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

I have never before not enjoyed a book written by this author & usually find her characterisation charming - in fact I literally fell in love with Adam in Its Not Me Its You!I had pre ordered Mad About You & was looking forward to reading it but unfortunately for me this one just didn’t hit the mark.I appreciate the covering of the subject of coercive controlling behaviour (have actually been subject to a lesser form myself) but the interaction between the ‘love interest’ characters came too late in the book & then was too little for me.I was surprised to realise that I was 3/4 way through the book & thought ‘wow, nothings happened yet!’Sorry, not her best but I will still look forward to her next one ………. !

Another barn-stormer from Mhairi McFarlane. Mad About You follows Harriet Hatley as she disentangles herself from a less-than-stellar relationship and, in her rush to find somewhere to live, agrees to move in with a man she's never met only to discover he's got a pretty big skeleton in his cupboard. The type of skeleton we're talking about sits squarely in the romcom division, but as the book progresses, McFarlane expertly weaves in a much darker thread that adds a level of emotion and jeopardy that very few writers handle with such finesse. Mhairi is in a league of her own (as always) mixing gut-wrenching emotions with humour and thrills. The climactic scene had me sweating buckets. Chuck in a swoonsome romance, with a leading man who is hot AF - and you'll be hard-pressed to read a better book this year. I know I will be.

I stupidly forget just how much I love Mhairi McFarlane's writing and every time I pick up a new book of hers, I'm absorbed and wander why she's not the first author I think of when I list my favourites. Last Night, the last book she released, was a beautiful exploration of grief and this book is another where it's not actually about romance all that much.When Harriet's boyfriend Jon proposes, it's the red flag she's needed to call things off. Moving out of his house and into a houseshare coincidentally lands her as the lodger of Cal, the runaway groom from a recent wedding she photographed (or... didn't in the end). In trying to extricate herself from Jon, Harriet finds herself facing up to another past relationship that left scars. As the past gets dredged up, Harriet finds out who's in her corner and who she's willing to fight for.Even though the romance element is pushed hard on the cover and blurb, this book is more about friendship and loving yourself enough to advocate for yourself. Tw: It explores emotional abuse, but does so in a way that's ultimately uplifting. The cast of supporting characters in this, and witty dialogue and easy reading of this are all classic Mhairi McFarlane. Big fan.

The story is a bit predictable, no as good as “Last Night”, and the love story felt a bit undeveloped in my opinion. Overall, it’s a lovely story and I would probably read it again but it’s not 5 stars for me.

This book was a joy and a great find for me. It's not the usual type of book I would choose to read but I was so pleased I tried it as it was a refreshing and funny story.