Reviews with content warning for Toxic friendship - Last Night

What an emotional roller coaster this book took me on! I was not anticipating it even a little bit and I honestly loved every heartbreaking minute of it.

I highly recommend going into this one with as little information as possible. That being said, I won't be sharing much in this review so as not to give anything away.

This book has a truly beautiful found family vibe to it that I absolutely loved. It was filled with complicated friendships that really brought something special to the story. While there was definitely romance in the book, it wasn't at the forefront of the plot. Shockingly, I appreciated that. I say "shockingly" because I'm someone who prefers a strong romance plot more often than not. But it made sense to keep it simple for the sake of this particular storyline.

I cried at least five times while I was reading, which isn't as typical for me. It was a pretty profound book overall with a lot of fantastic elements. Oh, and while it does handle more challenging topics, there is a cheerful ending.

Truly a fantastic novel. I'll admit that I wasn't the biggest fan ever of If I Never Met You, but after loving Just Last Night so much, I'm very much willing to continue reading her books!

Content Warnings

greys527's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Content Warnings

ceejay's review against another edition

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emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

camillatd's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Let me start off by saying that this is not a lighthearted romance. Mhairi McFarlane does deal with heavier themes in her work than some of her peers, especially so in this book. Just Last Night deals with grief, friendship, healing, and love in unexpected places. I ended up having very mixed feelings about this book, mainly because of the pacing. The first half (maybe even the first two thirds) is mainly a heavy, sad meditation on grief, betrayal, and friendship. I found it hard to get through, but I trusted in Mhairi McFarlane to make it worthwhile.

I'm glad I stuck it out, because I loved the final third of the book.

I was initially worried that Eve would end up with her one-that-got-away, Ed, kind of like in McFarlane's You Had Me At Hello. But of course, once Finlay entered the scene, I knew what direction the book would take. The Byronic hero trope, while sometimes overdone, was actually executed quite well here, and the Mr. Darcy-esque unraveling of Finlay's layers endeared me to his character. Most of all, I was really, really glad that Eve became acquainted with her self worth and ended up finding what she deserved.

As ever, McFarlane's treatment of the nuances in relationships (of all kinds) took center stage in this book. The themes of loss, forgiveness, and healing were handled beautifully. If you're looking for a light, fluffy read, probably skip this one. But if you can stomach a story of tragedy, recovery, and ultimately, love, then this will deliver.

Content Warnings