[Review] You Had Me at Hello - Mhairi McFarlane

Title of Book : You Had Me at Hello
Author : Mhairi McFarlane
Publisher : Avon

What happens when the one that got away comes back?

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.

From the moment they met they’d been a gang of two; partners in crime and the best of friends. But life has moved on. Ben is married. Rachel is definitely not. In fact, the men in her life make her want to take holy orders…

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.

If you love David Nicholls and Lisa Jewell then this is the book for you. Hilarious, heartbreaking and everything in between, you’ll be hooked from their first ‘hello’.

OMG I need to take a moment before I could write a review of this book. I’ve just realized when I reread the blurb that this book does have a bit of ‘Just One Day’ feels in it. But I realized it after I finished the book. So it didn’t bother me at all when I was reading the book. Besides, I haven’t read Just One Day but I did watch the movie.

If I’m allowed to summarize You Had Me at Hello in one song, it would be The One That Got Away by Katy Perry. That’s the closest thing to this book I guess. Anyway, this book is about two best friends, Ben and Rachel. They first met in college and become good buddies afterward. Several years later, they’ve graduated and somehow they became separated. Rachel was engaged until one day her fiancée and she argued and she broke the engagement. In her vulnerability, her friend said that Ben is back to town and the old sparks in her become alive again. This book is written from Rachel’s point of view so we know from the beginning that she has feelings for Ben. But, does Ben have the same feeling for her?

At first, I thought this book will be just another cliché fluffy contemporary. Guess what? I was wrong ladies and gentlemen. In those types of book which I mentioned earlier, you know what would happen next and they probably have happily ever after ending. With this book, I wasn’t able to predict the next event and I like that. I was on an emotional roller coaster ride with this book.  

The theme that’s explored in this book is relatable. I’m pretty sure most people have experienced this. Some of you must have ‘the one that got away’ and this makes a plus point for the book. It can make us have a connection with the characters on a personal level. As for the ending, some people might not like how it ends. But for me, I’m satisfied with it. After all of the ups and downs in this book, the ending wraps up the story really well.

In the end, I give this book four out of five. This is a good book for adult contemporary or chick lit fans. Oh, and this book is book of the month of June for Chick Lit Book Club. There’s a discussion post and questions for this book. I don’t usually check my Goodreads group’s page so I wasn’t able to answer the questions along the way when I was reading. If you’ve read this book, you’re welcomed to discuss it with me in the comment below.

‘Isn’t it weird how we make big decision in life based on the strangest, most random things? ’’Like, maybe if your mum had put Batman on we wouldn’t be sat here right now.’