“If I Never Met You” by Mhairi McFarlane | Book Review

Book Review | Rating – 5/5 stars | Genre – Contemporary romance

So, very recently I returned to my parents house for a BBQ. It was during the bank holiday weekend, and saw me hanging around their house for the full three days. During this time I came across this book in the room I called home for three days. Having forgotten to bring a book with me, I decided to give this one a try, getting a decent recommendation from my younger sister. I was rather dubious, having not found much enjoyment from romance books in the past, but I percevered over the weekend.

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When Laurie is dumped by her partner of eighteen years, she’s blindsided. Not only does she feel humiliated, they still have to work together.

So when she gets stuck in the lift with handsome colleague Jamie, they hatch a plan to stage the perfect romance. Revenge will be sweet… (Check it out here)

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What did I think?

I was actually very surprised by this book. Maybe its how relaxed I was this weekend, or how genuinely interesting this book was to me, but I couldn’t put it down. I ended up reading this book the whole way through the weekend, wanting nothing more than to find out what would happen to Laurie as the book continued on.

It has been a while since I’ve read a book that I was this invested in, and an even longer time since I’ve done nothing but sit down most of the day and read a book for a whole weekend. It really took me back to the time when I was younger and reading the latest Harry Potter book in one sitting.

I think what made this interesting to me was the great character journey that McFarlane had created for Laurie. She felt like a very real person, making me want to know what will happen to her next. I felt her heartbreak, and cheered for her as new opportunities opened up for her.

Three reasons to read If I Never Met You…

• Interesting characters: One of the great parts of this book, is the very real characters that are present in the book. I can forgive some of the more 2D side-characters because the central characters were given such depth. As each chapter passed I found out more about Laurie or Jamie, seeing what it was that drove these characters, seeing them as real people.
• Great easy reading: Based on the fact I read this in one weekend, its safe to say it was a super easy read. There was never a point where I found myself struggling to get through a specific chapter, or even dreading to pick the book up again. If anything, the moments when I wasn’t reading the book, I knew when given the chance, I’d pick it straight back up.
• Super satisfying ending: Don’t worry I won’t be giving away the ending, thats definitely for you to discover. All I’ll say is that it makes the book worth reading. Too many times have I read a great book, only to be let down at the final hurdle. This is not the case with this book, offering a satisfying conclusion to an intriguing plot.

At the end of the day…

There is clearly no surprise that I really enjoyed this book. I mean I gave it 5 stars for a reason. This did come as a surprise to myself. It isn’t that often that I find myself picking up a romance book, normally only seeking them out if I enjoyed a TV or movie adaption before hand (like One Day). However, this time it was simply a matter of filling the blanks over one weekend.

This leap of faith was rewarded by an easy read, with a brilliantly crafted plot. The characters felt real and entertaining, making me want to know and care about what was going to happen to them. It is the perfect book for lovers of romance books, or for those looking to lean into this genre.