I always seek out new work from Mhairi McFarlane, and her books never disappoint. Between Us got off to a rocky start. The epilogue and first few chapters were less focused than her usual. I felt that I had to sort of bushwhack my way through to the plot. Once I got there, though, this book was as enjoyable as expected. If not for the prologue I would have given this my usual five stars, but this one ranks a little lower.

Another great story from Mhairi McFarlane. From the very beginning of this one it's clear that the main character and her boyfriend are going to break up, and he was terrible, so about 50% of the pleasure of reading this book was wrapped up in watching her find out more things about what a crap man he was. The other 50% of the pleasure of reading this book was all the things at which Mhairi McFarlane excels in creating: a lovely cast of supporting characters that make up the main character's friend group, complex family relationships, a crush-worthy love interest, and a main character who knows their worth instead of being a sad sack. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this one early!

This took a bit longer to get really involved with - based around a FMC and her group of friends, there's lots of names and history to sort through at the beginning of the story. I felt like there were lots of slower moments throughout, where there were lots of granular looks into her thought process surrounding her relationship with Joe. The story itself was interesting, I just felt like it was a little long and then too fast with her second chance romance.

Mhairi McFarlane is one of my favorite authors. She always delivers novels with smart, witty dialog, humor, great characters (including supportive friends), a slow-ish burn romance and meaningful insight into human relationships. Between Us did not disappoint. Upon discovering that her television script writer boyfriend has been using private things from her life in his shows, Roisin starts questioning all the relationships in her life: family, friends, work and most definitely, the one with her gaslighting boyfriend. This story of discovery was both compelling and satisfying. Recommend!

Mhairi McFarlane has a fantastic writing style. I was expecting this book to be more lighthearted but it wasn't. It explores a lot of emotional topics including gaslighting, manipulative relationships, toxic relationships and emotionally family dynamics. Since there are some deep topics the book focuses a lot on character healing. I feel like it was well done, but more emotional that I was expecting.

4 ⭐️ I enjoyed this latest book from Mhairi McFarlane, one of my favorite authors. It was a little different than her others, with less focus on romance and more on themes of trust and friendship. I would definitely recommend, but gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because I probably won’t reread it. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

You know from the jump that Joe and Roisin are going to break up, so the majority of the story centers around discovering if Joe is just lowkey crappy or a full POS. Roisin does have to look at her role in the relationship, the trauma she carries from her childhood, and the complicated dynamics of an old friend group, but it feels like it happens so quickly and thoroughly that it doesn't feel as earned as a similar storyline has in other romance books. The romances we're meant to be rooting for seem secondary to the need for everyone to get therapy and find a secure foundation for themselves to simply be people in the world. There were a few laugh-out-loud moments that I enjoyed, especially in the banter between the girls in the friend group.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the ARC! Mhairi McFarlane's latest romance follows teacher Roisin as she and her boyfriend of several years, Joe, travel for a friend's group vacation. Their relationship has been struggling recent;y as Joe has been garnering success as a screenwriter and neglecting Roisin. This trip could be a make or break for the couple and when Joe's new series seems too much of a parallel to their lives (and the lives of their friends) Roisin is leaning more toward the break. Has Joe been unfaithful? Much of the book follows Roisin's quest for the truth and while the love interest is charming and it makes for a sweet reconnection or fulfillment of what could be, it does take a back seat to much of the toxic relationship drama. This is still an excellent book from Mhairi McFarlane with authentic characters and an engaging plot.

I was thoroughly enthralled with this book. I stayed awake half the night so I could finish it. I love Roisin. I feel for her. I’m glad she got her happy start. I love her group of friends, they are the best, especially Matt. I wish I could reach into the book and smack Joe around some though. He was truly despicable.

“Yes, a happy start. Or. In one word. ‘Hope,’” Roisin said, smiling.

“‘I have been bent and broken but—I hope—into a better shape . . .’”

If you haven’t been able to tell, I loved everything about this book.



Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager, Avon for this ARC. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise~

I had heard great things about this author's previous works, but I wasn't a fan of this writing style at all.

Mhairi MacFalane is always an automatic read author for me. While I throughly enjoyed this book I don’t know that it’s a top pick for me. I had a hard time getting into the friend group dynamics in the beginning, however once I did I flew through the remainder of the book as driven as the FMC was for the truth of the relationship.

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for sharing a digital copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This is my first book by Mhairi McFarlane. I loved the concept, longtime couple Roisin and Joe seem to be drifting apart and Roisin is starting to wonder if she ever really knew Joe at all. Joe is a writer of a successful TV show, but Roisin is shocked when Joe seemingly starts using aspects of their life, and painful things she's told him in confidence, for plots in his show. Joe denies any of the storyline is in fact based in reality, gaslighting her into believing she's overreacting. This book could easily have evolved into a thriller which I would have loved, but uses Joe's betrayal as a catalyst for another romance for Roisin, which I wasn't invested in.

Mhairi's writing style is very British with lots of UK- based colloquialisms, which was kind of distracting for me. But in general this was a good read and I would consider reading another of her books. 3.5Stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I always scramble to download the newest Mhairi McFarlane novel and I have yet to be disappointed. I absolutely love her books for how f*cking funny they are, the character growth, the well-developed friendships and supporting characters, and the British regional accents. Between Us is another wonder. The humor is like Lorelai Gilmore meets Bill Nighy. And I liked that the plot formula was switched up a bit. It felt fresh.

Mhairi McFarlane's latest offering is both a generous ode to friendship and an excellent example of gaslighting in an intimate relationship. Fully recommend.

I'm a sucker for these types of books. I really enjoyed it. It was entertaining and I flew right through it.

This is a fascinating and entertaining British story about a teacher and her close group of male and female friends. At times it felt like the British version of the Friends’ tv show. Roisin and her friends have been together for over a decade. Roisin supported her boyfriend (Joe) during that time, encouraging his career as a writer. Joe is finally making it big with a short series. His show turns out to be an eye-opener for Roisin, since she is convinced that it’s based on himself and on their relationship. The main character is a pathological liar and a persistent cheater. Roisin struggles to figure out the truth of her long relationship with Joe, as she works in her mom’s pub over a school break. Meanwhile, the attractive single man in their group of friends is dealing with his own problems, including conflicts with Joe and people viewing him as a shallow player. Matt even withdraws from the friend-group. After he loses his job temporarily, Matt offers to help out at Roisin’s family pub. There are some plot twists and lots of character development along the way to a HEA. I really enjoyed being in Britain for this story, and thought it was great woman’s literature. Recommended! I received an advance copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

This follows a teacher named Roisin and her friend group, that also includes her serious boyfriend, Joe, of many years. He is the writer for a tv show that is airing while the whole group is on a weekend trip together. While watching it, she starts to question some things involving their relationship because she notices the show has some real life influence.

I really love character driven books that have some drama and lots of witty and fun dialogue between friends etc. This was so fun and I loved the unexpected romance and how sweet it was. Also a great story that shows the sad reality of dealing with a toxic person. Definitely recommend!

This releases 8/8!

Thank you so much to @netgalley , @avonbooks and @harpervoyagerus for the digital arc in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thanks to Netgalley & Harper Collins for the E-ARC! I really enjoyed this one. The characters were cute and I liked the storyline a lot! Will read more from this author!

The day was bound to come at some point but it still hurts to say that Mhairi McFarlane wrote a book I didn’t love. Did I still finish it in one night? Yes. Am I mad I read it? No. Was it a victim of high expectations? Maybe but I am not so sure.
There was so much messiness going on in the lives of all of these characters, the main characters and their group of friends that it was unsettling and there just aren’t enough pages for everything to get the attention it deserved or be left in a place where resolution feels possible. Roisin is going through a pretty terrible breakup from a man she is just learning is rather horrible. A lot of time is spent on the dismantling of their relationship and it didn’t feel right to have her jump right in to another relationship, much less one with its own complications. Even in the beginning stages of her new relationship she spent most of her energy in detangling the past. The whole read created a pit in my stomach rather than lifting my spirits the way McFarlane’s books usually do. I still love the way she writes and there some lovely moments that I adored but not a book I would revisit..

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a little different than your typical romances. It leans more toward chick-lit. Roisin has felt like her 10 year relationship with Joe was slipping recently, and when she finds out he used something from her past that she confided to him, in a very public way without giving her a heads up, she loses it. She has a bit of a breakdown in front of a room full of students, which allows her an early vacation (not totally by choice.) During this time, she starts to dig a little deeper into Joes past and his true intentions and motives for not only exposing her past, but how much of his script is from real life and how much is fiction. During this time, she also gets a little closer to one of their close group of friends, who, in a way, has been exiled from said group. Will what she discovers be the final straw and allow her the courage and resolve to end things with Joe once and for all, or will it be what soothes all her doubts, or will that exiled friend be the end of them?

This is based in the UK, and so the language/slang used is of that, so keep this in mind when reading. It took me a little bit to really get into the book and story at first. It was confusing at times until I caught on and knew the formula, and was able to adjust my reading style to follow along easier. The characters are good and interesting. Despite having a slow start of it, (and it did take me longer to read than it typically would have) it did keep my attention and kept me intrigue. Their is mention of cheating, but otherwise it is a 'clean read.' No sexual content (though it is alluded to.) It is taken from her POV exclusively.

*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.