Don't You Forget About Me: A Novel

If you include heartbreak, dead spouses, cheating, betrayal, sexual abuse, public humiliation, and harassment in your book, please don't pass it off as a light romantic comedy in the spirit of Bridget Jones. The only resemblance was the fact that this was more chick lit than a romance. As someone who experienced sexual abuse as a teenager and suffers from anxiety and panic attacks, I did not appreciate this book taking a massive crap all over my emotions during this time of coronavirus isolation. If I'd known these topics were discussed in this book, I would not have bought it. I was looking for something to cheer me up, and instead, this was a massive downer. The only redeeming quality was the British humor, which reared its head in some funny expressions. But even so, it was difficult at times to keep up with the Britishism and follow the conversations. Also, the romance was sorely lacking and there were a GAZILLION subplots that went on forever. A very longwinded "heartfelt" (as it's described) book that is definitely not very romantic or funny.

Once upon a time I stumbled upon Mahairi McFarlane,thanks to amazon's suggested reads. After "You Had me at Hello", I proceeded to devour every single book she has written at a pace that was probably worthy of Child Protective Services to come on over to my house for neglect. Isn't it such a wonderful feeling to read a good book and discover there is more where that come from?As you can imagine it has been quite a wait for me to finally get this book into my eyeballs. I read so many books, but have really been a slump lately. It feels really inappropriate to not finish books, but I have had a slew of DNF , and the crazy thing is, they were considered "best sellers". How do i apply for the job of assigning such accolades to books because whomever is doing it currently is full of it.Anywho, one thing I really hate is reading a glowing review such as this and then being let down, so I am going to help you out. Only read this book if you like an intelligent , contemporary romance. If you like your romance Intravenously administered where you know what is going to happen in chapter 2 and no effort is needed, then this book is not for you. Do not read this if you despise humor, this has so much delightful humor. This author is witty and she gets me to the point of actual laugh out loud moments. Do not read this if you dislike a bit of angst. If you prefer that it is all laid out in the beginning and the rest is just fluff, do not read this book. If you prefer to manage your time wisely and not spend 7 hours hiding in your dark room during the day so that you can gobble such a good book up on kindle, then this book is not for you. What year is it anyway?In conclusion. Mahairi, if you read this, please don't be offended when I plead with you to write faster. Thank you

If you're expecting a light hearted, fun read like this description and cover suggests - DON'T PICK THIS UP!!I'm not one to pick up a book and just not finish it, but when I got 17% of the way through the book and felt like I had been reading for hours, I was tempted.What annoys me so much is that is a great premise with poor execution. And if you're planning on reading this - fair warning SPOILERS BELOW-----------------------------------------------------------------There is only so much twist and turns one book can handle and still be considered intelligent. I could have handled the hidden assault with some guy that ended her secret relationship with the one that got away. Okay, that's a lot to take in but it's do-able. But then you got family troubles and daddy/step-daddy issues that really doesn't give us any insight into the character that we don't already have or we can't get in a more subtle way -- they gave wayyyy too many pages to this family plot then necessary and it was horribly misplaced.And then as for our darling McCarthy lead - good grief. Because it's not likely that a 30-year old man that looked like him could be single, the author gives him a wife. BUT WAIT - She's cheats on him, gets cancer, and dies all before the timeline of the novel and here's the kicker, Lucas - our so-called romantic hero - is completely unaffected by it all. He cares more about the dog he could have lost than his wife.Also, it's just incredibly convenient that the stars would align so that these two could have a second chance at romance right?I'm all for the cheesy romance books but at least make it believable.That being said - it gets 3 stars because I think authors should automatically get 2 stars for just putting their work out there. The extra one is because I actually enjoyed maybe 10% of this book and the premise is still interesting. If another author would like to take this story up and run with it, I'd be glad to pick that one up and try again.

I have been a big fan of Mhairi McFarlane since her first novel ”You Had Me At Hello” came out seven years ago.All of her stories are funny, sharp and the slow-burn romance will with guarantee tug at your heart. But what I love the most about her books are the woman empowerment that hits me right in solar plexus.In this story, we follow Georgina who can find something fun in every bad situation, and while it keeps a lot of grief away, it's also a self-defence technic that makes her forget herself in the situation, and by that let herself down.It has cost her on many parts of her life, and we follow her journey while she tries to find her voice in all the bad that keeps her down – bad jobs and bosses, an AWFUL ex-boyfriend, mum's new boyfriend, and even her own family's lack of faith in her.By the end of the story, I felt like giving Georgina a hug. She's so much fun and has such a sunshine nature that made her a really likeable character, and I would very much have liked to visit The Wicker (Lucas's pub) to join her for a pint.A read that will make you cry and laugh at the same time.I loved it.

Oh my word, I love this story.From the word go it evokes memories of Sixth Form, puts you back there in the common room, back there in English Lit (I now really do want to read Wuthering Heights, nobody else has made me want to, this achievement should be added to Mhairi's author page tbh, it's honestly quite the attainment if you ask me). Mhairi has such a talent for putting the reader in the room, it honestly feels like you're sat just out of shot, whether that's in the pub or in a kitchen on a Sunday afternoon. She makes you feel like you could reach out and touch the characters.I love Georgina, her self doubt, her need to fit in and the work it entails, and lots of other things that I can't write about as a) spoilers and b) too personal naval gazing for an Amazon review but suffice to say, I relate to her most out of any of the lead characters of Mhairi's novels (whilst knowing I could never live up to her brilliance and beauty - the irony of this is not lost) plus she speaks so much truth, so much wisdom. Oh, and I really wish I didn't have to develop a massive crush on the lead men every time but alas I do, and Lucas is no exception.And again the friends and housemates and workmates and parents all feel like they could have a novel written about them too, so real and interesting they all are.Honestly, how Mhairi does this every time I wish I knew. She's so bloody brilliant.And I'll never be able to look at caramelised pecans the same way again.

After what feels like foreevvvveeeerrrr (ok, I know it’s only just over two and a half years, but honestly, it’s felt like a lifetime!) we FINALLY have a new Mhairi McFarlane book to devour!!! During the long months and years since I read her last book, Who’s That Girl? back in April 2016, I’ve been desperately trying to find other similar books to read to fill the void, but honestly, it is my opinion that there is no one out there that can write rom com like Ms McFarlane. She is the queen of warm, witty banter, super likeable heroines and swoonsome heroes. So, I hear you cry, has she continued her brilliant run with another cracker in the shape of new book Don’t You Forget About Me? Well of course she has, and then some!The story begins in Sheffield, 2007 with our girl Georgina in sixth form, and rapidly approaching the end of her schooldays. A surprise seat reshuffle during an English class, pairs her with the quiet and somewhat mysterious Lucas, a relative newcomer after recently moving schools from Dublin, and not someone Georgina has previously paid much attention to. All that changes as they get to know each other better against a backdrop of Wuthering Heights discussions, love notes and make out sessions in the local Botanical Gardens. The sixth form prom is meant to be the night they take their secret relationship to the next level, but a mixture of lies, miscommunications and hurt pride instead meant it was the night they parted forever. Or so we thought...Forward to the present day, and Georgina is in a going-nowhere-fast job at an abomination of an Italian restaurant, has a flakey, self obsessed boyfriend, a patronising, disappointed family and a housemate from hell. Just when she thinks things can’t possibly get any worse, she’s unfairly sacked from the worst restaurant in town and then promptly finds her fella in bed with his PA! When you’re that low, the only way has to be up, and it appears Georgina’s luck could possibly be changing when she gets an unexpected job offer in a beautifully refurbished bar in town, working for the delightful new owner Delvin, who is everything you could want in the perfect boss. That is of course, until she meets his brother and partner in the business, in the familiar shape of tall, dark and handsome Lucas....Oh this book was a joy! The perfect mixture of laughs, heartbreak and slow burn romance. As always with Mhairi’s female leads, I loved Georgina’s character from the off. I recognised the smart, likeable girl who desperately wanted to get the approval of the ‘cool kids’ in her class, and in doing so, suppressed her own potential in a bid to fit in and be accepted -“You play down your intelligence to enhance your standing with your peers. There’s a big wide world outside these walls, Georgina Horspool, and exam grades will get you further than their laughter. Pretty faces grow old too, you know.”Sixth form Lucas too, was adorable from his first introduction. His “I love your laugh. X” note made me pull a silly grin as I thought back to how thrilled I would have been at that age to get that note from a boy I was falling for. I read the whole of the prologue wanting to shout at the screen “Don’t hide him away Georgina!! He’s a good ‘un! Be proud to be with him!” But of course, we all know that some things - not making yourself a target, fitting in with everyone else, doing nothing that could possibly be mocked or ridiculed by classmates - seem so vitally important whilst still a pupil, that you’ll do whatever is necessary, however misguided, to avoid the sniggering and mickey taking. I’m sure we’ve all known a version of Richard Hardy. The supposed cool kid, with an underlying nastiness to many of his ‘witty’ quips. His approval would have felt so necessary if for no other reason than to avoid being the butt of his joke. For the self doubters of the world, acceptance by the ‘in crowd’ is sometimes the validation you feel you need to get by at school. And for all her intellect and natural wit, Georgina certainly falls into that category of not quite believing herself good enough.When we pick up again with 30 year old Georgina, that self doubt is still bubbling under her surface. ‘Why am I still doing this rubbish job? Am I too old to be still pull off this look? Am I too boring in my relationship? All these negative questions are not helped, her close friends aside, by the people around her, who could hardly be accused of being uplifting or supportive! This little gem of wisdom from Tony, the terrible chef at That’s Amore!, was a typically cutting example -“Be careful with that heavy make-up as a blonde. One minute you’re punk like Daryl Hannah in Blade Runner, the next you’re Julie Goodyear.”That said, so much of the That’s Amore! description was hilarious! I could totally picture this hellhole of a restaurant with its disgusting kitchen and equally grubby chef! I cringed along with Georgina at the simpering lengths she had to go to in order to try to balance keeping both kitchen and customer happy -“It turns out my role is less a waitress, more an apologist for gastronomic terrorism. I’m a mule, shuttling the criminal goods from kitchen to table and acting innocent when questioned.”“They told me that a free lunch was a perk of my meagre wage, and I soon discovered that’s an up-side like getting a ride on an inflatable slide if your plane crashes”I swear I could totally picture the congealed muck on the plates she was forced to serve up! As always with a McFarlane book, even the smallest character is perfectly drawn. Tony, fag hanging out of his mouth and wispy mullet sticking out of his chef’s hat, is such a clear image for me, I’m sure I could pick him out of a police line up. It’s always one of the joys in reading this authors work, the total realism of all her characters.I found the family dynamic particularly rang true. The dysfunctional family unit she grew up in, with unhappy parents constantly fighting and drawing Georgina and her sister into taking sides, I’m sure feels familiar to many of us who grew up with parents at war with each other -“It was mine and my sister’s responsibility to act as buffer zones and brake pads, and simply to be someone living in their house that they liked”I found her description of Saturdays out with her Dad and the relationship they had, particularly touching and at times, quite heartbreaking. Now I seem to be painting this book as quite sad and downbeat, but trust me, it’s totally not! However, I think all the best comedy has light and shade, it gives way more depth and becomes a far superior book because of it. But at its heart, this book is a brilliant rom com, and there is plenty of comedy and romance to keep every McFarlane fan happy.I LOVED Georgina’s friends! What a fab bunch they all were. I was particularly fond of her loveable young workmate Kitty. Her naive innocence made me smile on so many occasions. Her sheer horror at the suggestion she may like to keep a diary in the future was priceless! -“Oh my God, no one does that, what am I, some sort of Victorian person!’ Kitty says. ‘Yeah, like, I wrote my diary in my big death nightie and, like, ate mutton pie and that. Wrote it with one of those pens that are feathers.’‘What the hell is a big death nightie?!’ I say, putting aside the fact Kitty called me ancient.‘Those nighties that ghosts wear and they put old people in. You know. Like in a Muppet’s Christmas Carol.’‘Hahahhaa. The Muppets’ Christmas Carol. RIP Charles Dickens.’ Devlin says.‘I know who Charles Dickens is!’‘Do you? My bad,’ Devlin says.‘He’s the bear, he tells the story.’Devlin and I look at each other and hoot and Kitty says, ‘Oh piss off!”Special mentions must also go to the fabulous Nana Hogg, the gorgeously warm Dev, kind and lovely Mark, narcissist Robin and, although I loathed him, the perfectly drawn, odious little toad Geoffrey. His put downs and sly digs made me furious on Georgina’s behalf, but it’s the mark of brilliant writing that his words can cause such a reaction in the reader -“Oh for goodness’ sake, your indispensability to some grotty boozer! Yes, I am sure they’ll be scouring Yorkshire trying to find another person with opposable thumbs, capable of placing a glass on a counter top and counting coins. It’ll be like that hunt for a pop star programme. Soda Pop Idol hahaha.”But back to Lucas *sigh* The older Lucas we met in the book, came across as a darker, moodier version to the affectionate teen we were originally introduced to, but of course, that was for several very good reasons. I found the romance in this book a slightly slower burn than in the authors previous work, but no less glorious because of that. I’d like to assure fans of You Had Me At Hello and It’s Not Me It’s You, that the ‘I wondered if’ speech in this book is right up there with Ben’s declaration in chapter 69 and Adam’s love letter respectivelyThere were heartbreaking parts to this story as well as the heartwarming. When discussions were finally had about the disastrous prom night, I could have cried I was so sad for all the hurt and pain that was caused, but I’m glad that Georgina finally had clarity about what happened and just who should have carried the blame for that night. As with most situations, talking and being honest is the only way answers can be found, and closure can be achieved.You may think when reading the books blurb that Don’t You Forget About Me is just a classic second chance romance, but actually for me, it’s much more than that. It’s really a tale about learning to be kinder to yourself. Of not putting yourself down, and not allowing others to do that to you either. It’s a reminder that secrets and lies can fester and eat away at you if you let them and that being honest with yourself and others can prevent so much hurt and confusion. So maybe this new year, we should all try to give ourselves a break. To acknowledge that we are good enough and we are all trying to do our best, and really, that should be good enough, for ourselves and for all those people who claim to care about us.In Don’t You Forget About Me, Mhairi McFarlane has written another cracker of a story. It’s warm and witty, heartbreaking and uplifting and I loved every word of it. I just have one final request for Ms McFarlane - please, please, PLEASE, don’t leave it so long for the next book!!!

I am a big fan of Mhairi McFarlane’s books. I like her sense of humour and her ability, to sum up a situation in a single phrase. Don’t You Forget About Me was a fabulous read. As you’d expect if you’ve read Mhairi’s other books, there was a degree of humour, but more than that this book drew me in (literally I stayed up until 2am to finish it!), it explored different relationships at different levels; it made me laugh, but it also made me cry. The ending was gorgeous and delivered all and more than I had hoped for. The main characters were brilliant. Georgina was wonderfully portrayed, and I loved Lucas, his dog and his brother, actually I could go on – they are a fabulous bunch of characters whose world you’re happy to inhabit for the duration of the book! It was another wonderful Mhairi McFarlane read.

I absolutely love Mhairi McFarlane and have gobbled up all her books multiple times. She is in my opinion the queen of chick lit, and she has definitely delivered again with this. This is a real page turner, perhaps even more so than her other books, and although humour is there by the bucket-load I never feel that character or plot is sacrificed in pursuit of a good gag (which really bugs me about some authors). The characters are so three-dimensional, not a stereotype or paper cut-out in sight - and the humour never feels mean-spirited, just spot-on observations of everyday life. This book goes to some much darker places than her other books - I won't give any spoilers but these events are handled with total sensitivity and give a strong message which is very relevant to issues in the news today. I absolutely loved this and can't wait for more.

The kindle sample for this book is really quite good and ends on somewhat of a cliff hanger. Pretty popular Georgina and geeky Lucas have a secret thing going when they are at school, but in the present time they have been estranged for years and I really wanted to find out what happened. Unfortunately the chapters set in the present are nowhere near as interesting - Lucas and Georgina meet again but pretend not to know each other and there is really very little interaction between them - there are a lot of scenes between Georgina and her trio of 'zany' friends who are all pretty much one-dimensional and forgettable - so much so that I've already forgotten their names. There is probably a good reason for this - if the two starcrossed lovers at the centre of the story had even one decent conversation about what happened in the past they would be able to clear up all the misunderstandings, but this is the sort of book where everything has to happen before a group of cheering friends. Author seems to have gotten quite a lot of inspiration from 'Friends' and 'Sex in the City'. Wasn't a bit surprised when I checked up on her and found out she was quite a bit older than the millennial readership she is aiming at. This reminds me strongly of many books I read about 20 years ago. The humour is a bit over the top and didn't really work for me. It also didn't help that I believed for much of the book that Georgina had simply ditched Lucas for a more popular boy (more of this in comments) which made it impossible to root for her to get back with him.Wouldn't rush to read her other books unless I found one free on KU.