"Between Us" by Mairi McFarlane is a captivating contemporary romance filled with wit, charm, and genuine emotion. McFarlane's storytelling shines as she navigates the complexities of love, friendship, and self-discovery with refreshing authenticity. The characters are beautifully crafted, and their relationships feel both relatable and heartwarming. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Mhairi McFarlane's previous novels!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher

I love Mhairi's writing. It's real and addictive. She highlights the relationships between couples and friends so accurately. This book is no exception. Roisin was perfect - she thought about her initial feelings and investigated things when they didn't seem right. I'd recommend this to anyone that likes a real depiction.

The characters, the plot twists, everything about this book was fantastic. I was engaged from the first chapter.

This was a heartweaming and exciting read that left me feeling good. I loved the story and how well it was written. 5 stars!!

First off, thank you to NetGalley and Avon for my copy of Between Us! This book is billed as romantic, and frankly, I felt that it was a domestic suspense with romance interwoven throughout. It was clear to me from the jump that Joe was going to be a gaslighting monster of a boyfriend. I was mildly invested in Roisin getting to the bottom of what was going on with Joe's maybe cheating, I enjoyed the scenes in her classroom, and her friend group dynamics were fun. But the romance felt like it came out of nowhere and I just didn't feel invested in it. All that said, the book was enjoyable and I read it very quickly.

Thank you to HarperCollins for the ARC.

"Between Us" by Mhairi McFarlane delivers a delightful romantic escape. It may not reinvent the wheel, but it's like a cozy blanket on a rainy day – familiar, comforting, and thoroughly enjoyable. The characters are endearing, and while you might guess their moves, there's a certain charm that makes them feel like old friends. The storyline gracefully explores the terrain of second-chance love, offering a heartfelt journey of personal growth and rediscovery. The pacing keeps a rhythm that allows the emotions to resonate. McFarlane's signature wit and clever dialogue infuse the narrative with humor, creating moments that tug at your heartstrings and leave you grinning. McFarlane adds her special touch to the plot, infusing the tale with freshness and authenticity. The writing style is like a casual chat with a friend, making the reading experience effortlessly enjoyable.

In a nutshell, "Between Us" is like a cup of your favorite tea – not groundbreaking, but soothing and heartwarming. It may not redefine the romance genre, but it certainly knows how to leave you with a sense of contentment. Grab it for a feel-good read that's sure to brighten your day. ⭐⭐⭐½

This book didn't really resonate with me. It was much heavier than I thought it was going to be, which isn't a bad thing but also not what drew me to the book in the first place. I also feel like the romance factor was incredibly minimal, which was disappointing as well. Although I really enjoyed the female protagonist's character development throughout the book and the way she handled challenges.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

As a longtime fan of Mhairi McFarlane, I've been hearing all sorts of things about "Between Us," so I finally decided to give it a go. But let me tell you, my feelings about it are all over the place.

On the plus side, McFarlane's trademark prose is as thoughtful and well-crafted as ever. Her characters, flawed yet fascinating, really draw you in. But man, getting into this book was a bit of a slog (55%). And once I was in, some of the plot points felt like they needed more meat on their bones. And don't even get me started on Joe – that guy was a jerk from the get-go.

The whole story seemed to revolve around Roisin's toxic relationship with Joe, leaving little room for her second shot at love. And when she does find someone new, bam! Instant romance, which felt a tad too convenient for my liking.

To top it off, there's no epilogue to tie up loose ends. So many questions left hanging in the air, it's frustrating.

Overall, Between Us has its moments, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me.

I am quickly becoming a huge Mhairi McFarlane fan. This book had me captivated from the very beginning as Roisin must overcome the shock at seeing a painful core memory from her childhood used for dramatic effect in her boyfriend Joe’s new television show.

Breaking up with Joe and having to start over after 8 years is difficult to imagine, but Roisin navigates with as much grace as she can muster. It certainly doesn’t help that certain elements of Joe’s new show lead Roisin to question everything about the entire relationship.

It would be easy for an outsider to say that Roisin should just move on, but I empathize with her desire to know the truth. And as a reader, I appreciated all the twists and turns that she encounters on her journey to discover that truth.

This definitely isn’t a conventional romance, and I’m reluctant to even label it a rom-com because the tone is fairly serious at times. The tension doesn’t rise to thriller levels, nor is it over-the-top melodramatic. As the description hints, Roisin does find a connection with Matt, who is part of the friend group she shared with Joe and several other friends. This friend group has been together for over a decade, so the dissolution of one relationship and the potential for a new relationship to form is certainly both unexpected and awkward.

I would absolutely recommend Between Us. It was riveting from start to finish. I’m usually pretty good at picking up on plot twists, but this book managed to surprise me. I’m looking forward to reading more from McFarlane in the future.


I received a digital ARC of this book from Avon/NetGalley

I thought this was a really well thought out story about toxic relationships, gaslighting, and navigating ending a relationship with someone you JUST find out is a chronic and pathological liar. However, I wasn’t a fan of the balance. We spend most of the book in relationship purgatory, see our MC go back and forth with her ex/soon to be ex that it felt like it was dragging on. I would have liked more of the developing relationship with Matt and perhaps have it not been so quick. Maybe just a teeny bit of slow burn and more time to develop the beginning of that relationship. However, I liked all the characters except Joe (he sucks) and thought this could be relatively a realistic experience for someone who has no idea who they’ve been with for a literal decade. Horrifying but great story. 4 stars.

This was my first book by this author and it didn't disappoint. I loved the chemistry between the main characters and loved the story. Highly recommend!

Rounding up 3.5 stars to 4. The first couple of chapters felt like an overload of character introductions and descriptions combined with a whirlwind of interactions between the group of friends as they all gathered together for a vacation weekend. Once I was able to grasp "who was who" and "who was friends/married/crushing on whom" the storyline did become easier to follow. My favorite part of the book were the chapters set at Roisin's family-owned pub in her hometown. Overall, I was hoping for a more lighthearted and humorous "chick-lit" read. Instead, the storyline was more "contemporary fiction" centered around betrayal and infidelity. However, I did round up to 4 stars due to a surprise plot twist, which kept the storyline intriguing for the last 1/4 of the book. Also, credit is due for engaging and well-written dialogue between characters.

This book was not at all what I thought it would be and that’s on me. I had expected something more lighthearted with more of a romcom feel and I was met with something far more serious and emotional.

While this one was a miss for me, it was well written and I did very much enjoy the author’s storytelling. I would love to read more from them.

Thank you so much to Avon and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane is an interesting take on a romantic novel. The premise of this book really sounded promising. However, I found the characters hard to like and the story hard to read overall. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I am a huge Mhairi McFarlane fan, so I was not surprised that she delivered another excellent romance and that I devoured this book. The writing was so beautiful and engaging and really elevates the entire romance genre. Despite this not being my absolute favorite book of hers, it was still a solid 4-star review and a book I will recommend (and already have). Heartfelt, offbeat, full of chemistry and humor --- this book is well worth your time.

I am grateful to the publishers and Netgalley for my advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

DNF at 42%

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for the eARC of Between Us. All opinions in this review are my own.

I have mixed feelings about this book but eventually I had to DNF it. I like the friend group dynamics and found myself laughing out loud quite a few times at their antics. However, the pacing was too slow for me. It took over 100 pages to get to the event described in the synopsis. I also really didn't like Joe and have no interest in reading about Roison trying to fix her relationship with him.

I have heard great things about this author so maybe I will try again with another book!

I was really interested in the story of Between Us when reading the description - I thought it was such an interesting idea to figure out someone's true identity by using their writing as a tool. I almost wish more of Joes personality or indiscretions were identified from the show plotline but I could see where the author would want to show you how your imagination can run wild. I really thought it was an interesting way that Roisin figured it out in the end and how it all came together. I wasn't super in love with the third act breakup but I could see the point of showing the differences between Matt and Joe and their indiscretions.

I loved this story! I never expected to be rooting for a break up so hard, but there i was, turning pages as quickly as I could because Roisin deserved more! Having that part of her story play out on the pages made me much more sympathetic to the usual lack of communication road block that came later in the story.