Book Description

When Roisin and Joe join their friends for a weekend at a country house, it’s a triple celebration—a birthday, an engagement, and the launch of Joe’s shiny new TV show. But as the weekend unfolds, tensions come to light in the group and Roisin begins to question her own relationship. And as they watch the first episode of Joe’s drama, she realizes that the private things she told him—which should have stayed between them—are right there on the screen.

With her friend group in chaos and her messy love life on display for the whole world to see, Roisin returns home to avoid the unwanted attention and help run her family’s pub. But drama still follows, in the form of her dysfunctional family and the looming question: what other parts of her now-ex’s show are inspired by real events? Lies? Infidelity? Every week, as a new episode airs, she wonders what other secrets will be revealed.

Yet the most unexpected twist of all is Matt, the charming playboy of her friend group, who is suddenly there for Roisin in ways she never knew she needed…

My Review

I am quickly becoming a huge Mhairi McFarlane fan. This book had me captivated from the very beginning as Roisin must overcome the shock at seeing a painful core memory from her childhood used for dramatic effect in her boyfriend Joe’s new television show.

Breaking up with Joe and having to start over after 8 years is difficult to imagine, but Roisin navigates with as much grace as she can muster. It certainly doesn’t help that certain elements of Joe’s new show lead Roisin to question everything about the entire relationship.

It would be easy for an outsider to say that Roisin should just move on, but I empathize with her desire to know the truth. And as a reader, I appreciated all the twists and turns that she encounters on her journey to discover that truth.

This definitely isn’t a conventional romance, and I’m reluctant to even label it a rom-com because the tone is fairly serious at times. The tension doesn’t rise to thriller levels, nor is it over-the-top melodramatic. As the description hints, Roisin does find a connection with Matt, who is part of the friend group she shared with Joe and several other friends. This friend group has been together for over a decade, so the dissolution of one relationship and the potential for a new relationship to form is certainly both unexpected and awkward.

I would absolutely recommend Between Us. It was riveting from start to finish. I’m usually pretty good at picking up on plot twists, but this book managed to surprise me. I’m looking forward to reading more from McFarlane in the future.

I received a digital ARC of this book from Avon/NetGalley