Between Us, a novel by Mhairi McFarlane, available August 8, 2023!

Roisin Walters finds herself in a predicament. Her long-time boyfriend Joe has used private parts of her life, including her parents’ alternative lifestyle, in a very public way on his new television show. Faced with confronting him, she discovers there is much more underneath her suspicions and dwindling feelings for Joe. Roisin comes to terms with her troubled relationship with Joe and her family dynamics in this slow-burn, friends-to-lovers novel.

I loved The Brian Club – there is something about a found family that makes reading about their personalities riveting. McFarlane does a great job giving you just enough of the side characters to love scenes where they interact, but there is not too much to them. I knew from early on that something was brewing between the members of the group and it did take a long time to get there. I questioned every relationship between the group members and kept predicting what would eventually transpire. I was wrong a couple of times and had to keep reading!

I HATED Joe; he gaslighted Roisin so many times I lost count. I was screaming at the page, urging Roisin to discover this about him. It was no wonder, based on Roisin’s mother Lorraine’s dishonesty and manipulation, that Roisin was attracted to someone with similar tendencies.

This is the second book I’ve read by Mhairi McFarlane. Her books are well written, challenging (in a good way!) to read as someone who speaks American English (I looked up references so many times my Google is going to think I am moving to the UK), and a SLOW BURN.

I’m glad I knew what to expect because if you are looking for hot, spicy, pining-for-each-other scenes, imagine me as Obi Won telling you, “This is not the book you are looking for”. I would not call it a rom com either. The storytelling is compelling and keeps you drawn in, so it is well worth a read. Just be sure you know what to expect. This story teeters on the cusp of women’s fiction more than romance, although, there is a HEA (or a happy beginning!).

Be sure to read the trigger warnings for this book before diving in!

Thank you so much to Avon/Harper Voyager and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced (e-)reader copy and a chance to rate and review this book!

Mhairi McFarlane, the renowned international bestselling author, takes readers on a rollercoaster ride of emotions in her latest novel, "Between Us." With her signature wit, clever storytelling, and relatable characters, McFarlane explores the aftermath of a relationship gone sour when personal confidences become the basis for a new television show.

One of the strengths of "Between Us" lies in McFarlane's ability to create well-rounded and authentic characters. Roisin is a relatable protagonist whose vulnerability and resilience make her journey captivating. Her friendships are richly depicted, and the dynamics within the group feel genuine and layered. Matt, the enigmatic playboy, surprises both Roisin and readers alike with his depth and complexity, adding an intriguing layer to the narrative.

McFarlane's writing style shines through, capturing the essence of human emotions with her sharp dialogue, humorous anecdotes, and heartfelt introspection. The story effortlessly blends humor and pathos, leaving readers emotionally invested in Roisin's journey. While the book explores themes of betrayal, self-discovery, and the power of friendship, it also serves as a reminder of the importance of personal boundaries and the consequences of exploiting intimate details for creative gain.

“You don’t love me anymore?”

“I don’t think I know you anymore, to love you”

SO GOOD. Mhairi McFarlane has snuck her way into my heart.

Roisin has felt “off” for a while. Her relationship, a ten year love with a man called Joe, has been stale for longer than she can recall. He’s a big tv writer now, and his time and affection for her has dwindled.

One weekend on a trip with their long-time friends, and the same weekend Joe’s new series premieres, everything goes sideways.
Joe’s new series is oddly familiar, as in she’s seen so many of these details before, and they’re QUITE personal. Is Joe airing their dirty laundry? His new character is awfully good at hiding a second life, is Joe? How well does she ACTUALLY know the man she’s supposed to marry?

Roisin decides to take things into her own hands while distancing herself from Joe. She goes back to her Mums to work and distract herself, and is assisted by the most unlikely of people. As the summer goes on, Roisin has to decide what’s real, what’s fake, and what’s most important to her. Before it’s too late.

Mhairi McFarlane writing style had me hooked SO quickly. I couldn’t wait to find out what came next. I was genuinely sad when it ended but she also ends it beautifully. I feel so grateful and blessed to have received a copy to read before the world. 10/10. Would definitely recommend.

Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane is another incredible romance by Mhairi.

This book was written so well. The writing in this book was beautiful.
I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book truly kept me turning the pages.
Written with perfect chemistry, so smart, very humorous, extremely entertaining and heartfelt you’ll pick this book up and not be able to put it down.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Avon for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

The premise of Between Us was enough for me to slam the want to read button. A woman’s life crumbling when she finds out her writer boyfriend used their relationship as material for his new tv show? Diabolical. Sign me up! Our book starts with Roisin (ro-SHEEN) feeling like she’s been in a relationship with a ghost for the last year and fully ready to dump her boyfriend Joe. After their planned weekend getaway with their friend group that is. Can’t upset the group dynamic with bad news and spoil the fun. Only as the weekend gets going, tensions between everyone are high and the group is a mess of emotions. Roisin’s hope of keeping the peace is put to the test when Joe’s new show premieres and she realizes he’s used her private secrets as material without so much as asking or warning her. The confrontation does not go well and sends her life into disarray. Now she can’t help but wonder what else from their life Joe wrote into his salacious tv drama. Roisin leans on her girlfriends as she tries to figure out how much of the last 10 years of her life has been a lie and finds unexpected relief from an old friend.

I had the hardest time getting into this book. In fact I set it aside and finished several other books over two weeks before trying again. I’m so glad I pushed through because like I said in my blurb I fell in love with this book slowly and then all at once! Once it got going I couldn’t put it down for a few reasons. First, I suspect this might be the closest I’ll get to a mystery/thriller romance book. I was on the edge watching Roisin sleuth out all the lies Joe had told and which bits of the show were actually based on their real life. Second, Roisin and Matt gave me major butterflies! Their friendship turned budding romance was so sweet.

I could have done without a quarter of the stuff in the first half of the book in favor of getting much more time with Matt. I enjoyed finding out all the ways Joe is an absolute wanker! Thankfully that gets a satisfying ending. I also appreciate that the characters didn’t do what I call emotional miscommunication edging. That annoying thing where characters only admit half themir feelings just so the author can have an excuse to keep them apart for a little while longer. IYKYK.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and although it was my first by Mhairi McFarlane it won’t be my last. You’ll enjoy this book if you like your romance tinged with intrigue and revenge.

Lastly, I consider myself pretty well versed in Britishisms but this book was next level for me. I was searching Google so often to translate! 😂

#BetweenUs #NetGalley

Thanks to the publisher, Avon, and NetGalley for the eARC copy for review. Review to come.

I did enjoy a lot of the themes in this book. It went over themes like gaslighting, manipulation, dysfunctional relationships and emotionally family dynamics. It truly explored healing after a toxic relationship and self growth. There was only one issue for me and that was just how quickly the female mc moved on after ending her toxic relationship. It just wasn’t realistic.

I consider Mhairi McFarlane an undiscovered gem. I don't understand why she doesn't get as much buzz as Emily Henry, because she is amazing. In Between Us, McFarlane revisits a common theme of hers: working through the complex emotions that accompany ending a relationship and finding new love. The twist here is that the couple breaking up (Roisin and Joe) are part of a larger friend group and there is the added pressure of how the break-up will affect the dynamics of the friend group.
Roisin and Joe have been a couple since the origin of Brian Club (their friend group), 10 years earlier, but recently Roisin has begun feeling like something between them has changed. She is convinced she needs to end things with him after watching the first episode of screenwriter Joe's new crime drama. Not only does Joe depict private stories from Roisin's childhood in the show (without her prior knowledge or consent), but his main character is a cheater who is remarkably similar to Joe in a few too many ways.
Overall I enjoyed Between Us, although it was not one of my favorites by McFarlane. I felt that there was a lot going on, with all the characters, and some parts felt like they could have been shorter while others should have been fleshed out a bit more. Of course the writing was still stellar, and once I finished I was sorry it was over. I would definitely recommend Between Us, but if you are new to reading McFarlane, I would start with one of her other titles first (Who's that Girl, or Just Last Night) because while Between Us was good, it won't hook you like some of her others, and Mhairi should definitely be on everyone's list of "auto-buy" authors.

I am a self-professed Stan of Mhairi McFarlane's, so it is not particularly shocking when I say that I flew through this novel! At the start of this novel we are thrown into Joe and Roisin's tense relationship while on a friends weekend getaway to celebrate a whole host of things, including the season premiere of Joe's new show. The weekend just gets messier and messier as things unfold(and truths get told) and this is part of my love for this book! This has to be Mhairi's most dramatic(in terms of friendships) book. This book is not the most emotional of hers in my opinion, but the writing and the characters makes up for it. I do however wish that some things had gotten a little more page time(i.e the romance and family drama, hell even some of the side characters deserved more) but what I did get I ate up. And of course I will always complain that I need an actual epilogue(come on Mhairi!!). A solid 4 star read. Not my fave of hers, but I will definitely read it again!



Big thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read from one of my favorite authors before pub day!

This is an offbeat, heartfelt rom-com. McFarlane’s writing feels like it elevates the genre the same way that Emily Henry’s does. A great read!

Overall, I liked this story. The first half was painfully slow, and in full honesty, I felt I had to push myself through it. With that said, the second half of the story was phenomenal. I was rooting for Roisin from the start and was super satisfied with the ending! I was also shocked at how the relationships in the group worked out, but I supposed I should have seen it coming. I especially felt that the group dynamic worked really well and created a diverse and fun cast of characters. The one big gripe I had - and also why I felt the first half was off - was that there wasn't enough backstory/history about Joe and Roisin's relationship to pull me in to the story.

This book was my first of Mhairi’s, and I will definitely be reading more of her books. I love her writing style and how deep she dives into the characters of this book. Between Us takes a close look at complicated relationship dynamics, from familial relationships to romantic ones and friendship groups in between. There’s unrequited love, love triangles, and an inside investigation that runs along the airing of a tv show (about an investigator). I don’t know how to categorize this book, but it was enjoyable and kept me on the edge of my seat simply because even though some parts were clearly going to happen, the way they unraveled were interesting. Roisin’s discovery of Joe’s actual personality, while also rediscovering Matt, provides an interesting contradiction.

I will say that while I loved Roisin and Matt, I felt like we didn’t get nearly enough of their story. The story felt more like general fiction with a sprinkle of romance. I was confused when their relationship hadn’t really even started at about halfway in, while a lot of the focus was still put on Joe. It made me have to suspend my disbelief a bit with how fast the relationship came about, so I would’ve loved a deeper dive in that (and honestly, it was such good writing, I wouldn’t have complained with it being a little longer). That being said, the theme of it all happening slowly, but fast in the end did make sense with the storyline in the end.

I’m grateful I got to try one of Mhairi’s books with this arc, and I can’t wait to read more!

This is my first book by this author and I honestly can't wait to dig into more of her work. This is not a lighthearted rom-com. The author explores adult friendship dynamics across a friend group where everyone is at different points in their careers, love lives, and socio-economic brackets.

Our FMC Roisin discovers that her significant other has used personal stories she shared in confidence as 'inspiration' for his latest TV drama. Not only that, but the core group of friends in the show is eerily similar to their group. Roisin begins to wonder how different the main character in the show is from Joe. While navigating this, she also deals with complex family relationships, teaching teenagers literature, and sorting out past traumas.

I really enjoyed the way this was laid out and especially enjoyed the relationship between Roisin the other women in their friend group. The open and honest communication they had was a 180 from the way Joe spoke to Roisin throughout most of the book.

The book deals with themes of gaslighting, manipulation, and adultery so, as always, please keep that in mind before jumping in yourself. Truly enjoyed this novel and hope it does well when it releases this August!

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

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC copy of Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane.

I breezed through this book in just a couple days, which is always a good sign. It was clever and funny, and touched on some fairly heavy topics without ever feeling too heavy. Mhairi McFarlane is a new author to me and I’m looking forward to discovering her other works.

Having read many of Mhairi McFarlane’s books, I was very excited to dig into this one. McFarlane writes an excellent love story and I’ve loved her previous work. I have to say, this book was different than what she has done before. This book was darker, more nuanced and multilayered. Do not go into this book expecting as easy-to-read romance. You DO get some wonderful romantic swoon worthy moments but that is not the whole point of the story. Parts of this story are hard to get though, there are multiple possible trigger’s and at times it reads more like literary fiction. But I believe those things add to the story. This book is the story of finding one’s strength, being lifted up by the people who care about you, and leaving behind the people who haven’t served you well. It was unexpected and yet enjoyable.

Roisin and Joe have been ships passing in the night for the past year, ever since Joe's show got picked up, and he's become Mr. Hollywood. To celebrate his new show's premiere, they join their friends for a weekend away at a country estate in the Lakes. Their group has been together for ten years, but when secrets are revealed, and Roisin begins to question whether she ever knew the true Joe, everything begins to fall apart.

More in the vein of McFarlane's last book, Between Us definitely skews more as women's fiction than a romantic comedy like her earlier works. Much of the story was spent on Roisin finding herself, rather than on her finding true love, resulting in a predictable, but sweet, story. McFarlane's books are always so descriptive, and I really didn't want the story to end. I want to be a part of all of these character's lives forever, and I want them all to be happy (with the exception of Joe!) The only thing that didn't really ring true was the chemistry between Roisin and Matt, I think if I had read more scenes of them from the past, when they were working at the bookshop, I might have been more invested in their blooming relationship.

I really struggled with this. The friends were not friends at all. Not sure why Roisin put up with Joes idiocy and rudeness towards her for so long while she’s jealous of everyone else. Joe vs Matt was just childish. Dev being clueless about money was even worse. Just not for me I guess.

There is a lot of narrative distance and it’s not working for me. The characters aren’t feeling like characters I’m interested in or want to invest in. There’s so much build up of random details that I’m confused as to what’s actually important. Stopping at 7%.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.

Mhairi does it again! Super cute book with great chemistry. The main character was very relatable but that may or may not be the purple hair which I also have hahah

Pure brilliance, this book! I am a massive Mhairi McFarlane fan, so not at all surprised by yet another brilliant story by her! I am surprised, however, at how she was able to mash up a romance and, quite frankly, a mystery! The romance bits were almost secondary to the mystery of Joe's (possible) duplicity and cuckoldry. I was so wrapped up in did he/didn't he that I found myself looking at my own partner like he was Jasper Hunter! Needless to say, I was absolutely captive to this story- couldn't put it down! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Special thanks to Mhairi McFarlane, Netgalley, and HarperCollins Publishers for sharing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

Mhairi McFarlane became an instant read author for me when I first read her last year on vacation. While I liked "Just Last Night," I feel like every one I've tried since then has felt flat.

Roisin started dating Joe when they met working at a bookstore (shout out to Waterstones, spent a quality afternoon in one when I was in Liverpool!), and they're still friends with the same group with which they worked there. Joe is now a seemingly successful TV writer, and when his new show seems more fact than fiction, Roisin starts to question her partner of a decade. Another plot point is Roisin going back and forth from her apartment to her mother's pub a few miles away to help while Roison is on summer break, and her mother is seemingly unwell and understaffed.

And that's where I with the plot so I don't give stuff away. I had a had a hard time telling when it jumped from Roisin's life in the city and her life helping her mother. Maybe it's how I read this ARC, maybe it's an issue others had as well. Overall, I liked it, but I don't know if it's a book I'd pick up again. Mostly because I'm starting to be slightly jealous that all of McFarlane's characters have strong friend groups in their late twenties and early thirties.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!