Last Night: The best romcom of 2021: romantic, heart-breaking and laugh-out-loud funny
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-05-22 06:51:43
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Mhairi McFarlane
- ISBN：0008169519
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
Eve， Justin， Susie， and Ed have been friends since they were teenagers。 Now in their thirties， the four are as close as ever， Thursday night bar trivia is sacred， and Eve is still secretly in love with Ed。 Maybe she should have moved on by now， but she can’t stop thinking about what could have been。 And she knows Ed still thinks about it， too。
But then， in an instant， their lives are changed forever。
In the aftermath， Eve’s world is upended。 As stunning secrets are revealed， she begins to wonder if she really knew her friends as well as she thought。 And when someone from the past comes back into her life， Eve’s future veers in a surprising new direction。。。
They say every love story starts with a single moment。 What if it was just last night？
But then， in an instant， their lives are changed forever。
In the aftermath， Eve’s world is upended。 As stunning secrets are revealed， she begins to wonder if she really knew her friends as well as she thought。 And when someone from the past comes back into her life， Eve’s future veers in a surprising new direction。。。
They say every love story starts with a single moment。 What if it was just last night？
Reviews
dana
，
"It's like my whole life was about traveling back to you。" 4。5 starsi thought this book was going to be one thing， but around 10% in， it went in a completely different direction。 i usually hate when that happens， but i loved this？？ i thought it was going to be a rom-com， which it definitely isn't， it's a lot heavier。 but it was also so witty， like i straight up laughed out loud multiple times， which rarely happens to me when i'm reading。all in all， i definitely recommend this book， ev "It's like my whole life was about traveling back to you。" 4。5 starsi thought this book was going to be one thing， but around 10% in， it went in a completely different direction。 i usually hate when that happens， but i loved this？？ i thought it was going to be a rom-com， which it definitely isn't， it's a lot heavier。 but it was also so witty， like i straight up laughed out loud multiple times， which rarely happens to me when i'm reading。all in all， i definitely recommend this book， even though it wasn't what i thought it was going to be。 this was my first mhairi mcfarlane read， but she's such a strong writer， and i can't wait to read more of her books！！ 。。。more
Aleksandra
，
I loved everything about this book！
Lucy
，
A beautiful story based around grief， special friendships， love and making life’s moments really count as no one knows how long they have here。 We all could be here one day and gone the next。 This book is the definition of emotional rollercoaster， it had me laughing， smiling and ugly crying in equal measures。 The story line flowed at just the right pace， making it easy to follow， and the readers/listeners get to know the main characters well， making this a tender heartfelt tale。 An easy five sta A beautiful story based around grief， special friendships， love and making life’s moments really count as no one knows how long they have here。 We all could be here one day and gone the next。 This book is the definition of emotional rollercoaster， it had me laughing， smiling and ugly crying in equal measures。 The story line flowed at just the right pace， making it easy to follow， and the readers/listeners get to know the main characters well， making this a tender heartfelt tale。 An easy five star recommendation from me on this， it is an absolute delight， and should be picked up if you find it， in whatever format suits you best！ 。。。more
Melissa
，
Mhairi McFarlane has a gift for writing angst-filled stories that don't feel angst-filled。 Seriously。 The entire time I read this story I kept feeling like I should have been more annoyed with the eternal misery of the main character， but I wasn't。 I loved her。 I wanted to see her succeed。 Her angst felt justified， and I cared about her enough to want to stick with her to the end so that she could find her happiness eventually。 Like I say， Mhairi McFarlane has a gift for making me love her damag Mhairi McFarlane has a gift for writing angst-filled stories that don't feel angst-filled。 Seriously。 The entire time I read this story I kept feeling like I should have been more annoyed with the eternal misery of the main character， but I wasn't。 I loved her。 I wanted to see her succeed。 Her angst felt justified， and I cared about her enough to want to stick with her to the end so that she could find her happiness eventually。 Like I say， Mhairi McFarlane has a gift for making me love her damaged heroes and heroines。I will admit that it took me a bit of time to get into this story。 This was a story about a group of four friends， and I always find that I struggle to engage with stories where I feel like I am dropped into established relationships with backstories and inside jokes and banter that makes me feel outside the loop。 I read the blurb， so I knew that there would be some sort of tragedy and some sort of revelation that would throw this group of friends into a bit of chaos。 So I was ready 。。。 and maybe part of the reason I struggled to get into this at first was because I was waiting for the other shoe to drop at any minute。 Well， it eventually did， and when it did the angst began。 But I should clarify that by saying 'angst' I am not implying anything negative in this case。 It is totally justifiable angst that comes about because Eve， the main character in this story， has been living a bit of a false life， not really confronting the reality of her relationships or her life choices。 When the angst begins， Eve finally gets the push she needs to get out of a rut and become the person she was meant to be。Here's what made this story work 。。。 Eve。 I loved her。 She kept just enough humor in her outlook on life as she faced hard realities that I was able to bear the sadness and hurt that peppers this story。 She was just a genuinely good and optimistic person who chose to see the good in people for the most part。 Her long-lasting unrequited （mostly） love for her friend Ed， and her heartbreak at his sudden engagement felt relatable。 A book full of unrequited love would have been exhausting， but reading about Eve's journey of discovery as she realizes what has been going on all along in her relationship with Ed was fantastic。 But I should be clear， if you are reading this story and hoping for some sort of epic romantic story， you might end up disappointed。 There is a bit of romance here， and it is lovely。 Really lovely。 But I think this book is more about Eve's evolution as a character。 This is her journey of discovery。 Love is a great bonus at the end， but it isn't the point here。 I wouldn't really call this a slow burn love story， but it definitely takes it's time coming around。 And I'm okay with it。I love， love， loved the story of Susie's dysfunctional family。 There are all sorts of family secrets floating around。 You know they're there， but I would have never guessed what they would be。 When they are revealed 。。。 Holy cow！ What a change in perspective I went through！ Things were definitely not as they seemed。 Fin 。。。 awww Fin。 How I loved his terribly damaged and often prickly character。 How I grieved for his life experiences！ How I ended up loving him！I am a huge fan of the way Mhairi McFarlane creates a story。 I love her characters， their relationships， and their banter。 I love hanging out with her characters， and I love to watch their journeys of growth。 That was my experience with this story as well。 It was slow to grab me， but once it did I fell in love with it and was a bit sad to see it end。 Four strong stars。 I really liked it。 。。。more
Leila ✨
，
“What WAS that？ I’d decided I was in love with one of my best friends， the night before we both moved to different cities for three years？That evening， I laughed out loud in the dusk – the timing seemed so comical。As opposed to what it actually was: catastrophically bad。” Lo dije en mi reseña de If I Never Met You y lo vuelvo a decir: Mhairi McFarlane tiene una habilidad para hacer que sus historias románticas se sientan completamente verosímiles y creíbles。El libro arrancó muy bien。 “What WAS that？ I’d decided I was in love with one of my best friends， the night before we both moved to different cities for three years？That evening， I laughed out loud in the dusk – the timing seemed so comical。As opposed to what it actually was: catastrophically bad。” Lo dije en mi reseña de If I Never Met You y lo vuelvo a decir: Mhairi McFarlane tiene una habilidad para hacer que sus historias románticas se sientan completamente verosímiles y creíbles。El libro arrancó muy bien。 La historia en sí me parecía muy triste （todo el bad timing entre Ed y Eve， y como ella quedó enganchada y él siguió como si nada）， + la muerte de Suzie + el SECRETO y el no poder obtener una explicación me partieron el corazón。El romance no fue el que más me gustó de todos sus libros （I did think it was cute， tho） pero aprecio y valoro mucho como la autora crea sus romances: introduce al protagonista masculino primero mencionándolo， después aparece por primera vez casi a la mitad del libro， y después se va acercando a la protagonista progresivamente。 No es todo de una como en libros like Hush， Hush o Twilight， donde el protagonista masculino no existe en un capítulo， y al siguiente es el centro de atención de la mina ？？？ es re irreal e inverosímil - cosa que no pasa con los libros románticos de esta autora ;）¿Otro más que amo de los libros de esta autora？ Los audiolibros。 Siempre están narrados por una mujer con acento de Manchester， y no puedo explicar la felicidad que me genera escucharlas hablar por 10 horas <33Yeah。 Not much else to say， really。3 de 5 estrellas。 。。。more
Jessica ♡
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3。5 😊
Yamini
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A bit angsty， but well written。 I may have been lost with some British talk and references
Lizenbyl
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Four best friends are living their lives independent but as dependent friends。 Suddenly after a night out on the bar scene， Susie is killed by a driver having a stroke on her way home very close to her home。 Her death brings a lot of changes to the group including Evie and Ed who both had a thing for each other。 Ultimately Susie's death brings a lot of clarity to the Evie/Ed relationship including his breaking off his engagement to Hester。 Four best friends are living their lives independent but as dependent friends。 Suddenly after a night out on the bar scene， Susie is killed by a driver having a stroke on her way home very close to her home。 Her death brings a lot of changes to the group including Evie and Ed who both had a thing for each other。 Ultimately Susie's death brings a lot of clarity to the Evie/Ed relationship including his breaking off his engagement to Hester。 。。。more
Winyen
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A true rom-com！ Great characters， incredible dialogue， and also， lots of great vocabulary！
Becky
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What is so interesting about this book is how the author realistically deals with grief。
Raven
，
4。5/5 ★ Not going to write a synopsis because this book is best enjoyed blind。 This is so much more than a romance， in fact I would say the romance is just a branch of a bigger story surrounding friendship（s） and the romance is just the cherry on top。Mhairi has such a knack for writing fun， smart， fresh and snarky dialogue， her books always offer lots of laughs but have this also relatable deepness to them。 Within the first ten chapters I had laughed hard， cried， and swooned。 I wanted to savour 4。5/5 ★ Not going to write a synopsis because this book is best enjoyed blind。 This is so much more than a romance， in fact I would say the romance is just a branch of a bigger story surrounding friendship（s） and the romance is just the cherry on top。Mhairi has such a knack for writing fun， smart， fresh and snarky dialogue， her books always offer lots of laughs but have this also relatable deepness to them。 Within the first ten chapters I had laughed hard， cried， and swooned。 I wanted to savour this book rather than rush through it and really take in the journey of the MC and her friends。 There are also some really shocking plot surprises which kept this book really refreshing。 I closed this book with the biggest smile on my face， it’s a book I will come back to and read again。 。。。more
Erin
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I listened to this as an audiobook and quite liked the narrator （although there were a few times I couldn’t tell whether the out loud statements between characters were the male or female in the scene because the voice change wasn’t obvious enough to me。） Although all of the circumstances around the death of a friend were different in my situation， I have experienced the traumatic loss of a best friend like Evelyn did。 I felt like， more than anything， the author really captured the sorrow and th I listened to this as an audiobook and quite liked the narrator （although there were a few times I couldn’t tell whether the out loud statements between characters were the male or female in the scene because the voice change wasn’t obvious enough to me。） Although all of the circumstances around the death of a friend were different in my situation， I have experienced the traumatic loss of a best friend like Evelyn did。 I felt like， more than anything， the author really captured the sorrow and the shock of such a loss。 I cried a lot when listening to this book。 I also chuckled a few times at the sly humor。 Overall， listening to this book was a cathartic experience。 Grief can be isolating and resonating with either perspectives or experiences of characters in a story such as this one is a comfort。 The story did not go in the direction that I expected but I couldn’t have been happier with the outcome by the end， （all things considered as no one provided them with a time machine。） As with other MacFarlane books， I liked a lot of the supporting characters including the rescue pets。 。。。more
Sam
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Miss Mhairi has outdone herself yet again- her most emotional， vulnerable and poignant work yet。 You will not be able to put it down until you finish it！
Jessica Senn
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This was actually a pretty good book when you get past some glaringly terrible things。 It’s marketed as a romcom and so I went into it expecting a light and fun read。 A break from some of the heavier stuff I was reading。 This was NOT light， nor a break。 It dealt with VERY heavy themes。 The romcom that it was marketed as was really just a few chapters of the whole book。 Not saying I wouldn’t have read the book if the marketing and reviews and blurb on the back had been truthful， I just wouldn’t h This was actually a pretty good book when you get past some glaringly terrible things。 It’s marketed as a romcom and so I went into it expecting a light and fun read。 A break from some of the heavier stuff I was reading。 This was NOT light， nor a break。 It dealt with VERY heavy themes。 The romcom that it was marketed as was really just a few chapters of the whole book。 Not saying I wouldn’t have read the book if the marketing and reviews and blurb on the back had been truthful， I just wouldn’t have read it now。 All in all， I think if this had been marketed differently， it would have gotten a better rating from me。 As it is， I felt duped into reading something I wasn’t expecting in the worse way possible。 。。。more
Archd
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Well plotted， written and loved the humor too。
Hayley
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I always love Mhairi’s style of writing but this book hit on a different level。 I mean I cried 3 times！ It was beautifully written and perfectly narrates the pain you go through when you lose somebody close to you especially the torture and stages of grief。 As well as gaining such a emotion for the characters in the book & I loved the twists and turns that kept you wondering what was going to happen next。。 It only took me a few days to read it。 In short I loved this book and couldn’t put it down I always love Mhairi’s style of writing but this book hit on a different level。 I mean I cried 3 times！ It was beautifully written and perfectly narrates the pain you go through when you lose somebody close to you especially the torture and stages of grief。 As well as gaining such a emotion for the characters in the book & I loved the twists and turns that kept you wondering what was going to happen next。。 It only took me a few days to read it。 In short I loved this book and couldn’t put it down。 The best one of hers yet！ 。。。more
Aoife - Bookish_Babbling
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******** "Pre-review" ********Impromptu Goodreads Gal Pals group read - Take 4。。。maybe not planning ahead will be out magic sauce 🤗Kimster， Fran， Jess & Franlopedia - I am excite and have no idea what this is about other than yay alternate timelines storytelling 🙃 ******** "Pre-review" ********Impromptu Goodreads Gal Pals group read - Take 4。。。maybe not planning ahead will be out magic sauce 🤗Kimster， Fran， Jess & Franlopedia - I am excite and have no idea what this is about other than yay alternate timelines storytelling 🙃 。。。more
preoccupiedbybooks
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Buddy read with Aoife， Kim， Jess and other Fran 💃
Annelies
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Pageturner die bij momenten onverwacht ontroerend was。 Zal allicht snel vergeten zijn。
Kelli
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I love this author！ This book was a bit sad for me， especially the first half， but once we got in to the romantic fun stuff， I really enjoyed it。 I read the author's note and she was trying to write a sad romantic comedy and I get that。 It's super predictable but I don't ever care with McFarlane for some reason。 I love this author！ This book was a bit sad for me， especially the first half， but once we got in to the romantic fun stuff， I really enjoyed it。 I read the author's note and she was trying to write a sad romantic comedy and I get that。 It's super predictable but I don't ever care with McFarlane for some reason。 。。。more
Katie Meyer-Robinson
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Mhairi McFarlane comes through with another book that is sooo cute。 I couldn't stop smiling， my heart literally felt warms at parts， and I cried multiple times。 I love her writing - so witty and clever。 I think my favourite book by McFarlane is still If I Never Met You， but this is a close second。 Absolutely recommend！ Mhairi McFarlane comes through with another book that is sooo cute。 I couldn't stop smiling， my heart literally felt warms at parts， and I cried multiple times。 I love her writing - so witty and clever。 I think my favourite book by McFarlane is still If I Never Met You， but this is a close second。 Absolutely recommend！ 。。。more
Elena
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Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane is exceptional in these areas: it being totally unexpected and McFarlane’s talent as a writer。 The back doesn’t give anything away。 Everything that happened in the novel was a real surprise。 Okay， maybe not everything but especially the beginning。 I thought the book was going to go one way but it did a superb job at upending my expectations。Also， I love the writing。 It’s so witty and British。 It’s great how fast-paced the dialogue is and I love how the inside Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane is exceptional in these areas: it being totally unexpected and McFarlane’s talent as a writer。 The back doesn’t give anything away。 Everything that happened in the novel was a real surprise。 Okay， maybe not everything but especially the beginning。 I thought the book was going to go one way but it did a superb job at upending my expectations。Also， I love the writing。 It’s so witty and British。 It’s great how fast-paced the dialogue is and I love how the inside jokes of the four friends is incorporated so effortlessly。 Sometimes， I honestly don’t understand all the jokes （probably because I’m American and am not pop-cultured enough） but the writing is so great that it’s okay and I can always understand the emotions behind everything being said。 I think the way the prose allows me to become very connected emotionally to the main character is so commendable。 It wasn’t my favorite of McFarlane’s books because in some ways， for me personally， it was too heavy。 All of her books are definitely more women’s fiction love stories rather than pure fluffy rom-coms。 They often have difficult themes in them along with a romance。 Yet， this one was particularly thick with hard topics。 For me， it was almost too much and at points hard to get through。 I think it’s worth the read if you’re okay with a sad story。Trigger warnings:this book does deal with death， grief and physical abuse 。。。more
Sharon
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Best book I’ve read this year but you have to get past page 70 or so。
Michelle （just_talking_to_my_shelf） Abate
，
Eve， Susie， Ed and Justin have been friends since they were teenagers。 They are now in their thirties and as close as ever。 Eve has been in love with Ed for years， and she can't stop thinking about what could have been。 Then， in an instant， their lives are upended。 I don't want to give any spoilers for this one because it's best to go into Just Last Night blind。For those expecting a Mhairi McFarlane romantic comedy， this isn't it。 Just Last Night is a beautiful story full of grief， hope， and mov Eve， Susie， Ed and Justin have been friends since they were teenagers。 They are now in their thirties and as close as ever。 Eve has been in love with Ed for years， and she can't stop thinking about what could have been。 Then， in an instant， their lives are upended。 I don't want to give any spoilers for this one because it's best to go into Just Last Night blind。For those expecting a Mhairi McFarlane romantic comedy， this isn't it。 Just Last Night is a beautiful story full of grief， hope， and moving on。 Get your tissues ready because this book will pull at your heartstrings。Despite the occasionally heavy subject matter， there are also some passages that made me laugh out loud。 I felt the ratio of levity to grief was perfectly balanced。There is a romantic storyline in Just Last Night， and it was perfectly handled。 It was not rushed， which would have felt unrealistic due to a loss of someone close to Eve early in the book。 I cheesed through the ending and wished for even more of the happy ending。 。。。more
Thu Ngân
，
I really really like this book。I picked it up expecting a light and fluffy rom-com with a British setting。 Then I got much more than that。The book is about a group of friends - Eve， Ed， Justin and Susie who have been best friends for almost two decades。 One night， after their usual Thursday pub quiz， something terrible happens。 This tragedy and a secret revealed afterwards make Eve question if she really knows her friends。What I like about the book:- Pub quiz in Nottingham！！ I had a stint in Not I really really like this book。I picked it up expecting a light and fluffy rom-com with a British setting。 Then I got much more than that。The book is about a group of friends - Eve， Ed， Justin and Susie who have been best friends for almost two decades。 One night， after their usual Thursday pub quiz， something terrible happens。 This tragedy and a secret revealed afterwards make Eve question if she really knows her friends。What I like about the book:- Pub quiz in Nottingham！！ I had a stint in Nottingham two years ago。 It was one of my best professional and personal experiences。 Every Monday， after a long day of work， our group of colleagues went to a pub quiz and lost。。。 until the very last Monday of our time there！ That's why I feel connected to this book in a way and the ending （view spoiler）[in which they win the quiz for the very first time。。。 （hide spoiler）]？ A perfect ending that reminds me of our victory in that small pub in Beeston。 - A tour around Edinburgh。 I've been to this lovely ancient city twice， and this books make me feel that I should return to climb the Arthur's Seat （I gave up midway。。。）。 - There is more than just romance。 Several themes like unrequited feelings， friendship and family are interwoven nicely。 - Finley Hart。 He totally escapes my radar！ What makes it not a 5* read for me:- Hundreds of British cultural references which I only get half of。 While I feel so proud of myself for understanding things like 'Morrison Pate with Ritz'， references like Monty Python or the Office leave me confused。 It makes me feel like being in a pub quiz again， managing to answer only 10% of the questions。- Lack of diversity。 Every single character is white。 Again， it makes me feel like being in a pub quiz in Nottingham， with me and my Nigerian-British colleague as the only non-white people there。4 1/2* 。。。more
veloci。reader
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4。5⭐️
Katy Sturdivant
，
Didn’t love the beginning but it got a lot better as it went on。
Georgia
，
More on Chill and read"Last night" is the second book written by Mhairi McFarlane that I read， after "If I never met you"。 I really liked her writing in that one， so I decided to give this one a go and I wasn't disappointed。 McFarlane can deliver a great page turner， a book that can not be put down， even when one never expected it！ Eve， Justin Susie and Ed have been friends ever since they were teenagers。 It's a friendship that goes on for years and they know each other very well。 They don't keep More on Chill and read"Last night" is the second book written by Mhairi McFarlane that I read， after "If I never met you"。 I really liked her writing in that one， so I decided to give this one a go and I wasn't disappointed。 McFarlane can deliver a great page turner， a book that can not be put down， even when one never expected it！ Eve， Justin Susie and Ed have been friends ever since they were teenagers。 It's a friendship that goes on for years and they know each other very well。 They don't keep any secrets from one another， or so some of them think。 Throughout the years they have established a routine and Thursday night bar trivia is the very base of it。 It's usually the four of them competing with a specific other group mostly， but in many occasions， Ed's girlfriend joins them as well。 Eve and Susie that are best friends since primary school， don't really like Ed's girlfriend， Hester， but they don't share this information with him。 Especially since Eve is still in love with Ed after so many years。 Now， on the age of thirty four， the four of them love spending their Thursday nights at The Gladstone， just like every Thursday。 Only this one Thursday seems to be so different than the others！ By the end of the night， everything will change in their lives， especially in Eve's life， as she will find herself in a position she never expected。 The day after will mark a new era in her life， one where she will find herself wondering how well she really knows her friends and how many more secrets are hidden in their small group。 Two things happen that night。 Ed and Hester get engaged out of the blue。 Yes， they were in a long term relationship but this marriage proposal was a bit unorthodox and certainly not expected by both parties。 And the second incident is one that will break their little group apart and bring them down with grief。 It will get the best of Eve。 It will leave her devastated。 But she has to keep living with herself and her memories and a box full of letters and diaries she swore she would not open and read。 But when she is requested to give that box to someone that barely deserves having it， she will find herself reading at least one of those letters only to have her world shuttered once more。 This book is so much different than "If I never met you"。 It is full of emotions！ It is about friendship， relationships and grief。 But it is also about forgiving， making changes， understanding one's feelings and moving on when it's actually time to do so！ I really liked Eve's journey throughout all this turmoil she had to go through。 It really matured her and helped her see things from a different angle。 She was then able to make some decisions with respect to her life。 To really understand what she wants in life and finally let herself be her and lead her own way。 "Last Night" is already out there， so go and get your copy！ Thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollins UK， HarperFiction for an advance copy of this book。 The views expressed are my personal and honest opinion。 。。。more
Claudia
，
This was not at all what I expected。 I had only read one other Mhairi MacFarlane book previously and I knew that her style wasn't just a couple-focused romance， but this was a lot heavier and darker in tone than I expected。 So it took me a bit to get into this and the first half is very heavy in topic that it was not the easiest read。 But the second half was a bit lighter in tone and actually focused more on the romance。 So， I wouldn't really categorise this as romance， but more as women's ficti This was not at all what I expected。 I had only read one other Mhairi MacFarlane book previously and I knew that her style wasn't just a couple-focused romance， but this was a lot heavier and darker in tone than I expected。 So it took me a bit to get into this and the first half is very heavy in topic that it was not the easiest read。 But the second half was a bit lighter in tone and actually focused more on the romance。 So， I wouldn't really categorise this as romance， but more as women's fiction。I think the characters were very well drawn and the relationships between them all were felshed out and believable。 Funnily enough， especially the relationship between （view spoiler）[Eve and Ed felt very true。 I get the being in love with someone for so long and kind of being taken for granted and I loved that Eve realised how unhealthy the dyneamics between them were。 （hide spoiler）]I'm glad I read this， even if it wasn't exactly what I was expecting and also not necessarily the kind of story I'm drawn to。 But I think， if you like hard-hitting contemporaries with a dash of romance then this is for you。 。。。more
Steffi
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