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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. 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
Mad About You :HarperCollins Australia Mad About You :HarperCollins Australia
An entertaining, emotional and exhausting story about friendship, and moving on from past choices and mistakes 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. 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.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.
Mad About You by Mhairi McFarlane | Goodreads Mad About You by Mhairi McFarlane | Goodreads
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.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. 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. 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. Well, I still enjoyed this book! Ms. McFarlane’s smart descriptions to make us see through the characters’ soul and her method to write true heartbreaking angsty stories made me love this book. It’s not my all time favorite work of hers but it is still a MUST READ!
Mad about You By Mhairi McFarlane | Used | 9780008412456 Mad about You By Mhairi McFarlane | Used | 9780008412456
Though the cover might convey something different, Mad About You is more of a women’s fiction than a romance. I felt like cheering at the end of this one, even though the "romance element" was not central to the plot for a change. 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 be
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.
Mad About You: A Novel: Mhairi McFarlane: 9798200975136 Mad About You: A Novel: Mhairi McFarlane: 9798200975136
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. 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. 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. 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.
What a gorgeous, funny, life-affirming writer Mhairi is. She just makes me laugh' Jenny Colgan, The Christmas Bookshop 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!). 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. I won’t get much into the details for the fear of giving away the story. But am sure, fans of Mhairi McFarlane will love her latest release. 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.
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