OCTOBER 2019 - AudioFile
Georgina is fired and comes home early to find her boyfriend in bed with someone else. It’s a tired premise, but Madeline Gould is the perfect narrator for what follows—plenty of heart, comedy, and plot twists. Georgina’s angry shouts give way to her witty and easy demeanor after a night out with friends, and Gould gives her a quick pace and an intimate tone among mates. Then, Georgina is offered another job, only to find that the co-owner is her first love. Instead of an awkward reunion, Georgina is shocked to find he doesn’t remember her. Can she find closure with respect to the secret she’s been carrying for years? Dialogue is vivid and passionate, thanks to Gould’s smooth transitions between characters of different genders, ages, and accents. A.L.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
★ 07/22/2019
McFarlane (Who’s That Girl?) strikes romantic comedy gold with this tale of reunited sweethearts who have to grapple with the past. During their last term of high school, popular Georgina Horspool and loner Lucas McCarthy fell in love. They planned to become each other’s first lover after the end-of-year party—but a traumatic event derailed that plan. Twelve years later, Georgina’s life is in a downward spiral. After being publicly fired from a dead-end waitressing job, catching her comedian boyfriend in bed with his assistant, and dealing with her critical family, she gets a job working for Lucas, who shows no signs of recognizing her. This is no standard lost-love-reunited tale; McFarlane builds it into a powerful exploration of grief and the way incomplete information can shape a narrative. As Georgina’s background is carefully revealed, readers will continually revise their ideas of who she is and gain a better understanding of her closest relationships, especially with her father and with Lucas. As a result, the ending, while not unexpected, is deeply satisfying on several levels, and Lucas’s final romantic speech is one for the ages. McFarlane strikes a beautiful balance of tenderness, wry humor, and deep emotion. Agent: Doug Kean, Gunn Media (U.K.). (Sept.)
From the Publisher
McFarlane strikes romantic comedy gold with this tale of reunited sweethearts who have to grapple with the past... deeply satisfying on several levels, and Lucas’s final romantic speech is one for the ages.. a beautiful balance of tenderness, wry humor, and deep emotion.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“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, USA Today bestselling author of The Hating Game and 99 Percent Mine
“I loved this book. It made me laugh and reminded me that anything’s possible in love – and in everything else for that matter.” — Minnie Driver on You Had Me at Hello
“Totally hilarious and wincingly real.” — Jenny Colgan
“Fun and engaging but with thought-provoking twists that deepen the emotional impact beyond light romantic comedy.” — Kirkus Reviews
“I loved this: an original, genuinely funny, genuinely moving, modern love story.”
— Katy Regan, author of Little Big Love
“Very very witty and funny. Left me in awe…a total gem.” — Marian Keyes
“Reading Mhairi McFarlane’s books brings a smile to my face and keeps me fully entertained. She has a knack for creating characters who are real and who feel like someone you might already know.” — Harlequin Junkie
“The funniest, most romantic book I’ve read since One Day.” — Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author of I Found You
“I’ve become a big fan of McFarlane, and I loved this latest.” — Daily Mail
“An effortlessly brilliant read – will have you laughing when you shouldn’t and sobbing when you least expect it.” — Giovanna Fletcher
“McFarlane delivers a novel with heart and humor, comprised of laugh-out-loud one liners, outrageous comedic scenes, and a Nana who deserves a medal for her non-filtered tongue. Meanwhile, she isn’t afraid to explore the grief process as Georgina processes her father’s death, and a mixture of emotions are evoked as Georgina goes on a journey of self-discovery, complete with her hot pink fur coat.” — Booklist
“McFarlane uses Georgina’s voice to explore how humor is used to mask pain as well as to help understand and get through it. Successful as both a romantic comedy and an insightful look into finding one’s voice, this is a story readers will flock to for the laughs and remember for its realness.” — Library Journal
“Bridget Jones, you’ve got some competition.” — Marie Claire
“Mhairi McFarlane’s DON’T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME is hilarious, insightful, and a perfect example of next generation contemporary fiction... it evolves the genre with laugh-out-loud humor and a keen eye on women’s lives in 2019.” — DailyWaffle.com
"A page-turner about a heroine with a laugh-out-loud voice, an endearing romance, and, as the British say, lashings of drama." — NPR
"[T]his rom-com was a true escape! Between all the witty banter and romance, I was both laughing and swooning—I loved this story!" — First for Women
Sally Thorne
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!
Harlequin Junkie
Reading Mhairi McFarlane’s books brings a smile to my face and keeps me fully entertained. She has a knack for creating characters who are real and who feel like someone you might already know.
Jenny Colgan
Totally hilarious and wincingly real.
Minnie Driver on You Had Me at Hello
I loved this book. It made me laugh and reminded me that anything’s possible in love – and in everything else for that matter.
Katy Regan
I loved this: an original, genuinely funny, genuinely moving, modern love story.”
Lisa Jewell
The funniest, most romantic book I’ve read since One Day.
Daily Mail
I’ve become a big fan of McFarlane, and I loved this latest.
Marian Keyes
Very very witty and funny. Left me in awe…a total gem.
Booklist
McFarlane delivers a novel with heart and humor, comprised of laugh-out-loud one liners, outrageous comedic scenes, and a Nana who deserves a medal for her non-filtered tongue. Meanwhile, she isn’t afraid to explore the grief process as Georgina processes her father’s death, and a mixture of emotions are evoked as Georgina goes on a journey of self-discovery, complete with her hot pink fur coat.
DailyWaffle.com
Mhairi McFarlane’s DON’T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME is hilarious, insightful, and a perfect example of next generation contemporary fiction... it evolves the genre with laugh-out-loud humor and a keen eye on women’s lives in 2019.”
Marie Claire
Bridget Jones, you’ve got some competition.
Giovanna Fletcher
An effortlessly brilliant read – will have you laughing when you shouldn’t and sobbing when you least expect it.
First for Women
"[T]his rom-com was a true escape! Between all the witty banter and romance, I was both laughing and swooning—I loved this story!"
NPR
"A page-turner about a heroine with a laugh-out-loud voice, an endearing romance, and, as the British say, lashings of drama."
Booklist
McFarlane delivers a novel with heart and humor, comprised of laugh-out-loud one liners, outrageous comedic scenes, and a Nana who deserves a medal for her non-filtered tongue. Meanwhile, she isn’t afraid to explore the grief process as Georgina processes her father’s death, and a mixture of emotions are evoked as Georgina goes on a journey of self-discovery, complete with her hot pink fur coat.
Daily Mail
I’ve become a big fan of McFarlane, and I loved this latest.
Minnie Driver
I loved this book. It made me laugh and reminded me that anything’s possible in love – and in everything else for that matter.
Library Journal
09/01/2019
After being sacked from her waitressing job at a terrible restaurant, Georgina Horspool heads to her boyfriend's place, where she catches him in the act of cheating. As if things couldn't get worse, she takes a gig as a bartender at a new pub only to discover it's owned by Lucas McCarthy, her first love from when she was a teenager—and he doesn't remember her. Meanwhile, Georgina is still grieving her dad's death, she feels like a disappointment to her mum for not having a more successful career, and she's constantly having to deal with conniving men. Amazingly, Georgina continues to view the world with warmth and humor, which is apparent through her smart, light-hearted, first-person narration. Her interactions with a lovely group of supportive friends add levity to this second-chance romance. VERDICT McFarlane (After Hello) uses Georgina's voice to explore how humor is used to mask pain as well as to help understand and get through it. Successful as both a romantic comedy and an insightful look into finding one's voice, this is a story readers will flock to for the laughs and remember for its realness.—Jenna Friebel, Oak Park P.L., IL
OCTOBER 2019 - AudioFile
Georgina is fired and comes home early to find her boyfriend in bed with someone else. It’s a tired premise, but Madeline Gould is the perfect narrator for what follows—plenty of heart, comedy, and plot twists. Georgina’s angry shouts give way to her witty and easy demeanor after a night out with friends, and Gould gives her a quick pace and an intimate tone among mates. Then, Georgina is offered another job, only to find that the co-owner is her first love. Instead of an awkward reunion, Georgina is shocked to find he doesn’t remember her. Can she find closure with respect to the secret she’s been carrying for years? Dialogue is vivid and passionate, thanks to Gould’s smooth transitions between characters of different genders, ages, and accents. A.L.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
