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. A plot that gets under your skin, and one scene in particular that will have women everywhere cheering out loud’ LUCY DIAMOND

Mad about You – HarperCollins Publishers UK

It starts out a hoot with plenty of laugh out loud moments as you’d expect from the smart writing of Mhairi McFarlane. I really like the character of Harriet who is smart, she has her issues but almost because of this she feels authentic and relatable. I do enjoy the way the author manages to some people up in just a few words and yet you really see them. There are some enjoyable coincidences and several scenes that are almost movie or TV worthy they are so lively and ent In Harriet, we see a woman who has undergone a lot of emotional abuse and gaslighting. We see a woman who despite her hardships, finally finds the courage to stand up for herself. But this time Harriet has a surprise coming to her: at her darkest hours, one of her friends betrayed her, but a new one proved to be touchingly loyal when she needed him most.And this somewhat redeems her too. The way her character grows and develops, navigating life issues and battling everyday challenges, is surely a treat to read. The writing was typical McFarlane, she tries to be breezy through some tough topics, but it doesn't work. Also there's a whole info dump told to readers via a letter that I loathed. It was such a cheap move to do and I think that it happened because at that point we were at around the 50 percent mark or more and we still didn't know what happened in Harriet's past besides it affected her still. Harriet Hatley is the most in-demand wedding photographer in town, but she doesn't believe in romance, loathes the idea of marriage, and thinks chocolate fountains are an abomination. Which is why, when her long-time partner proposes, she panics. Suddenly Harriet is single... and living down the hall from her ex. She needs a new apartment, like, yesterday . Harriet is such a fantastic protagonist and is so layered and dynamic. She’s smart and funny and a loyal friend, but she is also burdened by her past. Harriet goes on a tremendously emotional journey throughout the book as she learns to be vulnerable, love herself, and let others love her. She also has to deal with things that happened to her in the past, especially when someone from her past resurfaces. I think her character and the situations she finds herself in are very relatable and realistic, and I was so invested in her story and hoping for her to find happiness.

Mad about You: The biggest romcom of 2022: heart-warming

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!). 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. Mhairi consistently writes flawless romantic comedies and Mad About You is no exception' HOLLY BOURNE

Harriet Hatley is the most in-demand wedding photographer in town, but she doesn’t believe in romance, loathes the idea of marriage, and thinks chocolate fountains are an abomination. Which is why, when her long-time partner proposes, she panics. Suddenly Harriet is single… and living down the hall from her ex. She needs a new apartment, like, yesterday. A luminous, heart-achingly beautiful love letter to friendship' Josie Silver, #1 bestselling author of One Day in December

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

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. Mhairi McFarlane’s Mad About You is a wonderful character-driven story that follows Harriet Hatley, a wedding photographer who finds herself in need of a place to stay after rejecting her boyfriend’s marriage proposal. She ends up renting a space with Cal, a runaway groom in need of a roommate. But how can Harriet like a person who would do something like that? Both are avoiding their pasts, but could facing them help them find a future together? But all that to say.. this is, for this author, an almost flashy kind of story. There's a bit of a girl gang, Avengers-style, with a Big Bad and the mission to defeat them and the subsequent takedown. In a public way. And it's all centered around a very timely plot point about a narrative shift, and subsequent support, for an abuser. It's a bigger scope than most of McFarlane's stories, which tend to be loud in quiet subtle ways. But it was incredibly important and there was a lot of good dialogue, and perspective, and shifting loyalties to see play out and that was compelling, if occasionally tough, reading. 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.

McFarlane’s latest, her eighth novel Mad About You (HarperFiction), opens as wedding photographer Harriet turns down a proposal from her seemingly perfect boyfriend. She ends up in a house-share with Cal—the groom she saw running away from his own wedding. There is a glorious mean-guy-getting-his-comeuppance plotline, as well as sparks galore and lots of laughs, but at its heart, this novel is also exploring the fallout from an emotionally abusive relationship. There’s not a whole lot I can say different here to how I’ve reviewed McFarlane’s previous books, to be honest. Yes, it’s a different book, with a different story, but it’s also Mhairi McFarlane, with her signature beats. There’s the humour, the romance, the friendship, and the balance of the narrative as it treads along heavier topics—all of it ties together into a book which, although it might not be my outright favourite of McFarlane’s, is up there among them. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a book so much. A hero and heroine to root for, a plot that races along with the pace of a thriller and the heart of a romance, and an ending I will never forget' Gillian McAllister, That Night 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. The GR blurb for this book is quite misleading because it makes the book sound like a story of Harriet and Cal. It isn’t. It is Harriet’s story almost all the way.)