Just Last Night is another amazing Mhairi McFarlane book. When Eve Harris suddenly and unexpectedly loses her best friend her world is shattered in an instant. Learning how to live her life without her closest confidant is a huge challenge. Learning who she thought was her closest friend has been keeping tremendous secrets pushes her further into a spiral.

This book is packed with so much. I was cackling one minute and stunned silent the next. Entirely rooting for one character in the beginning and subtly but completely finding that feeling had changed about halfway through. It's hilarious and tragic and relatable, recognizing that grief and its various stages aren't linear. I highly highly recommend Just Last Night, it's absolutely beautiful.

I loved every second of reading this book, honestly couldn't put it down. It was just the kind of entertaining read I needed.

Just Last Night is a DNF for me. The writing style isn't my taste. The present tense also doesn't work for me.
Sorry

I absolutely adore McFarlane’s books, and Just Last Night is no exception.
My favorite part of her novels is always the supporting characters – the friends, the family, the MC’s support net. So obviously, I loved that Just Last Night is about those deep friendships and explores what happens when long-buried secrets come to light.
Just Last Night was also a beautiful exploration of grief. I full-on bawled through about a quarter of the book because it resonated with losses I’ve had in my life, but also because it made me think about what it would be like if my best friend died. The author did such a wonderful job illustrating the myriad of emotions, the small moments when the grief hits you unexpectedly.
My one and only complaint is that I would have liked to see more interaction and development between Eve and Finlay. I loved what was there! It just felt like things were a bit rushed at the end and that there wasn’t a strong foundation for their relationship. The book focused more on friendships than romance.
Spoiler: I am conflicted on how things turned out with Ed. On the one hand, friendships are complicated, and the history and relationship after over 10 years of friendship are hard to ignore. On the other hand, I feel like he got off way too lightly after years of the ‘nice guy’ routine.

I really enjoyed this one! This is the second book I have read from Mhairi McFarlane and I definitely plan to read whatever she puts out. I couldn't put this down and highly recommend it!

4 Stars!

“Haha. I don’t want to be an enigma, said the man who spoke in code.”
“I think what I really meant was: I don’t want to be an enigma to you.”

Finlay Hart might’ve just checked every book boyfriend box for me. 🤗😍

This was an enemies-to-lovers story. Finlay is Eve’s best friend’s older brother. Once upon a time, he was her childhood first kiss, but after years without seeing one another, tragedy throws them back into each other’s lives.

In all honesty, the first half of this book was a very hard pill to swallow...tissues needed!! I wouldn’t even classify it as a romance. It was more so a Women’s Fic/ Chick Lit read, which is usually not my cuppa. But some extremely smart and witty writing, along with very engaging characters kept me turning the pages and I’m SO glad I did!

The second half of this story was every bit of 5 stars for me.

Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Steam Gauge: 🔥/5

This book was laugh out loud funny at times, hugely sad at others, while packing a romance that hit me right in the feels. I didn’t want it to end. 💛

“I know I’m a pathetic protector and I’m wearing a skirt with dancing squirrels printed on it . . . but . . . let me rescue you!” I blurt, half crying, half laughing.

“Ah, but, you see—the thing is, Evelyn Harris. You already have,” Fin says, putting his hand to my face.


Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Custom House for my ARC of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this modern take on a rom com. It's about a 30-something woman and her group of friends going about their lives in a small British down. When tragedy strikes, it exposes the cracks and unresolved issues amongst the group. The protagonist must figure this out whilst mourning and--just maybe--finding love. It's a bit weightier than the typical romcom but just as enjoyable.

This book far exceeded my expectations! There is a romance here, with the expected HEA, but the real story to me is with the friend group. These friends have years and years of history, and watching them navigate secrets, love, betrayals, and grief felt very authentic. This story was complex and heart breaking, but it was also heartwarming and hopeful.

Just based on the cover, I expected a fairly lighthearted read, and that's not really what this is. There are lighter, sometimes funny moments, but there is a lot of emotional depth to this story, making it a bit heavier of a read than the cover and blurb might imply. I have noticed this to be true though of multiple books I've read from the UK though, so those who read more British lit than I do might not be thrown by that. I absolutely recommend it, but don't go into expecting a light, easy read.

I'm picky with stories that deal with grief for personal reasons so this one took a bit to get into. Stories about grief aren't my favorite but I did like the fact that this one dealt with the aftermath and the friendships that still went on even though there were some secrets. It was a three star rating.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing me the chance to read and review this.

4.5 Stars

To make it short- this book was devastatingly beautiful.

I cannot put into words how beautifully written the mourning and sadness was written in this book. On that note, if you think this might be a lighthearted easy read think again.

My only qualm is that Finley isn’t even introduced until like 25% into the book and doesn’t appear until a bit after that which leaves you a bit confused. BUT the set up was necessary and so well written that I kind of understand why, it just left me feeling like the very end was a bit rushed. That being said I LOVED this book and how well it handled things, how well the characters were written, the plot— just overall an amazing book.

Thank you for the chance to review. All thoughts are my own.

Eve, Justin, Susie and Ed have been best friends since they were teenagers. Now in their mid-thirties the bonds of friendship remain strong…and Eve is still in love with Ed. But, one night changes everything and none of them will ever be the same again. Especially as, in the aftermath secrets are revealed which make Eve question whether she ever really knew her best friends at all. When a figure from her past makes a reappearance she begins to see her life going in an entirely new direction.

It’s been a while since a book forced me to stay up all night. I couldn’t go to sleep until the book ended; I had to follow Eve’s journey right to the very end. What I concluded when I finished was that Just Last Night was a spectacular book and one of my favourites of 2021. It takes you through a full range of emotion. One minute I am laughing my socks off as Eve has a disastrous almost-one-night-stand with a pubic hair hating misogynist wanker, the next I am sobbing my heart out as tragedy visits Eve and her friends.

Mhairi Mcfarlane has this great talent of combining the best elements from women’s fiction and the romance genre and combining them into the best version of themselves. In Just Last Night we witness Eve’s journey to happiness and through grief and a lovely romance. It was all perfectly balanced to create a full experience.

What I also found interesting about this book was its look at friendship. Eve has had a core group of friends since she was a teenager, now 20 years later they are still incredibly close. Long lasting friendships are a wonderful thing, but you could also see how these friendships have held Eve back and kept her stuck in this loop of mediocrity. And, that’s okay because her friends are also stuck in this loop as well. Ultimately Eve and the rest of the gang could only find happiness by not having their own identities so intrinsically linked to one another.

Secrets are revealed in this book that don’t make anyone look good, and I like the way this was handled. No one was really vilified; they were all very human and had their flaws as well as their moments to shine. It’s what made everything so interesting as they all learn to live in this new reality that tragedy has pushed them into.

Now the romance, I haven’t spoken much about this, even though it was adorable. In some ways it was the simplest relationships in this book after that way Eve and her friends are entangled, although it wasn’t without its complications. If you like a hero who seems like ice on the outside but is in fact just a blackhole of old pain and missed opportunities…then he’s the one for you. I won’t say much more as it is a bit spoilery.

I could talk a long time about this book. It touches on so many topics: friendship, grief, abuse, growing old, mental health, change and love. But, Mcfarlane does it in such a way that this book brings real joy. And, as it is set in the UK, it’s done with our trademark dry, self-deprecating humour. As I said, this is one of my favourite books of 2021 and I highly recommend giving it a read.

Sometimes reading a novel feels like therapy.

"Just Last Night" is heart-wrenching and filled with so much growth and self-realization. Eve and all of her friends and relationships feel so real. It's almost impossible to say more without ruining the journey.

I have read multiple books by Mhairi McFarlane and each is its own surprise. She is clearly a powerful writer. The one thing I am not sure about when it comes to "Just Last Night" and some of her earlier titles is their classification as romances. The romance is just a hint. That doesn't make these book any less wonderful, just changes the mood and the expectations of what the story will be.

I will be looking forward to reading whatever Mhairi McFarlane creates next.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC,

Was not able to read before the publish date, my library has purchased several copies of this book and it seems to be doing well.

Oh my goodness I am so excited to bring you my review of Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane! This is hands down one of my top 5 books of 2021! Besides the blurb, I had no idea where this story was going, but it ended up being the most amazing story of friendship and love found in the most unlikely of places. There is a foursome of best friends – Ed, Justin, Eve, and Susie – all of which have been friends for about 18 years. Eve and Ed briefly expressed undying love for one another but as a whole, they are just friends. After a quiz night at the local pup, tragedy strikes this group. A person who initially seems an enemy worms their way into Eve’s heart. Secrets are revealed, feelings are hurt, and relationships are broken. However, in the end, one thing truly remains and that is neverending friendship.

This book tackles so many things: death, grief, love, secrets, wrong first impressions, and so on. Without saying too much, I will say that after an epic night of pub trivia and drinking, one of the friends is suddenly killed and kudos to the author, it was not who I thought. Anyway, what happens next is a lot of grieving, unanswered questions, and discoveries that the person should have made on their own while still alive.

Let me get my criticism out of the way first… I struggled getting into this book. When my Kindle said 23%, I was still deciding whether or not to stick with it or mark this one off as a DNF. Do not give up! I would have missed out on such an amazing love story (both friendly and romantic) if I had given up! The author does a lot of characterization and back story at the beginning which feels tedious at times, but it was all worth it. There are numerous subplots that keep the story interesting and although I normally hate them, I enjoyed the somewhat ambiguous ending about Eve’s love life at the end. You are left hoping for the best but not quite certain what her future holds.

This book is easy to connect with in that, imagine your 3 best friends and suddenly one is taken away way too early in life. Everything is in upheaval and no one knows the right way to feel and behave. I easily pictured my most loved inner circle and found myself wondering several times if I would have felt the same way or done the same things. This book calls on your every emotion and though very bleak at times, leaves you feeling optimistic. This is a new to me author but one I will happily bing her every book going forward.

*Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I fell in love with the characters in this book immediately. Eve, Justin, Susie, and Ed captured my heart and I was instantly turning pages to find out who was going to fall in love with who. This, however, hit me in ways I did not expect. Perhaps because I hadn't done any research on it at all, but just dived right in in need of a comfort read and with the author's name as the only thing I really needed to know.

"My conclusion is this: there's no rule that says the unavailable person you waste your life being in love with has to be the greatest human you ever met. It doesn't make the loss of him any less painful."
Is there any sentence that has been more true for women of my generation? I feel like I spent my high school years loving one person, and that turned out poorly. But, really, the amazing man I ended up with, God picked him right out of a basket of nerdy but hot--just for me.

Mhairi McFarlane seems to be able to write stories that suck you in quickly, but not immediately, and I was so glad that I happened upon this one on NetGalley. It hit me at the perfect time for me to read something that spoke to me on so many different levels. ..
One, those first loves don't work out and that's both normal and okay.
Two, that friendships aren't always sunshine and roses. And that's okay too.
And three, second chances are deserved and should be given freely without expectations.

I went into this book thinking it was a rom-com and it was definitely not. I didn't get much romance out of this one till maybe the last third. It is more of a friendship and family dynamic-based book. I feel like this is being marketed all wrong. It is sad and deep and thought-provoking, where the cover makes you think romance. But maybe that was on purpose? I don't know. But I do know that I will be recommending it for my next book club read. I enjoyed it that much!

Queue the waterworks. Do not read without:
A- having a box of tissues
and
B- having your best friend on speed dial.
I'm a sucker for a book that gives me all the feelings, most especially sorrow. With that being said, I would advise anyone to be cautious reading if you've recently experience the loss of a loved one.
I knew going into this book that Mhairi would be tackling grief. I suspected there would be a death but I did not guess the right individual. I was both floored and unprepared.
The grief cycle Eve experiences touched my heart. I fell in love with her character and just wanted to pull her out of the pages and give her hugs and sweets. The romance was tender and exactly what I needed to offset the tears.
Mhairi is an auto-buy author for me and continues to remain so. Just Last Night will be a book I'll be rereading when I need a good cry.
Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Just Last Night
By Mhairi McFarlane

Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane is an emotional story about friends and friendships that deal with loss, grief, secrets and forgiveness. This one took my breath away and surprised me how serious this subject matter was but written in a way that you will have a hard time putting this book down. McFarlane still kept this book pretty upbeat making this an addictive read interjected with some humor and fun cast of characters.

This was beautifully well-written and I highly recommend it.

Do not let this cover fool you in to thinking this is a simple rom-com. Wow. Get your tissues out and be prepared to have your heart jerked out and stomped on.

This is a story about four. Four individuals who had been friends for years. Friends that have a history that often does not require words to communicate. I was so intrigued by their friendship that I wanted to be a part of their group.

As someone who has experienced unexpected and untimely loss of a loved one, McFarlane obviously some either from a place of personal experience or spoke to others who have. There were times when reading this book that I thought "someone else knows exactly how it feels". I was astounded at how attuned she was to many thoughts and feelings.

My only complaint is that the last part of the book felt rushed. A relationship felt like it went from infatuation to ultra serious in a matter of sentences.

An unexpectedly real and heart-wrenching read about grief and love.

Eve belongs to a tight-knit group of thirty-something friends: Susie, Justin, and Ed. Their bond began in their teens and over the years its evolved; now they meet up every Thursday night for bar trivia. Some things haven’t changed: Eve is still secretly in love with Ed, who has had a girlfriend for most of their friendship. Maybe Eve should’ve moved on by now… but that’s easier said than done when it seems like Ed might still have feelings for her too. When Ed gets engaged into his long-time girlfriend, it’s just one more twist of the knife in Eve’s heart.

But then, in an instant, her heart shatters and everything’s different. All their lives are changed forever by a tragic loss. Eve swims through a sea of grief, feeling lost. Secrets are revealed that have Eve questioning who her friends really are… but she finds an unexpected confidant in someone from her past. As Eve begins to see her friends and herself clearly, she might finally be ready to grasp onto the life—and the love—she deserves.

This was my first Mhairi McFarlane novel, and it certainly won’t be my last! McFarlane’s writing style is so fun, quirky, and vibrant. She makes A LOT of pop culture references (and I have to admit: some of them did go over my head). All her references are so specific, they breathe life into her characters. Seriously! The characters feel REAL. If you told me you saw them walking around your street, I’d believe you. Their stories, their histories, their nuances, their inside jokes… it all feels so lived-in.

That realness and rawness is what makes this story about grief and loss and love so incredibly relatable. If you’ve lost someone, Eve’s grief might bring back your own like a punch to the gut. This story is told in shades of gray and in carefully handled complexity. You won’t find a perfect hero or a flawless heroine here. In fact, don’t go into this book looking for a fluffy contemporary romance. That’s not what this is. The romance takes a backseat to Eve processing her grief and embracing a newfound confidence in herself. But it’s still there, and I still loved it. I mean, come on, an emotionally mature hero who actually listens to Eve and helps her process her feelings?! *Swoon* I would’ve read about a hundred more pages of the two lovebirds’ story, so that’s really my only complaint!

Read this book. It’ll make you laugh. It might make you cry. If you’ve lost someone like I have, it might remind you that there’s no “right” way to grieve. And that the person you loved and lost would want you to love yourself, too. Take care. x

My feelings about this novel are quite mixed. It's such a sad book. So so so sad. If it wasn't an ARC, I would have quit about 30% in because it was hard to handle. I was dreading picking it up again each time.

With all of that being said, it's also a brilliant book. McFarlane's novels are always about so much more than the romance. Here it's a minor plot point. I wasn't even sure it was going to show up at all! This novel is about loss in many ways. Loss of a loved one but also loss of youth and letting go of what you thought your life should look like. Somehow amidst all the heaviness, she manages to fit in some fantastic humor too.

One thing I found inconsistent was that it's set in the UK, yet some adjustments were made for US readers. They talk about speed in miles per hour and all the fast food restaurants are American ones. It was jarring at times and took me out of the story because I was like,"wait a minute, where are we right now?"

Overall this one didn't land well for me. I think a lot of it is timing with issues in my personal life. Yet I recognize other readers are going to love it and think it's perfection. I recommend it for readers of romance, especially McFarlane's fans