I’ve read a few books by Mhairi McFarlane in the past and I’ll say if you usually enjoy her writing you will also enjoy Between Us. I’d classify this as less of a romance and more of a contemporary fiction with a side of romance, though there is plenty of drama here - I was so invested that I read the whole book in one day.

The main story follows Roisin and her group of friends, The Brian Club, as they get together for a weekend to celebrate a series of major life events. Things quickly go off the rails and from that weekend on Roisin’s life and the whole group dynamic completely changes after ten years of friendship.

I really loved how Roisin followed her gut when it came to her suspicions about Joe. I loved her relationships with her friends, especially Gina and Meredith. They really felt like a solid friend group who were there for one another, no judgements or questions asked. It was refreshing to see that with a group who have been friends for so long. I wish we had been able to see more of the group’s backstory as I felt the romance in the second half of the novel kind of came out of nowhere.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for an advance copy.

Roisin and Joe have been together for ten years. They met in a bookshop, and formed a friend group called the Brian Club. The Club is now getting together to celebrate ten years of friendship, an upcoming wedding, and the premiere of the new show Joe’s written. The show hits a little too close to home for Roisin when she sees scenes play out that mirror things she told Joe in confidence. This is the last straw for their already strained relationship, and Roisin decides to end it despite what it might do to their friend group. The group is already strained as well due to secret crushes and old jealousies, so what will this mean for all of them? Mhairi McFarlane is great at writing friend groups. In fact, this book would’ve been better if it focused more on the friends instead of Roisin’s focus on Joe’s behavior. Her hyper fixation is justified, but it was too drawn out. This book felt like it could have been three separate books, one about the friend group as a whole, another about Roisin helping her Mom at her bar, and the third about Roisin’s past and new budding relationships. Instead, the reader is left with these great storylines that aren’t as fleshed out as they could be. Ultimately, this was a good read, but with some more pages, could have been great.

This was a quick and easy read! Solid 3.5 stars. I really enjoyed the female main character, Rosin, and her group of friends. Some parts of the story fell a little flat for me but the witty banter and character development was a plus! Still would recommend to readers

'Between Us' tells the story of Roisin, a British high school teacher in a long-term relationship with Joe, a television writer whose star is on the rise. Their relationship has staled and stagnated over the years, and Roisin is unsure whether to put in more effort or call it quits... that is, until scenes in Joe's new television series echo their reality in such a way that Roisin questions whether he's ever been worthy of her trust. With the help and support of her longtime friends, Gina, Meredith, and Matt, a handsome playboy with surprising depths, Roisin takes time and makes efforts to suss out the extent of Joe's duplicity, if any there is. She's on a journey to discover whether she's ready to trust again, both herself and anyone else.

I'm a big Mhairi McFarlane fan, and this book is mostly really pretty good. Now for the nitpicking: This novel lines right up with many of McFarlane's usual themes, but isn't among her best. The romance is delightful, but it doesn't get enough real estate and its central conflict is resolved too easily. The time we spend with Roisin outside her romantic plot drags somewhat, partly because this novel lacks some of the comedy at which McFarlane usually excels. In the end, we're rooting for the characters and happy to see the good guys win and the bad guys get their comeuppance. I definitely enjoyed the read, but when I reach for a Mhairi McFarlane classic, 'Between Us' won't be it.

Many thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the eARC.

I am absolutely obsessed with Mhairi McFarlane's books. Between Us was one of my most anticipated reads this year. So you can imagine my absolute elation when a physical copy landed in my hands -- although TBH, I would have also purchased anyways. This falls along the lines of what used to be called women's fiction. Between Us follows Roisin who has this amazing group of long term friends called the Brian Club after a shared retail work experience. The group is celebrating the engagement of one of the members and capping off the weekend together screening Joe's new show. Joe is a screenwriter and Roisin's boyfriend. As it turns out though, Joe's show reveals something that Roisin told him in confidence. And so, she sees threads of other real life things. They break up and Roisin returns home to help her mom run a pub. Support comes to Roisin from an old, unexpected friend.

McFarlane has such a talent for writing relationships, friendships and the beginning of something new from unexpected quarter. Between Us is the third book I've read by McFarlane and I have noticed some common themes between the three books. Namely that something bad happens to the main character and that a relationship happens, but from someone unexpected and it is a long slow burn. However, as my previous experience proves, the payoff is immense. I love a slow burn and longing. So, this book was absolutely perfect for me. If you are a fan of Emily Henry, I think that you will really enjoy picking up Mhairi McFarlane's books. As for me, I have a few of her backlist to read through but I am also going to be on pins and needles for the next book.

4.5 stars.

The vibes.
- mystery plot
- large friends group
- Found family
- Unexpected journey

My thoughts:
When I jumped into this novel- I came into it hoping it would be similar to previous Mhairi books I’ve read. It did not disappoint! Mhairi delivers on drama, twists and turns, comedy, and a really complex story. There’s romance but definitely not the focus.
I really enjoyed this one. It felt really cozy and I was so intrigued the entire time. I really recommend it if you’re looking for a more interesting plot type of romance.

Releasing august 8.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Mhairi McFarlane, and Avon and Harper Voyager for the copy of this book to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


*note- posted on bookbub, Instagram, goodreads, and barnes and noble. Links provided. Will be posted on Amazon after release date when Amazon allows me to.

This is a contemporary fiction with a rollercoaster ride of different emotions in it. The book focuses on the lead character, Roisin who is in a toxic relationship and he boyfriend uses their own relationship inspiration for his new television show which leaves her devastated as the things she shared with him in private are all out to the public.
She tries to get over this heartbreak by escaping from the drama but will she be able to escape in actual? Will she be able to find the type of love she deserves?
The author has written down the an very interesting emotional story of a girl healing up from an toxic relationship and getting over it with amazing set of side characters and scenarios involved in it. The narration of the book is so smooth and easy that the readers are able to enjoy the spirit of the book. Each character shines throughout the book as the author has well potraited each and every character. The book is being layered nicely with the situation and incidents that were quite interesting to read. The characters in the plot kept me hooked till the end. Each has been given sufficient scope to contribute to the plot. The language used is lucid.

I've read previous works from McFarlane and liked how she delved into toxic relationships. In this book, Roisin's boyfriend Joe created a tv show that highlights things that were supposed to be private between the two of them. She is understandably upset and leaves the vacation that they are on with friends to go home and work at her family's pub. Then Nate, her old friend, shows back up in her life and is there for her.

In this book there is a lot of gaslighting happening from Joe and emotionally draining family dynamics. I didn't like how long the book stayed on this relationship. I feel like once the show aired the trust was broken. I wanted Rosie to have more time to rebuild her life and us as readers to really get to know Nate and Rosie as a pair. I think their relationship was really rushed and she jumped in very quickly.

if you want light and fluffy, this book isn't for you. There are trigger warnings, toxic relationships, and it digs deep into family issues & self growth.

This was a bit of a hard book for me to rate, tbh.

McFarlane is an excellent writer. Like, truly one of the best. Her stories are whip-smart and so, SO funny. I haven't laughed out loud at a book like this in a while. She writes an ensemble cast incredibly well and I honestly enjoyed reading this book for the quality of the writing alone.

But the plot was just kind of ??? for me? The pacing felt a little bit off and I wasn't really vibing with the story itself in the first half or so. It definitely picked up but it was overall just kind of an odd story and I'm not sure I bought Roisin's eventual relationship.

But like I said, fantastic, enjoyable writing and still worth a read!

A big thank you to Avon and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review! BETWEEN US is out 8/8/23!

To have spent 10 years with a guy to find out you didn't know him at all... This story really picked up with the viewing of Joe's new show - he betrayed Roisin and it made her question pretty much everything. Interesting read. The story really kept me involved and wanting to know the truths of the various characters.

Interesting conundrum in the relationship department🤔

The underlying premise in Between Us and the way the romantic issues ended up really made this book sing for me. The writing is good though a bit drawn out and, for an American reader, relies maybe too much on British cultural references and jargon. It's romantic but with virtually no heat or intimacy, which is an aspect I liked.

The main characters all belong to a small clique that have hung on to their friendship for the decade since they all worked together as young adults in a bookstore. The author actually mentions the movie Peter's Friends and this reminded me very much of that type of camaraderie, or, for American reference, maybe something like the characters in St. Elmo's Fire ten years on.

Joe, Roisin's long-term boyfriend, is something else! and I liked the sleuthing she undertakes to determine just how truthful he's been about his fidelity after he blindsided her with the content of his latest TV production. Roisin is definitely the central character and the story all comes out from her POV. I did not connect with her that well but found her conundrum realistic and her handling of things showed a maturity and strength, though she's not quite as adept at dealing with her own family. Matt, the bachelor in the group and a bit of an odd man out, I understood and sympathized with much better.

The author entertained me and, after a slower start, I really got interested in the outcome. Particularly when Matt becomes a bigger focus in the story.

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

dnf @ 9%
i tried really hard but i felt like i was swimming in quicksand. i thought maybe once i got to the premise it'd be better but then i saw a review where that doesn't happen until a third through and i couldn't force myself to slog through it for that long. (also not the biggest fan of a teenage boy sexually harassing the main character, his teacher, and it's being played for laughs. like straight up everyone is laughing at him asking about her sex life and telling her to get an oil massage on her vacation.) i just know it would be three stars max and i could be reading books i enjoy more.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

BETWEEN US – Mhairi McFarlane
Avon
ISBN: 978-0-06-311799-0
August 8, 2023
Contemporary Fiction

England – Present Day

Schoolteacher Roisin Walters is spending the weekend with her group of friends at a country house outside London. Roisin’s longtime boyfriend Joe will be there, along with a newly engaged couple, Dev and Anita. Joe is celebrating the premiere of his newest tv show and the news that he is going to sign a deal for a new show in the United States. Things have been off between Joe and Roisin for a while, but this weekend’s trip finally has her realizing that maybe he hasn’t been truthful with her. Seems the protagonist of his “fictional” show has been sleeping with other women behind his girlfriend’s back. Meanwhile, another friend of the group, Matt, arrives with a hoity-toity new girlfriend who insists that all phones must be locked away. That is when Roisin recognizes the woman as a famous actress. To be clear, the weekend is turning into a disaster. By the time it ends, Roisin knows that she needs to break off with Joe, but how can she explain the reasons why with no proof?

BETWEEN US reads like an ensemble piece but it is told only from Roisin’s point of view. She has devoted ten years of her life to Joe, supporting him as he worked his way into writing success. He is now at the pinnacle of his career and Roisin is wondering if she was just someone that he used to get where he wanted. It is particularly embarrassing when she recognizes in the television show characters that not only resemble their friends, but situations. Including something that she told him in confidence which happened to her as a child. Joe brushes away her concerns as if trivial. That is when she lets him know that maybe it’s time that they go their separate ways. But Joe asks her to hold off announcing it. She agrees but soon realizes that he may be continuing to lie to her.

There are several characters in BETWEEN US that Roisin talks to, but it is Matt who Roisin turns to and confides in what is going on between her and Joe. He offers to help her. Joe has through the years made fun of Matt, who comes off as a bit of a playboy. But once Roisin finally gets to know him, she learns that he is kind and helpful. Will he help her get to the bottom of Joe’s lies? Will this group of friends stay together despite the breakup of one couple? Roisin is going through a lot of emotions in BETWEEN US. She had put up with a lot living with Joe and now he treats her like a piece of baggage to be tossed out as he moves on to his next adventure. He is more concerned about how things look to the public than about her feelings.

BETWEEN US plays like a drama and is an emotional journey for Roisin. Will she take the right path to a future filled with happiness? Find out the answer by grabbing a copy of this tale.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

I enjoyed this book but I did wish it focused less on the breakup. At first, I was fine with it but it felt like it dragged on and on. The romance itself was super cute! And I enjoyed the characters. Overall, I would recommend this book to fellow romance lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Mhairi McFarlane never fails to delight and Between Us is no exception.

On it's face, this book rests on a simple premise: Roisin and her boyfriend of 10 years, Joe, a screenwriter, are celebrating with friends at a country estate. When they watch the premier of Joe's new show, Roisin is horrified to discover that her very personal life details have been woven into the script. It calls into question everything she thought she new about her partner and shatters her trust in him.

And that's about it. Not much happens in the book other than relationship/friendship trials. If you're looking for an action heavy plot, you best look elsewhere. But oh my goodness you'd be missing one heck of a story. It's got it all--laughter and tears and the voice is unbelievably amazing. Every time I dip into a McFarlane book I think that she should give a master class on dialogue. Subjectively, this is something that can make or break a reading experience for me. Her words just flow effortlessly--filled with wit, charm, and heart. And her characters are so darn likable. Flawed, yet real. She could be writing about any one of us.

Many thanks to Avon Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book through NetGalley. It was an absolute pleasure and one that I'll certainly recommend.

Mhairi McFarlane has long been on my list of authors to read—I’ve seen so many rave reviews from readers I trust that I just knew I would love her work . . . and I was right!

Between Us is a lovely, compelling romance centered on Roisin Walters, a young woman who joins her boyfriend Joe and their long-time friends for a celebration at a luxurious weekend getaway. They’re going to celebrate the launch of Joe’s new show, their friend Dev’s engagement to Anita, and their friend Gina’s birthday, along with Meredith and Matt, the final two members of the group who first bonded when they worked together right out of college.

The weekend does not go as planned. The tension that has been simmering in Roisin and Joe’s relationship surfaces, prompted by the revelation that Joe has used some of Roisin’s family’s secrets on his show. Joe and Matt, who have never been the tightest friends, are sparring, and Matt fumbles through some horrific missteps with Gina, who has had a crush on him forever. It seems their friend group may not survive the weekend.

The novel focuses on the aftermath of the disastrous getaway, on Roisin’s attempts to avoid tension by returning to her hometown to help her mom with her family’s pub, as well as her desire to get to the bottom of Joe’s behavior . . . and on Matt’s valiant efforts to maintain a friendship with Roisin.

McFarlane brilliantly builds both a sense of what made this group so central to each character and also the ways that the years have changed the dynamics between the friends. Roisin is a strong central character whose complex relationships—with Joe, with her friends, and with her family—have shaped her into a compelling and compassionate woman who nevertheless expects to be treated with care and respect and honesty.

I love the way that Roisin and Matt’s friendship grows through the novel, the way that they work through the conflicts of the initial weekend and the challenges that occur as they contend with all that was uncovered. There’s a nuance throughout the novel that in no way took away from the romance. Between Us will definitely not be my last McFarlane novel!

I guess I don't understand the point of this book. Most of it is about her and her ex and figuring out if he cheated on her while also falling in love with her friend. It was super slow and I don't feel like she had any character growth. It just felt pointless to me.

I received an arc through netgalley.

He’d been the body on the other side of her bed since she was twenty-three. Ending it felt huge.

Starting off when Roisin was twelve and learning that her parents had an open relationship, the story then jumps twenty-two years to Roisin's own on the rocks relationship. She's an English secondary school teacher who supported her boyfriend Joe for years but now with a successful tv series under his belt and lots of buzz about his new one about to debut, his screenwriting is taking off. Roisin can't tell if all this success and stress of an exploding career is temporarily causing this distance between them or if the problem has been building for some time. When the group of friends they made working as young twenty somethings at a bookstore, calling themselves the Brian Club, has them getting together for a weekend to celebrate an engagement and birthday, Roisin sees it as an opportunity to really think about if she wants to stay with Joe.

Faking it never really worked.

With a Mhairi McFarlane book, you're usually going to get a highly emotional read with all the highs and lows of life, this was no exception. I did think the beginning felt very jumbled with a good amount of characters coming at us readers and trying to work out who was who and how they fit into the picture, relationships. The first half felt more trying to be ensemble piece before the second half zeroed in more on Roisin and her trying to work out her life. With all the characters, some ended up feeling distant to me, Meredith and Dev of the Brian Club, along with Dev's fiancee, played roles but were jostled in the crowd too much. The second half had Roisin weakly saying and thinking it was over with Joe after she feels betrayed about something personal she told that he ended up using in his new show and reveals a different side to him that she never allowed herself to see before, making her question what else could be true from his life that appeared on the show. With his smooth talking ways, he says they'll talk about it more when he comes back from a trip to America. This leaves Roisin to think about if she is seeing things that aren't there or if their relationship is really over. When she has a panic attack at school, she starts her summer break early and with her mom saying she had a health scare and needs help at the family's pub, Roisin uses it as an opportunity to escape and get distance from her life. This also brings in one of members of the Brian Club, Matt, as he helps out at the pub and their relationship starts to take on a new look as they finally get time alone together.

She wanted to find a better part of herself for Matt, someone who wasn’t bedazzled by Mean Boys.

After a start that I thought was a little harder to get into, I loved the second half. The relationships and dynamics of the Brian Club get fleshed out more and Roisin has time and distance to really wade through her emotions, about her relationship with Joe and how her parent's relationship and her relationship with them affected how she views love. Throughout, Roisin is trying to figure out if Joe ever cheated on her, because of something on the show she saw, and that hovers over for the majority of the story until the latter second half when Roisin gets her answer. I thought the changing dynamic and opening up of Roisin's eyes in regards to her relationship with Matt was aching sweet and though it kind of stays to the sides, until a sudden spotlight scene, her relationship with her mother was also a deceptively hit you hard all of a sudden.

Odd how microscopic pauses could be so decisively revealing.

I thought some of the last twenty percent felt a little disjointed, with a looking like a happy ending only to revert focus back on the question of Joe's cheating to help bring in a quick dark moment. I hesitate to label this Chik-Lit as it doesn't feel light enough, if you want an exploring of emotions and relationships, Contemporary Fiction with Romance, a Kate Clayborn adjacent, definitely pick this up. Like I said, this touched on all the highs and lows of life and while I don't think it ever did lasting stays in the doldrums of the topics (cheating, abortion, child sexual abuse), they still packed a punch. This author has an amazing ability to really bring truth and feeling to life's emotions, whether it's struggles within yourself or with others. A heart warming smile was brought to my face over a reveal of feelings between characters but also watery eyes from pain the characters were enduring, to a delighted sigh at the happy start ending.

Between Us is my first contemporary read by Mhairi McFarlane but will definitely NOT be my last!

Roisin and Joe are celebrating an engagement, birthday, launch of Joe's new television show and other happy things at a beautiful manor. Yet as the party continues, Roisin begins to feel that things are not all rainbows and butterflies anymore. After watching the first episode of Joe's new show, those feelings are pushed to the forefront. What other secrets was her love of forever, Joe, keeping from her? Who will still be standing by her side when she thought that everything would stay between Joe and her?

I started and finished Between Us in a few sittings, not able to put down McFarlane's latest novel. I wanted to care for most people in the friend group and quickly found myself hating Joe, thanks to the writing style. The short, fast paced chapters and "punchable" plot lines made this book a win in my book. While some of the quirky lines I couldn't relate to or found myself rolling my eyes, they didn't take away from the overall story. I cannot wait to pick up other books that are written by Mhairi McFarlane!

This was my first book read of this author and I'd definitely read more in the future. Honestly it took me a bit to get into this one because it's based in Britain so the slang is different. I learned a new word "indefatigable", had to look this one up and what is a "fleitarian"! I understand having a unique name spelling and adapted to calling Roisin, Rosaleen. But I absolutely loved her transition from not realizing how much she was being patronized to truly loved. I loved the description of Matt, as a young Harrison Ford. This one has a mother/daughter story line also. I related to this book so much from when I was this age. I'm planning on buying this book for a young friend who is finishing school next year to be a teacher.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy release date #08/08/2023. All opinions are my own.