Mhairi McFarlane’s ‘If I Never Met You’ — A Tale of Wit, Romance and Work Place Politics
But most of all, Jamie and Laurie remind us this: you never really have it all figured out, no matter how old you are.
The first time I ever read a book by Mhairi McFarlane, I gave up in ten minutes. Yes, I put Don’t You Forget About Me back on my never-ending, slightly terrifying stack of to-be-read (eventually) books. It took me a few pages to realize I didn’t mesh with the style of her writing.
But, never one to back down from finishing a book, I picked it up again a few weeks later. It was like some invisible magic had occurred, because this time I not only devoured McFarlane’s peculiar writing style — but (now) proudly claim it as one of my favorites.
Here’s the thing about her writing style, it’s a wildly satisfying combination of humor, wit and swoony-worthy romance. Readers are dropped so closely into her character’s lives, it’s impossible to not feel deeply for them or alongside them as their stories are told.
This is all to say, when my hold for “If I Never Met You” came through at the library, I was beyond ecstatic. How could anyone not be, with this sentence starting off the book summary:
If faking love is this easy… how do you know when it’s real?
The Down-Low
Laurie Watkinson is 36 years old and her life is curated around the following pillars: she is a lawyer, she’s had the same boyfriend (Dan Price) for 18 years, and she has a semi-stable relationship with both of her parents, more her mom than dad. Everything is perfect, until it isn’t.
In one tumultuous, if not heartbreaking sweep — Dan has decided to leave Laurie, and she soon finds out that she doesn’t know how to be herself without her counterpart. It doesn’t help that they both work at the same firm, or that he’s gone and gotten another woman pregnant. Now she not only has to figure out who she is without him, but also has to deal with the sexist office politics in the wake of his decision.
Enter Jamie Carter — a lawyer at the same firm who should not be trusted around good women like Laurie . He’s gunning to be taken seriously, in hopes of making partner. Laurie’s dying to get everyone at work off her back, to stop reminding her of the heartbreak she can’t seem to escape.
The solution? A fake dating scheme fit with social media antics for plausibility, of course.
The romance might be characterized by some as predictable, but really, that’s the beauty of the fake dating genre. On the surface level, it’s an end to a means, but beneath that there is real heart, real love, and real emotions.
McFarlane’s shining beacon as a writer is her knack for heart-wrenching lines and emotions that are so plausible, readers feel like they’re invoked in their own bodies. It’s no different in this book. The whirlwind romance is a cover for many things: bad relationships, reputations, and more. But most of all, Jamie and Laurie remind us that you never really have it all figured out, no matter how old you are.
The Verdict
Ultimately, this book is enjoyable, and I loved reading about Laurie’s journey in particular. As expected, she flounders after Dan leaves her, like a fish without water. But slowly, she comes to her own, and it’s admirable to watch her realize she is more than Dan’s Laurie.
But, there was a lot of layers to the book, both in terms of what is going on with each of the characters and outlying themes. There are mentions of pedophilia and terminal illness, and at times, the book does get dark even with McFarlane’s humorous wit guiding it.
It’s because of this that I felt like Jamie and Laurie’s relationship wasn’t developed enough. They went form 0 to 100 too quick, and by the end, it seems all happy ever after, but it leaves the reader wondering how they got there. It happens in the blink of an eye.
Another aspect of this book that made me wary (and give it 4 stars instead of 5) is that McFarlane is a white woman writing about a half-Black woman. There’s a clear question of authenticity here. Some of the race problems that Laurie encounters in the book link back to the question of her own identity, but often they seem like surface level mentions of perceived racism. I remember one particular moment when Laurie talks about her natural hair, and I wondered: How did McFarlane ensure she was being authentic here?
With these notes in mind, though, I did enjoy this book. I loved the story and wish it did go more into depth, but McFarlane still covets her spot on my list of most admired authors. Her characters are consistently full of heart, and that’s something that sticks with you long after you close the book.
