I’m not entirely sure if it’s Poppy North or Kimberley Nyamhondera to whom I owe thanks for a surprise copy of So, I Met This Guy… by Alexandra Potter, but I was delighted to receive it and it’s my pleasure to share my review today.
So, I Met This Guy… was published by Pan Macmillan on 29th January 2026 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here.
So, I Met This Guy…
So, I Met This Guy . . .
Well, isn’t that how every love story starts? But how does it end – a happily ever after? Or with the discovery that the supposed love-of-your-life has stolen your life savings and your home, trashed your heart and demolished your self-esteem?
Maggie is barely fifty years-old, and she’s not one to give up on herself. So when she meets Flick, a young reporter who realizes this story could be the big break she’s been looking for, they set off to catch him as he goes on the run across Europe. After all, she’s got nothing left to lose, right?
But as the pair embark on the road trip of their lives, unexpected twists, hidden secrets and hard truths are revealed. And as an unlikely friendship begins to blossom, they realize it’s not just about finding the guy, it’s about finding themselves . . .
My Review of So, I Met This Guy…
Middle aged Maggie is on her uppers when she teams up with young, ambitious local reporter Flick.
Now, I confess that So, I Met This Guy… was absolutely not the book I was expecting. I had anticipated a funny and entertaining, somewhat frothy story, with little real depth. How wrong can you be? Yes, So, I Met This Guy… has a super range of humour from almost slapstick moments to really witty dialogue and I did indeed laugh aloud. But it has so very much more too.
Firstly, there’s a terrific sense of place which makes So, I Met This Guy… almost a travelogue at times. As Maggie and Flick travel across Europe the reader is transported to each place they visited. Food, weather, scenery, language, art and culture blend into a vivid and enchanting read. Add in a fast paced, twisting plot with plenty of surprises and So, I Met This Guy… is a real winner.
Then there’s the superb characterisation. Whilst there are several secondary characters met along Maggie and Flick’s journey, there’s a real intensity to their burgeoning friendship so that we get to know them intimately. I adored the way they progress, adapt and emerge as warm, living, beings. Maggie in particular has such a realistic development, so that any woman in her middle years will cheer her on. Flick also grows into her persona in an authentic manner. These are not merely fictional stylised women on stereotypical ‘journeys’ but they are portrayed with warmth, wit and understanding. As for Birdy – she’s magnificent. Her addition to the narrative gives a broad spectrum triumvirate as the three women encompass a wide age range, varied personal circumstances and brilliant balance of naivety and knowledge. I loved them all.
As for Theo – I think I have rarely hated a character quite as much. Alexandra Potter depicts him with such authenticity that I was desperate for him to get his comeuppance. Whether that happens, you’ll have to find out by reading So, I Met This Guy…. Rory feels so real too. He’s no villain like Theo, but he’s very much the kind of chap who could be living next door or married to your best friend, giving a sense of reality and additional credibility.
But it is the themes of So, I Met This Guy… that make the read so compelling. Obviously it is a narrative about romance fraud which is entertaining and interesting in its own right. In addition, Alexandra Potter explores just what effect that can have. The loss of money, possessions and livelihoods is impactful enough, but through Maggie we see just how self-worth, confidence and self-reliance are decimated by fraudsters like Theo. With friendship, love and trust underpinning the action, So, I Met This Guy… becomes so much more than the light hearted beach read I was expecting.
I really loved So, I Met This Guy…. It’s fast paced, fun and fabulous and I can recommend it unreservedly. Don’t miss it!
About Alexandra Potter
Alexandra Potter is the bestselling author of numerous romantic comedy fiction novels in the UK, including One Good Thing and Confessions of a Forty-Something F##k Up, one of the bestselling books of 2022 and 2023 and the basis of a major TV series. These titles have sold in twenty-eight territories and achieved worldwide sales of more than one million copies, making the bestseller charts across the world.
Yorkshire born and raised, Alexandra lived for several years in LA before settling in London with her Californian husband and their Bosnian rescue dog. When she’s not writing or travelling, she’s getting out into nature, trying not to look at her phone and navigating this thing called mid-life.
For further information visit Alexandra’s website, find her on Facebook or follow her on Instagram.
English (US) · 