Mhairi McFarlane knocks it out of the park again. I'm always amazed at how diverse her books are. Just Last Night is a bittersweet exploration of grief and friendship.

Just Last Night was about a group of friends who experience an unexpected loss in the group. Through the loss some secrets are revealed that change the dynamic of the friendships. This book had a little bit of everything from loss, friendship, and love and Mhairi McFarlane grabs your attention from the very beginning. This book had more twists and turns than the typical romance novel and leaves you thinking about certain ideas and how you would respond given similar situations. Recommend this book as well as others from this author!

I am so grateful to Netgalley and the author for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

You will be riveted by this story of the secrets and sacrifices of friendship, and the chances and choices that shape our lives. It is a story of relationships defined by savage, unexpected loss, and excavated truths.

"This is what I never knew about loss- it's also about what you gain. You carry a weight that you never had before. It's never behind you. It's alongside you."

Eve and Susie were inseparable their entire lives. They welcomed Ed and Justin into their inner circle sixteen years ago, and they have a solidarity against the world that shields them from the intrusions of the world. Their friendship is a security blanket that insulates them against the unfairness of fate. When tragedy strikes and the linchpin of their friendship is gone, the grip they all thought they had on control spirals uselessly around them.

Eve is flummoxed when Susie's estranged brother Finlay, of the cheekbones like blades and urbane sophistication of New York City, walks back into their lives. He has a monumental task ahead of him, and Eve is recruited as his guide and partner. Despite the loathing she knows she should feel for his abandonment of his family, she remembers that he was her first kiss beneath a tree. She remembers his resignation and calculated aloofness throught adolescence, and wonders if it was a mask.

" I think the truth is: opportunities in life are like doors flashing open and slamming closed, for good. You won't necessarily notice when they're open or get any warning they're going to close. If you don't bolt through them when you can, then that is that."

The luminous moments in this book sparkle like gems throughout the narrative, from astute comparisons with the mechanics of Gatsby to My Best Friend's Wedding. There are even Twin Peaks and Indiana Jones references that call your attention to personal epiphanies. Eve carries the past as a silent, bitter burden. She nurtures her regret with a veneer of caustic imperturbability, while the waters seethe and roil beneath the surface.

Tragedy is a catalyst for Eve's painful awakening from the fog of hopelessness that has followed her. A box full of revelations forces her to scrutinize motives she thought she understood, and unpack years of buried resentment. It creates a cognitive dissonance between her present reality and her past assumptions.

Love is something Eve doesn't expect. She yearns for it, but believes that she lost and found her other half to the whims of fate. She sees Finlay as a mercurial opportunist, until a late night of cocktails and tears drastically alters her perceptions.

I could not put this book down. It subtly and incisively explores motive, unintentional cruelty, and murky emotions. It holds a mirror up to the petty rivalries that shape our actions, and shows how they curtail our vision and our freedom. It is a slow-building love story that excoriates the dynamics of friendship.

Mhairi McFarlane you evil genius, you’ve done it again?!

Honestly, my favorite author ever. She never lets me down 😭💔

Just Last Night. What a book. What a story. A story about how unfair life is and how messy, the missed opportunities, the people we love, the pain of loss and unspoken words and feelings.

Eve. Eve who thought she knew what her life was destined for. Who thought she was spoken for, who, through unimaginable loss grows, but never forgets what makes her herself. She, alongside her friends and people she thought were in her past, rediscover themselves. They rediscover each other. Just Last Night is definitely painful, but it’s a story of love and life and friendship and healing. The recovery that we endure on our own, and together.

Mhairi McFarlane continues to be a rising star of the "chick lit/women's fiction" genre (I hate both of those terms) . Her books are clever, funny, poignant and completely engaging. This one happens to be more gut-wrenching than most of her work, but it still has her distinctive voice.

There's a scene in the beginning of the book that illustrates McFarlane's genius. After a somewhat disturbing trivia pub night with her 3 besties, Eve decides to embark on a one-night stand with a much younger bartender who has been flirting with her. The result is hilarious, cringe-worthy, and enlightening (to both Eve and the reader). And that's just the third chapter.

I don't want to say very much about the rest of the plot because of spoilers, but I will say that Eve is a great heroine: a loyal friend, a smart trivia player, and a skilled writer who is stuck at a less than fulfilling job (the career stuff is less important than you'd think but I appreciate the fact that she is more than competent). Then something happens that blows her world apart. At first I thought the book would go in one direction, but it took several surprising turns that made it even more interesting and complex. So while I can't reveal what happens I can say that Just Last Night is about grief, secrets, friendships viewed in a different light, and the dangers of seeing people from only one point of view. There is tremendous personal growth that comes from Eve's pain. At times it is difficult to read, but McFarlane always throws in a zinger or two that prevent the story from becoming too maudlin. There is a bit of a romance in the mix, although that was the least successful part of the plot IMHO.

I've come to anticipate each new book by this author with the same excitement that I used to devote to Marian Keyes in the late 1990s and early 2000s. If you loved McFarlane's last book, If I Never Met You be warned that this one has a much more serious tone, but if you can handle that in the midst of a worldwide pandemic meltdown you will be amply rewarded.

ARC gratefully received from Net Galley in exchange for honest review.




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DNF. It was a bit too "Britishy" for me and I couldn't get into it. I wanted to like it because of all the other great reviews I have read but unfortunately couldn't

Four stars, but not at all what I was expecting! Judging from the author and the blurb, I thought I was in for a rom-com with a little levity. However, this book was much more about loss and tragedy. It was well-written and very engaging - just not what I thought I was getting myself into. I'd read it again!

3.5

“It’s like my whole life was about traveling back to you.”

Special thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow/Custom House for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first read from McFarlane and her approach on loss, grief and recovery was great.

I enjoyed this read especially as the story picked up and progressed. My favorite part has to be the talk between Finley and Eve. Whether it’s about them getting to know one another or it’s about them grieving, learning and just listening to one another, I love it all. Those scenes and their dynamic were stellar. Which I will also complain about a bit is that the romance was not enough for me, I wish there was more because I’m greedy like that and I thought that the story really picked up once we met Fin which was really nice.

Some moments during the book, I found moved a bit too fast and it could’ve been prolonged more to leave impact which was why it didn't get a full 4 stars from me. And personal bias speaking here but would have love a different outcome for Ed, in my opinion Ed could be blame for the rating on this book too if we had to point fingers. Eve development and growth and her realization by the end of the book was one of my favorite thing to read about aside from the romance and learning about who Finley Hart was as a character. A good read.

A wonderful journey full of the blessing of friendship, devastation in betrayal and grief and the rollercoaster of love. Loved the dynamic and history of the four friends and the truth in how the people who should know you the best, are the ones that can be most surprised by your truth. As someone who reads a lot of similar type books, this one stood out and kept me guessing what would be around the next page. I think the author did a fabulous job with Eve and fully describing her character and the emotional road that unfolds. Only nagging question I had was the timeline of 16 years- just seemed a long time for two to date with no commitment and to leave so many feelings unresolved.

Just Last Night was a really fun and easy read. I really enjoyed having all the different perspectives in this book making it a little different from the usual romance novels I pick up. This book dealt with a lot of grief, and I was worried going into it but I ended up really loving it! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This was a super fun and quick read! I had read the authors previous book last year (If I Never Met You) and thought it was just okay, but this one exceeded low expectations. I found it much more emotional than her other writing. This story is also witty, sharp and precise and I loved the fast pace while still giving us nuanced characters. The only holdover complaint I have with MacFarlane’s books (through no fault of her own) is her UK slang is often very hard to understand as someone who doesn’t live in the UK! Sometimes that takes me out of the moment, because I have to google the meaning of certain turns of phrase. She is definitely one of the most unique voices in romance/fauxmance and I’d be willing to try more of her writing to really get a taste for it.

One of the best books I read this year about friendship lost and love.I lenjoyed the characters this was a beautiful heartfelt amazing story.

Oh how I needed this book!

I think its safe to say that reading-wise, 2020 was my worst year ever. Between the fears and unknowns of the pandemic, and having my husband and kids home with me 24/7, I found it nearly impossible for any story to hold my interest. I read for a mental and emotional escape and after unsuccessfully starting and abandoning several books a week for nearly a year, I began to fear I would never be able to lose myself in a story again. That's probably one of the saddest and most disheartening feelings an avid reader can ever have, but Just Last Night was exactly what I needed to end my losing streak! There was longing, heartbreak, friendship, character growth, romance, and yes, even a little mystery thrown in. I felt deeply for the characters when reading this book and turned page after page anticipating answers to all the questions that arose. It has been forever since I have devoured a book in less than a day!

Susie, Eve, Ed and Justin have been inseparable best friends since high school. Now 34, they are still as close as ever, but like with many close groups of friends, there are hidden secrets between them. When one of them dies suddenly and tragically, it forces the the other three to lean on each other, but it also brings skeletons out of the closet.

Eve, our main character, finds herself wondering where her youth has gone and what she is going to do with her future. An aging Goth, she is single, has a job she feels passionless about, and had spent the past sixteen years in love with Ed - who has all the while been in a long-term relationship with another woman. She has always distracted herself from what she is lacking by focusing all of her energy on her friends, but with the death of one of them, she is led to wonder if her friendship meant as much to them as their's had to her.

Filled with questions and no one to talk to, Eve finds herself confiding in the person her friend's trust the least, but she knows that person can provide her with the most honest answers. This new person exactly what she needs to figure out what she really wants for herself.

And I'll leave it at that because I don't want to give away spoilers, but just know that this book is so well written. You will really FEEL for Eve and you will find yourself relating a little bit to all of the characters. I laughed out loud at certain parts and my heart cracked a little at others. I just loved everything about this story. This is Mhairi McFarlane's best work yet, in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Not going to lie, when I read the first chapter of this one, I almost put it down. Not because the writing was bad, but because it is clear from the first page this is a book about grief, and I wasn't sure I was in the right head space for it. But I pushed through, and I'm really glad I did.

Eve and Susie have been best friends since childhood. Along with their pals Ed and Justin, the foursome have been intrinsically woven together for most of their adult lives. Eve has always been in love with Ed, but keeping her feelings hidden is the only secret she's ever kept from the group. Little does she know, it's most definitely not the only secret. The tight knit group of friends is turned upside down when Susie is hit by a car and killed (this happens very early on in the book). Eve and Ed are left to handle most of the formalities as Susie's dad is suffering from dementia and her brother lives in a different country. Susie and her brother Fin never got along, so when he returns home to take care of arrangements for his sister, the group of friends treat him hostilely, at best. But when Susie's dad disappears, Fin calls on Eve to help him locate his father as Eve is one of the few people the dad still recognizes and responds too. On the trip, and in the aftermath of her best friend's death, Eve learns she didn't know everything about the person she thought she was closest to. Some of the secrets threaten to tear her friends apart, while others might just bring Eve and Fin together. Though the bulk of this book deals with the heaviness of grief and the trauma of losing someone, it does end with an HEA.

I think even if you haven't personally lost anyone in the past year, you've probably thought more about death than you ever had before. I know I have. And because of that, I expected to not enjoy reading this book, but honestly, the opposite was true. It almost felt cathartic? The writing is so gorgeous and heartfelt, and the characters so well drawn, that I felt like I was experiencing their grief with them. And that definitely had moments of feeling heavy and hard, but there was also this moment at the end of hey, we can get through this. The quality of the writing here was so high and the prose so well done that it was one of those books that made my heart physically clench. I really think even if you were hesitant to read a grief book right now, that if you picked this one up, it would still be a phenomenal read.

Nothing beats the feeling of starting off your reading year with Mhairi McFarlane’s upcoming novel—especially when you couldn’t find a moment to read in January—and the feels it brings. As with her previous novels, McFarlane peppers her new romance with heavy topics—death, loss, and abuse in this one—and once again manages not to turn them into sobbing, dreary stories. Her characters are multi-layered and complex, deeply humane, on the lookout for a silver lining, and witty. However, I have to say that I didn’t find McFarlane’s signature humor in this story. And while there is love, I’d say this story is more focused on friendship than love. Which may be why I found myself waiting for the novel to “start already”. It comes around about midway through. But hey, isn’t it best to have a great second half than finishing off with a dull ending? And, regardless, Just Last Night has its share of shocking turns… Loved it—a bit less than her previous novels, but McFarlane remains my top 1 author!
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read an advance copy!

I am not sure if Mhairi McFarlane can do any wrong! I have loved every book of hers that I have read and Just Last Night was no exception. Without giving away spoilers, Eve's devastating loss made her entire friend group realize that there have been some areas of their life where they are settling. Airing out some dirty laundry and facing truths that have been hidden will change their friend group forever. I absolutely love McFarlane's story telling and character development. She dives deep into characters and backstory, weaving the whole tapestry of the book together. It's absolutely lovely to behold.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I was intrigued by the synopsis of the book, so I was glad when I was given the ARC.

4 lifelong friends - always relying on eachother - one night tragedy strikes that blows their whole world apart. The tragedy changes their friendship and perspective on life. Things aren't always what they seem.

From the first page I was intrigued and invested. Definitely a fast read and would recommend it. I can't wait to check out other books by Mhairi McFarlane.

#JustLastNight #NetGalley

I am a fully formed Mhairi McFarlane fan! Every one of her romance novels include beautifully real characters and laugh-out-loud moments. There is real heart and conflict mixed in with some swoon-worthy leading men. Just Last Night is no different.

Eve is content with her life, especially with her tight-knit friend group. When her best friend dies suddenly, the grief of the group challenges much of Eve's long-held beliefs about love and life. A road trip with a brooding enemy changes the whole game. I am not giving too much away here because it is well worth your time to pick this one up!

McFarlane might be compared to Jill Mansell, Marian Keyes, or Kristan Higgins. If heartfelt, funny, and charming romances are for you-- then add McFarlane to your "always read" list!

Just Last Night is my first book by this author and while I enjoyed the story, I wasn't expecting such a sad/grief filled book.

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. But in an instant their lives are changed forever. Eve’s world is upended as secrets are revealed, and she wonders if she really knew her friends as well as she thought she did.

I can't wait to read other books by Mhairi McFarlane. I really enjoyed her writing style and would definitely recommend her!

Wow. Just wow. This was so good. Probably because it went in unexpected places. I thought I was getting set up for one romance, but another one swooped in and it felt right and I loved it. I also loved that the main character, Eve, realizes that she deserves and needs more out of her whole unrequited love thing. I thought that all of the characters in this one, Eve, Susie, Justin, Ed, and Fin, were very developed. I didn't want this one to end at all and re-read it twice already.

"Just Last Night" follows 30 something Eve and her three friends, Ed, Susie, and Justin, at their regular Thursday night quiz nights. 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.

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.

Eve is a heroine that I found myself rooting for from beginning to end. "Just Last Night" not only shows you loss, but also secrets that are kept not only from Eve, but from other people as well. I liked the fact that you don't really know what's going on with other people, and how things revealed, even if long ago, can still burn.

Since this is told in the first person, via Eve, you do get to see her character developed, but you also get to see some changes to others like Ed and even Fin.

What a great book and it just has me wanting to re-read McFarlane's backlist again.