No spoilers here for readers, but have some tissues standing by people. I cried a bit. With the world the way it is and for some of us who lost people due to COVID or other things this past year, this book will slap you in the feels. It goes into a lot of things I think which will cause you to stop and think. McFarlane walks you through first love, unrequited love, death, loss of parents, and even new love. So I obviously thought "Omg friends to lovers with maybe an unrequited crush but now we find out both love each other" read as eventho it blindsided me the writing was solid & ya can't beat British bants between buds. Not the books fault we didn't quite know what we were getting in to & the feelz it would trigger

Mhairi McFarlane Books in Order (9 Book Series) Mhairi McFarlane Books in Order (9 Book Series)

Beware when you start reading Mhairi McFarlane's latest novel, you are going to have a hard task putting it down until it is finished. You can't have a much better recommendation than this in a story of navigating friendships, loss, grief, secrets, abuse, and personal relationships. Quirky 34 year old goth, Eve Harris's best friend since primary school has been the unstoppable, sardonic and witty Susie, their circle expanding at sixth form with the addition of the organised and supportive Ed Cooper, and the gay, irreverent clown, taboo breaking Justin. The group could not have been closer in the years since then, coming together for their weekly pub quiz evenings at The Gladstone on Thursdays, never winning but that has never been the purpose of their evenings together. stars** The curse of high expectations from one of my favorite authors who I mostly rate 5 stars, or, less often, 4 stars. There were entertaining humorous moments + exchanges between the friends & I was 100% here for mid-thirties MCs finding one another 🥰 So this may not have been the Rom-com I thought it was but that is more than okay because I thought this was spectacular!So, to start off, the main character's name is pronounced "Rosheen" but is spelled: Roisin. I dunno, but I felt like I was stuttering in my head each time I came across this name! (Slowed things down a bit too, I must say.) Wow! This book is one of those books that you will be thinking about for ages after finishing reading. McFarlane (Don’t You Forget About Me) brings a welcome dose of reality to the fake office romance trope with flawed, honest, but still endearing protagonists. After Laurie’s boyfriend of 18 Continue reading »

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

Just Last Night" follows 30 something Eve and her three friends, Ed, Susie, and Justin, at their regular Thursday quiz night. Eve finds herself thinking of her ex, who has immigrated to America and is now married with a child. She starts to wonder again about her almost relationship with Ed and what could have been. When Ed's longtime girlfriend pops up and crashes their night, it sets in motion things that are going to change the group of four forever. All across the USA, people are showing up dead. The deaths don't appear to be connected in any way until one particular death occurs and gets the Secretary of Defense's attention. He arranges for a task force to investigate. I have really enjoyed Mhairi McFarlane's books in the past, so was looking forward to another book by her. Kimster, Fran, Jess& Franlopedia - I am excite and have no idea what this is about other than yay alternate timelines storytelling 🙃 So would I recommend this? Absolutely! But don't come looking for a happy rom-com, and definitely bring some tissues! 🤗🤗🤗🤗

The worst thing about this book is that it took me only three hours to read it. After waiting over a year to get my paws on a new Mhairi McFarlane treasure, you would think I would try to make this one last—savoring it, stretching it out over a few days, at the very least—knowing full well that I wouldn't be getting another one for at least another year. But nope. I'm just not wired that way. And trust me, you won't be able to put Just Last Night down either. This is Mhairi at her very best. Only McFarlane handles it so deftly that I was completely engrossed the entire way. I loved getting to know the friends. I loved the hints that Eve was a bit too naïve in her acceptance of at least some of them. And I loved that there were problematic aspects of almost all those relationship dynamics but without weakening the reality or strength of them. This is so powerfully done that McFarlane earns all her kudos, I think. I saw the romance coming from way earlier than is natural, but only because I know the author's work fairly well by this point. And I'll have to say that I approve. He was all the good things and with his own struggles to overcome in the story. I liked seeing his authenticity, even when you can see he could do better (not least because he gets there in the end). The dark moment made me sad even as I could see both sides of their break. Roisin couldn't let go of the hurt right away and I'm okay with that because, in the end, they have a grown-up conversation and end up stronger for it. I am a HUGE Mhairi McFarlane fan and so I am a bit gutted that this one didn't live up to my expectations.

Last Night (Audio Download): Mhairi McFarlane, Maya Saroya Last Night (Audio Download): Mhairi McFarlane, Maya Saroya

Eve, Justin, Susie, and Ed have been friends since they were teenagers. Now in their thirties, the four are as close as ever, Thursday night bar trivia is sacred, and Eve is still secretly in love with Ed. Maybe she should have moved on by now, but she can’t stop thinking about what could have been. And she knows Ed still thinks about it, too. When James and Anna meet again in a professional way, Anna can’t stand him, let alone work with him. But there also seems to be something of interest, and soon she finds herself questioning everything she has believed for so many years. Once again, the author introduces us to a cast of well-woven characters. Characters that are authentic and recognizable. The heroine, Anna, is vulnerable; she is also bright and intelligent. She is funny and witty, yet the reader deep down knows that she is hurting. Having the friend group meet while working in Waterstones was also such a nice touch, as a book lover. Many thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for sharing this lovely book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts. So I actually won this in a GoodReads giveaway. I know, right!!! She's a favorite author anyway, so I was thrilled when this showed up in time to be my birthday read, so I spent pretty much the entire day I took off work reading it and was engaged the entire time. Happy Birthday to me, indeed.Has she been gaslighted by a man who has been cheating and lying to her for years without giving away his second nature? I did appreciate the side plot around Roisin and her complicated relationship with her mother, and enjoyed their dynamics. When Roisin and Joe join their friends for a weekend at a country house, it's a triple celebration--a birthday, an engagement, and the launch of Joe's shiny new TV show. But as the weekend unfolds, tensions come to light in the group and Roisin begins to question her own relationship. And as they watch the first episode of Joe's drama, she realizes that the private things she told him--which should have stayed between them--are right there on the screen. Rosie and Joe met while working at Waterstones, a British bookstore chain, a few years ago. After finding a job as a teacher, Rosie supported Joe to pursue his writing dreams for years. He finally makes his big break when his screenplay gets a green light from Hollywood producers. The TV series he's created has resemblances to GOT but with a better ending (I wish!). Rosie cannot believe their life's trajectory changes with this imminent success. They decide to celebrate both Rosie's birthday and their friends' engagement party by getting together with their longtime friendship group to watch the pilot together. But when Rosie starts watching her boyfriend's precious work, he realizes he wrote about them. She feels like she's punched in the face when her secret, which she only shared with Joe, is revealed on the episode, and this is not the only bomb he threw on her lap. The leading guy of the story is a liar and cheater, and even the supporting characters are carbon copies of their common friends.