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If I Never Met You, by Mhairi McFarlane
Jun. 3rd, 2020 07:41 pmI VERY NEARLY love this book. Augh. Ugh. Sigh. I have many feelings and they feel insufficiently resolved.
So! This is a romance novel that I decided to read based on the Smart Bitches Trashy Books review that rated it a C because it wasn't romance-novel-y enough. I do appreciate when reviews that don't love a book go into details about why so that the reader can judge for themself whether those things are problems for them personally or not.
So I can kind of see where the review is coming from, that the book spends a fair amount of time focusing on the set-up before the male & female leads start spending any time together, and that there's some other serious stuff going on in their lives and it isn't just all about the ~love~. Those are things that make it fit less squarely in the genre romance novel box. But it still does the things I want out of a romance novel, which is that it prioritises its characters' emotional experiences and has a happy ending. And honestly I like those other aspects of the book, they make it feel more fully rounded.
The premise! Laurie's boyfriend of 18 years, Dan, leaves her, and she is shocked and heartbroken. Meanwhile their coworker Jamie doesn't believe in commitment but in order to advance in the firm they all work for (they're all lawyers) he needs to show that he can settle down instead of playing the field, in order to fit into the old boys' club. So they agree to pretend to date, so Laurie can get back at Dan for leaving her for another woman, and Jamie can show stability in his personal life.
And it's great and I love so many things about this book: Laurie's complicated relationship with her family, how multiple characters get to have Very Important Best Friendships in their lives and also other friends too and including friends of a different gender than themselves, how clear it is that both Laurie and Jamie thrive in each other's company, the way the prose is fun and easy to read, how unapologetic the book is about Laurie being good at her job but also about showing the real issues with racism and sexism a woman of colour experiences in the field of law, and more.
My issue with the book is the ending. ( Read more... )
So! This is a romance novel that I decided to read based on the Smart Bitches Trashy Books review that rated it a C because it wasn't romance-novel-y enough. I do appreciate when reviews that don't love a book go into details about why so that the reader can judge for themself whether those things are problems for them personally or not.
So I can kind of see where the review is coming from, that the book spends a fair amount of time focusing on the set-up before the male & female leads start spending any time together, and that there's some other serious stuff going on in their lives and it isn't just all about the ~love~. Those are things that make it fit less squarely in the genre romance novel box. But it still does the things I want out of a romance novel, which is that it prioritises its characters' emotional experiences and has a happy ending. And honestly I like those other aspects of the book, they make it feel more fully rounded.
The premise! Laurie's boyfriend of 18 years, Dan, leaves her, and she is shocked and heartbroken. Meanwhile their coworker Jamie doesn't believe in commitment but in order to advance in the firm they all work for (they're all lawyers) he needs to show that he can settle down instead of playing the field, in order to fit into the old boys' club. So they agree to pretend to date, so Laurie can get back at Dan for leaving her for another woman, and Jamie can show stability in his personal life.
And it's great and I love so many things about this book: Laurie's complicated relationship with her family, how multiple characters get to have Very Important Best Friendships in their lives and also other friends too and including friends of a different gender than themselves, how clear it is that both Laurie and Jamie thrive in each other's company, the way the prose is fun and easy to read, how unapologetic the book is about Laurie being good at her job but also about showing the real issues with racism and sexism a woman of colour experiences in the field of law, and more.
My issue with the book is the ending. ( Read more... )
