Just Last Night

There's too much reference on real world British culture that I have no idea about. I also spoil it to myself accidentally and somehow I can't get myself to finish it.

I came to this book in the mood for a little romance. I did not get a little romance, BUT! This book was so genuinely funny and heartfelt!!

However I am now going to find another silly little romance to read because that's what I was originally in the mood for LMAO

3.5 stars

This was the February pick for the Lost in Romance Book Club which I cohost with Michelle. Looking at the cover of this I went in fully expecting like a cutesy romcom and that is definitely not what I got. This book is definitely on the heartbreaking side but there was some humor thrown in as well. I was just never fully emotionally connected to the story or any of the characters but the author had me sucked into the story. This was my first book by this author and after reading this one I would love to read some of her other books. 

4.25

4.5 stars - “Ninety-nine percent of the world's lovers are not with their first choice. That's what makes the jukebox play.”

- Enemies to Lovers
- Death/Grief
- Mental Health
- Complicated Past
- Cheating
- Friendships
- Clean Romance
- Best Friend's Brother

Another enjoyable read from McFarlane, mixing quirky characters, witty banter, and some seriously deep topics in a way I've never quite encountered before. It's as if P.G. Wodehouse decided to throw some PTSD awareness into the mix of his madcap comedies – and it works somehow.

The one qualm I have is that in both the books I have read so far, all the main characters are heavy drinkers. They drink when they are happy, they drink when they are sad. They drink to calm down and to pep themselves up, and just for the heck of it. If I had to reckon up the amount of time they spend being seriously intoxicated during the main action of the story and important conversations, I would estimate about 80%. Yet absolutely no one has a problem with that, not an inkling of a notion that it might be going too far or a form of self-medication that should be reconsidered.

Even though there are good messages about self-empowerment and authentic relationships, alongside these is the constant assumption: “We can't really have fun and live life to the fullest unless we are sozzled.” I find this a little weird. And sad. Alcohol is not to the human body as oil is to a car engine, something it needs in order to run happily and smoothly. It's a harmful toxin, however pleasurable its use may be, and should be treated with some caution. Call me a spoilsport if you like (Bertie Wooster certainly would), but in our day and age, it's just strange to promote drinking culture so one-sidedly without ANY awareness of the drawbacks.

this was GORGEOUS and heartbreaking :,( incredible writing , i highlighted SO much

her BFF susan? died
she has a crush on this guy, ed?
from what i can tell, she ends up with susan's brother (uh, i think they live in diff countries so they were discussing how they can make it work)

I usually love Mhairi McFarlane. To be honest, this was an interesting, deep, heartfelt story. I enjoyed the slow build up, the realistic friendship, the flaws. But all of that didn't add up to the usual magic she makes, so 3.5 stars is the top of my assessment.

I absolutely adore McFarlane's books, and Just Last Night is no exception.

My favorite part of her novels are always the supporting characters – the friends, the family, the MC's support net. So obviously I loved that Just Last Night is about those deep friendships and explores what happens when long buried secrets come to light.

Just Last Night was also a beautiful exploration of grief. I full on bawled through about a quarter of the book because it resonated with losses I've had in my life, but also because it made me think about what it would be like if my best friend died. The author did such a wonderful job of illustrating the myriad of emotions, the small moments when the grief hits you unexpectedly.

My one and only complaint is that I would have liked to see more interaction and development between Eve and Finlay. I loved what was there! It just felt like things were a bit rushed at the end, and that there wasn't a strong foundation for their relationship. The book focused more on friendships than the romance.

Spoiler: I am conflicted on how things turned out with Ed. On the one hand, friendships are complicated and the history and relationship after over 10 years of friendship is hard to ignore. On the other hand, I feel like he got off way too lightly after years of the ‘nice guy' routine.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

CW: death of a best friend, parent with dementia, description of past child abuseMhairi McFarlane continues to be a rising star of the “chick lit/women's fiction” genre (I hate both of those terms) . Her books are clever, funny, poignant and completely engaging. This one happens to be more gut-wrenching than most of her work, but it still has her distinctive voice. There's a scene in the beginning of the book that illustrates McFarlane's genius. After a somewhat disturbing trivia pub night with her 3 besties, Eve decides to embark on a one-night stand with a much younger bartender who has been flirting with her. The result is hilarious, cringe-worthy, and enlightening (to both Eve and the reader). And that's just the third chapter. I don't want to say very much about the rest of the plot because of spoilers, but I will say that Eve is a great heroine: a loyal friend, a smart trivia player, and a skilled writer who is stuck at a less than fulfilling job (the career stuff is less important than you'd think but I appreciate the fact that she is more than competent). Then something happens that blows her world apart. At first I thought the book would go in one direction, but it took several surprising turns that made it even more interesting and complex. So while I can't reveal what happens I can say that Just Last Night is about grief, secrets, friendships viewed in a different light, and the dangers of seeing people from only one point of view. There is tremendous personal growth that comes from Eve's pain. At times it is difficult to read, but McFarlane always throws in a zinger or two that prevent the story from becoming too maudlin. There is a bit of a romance in the mix, although that was the least successful part of the plot IMHO. I've come to anticipate each new book by this author with the same excitement that I used to devote to [a:Marian Keyes 6104 Marian Keyes https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1609855198p2/6104.jpg] in the late 1990s and early 2000s. If you loved McFarlane's last book, [b:If I Never Met You 51213487 If I Never Met You Mhairi McFarlane https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1595853597l/51213487.SY75.jpg 71665792] be warned that this one has a much more serious tone, but if you can handle that in the midst of a worldwide pandemic meltdown you will be amply rewarded. ARC gratefully received from Net Galley in exchange for honest review.