First off, thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review. Impromptu Goodreads Gal Pals group read - Take 4...maybe not planning ahead will be our magic sauce 🤗 But, it's the phone call the next morning that tears's Eve's life apart, and the consequences of a tragic accident that force her to look at her feelings, and relationships in a whole new light.

Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane | Goodreads Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane | Goodreads

Between Us is my first read by McFarlane and I desperately wanted to love it so much! I have heard nothing but positive things about this author. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me and I struggled to finish it. The pacing was extremely slow and I found the characters to be irritating. Honestly, it was the most boring book I have ever read. Sadly, I do not recommend this book. ⭐️⭐️ Since this is told in the first person, via Eve, you do get to see her character developed, but you also get to see some changes to others like Ed and even Fin. A cute book! Just Last Night follow Eve, a woman in her thirties, whose closest friends include her best friend Suzie, her longtime secret crush Ed, and the caring jokester in the group Justin. One night a tragic event occurs that forces Eve to confront difficult truths about her friend group. In the process, she learns more about the dynamic between her and Ed, as well as how she feels about what – and who – she wants in her life. The topic of loss and grief is here, but I love that this was dealt with on a fair amount of time. Not rushed nor prolonged. Having experienced it myself in the past, I found it authentic and accurate. That’s also why I relate to this book so much. after the hiccup with my first MM book and learning to go into her novels not expecting romance, this was a completely different experience, and one for the better.

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Eve, Justin, Susie and Ed have been friends since they were eighteen. Now in their 30s, the four are still as close as ever, Thursday pub quiz night is still sacred, and Eve is still secretly in love with Ed. I’m sure you can see why I think I’m worth more than someone who spent sixteen years making up his mind about whether I was worth the hassle.”

Last Night - Mhairi McFarlane - Google Books

The story is about Roisin and her boyfriend Joe and their group of friends. I do not even want to touch on the storyline as I don't want to give anything away. However, for me, this was a very different book for Mhairi and unfortunately it didn't live up to her past stories. For the first half of the book, I was thinking of DNFing every chapter or so. It took at least half of the book for me to get into the storyline and to actually care about the characters. I think this is because I didn't particularly like them as a group of characters and the storyline just wasn't for me. It had a kind of a mystery/detective feel which I'm not really a fan of. Yes, there are several authors who write in a similar style and genre as Mhairi McFarlane. Some of these authors include Sophie Kinsella, Jojo Moyes, and Sally Thorne. They all specialize in romance fiction with relatable characters and engaging stories, often focusing on themes of love, life, and personal growth. Between Us" follows teacher Roisin, and her newly celebrated tv writer boyfriend Joe. Roisin has been feeling out of sync with Joe for a while, but when they go away for a long weekend with their friends, she starts to realize she's not sure she loves, let alone likes Joe anymore. With their friends watching Joe's new tv show, she realizes that Joe took something she told him and put it in the show. That starts her wondering what kind of man Joe is and if she can see herself moving on from their relationship. I think the truth is: opportunities in life are like doors flashing open and slamming closed, for good. You won’t necessarily notice when they’re open, or get any warning they’re going to close. If you don’t bolt through them when you can, then that is that.”

What To Read Next

McFarlane (Who’s That Girl?) strikes romantic comedy gold with this tale of reunited sweethearts who have to grapple with the past. During their last term of high school, popular Georgina Continue reading » But I don't think I have ever been reduced to tears by any of her previous novels - and I have read every one of them! Every expression of loss and bereavement in Just Last Night came across as painfully authentic. I was moved time and again by each new experience without Susie that would send daggers of grief through Eve's heart. But when some of Susie's darkest secrets are revealed, Eve's rage knows no bounds. "Emotional roller coaster" is too mild a description for what Eve goes through: Eve is now angry AND grieving the loss of her best friend. Eve is a heroine that I found myself rooting for from beginning to end. "Just Last Night" not only shows you loss, but also secrets that are kept not only from Eve, but from other people as well. I liked the fact that you don't really know what's going on with other people, and how things revealed, even if long ago, can still burn. Here's what made this story work ... Eve. I loved her. She kept just enough humor in her outlook on life as she faced hard realities that I was able to bear the sadness and hurt that peppers this story. She was just a genuinely good and optimistic person who chose to see the good in people for the most part. Her long-lasting unrequited (mostly) love for her friend Ed, and her heartbreak at his sudden engagement felt relatable. A book full of unrequited love would have been exhausting, but reading about Eve's journey of discovery as she realizes what has been going on all along in her relationship with Ed was fantastic. But I should be clear, if you are reading this story and hoping for some sort of epic romantic story, you might end up disappointed. There is a bit of romance here, and it is lovely. Really lovely. But I think this book is more about Eve's evolution as a character. This is her journey of discovery. Love is a great bonus at the end, but it isn't the point here. I wouldn't really call this a slow burn love story, but it definitely takes it's time coming around. And I'm okay with it.

Last Night | Mhairi McFarlane | 9780008169527 | NetGalley Last Night | Mhairi McFarlane | 9780008169527 | NetGalley

There are so many parts of the book that had me stop and make sure I annotate because the quotes are so true for me. Ending on a high note: the very last chapter reminded me of the final scene in Steven Soderbergh's Sex, Lies and Videotape... very fitting!

Tragedy is an early catalyst, but it also brings Finlay into the picture and what a welcome addition his character makes to this story! Like Hester, he's an imposter with the ability to stir things up and shift relationships around. Judged for his remoteness and harmed by malicious gossip, Finlay is an enigma that begs to be solved. It's hard though not to be drawn to this fascinating and complex and beautiful man. He also though represents what I've noticed in recent McFarlane books, which is the juxtaposing of two romantic choices for the heroine in what is very helpfully called in this book, the "Nicest Guy in the Room Act." Finlay is complicated and ambiguous, but are those qualities that make for an enduring, committed love? Ed, on the other hand, is a good guy, dutiful and responsible, but like other good guys in McFarlane's worlds, he is weak, faintly misogynistic, and passive in his love for Eve. I've come to search for the wolf in good guy clothes in this author's works, and I wasn't disappointed here. I first listened to this on audiobook but going into 20% of it, I knew I had to read it, to fully experience it. Mhairi McFarlane is an internationally bestselling English author of humor, literature and fiction books. Born in Falkirk, Scotland, she schooled in Nottingham and advanced her studies at Manchester University where she graduated with a degree in English Literature. She made a return to Nottingham to delight the natives with her journalism. After roles as a feature writer, trainee reporter, reporter and columnist, Mhairi discovered that it was time to write a novel. I did appreciate the side plot around Roisin and her complicated relationship with her mother, and enjoyed their dynamics.