I felt that the pacing was a bit off and the couple felt a little awkward, but overall Mhairi is so talented and her writing is always next level!

She has a great writing style that I definitely enjoyed. The book was well written and worth the read.

This was my first Mhairi McFarlane book. That being said, I have never been so invested in a couples breakup as I was with Roisin and Joe's. As a reader, there was no way I could let Roisin go on her healing journey alone. Every page had me right there with her trying to piece the bits of truth together.

I was super excited to get my hands on McFarlane's newest book. I will kill for Roisin. I felt for this character and the journey she went on within the pages.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Oh what a story and what a mess! There's Joe, who had seemed like the perfect guy, and there's Matt, who had seemed quite far from perfect, and there's Roisin, trying to figure out who is telling the truth and who is a smooth liar. A fun, witty book with a good dose of introspection and soul-searching.

Joe and Rosin are a couple who goes on a friends vacation ,where things comes up that give Rosin a lot to think about their relationship.and what it all means .
Good characters.
Voluntarily reviewed.

Mhairi McFarlane has become one of my favorite authors since I read her book last year. I loved this one just as much! McFarlane has a sense of humor that I appreciate a lot. This book also explores a lot of concepts that a lot of people deal with like toxic relationships, gradual loss of friendships, and loss of self.

Raisin and Joe have been together for 10 years. Their relationship is slowly deteriorating and Roisin wants to end it but doesn’t know how. Their friend group gets together to celebrate a lot of things one of them including Joe’s new tv show. I don’t know if McFarlane is trolling Sam Levinson but the way the show was described was hilariously accurate to Euphoria and The Idol. While watching the show, Raisin sees portrayed on screen something Raisin told Joe about regarding her past. Raisin started wondering how much of the show is the truth.

A lot of other drama goes on in the midst but this is the central part of the story that wraps the readers. I really enjoyed watching Roisin take full control of her life and decisions. Joe, on the other hand, really annoyed me. Gosh I know at least 3 guys like him and I was having flashbacks while reading some of the lies he was spewing.

I found a lot of similarities between this book and Just Last Night. I’m so excited to read more of her books because her books are so comforting to read. The only reason this isn’t a 5⭐️ read is because I’ve been in a reading slump and it was hard for me to read this in a flow. Hopefully this slump goes away!

This book was mediocre. I thought the premise sounded intriguing but the story fell flat, as well as the characters. I needed more substance from the story and book and didn’t get it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the Advanced Copy of Between Us by Mahairi McFarlane. It is definitely another really strong publication from McFarlane!

Between Us is a well-written and enjoyable book. I finished it in a day, because Mhairi McFarlane's writing really absorbed me.

However, it is NOT really the book advertised. I expected a friends-to-lovers romance, focused on Roisin's new relationship as she heals from her breakup. Instead, it is a really intense look at the implosion of her old relationship and efforts to heal afterwards. The romance is, at best, the B-plot, rather than the A-plot. Again, it's well-written and engaging, but not really the romance I was looking for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read the ebook ARC. All opinions are, for better or worse, mine alone.

Another great one from Mhairi McFarlane. I enjoy her writing and this latest one is another solid performer.

Between Us is an engrossing story and the cast of flawed but likeable characters made this a hit for me!

Between Us deals with the inevitable shifts in long-standing friendships as a group of young adults navigate the turbulence of growing up. Personalities change and relationships evolve. How much value should be placed on the history of a relationship - is it enough to forgive a significant act of betrayal?

Our main character Roisin is meeting up with a group of friends, which includes her long-term boyfriend Joe, for a weekend getaway. Events over the weekend trigger tension in the group and Roisin is faced with evidence of Joe's deception. Forced to reevaluate her life and relationships, Roisin returns home only to now also have to deal with dysfunctional relationships there as well.

I found Between Us a real page-turner. Once I became involved in Roisin's life I was hooked and the great writing kept me reading. I felt real empathy for Roisin and really wanted things to work out for her. I enjoyed the surprising romance in the book but also appreciated it was not the main focus.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an ARC for my review.

I have only read one other Mhairi McFarlane book before, but I have heard nothing but good reviews for this author, so I was excited for the chance to read an early copy of this book!

This book was a sloooooo slow start for me. I don’t have to have a book grab me from the start, but this one took a long time for me to be connected to the story and characters. If I’m over halfway through and I STILL don’t care about the book, then I know it’s not going to be a winner for me. I was determined to finish it, though.

The premise of the story revolves around Roisin with her long term relationship with tv writer Joe, their friends, and what happens when real life seems to play out on screen. I was intrigued by the idea of this plot, but I just could not stand now manipulative and gaslighting Joe is. I know that’s the point and the reason WHY they broke up, but it really was off putting. Also, we saw more of the dissolution of Roisin’s relationship with Joe than with the growing of her new HEA relationship with Matt. It just didn’t feel like there was a deep enough reason for Roisin and Matt to end up together.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mhairi McFarlane, and Avon and Harper Voyager for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️.5 stars, but rounded up since there’s no half stars.

I had a hard time putting this book down. I needed to know how it would play out! The friend group was great…mostly. I love strong friendships, and seeing Roisin interact with the various friends. It was a little repetitive in the did he/did he not part of the story but not terribly. That being said, the book felt a little too heavy because of some of the subject matter. It seemed like all the relational problems were sexual in nature, not in a descriptive on-page way, but in more of a traumatic way. Such as a child witnessing sexual activity, potential cheating, possible molestation, etc. It was a bit much.

Content: some language and crass jokes. Mentions of abortion, infidelity, “swingers”, death of a parent, gaslighting, molestation

Between Us follows Roisin as she contemplates the demise of her 10-year relationship and the fact that her boyfriend may not be who she thought he was. But it’s also about their friend group and the impact their relationship has on the group dynamic.

Mhairi McFarlane does it again! There is no author who writes stories I enjoy and relate to as consistently as she does, and Between Us was no different. I will forever recommend her books.

Before you even realize it, you are halfway through the book … and loving it! I have always loved the characters that I meet when reading Mhairi’s books. They are so relatable and lovable in all their truth between the pages.

Between Us follows Roisin Walters, a school teacher, and her longtime partner Joe. Roisin and Joe head to a weekend getaway with a group of friends to watch the pilot of Joe's new screenwriting project. As they watch, Roisin realizes that Joe used a traumatic moment from her childhood in his show without consulting her about it. Their weekend soon turns into a mess and Roisin's reality continues to shift as each episode airs.

This wasn't the fluffy romance I was thinking it would be but Mhairi's writing is so compelling. I was gripped the entire time. She really highlights what it's like to live with a toxic person. The twists and turns were next level. I couldn't put it down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Another amazing Mhairi McFarlane book!

Rosin starts to realize that her boyfriend Joe, has been using her private life for script for his television show.. Every week she watches her now ex’s show, to find out what other secrets of hers will be revealed. Needing to get away from all this, she returns home to help run the family pub, but now family drama follows. She’s worried about the friend group she shared with Joe and what her future will be like now. She finds comfort from someone she least expected in their friend group, Matt.

This is a such beautiful story about love, loss, and friendship. Mhairi McFarlane is one of my favorite authors and this book did not disappoint! Someone once said that her books are like a gift, and I couldn’t agree more. This was beautifully written. The characters were great and I loved watching their growth throughout the book. This book is witty, funny, and just overall wonderful!


📘: Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane
🗓️: August 8, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley, Mhairi McFarlane, and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC!

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

*Reviewed on NetGalley and Goodreads.

DNF. Man. Mhairi McFarlane is hit or miss for me. I've enjoyed a couple of her books and others not so much. This was a not so much situation. I expected something more based on the synopsis and it just didn't deliver to me. The story was very slow and I found myself bored throughout it. I just didn't care much about the characters. I'm sure others would like it. It's just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The premise of Between Us had a lot of potential. At the start, we're introduced to Roisin and Joe, a long-term couple who share a tight-knit friend group. Joe, a writer, has recently written a television show that's been picked up. However, upon watching it, Roisin starts noticing a lot of really unsettling similarities between the characters and scenes depicted, leading her to realize that Joe might be hiding things from her.

All the while, we're given a lot of background information on each of their friends and the various dynamics that have formed between them. Roisin feels conflicted about digging into the inspiration behind Joe's television show, as it could very well disrupt the group.

At no point did I feel any real attachment to Roisin, Joe, or any of their friends. There was something about the writing style/dialogue that really didn't work for me. A large portion of the beginning felt tedious to read. My investment didn't really start picking up until the halfway mark and, even then, I was only loosely interested.

It would seem I'm in the minority on that (so take what I say with a grain of salt). If this were edited down a bit (and didn't ring in at 400+ pages), I may have enjoyed it more. As it was, it felt long-winded with very little payoff.

I chose this to read McFarlane for the first time and I do not regret it! The twists and friendships present in this book made it so enjoyable I didn't want to stop reading!