Oh, I am so completely smitten by Mhairi McFarlane's latest release, Don't You Forget About Me. I need to get my paws on more of her work. One thing is certain, I won't be forgetting Georgina or Lucas any time soon.



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!

You always remember your first love... don’t you?

If there’s anything worse than being fired from the lousiest 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?

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As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher or author in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.

Trigger warning: talk/flashbacks of sexual assault. It's not intensely graphic by any means but it's enough of a moment that I can't not mention it, in case anyone is triggered by anything of the kind. There is also brief mentions of emotional abuse, affairs, the death of a parent, the death of a spouse, sexism and more.

Can I just say that this just might be my favourite adult contemporary/women's fiction release of the year? I can't quite pinpoint when I came to this conclusion, only that Don't You Forget About Me felt very much so like it was written for me and for this exact moment in my life. To say I adored it would be an understatement. Can I just wrap myself back up in this book and read it again for the first time?

Whatever I expected Don't You Forget About Me to be didn't hold a candle to what it was. Ugh. I just can't sing its praises enough? There was this moment where I assumed this novel would venture into more rom-com territory than it did, but it felt quite deeper than that. Don't You Forget About Me is cute in its own right, but it's far more serious than I'd expected it to be. McFarlane creates that perfect balance between fluffy contemporary, romantic comedy and literary fiction.

I connected with our leading lady Georgina quite quickly. An alternate title for the beginning of Don't You Forget About Me might be something along the lines of Georgina and the Terrible, No Good,  Very Bad Day.

We meet her on one of THOSE days. The one where Murphy's law takes us and spins us into some severely bad luck; reminding us not so gently that sometimes everything that can go wrong, will. Not only is she fired from her job (for something she didn't even do!) she finds her boyfriend in bed with someone else.

Thus setting off a series of events that leads Georgina, at thirty years old, to start over again, confront her past and figure out where the heck she is going with her life. Don't You Forget About Me is a different kind of coming of age story. We see it through a lens of then vs. now, primarily focused on the now, and every minute of it is filled with growth. Don't You Forget About Me takes readers on every step of the journey as Georgina finds her place and her voice.

Although her family can be highly frustrating in their judgment, it's obvious that they care for one another when Georgina's brother in law recommends her for a job. Enter, Georgina's very first love and the lasting effect he had on her years when she was a teenager. If there was a feeling of fate in everything that had been happening, this felt like an even stronger nod to it. The only problem? He doesn't seem to remember her.

Their relationship is told primarily in brief flashbacks and it never takes center stage. It's complex in a way that is manageable and not wholly annoying. They have a history and it's toxic, but not by their fault. I felt immensely sad for both of them for different reasons. A lot has changed since the last time they saw each other and there is much to be discovered and asked. Like, do we ever forget our first loves? 

Both Georgina and Lucas have their reasons for how they have acted. I loved getting to know them and figuring out what their connection was, and could be. I found myself rooting for them constantly, because they are both such good people/characters and it's impossible for me to not love them. I felt very close to Georgina and what she'd gone through in the past, the guilt that came with it, and how she processed it--I was so relieved to see her find her voice.

Ultimately, Don't You Forget About Me is a story about love, loss and becoming. Not only is it deeply moving, thought-provoking and sweet at its high points, it is beautifully written and humorous in the most delightful of ways. I am excited to read more from McFarlane in the future.


Sunday Times bestselling author Mhairi McFarlane was born in Scotland and her unnecessarily confusing name is pronounced Vah-Ree. After some efforts at journalism, she started writing novels and her first book, You Had Me At Hello, was an instant success. She’s now written five books and she lives in Nottingham with a man and a cat.

Find out more about Mhairi at her website, and connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.

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