Don’t You Forget About Me audiobook

Three jump to four, three jump to four, three jump okay stop procrastinating and make decision God dammit, my finally decision is rounded up FOUR STARS! Click! Click! Click ( Taking the selfie of my determined and decisive face) Who isn’t a serious fan of 80’s greatest “Brat Pack” movies? When Judd Nelson’s bad boy character named John Bender punches the air, you may hear the blaring song in your head and start singing Simple Minds’ classic “Don’t You Forget About Me”! That was how I felt when I grip the book into my hands and accompanied by this motivational and inspirational but definitely not rational mood, I start to read it.THE THINGS I LOVED MOST: Brilliant Scottish sense of humor and smart writing skills of the author! ( I want to send friend request to her brain and start to talk with her like Steve Martin’s character at” The Man with two brains” has done!) Slamming poetry parts (which reminded me of Amazon’s Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s best stand up performances) The evaluation of Georgina! She learns to face the struggles with her past and solves her issues with her family. The motivational message of the book: Just make peace with yourself, learn to love your faults and mistakes and move on!!! BUT THE THINGS PUSHED ME SO HARD TO GIVE THREE STARS( I didn’t but I was about to) HERO: Lucas!!!He got on my nerves! From the beginning his lack of attention, his behavior around Georgina made me angry! Because as soon as I read the first part of the book, I started to think they made for each other but then some unexpected thing broke them apart. I didn’t like Lucas’ attitude as if he didn’t even know her before. Come on! After 13 years you cannot completely forget the person you kissed and felt something before. If you forget there is two explanations: 1)YOU’RE REAL DOUCHEBAG ( that’s mostly what I thought for the hero) 2) YOU MUST SUFFER FROM AMNESIA!( Nope, he was not a Memento man!)LACK OF ROMANCE PARTS:There are too many characters on this book. I enjoyed the best friends surrounded around Georgina who reminded me of Bridget Jones’ ultra-modern version of gang! And the troubled family members are also okay and entertaining. But the focus on their stories affect the balance of the romance parts.( Till the end, we never see any close encounter or any big angsty revelations between the characters) But I still enjoyed the funny and sarcastic tone of writing( I laughed so much aloud at the Italian restaurant parts, my neighbors came to check on me and made sure I was not choking when my husband just shrugged and explained them that was my regular “donkey toned laugh”) and Lucas’ last proposition speech soften me! I no longer hold a grudge against him.I love the ending put a silly smile on my face! I’m a hopeless, idiotic romantic who feels delightful as soon as the characters find their HEAs! So yes, this is my first book of the author! I hope to read more of her novels. I end up with the amazing song’s lyrics: “Will you call my name? As you walk on by”I dropped the mic and Nilufer has left the building!Special thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARCCOPY in exchange my honest review!bloginstagramfacebooktwitter

I have one problem with Mhairi McFarlane’s books; I inhale them. Every single time I sit down to read one I think to myself, ‘savour it Beverley, because once it’s finished, that’s it’, and every single time I devour it in a matter of hours. Don’t You Forget About Me is no exception, I couldn’t put it down and was fully absorbed in the world of Georgina.If you haven’t read a Mhairi McFarlane book before then you really should remedy that pretty quickly. Her books are witty, sharp, precise and feel like you are falling head first into a really excellent romcom, like the ones Matthew McConaughey used to make before he became boring a serious actor.Georgina is working at a quite dire Italian restaurant in Sheffield when she is unceremoniously and publicly sacked. To rub salt in the wound she then finds her boyfriend in bed with another woman. He didn’t think they were exclusive you see, even though they had been in a relationship for the previous 6 months. Her brother in law wangles her a job at a newly refurbished pub owned by one of his clients. Under strict instructions from her sister not to mess it up like she does everything else in her life she is stunned to discover that the owner is Lucas, her first love. The problem? He doesn’t remember her. Awkward. Georgina is a wonderful protagonist who is faced with adversity in the form of a family who love her but don’t seem to like her very much at times. She feels like a failure, is unsure what to do with her life and is regularly reminded that now she is thirty that she should be married and putting her womb to good use. Add to that an ex who is a gaslighting cheater and a flatmate who communicates in passive aggressive notes accusing Georgina of teabag theft and other minor misdemeanours and things are a bit rubbish for the lovely Georgina. She keeps her head up though and surrounds herself with family in the form of friends who really get her and she shows how it is possible to rise to the top, even when others want to pull you down.Mhairi McFarlane manages to write sparky, strong characters and romance without it being the least bit schmaltzy. In fact, if you think this is a book about boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy tries very hard to get girl back then you’d be wrong. Yes it’s about romance, but it is also about not ignoring those red flags in a relationship, complicated families, turning thirty and not knowing what on earth you want to do with your life and the joy of really, really excellent friendships. It is a thoroughly modern book which fizzes with anger at toxic relationships and the treatment of women at the hands of men. Wrapped up amongst the laughs and the love is a serious tale of insidious behaviour and cruelty and yes I laughed, but I also did big snotty, ugly crying too. Now, what on earth do I do until Mhairi McFarlane’s next book? You see, I knew I shouldn’t have gobbled it up. 🙈https://beverleyhasread.wordpress.com/

E-book is on sale for $1.99! Posted July 3/21)Georgina and Lucas were in love as teens. Alas, Georgina succumbed to peer pressure and messed things up, but she also endured a terrible trauma while succumbing to that very same peer pressure incident that ultimately kept Lucas and Georgina apart for more than a decade.Twelve years later, the Fates inexplicably throw Lucas and Georgina back together again, and while Lucas appears to have completely forgotten about Georgina, she has never forgotten a minute of their time together.Georgina allowed one awful event in her youth to steal away her self-confidence and ambition. Almost ten years later, I loved watching Georgina overcome her own personal demons and reopen a few doors, taking back her creativity and writing away her pain. At one point, you suspect there won't be the usual spectacular Mhairi McFarlane happy ending. I try to self-soothe and talk myself down from imminent disappointment: okay, don't make a fuss: I'm fine with all of the changes Georgina had made in her life. That would have been enough for me, but "Oh Me (or Yee) of Little Faith!" - this author never leaves you pining! I loved this line: "This time, we're not blank sheets of paper, we're grown-ups who've written who we are, who we've decided who we want to be." AND I loved the sniffle inducing line that followed this wise declaration, but no spoilers here!This was just a great read with a lovely cast of oddball characters. Another enjoyable day in McFarlane-land! Do yourself a favour and read this lovely novel - you won't be disappointed!(July 3/21: I just got an alert that this ebook is on sale for $1.99 this week. I grabbed the deal even though I have it in paperback. Great for the cottage when your car is already overloaded with unnecessary items like food, clothes, bedding and every flotation device your family owns!!!)

4 stars You always remember your first love. Don’t you? Don’t You Forget About Me is my first Mhairi McFarlane book and I’ll for sure be checking out more. This had a great romantic aspect, but it was more of a contemporary/chick lit story where the romance wasn’t at the forefront. 

Georgina is such a refreshing and likable character. She’s not where she thought she would be in her early thirties, but even though her life isn’t as planned, she tries to make the best of it. She’s starting a new job after losing a job and a bad breakup, and the last thing she expects is to see her high school flame as one of the business owners. Georgina was head over heels over Lucas but things ended in not the best way… she’s not sure how to cope with the fact that Lucas doesn’t seem to remember her. It’s awkward at best. Georgina goes through so much and she always brings humor and fun to every situation. I loved watching her grow as the book progressed. I also loved Lucas by the end, even though I was weary of him early on. I laughed so hard in this book, but there were also moments towards the end that brought me to tears. Overall, I enjoyed this audiobook so much. I’m looking forward to more from this author.

I LOVED this novel. From chapter one, I was chuckling. I loved Georgina, who is fired from a job at a terrible restaurant despite doing nothing wrong. Looking for solace, she stops at her boyfriend’s house, only to discover him in bed with his assistant. Scrambling to be able to pay rent, she lands a job as a bartender, only to learn that it is half owned by the boy she fell in love with in high school. She’s had no contact whatsoever with Luke in the 12 years since graduation because of a misunderstanding, and he’s only become sexier with time. Georgina is not a stumbling Bridget Jones’-type character. She’s competent, but events in her life have derailed her college education and her confidence in herself. As events from her past haunt her and the guy she just broke up with continues to harass her, it’s wonderful to see her evolve and grow. She does this in part with the help of her friends, who are all empowering in a fun (that is, you don’t feel it’s overtly political) way. About how when our parents or ex-boyfriends don’t care for us the way we should be cared for, we, counterintuitively, don’t always take care of ourselves the way we should. Getting back at them through self-neglect (not a great strategy, in case that’s unclear). Highly recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley for the sneak preview to this book, which RELEASES SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 in the United States.

Georgina has a rough day. I mean ROUGH. She loses her job and comes home to find her boyfriend cheating. She finds a new job as a bartender in a pub, but it’s run by a guy, Lucas, from her past. The worst part? He doesn’t even remember her. Maybe Georgina and Lucas have a chance together? Because wouldn’t that be the best kind of kismet?Don’t You Forget About Me is sooooo much fun. It’s zany, smart, and edgy, and I loved Georgina. I could imagine this whole thing as an 80s movie, and I loved those campy things. Overall, Don’t You Forget About Me isn’t listed as a rom com, but it should be. It made me giggle out loud, and Georginia’s such a clever character I couldn’t help but love her.I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com

Story 🌟🌟🌟🌟Lucas and Georgina had a wonderful, secret relationship when they were teens. Until on prom night everything went wrong and they never spoke again. Twelve years later Georgina works in a shitty restaurant and gets fired, so a restaurant critic is forced to give them a better rating than they deserve. With much luck she gets another one night job that turns out to be wonderful. The owner offers her a job and she is head over heals to agree. But then then Georgina sees her long lost love Lucas again. Who happens to be the owners brother. And the manager. But he does not remember her. Ah, that was... interesting. It was entertaining sometimes, but sometimes it had too much details, too much description and information we didn’t need for the plot. But still it was a really cute and important story that shows you that it doesn’t matter how old you are, you can always find your way. Also what happened when Georgina was young is so important. It was so heartbreaking and awful, but still so so true. Character 🌟🌟🌟🌟Georgina was this plane crash of a human being, that I find absolutely 100% interesting. She wants to be a writer, but doesn’t write at the moment (Huh, same girl same) She stopped going to university after she had a panic attack and from then on worked in little bars or cafes as a waitress. And nearly ever time she had an awful ending. But she never gave up. Her family was weird and sometimes really mean to her, but when they understood that they said things to her that destroyed her little by little, they stopped. She had an awful, crazy, manipulative boyfriend that betrayed her with his PA and then acted like they were in an open relationship. And when she said it was over, he started going to her new workplace or to her home. Trying to force her back with him. But she never relented and that was so good. All in all I think she is still a little wild, but then she is also extremely brave and I loved her so much. Lucas was a mystery. And he stayed that way. Yes, we got bit of information about his past and what he thought and felt for Georgina, but all in all I think the author could’ve given him more of a personality. But still, he was such a sweetheart, being respectful and honest. Trying to be a good boss, that protects his workers and so on. The other characters were nice and I liked them, but they didn’t really had a full personality like Georgina did. (But that’s no surprise, she was the main character duh) Relationships 🌟🌟🌟🌟Oh, the heartbreak of Georginas and Lucas love story. It was so devastating. And then when they were older and met again I felt the angst and the uncertainty between them. Then bit by bit they found their way to each other. Only to be parted again. Ugh. The other relationship in this story was the one between Georgina and her former boyfriend, now ex, Robin. He was manipulative, mean and an absolute asshole. I hated him so much. He only wanted her back so he could have power over her again. And the way he tried it... oh my god. So awful and embarrassing. I felt so much sympathy for Georgina. And the way he used her own feelings and thoughts agains her was just evil. All in all I hated him. But he is not as fictional as you might think. Writing style 🌟🌟🌟This was written in Georginas POV and the plot was mainly character driven. It was really, really descriptive and full of details and memories that slowed the whole pacing. I enjoyed the book, even though I sometimes skipped a few passages.

I'm eighteen years old again, and Lucas McCarthy is staring across a room, eyes penetrating, expression unreadable. Am I writing this while blasting In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel? Why, yes. Yes, I am. (Long live John Cusack). This was seriously so brilliant. One of the best "romances" I've ever read, but I really wouldn't even call it a romance because the romance, in and of itself, is not what made it so phenomenal (though this was to die for as well). Don't You Forget About Me is such a love letter to discovering yourself. A journey of overcoming past trauma and coming to terms with life factors that aren't so great, but that you have no control over (view spoiler)[(GEOFFREY THAT FUCK) (hide spoiler)]. A story of face masks and treating yo'self and having a strong (even if it's small) tribe of ride or die friends, with a little bit of falling in love on the side. Ultimately a message of self love and empowerment, and that it's never too late to reinvent yourself, make changes and take life by the metaphorical balls. A very powerful and important message told through the quirky and very Bridget Jones-y eyes of our heroine, Georgina. Georgina was a riot, to say the least. She was a bit of a mess, but aren't we all, and her inner monologues and interactions had me howling with laughter. She was quick-witted, genuine and vibrant, but being slowly suffocated by societal and familial expectations, again, aren't we all. In this, and many aspects, she was so relatable and I could see myself in so many of her situations. She was resilient and strong, but the quiet kind of strength that grows and blossoms over time, that comes from being your own cheerleader, from kicking self-doubt in the teeth and forever trying to make lemons into lemonade. I loved that G fought to love herself, developed on her own and 100% for herself and BY herself, with no help from Lucas. He was just a yummy bonus.Don't You Forget About Me's romance was sweet and slowly unfurling, told through bits of self-reflection and flashbacks. It's a tale of miscommunication, and second chances, of teenage hormones and hurt and how we, as people, carry that hurt and how it shapes our lives and perspectives. This book is so much more than a hilarious and fun romcom. It challenges societal norms of what one's life "should" be and how one "should" act. It's a toast to being quirky and weird, to wearing pink fur (faux of course) coats and marching to the beat of your own drum. An encouragement of self-love, female empowerment and strong, supportive relationships. It bursts with the message that it's okay to fuck it up as long as you don't give up, life is messy and a bit of chaos and losing one's way is to be expected. With perfectly placed literary, and pop culture, references and a declaration of love that was of Austentian proportions, Don't You Forget About Me has become one of my favorite romances. "Liking yourself is a radical act"

Man I loved this book. It's firmly chick-lit, so the romance is only a single facet of Georgina becoming herself. And I was totally down with that. McFarlane does her steady good work with the characters, and particularly with the friends and family. And the humor! Please, read my highlights and enjoy those I could encapsulate enough to share.And I loved how well the eventual reveal worked, because she only holds back enough details so that we get the full effect when the others find out but the readers still know enough to understand all the emotional weight behind her shared past with Lucas as the story progresses.And, as happens with some of my five-star reviews, I find myself in a space where I either have too little or way, way too much to say. I loved Georgina and Lucas was so very awesome and I was totally engaged with learning who she would become when she figured herself out. And the ending was outstanding and without stepping into the trite-trap so that everybody still felt like reasonable adults navigating tricky emotional waters. Afterglow-sigh. Anyway, I definitely recommend it if you have any affinity to chick lit at all. This is certainly one of the best of the genre and I'm thinking McFarlane is proving to be one of that genre's greatest stars.A note about Steamy: There are some fumbling-around scenes and a disturbing reveal with details that (view spoiler)[aren't as bad is it could be but plenty bad enough to make the subsequent trauma believable (hide spoiler)]. So there's enough that I'm tagging this as steamy, though really only very mildly so.

4.5 starsI received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. He chewed his pen and gave me a guarded smile. Something and everything had changed. I didn’t know yet that small moments can be incredibly large. Don't You Forget About Me is a moving standalone that I would consider women's fiction with about 15% that could be considered romance. Told completely from Georgina's point of view, we're introduced to her on a night she gets fired from her waitress job and catches her boyfriend cheating on her. So Lucas is now a grown-up who owns and runs places. I’m thirty and begging to work in them. The indignity. Through Georgina's reminiscing, reader's learn that she was a typical student just wanting to be liked and that she had a secret romance with a bit of an outcast named Lucas the last year of school. On a night that was supposed to end up special for her and Lucas, something happened and they ended up never speaking again, until Georgina's brother-in-law gets her a job at a pub Lucas and his brother are newly opening. Lucas behaves toward her like he doesn't know who she is and even though that breaks her heart, Georgina pretends they never met too. I shake my head and fight to get control of my vocal cords. “I’m writing about my worst day at school for a writing competition at the pub,” I gasp. “And I know they want something funny and light and easy. But my worst day at school. It was terrible. I think it might’ve ruined my life.” I somewhat struggled with the first half of the book. Georgina's inner musings dominate and the tone from her reads a bit hyper, distraught, and rambling. Georgina's life is laid out, with her feeling like a failure, still dealing with dad's death, friends, and family issues; it's more structure of our lead character's world. This made it at times plodding for me to get through but when towards the middle when Georgina is settled working at the pub, starting to deal and interact with family, friends, and starting to write by competing in a stand-up performance at the pub, this opens the story up and Georgina interacts with the outside world more, bring in more emotion. The price of keeping the secret, it was too high to keep paying. While I would give the first half 2-3 stars, the second half is 5 stars all the way, rarely have I read a story that packs such emotional punches. In the beginning, Georgina hints at what happened her last night of school, I'm sure most will guess, but the second half she lays it out there and the author did a beautiful job of writing Georgina's emotions as she confronts, deals, and shares such an impactful night of her life. Secondary characters, like her friends and family, are brought even more in and the emotional ties between them added so much to the story. This also helps to bring Lucas even more into play and the later half is where there is a stronger romance genre feel. These two don't have a lot of moments together but you'll feel and remember each and every one. Sometimes the truth is messy and difficult but it isn’t always best left. Sometimes it saves you. This story is about all the laughter that hides the pain and relationships that can weaken and strengthen you. Georgina started off a little bit left of center character with a circle of family that brought messy emotional ties, friends that supported her and pushed her, and a first love that acted like he didn't know who she was. As this was more women's fiction, Lucas' character was lacking a bit in feeling completely filled out but the way he shows up in the end came pretty close to making up for it for me. I would have liked more of Keith the dog and the beginning to be cleaned up in terms of flowing better but the second half was pretty close to perfection. If you're wanting a story to make you feel, Don't You Forget About Me packs a heck of an emotional punch that will have you smiling through your tears.

Big emotional read, I loved this novel. The ending, especially, was swooning. The story was gripping, Georgina’s journey on self awareness inspiring, and the romance just so sweet and cute and coated in that first-love magic Mhairi can recreate so well. She is one of my favorite writers.Still, as it seems to be the case with many of my favorite romcom authors lately, this book was littered with serious, sad, and dramatic subplots. And it’s not the first time Mhairi touches more grave topics, but this book was next-level weighty. The death of her father for one, but more the thing in Georgina’s past that she has to face. It’s not a topic one expects in a romcom with a beautiful, colorful cover, especially for hoe graphicly and dauntingly the event is described.So a great book, but not all cheers and laughter.

For me - personally - subjectively - this was the ideal book. It was funny. And it had so much growth. So much feeling. It was hugely romantic without being a romance. And the way George seized her power was intoxicating. I mean, it’s the same old story, isn’t it? Downtrodden girl becomes ever-more downtrodden as life kicks her while she’s down. Job loss. Boyfriend loss. And then she’s confronted with her old love, and he’s kind of a shit about it. And you read about “strong” heroines. I think to so many readers that means a blatant display of power by the heroine. Be it physical or “magic” in a PNR. And I think that’s so misleading and disappointing. A strong woman is strong in a million less obvious ways. I don’t need to “fight like a boy” or swear or stomp all over someone to be strong. And Georgina was one of the most beautiful and respect-worthy heroines I’ve ever come across. When life brought George low George brought George high. She assessed her issues and she fixed them. No man. No turning into a miraculous beauty. No eye-roll inducing fix that makes you wonder “why didn’t you do that in the first place?”George took power over something horrible. And she let it go. Her strength is of the loveliest and realest nature. I cried twice near the end of this one. Big ugly cries. For two different reasons. This story resonated with me to the tips of my toes. Mhairi McFarlane, you shined light on an ugly, important truth. You did something for women here - or at least for this woman. Your book was so much more. Thank you.