Published by HarperCollins on September 10, 2019
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Women, Coming of Age, Contemporary Romance, Humor, Women's Fiction/Chick Lit
Pages: 432
Format: eBook
Source: Library
“Don’t You Forget About Me is one of those books I couldn’t put down. Crackling with energy and wit, I lost count of how many times I laughed out loud. Mhairi McFarlane’s voice is as clear as a bell—she makes you laugh, but she also makes you feel. I adore her!” — Sally Thorne
Internationally bestselling author Mhairi McFarlane delivers a funny, romantic, heartfelt novel perfect for fans of Josie Silver or Sally Thorne, and anyone who loves Bridget Jones or Fleabag!
You always remember your first love... don’t you?
If there’s anything worse than being fired from the worst restaurant in town, it’s coming home early to find your boyfriend in bed with someone else. Reeling from the humiliation of a double dumping in one day, Georgina takes the next job that comes her way—bartender in a newly opened pub. There’s only one problem: it’s run by the guy she fell in love with years ago. And—make that two problems—he doesn’t remember her. At all. But she has fabulous friends and her signature hot pink fur coat... what more could a girl really need?
Lucas McCarthy has not only grown into a broodingly handsome man, but he’s also turned into an actual grown-up, with a thriving business and a dog along the way. Crossing paths with him again throws Georgina’s rocky present into sharp relief—and brings a secret from her past bubbling to the surface. Only she knows what happened twelve years ago, and why she’s allowed the memories to chase her ever since. But maybe it’s not too late for the truth... or a second chance with the one that got away?
Mhairi McFarlane was a new to me author last year, but I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I will be revisiting her work time and time again. I’m not one to include content warnings, at least not specifics, but be warned there are some heavier scenes/memories that might be uncomfortable for some readers. What we need to do is chat about our amusing female lead, Georgina.
Georgina is a bit of a mess, and I love her all the more for it. She isn’t exactly a take charge gal, and often life happens to her in a series of hysterical, and sometimes tragic, moments. She is one of those characters that is so easy to root for. Georgina’s family is a mess, and honestly a bit irritating, but she has an amazing group of friends (this is chick lit after all) and their support network made me feel warm and fuzzy.
Lucas was a fun wrench to throw in to Georgina’s tumble from not so grace. I can’t share too much about him without spoiling the story a bit so just know that his grumpiness is charming and his brother is a hoot. Georgina’s growth into a well-rounded character was perfectly-paced with just the right amount of angst and hilarity to keep me engaged. Let’s be honest, I didn’t really put it down. I was straight up walking into doors because I didn’t want to stop reading.
Mhairi walks this magical line between the more serious side of Women’s Fiction while also giving us plenty of moments to belly laugh in inopportune times when in public. I don’t think I could overstate how much I loved this book and I am indebted to Suz from the Under the Covers blog for talking about it. Also, I am absolutely thrilled to have an ARC of McFarlane’s next book slated for early next year reading and review (Thank you HarperCollins UK!) Now do yourself a favor and pick up this book. If you enjoyed Rachel Winters’ Would Like to Meet and/or Beth O’Leary’s The Flatshare then I guarantee you will enjoy Don’t You Forget About Me.
