Between Us felt less like a romance and more like a “woman’s journey to discover her truth in her relationship.” Essentially, Roisin realizes that her long-term boyfriend used information she told him in confidence and added it to his new TV show he’s written. And it makes her realize that there may be more he’s lying about.

Most of this book is back and forth between Roisin and Joe. There’s discussion of family trauma, gaslighting, and the sunk cost fallacy. Roisin, despite breaking up with Joe and never wanting to get back together, just wants to know the truth of what he did; whether or not the nine years they were together were entirely a lie. I can empathize, I would want to know all that my “partner” had lied about. But it felt almost obsessive.

And her new romance, with the one that had been there all along, felt a bit contrived. It was easy to guess his feelings towards her, but hers felt reactive to the trauma of her break-up.

Despite everything, Mhairi McFarlane is a wonderful author that always sucks me in and gets me interested in the characters. Even though this was less of a romance, I still really enjoyed Between Us and will happily read more from this author.

3.5 stars

I enjoyed reading Between Us, but I think it fits more neatly into contemporary fiction than it does romance. The romance is de-centered as the vast majority of the book is devoted to Roisin and Joe's breakup. Although I was interested in the breakup storyline, I thought it went on too long. I wanted less of the breakup and more of the romance. I liked the couple, particularly the male love interest. An epilogue would have maybe left me more satisfied and balanced out the book.

Despite some criticism, Mhairi McFarlane shines in her creative breakup plot line, exploration of gaslighting, and the dynamics of the long-term friend group.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Roisin and Joe join their friends for a weekend at a country house, but by the time the weekend is over, her life has imploded. Joe uses private things from their relationship in his new TV show. When things reach a boiling point, she returns home to help her family run their pub. When her always dysfunctional family doesn't help, she comes back into contact with an old friend, who is there for her in ways she never knew she needed.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Roisin Walters, an English teacher, and Joe Powell, an up-and-coming screenwriter have been together for nearly a decade. Joe has been working on and getting ready to premiere a new detective show. While Roisin and Joe are away for a weekend with their friends, they sit down to watch it, but it seems like several of the details included in the show have been taken from real life and this has made Roisin extremely uncomfortable. Specifically, it is an affair that makes Roisin uneasy and questions the last decade with Joe. Is everything between them a lie?

Roisin's mother asks her to come home during her summer break and help her with the bar that she owns as she is understaffed, and she agrees to do so. A friend that Roisin and Joe kind of/sort of stayed with them during their weekend away ends up coming to assist Roisin and her mother, and Roisin discovers not only a new perspective, but new feelings about herself, the world, and this friend.

I'm a little torn as to whether or not I like this book. I thought that there was entirely too much detail and this book could have been at least 100 pages shorter. It was difficult to understand at first what the plot of the story was in the first place, and it seemed as if there were two different plot lines that were combined to make one story.

However, the last 25% were the most interesting for me. It could have been the fact that I was a little more invested in Roisin's journey or whether I just wanted to get the book done, I'm not really sure, but I had to know Roisin's character development and how the story would conclude. Honestly, the last line to conclude the whole story was a little weak and I would have maybe liked an epilogue, but beggars can't be choosers, I guess.

While the book seemed a bit disjointed at times, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't the most captivating thing I've ever read.

Mhairi is one of my favorite authors and this book was everything I wanted it to be! The toxic relationship between Roisin and Joe felt so real, and the romance was perfectly swoony. I loved it!

This was the first book I have read by this author. I loved the blurb to this book and thought it was right up my alleyway. But I could not connect with the characters and the pace was very slow to get into.

I want to thank Netgalley and Avon for allowing me to get this arc. All opinions are my own and I will not be reviewing this book on any other platforms.

3.5 ⭐️s

It's always helpful to remember that McFarlane's Books lean more toward Women's Fiction with a side of romance, and this one was no different.

I have to be honest and say it took me a good while to get into this book–about halfway maybe–but then something clicked and all of a sudden I was invested.

I could always count on a Mhairi McFarlane book to be well written and thoughtful; always with imperfect but interesting characters. She really is just so eloquent and witty.

While this one wasn't a favorite, I'm definitely still reading her next book.

CW (not limited to MCs): cheating, gaslighting, mention of abortion

Thank you for the ARC, Avon and NetGalley!

I've loved Mhairi McFarlane's stories since I first picked up If I Never Met You. I am currently trying to work through her backlist while also keeping up with her latest. I was lucky enough to get a finished copy of Between Us through the publisher as well as an eARC. I devoured it in less than a day.

McFarlane's books are often a balance between women's fiction and romance. Between Us follows the demise of a long-term relationship and the friendships tied with it. Roisin and Joe's relationship has been deteriorating, but it is not until things she confided in him appear on his new show that she finally ends it.

It's an introspective story as Roisin mourns the loss of who they used to be to each other, or at least who she used to be to Joe. As she reflects on how people and relationships may change, hindsight also allows her to recognize that you may never know someone as well as you think you do. Like the rest of McFarlane's books I've read, Between Us left me with a lot to think about--love, family, and friendships. It also evoked my longing for things to stay the same, especially when I already know change is inevitable.

Read this if you like
✨️women's fiction
✨️strong friendships
✨️love in unexpected places
✨️witty humor and sarcasm

Many thanks to the publisher for the reading copies.

I feel comparisons may be made between this book and Emily Henry’s Happy Place in that they both feature groups of friends that may or may not be drifting apart. I liked Roisin a bit more than the main character in Happy Place, though. I liked Meredith and Gina as well, but wish that Dev and Anita had featured more. They felt less like necessary characters and more like a necessary plot device used as an excuse to throw everyone together over and over.

I thought the book’s pace was done well and I thought the evolution of the different relationships throughout felt realistic and not rushed. I did have an issue, however, with the way chapters were done. I haven’t noticed this in her other books, but chapters were very short. Typically when I’m reading, I anticipate chapters to indicate scene breaks. But more often than not in this book, a chapter will end and then the new chapter starts with literally the next line of dialogue in the same conversation we were just reading. It threw me off almost every time. I just had not idea what to expect with a new chapter starting.

Overall, I enjoyed this book as much as I’ve enjoyed her other ones. I think she could have gone even deeper into some characters if she’d wanted to.

Note: I received a digital copy of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy Mhairi McFarlane's books, and this one is no exception. I do find the Romance classification a bit off. General and/or women's fiction, sure, but so much of this book is about a long term relationship coming to an end and realizing not everything is as it seems. If you are looking for a Romance book, this isn't it. But I think it's a very good look at friend groups, and how they evolve as we age and couple and decouple within them. If you liked Emily Henry's Happy Place but don't necessarily want/need a steamy romance front and center, I think you would like this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for my honest review.

Oy.

I was *really* excited to get my hands on this book. Not only is it an author I have really been wanting to try out, but it was also a storyline that I could get excited about. The blurb sounded perfectly charming and the exact sort of thing that would pull me in.

Unfortunately, I wasn't pulled in. This is very likely a "me" problem in that, as a reader who reads primarily romance, I really want the romance to fire up and make me FEEL things. I am not patient about it either and ultimately this book required a bit of patience. The pacing was slow and there was a lot of "other stuff" going on that left me feeling frustrated when I wanted to feel entertained (and swoony).

I wholeheartedly appreciate the opportunity to read and review, but in the end, this one wasn't for me.

mhairi mcfarlane is an IMMENSE TALENT, the writing was engaging, the characters raw and real, and honestly the storyline messed w my own head, had me questioning who was in the wrong who was right

i do think it’s a bit of a stretch to play this off as a romance rather than more of just a general fiction, especially because it lacks a lot for me in the way of developing a couple. but i guess mcfarlane attempts to address this by using the last chapter and roisins class on endings vs beginnings as an explanation of the ending of her own story.

that being said, delightful, well written, vivid and aggressively relatable (if not painfully relatable at times)

Mhairi McFarlane's 'Between Us' takes readers on a journey through the vibrant streets of Manchester, adding a touch of familiarity for those who love the city. With memorable scenes set at Deansgate Waterstones, the characters find themselves entangled in a web of relationships and personal growth. Roisin and Matt's dynamic brings an enjoyable depth to the story, and their individual journeys reveal both entertaining and caring sides. While there were some characters that felt privileged and annoying, the book navigates important themes of self-discovery and the consequences of holding onto past relationships. It may take some time to fully engage with the story, but the pages fly by when Roisin and Matt take center stage. 'Between Us' is a satisfying and unexpected tale that explores the complexities of love and personal growth."

* Thank you NetGalley for this arc

I had a hard time with this one, I didn’t really enjoy or side with any of the characters. It was hard to understand and empathize with them when I had a hard time even liking them.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy. I did not enjoy this. I get there was lack of character development and I got 15% in and could not find a plot.

I always find it helpful to be reminded that Mhairi’s books aren’t romances in the traditional sense (most notably that the love story isn’t the main plot line here). That being said, her stories, Between Us included, sure packs a punch but I wish so badly that her main character didn’t always spell things out so literally (and I would pay money for no character to ever have the dialogue “hahaha” again)

3.5 stars.

Mhairi McFarlane's "Between Us" was a mixed bag for me. It took until the halfway mark for me to get invested in the story, and even then, it's not the best book I've ever read. I usually DNF books like this, but something compelled me to finish it. The premise is very drama-heavy, so if you don't like that, avoid this book. Joe and Roisin and four of their college buddies, Meredith, Gina, Matt, and Dev, have gotten together for an evening to celebrate an engagement, a birthday, and a new job. Joe and Roisin have been together for nearly a decade. He has recently gotten hired to write a television show, so their friends have gathered to watch the debut episode. When the show starts, Roisin finds that several of the private things she told Joe in confidence made it into his script without her acknowledgment or approval. Roisin basically has to decide whether she wants to confront Joe or let it go. When her mom needs her in the middle of all of this relationship and friendship drama, Roisin travels back to her hometown to help work in the family pub and finds an unexpected companion in Matt, who has drifted away from the group as of late. As they become closer and closer, Roisin wants to find out the truth about some of the other things in the show Joe wrote.

This book is, at its core, about relationships, romantic or otherwise. Joe and Roisin have been together a decade but hardly know one another. Roisin's mom has lived her life in denial. Matt doesn't tell anyone his deepest, darkest secrets. Everyone is hiding *something,* and Roisin wants to know, specifically, what Joe has been up to on his work trips away. These aspects of the story really worked for me. There is drama, intrigue, gaslighting, lies, secrets, family trauma... all of the ingredients for one explosive stew. This story unfolds almost like a mystery novel, and I kept itching to know the answers. Unfortunately, this book is dreadfully slow, even with all of the right elements at play. While there are comedic parts here, just be aware THIS IS NOT A ROMANTIC COMEDY. Though there are romantic factors here, the "romance" isn't really the point. It's about the uncovering of information, and trust me, there is A LOT of stuff going on here. I feel like "Between Us" is so, so close to being a 4-star novel... it's just too slowly paced to nudge it over the edge. Some of it is gripping, but a lot of it feels like filler. I will still read Mhairi McFarlane's other novels, but I am tepid at best about this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mhairi McFarlane, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Buckle up, friends: this one subverts traditional romance expectations.

This is probably the best place to start. I wouldn’t call this a fluffy read, but McFarlane gives us everything we’d want in a romance in the most nuanced way. She delicately balances readers between humor and heartache to create a story that carries the emotional weight realistically. The characters are well-developed and we see the absoulte affects of gaslighting, broken trust, and building new relationships based on mutual understandings. However, we’re not just focused on one type of love; we’re given a host of different kinds of relationships to navigate and their value because no one type is inherently better than any other.

Her characracters were relateable with the quirkiest sense of humor. A humor that fantastically offest heavier aspects of the events and effects of Roisin’s struggles and breakup without trying too hard or coming off as cringe. These people also stopped to think and overthink about everything, too. Instead of getting over the top situations with people barreling on obliviouly, there were real consequences to actions and reactions. The situations, thoughts, and feelings were real, and McFarlane never shied away from discussing gaslighting, gossip, cheating ,and difficult relationships with family, friends, and lovers. However, this isn’t a sad book even though there were several times it felt like my heart was breaking for Roisin. I loved reading because it was so bittersweet to be confronted with making the right choice and the easy choice, then watching her grow beyond the fear to finally achieve a satisfying resolution to the problem overall.

And… I just really liked how it ended because it was a healthy relationship with an adorable evolution that just made sense in many different ways. Sometimes, I’m a simple being.

McFarlane’s writing was easy to follow and really get into. Honestly, I binged this book in like two days. It’s a definite recommend for me, and she’d easily be an auto-buy author.

I’m a fan of Mhairi McFarlane and while
It’s not a favorite it is still a good time. Well written and thoughtful as always, but some of the plot was not believable for me. It’s a lot of obsessions for one group. Still the characters were complex and held my attention. It is on trend this summer that the story revolves around a long term group of friends facing a reckoning but I’m here for it! Thank you NetGalley for this arc I’m exchange for my honest review.

After discovering that at least one scene in her boyfriend's new TV show is based on reality--a story she told him in confidence--Roisin starts to question what other real-life events may have inspired the rest of the show. Unable to trust him, Roisin calls off their decade-long relationship and returns home to help out at her family's pub where she reconnects with a friend.

I requested this on NetGalley because it was in the romance section, but I would say this is not your typical romance (at least it was not what I had been expecting at all). From the beginning, this gave me dark, sinister vibes and that really kept me intrigued all the way through. Joe's duplicity takes a front seat to the romance and it honestly felt like I was reading a mystery/thriller or psychological drama at some points. Along with the interesting plot, we also get a great cast of characters and a sweet romance. This is my first book by Mhairi McFarlane, but will not be the last! 4.5/5