A review by mal_bookedatfirstsight
Mad About You by Mhairi McFarlane
4.0
“Good women are not a rewards system for silly men.”
I have been a huge fan of Mhairi’s work for years! She crafts the character with so many complexities, they feel real. I will say I almost DNFed this book- In the beginning, I struggled to get into it and there were a ton of pop culture/celebrity references. I don’t know if perhaps it was a cultural divide or if I am just THAT unknowledgeable, but I felt like a lot of the sense of humor from these characters was heavily based on them and since I didn’t understand the references, I felt like I lost that connection. It wasn’t until about 20% into the book that I felt hooked!
Was it what I was expecting? No.
Did that make me love it? YES.
Although there is romance sprinkled towards the end, this book is very much Women’s Fiction. Ultimately about a woman named Harriet who is forced to confront her past relationships (not just romantically), to begin anew. This is not a fluffy romcom, despite the cover looking like so, but it delves into heavy topics such as grief and emotional abuse. I enjoyed Harriet as a character, who was constantly just trying her best. I adored Cal, even though I wanted more of him, I felt like he was genuine and an actual stable human lol. BUT I LOVED LORNA (the best friend, ride-or-die, will kick your butt if you mess with her loved ones)! Come on now, we all need a Lorna in our life!!!!
I feel like the John Tucker Must Die moment needs a shoutout/slow cap…. Ladies, ASSEMBLE!
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for gifting me this copy in exchange for my honest review.
I have been a huge fan of Mhairi’s work for years! She crafts the character with so many complexities, they feel real. I will say I almost DNFed this book- In the beginning, I struggled to get into it and there were a ton of pop culture/celebrity references. I don’t know if perhaps it was a cultural divide or if I am just THAT unknowledgeable, but I felt like a lot of the sense of humor from these characters was heavily based on them and since I didn’t understand the references, I felt like I lost that connection. It wasn’t until about 20% into the book that I felt hooked!
Was it what I was expecting? No.
Did that make me love it? YES.
Although there is romance sprinkled towards the end, this book is very much Women’s Fiction. Ultimately about a woman named Harriet who is forced to confront her past relationships (not just romantically), to begin anew. This is not a fluffy romcom, despite the cover looking like so, but it delves into heavy topics such as grief and emotional abuse. I enjoyed Harriet as a character, who was constantly just trying her best. I adored Cal, even though I wanted more of him, I felt like he was genuine and an actual stable human lol. BUT I LOVED LORNA (the best friend, ride-or-die, will kick your butt if you mess with her loved ones)! Come on now, we all need a Lorna in our life!!!!
Spoiler
I feel like the John Tucker Must Die moment needs a shoutout/slow cap…. Ladies, ASSEMBLE!
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for gifting me this copy in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Grief, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Infidelity