Book Review: It’s Not Me, It’s You

By Becky Gulc

‘“It went like this: I proposed. Paul said yes, not particularly enthusiastically. Then we went for drinks, and he sent a text to the Other Woman saying “oh god, Delia wants to marry me” TO ME by mistake…”

Delia thought she knew where her story was headed, but she’s been dealt a nasty plot twist. It’s time to become author of her own fate…

Delia Moss isn’t quite sure where she went wrong.

When she proposed and discovered her boyfriend was sleeping with someone else – she thought it was her fault.

When she realised life would never be the same again – she thought it was her fault.

And when he wanted her back like nothing had changed – Delia started to wonder if perhaps she wasn’t to blame…

From Newcastle to London and back again, with dodgy jobs, eccentric bosses, secret superheroes, message board trolls and annoyingly handsome journalists thrown in, Delia must find out where her old self went – and if she can ever get her back.’ (Synopsis courtesy of Mhairi McFarlane's website.)

Wow. Well even before I started reading It's Not Me, It's You, I knew I enjoyed Mhairi’s books, You Had Me at Hello, Mhairi’s debut, is a great read! Perhaps my memory had faded a little, but I still wasn’t prepared for how wonderful this book would be, it reaffirmed to me what a fantastic author Mhairi is and I won’t leave it so long before I read her work again this time around. This is undoubtedly one of my favourite books of the year. Here’s why:

I was instantly engrossed in this novel, the writing seems effortless, and you can’t help but feel for Delia. Here she is living a comfortable life, a job at the local council, living with her long-term boyfriend Paul and their beloved dog when one little text changes everything. When Delia proposes to Paul his response is lackluster at best, but when Delia then receives a text from Paul meant for another woman, well, cue a rollercoaster of a story that had everything going for it.

Whilst you feel empathy for Delia, this isn’t a sad story. It’s actually really funny and just a joy to read throughout. The way Delia reacts to the betrayal and how she analyses it seemed very real and fitting for a long-term relationship; this isn’t a situation which is easily resolved. As well as her relationship going wrong, Delia’s work situation is fast becoming a nightmare. Delia is tasked with finding out who the secret ‘Peshwari Naan’ is. Yes, that’s right...‘Peshwari Naan’ a secret person who appears to just love berating the local councilor online. I just loved this aspect of the story and this character. I was never sure what to expect with the character and that was part of the charm.

When events lead to Delia moving in with a friend in London for a while, the pace increases. With a new job at PR company ‘Twist & Shout’--which is a bit questionable quite frankly--and a bribery situation going on with a local reporter, Delia’s new life in London is perhaps not quite the new beginning, and new her, she was imagining. Delia is often a character who doesn’t know what to do for the best and I totally understood that. When a new love interest emerges, the pull towards Paul was perfectly written to keep the reader guessing as to how things would end up. Even though Paul is a cheat, it’s a strength to the writing style that he still comes across as somewhat likable; the history of the relationship reminding us of what the pair once had. The scenes with their dog, well...were very emotional indeed.

The range of characters was fantastic, from the Naan to Delia’s brother and boss, all were just so great to feature in their own way. I loved the different settings of Newcastle and London. Both felt very vividly described. I always love when there is a northern location in books, as a true northern girl myself! For me this book contains all the elements of what a perfect ‘chick lit’ book should have. I loved it!

Thanks to HarperCollins UK for the book in exchange for an honest review.