Review: If I Never Met You

Mhairi McFarlane's Don't You Forget About Me was one of my favourite books of 2019. As I wrote in that review, it was my first of her books I'd ever read and I didn't want it to be my last. So, it was with high expectations that I went into reading If I Never Met You earlier this year. I think my super high expectations may have hurt me in the end because I didn't love it as much as I wanted to. It was good and I enjoyed the hell out of it but it's not really one that'll stick with me for too long.

Here's the synopsis:

If faking love is this easy... how do you know when it’s real?

When her partner of over a decade suddenly ends things, Laurie is left reeling—not only because they work at the same law firm and she has to see him every day. Her once perfect life is in shambles and the thought of dating again in the age of Tinder is nothing short of horrifying. When news of her ex’s pregnant girlfriend hits the office grapevine, taking the humiliation lying down is not an option. Then a chance encounter in a broken-down elevator with the office playboy opens up a new possibility.

Jamie Carter doesn’t believe in love, but he needs a respectable, steady girlfriend to impress their bosses. Laurie wants a hot new man to give the rumor mill something else to talk about. It’s the perfect proposition: a fauxmance played out on social media, with strategically staged photographs and a specific end date in mind. With the plan hatched, Laurie and Jamie begin to flaunt their new couple status, to the astonishment—and jealousy—of their friends and colleagues. But there’s a fine line between pretending to be in love and actually falling for your charming, handsome fake boyfriend...

I have to get this out of the way first...I have no idea what the title means in relation to the story. I don't know if I missed one of the characters saying that to the other? It just doesn't much make sense to me because it's not like Laurie and Jamie met by chance. They work together. I know that it's the absolute weirdest thing to focus on but there we have it. Welcome to my brain.

What McFarlane does well is write clever characters. Both Laurie and Jamie are wicked smart and had the type of humour that made the story really enjoyable to read. (Don't ask for specifics. I just remember a general feeling of having laughed while reading.) I think I'm also a little bit envious of McFarlane and her humour because her characters all have this effortless charm that I'd like to think I have but I probably just come across as quirky and weird. *shrugs* So, even though I'm jealous of their cleverness, I really did like both Jamie and Laurie.

The book wasn't all about the romance (or fauxmance) between Laurie and Jamie though. McFarlane finds a great balance between rom com and drama with some serious issues both Laurie and Jamie have to face. I was glad to have that balance because it's realistic - not everything is all fun and sexy times all the time - and shows that McFarlane has the writing chops to tell a layered story.

I think one of the things I struggled with was the fake relationship. It's a very slow burn as Jamie and Laurie have a lot to learn about each other. So much so that I kind of wondered how on earth they could ever belong together. By the time they (and I) realized they were made for each other, things then moved at super sonic speed. And I think that bothered me. I can't quite articulate why but it seemed forced and way too rushed and unnecessary. 

Overall, If I Never Met You was...fine. Don't hold this one against Mhairi McFarlane. I certainly won't. I'm really looking forward to whatever she writes next and finally getting around to reading her backlist. So many books, so little time!

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*