Stevie‘s review of You Had Me At Hello by Mhairi McFarlane
Contemporary Women’s Fiction published by Avon 25 Feb 14
This book has lots in it to like: it’s set in Manchester and written by a British author – so she ought to know her stuff; it features a diverse, mixed group of friends who’ve known each other since university; and the main theme is one of ‘the road not taken.’ Unfortunately the central protagonists never quite clicked for me, and their alternative love-interests are so awful as to make me doubt whether the pair were too emotionally masochistic for a relationship to last, if they ever did manage to get together.
Thirty-something Rachel has been with her boyfriend, Rhys, since before she went to university. They’re busy planning their wedding when yet another row blows up over a minor aspect of the celebration, and she realises that not only does she not want to get married, she doesn’t want to be with Rhys anymore either. Fortunately her three best friends since university are all still living in Manchester too, and they support her, find a place for her to stay while she decides what to do with her life, and encourage her to get out and meet other people.
Over the course of a series of bad dates, Rachel runs into her other best friend from university, Ben: now married and recently back in Manchester following a promotion. They try to pick up their friendship where they left it, but are hampered by memories of the disastrous events following graduation, when Rachel had temporarily broken up with Rhys. Rachel and Ben ended up in bed, but there was a Big Misunderstanding the next day, and Ben went abroad for the summer, leaving Rachel to cut her losses and go back to Rhys.
The book has a subplot revolving around Rachel’s work for a local newspaper, in which the new journalist she’s mentoring turns out to be not quite as she appears, while Rachel’s long-term rival also has surprises for her. Unfortunately that aspect of the story hinges on some rather unwise (to put it mildly) decisions from Rachel, and I’m quite surprised the consequences for her weren’t more severe. There’s also some subtle homophobia in at least one conversation between Rachel’s friends as part of another subplot – and that really makes me cringe.
Overall, this story has potential that it doesn’t quite achieve. It’s a first novel, though, and I’m always looking out for new British authors writing humour, so I may give other books by this author a try at some point.
Grade: C
Summary:
What happens when the one that got away comes back? Find out in this sparkling debut from Mhairi McFarlane.
‘Think of the great duos of history. We’re just like them.’
‘You mean like Kylie and Jason? Torvill and Dean? Sonny and Cher?’
‘I think you’ve missed the point, Rachel.’Rachel and Ben. Ben and Rachel. It was them against the world. Until it all fell apart. It’s been a decade since they last spoke, but when Rachel bumps into Ben one rainy day, the years melt away.
They’d been partners in crime and the best of friends. But life has moved on: Ben is married. Rachel is not. Yet in that split second, Rachel feels the old friendship return. And along with it, the broken heart she’s never been able to mend.
Hilarious, heartbreaking and everything in between, you’ll be hooked from their first ‘hello’.
No excerpt found.
