With every Mhairi McFarlane novel I read, she gets better and better. This one feels more along the lines of Don't You Forget About Me, with less romance and more emotional exploration and discovery. The first half quite honestly filled me with a major anxiety and left me wondering when the other shoe would drop, but I still couldn't put it down. I had to know what happens. It was fantastic, and honestly not at all what I was expecting from the synopsis. If you've read her other novels and enjoyed them, definitely read this one.

Just Last Night is the story of a group of friends and how their friendship has evolved over the course of 18 years. At the core of the story is a missed chance at romance between Evie and Ed that resulted Evie's 16 year crush on Ed. It affects her romantic relationships and causes secrets amongst the friends that come to light when tragedy strikes the group. This is also the story of how friendships might not be what they seem. The types of friendships that people experience with the people they interact with.

The story is told by Evie who is not living her best life. She is unsatisfied with her job, she has been ‘secretly’ in love with one of her best friends since she was 18, and she stuck in a rut perpetuated by her choices. Her core group of friends experiences a sudden and great loss that throws them into a tailspin. Evie finds herself dealing with her loss, trying to preserve her friend’s memory, and navigate a new relationship with her friend’s brother. Evie is forced to mature, examine her beliefs and revaluate what she wants for her future.

I love Mhairi McFarlane’s books because they do a good job of examining relationships, and really hit you in the feels. Her characters are flawed and tend to be their own worst enemies making them easy for me to identify with. As with most of McFarlane’s books, there is British slang. This book especially went over my head at times so some of the humor was lost on me and didn’t get some of the cultural references. It did take away from some of my enjoyment, but I still rounded up my rating because it’s Mhairi McFarlane.

Thank you to Netgalley, William Morrow and Custom House for an advanced copy of this book. It made me very happy.

First, thank you to the publishers and netgalley for providing a copy of this book in return of an honest review. I figured thid would be a breezy rom-com but it is definitely not. However, it is still beautifully written! I truly enjoyed the slow burn and character development. Perfect read!

This book is a GEM. Absolutely caused me to cry my eyes out and smile big several times. I was not expecting this book to be that damn good!

I'd read a Mhiari novel before and it was meh to be honest. But a book about four friends with a love story weaved in sounded just too good to pass up. But this book is so much more! It is the story if four life long friends who face an unbelievable tragedy. And as happens, old wounds are reopened and make all of them face who they really are and what they're really doing with their lives.

I.don't.want.to.give anything away but I can say with my whole heart buy this book. Don't get it from the library. Don't.borrow it. Buy it. You'll want to reread this one and pass it along to friends. ❤

Five huge stars and the promise I will now purchase every Mhiari novel in print because if she's this talented I've been missing out.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was just so good! I love the way Mhairi McFarlane writes, drawing a story out and letting the characters grow and events develop over time in an unrushed way.
In Just Last Night, we get to know Eve and her longtime, close-knit group of friends: Susie, Ed, and Justin. When a tragic event rocks the group, it sets off a new course for Eve as she learns painful secrets about her friendships and also some important truths about herself and an unexpected someone from her past.
This book explores the beauty of friendship and romance, and how our fondness for those we love can shield us from some hurtful reality. While certainly gutting at times, it’s also the best mixture of sly, funny, and witty.
McFarlane’s writing is so sharp and smart (I especially love her way of spinning humor out of some real awkward moments). And, she manages to end it all on a really touching and satisfying note. Reading this book was just such a pleasure.
This was the second book of Mhairi McFarlane’s that I’ve read, and I can’t wait to read more.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher William Morrow and Custom House for the advance readers e-proof in exchange for an honest review.
This review will be posted to Goodreads immediately and Instagram closer to time of publication.

3.5 stars for me.

Thanks Netgalley for the advanced readers copy.

I went into this one believing it was a rom com and I definitely wouldn’t characterize it as that, although there is a strong friends/lovers theme and an enemies to lovers subplot.

This book is much more about friendship, loss and family secrets/dynamics.

Told from a first person POV - it explores what it’s like to lose your best friend and also realize that she had secrets.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

We to start by saying that we really loved this author’s book If I never Met You. We had hoped this book would be similar.

It really isn’t. It didn’t come close unfortunately!

We have a dysfunctional group of friends that apparently are linked emotionally and sexually (though that’s a surprise for later). Slowly secrets come out when one of them abruptly dies. Our main character, Eve, is super funny and clever and we did enjoy reading about her and watching her find herself after her best friend dies. But her obsession with Ed, who is clearly using her and manipulative, is so annoying. It’s sad that for 3/4 of the book we have to see this snd then boom all of a sudden shes over him after 16 years and in love with Finley to the point of spending dating and spending every other month in America.

We feel bad for Eve when she finds out Ed slept with her best friend and no one told her (THAT IS MESSED UP!). Ed told the other man of their group but Susie never fessed up to Eve. Clearly Ed is a loser before and Susie, “the friend”, doesn’t seem to have been that great of a friend.

It is hard to read this book when it all comes as a reaction to Susie’s death and Susie just isn’t very likeable. Love the main love interest Finley. We had suspicions about why he was estranged from his family and let’s just say they were correct.

Finley’s relationship with our main woman is a sloooooowwww build up. To slow. There isn’t enough heat or romance to really make this book easy to read. Wish we had more of this couple and this build up instead of the friend group and people sleeping with each other. Honestly you don’t get much love/romance until the last 40 pages or so. What’s the point to rush from 3 days spent together searching for his senile father to I love you! Just nope not after we get these snippets of how much she hates him and he her. You think ooo an unrequited love story....wrong....then you think ooo enemies to lovers but what we get isn’t close.

Overall, this book is kind of not what it’s pitched to be. It isn’t a bad story but it isn’t as good as her previous book.

— Staci and Angie

Thirty-somethings Eve, Ed, Justin and Susie have been best friends since high school. But when a tragedy strikes a member of the group, the remaining friends are left not just to mourn, but also to sort out the secrets they never knew they each held. As someone who has lost a best friend and who has lost her husband, there were nuggets about loss that I really related to and thought were right on. Other times it felt a bit overdramatic. But overall I liked this tale of friendship, with a bit of romance on the side, and also the story of one woman's discovering her own value, self-worth and self-esteem.

Thank you publishers and netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review. Mhairi is such a beautiful author. I went into this thinking it was a light rom-com and that it is not. It was deep with actual character development and major guy wrenching emotions. I gave it 5 stars and I already miss reading this!

This is my third of fourth Mhairi McFarlane novel. I really enjoyed her last two books, Don't You Forget About Me and If I Never Met You. All of her main characters have really strong voices and I found myself siding with Eve in this one. Eve, Susie, Ed and Justin have always been close friends and do a weekly a game night. Eve is still trying to fight feelings and move on because she has always loved Ed, but he is with someone else that the group dislikes. One tragic event changes the group forever. This book is so emotional and how do you rebuild your life after tragedy? Just wow and well written. McFarlane knows how to reel readers in, punch them in the gut and then help them learn from it.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!! A definite re-read and I may buy this at publishing date! Thanks to Netgalley, Mhairi McFarlane and Willian Morrow and Custom House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 5/4/21

This book ripped my heart out and brought me on an emotional rollercoaster but then slowly put the pieces back together. The book was worth the heartache.

I think this was the Mhairi McFarlanest of the Mhairi McFarlane books I’ve read. (Which is, coincidentally, all of them.) She has a specific writing style and a manner of unfolding the story - and that was in full effect here. And while I had a good idea of the major players and their roles nothing felt rote Bc McFarlane successfully tackles some big big issues in a beautiful way.
And because I just finished it I’m so tempted to say it’s the best of her books. (I should reread the others for an honest comparison - otherwise it’s the giddy buzz talking.) There were certainly aspects here where she outshone even herself. The beginning of this story was nearly flawless. It brought more emotion than I’d anticipated. It feels as if Ms McFarlane has honed herself to a shiny edge. And this story moves forward gracefully and easily - like a silvery little stream or river. Something natural and lovely.
I cannot recommend this author enough. I talked to another reader recently about how if you read any author enough you find something you can’t adore. But Mhairi and I? We’re not there yet.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to offer my unbiased opinion.

I am so glad I was able to read Just Last Night! It is my favorite Mhairi McFarlane’s book, so far. It ripped me to shreds and sewed me back together again...and I loved every second of it!

I have come to absolutely love Mhairi McFarlane! And this book is exactly what I love about her. It grabbed my attention immediately and I couldn’t put it down. I had all the feels, and I just loved Eve. She grew so much as a character throughout the book. And I am going to tell you, I liked Finlay immediately, even when he was being an “arse.” I loved the darker tone, as this book deals with grief. I had no clue that the main grief event was coming and I was like WHAT OMG?!?! I don’t want you that don’t love romance novels to toss this out. This doesn’t have any of the physical steam in the book, it is more about relationships with friends, as complicated as they can be. And family relationships as well. As I said, I felt all the things reading this book and I highly recommend. **I received a copy of Just Last Night from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

This weekend I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of Just Last Night. This novel releases in May 4, so don’t forget to grab your copy!

Eve has been a part of a fearsome foursome for most of her adult life. Every week, Eve, Susie, Justin and Ed meet up for a pub trivia night. One night, after trivia night, Susie is killed in a tragic accident. Eve, Justin and Ed spend the next few months trying to pick up the pieces of themselves after this terrible loss. Enter Susie’s brother, Finlay. At first, the group hates the estranged brother and fight back against him tooth and nail. Eve is the first to loosen up and show him some support. She finds herself on a wild goose chase helping Finlay search for his senile dad in Scotland. What will happen to the group after the loss of Susie? How will Finlay fit in?

✨My Thoughts✨
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel! It was not your typical lighthearted romance. The author covered some heavy topics and did a really good job of it. I cannot imagine losing my best friend and my heart really went out to Eve in this process.

I loved the characters. Justin was a great source of comedic relief. Finlay was a great romantic lead and I was really rooting for him by the end of the novel. Eve was a likable and relatable leading character.

Lastly, I liked that the novel had many layers and helped show the different stages of grief and how to heal from it. I liked that the book wasn’t just centered around a romance. Instead, it was a story of friendship and loss, with the nice added bonus of a sparking romance at the end.

Going into this book, I really wanted to like it because Mhairi McFarlane has been an author who's books I keep saying I want to read. I ended up DNF the book at 30%, I found the story very slow for my preferences and I could not get into it. Part of me wanted to continue because I really did not like Ed and wanted to see if he would be redeemed, but I couldn't connect. This won't stop me from trying other books of McFarlane's in the future.

The very first book of Mhairi McFarlane's that I read was Don't You Forget About Me, and I had been immediately drawn into the tenderness with which memories were treated. In spite of the pressing weight of any current day struggles, a good memory is cherished like a precious gem. The characters let a better past color an unfortunate present rather than the other way around. It's an approach that necessarily lends itself to nostalgia, wistfulness, and occasionally even regret, but it's a kinder outlook on life, towards others and towards yourself.

In some ways, Just Last Night reminds me of what hooked me onto McFarlane in the first place. Eve holds onto her cherished memories with her loved ones with stubborn loyalty, from the friendships she's culminated to the love she never let go of. Her current situation is not in any way near ideal, but life is buoyed by the glimmering moments of her history. However, after her friend group is irrevocably changed one night, Eve finds herself struggling with the possibility of everything that she learns in the present tainting her memories of the past.

This book is a bit of a darker departure from McFarlane's past works, necessarily due to the heavy subject matter. The words of the day here are Grief and Recovery, applied in a double combo to speak to the seemingly impossible task of rediscovering oneself following disorientingly incomprehensible tragedy. Grief, I've found, is a deeply personal and subjective experience, the turmoil of which can be difficult to put to words, let alone effectively convey to others. Yet I found myself connecting with Eve's emotional journey, and even when her actual path diverged from my imagined one, I fully understood what led her to make her choices. In Just Last Night, McFarlane has created a highly sympathetic character, relatable even her situation might not be.

As can be expected with a Mhairi McFarlane novel, Eve is imbued with a lively personality and charming wit, as are the rest of the characters. I can always come into one of her books and expect an impeccable sense of humor to be weaved throughout the work, shared amongst a lovable cast of characters. There was only one person that I hadn't expected to so successfully manage to endear themselves to me, and that was Finlay.

Like Eve, I had stubbornly made up my mind to stay loyal to her friends, to the point of maintaining a bias against Finlay upon his first appearance. Yet as time goes on, the harsh facade crumbles to unveil a sensitive, misunderstood soul with, of course, an impeccable sense of dry wit. And I, for one, will never not become smitten when a man is revealed to be shy.

Though I can't say that the plot of this book hooked me to the same level as, say, Don't You Forget About Me, I will readily admit that this might be some of McFarlane's strongest writing yet. One of the only issues that I often have with McFarlane's books is feeling as though the ending comes about a little too abruptly. I'm happy to say that this is not the case here. It might not have been my absolute favorite book of hers, but I came out of Just Last Night feeling fulfilled and satisfied, with both the character outcomes and the reading experience - and what more can you ask for than that?

My thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love this book. One of the main reasons is because it make you feel all the emotions through the story and through the characters. There was sadness but at other moments there some very humorous moments.

I started this book thinking it would be a light hearted romance, but it was so much more. I had forgotten how beautifully Mhairi McFarlane weaves in difficult things in life with finding love and happiness. This book was so well written and while there were parts that were difficult to read and filled with grief, the character development and hope makes this story one you don’t want to miss.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. Just Last Night is about four best friends who's lives turn upside-down in an instant. This story mainly follows Eve as she navigates the aftermath of a loss. Her journey is filled with loss, secrets, forgiveness, friendship and love. This was an emotional rollercoaster and was beautifully written. Definitely recommend this one.

Pub Date: May 4, 2021

#NetGalley #JustLastNight