi McFarlane | Used | 9780008412456
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.
Summary
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. This is edgiest, most angsty, triggering, intense Mhairi McFarlene book I’ve ever had! The smart writing, the genuine, real and connectable characters made me drawn into this thought provoking story with powerful messages! Mhairi McFarlane just gets better and better. Mad About You was such a joy to read - it's laugh out loud funny, devastatingly moving, and delightfully swoony, all at once. McFarlane is in a league of her own' Louise O'Neill, Idol
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