*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Title: Just Last Night
Author: Mhairi McFarlane
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 9780063036857
Synopsis from Goodreads:
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…
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Just Last Night wasn’t what I expected it was going to be, but all the same it was an entertaining and engaging read. I thought I was heading into a typical romcom story, but it’s so much more than that. As a novel that address grief, loss, abuse, dementia, friendship, and love, it follows Eve and her group of friends as they encounter one of the most difficult of life’s challenges: death. Through these pages they learn to heal and reconnect after their world shifts forever.
McFarlane’s writing is full of humour. It tackles difficult subjects in a tangible and honest way, but also with a sense of wit that infuses this whole story with a sense of joy despite the heavy topics. The writing is welcoming and accessible. The character of Eve, our protagonist, undergoes quite the transformation throughout this book. Through her story arc, she finds maturity, forgiveness, grace, and respect for herself.
Although Even is 34, this is a bit of a coming-of-age for her as she moves into a new phase of her life. She teaches the reader that we are always growing and evolving. We are all all deserving of compassion. Life can change in an instant, and it’s what we do with the results of those changes that makes us who we are. Her story is refreshing.
I am very impressed with Just Last Night and I absolutely recommend it. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.
Happy reading!
Worn Pages and Ink 