Last Night

It's heartbreaking at so many ledelse, but the story, the people, their journey and recovery stays with you for a long time.

Literally couldn’t put it down. Laughed out loud so many times. The story takes you on an emotional roller coaster ride, and it pays off.

I've read all but 2 of the author 's books and this, is another great one. She tackles loss and grief so convincingly while giving you the heart-rending love came for. I thought about reading it through a fun game of Catan and stayed up to finish it. 10/10.

Another unputdownable read! Absolutely loved it. I cried. I laughed. Loved every word of it and obviously the HEA. Great book!

Eve, Justin, Susie, and Ed have been best friends since they were teenagers. Now in their thirties, they still get together for weekly quiz nights at the pub. Though their relationship is platonic, Eve’s been in love with Ed for years. However, her hopes shatter when Ed proposes to his girlfriend, a woman that the friends don’t like.When one of the friends dies in a tragic accident, the other three are grief-stricken, and their lives are irrevocably changed. As the friends deal with funeral arrangements, family members, and their own grief, they also must face secrets that are revealed. A story of love, loss, hope, and healing, Last Night is a beautiful homage to friendship.The friendship between Eve, Justin, Susie, and Ed is long-standing and wonderful, and each friend is dynamically developed. I loved their witty banter and easy comradery with each other. You can tell from the beginning that this foursome has a special and close friendship, and it is devastating to see how the death of their friend affects them. It is such a crushing and all-encompassing loss for all of them, and their grief is raw and real and honest. McFarlane has a special gift for creating relatable, realistic, and well-rounded characters, and this book is no exception.Eve is a great protagonist. She is witty, loyal, and kind – definitely the kind of person you’d want for a friend. I also love how introspective Eve is. Her character growth is the focus of the story, and as she examines her life, Eve has to decide what it is she really wants. She also reflects on the past and how her relationships affected her. Fear of rejection and lack of security have hindered her, and, as she faces some of her issues, she becomes more self-aware and willing to let go.Eve also realizes that maybe she didn’t know those closest to her as well as she thought, which is fascinating. Eve goes on a powerful emotional journey riddled with grief and betrayal, but she comes out stronger and more confident in herself. There is a bit of a love story, but it is not the focus of the novel. It is more prominent later in the book, and it is lovely. I think the love story shows just how much Eve has changed and grown.An engrossing and moving story about friendship, finding oneself, grief, and forgiveness, this is a beautifully written and deftly-layered novel. I love the characters, setting, and dialogue, and there is also a lot of humor and some great pop culture references that I appreciated. Thanks so much to Mhairi McFarlane and Harper Collins for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane a fantastic five-star read. This wasn’t the romance I was expecting, but it was so much more, I have only read one other story by this author and I enjoyed it, but this one had something extra, there is a slow build romance and the witty characters really brought the story all together. I think I enjoyed this so much as a true northerner at heart, even if I live in a greener place now, I enjoyed the northernisms and the realness to this story, it wasn’t all joy and happiness, life involves loss and darkness and if you have been lucky enough that you never have then give this a go as it will show you what every one else lives through.

Last Night, Mhairi McFarlaneReview from Jeannie Zelos book reviewsGenre: General FictionI've really enjoyed some of Mhairi's reads in the past, but its been a while and maybe that's why I expected more romance in this, that's what I recall from past books but maybe that's just faulty memory ;-) It happens!I enjoyed this, very real and relatable characters and issues, and it shows us just how fragile life is, how quickly it can change. I didn't like Ed, or Hester, but maybe she had it tough with Ed, he wasn't quite as nice a guy as he portrayed, in some ways.I loved Eve's revelations about herself at the end, and about Ed. Perfect.The story itself was great, very real, very emotional. Life has this way of throwing things at us, and Eve's life was totally turned around. She thought she knew her friend inside out but discovered she had secrets that had a huge impact.I was waiting for more romance though, but it doesn't really happen until near the end. That's on me though, its not billed as romance, something I missed. I just saw authors name, remembered I'd enjoyed her books in the past and requested. My bad.Stars: Three, It didn't quite hit the spot for me, but due to my expectations not the book itself.Arc via Netgalley and publishers

I was totally in love with all of Mhairi’s previous books and it’s been months since I was expecting this one... and yet it has proven to be totally unexpected! I was looking for an easy romantic comedy but I couldn’t find it on the first pages, although the author’s style was definitely there. Her plot is so original but at the same time so in tune with the previous books that made this one so uniquely hers. I would recommend to anyone who loves a big dose of inner insight to read this book, for it’s not a story of chivalry, of a knight in shining armor or anything like that. It feels real for me, it shows we sometimes don’t really know even the ones who we call best friends, and we own our own part of guilty for trusting our Hearts blindly. It’s never late though to claim the wheel that steers your life back. I love Mhairi’s books because they bring this sense of familiarity with the characters, we empathize with them, they could be me, or my best friend, or my brother or sister.

Another winner from Mhairi McFarlane, who when it comes to chicklit, I have now crowned my Queen! She had me with 'You had me at Hello', and since then the majority of her books have been 5 star reads for me, Last Night no exception.Last Night is actually a hard book to review, without giving away spoilers, which I don't want to, as part of what I liked about this book was that it wasn't predictable. From the blurb and the first few chapters, I thought I had the basic premise figured out, but turns out McFarlane had a lot more up her sleeve with this one. Our main protagonist is Eve, in her mid-thirties, and the story starts with the weekly pub quiz with her group of friends, who she has known since school - her best friend Susie, Justin and Ed. Her relationship with Ed is a little more complicated - essentially they almost got together before they went to University, but circumstance got in the way, and so they've just been friends since, expect that Eve has continued to love Ed for all these years, and even though he has a girlfriend Hester, who he has been with since Uni, there are small, meaningful looks he gives her now and then, that makes her wonder whether deep down he still has feelings for her too. At the quiz, however, Hester proposes to Ed, who accepts, and Eve is heartbroken.The first few chapters were light and witty with a lot of banter between this group of friends, and McFarlane has such a unique voice, that reading her books always feels like catching up with an old and trusted friend, and I was drawn in straight away. Still at this stage the plot seemed like fairly standard chicklit - friends to lovers, second chances etc. I liked Ed, and yet I did not quite know how to feel about the fact that he has kept our girl hanging for 16 years and then just got engaged right in front of her - it felt a bit off, though I fully trusted that McFarlane would have me swooning for him soon enough - after all her heroes are always completely swoon-worthy. But then she throws a huge curveball at us, and the book takes a turn in a completely unexpected direction, when something devastating happens.This is the point at which saying much more would be too spoilery, though I will say that the book covers some hard-hitting themes, and is not just a light romcom (trigger warnings for sudden death, grief and one of the characters being abused as a child). Really I would class this more as women's fiction, and it is certainly McFarlane's heaviest hitting and most emotional book to date. Yet what I loved about it, was that McFarlane was able to explore emotional subjects sensitively, whilst at the same time, balancing this with humour and romance, such that I never felt like the book was too heavy-going, and it still had all the things that I love about a McFarlane book. This might actually be my favourite book by her, which is saying a lot, but it was just such a perfect blend for me. Sometimes I feel that her books almost have too much going on, with too many side plots and characters that can detract from the main story, but here, whilst there still were a number of plots, they all interconnected really well, such that nothing felt superfluous and it was like pieces of a jigsaw fitting together. The book is about 400 pages, and in all honesty it could have been longer and I still I would have lapped it up as I was so invested in all the characters.McFarlane always takes her heroine on a journey of self-discovery and growth in her books, and with Eve there is no exception. To begin with, I wasn't as sold on Eve as some of McFarlane's other heroines, as I didn't think she stood out or had a strong enough voice of her own, but as the book went on, I felt like I did really get to know Eve, and the more that I did, the more I liked her. She was funny and down to earth, warm-hearted and the sort of person you would want as a friend, and I liked that she was a bit of a goth.At its heart this book is about friendship, and I loved how McFarlane explores these 4 characters and there friendship over the years, with the ups and downs. The group are really tight, and yet as the book goes on, Eve discovers that she doesn't necessarily know her friends quite as well as she thought, with secrets coming out. I also really liked how there were no real villains, (well, maybe there was one, in a twist at the end). But where it would have been so easy to completely villainize Hester, and whilst she is still a piece of work, by telling the story as she does, McFarlane still managed to lend her some sympathy. Ed, too, I thought was well portrayed, in that despite his flaws, I couldn't not like him, and I liked how McFarlane explored the toxicity of this ménage a trois between Eve, Ed and Hester and the resolution to this. One small quibble though, and that is I'm not sure I could buy that this dynamic between them had been going on for 16 years. Susie again, I think was handed really well, as there are things revealed about her that could have made her completely unsympathetic and yet that is not the case. The characters and relationships here had depth and realistic flaws and complexities that really shone through. Finlay is another case in point. A character from Eve's past who comes back into her life, he is not what he initially seems, and a lot of the second half of the book involves slowly unravelling his character.As I've said before, sometimes, I feel that McFarlane's books can have too many characters, and the friends in particular, are usually there for the light relief, but here the friends were intrinsic to the story, and the messy family dynamics explored through the book also really weighed in as part of the plot.The main setting for the story is in Nottingham, but there is a trip to Edinburgh that takes up a lot of the second half of the book, and given Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities, I loved the time spent here, for more reasons than one, it was definitely my favourite part of the story. There is also a shorter break to Derbyshire, that I also really enjoyed.Some reviews have commented that there wasn't really much of a love story here, and I can appreciate maybe why they've felt that way, but I actually disagree. I thought the romantic aspect to the story was really strong. Yes, it was slow-burn, but I loved the maturity and depth to it, and the book gave me those tender moments between the heroine and hero that McFarlane does so well, whilst also giving plenty of witty repartee between them. Her romances are always clean-cut, and more about the friendship and chemistry between the leads, and I think it a good thing that she always leaves you wanting more.I've always thought that McFarlane is a very astute observer and commentator, which shines through in her books with her wry (and very British sense of) humour, but she's also really good at handling emotions, and in Last Night in particular, I think she really excelled in this regard.There is so much more I could say about this book, but to do so I think would become too spoilery, so all I can really do is recommend it. If you're a McFarlane fan, then this should definitely appeal, and if you've not read any McFarlane before than this is as good a place to start as any. I would particularly recommend this book if you're not just looking for a light and fluffy romcom, but something with a bit more depth.

I genuinely cannot decide if this is a terrible book, or Ms McFarlane has completely broken conventions and written something so far beyond the usual “Tom com” genre that it’s fabulous.Spoilers follow:In short- this is a book about three rather obnoxious mid-thirties friends - Suze, Eve and Ed. When, at the start of the book, Suze is squashed by a car, it sets a journey of discovery in motion for our heroine, Eve.If we are meant to like any of these characters, then the book is an epic fail. Suze is selfish, spoilt and sleeps with the man Eve adores just because she wants to know why Eve adores him. Ed is lazy, selfish and manipulative. Eve is weak, foolish, selfish and grudge-filled.Throughout the course of the book, Eve, Ed and the dead Suze ruin most of the other characters’ lives, as well as their own.Ed leads Eve on for over a decade, ensuring that her one romance peters out when her partner tries to her her to move away from Ed and Suze.Ed and Suze have a one night stand whilst Ed is in a relationship with Hester. When this is discovered a decade later, Eve has a semi-breakdown and Hester becomes annoyed - so Ed ends their engagement. This is a lucky escape for Hester, as Ed, Eve and their minor character friend Justin have ridiculed her through the entire book.Eve and Ed are obnoxious towards Suze’s bereaved brother based on the unpleasant comments and lies that Suze told them about him.Justin’s birthday is ruined by Ed and Eve and Hester arguing (despite him having hired a cottage, none of them could be bothered to make an effort).Finlay - Suze’s brother, is a psychologist and ex-model. Despite not enjoying modelling, he has worked to keep up his appearance and physique. When, predictably, he jacks in his New York lifestyle to come and live in England to be with Eve, he gains half a stone which he is upset about, but Eve ridicules him saying it suits him (we are earlier informed that Eve’s previous partners have all been fatter).We also discover that Finlay was a victim of physical child abuse, he wasn’t informed his mother was terminally ill and his father has dementia meaning he will never have to answer for his crimes.Yet bizarrely it is marketed as a hilarious rom com. Which it definitely isn’t. If this is subversive fiction, it’s incredible. If it’s meant to be a rom com, it’s a disaster. I still don’t know which it is.

I knew when I read the epigraph and it quoted lyrics from a Pet Shop Boys song that I was going to love this book! 📕It didn't disappoint! Some real laugh out loud moments in a very empatheticly written book. This was my first book by this author and now all of her others are now on my wishlist. After I'd finished it I did go back and read the first chapter again as I'd assumed something else, I've now concluded this was deliberate and very clever ! Loved all the musical references - just to my taste. Fabulous book I struggled to put down and couldn't wait to pick up 💖 Heart warmingly sad X

Last Night may be my favourite Mhairi McFarlane book yet. I know, I know, I say this a lot. My actual favourite is less fixed and more like whichever I read most recently, but I really mean it this time. I loved everything about this book. Just writing this review makes me want to go back and reread it. It’s that good.The plot follows Eve and her friends, Susie, Ed and Jeremy. Eve has been in love with Ed almost since she first knew him, but their one attempt at starting anything was subject to a lost letter, and Ed has had the same girlfriend, soon fiancee and not Eve, ever since. But then one night changes everything (not an affair, I don’t mean an affair), and suddenly it’s as if Eve doesn’t really know her friends after all.Last Night is full of the best kind of humour that Mhairi McFarlane’s books always present. You are immediately sucked into the characters’ friendship group because of that humour. If you’ve read any of McFarlane’s books before, the feel to them is always the same and it always feels like cracking open an old favourite to reread — it’s that kind of welcome you get. That’s the same here, and it’s the kind of book you open and, within a chapter, you know you’re going to love it.She also has this great way of balancing the romance side of the book with covering more serious topics too. Here, the sudden death of a friend and past child abuse (not of the main character, by the way). And she covers them with a whole lot of respect. They weren’t just thrown in to provide some kind of needless angst, they were a central part of the narrative and given the time and care that they necessitate.But the real reason I ever pick up a McFarlane book is obviously the romance. In this one, it might seem like that’s going to be Ed and Eve (I certainly thought so at the start. Which was… interesting since Ed is clearly not the greatest), but there’s a bit of a twist you might not expect. I’m not going to say anything more because it’s the kind of romance you don’t really want to know who the love interest is going to be. It makes it all the better to go in not knowing.So, if you’ve read and loved Mhairi McFarlane before, or if this would be your first ever (and it would be a great first ever, to be fair), then let me say, you’re going to absolutely adore it.