If you haven't read Mhairi McFarlane yet, you are missing out! Her previous novels had me laughing, crying, and maybe even had some lustful sighing. Just Last Night was no different. I must say, though, I had to put this down for a little while because the depth of her writing had me feeling a LOT of things and I needed to take a breather to remind myself it wasn't happening TO ME. That's how invested I was! British wit, some dark humor, and a brilliant handling of a heavy topic were just what I wanted.

After reading Don’t You Forget About Me, I was hooked on this author. Though I really enjoyed that book, I liked this one even more. Just Last Night is filled with humor, sorrow as well as deep insights. The story kept me interested, engaged and rooting for Eve, the main character. It would be challenging for me to discuss the book without spoilers, so if you want to be surprised, stop reading here.

Each character in the story was well crafted, and together, they were more than the sum of their parts. The story revolves around Eve coming to terms with her grief over the death of her best friend, Susie. I was immediately drawn in by McFarlane’s beautiful, raw and candid descriptions of Eve’s journey through the stages of grief. “Our dearest girl, not here. Here Not Hereness gives me a low hard stomach pain, what she and I used to call the empty sads.” Eve’s relationships with the other characters – Ed, Justin, and even the absent Susie – were complicated and authentic. I was especially intrigued by Eve’s relationship with Finlay, riding the waves of discovery along with her. The layers of secrets that Eve uncovered throughout the story made it really hard to put the book down. I loved the ending but was sad that the story was over.

My thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in any way.

I was so worried that Just Last Night wouldn't live up to my inner hype because I have this habit of sticking McFarlane on a pedestal and I'm just hoping that I can keep her up there for forever. I'm thrilled to report that this was everything I hoped for. I sat down and binged this delightful morsel in a day, and may have put off some adulting even after finishing to sit and think about what McFarlane has created.

Just Last Night was heart-wrenching, incredibly funny (dry British humor is my jam), and a beautiful sort of messy that I found myself nodding along with. While I have this listed as a romantic comedy, honestly, I feel like that may be a bit misleading. While I giggled and straight up belly laughed like I do with all of McFarlane's books, this story is heavier than her books to-date. We have a sort of unrequited romance, but tossing in the rest of the crew's story leaves readers with complicated friendships, tragedies, things left unsaid, and secrets. There is a delightful irreverence at times that helped break up some of the weightier moments.

I loved Eve. Authentic, flawed, and absolutely the sort of person I would be pleased to call a friend. We spend the entire novel in her perspective, experiencing her grief and complicated emotions when messy secrets threaten to tear apart a decades old friendship. While there is a romance, the book places Eve's growth front and center. The scenes that did focus on the romance were a sweet complement to Eve's journey.

I'm actually quite proud of myself that this review hasn't turned out to be one long fan-girly scream so I'll just sign off before that happens. I don't think I can overstate how much I adored this angsty, messy, classically McFarlane book! If you enjoyed Don't You Forget About Me (my absolute favorite and a book I recommend all the time) then give this one a shot. Read this book and enjoy the rollercoaster!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to review this book early. Rating and review are my own.

4.5 stars. This book was not at all what I expected. For one, most of the book did not feel like a romance. But I wouldn't say to let that detract you from reading this book. It tells a stunning tale of grief, and friendships, and love and family relationships. When a romance book is light on the romance, I usually feel cheated or lied to...but I honestly was not mad about it in this book. Though the romance took it's time, it still felt...right. I couldn't give it a 5 star for two reasons, some of the conversations I couldn't quite understand (must be some of the British humor or references because I am aged about the same as the characters in this book) and the romance thing. I will say I loved all the characters in this book and their stories, the Eve, her friends, the romantic interest.

It was a satisfying journey. I would recommend this!

Fantastic, fabulous, sad, funny, healing, another home run by this author. This is only my second book by this author but I’m going to have to go and read her entire backlist now. From the moment, I started reading, I couldn’t put it down, and when I did, I was thinking about it. This author has the amazing knack for writing the most hilarious laugh out loud sentences on one page and then shattering your heart completely on the next. Just when I felt completely broken with the characters’ grief and pain, the author would come back with another perfectly weighted bit of humour to get me laughing again.

The premise is that Eve has a seemingly perfect best friend group of thirty-somethings she’s known since secondary school. But when tragedy strikes, it reveals that there are lots of secrets and resentments bubbling other and it’s possible love and friendship aren’t enough to keep the group together.

It’s hard to describe this novel when you’re trying to be as spoiler-free as possible. I have so many quotes saved from this novel- quotes I highlighted because they were astute, ones I saved because they were hilariously and brilliantly witty and funny, quotes I saved because they were healing and perfect in the way they described something that is difficult to talk about in grief or betrayal or pain or even love. The themes of friendship, loss, grief and family are dealt with really well in this book. I loved how the author built a mystery around truth and perception with the victimization of one of the characters. I also like that this was a story of healing, of forgiveness and reconciliation sometimes, but also of just moving forward. This book was absolutely gorgeous and took me on a rollercoaster for emotions. It’s not quite romance, nor is it entirely a rom-com, or chick lit- perhaps it can be likened most to women’s fiction. Whatever genre it is though, I highly highly highly recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from William Morrow Books.

Just Last Night was a heartbreaking and beautiful novel. Rather than a conventional romance, this was a love story about friendship. It was told from Eve's perspective, and I thought it captured the painfully emotional process of loss and love. Eve must decide how to live when someone she loves is denied the opportunity to do so, and she discovers that everyone has secrets. While there are feelings of loss, Just Last Night also has moments of brevity and lightness.  Eve's emotional journey and the way her views shift along the way were both fascinating to me. The entire cast of characters were wonderfully written.

Phenomenal. This is the first book I've ready by Mhairi McFarlane and it makes me want to look up everything else she's written and shut in for a night of binge reading.

Just Last Night follows 4 high school friends Eve, Susie, Justin & Ed- with the story centered mostly around Eve. It was so funny and well written- and poignant. The only character I didn't get the most from- but I loved what I got- is Justin.

The story follows a bit of a before and after a tragic event that rocks the four friends lives and changes the path they're on. All of the sudden the history they are so sure of is altered- and it leaves them with uncertainty. What happens when the 4 friends you think of as the most solid and most certain- all of the sudden aren't exactly who you think they are? It was like a more serious/realistic (and not US centered) version of the tv show friends.

With such a heavy topic you would expect this book to be heard to read- but it was not. It was emotional but it was so funny and the characters have a friendship we should all hope for- not perfect but essential and real. So I flew through the book in a night.

Might have been my first book from this author but it won't be my last. Thank you to NetGalley for the copy.

This book is about four friends: Eve, Justin, Ed, and Susie but Eve has a crush on Ed and wants to do something about it until one day their lives change and their secrets are being revealed. I enjoyed most of the writing of this book. This is a rom-com book that had a lot of enjoyable comedy. I thought the author did a wonderful job of adding great jokes that made the story entertaining. I also enjoyed the story about the four friends and how there are so many secrets between them. The pacing I had to say was a little slow at times and I kind of struggled towards the ending of the book. Though I did enjoy the journey the characters had as that was fun and enjoyable.

This book is written from Eve's POV. She is in her 30s but I felt that she acted as she was a teenager kind of though I did enjoy her character for most of the book. I thought she was fun and an adventurous character The supporting characters were also great in this book and it was nice to meet all of the characters. They played major roles in the book and it was nice to see them more involved in the book. So the part I didn't enjoy was the romance. I felt the romance between the main couple was kind of rush and forced instead of being slow. I wish the couple got to spend more time with each other even though I totally ship them.

The ending was left a little abruptly though it wasn't bad. I enjoyed this book as it was a fun read even though it missed some marks here and there. I heard great things about the other author's books and I will be reading those. I think this book will be great for those who enjoy rom-coms (even though I didn't enjoy the romance some will!) Also, the cover is pretty so why not pick it up?

Unpopular opinion here. I'm somewhere between 3.5 and 4 ⭐. I wanted to love it. I just didn't until the last 10%. At that point I wanted it to keep going. But until then, I just couldn't. The premise is fine; although a bit depressing. I actually enjoyed all of the characters (except for Hester of course). So it's hard to say what exactly is the issue. It's probably just me as I see so many 5⭐ reviews.

This book totally threw me! I was not expecting it to have such depth, especially the parts involving death and grief. It was so authentic that it had me in tears for much of it. The love story aspect was lovely, if not a bit predictable. I really liked how the author developed the characters to be so complex, nobody was all good or all bad, as it typically really is in life. I got worried in the first half with how one-note Finlay was written, but thankfully, his character was fleshed out in the second half. Eve was a protagonist to root for, fierce yet likeable, brash and still sweet, still fairly cheerful and hopeful despite some pretty big blows from life. I read this entire book in 24 hours because I just could not put it down. Really enjoyed this one and will be on the lookout for McFarlane's next outing.


Thank you to #Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary ARC of #JustLastNight in exchange for my honest review.

Being the third book that I've read by McFarlane, I thought I knew what I would be getting. Little did I know that it was going to be different from the other books in McFarlane's body of work. You still get her dark sense of humor and relatable characters, however, this time around the romance took a back seat in this story. Centered around a group of four friends, their connection and relationship shone through in this novel. I loved seeing how all of them bonded together after tragedy and found ways to support the others. While I found Eve to be endearing and did enjoy her growth through the book, she wasn't a character that I felt invested in as a reader. Ed bothered me as the story went on, but that seemed to be part of the point of it all. The ending felt predictable but the romance felt like a side plot. Seeing how the characters tackled grief and loss was beautiful portrayal of real-life emotions

Mhairi McFarlane has really hit her stride with this book. I loved that the friend who had died was such a shock when the moment happened – I had no idea who it would be and how that would turn the whole story on its head. She is such a great writer, wringing every emotion from her characters. I've already been recommending this book to so many people!

This was an odd reading experience for me, tbh. I was really excited to pick this up because I really enjoyed the last Mhairi McFarlane book I read, but unfortunately I didn't enjoy this one quite as much. I went into this one wanting a romance, but it ended up being more of a story about grief and loss (which is fine!!! but it just wasn't what I wanted out of this) and it didn't really work for me the way that I was hoping it would. While this wasn't necessarily for me, if you enjoy a harder-hitting plot alongside your romance, you will probably really enjoy this one and I recommend checking it out!

CW: death of a loved one, dementia, cheating

When I started this I anticipated a fun romcom, but this book was that and so much more! A compelling mix of serious issues, likeable and relatable flawed characters and humor made this a great read!
Eve, Justin, Ed and Suzie are longtime best friends who meet regularly for trivia night. One night changes everything and as secrets are revealed Eve questions if she ever really knew her friends.
The authentically real characters and issues resonate with the reader as Eve navigates friendships, secrets, loss and grief. This was the first book by Mhairi McFarlane that I’ve read and based on this experience I’m eager to read her past work. This moving yet funny story really resonated. Don’t miss this one!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy of this book.

3/5 stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I have some mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed the writing style, my main concern was the overall plot. some of the themes made me a little uncomfortable. This is of course personal preference but because of personal experiences, I tend to avoid the topic. Dementia is not something I like to read about so that hindered my enjoyment of this book. I think if that is a topic that you don't mind you will really enjoy this book.

Eve, Susie, Ed and Justin have been a cohesive unit of friends since they were teens. Years later, in their 30s, they still gather weekly for trivia at their regular bar, and everyone but Ed hates Ed’s longtime girlfriend. And Eve has been in love with Ed for years. She knows there are moments he seems to wonder “what if” about her, too, but nothing ever happens. She’s just stuck: stuck being in love with a best friend who can’t be more than that, and stuck in a job she doesn’t like.

Then one night, a tragedy throws her and the whole group for a loop. It’s a challenge and a half for Eve to figure out how to navigate her life without someone she depended on, but, even worse, she learns secrets that have her rethinking some basic truths she depended on as well.

Thanks to a series of events, Eve has to spend time with a person from her past she’d never thought highly of, and of course that leads her in unexpected directions. She gets to see a bigger and clearer picture of her friends, their group, and herself as she puts the pieces of her life back together. And romance enters her life just as unexpectedly. Can she trust herself and new information she learns after believing so many things were facts for so long?

I had a fun time with this story; Mhairi McFarlane is particularly talented at creating realistic dialogue that’s fun and light as well as serious and probing. After reading her novel You Had Me at Hello, I felt happy to try out her newest. Both are entertaining, with friend groups who enjoy strong camaraderie and banter; reading is like slipping right into the group. Romance in this story really takes its time to enter the story and grow, but it’s satisfying when it blooms. A great choice for a take-me-away read.

This is one of those books that I think is going to stay with me for a while. It’s a little hard to talk about why I loved this book without completely spoiling what happens in it, but I’ll do my best. Just One Night focuses on Eve, a 34-year-old self-proclaimed Goth with a group of friends—Ed, Justin, and Susie—she’s had since she was a teenager. Sixteen years later, despite Eve’s secret pining over Ed and Ed’s girlfriend, who the group has never liked, the group of friends has remained as tightly knit as they were as teens—until something happens that irreparably changes the group’s dynamic forever.
After “that night”, Eve has to navigate impossible grief while trying to find a new normal for her life. In this process, Eve finds out a secret that shatters the foundation of her “tight-knit” friendships and forces her to confront whether they were really ever as close as she thought they were. And to complicate matters, a person from her past comes back into her life, opening the door to more secrets that make her question even more whether she really had the life she thought she had to begin with.
When I read the blurb on NetGalley, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect—maybe some pining, intrigue, and uncovered secrets, a new love interest that changes the main character’s outlook on everything. And I did get that, but I also got a poignant look at loss, grief, and guilt and how those can affect even the tightest knit friendships and relationships. I think what I enjoyed the most is how powerful the relationships are in this story. While there is quite a bit of plot, the relationships between the characters really drive the narrative.
The portrayal of the friendship between Eve, Ed, Susie, and Justin isn’t just a rose-colored view of friendship. Yes, their friendship is full of fun and laughter, but it’s also raw and honest and messy. When Susie’s brother Finlay enters the scene, we get a look at the complexity of sibling relationships and how two people living through what seems like the experience can come out of it with two completely different versions of events. The romance in this is slow to start, only really beginning in the second half of the book, but it’s set up well and resolves nicely. It isn’t what drives the book, which I actually really enjoyed.
Just One Night takes a complicated and messy topic and manages to combine it with a sweet, slow-burn romance in a beautiful and powerful way.
Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review will be posted on 5/5/21

Unputdownable!

Be honest….do you often find yourself on messy tiktok at 1 am in the morning and you're now on part 9 of a 16 part "story time" about a nasty divorce in a town so far away from you you're not even sure you could locate it on a map?

Yes? I thought so. You're going to love this book.

Just Last Night follows Eve, an aging goth (in her own words) and her closest friends: Susie, Justin, and Ed. Like all friends in their mid-thirties who have known each other their whole adult lives this bunch has their secrets, friction, and little resentments. But they love each other. One night, after their weekly trivia night, the friend group is changed invariably bringing all that tension to the surface. Eve is left figuring out what she wants out of life.

At the heart of it, this is a story about friendship, grief, and life after death. Not a cheery topic, but McFarlane manages a balance of humor and heartbreak. She sucks you in immediately with the warmth, banter, and lived-in-ness of this friend group. And as soon as you have a handle on the dynamics the story twists and turns as Eve's understanding of her life changes. You are there with Eve as her world implodes and rearranges - messy, addictive, and undeniably more juicy than finding out who from your hometown is working on baby number 4.

Oh, and did I mention there is romance? Because there is romance. And it is hard-earned.

Fair warning, do not start reading before bed because you will not be able to set it down and Mhairi McFarlene can not be held responsible if you are late to work the next morning.

And if it wasn't obvious, I loved it. Highly recommend to anyone who is in a reading slump, enjoys a forced road trip trope, or if you're that one gif of KonMari saying "I love mess". You have found your next read.

5⭐️ REVIEW: Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane
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SUMMARY: Eve has been in love with Ed for years. The only problem? He’s been in a long-term relationship nearly as long. But when their mutual friend dies unexpectedly and Eve is brought in to help the family, their will-they/won’t-they dynamic changes overnight.
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Like her other books, Just Last Night is a romantic comedy with bite. It deals with real, complicated relationships and complex characters. But it also includes wacky situations and witty banter that made me literally LOL.
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I loved Eve, her brutal honesty and her topical wit. I totally got her mid 30s ‘still not quite an adult’ vibe. And the dynamic between the friends was so real!
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The unexpected death and uncovered secrets reminded me of Regretting You by Colleen Hoover along with some of the working through grief elements in Float Plan. And, like those books, this one’s a bit of a genre bender. It’s hard to describe but very well-written! I loved it and recommend it for anyone looking for a smart, funny and insightful book about relationships.
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Thank you to Mhairi McFarlane, William Morrow and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Any book that keeps me reading until the wee hours of the morning is going to get a 5-star rating from me... even if it gets off to a rocky start. I wasn’t enjoying this at first, and I actually set it aside for a couple of weeks while I recalibrated my expectations. It’s NOT a light and easy romance. It’s not even remotely a romance until about 100 pages in. But this turned a corner in a big way, and my love for it started to grow with every page. The slow build in intimacy makes the lackluster start worth it, and the ending is pure perfection. We needed the lows in order to appreciate the highs, and it all comes full circle. What starts off as a depressing, somber (and decidedly British) tale of family and friendship ultimately becomes a gorgeously nuanced love story.

This is about love and loss, and the story touches on some seriously heavy subjects on the way there. I can't list all of the triggers without giving away major storyline details, but know that there are plenty of them. The story begins with a group of 30-something friends who have become a little codependent over the years. Those friendships are the best part of Eve's life, and even those come with strings. So when the loss of one of those friends threatens to upend every part of Eve's life, she doesn't know what to think. There were secrets among them, and Eve can no longer take anything they've said at face value - nor can she get the answers that she so desperately wants. The loss also brings someone from Eve's past back into her life, and that leads her to question whether she ever really knew him at all.

Since the love interest isn't even a part of the story until at least a third of the way in, I'll admit that I was thrown off by the dynamic at the start. Nothing about the heavy book I was reading matched that cute cover or the enticing blurb. I wasn't even sure that I liked Eve all that much. This is a VERY slow-burning love story with no steamy scenes, and it's got plenty of subtlety and quieter moments. If you're paying attention, you'll pick up on little kernels of information along the way that make this a richer story, but it takes awhile before the pieces come together. Once the romance kicked in, this got my full attention - and I loved it from then on. The author does a great job of making sure that both leads are complex and a little broken - but that's also why they fit together so well. There's history between them that makes the experience richer, and I loved the road trip scenes. And I ended up really loving the hero once I got to know him. So. Have a little patience with this love story, and you'll be rewarded with an excellent read - just know that it might take awhile before you warm up to it. I received an early copy and am voluntarily leaving a review of this complicated romance.