If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane is part fauxmance, part office romance, but the first 100 pages will wreck you. Laurie finds out her long-term boyfriend is just done with the relationship and has already moved on despite the fact that they live together. To make matters worse, they work at the same firm, so the breakup won’t go gently into the good night.
Laurie has to hit rock bottom before she can build herself back up. So to save face, she makes a deal with Jamie Carter, a co-worker who needs to convince the firm he’s partner material, and one part of that is a serious girlfriend.
The core fauxmance is a lot of fun, and helps Laurie get her confidence back. The thing is, If I Never Met You gets distracted, veering off in 12 different directions tying up all of Laurie’s loose ends, with her absentee father and others. It distracts from the core romance, and was a little unnecessary.
If I Never Met You is more of a hybrid contemporary fic and romance. Strict constructionist romance readers may be put off by this one, though it does have an HEA.
CW: Infidelity (and general douchebag behavior)
3.5 stars
If I Never Met You drops Tuesday, March 24 at The Ripped Bodice | Amazon | Apple Books |IndieBound | Bookshop.org
Check out our review of Mhairi McFarlane’s previous release, Don’t You Forget About Me.