Really enjoyed this story about Roisin, who has been in a relationship with Joe for 10 years but cracks are beginning to form in their relationship. They are both part of a friendship group, hilariously known as the Brian Group, and this unlikely group of friends are the source of many funny stories throughout the book. This book had just the right amount of humour to lighten the mood when life gets difficult for Roisin and she finds herself back in her childhood home when she receives a cry for help from her mother, with whom her relationship can be a bit strained.
Mhairi McFarlane never disappoints and this latest book is no exception.

Another great book by this author. I only discovered her recently and have read a few now and enjoyed them all greatly. Plenty of great banter between the characters and infidelity and gaslighting make for a great read I just love her style of writing that really draws you in. . I can’t wait for the next book.

Another sensational novel by the author.

Joe and Roisin, a couple of ten years, are joining their friends for a weekend of celebrations at a swish country house. But as Joe's career is taking off and they view the first episode of his on screen drama, Roisin realises he has revealed one of her deepest secrets within his writing. Following the betrayal, we see lots of twists and turns and secrets unfolding, with Roisin questioning who she can trust.

The author managed to cover so much ground with this one, which included infidelity, gaslighting and toxic relationships. I loved the friendships and romance she developed and the characters that you could not help becoming invested in. Another wonderful instalment by one of my favourite authors.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for this gifted review copy.

I’ve been a Mhairi fan from the start, so each new novel is met with a bit of a fluster. I can genuinely say that her writing just gets better each book.

All of the usual components are here - people you wish you could meet in real life (and who you feel bereft at leaving as you come to the end of the story), characters you can’t stand, snappy, hilarious turns of phrase and a nice couple of musical references.

The joy of Mhairi’s books is drawing people away from what they believe of that archaic stereotype of “chick lit” and showing them something far deeper and far more clever.

Cannot recommend more highly. Buy it. And the back catalogue.

I truly love Mhairi McFarlane‘s work and was very excited to get an ARC of Between Us from Netgalley. Notwithstanding this, the beginning of the story did not grab me at all and if this hadn’t been the new Mhairi McFarlane novel, I may have abandoned it. The Prologue steps back in time to describe a night out that the main protagonist, Roisin, has with her mother to see a psychic. The sole purpose of the scene is for Roisin to overhear a conversation between her mum and her friends that puts into perspective something Roisin has seen her mum do. The story then lurches into the present where Roisin is teaching in a school about to g9 away for the weekend with her friends. Fast forward another 20 or so chapters and we finally start to get to know Roisin and her friends, get a steer for how the story will progress and find out the significance of the information about her mum. From this point on I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. All the things fans of McFarlane love were then present: astute observations of friendship dynamics, witty banter, genuine warmth, chemistry between potential love interests - it just felt it took a long time to get there. Overall, I really enjoyed it, felt really satisfied with the ending and, as usual, loved the lead characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for this ARC.

Rosie & Joe have been together for 10years but things start to get rocky - or have they been rocky for a while and no-one noticed? During a weekend away with their friends, the cracks start to show &
Rosie begins the quest of learning the truth of her relationship with Joe.

Rosie is a brilliant protagonist, she's smart and kind & has a wonderful group of friends to lean on. It was gorgeous to see Rosie's relationships with friends and family grow and flourish from the very start.

Overall, this was a great read, I was hooked from the very first sentence and I miss Rosie & The Brian Club now I'm finished.

The latest Mhairi McFarlane proves why she is one of the best contemporary fiction writers out there, with a gift for creating well-rounded characters with warmth and a sharp wit.

Between Us is an astute character-driven looking at relationships, infidelity, gaslighting and maligned reputations - all familiar themes from her previous novels, but with a fresh perspective. All with a cat who steals the book!

Teacher Roisin wonders who Joe, her partner of nine years, really is when she sees her family secrets and an unrepentantly cheating lead character (who is essentially Joe's avatar) depicted in his new TV show. Scenes which are eerily similar to past real-life settings.

Yet despite her instincts - she knew their relationship was on the skids - she can't quite make the final cut.
As Finn from Mairi's Last Night (2021) opined 'when you pass on something that has good things about it, but isn't good enough, you're gambling that something one day will feel better, aren't you? Stick or twist'. Roisin is unsure if Joe being truthful and she's throwing away a long-time relationship, or whether her gut instincts are correct. This has her enlisting friends Matt and Meredith to help her investigate.

The pace of this book can be summed up - as heroine Roisin reflects, 'slow, but fast at the end'.

There is a lot going on. Woven in their friends experiencing their own turmoil plus Roisin ends up commuting back to work at the failing family pub in her hometown.

As for the romance, it is also 'slow, but fast at the end' for Roisin to realise the right man has been there all along, he was just maligned.

While Mhairi expertly weaves this in, it does mean the romance is more of a backburner. I am greedy the chemistry between them was a highlight so I just wanted more of them together, especially as we start seeing him open himself up more to Roisin.

If you like watching a skewering of duplicitious men, characters who make sharply witty observations about life, a deliciously slow-burn romance with a swoony hero, plus a cat called Meatball, read this book! Then, if you haven't read Mhairi's earlier work, hit up her back catalogue, you won't regret it!

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC. I have pre-ordered my own copy.

I almost gave up on Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane a couple of times. The first third of the book dragged somewhat but there were glimpses even then of what it would develop into: a fascinating story of friendship, trust and truth. In the interests of the latter, I'd say that there was too much scene-setting and not enough time given to unravelling a false version of Roisin's life with Joe. At the end of the book she discusses with her English class the idea that a happy ending should actually be viewed as a happy beginning - or hope. I'd like to have seen more of that. But, as the book gathered pace and focused in on a few of the group of characters from the beginning, I became more and more engaged by, and engrossed, in it.

Mhairi McFarlane does it again!!! Aaahhh, I adored this book about relationships, friendships, and how those dynamics change as you age and encounter different forms of success (or failure).

I think Roisin may be my favorite of all of McFarlane’s female leads. I love to see a female main character who is competent and content in her career. I also love that even as her relationship falls apart, Roisin never questions her self worth.

Nearly of McFarlane’s books follow a similar structure (I specifically chose not to use the word “formula,” because they aren’t formulaic): the heroine is in love/in a relationship with a Bad Guy, and in the course of healing from that relationship, they fall in love with a Good Guy. Here, the Bad Guy is a gaslighter, and let me tell you, his gaslighting was infuriating. (His TV shows also reminded me of the male anti-hero shows of the mid to late aughts, e.g., Dexter, Californication, and even Breaking Bad. The kind of shows we look back on and think, hm, why did we glorify this?)

The love interest was pretty good, although he probably doesn’t make the podium for MM heroes (the medals go to Jamie, Lucas, and Finlay, in that order).

Another five star must read from one of my favorite authors!

I would like to thank HarperCollins Uk and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Between us was a very interesting read about friendship, family, love, toxic relationships, gaslighting, betrayal and infidelity.
The writing was immersive and the characters were relatable. The dialogues and interactions were credible and the story had a lot more depth than I was expecting.

This was a great read and I absolutely recommend it, albeit I would have excluded Gina’ love/ obsession plot.

Another engrossing, warm and layered read from Mhairi McFarlane, who builds worlds that feel both cosy and complex.

As always, I was really excited to read a new Mhairi McFarlane and this didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed the story. I wish the Gina element hadn't been included though - I think it was unnecessary. Apart from that though, this was another winner.

I LOVE Mhairi McFarlane novels. Honestly a reading highlight of every year, and Between Us was no exception. Loved it, no notes. Joe can get in the bin.

A brilliant read from the queen of romcom, Mhairi McFarlane.
4 stars, I devoured it in one sitting.

I loved this book. Full of romance, friendship and most importantly: hope. Believable characters and believable chemistry and I enjoyed reading about Roisin, Joe and Matt and became fully engaged in their story. Liked the mother and daughter relationship between Roisin and Lorraine Relatable and real. Liked the ending and how it was linked to Charles Dickens! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

Not on a par with her others, which is a shame as her last one, Mad About You, was one of her best. This one seems to tread water and the best things about it are the side characters - I didn't really feel invested in the story of Roisin or her newly-glamorous screenwriter boyfriend, who seems to have an answer for everything. I'm glad the bit in the stately home didn't turn into some sort of Cluedo situation as I can't abide those, but it didn't pick up much once it got back to Manchester.

If you need cheering up and some unashamed escapism, this is perfect! This author is the queen of uplifting, feel good romance! Buy it……..

The story of a group of friends who met while working at a bookshop as students, Between Us showcases what happens when you start to question your partnership of many years, and wonder - do we really have something in common? I usually love Mhairi McFarlane’s books but I felt like this one was missing some of the sparkle that she brings to her novels.

As usual, an easy, engaging read, but not on par with McFarlane’s other books. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

Another brilliant book by Mhairi McFarlane! Great story, great characters and some genuinely laugh out loud moments. I loved the main character, strong, beautiful, smart Roisin and her witty friends. So immersive, I wish I was part of the Brian Club.

Wow! This book was brilliant. I was carried along with the story telling and didn't want to put it down - unfortunately I started it on a work day so had to but as soon as possible picked it up again.

Believable characters you can't help but relate to and root for.