Just Last Night

CW: death of a best friend, parent with dementia, description of past child abuseMhairi McFarlane continues to be a rising star of the “chick lit/women's fiction” genre (I hate both of those terms) . Her books are clever, funny, poignant and completely engaging. This one happens to be more gut-wrenching than most of her work, but it still has her distinctive voice. There's a scene in the beginning of the book that illustrates McFarlane's genius. After a somewhat disturbing trivia pub night with her 3 besties, Eve decides to embark on a one-night stand with a much younger bartender who has been flirting with her. The result is hilarious, cringe-worthy, and enlightening (to both Eve and the reader). And that's just the third chapter. I don't want to say very much about the rest of the plot because of spoilers, but I will say that Eve is a great heroine: a loyal friend, a smart trivia player, and a skilled writer who is stuck at a less than fulfilling job (the career stuff is less important than you'd think but I appreciate the fact that she is more than competent). Then something happens that blows her world apart. At first I thought the book would go in one direction, but it took several surprising turns that made it even more interesting and complex. So while I can't reveal what happens I can say that Just Last Night is about grief, secrets, friendships viewed in a different light, and the dangers of seeing people from only one point of view. There is tremendous personal growth that comes from Eve's pain. At times it is difficult to read, but McFarlane always throws in a zinger or two that prevent the story from becoming too maudlin. There is a bit of a romance in the mix, although that was the least successful part of the plot IMHO. I've come to anticipate each new book by this author with the same excitement that I used to devote to [a:Marian Keyes 6104 Marian Keyes https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1609855198p2/6104.jpg] in the late 1990s and early 2000s. If you loved McFarlane's last book, [b:If I Never Met You 51213487 If I Never Met You Mhairi McFarlane https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1595853597l/51213487.SY75.jpg 71665792] be warned that this one has a much more serious tone, but if you can handle that in the midst of a worldwide pandemic meltdown you will be amply rewarded. ARC gratefully received from Net Galley in exchange for honest review.