Book Description 

If faking love is this easy… how do you know when it’s real?

When her partner of over a decade suddenly ends things, Laurie is left reeling—not only because they work at the same law firm and she has to see him every day. Her once perfect life is in shambles and the thought of dating again in the age of Tinder is nothing short of horrifying. When news of her ex’s pregnant girlfriend hits the office grapevine, taking the humiliation lying down is not an option. Then a chance encounter in a broken-down elevator with the office playboy opens up a new possibility.

Jamie Carter doesn’t believe in love, but he needs a respectable, steady girlfriend to impress their bosses. Laurie wants a hot new man to give the rumor mill something else to talk about. It’s the perfect proposition: a fauxmance played out on social media, with strategically staged photographs and a specific end date in mind. With the plan hatched, Laurie and Jamie begin to flaunt their new couple status, to the astonishment—and jealousy—of their friends and colleagues. But there’s a fine line between pretending to be in love and actually falling for your charming, handsome fake boyfriend…

My Review 

It’s impossible not to root for Laurie after her partner breaks up with her after a decade. Much of the novel focuses on Laurie; this is compounded by the single perspective narrative, which further cements that the priority is not on the relationship but rather on Laurie moving forward with her life after experiencing a shocking betrayal.  

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes because the parties involved insist that they’re going to keep things strictly professional and they are absolutely not going to catch feelings for each other. And of course, they always catch feelings. 

I would absolutely recommend If I Never Met You. This is a romcom but it’s a different sort of romcom. It’s a very thoughtful book, and McFarlane is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. 

I received a digital ARC of this book from HarperCollins/NetGalley.