I enjoyed this one. I have been reading a lot of thriller books so when I saw the latest book by Mhairi McFarlane it was just what I needed.
You always know what you’re getting with a Mhairi McFarlane book. You’re pretty much guaranteed the feeling of a warm hug. Mhairi writes heartwarming stories and develops character so much that you feel like you know them and this book was no exception to that.
Eve, Justin, Susie and Ed have been friends since their teens. Now in their 30’s they are still close. When one of the friendship group dies Eve discovers that their friendship isn’t what she thought it was and starts to question everything.
This book is told solely from Eves point of view so as a reader I took Eve in to my heart and really felt for her.
Usually Mhairi’s book are more lighthearted but the fact this book deals with tragedy and grief made me like it even more. Life isn’t all hearts and roses, friendships change as you grow older and people make mistakes. Eve isn’t the perfect girl next door and that just added to the authenticity of the story.
Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed reading this.

It explores grief, importance of friendships and angst.

Eve, Susie, Ed and Justin are best friends, they’re in their mid 30s . Have been close friends since school. Living in Nottingham, they have a lot of haunts they’ve shared and memories.

That is, until that one fateful night when everything changes after a tragic accident. This leaves Eve to reconsidering how well she really knew her friends.

Although this is a little lighter on the romance, which is there, although it’s not until quite late in the story.

Last Night is a story involving Eve, Justin, Susie and Ed, now in their 30’s and friends since childhood, they meet up at the local pub quiz every week to ensure they don’t lose touch with each other.
Eve has always loved Ed but never told him and over the years it’s been plain to her he just saw her as a good friend and they never became the couple she wished for. When a death of one of the four occurs all their lives are changed forever.
Although advertised as a romantic comedy, and there is romance and some funny moments I found this mainly a story of Eve’s grief, how she dealt with it is well described and as secrets are revealed the shock this causes her.
Unfortunately this was not a book I particularly enjoyed, I wasn’t grabbed from the first page and found myself skimming some of the pages it just didn’t hold my interest, but I see there are other reviewers that loved it. I think perhaps it was the style of the writing and I thought I was in for a funny light read. Not for me I’m afraid.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

There will be a lot of reviews for Mhairi’s latest book, so I won’t go into the details of the plot - what I will do is tell you that you won’t be disappointed with this book. The storyline was excellent, and the four close friends were wonderfully described. There was great sadness, but Mhairi’s humour, as always, came through in the best possible way.
It was an emotional read, but also an uplifting one - I’m going to miss these characters.

What a wonderful book.

I was swept into the romance, betrayal and heartbreak of this novel and read it within two days.

The way this book approaches the loss someone close to you so suddenly really struck a nerve with me, as I lost my best friend to Sepsis in 2018, I remember the phone call, sobbing over ironing and dog walking so well.

I was a huge fan of the character growth, the friendship group’s determination to stay together.

Tissues recommended!

Eve, Sophie, Justin and Ed have been friends since they were eighteen years old, they may have parted ways when they went to university but they are still close and participate in the weekly quiz at their local pub on a Thursday night. They like to think of themselves as a British version of the characters in the film The Breakfast Club, albeit Justin says he is a gay version of Judd Nelson.

Just before they left for university Ed and Eve had a moment, but, as is often the way, things went awry, and Ed met Hester. Now the gang are in their early thirties, with careers and their own homes, but Eve is still in love with Ed, sometimes they share a moment or a glance and Eve wonders if he still thinks of her like that, but when Hester proposes things are about to change. Eve just didn't realise just how much things would change that night, but tragedy strikes and Eve learns that everything she thought she knew about her friends is no longer true.

There's so much to unpack in this book, growing older doesn't necessarily mean growing up, your best friend may have your back but they aren't always a reliable narrator, good guys can also do bad things, and sometimes your first kiss can be the one!

It sounds odd to say that a book based on a tragedy is a feel good, uplifting romance but it really is. Eve is such a great character, funny, honest, loyal, and genuine. And in their own ways, so are her friends.

Another cracker from a master of contemporary romance.

I was offered a free copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is not the first Mhairi McFarlane book I have read and it will definitely not be the last! This novel felt slightly different from her previous work in the theme - grief over romantic heartache - there was still everything you would expect from this author - great plot, fantastic dialogue and believable characters. Highly recommend!

A story of friendship from school and beyond. I was not sure at first but then I was hooked. Did not like Edd. The twist with Susie 's father I did not see coming. It was a great read and I would highly reommend it. The ending was good. You felt for Hester

I LOVED this book, I love Mhairi McFarlane and I have read all her books now, she is one of my all time favourite authors and I always eagerly await anything new by her. This did not disappoint at all, once again her Characters are wonderful, people you would love to know yourself ( and def go to a pub quiz with), her clever, witty, insightful writing has such a depth of feeling that it leaves you wanting more from her straight away and it feels such a long long time to wait until her next book.
I didn’t want this one to end, even though very sad and it touches on child abuse the romance and the very funny one liners at times more than make up for the very emotional message in it too, can’t wait until the next one now, and anyone who mentions Don Draper ( my idol) and Al Swerengen ( my husbands Idol) in a book will always be up there for me ❤️

Eve has been friends with Susie, Ed and Justin since sixth form, and most Thursdays you will find them taking part in their local pub quiz. Then one evening, as they all head home, something horrific happens which has unforeseen consequences for them all.
Set in Nottingham, Last Night is a bit darker than Mhairi McFarlane’s previous novels, with less focus on romance, but this is not a bad thing as it is a wonderful story about friendship, loss, betrayal and moving on. The characters are well written, there is humour to lighten the darkness, a road trip, interesting pop culture references, and even a lovely cat called Roger.
Told solely from Eve’s point of view, we see the world through her eyes, so can only guess at the behaviour and motivations of the others, which adds to the mystery. The secrets of the past are slowly revealed and make her question just how well they all knew each other.
Last Night is Mhairi McFarlane at her absolute best; her witty and insightful writing just gets better with every book. Never mind what category this book fits into, it’s a great story that will take you on a journey along with Eve as she tries to make sense of the past, and build a better future for herself.
I have read and enjoyed all of Mhairi McFarlane’s books, so requesting this was a no-brainer. Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for a digital copy to review #fLastNight #MhairiMcFarlane

I’ve been a big fan of Mhairi McFarlane’s books for years and I was excited to read this new one. I look to her books for a bit of escapism and lightheartedness, so I was quite disappointed to find that this is the saddest thing I’ve read in a long time!
It’s certainly not like her other books and although this is a romance novel, it is borne out of a tragic accident.
I’m afraid I couldn’t finish it. This book should definitely come with a trigger warning and it just wasn’t what I was looking to read.
Having said that, it’s still up to her usual standards of writing and her characters are expertly built. I did also have a chuckle in the first few chapters.

Eve has been in love with Ed for years. Hanging around in the same friendship group, doing the pub quiz at their local, she sees him all the time, and feels haunted by the chance they missed when they left for their first term at University. Things feel like they'll never change, but they do, abruptly, when tragedy strikes. Because of that first note of sadness, this is a slightly more subdued novel than you'd expect from Mhairi McFarlane. However, her writing is more than up to it, with notes of comedy to lighten the darkness and none of the freshness we're used to missing from her voice. I also loved their friend Justin, who provided comic relief through his pronouncements like, 'I will drink champagne out of the bottle, like a tramp who's won the Pools.'

After reading previous books by this author I was looking forward to this one and it certainly lived up to expectations.

Eve, Susie, Justin and Ed have been best friends since school; now in their thirties they are still as close as ever. For years Eve has been secretly in love with Ed, but when she discovers that two friends are keeping a secret it makes her wonder: how well does she really know her friends?

A great book with a good mix of characters which was an enjoyable and entertaining read.

Another Mhairi McFarlane smash.
A story about friendship, trust and honesty.
Eve is one of the lucky ones. friendship wise. She has her quartet of friends, who have been together for nearly twenty years. Her best friend since forever, Susie, and Justin and Ed, who made up the foursome at Sixth Form.
There's just one little fly in the ointment. She has a HUGE thing for Ed.
An unrequited love, of sorts, especially since he is in a long term relationship with someone Eve really doesn't like.
Things happen on that one night, after the regular quiz night they usually attend, including an impromptu engagement, which spins Eve out of control.
But, it's the phone call the next morning that tears's Eve's life apart, and the consequences of a tragic accident that force her to look at her feelings, and relationships in a whole new light.
I absolutely loved it!
It just goes to show that you never really know someone, or that you can't know everything. Equally, there are reasons you shouldn't know everything.
This story explores relationships and friendships at a deep level.
I sympathised with Eve, a lot, throughout the book. She seemed to have far more than her fair share of heartache chucked her way, in life, but still, she had so much to give, and in losing someone she held so dear, she still manages to rescue, and find someone else.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't even read the blurb for this, I just saw Mhairi McFarlane and thought must-read as I loved her previous book - so funny. Well WOW this couldn't have been more different yet at the same time similar. Like 'If I Never Met You' this was funny mainly due to the author's dry, cynical but spot-on writing style and witty musings. For example, a favourite of mine was Eve pondering "how many mistakes in life are born of a simple fear of being rude" or justification of bitching that some people are so intolerable that "there's only two ways of releasing the pressure. One, letting loose at the individual winding you up, or two, bitching mercilessly behind their back."

But, unlike 'If I Never Met You' which was based on a fauxmance this was essentially a heartbreaking story of friendship and loss (with a little bit of love obviously). As such I wasn't expecting the emotions and thoughts this provoked. But that said it was still essentially a light-hearted read with the author blending her wit and empathy seamlessly....and I for one LOVED it!

Mhairi McFarlane has rapidly become a bit of an autobuy author for me - her books are more often than not cheap and cheerful, and always leave me with more food for thought than I expected. I genuinely consider her to be the heir apparent to Marian Keyes.

Last Night follows Eve, Susie, Ed and Justin, 4 best friends in their mid-thirties, navigating personal and professional entanglements with a sense of kinship and solidarity. Without spoiling anything - something terrible happens, something that disrupts the entire cosy narrative McFarlane has built. From there, the novel becomes one about resilience in the face of difficulty, and we follow the protagonist, Eve, on a journey of self-discovery in the face of grief. There's some gorgeous writing here, with this line sticking in my head: “That’s what I can’t un-know, sitting in rooms abuzz with ignorant noise. Nothing is for granted and everything you know can be taken away in an instant’

The topics McFarlane has touched on in Last Night are not common for this genre; the importance of best friends is a really sweet and important thing to write about, and I was glad to see it written with such depth of feeling in this novel. The best friends click quickly, believable as a group, and support each other in meaningful ways. It was so well done that it overshadowed the romance plot, which is pretty impressive for a romance novel. Our relationship with this charming bunch is so that when everything changes for our group of friends, it’s hard to read. We’ve already become pally with these people, and suddenly for them, everything has been split open and changed. McFarlane has an impressive grip on language and character dynamics, and she is a writer who has consistently improved since her first novel.

If I were to nitpick, I would say that Last Night feels slightly overstuffed - I know that this is a romance novel, but the romantic plot genuinely felt unnecessary to a story about self-worth and self-discovery. McFarlane’s books do a stellar job of weaving together female empowerment stories with rom-coms but here, with so much going on, I almost would have preferred her to eschew the romance.

However, Last Night lost a whole star for me due to the inclusion of a slur towards the end of the book - slurs really take me out of a narrative, and usually I end up turning against the character using them. When it’s your protagonist, it’s not a good look! It really knocked my enjoyment of the book and I'm shocked not to see it brought up in reviews, to be honest.

Criticism aside, Last Night is still an enjoyable read. It’s definitely not one to pick up if you want a light, fun experience - it’s closer to Marian Keyes’ Anybody Out There? than McFarlane’s earlier, lighter work. This grimness does offer more than you expect, though, and McFarlane should be applauded for her deftness and compassion when writing about tough topics.

TW: death, car accident, grief, infidelity, child abuse

Another fabulous book by Mhairi McFarlane! I was not expecting the main focus of the story to be the soul-crushing grief of losing a loved one unexpectedly but it was handled beautifully and realistically. I really felt for Eve as she uncovered uncomfortable truths about the past and as she learned to move forward.
The romance side of the story was typically gorgeous and I adored the friendships. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the fifth novel that I have read by Mhairi McFarlane and it is her best one yet. I said this in my review for her previous novel, If I Never Met You, but McFarlane is always improving as a writer. While Last Night presents readers with her trademark blend of humor of realism, the tone of the narrative sets it apart from the author's previous novels. Rather than focusing on a character coming to terms with a breakup—as with It’s Not Me, It’s You, Don't You Forget About Me, and If I Never Met You—Last Night centers around grief. The beginning of the novel informs us that our narrator and protagonist have lost someone close to her but we do not who or how until further down the storyline which looks back to the time before this loss. Eve, Justin, Susie, and Ed have been best friends since they were in school and are now navigating their thirties together, still as closer as ever. Eve's feelings towards Ed however may be more than friendly which is not easy given that he has a girlfriend. After 'that night', this group of friends is no longer the same, and Eve discovers that perhaps they did not know each other, as well as they'd thought.
Last Night captures in painful clarity Eve's grief and sorrow. Throughout the course of the novel, Eve is forced to confront how her life has irrevocably changed. Not only did she lose one of the people she loved most in the world but to discover that that person was hiding something big from you only complicates matters. I found Eve's narrative to be compellingly introspective, and McFarlane depicts her feelings and emotions with great empathy. I really appreciated that the story focused on forgiveness and on nuanced characters capable of change. The humor was a bit less PG than her previous novels and it honestly made the story and the characters all the authentic. The romance here takes the backseat to Eve's character growth, and in some ways, it made those more romantic scenes all the sweeter. Also, at last, this novel avoids the unnecessary 'miscommunication' that always seems to happen in this genre. Then, to be fair, unlike McFarlane other books, I would not call Last Night a romcom (even if it has both romance and comedy).
I loved the cultural references, even if many of those references were lost on me, and the story's strong sense of place. Also, I am a sucker for stories with road trips and this had one so...
I thought that this was a very moving and funny story that definitely resonated with me. I loved the themes the author explored in this story and I was sad to reach the last page. McFarlane has truly outdone herself.

4.5 stars!!

This is the third book I've read by Mhairi McFarlane. From the first two I loved one and I hated the other, so I was hopeful but apprehensive with this one. But I needn't have worried, this book was an absolute joy to read.

First of all, I think it's important to note that while McFarlane's books are often tagged as romance, they, in my opinion, lean much more towards literary/women's fiction with some romance. I personally really like the storylines and I like how it's not just romance, but I've read a lot of reviews for her books that show that some people are really disappointed by that. So if you want a *romance* romance book, then you probably won't find what you're looking for in this book. If you like insightful writing and great characters, then this is where it's at!

First of all, as you probably know by now, I really like reading books by British authors. It's not just the dry humor, but also the writing styles, the characters and the dialogue. They just resonate much more and I really enjoy the entire reading experience.
But it's not just the writing style in McFarlane's case. There is so much insight and depth to every character that she writes. As the characters develop, everything just makes sense and their actions and reactions are logical. This might seem like it should be a given, but honestly it's not for many authors. So often characters are over-the-top for the sake of drama. McFarlane doesn't do that. The characters are real people, with real faults, with real moments of self-realization, with real conflicts, with real a*****e behavior. There is also real friendship, real hurt, real self-sabotage.

I also really liked the romance in this one. To be honest, the romance is probably stronger than the other 2 books I've read by her. I love it when it's a steady friendship building up, every moment, every encounter is purposeful and lays the foundation.

I also love that not every problem is solved for the characters by the end of the book.

Also single POV! Yes! More please! There's suspense and you wonder about motives instead of having everything spelled out from chapter 2! Can you imagine how much less interesting this book would be if it were dual POV?

Lots of gushing here as you can see! This will probably be one of my favorite reads in 2021. I highly recommend it!

I love Mhairi McFarlane books and this one does pack quite an emotional punch.

How would you cope if one of your closest friends died? And how would you react once secrets start to emerge that make you question that friendship and the ones you still have with your remaining friends?

The story follows Eve as she tackles the feelings of bereavement mixed in with those of betrayal, and coping with life after loss.

I think one of the reasons why I like this author’s books so much is in part because the characters are always far from perfect in a very realistic way. Along with this there’s quite often an emotive subject at its heart. This one certainly has that in spades.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for this ARC.