McFarlane does it again! This author is always an auto-buy but it's amazing to watch as she just gets better and better. This book covers the themes that her other books have - around learning what you deserve, being strung along and wondering whether you've missed your moment. But it's definitely a new area in dealing with grief and loss.

After tragedy strikes her perfect friendship group, Eve's world is thrown upside down. Throw in unresolved tension, secrets and an unexpected love interest and you've got a brilliant story! The dialogue is so fast-paced and witty, I laughed out loud in quite a few places and I read the whole book in one sitting. Also, I absolutely want to be in that friendship group, the characters are so wonderful.

This will be a firm favourite of mine for a long time - McFarlane proves once again she's a queen of romantic comedy!

I have read all Mhairi McFarlane's books as they came out, and as a writer, she just keeps getting better and better. 'Last Night,' her most recent, is in my very humble opinion, her best to date.

The opening scene entitled 'After,' is clearly of someone grieving, although we don't know who or why at this point; a tantalising glimpse of the story ahead....

Then, we are transported to 'Before,' and the story begins.

Long time friends, Justin, Ed, Susie and Eve are at a pub quiz. The alcohol is flowing and the banter in full throttle. Conversation is natural, easy and full of humour. These are friends who have known each other for a very long time, and anything goes!

However, as with all great stories, the emotional bombshells begin to drop, and we start to gain a bit more access to Eve's psyche.

I'm not going to say too much more about the content of the story as that would spoil it for you readers who are lucky enough to still be anticipating what will be an excellent read. I will say however, that this is an emotional read with raw grief at its source; not just grief at the physical loss of a loved one, but grief at lost beliefs, ways of life, friendships and relationships, and the changes wrought on individuals as a result. The only comparable story I have come across is Marian Keyes, 'Is Anybody Out There?'

This is not my first Mhairi book and I confess to reading this based on the author alone. She did not disappoint. Of four close friends, Eve has been in love with Ed ever since university, but the timing has never been right and he is in a long term relationship. This has impacted her own relationships, but on one night an unexpected tragedy changes everything and starts Eve on a journey to finding herself. She learns no-one and nothing is simple anymore and everyone has their secrets, which she will need to uncover before she can throw off her own demons and find her path.
It really didn't matter what story she chose to write about. She has an incredible talent of creating thoroughly engaging characters, unpredictable story-lines and a decent thread of humour, wit and insight even when dealing with sensationalist and depressing topics. She managed to touch on dementia, depression, abuse, death, and yet still infused hope and light. Thoughtful, delightful and couldn't put it down.

Thank you to the publisher who kindly offered me an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Eve, Susie, Justin and Ed have been best friends since their school years. Eve has been in love with Ed since the night before they left for university and she thought he felt the same way. When back at home for Christmas break, he introduces his new girlfriend Hester. Fast forward 16 years later and Ed and Hester get engaged at one of their regular pub quiz nights. Eve has always held a candle for him so she is devastated.

That same night, Susie is tragically killed and everything changes. We experience Eve's pain which is so beautifully written. Susie's estranged brother Finlay travels from New York, where he lives, for the funeral. Following a discussion with Finlay, Eve starts to think more deeply about her friendship with Ed and reassesses everything.

I love the depth of this book. It explores the sudden loss of a lifelong friend, a seemingly unrequited love and delves into the reason why Finlay was shut out by his family.

I did expect it to be a standard "boy will realise how much he loves girl and they will end up together" but that's not the case at all. I absolutely loved the development of Eve's character.

“That night was the last night of The Past, and we had no idea.”

I sat down to get a start on Mhairi McFarlane’s newest release and turned the final page just as my husband put his key in the door. The house was dark, the oven was cold, and I realised I hadn’t moved for the past three hours or so. While I very much enjoyed McFarlane’s previous novels, If I Never Met You, It’s Not Me, It’s You, and Don’t You Forget About Me, Last Night just felled me.

Though both romantic and funny, Last Night is much more than the romcom it’s marketed as. It’s a contemporary, captivating story exploring friendship, loss, secrets and love, told with McFarlane’s distinctive blend of insight, heart, and wit.

It would be far too easy to spoil the plot, which is why I’m avoiding my usual introduction to a review, but I can say it centres around four best friends since childhood - Eve, Susan, Justin and Ed, now all aged in their mid-thirties, faced with a shattering event that challenges their comfortable status quo.

There’s an authenticity and nuance to McFarlane’s characters that just appeals so strongly to me, even though I don’t necessarily have anything in common with them. Last Night unfolds from the perspective of Eve, single (and secretly in love with Ed), with an unfulfilling job, but nevertheless content with her life, largely due to her close relationships with Susan, Justin and Ed. The dynamic between the four friends is enviable, though not without its complications, which are brought to the fore in the wake of profound tragedy.

I’m not claiming Last Night is flawless, nor will it appeal to everyone, but it was near perfect for me for so many reasons. The author has a talent for natural dialogue and great timing, and I love McFarlane’s sharp, dry wit, but it’s her ability to evoke a full range of emotions that ensures I become invested in the story. I laughed and shed a tear, sighed and held my breath.

It should be obvious by now that I adored Last Night, its going to be a favourite for this year.

Wow what a book, this is quite possibly the best book I have read in a long time. I have read one other book from Mhairi McFarlane and now I think it’s time I read more of them because my goodness she can write!.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book but I must say I got a whole lot more than I could ever expect. It’s full of heartbreak secrets, and what ifs.. It just shows that no matter how well you feel you know someone there is always so much more to them. You realise that just because someone explains something to you it doesn’t mean you have the truth or even that they know what the truth is.

Sorry for the vagueness I’m really scared of spoiling anything and I just feel you must give it a read yourself as its well worth it!

4 friends, very close since the age of 18. Now in their 30's, a tragedy reveals unknown secrets which threaten their friendship. A really enjoyable read, making one wonder do we really know our best friends as well as we think we do??

Wow. This was a new author for me and I was absolutely blown away by this story as it wasn’t what I was expecting at all. There was a real mix of poignancy and humour that isn’t way to carry off but this author does it with ease. I reached for the tissues at times whilst also questioning how well I really know the people closest to me.

I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure that I was going to as I started reading because the first part is quite hard hitting and I found myself thinking a lot about What and who I would leave behind and what sort of ´legacy ’ I would leave but I thought it was all written very well.

I enjoyed just how much my like / dislike of the characters changed because there was a reason behind why. It wasn’t that the author Just wanted a change of parce or émotion but really thought about what was written and why.

I found myself heavily invested emotionally in this book.

Mhairi McFarlane is a must-read author for me, I adore her writing style and the humour that is woven through on every page. She never fails to write scenes that have me in stitches but that are often underpinned with witty but truthful observations of life. I have immense respect for her as an author who can write poignancy alongside hilarity and never miss a beat. This book though is a step above, and I didn't think that was possible. The book starts with her reliable humour, a weaving of a friendship circle that is complex, realistic and highly amusing and then boom, she bashes us over the head with the completely unexpected. The Queen of romantic misdirection is at her absolute finest here and Last Night deserves to be acknowledged as one of the finest romcom novels out there. I shall remember this story for a very long time indeed. I cannot recommend it enough.

Loved LOVED this book, despite Mhairi sending my emotions all over the place!

Eve, Susie, Justin and Ed are a close group of friends. Eve has been in love with Ed for years, despite his long term relationship with Hester, who ironically is disliked by the others. This all changes after one of the group is killed in a tragic accident and some secrets previously unknown come to light.

Be sure to have a box of tissues close at hand as you will definitely need them.

I have read all of Mhairi’s book, this is her best yet - she deals very well with the subject of love and loss, yet there is plenty of humour here too and how important friendship is to getting through emotional times.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

TW *** Eves friend is killed in a terrible accident, child abuse, dementia, divorce

This book was not the easy reading rom com I was expecting but, while touching on some truly awful and deep things, I still couldn't put it down!
Eve, Justin, Susie, and Ed have been best friends since they were in school and now, in their 30s and despite relationships coming and going the four have stayed as close as ever. Given Ed's long term girlfriend this has sometimes been hard for Eve as she swears the *look* they share sometimes is more than friendly but not wanting to rock the group she doesn't mention it to the others. One night everything changes and the group are left torn apart. As things start to unravel, they realise that everyone has secrets and the fact that there are two sides to every story.
As I mentioned this is not the typical rom com of other books I have read by Mhairi Mcfarlane or indeed a rom com at all. However there were some romance elements sprinkled though in a wonderful slow burn way! The book focusses more on self love and growth as we follow Eve (and the others) dealing with their grief and the associated problems and key times with this. I liked how Eve worked through her grief in a relatable way while working on forgiveness, something I think we could all appreciate!
Throughout the book there were a lot of references which made the narrative seem more real and believable (tinder dates etc!) and, being a Scottish girl I loved the Edinburgh references!

4.5🌟
Wow what a roller coaster that was!
When I first started this book it wasn't at all how I thought it was going to be. I was expecting a rom com style story but what I got was so much better. This book is packed with love, loss and discovery. It was a bit of a slow starter for me but once it got going I was unable to put it down. Considering that the story is centered around the loss of a loved one it still has the McFarlane humour and I found myself snort laughing at numerous occasions between moments of sadness. What a fantastic story. I can't wait to read more by Mhairi McFarlane.

Four close friends share lots of love and laughter until a tragic accident occurs. Secrets emerge, love ties are questioned and at times their friendships.
The story is based around four strong characters; their loves, their lies and finally their futures.
A great easy read.

I've always enjoyed Mhairi's books and her latest book didn't disappoint. Mhairi is able to combine humour and poignancy, and has a unique way of describing things. In this story, we are kept guessing initially as to who has died. And we are also kept guessing as to who Evelyn's romantic interest will turn out to be. It's worth the wait to find out. The way the death of a peer is handled by Mhairi is beautifully done. Bravo! With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the kind of book that takes hold of your heart in the first 20 pages and refuses to let go until the very last word. If you're an emotional wreck like me who dissolves at the slightest inclination, proceed with caution and with tissues in hand. A stunningly beautiful story which genuinely made me laugh out loud and shed a tear all within the same page. I'm away to hunt for McFarlane's entire backlist now, so please take my word for it when I say that this is most definitely worth your time.

Massive thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for reaching out to offer me the opportunity to enjoy this!

An unashamedly chick lit read with some fairly heavy themes throwin in. Eve, Suzie, Ed and Justin - a group of 34 year old friends since school. No romance in the mix to confuse things (well on the surface at least!) Ed is "coupled up" with Hester - and the rest of the groups put up with her. When the unthinkable happens one night, the group are forced to rethink relationships, their roles in the group and life. And to see how things aren't always as they appear. While the end result was as I expected from early on, the facts that came to light in the denouement shocked me to the core. Although there are heavy themes, there are some lovely moments of humour. I went from sobbing to laughing through my tears. #netgalley #lastnight

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Eve has always loved Ed, but when he went to university he meet someone else. One night Ed, Eve, Susie and Justin best friends since they were eighteen take part in their ritual Thursday night quiz. Hester Ed’s girlfriend proposes and he says yes. Eve can’t believe it as she believes he loves her following a kiss before they went to university. That night a tragedy happens as Susie is killed by a car after the driver has a stroke at the wheel. Eve, Ed and Justin’s lives change forever as they find out Susie had a one nigh stand with Ed whilst Hester was in Switzerland many years before. Can they move on or will this split the group up for good.

Have read all of Mhairi Mcfarlane’s books and her writing just gets better and better. Her use of language is brilliant, her characters are so realistic and her plots just keep you guessing with many twists and turns. This is a story about four friends, Eve, Justin, Susie and Ed who are inseparable. In their thirties, they have been together since their teens and have an unbelievably close relationship. They meet for their weekly pub quiz and it is on one of those evenings that things change for them forever. The main focus is on Eve who has been in love with Ed since the start of their friendship and also her relationship with Suzie, who is her very best friend. Despite Ed being in a long term relationship, Eve still holds out hope that he will realise that they are meant to be together. The story unfolds after the events of this memorable night in a way that most writers would struggle with but Mhairi writes with real sensitivity touched with humour. She is a very talented writer and tackles many difficult issues with a real lightness of touch. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this wonderful book.

First time read of this author – and wow.. I can’t wait to read more of her books.

The story follows a very tight friendship between 4 friends, who still meet up regularly after meeting 16 years ago at the age of 18. Tragedy strikes and takes one of their friends and the heart-warming story develops from there; following the main character, best friend Eve, who discovers past kept secrets with twists and turns.

So many difficult and heart wrenching topics covered in this book – heartbreak, death, grief, loyalty, friendship, honesty and love. The story is full of emotion – laughing one minute and reaching for the tissues the next – but by no means a soppy romance book.

A thoroughly enjoyable read, which I would highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest, unbiased review.