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, meanwhile, we had some good laughs, some self-discovery, and a slow-burn awakening of something delicious, all in true McFarlane style, as the MC slogs through the mire to earn herself a lovely ending (or beginning, depending on perspective). She ends up renting a room from Cal Clarke and after several serious misunderstandings they become friends and not just flat mates.

Mhairi McFarlane (Author of If I Never Met You) - Goodreads Mhairi McFarlane (Author of If I Never Met You) - Goodreads

Summary: When Harriet Harley ends up single and homeless following a breakup with her new fiancé, she moves in with Cal Clarke, a stranger dealing with his own pre-wedding breakup. When Harriet’s ex-boyfriend makes a stunning accusation, Harriet is forced to confront her past as she figures out what she wants for the future. i>Sunday Times bestselling author Mhairi McFarlane was born in Scotland in 1976 and her unnecessarily confusing name is pronounced Vah-Ree. 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!). 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. While working a wedding Harriet sees the ex-boyfriend she had before Jon. Scott Dyer is a controller and an emotional abuser whose behavior is a perfect example of gaslighting/coercive control. To outside folks he comes across as extremely charming and an attentive loving boyfriend. Harriet is faced with a dilemma when she discovers that Scott is getting married to a sweet girl named Mary Ann. She feels like maybe she should warn her of Scott’s behavior.MMs books are never really about the romance - they are always about the growth of the characters - but i definitely think this is the best romance MM has written.

Mad about You By Mhairi McFarlane | Used | 9780008412456 Mad about You By Mhairi McFarlane | Used | 9780008412456

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. NOTE TO PUBLISHER: Stop marketing this author’s books with misleading covers. It is not in the best interest of readers, who end up disgruntled with an unexpected genre. As usual, it’s a good read from a talented author and also many thanks for the “God’s own country” setting – Yorkshire, where else!! As a reader though, you end up wishing for a romance that is much more carefree and open, and which spells into action. It isn’t sufficient to just read their thoughts about love and how they feel about each other, the reader in me craved more. That being said, the kind of love that you witness in Mad About You feels genuine and warm, and uplifting, if not deeply passionate.My only criticism is that while I understand the focus of the plot is on Harriets growth as an individual in overcoming past trauma, I wish we could have had a bit more of Cal, as well as, more interactions between him, Harriet, and Sam. A luminous, heart-achingly beautiful love letter to friendship' Josie Silver, #1 bestselling author of One Day in December 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 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. I really enjoyed Mad About You and highly recommend not only this novel, but all of McFarlane’s previous work.

Mad About You :HarperCollins Australia Mad About You :HarperCollins Australia

If I leave another woman to suffer Scott Dyer because I’m frightened of intervening, then nothing has really changed. If I don’t do it, Lorna, then I’m still scared of him. That’s just a fact.’ 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!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.