Mhairi McFarlane’s books always have such a compelling story and writing and this one is no different. I was so excited to read her newest book after falling in love with her writing style a year ago, and I really loved the focus on healing from a broken relationship in this one.

You definitely want to root for the FMC & can relate to a lot of the struggles they go through. I would’ve loved to see a little more of a look into the romance itself- this book felt more like a journey for the MC than a romcom dramedy like her others. However, every other element of her stories were there & they worked so well!

Roisin is looking forward to getting back together with the gang. There were six of them who worked together in a bookshop ten years ago—Gina, Meredith, Matt, Dev, Joe, and Roisin. Now they see each other when they can and keep up on their group chat, but now Dev is using some of his reality television money to rent a big country house for them all to get together for a weekend of celebrations. First, they’ll celebrate Dev’s engagement to Anita. Then it’s a belated celebration for Gina’s birthday. And lastly, Joe’s new television series is premiering, and the house’s screening room will be the perfect place to watch it.

Roisin finishes her day as a high school English teacher to the teasing barbs of teenagers before heading out with Gina and Meredith for their weekend. Although she and Joe have been together for ten years, she’s riding out with the girls, and he’s driving himself so he can leave early Sunday morning for a flight to L.A. The first television show he wrote has been doing well, and his second one is about to air. He is a hot commodity now in the entertainment world, and he’s taking advantage of that to take meetings and work on new projects.

As the weekend progresses, the old gang finds themselves falling into the old patterns. Gina’s feelings for Matt. Matt’s crazy dating exploits. Joe’s digs at Matt. And Dev’s ability to read the room and calm the masses. But Roisin finds herself standing back a little, watching Joe with a different perspective. She’d been feeling the distance grow between them for a while. She told herself it was just because he was working so much, but she was wondering if it was something more.

It wasn’t until the premier of his new show, Seen, that Roisin starts to question everything. The show is about a detective and sex addict who breaks the fourth wall and talks to the camera. The show starts off with the main character in a group of six friends, having dinner and drinks together. They leave the restaurant, but he goes back for the scarf he forgot. He finds it at their table, and ends up in the bathroom having an intimate encounter with their server. Roisin remembers the night exactly, when the six of them had gone out and Joe had forgotten his scarf, just like his character. He’d come back to their place and taken a shower immediately. At the time, Roisin hadn’t thought much about it, but now she can’t forget it.

After the show ends, Joe is congratulated by the group. The next morning, he heads to the States, after a conversation with Roisin that confuses her even more. He seemed to have an answer to all of her questions, a reason that should make sense. But they didn’t make sense. Roisin feels in her gut that something is wrong. She feels like he is lying to her. But is she willing to end a ten-year relationship over her suspicions?

And then, when her mom calls needing help at the pub where Roisin grew up, she heads back home to help her out. Joe is in L.A., school is out, and Roisin decides she can help her mother out some, serving drinks on busy Saturday nights. But she also calls Matt and asks for help chasing down whether Joe actually did sleep with a server that night they’d all gone out together. He agrees, but he also discovers a fondness for her family pub. He’d been given leave from his job and was finding himself at loose ends.

Over the next few weeks, as Roisin tries to sort out the truths from the lies, serves drinks at the pub, talks to her girlfriends, and hikes with Matt, she starts to get some clarity on what she wants. But she also realizes that the truths she finds out could potentially destroy their friend group. Will they be able to survive all the drama? Will Roisin?

Between Us is the newest novel from Mhairi McFarlane, known for her sparkling British rom coms. I showed up ready for the laughs and the loves, and that is not what I found. There is some romance, but the lighthearted banter has been replaced with breath-stopping truths, gutting secrets, and a depth of honesty and friendship that takes this book to an entirely new level.

Between Us is the journey of one woman through the half-truths and gaslighting she’s been subjected to at times of her life. Roisin is smart and courageous through this journey, facing the truths as they surface and finding ways to move forward. She stands up for herself, speaks her truths, and takes control of her future. I loved Roisin and how she put the pieces together. There may not be much comedy in this book, but there is a beautiful resolution which makes the sky seem bluer and the birds sing sweeter. Highly recommended!

Egalleys for Between Us were provided by Avon Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I hadn't realized I had read another book by McFarlane when I started this one (Don't You Forget About Me); I'm glad to read another book from her!

Roisin and Joe have been together for years, having gotten together after working at a Waterstones in Manchester; they're still close with their group of friends from those days, though everyone has moved on--some, like Joe, to much better things. Joe is now a writer for a hit tv show, with another new one about to debut. There's tension in Roisin and Joe's relationship and tension in the friend group as they get together to celebrate milestones for a few members.

The first third or so takes place over that celebration weekend, and I was a bit disappointed to spend less time with the friend group for the rest of the book. Roisin's relationships with Joe and her mother become squarely the focus. On the one hand, I appreciate that McFarlane delves into Roisin's relationship with her family and how that affects her; on the other hand, I wish the pacing of the book were a bit different. Less Roisin doing detective work; more Roisin working on herself and also hanging out with her bookstore friends.

Part of my desire to spend more time with that group of friends is because the group dynamics and messiness and fragilities and history was just so well done and oof, really just rang true. It's been a while since I've been so enmeshed in a group like that, but I remember it all too well. I was more interested in that world than the world of Roisin's mother's pub (though the appearance of Meatball the cat was adorable).

An enjoyable read. McFarlane's writing is so good--I love how real her characters are, imperfect and shaped by all aspects of their lives.

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the chance to read an advance copy!

I finished this book in a weekend and it captured my interests completely. While at first glance, it may seem non-relatable- it’s completely the opposite. I don’t know of any person that could not identify with some portion of this book.

Being from the US did present its challenges though. There were a lot of terms and slang that made me scratch my head. And I even had to look up a few words that we just don’t hear a lot in the US, but how wonderful- learning about different slang from different countries.

This book made me guffaw, roll my eyes, sigh, and I enjoyed every bit of this story. This author is creeping up to be one of my most-loved. Can’t wait to read the next one.! Thanks so much to the author and publisher along with NetGalley for providing this book without charge in exchange for an honest review.

Engaging drama/romance with some humor mixed in. Roisin’s boyfriend uses something super personal from her past in his TV show, which makes her wonder what else is true-to-life. I love British novels so this was a treat. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I’m blown away by the depth and complexity that Mhairi has given these characters in a relatively short span of pages. This is not a particularly long novel, and yet by the end of this story, it feels as though I’ve known these characters for years and years. Mhairi manages to write incredibly nuanced, compelling — often fraught — backstories for her main characters, and then deftly weaves these histories into the narrative so that we aren’t hit over the head with the characters’ pasts, and yet deeply understand them. Note that while this is a romance, the story is first and foremost about Roisin’s own individual journey and healing. The familial trauma Roisin finds herself processing throughout this story really resonated with me, and felt so well balanced with the romcom humor and wit of this book.

And the ending!!! The ending is absolutely 100% perfect. I loved those last 2 short chapters so very much—one of my favorite romcom endings I’ve ever read.

I'm a fan of Mhairi McFarlane and this is among her top books. I really enjoyed how Between Us focused on a group of long time friends, who supported each other and also had some very realistic growing pains. A lovely romance and story of growth.

Thanks to Avon for the copy of this book!

Mhairi is a favorite author of mine, and Between Us didn’t disappoint! Roisin and Joe have been together for a decade, and when their friend group goes on a weekend getaway, they watch the pilot episode Joe’s new show… and Roisin sees a few too many similarities from their relationship in the show that make her start asking some questions about the integrity of their relationship.

I stayed up so late reading this book - it’s such a page-turner! Roisin and Joe’s relationship is clearly imploding, and Joe is such a dirtbag — I was so anxious waiting to see what would happen! There was such a feeling of dread as Roisin is second-guessing herself amidst Joe’s words and actions. She’s trying not to impact the larger friend group since there’s drama brewing elsewhere within it as well. But as more and more episodes of Joe’s show come out, there’s hope as Roisin starts to be more sure of herself and take matters into her own hands. I thought the messiness of relationships was really well done. To me, it was reminiscent of a Josie Silver-like storyline where the characters are messy and real and raw and you can’t help but cheer them on and hope everyone gets what they deserve in the end.

I enjoyed this one, but it did take me a while to get into (about 100 pages). This definitely felt like women’s fiction more than contemporary romance to me. I liked the characters, story line, and FMC Roisin. She has a good group of female friends, which I always enjoy seeing in books (girl power!!). I’m not a huge fan of cheating/dishonesty in books, and that seemed to keep coming up in the story.

I did go into the story expecting romance to be the focus based on the cover, but that really was a secondary plot. I felt like Roisin’s journey to reconnect with herself and find her strength was the central point. She makes a lot of hard decisions but is never willing to compromise on what is best for her, which I really admired.

Overall an enjoyable read!

I had to put this book down at 40% it literally bored me. I think the pacing was just awful. Mhairi McFarlane is usually an auto read author for me but this one was just a total loss.

Thank you to NetGalley for an EARC copy in exchange for an honest review as always all words are my own.

Between Us is a fun read with a mysterious central plot point that drives the narrative and keeps both the main character and the reader guessing. (This is not at all a mystery, but there is one thing that the main character is trying to find out throughout the book.)

The story follows Roisin who has been with Joe, a successful screenwriter, for over 10 years. When Joe's new shoe premieres, Roisin recognizes elements of her life on the screen and confronts Joe about it. How much of his show is real and how much is fiction? We follow Roisin as she tries to find out and grapples with her love life, friendships, and family matters along the way.

The friend group dynamics in this were really fun. I struggled a little bit right away remembering who everyone was, but once I got it down, it was fun seeing them interact and all the shenanigans they got up to on a weekend away together.

The writing style is almost compulsively readable. McFarlane makes it easy to fall into the world and keep turning the page with her snappy sentences and short chapters. On that note, I don't mind short chapters, but there were some really odd chapter breaks that would cut up not only scenes but conversations into segments. This kept me reading, but it was also jarring.

The focus is much more on what happened in Roisin's old relationship than the start of her new one. I expected this a little bit based on the other two Mhairi McFarlane books I've read, but it felt way more pronounced in Between Us. We never saw any of the good parts of her relationship with Joe to understand why she would have stayed with him for so long, so I just wanted her to let it go and focus on something else. That said, finding out the truth was compelling, and I was totally cheering her on when she got there in the end.

Overall, I'd give Between Us a 3.5/5, which for me means I liked it.

Recommend especially if you like:
-female friendships
-contemporary with light romance
-pop culture references

This was so cozy and lovely and I could not put it down. I love the writing style and how witty the characters were. Mhairi’s writing feels so “for me” and I love all of her books! This one was no exception.

I think I say something along these lines EVERY time I read a book by this author, but GAH! She draws you in in such a way where you almost think "is this book for me? Should I continue?" Then you read one more word and all of a sudden you can't put it down, no chores will happen, no food will be consumed. Water will be taken, as long as it's nearby.

This is the story of a group of friends, a decade old. There are besties, there are enemies, there are other people joining as the groups couples off, and there's a couple within the group. Roisin and Joe. She's a school teacher, he is a very successful television writer. He hasn't always been so, and she had supported him for about five years while he was working his way up to a very talked about show, called Seen, which is ironic, since Roisin feels anything but seen in the past year of their relationship.

Anyway, I don't want to give more away, but reading this will fill your heart with joy. There is just something very special to me about a book about friendships. I will warn you that there is a lot of manipulating and lying in this book, and a touch of a swinger relationship, but that's in the background. Just mentioned in passing. ;)

As always, McFarlane knocks it out of the park with another charming romance. Sweet, tender, smart, sexy, this one hit all the right notes for a fave romance.

I love everything Mhairi McFarlane writes and this is no exception. This story, following Roisin as she comes to realize her partner Joe is not the great guy she thought he was, is so much more than a romance (though there's nothing wrong with "just a romance").

Things I loved: the ode to female friendships and their endurance beyond above and beyond romance; the nod to the difficulties of navigating changing class status within friend groups; the exploration of how hard it is as a woman to trust your gut, especially when people you love are encouraging you not to trust it; the validation(!!!!); the characterization, both those we love and those we want to kick right in the nuts.

Things I didn't love: nothing. 10/10

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not quite what I expected from a book listed as romance - this is much more Roisin's story than it is Roisin and Matt's, and a lot more of the book is focused on Roisin and Joe's terrible relationship than it is the romance/friends-to-lovers aspect. I liked Roisin and her friends (especially Gina and Meredith), and this was a fun read that moved quickly. just not quite what I was looking for.

I wanted to love this book but I didn't. I found it difficult to finish and really didn't wow me in the beginning, middle, or end. This is my second read by this author and while Mad About You fared better, I am starting to think that maybe this author and I are not a match and that's ok—not everything is for everybody.

Roisin is a teacher whose boyfriend Joe is a screenwriter. Over a friends weekend, she discovers that moments of their relationship are part of his new show. She begins to question some of his other hit shows while other chaos ensues.

I feel like the bones of the plot were good and had potential but I guess I just wasn't a fan of the delivery.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for gifting me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a Mhairi McFarlane story - in particular, I love that she introduces readers to the story's main character and immediately puts them through a heart-wrenching or life-altering event. As terrible as that is, it sucks me in every time.

I appreciate the friendships she depicts in every book. In this book, we glimpse a group of friends who, from the outside, seem perfect friends. Do a little digging, and you'll see everyone has quirks and sometimes issues with each other. Very authentic and relatable.

I also liked the air of mystery involved in this book. I hated that it came in the form of questioning fidelity, as that is never pleasant in the first place, but interesting nonetheless.

Notable mentions:
🍸 I'm trying my hardest to find the ingredients to try a Porn Star Martini, even though the description of the drink didn't make it seem appealing
🍾 Champagne Problems is an amazing song
🌺 The humor throughout the book helped lighten the sometimes heavy topics
😻 A pesky cat named Meatball - I always enjoy the presence of a cat in Mhairi's books
❤️ Loved that he fell first

Another incredible story by Mhairi. 💕

Thank you for Mhairi McFarlane, Avon Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Thank you Netgalley and Avon for the ARC!

I have loved almost every Mhairi book that I’ve read. My favorite, Just Last Night, is one I recommend often to friends. So when Tony request for this was approved, I was so excited!

I love that Mhairi doesn’t write traditional cut and paste romance stories. Her books are more women’s lit for me rather than *romance* and having had that adjustment in my mind going into her books, it helps to not be let down when the romance isn’t the main focus.

That definitely helps with this book! The first half is a bit slow and the romance was a bit sudden but the overall message about beaming after toxic relationships was really great.

If you go in with thinking women’s lit + a side of romance then you’ll enjoy this one!

3.75 stars! My favorite book I’ve read by McFarlane. The plot was very unique and kept my interest throughout. Despite there being many characters in this book, I didn’t have trouble keeping them straight. I do sort of wish we had gotten more of the romance aspect between Roisin and her beau but I also feel this “lack of romance” (or rather the romance not being the main plot point/not taking up many pages) is more due to McFarlane’s style/intentions. This book ultimately isn’t about the romance but rather Roisin herself. I feel all of the books I’ve read by McFarlane tend to read more as fiction rather than specifically romance, the primary focus is often the main character themselves and their relationships/friendships compared to the entire plot being the main character and a love interest.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!