A real gem!

What a lovely surprise this audiobook was. It looks like a standard chick lit, which I would usually avoid listening to. However, it is a real gem! It is perfectly read by Julie Hesmondhalgh ('Hayley' to us Corrie fans!), it's funny, moving and for me, full of nostalgia (for my student days in Manchester). I became completely immersed in the characters lives and was very sad to finish it. Can't wait for the next book by Mhairi McFarlane.

15 people found this helpful

Best book I have listened to for ages!

hThis is a fantastic book from a great new chick-lit talent. I have listened to it twice and absolutely loved it. The narrator's Sheffield accent takes a little bit of getting used to but I would urge you to bear with it. It's a gripping 'will they - won't they?' storyline with the mystery of what happened between the male and female characters in the past as a constant theme throughout the book.

I am eagerly anticipating Mhairi McFarlane's next book.

6 people found this helpful

Loved this book...

Having already read some of this book in paperback, I was a bit worried that the narrator might not interpret the characters in the way I had in my head, but this wasn't an issue. The book is both funny and touching. If you didn't get on with how the book was narrated, I urge you buy the paperback/Kindle/iBooks version as it's a lovely story. Over 1000 5/4 star reviews on Amazon are not wrong. I can't wait for Mhairi's next book.

6 people found this helpful

Really did make me laugh out loud for once!

Love all Mhairi McFarlane books but this one is my favourite, it's hilarious and Julie Hesmondhalghs great narration makes the funny bits even funnier, out of over 250 audio books I've listened to this is one of my stand out favs thanks to Mhairi's quick wit style writing and Julie's great dry humour narration. amazing work girls.

5 people found this helpful

Well written, but the narration was all wrong!

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend the book and I may well read it myself. Unfortunately, after sticking with it for several hours, I have to 'return' the audio book due to the narration. Julie Hesmonhalgh is a fine actress, but sadly, this narration was totally wrong!

What did you like best about this story?

The characters were written so well. It all felt so familiar. I know people like that, with the same sense of humour etc. The story is funny and intelligent.

How could the performance have been better?

Julie really needed to tone-down her very broad Sheffield accent for this (although given the book was set in Manchester, she may have been told to read it that way, in which case the fault lies with someone else). She is obviously capable of reading with a softer accent, and with a relatively 'received' English accent, as she did so for some characters. Notwithstanding the accent, Julie's narration would have been 5*. The pace, tone, emphasis and portrayal of mood and emotion was perfect.

If this book were a film would you go see it?

Yes!

Any additional comments?

I am from Manchester and therefore comfortable with Northern accents, but Julie's when full-on was too much for me to listen to for hours. I was sad not to have been able to listen to the end.

5 people found this helpful

Brilliant - it had me at hello

Really loved it - funny, witty - believable characters - loved Julie's narration!! Great read!!!

3 people found this helpful

Not what I expected and really good

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, well-written debut novel, portraying today's society from the viewpoint of a 31-year-old single woman...

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I would have changed the end and made Rachel's behave less embarrassingly in some scenes.

What does Julie Hesmondhalgh bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Her accent really brings Rachel to life and she gives each character an individual voice.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

“Do nothing, and nothing happens. Life is about decisions. You either make them or they're made for you, but you can't avoid them.” (quote from the book itself)

Any additional comments?

"Very very witty and funny. Left me in awe...a total gem." (Marian Keyes)"The funniest, most romantic book I've read since One Day." (Lisa Jewell)...caused me to have fairly wrong expectations. Yes, "You Had Me at Hello" is funny in some parts and also romantic - but to me it is mainly a realistic book, sometimes witty, sometimes tragic and mostly a well-written tale about a 31-year-old woman, trying to find a new way in life, after having lived in a relationship with her fiance Rhys for the last 13 years. One star taken off because Rachel made me cringe in a few scenes when she behaved quite out of character - reminding me of the bad bits in "Bridged Jones". It is more like "One Day" or "You Before Me", both books I treasure because they are not shallow, have laugh-aloud moments and characters that seemed like real people after a few chapters. Just less romance (in my opinion) due to the break-up situation. Read it or listen to it, it is much more than an average summer read - just don't so if you just split up with someone, it might be a bit too painful. I would not be surprised if it turned up on the big screen next year.

3 people found this helpful

Bunged up nose

That's all I can hear when listening to the narration. This is the last of the authors books I have listened to and ruined by a strong accent that was difficult to listen to and characters were indistinguishable.

2 people found this helpful

Super listen!

What made the experience of listening to You Had Me at Hello the most enjoyable?

The story didn't go as expected and a lot happened.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters were very engaging, the protagonist was clever and funny, and the narrator read it very well.

What about Julie Hesmondhalgh’s performance did you like?

She paused at exactly the right places, and spoke just the way speech actually works.

Any additional comments?

I really loved this listen - it was easy without being stupid, it was fun and engaging and kept me entertained, but it wasn't complicated. It was clever and funny and I cared about what was happening. It wasn't predictable.

2 people found this helpful

Good but not great!

I really enjoyed this book but it's no where as good as Here's Looking At You by the same author! Would recommend but again no where as good as the others!

2 people found this helpful