Published by HarperCollins on May 4, 2021
Genres: Fiction, Women, Friendship, Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction/Chick Lit
Pages: 416
Format: eBook
Source: ARC
"I cannot remember the last book I loved as much... a luminous, heart-achingly beautiful love letter to friendship. Knockout!" — Josie Silver, New York Times bestselling author
International bestseller Mhairi McFarlane explores lifelong friendships, long-buried secrets, and unexpected love in a heartfelt, emotional new novel, perfect for fans of Evvie Drake Starts Over, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird, or In Five Years.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?
"[A] book I almost wish I’d written, except that would have robbed me of the intense joy of reading it... the kind of novel that will have you putting everything else on hold so you can keep turning pages until you reach its sparkling, brilliant end.” — Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read
I was so worried that Just Last Night wouldn’t live up to my inner hype because I have this habit of sticking McFarlane on a pedestal and I’m just hoping that I can keep her up there for forever. I’m thrilled to report that this was everything I hoped for. I sat down and binged this delightful morsel in a day, and may have put off some adulting even after finishing to sit and think about what McFarlane has created.
Just Last Night was heart-wrenching, incredibly funny (dry British humor is my jam), and a beautiful sort of messy that I found myself nodding along with. While I have this listed as a romantic comedy, honestly, I feel like that may be a bit misleading. While I giggled and straight up belly laughed like I do with all of McFarlane’s books, this story is heavier than her books to-date. We have a sort of unrequited romance, but tossing in the rest of the crew’s story leaves readers with complicated friendships, tragedies, things left unsaid, and secrets. There is a delightful irreverence at times that helped break up some of the weightier moments.
I loved Eve. Authentic, flawed, and absolutely the sort of person I would be pleased to call a friend. We spend the entire novel in her perspective, experiencing her grief and complicated emotions when messy secrets threaten to tear apart a decades old friendship. While there is a romance, the book places Eve’s growth front and center. The scenes that did focus on the romance were a sweet complement to Eve’s journey.
I’m actually quite proud of myself that this review hasn’t turned out to be one long fan-girly scream so I’ll just sign off before that happens. I don’t think I can overstate how much I adored this angsty, messy, classically McFarlane book! If you enjoyed Don’t You Forget About Me (my absolute favorite and a book I recommend all the time) then give this one a shot. Read this book and enjoy the rollercoaster!
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
