Having enjoyed McFarlane's previous two novels (If I Never Met You and Don't You Forget About Me) requesting this was a no brainer.

Eve, Susie, Ed and Justin are best friends in their mid 30s and have been close since school. They live in Nottingham and have a lot of shared haunts and memories in the city. Until one night when something tragic happens, and their lives are sent hurtling in different directions, with the ramifications leading Eve to reconsider how well she really knew her friends.

If you're already a fan of her witty, easy style then I don't think you'll be disappointed by this latest offering. This was a little lighter on the romance than I expected which is what kept me from rating it 4* - there is romance but it doesn't happen until quite late on in the story. I come to McFarlane's novels for flawed but likeable and relatable protagonists, and Eve definitely delivered. I'd have liked a tiny bit more on the romance side of things (and less about death and funerals...), but this made for an enjoyable read regardless.

I adored this book. There is so much of Mhairi in it and her witty writing style shines through. The characters are so loveable and the friendships so realistic. The story took a turn and had an ending I didn’t know I needed until past the half way mark. There is so much heart in this book. There are some real tough topics discussed here but they’re done well and respectfully. I loved it.

Another triumph from Mhairi McFarlane! This book covers the unrequited love of Eve for one of her male friends, as she comes to terms with the death of her best friend Susie.

It was believable, sad, and funny in places, a really enjoyable read.

With themes of grief, dementia, love (and lust!) it is well worth a read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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.

As a huge fan of Mhairi McFarlane I was so excited to read her latest book, Last Night.
Eve has been in love with Ed since school. As he has a girlfriend, and is in her close group of friends, she seems destined to never act upon it. Until one night her entire world is turned upside down and she starts to discover her friends might not have been entirely truthful with her.
I cannot say too much without giving away huge spoilers, but I was absolutely blindsided by the evening things changed for Eve. The way Mhairi McFarlane writes makes you feel like you are right there with the characters and feeling all their emotions.
A wonderful book and I am just sorry I devoured it so quickly.

This is my first Mhairi McFarlane book and I requested this on a complete whim. Last Night tells the story of a group of best friends who are put the test when one of them suddenly dies. This was a gripping read and i often did not want to stop reading.

If you're a fan on the genre, pick this up, I reckon you'll really enjoy it.

Last Night is about a group of 4 best friends that suffer a loss when one of them dies unexpectedly, the discoveries that come after and the change in dynamic as they try to move on with a budding romance thrown in. I was so excited to read this book, as I am with everything Mhairi Mcfarlane writes and this did not disappoint. It is brilliantly written, witty and so hard to put down! I felt so emotionally pulled in when Susie died and drawn in to Eve’s attempts to recover whilst manoeuvring the changes to her relationship with Ed. Finlay Hart’s character was complex but wonderful and I quickly found myself really liking him (after the initial well deserved reservations). Whilst very different, Finlay and Eve were so beautifully written together and you are rooting for them all the way. Justin’s character though not appearing often was funny and likeable - his birthday weekend away a highlight. I will absolutely be recommending this book to everyone. It is simply brilliant and a thoroughly enjoyable read. 10/10!!

A lovely read, this book deals with its characters and their reactions to a horrific accident well. The plot flows smoothly and the main character is relatable. I would recommend this book.

A new Mhairi McFarlane book!! I requested an advanced copy as quickly as my fingers would allow me. Mhairi is one of my favourite authors, I’ve loved every single book she has written, so I jumped into this one straight away.

I was thrown initially by the opening chapter. It reveals the main character, Eve, mourning somebody close to her. I’ve recently lost my Mum and so reading about grief, loss, sadness is something I’m trying to avoid. I nearly put the book down. However, I continued and I am so glad I did.

The story focusses on Eve and her friends Ed, Justin and Susie. I won’t give any spoilers, but this storyline was fantastic. I could not predict which was it was going to go.

The characters are so well written. Eve was brilliant...I particularly loved the attempt at the one night stand with the cocktail man!! Hester was vile, and that is the brilliance of Mhairi McFarlane’s writing. People are so well described, you develop real feelings for and against them.

The storyline was interesting, well paced and not predictable. It was funny and sad throughout. I laughed out loud at many parts, and shed a few tears too.

I was rooting for Eve’s happy ending and I was so glad she got it.

I 100% recommend this book to others.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 📚

A really hard one for me to read personally because of a lot of the content focus but I can see how brilliantly it is done. I loved the main character and all her quirks and I loved how the romantic story played out.

Eve, Susie, Ed and Justin have been friends for roughly half their lives, ever since meeting in school as teenagers. Eve has been in love with Ed for years, the one that never was after a kiss between them at 18 failed to develop into anything further. Their friendships are one of close bonds, fierce loyalty and in jokes galore, much to the chagrin to outsiders, like Ed's long term girlfriend Hester. However a shocking event one night changes all this and secrets start to spill. Eve discovers that she might not know her friends as well as she thought she did.

I inhaled this book, I find Mhairi's book are fantastic for getting me out of a reading slump. This is slightly different to the other ones I've read. While there is a romantic storyline in this book, it's not the main focus, so it falls outside a traditional rom com in that sense. I don't want to give too much of the plot away but it's really more about friendship, the relationships you have with other people and how much you really know about others in your life. There's some serious storyline elements but Mhairi handles them in such a way that has great humour. And with great descriptions, I'd love to see this one as a film as I think it could be very funny and poignant at same time

Now, I’d promised myself as it was the new year I needed to get on top of my NetGalley backlog – and I would read them strictly in publication date to make sure everything ran like clockwork. Then, I got sent the new Mhairi McFarlane – and as I ADORE her books, my 2021 plan went out of the window and I had to download this one immediately!

Here’s the blurb:

“Two best friends.
One missed chance.
And a night that changes everything.
Eve, Justin, Susie and Ed have been friends since they were eighteen. Now in their 30s, the four are still as close as ever, Thursday pub quiz night is still sacred, and Eve is still secretly in love with Ed.
Maybe Eve should have moved on by now, but she can’t stop thinking about what could have been. And she knows Ed sometimes thinks about it too.
Then one night, in an instant, all their lives change forever. And, as Eve learns she didn’t know her friends as well as she thought, she also discovers she isn’t the only person keeping secrets…“
I was not disappointed. I honestly think Mhairi’s books get better and better – I loved this one and stayed up until the early hours of this morning finishing it (which, when sleep is at a premium due to home schooling 4 kids and trying to keep a business and family afloat during a global pandemic, is praise in itself!). There is a love story element – will they / won’t they – and that’s about more than one couple – but it’s so much more than that. There’s grief / friendship / secrets / family estrangement / pubic hair to name but a few topics.

The book starts at the regular Thursday night pub quiz – where Eve, Justin, Susie and Ed are weekly attendees (even if they always lose to the chaps in cagoules!). Then something life changing happens. I don’t want to give away the plot as you need to experience it for yourself – but it wasn’t what I was expecting.

The rest of the book deals with the fallout of that one evening – with various secrets being uncovered as it twists and turns.

Whilst there are some really, really sad bits – they are dealt with with Mhairi’s trademark dark humour in an absolutely brilliant way – some of the one liners, particularly from Justin, are amazingly, awkwardly, awesome.

The majority of the book is set in Nottingham (and there is the obligatory Rock City reference) – but there are also trips to Edinburgh and Derbyshire – and the writing about each geographical area really makes you feel like you’re there with the characters. (I was quite excited that I’ve been for a wee and a drink – in that order – in the hotel the characters stay in when in the Scottish capital!)

I really think it is my favourite of all of Mhairi’s books (although I admit I do say that every time a new one comes out) but it is fantastic. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend pre ordering it for when it comes out in April 2021.

A MASSIVE thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC – and now on with my excessive TBR pile that I let this book leapfrog!

Incredible, Incredible, Incredible!
I’ve never read a book by Mhairi that I haven’t enjoyed but they just seem to be getting better and better! Absolutely loved it and couldn’t put it down.

Eve, Justin, Ed and Susie are best friends. One day, tragedy happens. And everything changes.

I love Mhairi McFarlane novels and this is not different. I devoured it in two days. It’s a great tale of love, loss and friendship that’s draws you in and keeps you wanting more. Thanks for the advance copy.

Last night/just last night is definitely my favourite Mhairi book right before If I never met you!
Wow! I'm so happy to have got my hands on this book early! This was one of those books where I got something better than I bargained for. I went in expecting something and got so much more. I had low expectations and really thought I wouldn't like it. I really liked that although it explored a few tropes, it was realistic. It had me up thinking. I was able to connect to the characters despite not having gone through what they'd gone through. The mc had to deal with some home hard truths and it took me by surprise, not once did I think the story would make a turn and reveal things as such even with the vague synopsis and I enjoyed that I couldn't guess what would happen. I enjoyed the way things tied up towards the end, it was satisfying and made sense. I definitely see myself rereading very very soon. I'm almost trying to stop myself here, I'd like to wait to read the final copy when it's released, all polished etc etc (this may be a book inside joke). I need another book by Mhairi asap!!!

Thanks so much to HarperCollins for letting me read Mhairi McFarlane's new novel Last Night in advance. I am a big Mhairi McFarlane fan - her rom-coms are always entertaining, well-written, funny (she has a very idiosyncratic way of writing), and filled with characters I really like. So obviously I was buzzing to read her new book when I saw it had been announced, and I'm happy to say that I enjoyed it as much as I'd hoped.
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Eve, Susie, Ed and Justin have been best friends since school, but one night something happens that will change their lives forever. It's really difficult to say anything more about the plot without spoiling it, but this is sadder and more serious than the Mhairi McFarlane novels I've read before - although still populated with her trademark wit. I think it really worked, and it's now among my favourite of her books - which is great, after being a little disappointed by If I Never Met You. The themes are explored really well, and it was a quick, thoroughly immersive read. 4 🌟

Feel very lucky to have been given access to this book as I'm a massive Mhairi McFarlane fan and this book did not disappoint. Really well written, peppered with cultural references that I could relate to, realistic exploration of friendship and the secrets that friends keep from even their closest friends and great characters!

Mhairi McFarlane, one of my favourite authors, has another hit on her hands with her incredible new novel 'Last Night'. The storyline treads the path of familiar themes, love, death, friendship, family bonds, but is darker in tone than McFarlene's previous novels. However, do not fear that this means her sharp wit is lost. The difficult moments in the plot are handled sensitively but never losing the humorous edge of the novel, the writing keeping the reader laughing and tear-ridden in equal measure. (No joke here - I was smiling along with the characters even as tears streamed down my face at several moments in this book).

I will not reveal too much about specifics in the plot as the pain and joy comes from authentically following these characters on a journey as they experience life-changing events. Eve, Susie, Ed and Justin have been best friends since school and are still a tight knit group, attending the local pub quiz every week. Eve has held a long-term torch for her friend Ed despite him bring very much taken. McFarlene could make this novel go down a very obvious path... but then a tragic event rocks the group to their core, challenging their grip on friendship, love and their sense of self. We follow Eve as she attempts to pick up the pieces and examine her life with a new perspective.

This was an easy 5 stars to give. Now I need to face the period until I can get my hands on McFarlene's next book - let's hope she writes quickly! :)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For some reason, I approached Last Night with trepidation - having haunted Mhairi McFarlane's Twitter feed for updates, I noticed that she described it as being a slightly darker read than her previous books. I was braced for the impact of disappointment, but am so pleased that it never came. Last Night, just like all of her other novels, is a marvel; it's comic, astute and warm. I read it all in one night - I know that Future Me isn't going to appreciate that decision when I start necking Berocca-laced coffee to get me through The One Show later (nothing new there, really), but it was time well spent with such a beautiful and funny book. I'd recommend it to everyone.

I've always adored Mhairi McFarlane's writing, and she's one of those authors who just goes from strength to strength.

'Last Night' blows anything she's ever written clear out of the water.

A delicate blend of the sort of humour which made me laugh out loud (no mean feat) to the sort of anguish which made me cry (and I've only ever cried at one other book - I'm absolutely heartless).

The characters Mhairi writes are the sort who leap off the page and straight into your heart. You want them to be your friends too, or Mhairi to be your best mate because, if she can write such people, then she must be that sort of person too. The prose rattles along and makes the book absolutely unputdownable.

This is the sort of book that has you begging for more. I can never wait to see what Mhairi writes next, and this is no exception. A truly, honestly, exceptional novel.