BOOK REVIEW: You Had Me At Hello
I recently picked up a copy of this at my local book shop in anticipation of my holiday back home to Ireland. I had high hopes for it as the cover really stood out on the shelf.
It’s pure chick lit set in Manchester, UK. It tells the story of an ex coming back into the life of a main character.
The book is beautifully written and draws the reader in but the plot was really drawn out, which I didn’t like as I usually can’t put books down but this one I found some parts difficult to read through as it was just really drawn out. I would have enjoyed reading it more if everything had happened sooner. It isn’t a terrible book – It’s enjoyable but didn’t excite me. I don’t know if I would reach for it again or recommend it highly. It’s a nice easy read for a beach day.
I found that the story starts well but then lost me a little while telling the story of how Rachel and Ben actually know each other. One thing Mhairi McFarlane does beautifully though is work the past into the present. I just wish the story had more… eh… story.
Without giving any spoilers away, this book is also really relate-able. Rachel is the kind of person we all know. She does some really stupid things,and makes some tough choices. Towards the end of the book Rachel thinks she won’t get her fairy tale ending, and she’s OK with that… she’s screwed up, and she’s going to make some changes which I found really predictable.
As I mentioned above, if you looking for an easy read by the pool or at the beach, you will probably enjoy this but it is very predictable.