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Don't You Forget About Me
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Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to rise again…
The hilarious new heartbreaker from Mhairi McFarlane!
If there’s one thing worse than being fired from the grottiest restaurant in town, it’s coming home early to find your boyfriend in bed with someone else.
Reeling from the indignity of a double dumping on the same day, Georgina snatches at the next job that she’s offered ...more
The hilarious new heartbreaker from Mhairi McFarlane!
If there’s one thing worse than being fired from the grottiest restaurant in town, it’s coming home early to find your boyfriend in bed with someone else.
Reeling from the indignity of a double dumping on the same day, Georgina snatches at the next job that she’s offered ...more
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Kindle Edition, 433 pages
Published
January 1st 2019
by HarperCollins
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Three jump to four, three jump to four, three jump okay stop procrastinating and make decision God dammit, my finally decision is rounded up FOUR STARS! Click! Click! Click ( Taking the selfie of my determined and decisive face)
Who isn’t a serious fan of 80’s greatest “Brat Pack” movies? When Judd Nelson’s bad boy character named John Bender punches the air, you may hear the blaring song in your head and start singing Simple Minds’ classic “Don’t You Forget About Me”! That was how I felt when I ...more
Who isn’t a serious fan of 80’s greatest “Brat Pack” movies? When Judd Nelson’s bad boy character named John Bender punches the air, you may hear the blaring song in your head and start singing Simple Minds’ classic “Don’t You Forget About Me”! That was how I felt when I ...more

I have one problem with Mhairi McFarlane’s books; I inhale them. Every single time I sit down to read one I think to myself, ‘savour it Beverley, because once it’s finished, that’s it’, and every single time I devour it in a matter of hours. Don’t You Forget About Me is no exception, I couldn’t put it down and was fully absorbed in the world of Georgina.
If you haven’t read a Mhairi McFarlane book before then you really should remedy that pretty quickly. Her books are witty, sharp, precise and fe ...more
If you haven’t read a Mhairi McFarlane book before then you really should remedy that pretty quickly. Her books are witty, sharp, precise and fe ...more

this author has a very distinct voice which worked well when i read her 2020 release, less so for this one. this one felt a little too chaotic for my taste. and i’m not loving the trend of horribly manipulative and abusive exes. not that it isn’t realistic, but it’s an interesting move to have 2 books in a row with a similarly specific kind of conflict.

DNF at 46%.
This isn't bad, it just wasn't what I was hoping for (I wanted romance; this is more literary fiction) and I don't want to finish it only because I feel obligated to review it for Netgalley. I know it'll only be a three star book, and a quite forgettable one at that. ...more
This isn't bad, it just wasn't what I was hoping for (I wanted romance; this is more literary fiction) and I don't want to finish it only because I feel obligated to review it for Netgalley. I know it'll only be a three star book, and a quite forgettable one at that. ...more

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
4.5 Stars
HAPPY GALENTINE’S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You know . . . .
So I know what you’re thinking. A day for the ladies and you pick a romance book? From the cover and description you might think this is your average romance – or an homage to The Breakfast Club, but that would be selling this soooooooooooooooo short. Yes, Georgina and Lucas eventually got their happilyever after for now, but I ain’t kidding when I say eventually
...more
4.5 Stars
HAPPY GALENTINE’S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You know . . . .

So I know what you’re thinking. A day for the ladies and you pick a romance book? From the cover and description you might think this is your average romance – or an homage to The Breakfast Club, but that would be selling this soooooooooooooooo short. Yes, Georgina and Lucas eventually got their happily

4 stars
Don’t You Forget About Me is my first Mhairi McFarlane book and I’ll for sure be checking out more. This had a great romantic aspect, but it was more of a contemporary/chick lit story where the romance wasn’t at the forefront.
Georgina is such a refreshing and likable character. She’s not where she thought she would be in her early thirties, but even though her life isn’t as planned, she tries to make the best of it. She’s ...more

You always remember your first love. Don’t you?
Don’t You Forget About Me is my first Mhairi McFarlane book and I’ll for sure be checking out more. This had a great romantic aspect, but it was more of a contemporary/chick lit story where the romance wasn’t at the forefront.
Georgina is such a refreshing and likable character. She’s not where she thought she would be in her early thirties, but even though her life isn’t as planned, she tries to make the best of it. She’s ...more

Sale alert! Grab this for cheap while you can.
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It doesn't matter if you take wrong turns. Arriving somewhere you want to be, in the end, is what counts.
I've been wanting to read this since a friend (hi AR!) five starred this many moons (okay, it was like February) ago. It took me until this past weekend to pick it up and, sadly, only because I was meeting her at a signing.
"Don't have a go at me, I'm trying to play peacemaker."
"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the ...more
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It doesn't matter if you take wrong turns. Arriving somewhere you want to be, in the end, is what counts.
I've been wanting to read this since a friend (hi AR!) five starred this many moons (okay, it was like February) ago. It took me until this past weekend to pick it up and, sadly, only because I was meeting her at a signing.
"Don't have a go at me, I'm trying to play peacemaker."
"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the ...more

I LOVED this novel. From chapter one, I was chuckling. I loved Georgina, who is fired from a job at a terrible restaurant despite doing nothing wrong. Looking for solace, she stops at her boyfriend’s house, only to discover him in bed with his assistant. Scrambling to be able to pay rent, she lands a job as a bartender, only to learn that it is half owned by the boy she fell in love with in high school. She’s had no contact whatsoever with Luke in the 12 years since graduation because of a misun
...more

Georgina has a rough day. I mean ROUGH. She loses her job and comes home to find her boyfriend cheating.
She finds a new job as a bartender in a pub, but it’s run by a guy, Lucas, from her past. The worst part? He doesn’t even remember her.
Maybe Georgina and Lucas have a chance together? Because wouldn’t that be the best kind of kismet?
Don’t You Forget About Me is sooooo much fun. It’s zany, smart, and edgy, and I loved Georgina. I could imagine this whole thing as an 80s movie, and I loved tho ...more
She finds a new job as a bartender in a pub, but it’s run by a guy, Lucas, from her past. The worst part? He doesn’t even remember her.
Maybe Georgina and Lucas have a chance together? Because wouldn’t that be the best kind of kismet?
Don’t You Forget About Me is sooooo much fun. It’s zany, smart, and edgy, and I loved Georgina. I could imagine this whole thing as an 80s movie, and I loved tho ...more

Warning: Quote with cussing ahead.
“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”’
Kitty looks dumbstruck and I briefly flatter myself I might get the queen of social media into classic literature.
‘Whatever ARSEHOLES are made of they have the same arsehole??!’
I am never ever going to look at Wuthering Heights the same way again. ...more
“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”’
Kitty looks dumbstruck and I briefly flatter myself I might get the queen of social media into classic literature.
‘Whatever ARSEHOLES are made of they have the same arsehole??!’
I am never ever going to look at Wuthering Heights the same way again. ...more


Story 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Lucas and Georgina had a wonderful, secret relationship when they were teens.
Until on prom night everything went wrong and they never spoke again.
Twelve years later Georgina works in a shitty restaurant and gets fired, so a restaurant critic is forced to give them a better rating than they deserve.
With much luck she gets another one night job that turns out to be wonderful.
The owner offers her a job and she is head over heals to agree. But then then Georgina sees her long lost love ...more

Lemme tell you my story before you throw stones.

This is a fun story but it's not what I would categorize as a romance. It's chick lit. Chick lit that reminds me a lot of Bridget Jones's Diary only Georgina is probably wiser than Bridget.
They both get into wacky situations regularly, they're both British and they both have a core circle of friends that stick by them through thick and thin.
I actually really like Georgina and empathized with her familial trials and tribulations. She's a generous fr ...more

This is a fun story but it's not what I would categorize as a romance. It's chick lit. Chick lit that reminds me a lot of Bridget Jones's Diary only Georgina is probably wiser than Bridget.
They both get into wacky situations regularly, they're both British and they both have a core circle of friends that stick by them through thick and thin.
I actually really like Georgina and empathized with her familial trials and tribulations. She's a generous fr ...more

This is noooot a romance book! Whoever decided to sell this as a second chance romance is dead to meeeeee
*there will be spoilers aplenty below, so if you're interested in reading this baby spoiler-free, maybe don't read*
tw/cw: on-page sexual assault, rape, stalking, harassment, emotional abuse, gaslighting, death of a parent (I think that is most of them, but please let me know if I've missed any)
I was expecting a cute "teens once in love get a second chance 10 years later kind of story" technic ...more
*there will be spoilers aplenty below, so if you're interested in reading this baby spoiler-free, maybe don't read*
tw/cw: on-page sexual assault, rape, stalking, harassment, emotional abuse, gaslighting, death of a parent (I think that is most of them, but please let me know if I've missed any)
I was expecting a cute "teens once in love get a second chance 10 years later kind of story" technic ...more

I'm eighteen years old again, and Lucas McCarthy is staring across a room, eyes penetrating, expression unreadable.
Am I writing this while blasting In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel? Why, yes. Yes, I am. (Long live John Cusack).
This was seriously so brilliant. One of the best "romances" I've ever read, but I really wouldn't even call it a romance because the romance, in and of itself, is not what made it so phenomenal (though this was to die for as well). Don't You Forget About Me is such a lov ...more

Man I loved this book. It's firmly chick-lit, so the romance is only a single facet of Georgina becoming herself. And I was totally down with that. McFarlane does her steady good work with the characters, and particularly with the friends and family. And the humor! Please, read my highlights and enjoy those I could encapsulate enough to share.
And I loved how well the eventual reveal worked, because she only holds back enough details so that we get the full effect when the others find out but the ...more
And I loved how well the eventual reveal worked, because she only holds back enough details so that we get the full effect when the others find out but the ...more

In my real life, I cry from laughing a lot. It's only happened from a book once, and it was this book. A line about an inflatable airplane slide did it, and when I tried to read it to my husband, it took several minutes of wheezing to get it out. For that alone, this book was an instant five stars for me, but as I've come to expect, the emotional weight, angst, sweetness, wisdom of Mhairi McFarlane's writing sealed the deal over and over again.
Trigger warning: (view spoiler) ...more
Trigger warning: (view spoiler) ...more

Big emotional read, I loved this novel. The ending, especially, was swooning. The story was gripping, Georgina’s journey on self awareness inspiring, and the romance just so sweet and cute and coated in that first-love magic Mhairi can recreate so well. She is one of my favorite writers.
Still, as it seems to be the case with many of my favorite romcom authors lately, this book was littered with serious, sad, and dramatic subplots. And it’s not the first time Mhairi touches more grave topics, but ...more
Still, as it seems to be the case with many of my favorite romcom authors lately, this book was littered with serious, sad, and dramatic subplots. And it’s not the first time Mhairi touches more grave topics, but ...more

4.5 stars
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
He chewed his pen and gave me a guarded smile. Something and everything had changed. I didn’t know yet that small moments can be incredibly large.
Don't You Forget About Me is a moving standalone that I would consider women's fiction with about 15% that could be considered romance. Told completely from Georgina's point of view, we're introduced to he ...more
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
He chewed his pen and gave me a guarded smile. Something and everything had changed. I didn’t know yet that small moments can be incredibly large.
Don't You Forget About Me is a moving standalone that I would consider women's fiction with about 15% that could be considered romance. Told completely from Georgina's point of view, we're introduced to he ...more

Between that cover and the synopsis, I was expecting a fairly fluffy romance. Let me tell you right now, this is not that at all.
I might have liked Georgina if the story would have been about her. Instead there’s eleventy billion characters and plot directions and I found myself skimming through anything that wasn’t her and Lucas. As for Lucas, I didn’t feel like we actually learned anything about him.
Plot wise, it’s a mess. The writing was all over the place and I never felt settled. I will s ...more
I might have liked Georgina if the story would have been about her. Instead there’s eleventy billion characters and plot directions and I found myself skimming through anything that wasn’t her and Lucas. As for Lucas, I didn’t feel like we actually learned anything about him.
Plot wise, it’s a mess. The writing was all over the place and I never felt settled. I will s ...more

I don't know what he's thinking. I look forward to finding out.
CWs: harassment (sexual and otherwise), past sexual assault (described)
Galley provided by publisher
As ever, here I am, having rated a book 5 stars, asking myself the biggest question: just how do you review a book that has just ripped your heart right out and then stitched it back into place? This, of course, may seem like an overexaggeration, but it's not. I'm sat in the kitchen of my flat having just gone through a rollercoaste ...more

This story is about Georgina who ends up being a barmaid at at a newly open pub. When she accepted the job she didnt know she would be running into the boy she fell in love with when she was In school.
I really thought I was going to read a romance but this didnt have that much of it. I felt like there was a lot of things going on with all the characters but still felt like it was all of the place. I just felt like this read wasnt for me. Thanks Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for an ...more
I really thought I was going to read a romance but this didnt have that much of it. I felt like there was a lot of things going on with all the characters but still felt like it was all of the place. I just felt like this read wasnt for me. Thanks Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for an ...more

For me - personally - subjectively - this was the ideal book. It was funny. And it had so much growth. So much feeling. It was hugely romantic without being a romance. And the way George seized her power was intoxicating.
I mean, it’s the same old story, isn’t it? Downtrodden girl becomes ever-more downtrodden as life kicks her while she’s down. Job loss. Boyfriend loss. And then she’s confronted with her old love, and he’s kind of a shit about it.
And you read about “strong” heroines. I think t ...more
I mean, it’s the same old story, isn’t it? Downtrodden girl becomes ever-more downtrodden as life kicks her while she’s down. Job loss. Boyfriend loss. And then she’s confronted with her old love, and he’s kind of a shit about it.
And you read about “strong” heroines. I think t ...more

4.5 stars. I don’t read hetero novels very often. It takes a rare mood, and just as importantly, a recommendation from a well-aligned friend.
I’m hugely enjoying something I didn’t expect to enjoy whatsoever, so the sense of enjoyment is potent—two and half times the strength of a scheduled pleasure.
Honestly, I can’t even say I was armed with that right mood when I cracked this one open. But I’d requested the ARC after said recommendation, and I figured what the hey. The pub date wasn’t for a whi ...more
I’m hugely enjoying something I didn’t expect to enjoy whatsoever, so the sense of enjoyment is potent—two and half times the strength of a scheduled pleasure.
Honestly, I can’t even say I was armed with that right mood when I cracked this one open. But I’d requested the ARC after said recommendation, and I figured what the hey. The pub date wasn’t for a whi ...more

MY RATING: 3/5 STARS
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.
This is my first novel by Mhairi McFarlane and it won't be my last. She's been recommended to me a lot after I asked a lot of people who their favourite romantic comedy author was besides my queen Sophie Kinsella. However, it was only until I received an ARC that really pushed me into actually reading her stories.
Don't You Forget About Me follows the story of Georgina who used to work as a server in one he ...more
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.
This is my first novel by Mhairi McFarlane and it won't be my last. She's been recommended to me a lot after I asked a lot of people who their favourite romantic comedy author was besides my queen Sophie Kinsella. However, it was only until I received an ARC that really pushed me into actually reading her stories.
Don't You Forget About Me follows the story of Georgina who used to work as a server in one he ...more

When I read Mhairi McFarlane’s latest novel Don’t You Forget About Me, I expected to enjoy it. The premise sounded adorably like just the sort of contemporary rom-com I love. The book is that but it’s honestly so much more. One of the best books I have read this year! When I started looking into whether I wanted to read it, I found hundreds of reviewers who are huge fans of McFarlane and her previous books. Now I already went back and purchased two others. I can’t believe I hadn’t read anything
...more

I don't know if the author or the publisher or even the editor is aware that the word g*py is a slur and shouldn't be used as a casual descriptor for a character but now you do. I would advise y'all to take it out ASAP.
...more

“The word loss had a new meaning, or its meaning became clear: a person who loved me, in a completely unique and irreplaceable way, had vanished and took with him our relationship.”
God, this book gutted me in the best way. Do you know these kind of stories that make your heart feel full? When you root for a character so hard you get this urge to hug someone because hugging the character is not possible? That’s how I felt about Georgina. I wanted this girl to succeed so badly! This was a second c ...more
God, this book gutted me in the best way. Do you know these kind of stories that make your heart feel full? When you root for a character so hard you get this urge to hug someone because hugging the character is not possible? That’s how I felt about Georgina. I wanted this girl to succeed so badly! This was a second c ...more

The only problem I always have with Mhairi McFarlane books is that I can´t get myself to read them slowly. I devour them and always have to wait two years until the next one.
I absolutely loved this story, its as always entertaining, fluffy, feel-good and just perfect. I definitely recommend it, this might be her best story yet.
I absolutely loved this story, its as always entertaining, fluffy, feel-good and just perfect. I definitely recommend it, this might be her best story yet.
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“Here’s what life has taught me so far: don’t worry about that thing you’re worrying about. Chances are, it’ll be obliterated by something you didn’t anticipate that’s a million times worse.”
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“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”
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