A very readable romantic romp and the uncovering of a duplicitous screenwriter - what more could I ask for? I don't read a lot of romance, but I'm very glad I requested this one. I was thoroughly rooting for Roisin to get her happy ending (or is it a happy beginning?). Written with McFarlane's usual mix of humour and humanity.

Roisin and Joe have been together since university. She has supported him for years, now he is a successful screen writer. But is he the person she has thought he was for all those years? A weekend away with university friends and seeing his latest screenplay seem to indicate otherwise. Another enthralling read from Mhairi McFarlane.

This was my first Mhairi McFarlane read, so I went into this book with almost no expectations - but I came out the other side completely understanding why so many people love her writing (and definitely became a fan, myself!)

The plot itself is a bit of a slow burn. Roisin is quietly stagnating in her relationship with her now-famous boyfriend, Joe, and after watching the first episode of his new series (a raunchy detective drama that's so well-described it could easily be pitched to the BBC directly) she realises that he's chosen an intimate moment from her own life to splash across the screen. It all breaks down from there, as she leans on her friend group ("The Brian Club") to separate reality from fiction. Of course there's a bit of romance, a country pub, and a fat cat thrown in, for good measure.

While I thought the plot of this book was extremely creative, I often felt like the big shock moments (Roisin's life is on screen! Her mum also has a bit of drama! She finds out secret backstories of her best pals!) were a little lackluster as they had to be explained afterwards. All of Roisin's feelings and actions are justified, but as a reader we're not sure we're entirely on board until it's explained to us a few chapters later.

Overall, this book ended exactly where I expected it to... but the twists to get there were highly enjoyable. Definitely a good beach read or if you're looking to mix up your TBR with something a little lighter.

When Roisin's boyfriend writes his new tv show and Roisin can see parallels from her life in the show, she starts rethinking everything she ever thought about her relationship with Joe. Was he faithful? Has he used her life stories in the name of entertainment? Will their relationship survive.

I usually LOVE Mhairi McFarlane's books and I'll admit I struggled to get into this one in the same way as I usually do. It took a while to really get in to the story and I didn't find myself engaging with characters as I usually do in Mhairi's books. That being said, I was pleased with the way it ended and will definitely be picking up whatever she writes next.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

An easy going story with a satisfying ending. A great holiday read that I finished over a few hours!

I’m sorry to say I didn’t think that much of this book, I thought several of the characters came across as fairly unpleasant and immature and the storyline dragged. Maybe it’s me as I see lots of people enjoyed it, sorry this just wasn’t my cup of tea!

Having read another of Mhairi McFarlane's books, I held high hopes for this book, but I'm sorry to say I was disappointed, the book just did not grip me, or draw me in like the other books I have read of hers, to the point I had to DNF (I really dislike DNF'ing books).
My view is my own and certainly doesn't represent everyone, and I'd like to think the majority of people who read this book will love it, but this book was just not for me.
Thanks go to Netgalley, and the publisher for allowing to try this book out.

As always McFarlane has delivered an absolute belter.

Never before have I read an author that continuously delivers relatable characters that don’t seem forced and Between Us was no different.

So glad this was no different. ♡

How does she outdo herself every time? Mhairi McFarlane’s latest is somehow just as brilliant - if not more so - than all her others. Mhairi is an absolute genius !! I adored this beautiful story!!!

I’ve now read eight of Mhairi McFarlane’s nine books, and I’ve loved every single one of them. They’re always funny, well-written and relatable, and she’s without doubt my favourite author of adult contemporary rom-coms. I wish my mum would have had the chance to read her books, as I’m sure she would have loved them just as much as I do.

Between Us is just as good as I expected, with all the laughs, revelations, friendships, and comical swearing that I’ve come to expect from a Mhairi book. It’s also set in and around Manchester, and starts off in my town of Stockport at the Plaza Theatre, which is quite a rare occurrence indeed. It makes for an even better reading experience when it’s so easy to imagine places and landmarks, and that was an extra treat for me this time around.

I really engaged with all the characters, especially Roisin (pronounced Rosheen, which Google kindly informed me), who’s the main focus here. Everyone is well realised and realistic, as always, and I really could imagine them all sat round a table celebrating their friendship group, after meeting at Waterstone’s Deansgate a decade earlier.

Of course, there’s a fair bit of drama in Between Us, and it makes for an eye-opening story. I correctly guessed one or two twists and turns here and there, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment when they were finally brought to light. If anything, I was just happy that a certain character was about to get what they deserved. A ‘woohoo’ moment, if ever there was one!

Between Us comes very highly recommended from me, as do all of Mhairi McFarlane’s books. If you’re looking for four-hundred pages of pure escapist joy, then stop your search — this book is exactly what you’re after, and I guarantee you’ll enjoy it. I can’t wait for book ten!

4.5/5.

I think Mhairi McFarlane’s books get better and better, which is impressive since even the first one was brilliant. Between Us might be my favourite. Set in Manchester and Stockport (where I used to live) and featuring Waterstones (where I used to work), it gripped me from the first page. I loved all the characters (loved to hate one of them) and their friendships, plus it made me laugh out loud more than once. Can’t wait for Mhairi’s next book.

Reasons I loved this book:

Great cast of characters
An excellent scattering of humour
A wonderful love story
Set in places I know well
A great read

As an unabashed fan of Mhairi McFarlane's work I was pleased to receive a copy of Between Us from Netgalley. The story centres around a both a romantic relationship and the history that a group of friends has. When both start to topple, the main character has to re-assess her life and the future she thought she was moving toward. I don't want to give the plot away but at times I giggled, cringed, teared up and raced through it.

Roisin and Joe have been together for years, she's supported him as his screenwriting career takes off and now they're having a lovely weekend away with old friends and watching the first episode of his latest show. When Roisin sees the opening episode, using one of her own very personal stories, she realises that Joe is not the person she thinks he is and their relationship begins to disintegrate.

It's quite a slow start, it was clear that Roisin and Matt were going to be the main couple but how that worked out took some time, particularly with one of the friend group (Gina) apparently in love with Matt,and making that work for them as a couple without being the bad guys. I really liked the group dynamics and thought they added a realistic edge to the story. Seeing more of them would have been a bonus, but I quite often think that! Realising along with Roisin the depths of Joe's duplicity was and how he'd manipulated people was very effective - even if he did have some redeeming qualities, those just made him a more rounded character.

I don't think it's my favourite of Mhairi McFarlane's books, but it's still an enjoyable read and one I got through in the space of an afternoon!

This was BRILLIANT. The Roisin and Joe dynamic was so interesting, and joe’s character in general was fascinating, I loved the premise of him becoming famous and the unravelling of what he’d been up to coming out through his screen play. What a lemon! I enjoyed everything about all of the characters in the Brian club and read the whole book in 24 hours- proof of how great it is!!

Review copy courtesy of Harper through NetGalley

Mhairi McFarlane writes another entry into her unique breed of romcom suspense. This one was unputdownable, but I felt like the stomach-turning angst of Roisin’s unraveling relationship with Joe, was more of the novel than the sweet love story that was kind of hidden within. I feel like I will have to read again to properly enjoy the love story since I was so anxious my first read through.

Mhairi McFarlane’s books are always among the most anticipated releases I have in any given year. They’re books I know I’m guaranteed to like and Between Us was no exception to this.

The basic premise of the book is this: on a friends’ getaway, Roisin starts to suspect that her boyfriend’s new TV show picks closely from real life in some of its plot. When she recognises her own past amongst it, she starts to ask herself just how much of it is true, particularly the cheating which the sex-addict MC (Joe’s self insert) involves himself in.

Something about Mhairi McFarlane’s books feels oh-so-familiar every time you open one for the first time. You know it’s going to be good, because all of her books are good, so you can just kind of relax into reading it. There’s a kind of unparalleled feeling to picking up a book by an author you love that you know you’re going to enjoy. Regardless of where it lands in your rankings for that author, you enjoy the act of reading as much as you enjoy what you’re reading.

This being said, I would have to say that Between Us ranks pretty low on my rankings for McFarlane’s books. Not in the sense that I disliked it — as I said, I’m pretty much guaranteed to like her books to some extent and the lowest I’ve rated one is, like this, 3.5 stars — but in comparison to some of her others, it didn’t rank so high. However, I feel that, as I thought for Mad About You, this is a book that I’ll enjoy more on rereading. Sometimes it works like that, when I know where the book is taking me I like it more, and I think Between Us is one of those books.

I couldn’t really tell you why I liked this one less. It had all the hallmarks of Mhairi McFarlane’s works that I’ve loved time and again. In fact, I still loved them here. So, perhaps, it was more a matter of timing or how I felt it all pulled together. I’m not sure, but it’s definitely a book I feel could do with a reread. Maybe then I’ll know better how I feel about it.

Mhairi excellent as always
Been a fan of hers since just last night and she has never once disappointed
Reading her books are like coming home after a long day work and snuggling in your blanket- the sheer warmth and love and gratitude
Grateful that I know and have read her books

This is a fabulous novel. I am unashamedly a fan of Mhairi McFarlane and her novels just get better and better. This story is about Roisin and her partner Joe. Joe has jumped from struggling writer to minor celebrity because of a hit series. Roisin is questioning their relationship and gets a shock when she and their group of friends watch the first episode of Joe’s new show. What happens next unravels Roisin and Joe’s relationship.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK Harper Fiction for an ARC of this novel,

I've been saving this up as I always (unhealthily?) read the whole thing in one go with McFarlane's books, which I love. So witty and wise and her dialogue is fantastic, so a new one is always exciting. She also writes groups of friends really well, I think, and deals very convincingly with that slightly odd moment in your early thirties when serious decisions have to be made. (This period weirdly seems longer ago than my teens do.)

Anyway, Roisin and her b/f have been together for a decade, and met, along with the rest of The Brian Club, when they were working in Waterstones post-graduation. Joe's recent success as a writer for TV has improved their finances but has it improved their relationship? If not, why not, and what's Roisin going to do about it?