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Everything you want from a rom com and satisfyingly knotty with proper, recognisable characters. She just gets better and better’ JOJO MOYES I always assumed you liked that.’‘What?’‘That he’s a Mean Boy.’ He looked at her with an awkward expression….Joe was mean – and Roisin ‘liked it’? She supposed she had. She thought he was clever. What did it say about Roisin, that she had chosen mean? How did you explain having fallen in love with someone who wasn’t nice? McFarlane’s dry wit and Briticism-laden prose will appeal to her many fans, and her heroine charms.”— Publishers Weekly on Mad About You
I didn't anticipate some of the twists that came, but the more disappointed I became in one character, the more I gravitated and adored another. Even the supporting cast is incredibly well done. The end result was perfection. I eagerly anticipate her books every year and I am never disappointed. I am a HUGE Mhairi McFarlane fan and so I am a bit gutted that this one didn't live up to my expectations. I liked that in this story, neither of the main characters were filthy rich or famous: just two ordinary folk who were the victim of Joe's highly narcissistic machinations! I liked Roisin, however, I will say that at this stage, McFarlane's heroines are beginning to feel a bit samey. I despised Joe, and as such the fact that so much of the book was taken up by him did begin to grate on the nerves. It was very clear even before his show aired and aroused Roisin's suspicions, that the relationship was fraught, and given that Roisin was already contemplating ending things with him, things just seemed to drag on unnecessarily. Even after they have broken up, we then go on to spend the last 20% of the book mostly on Roisin still playing detective and trying to catch him out, which did make her seem rather too obsessive. I do appreciate that McFarlane was trying to explore gaslighting and manipulative relationships (and not for the first time either), however, for me personally having so much of the focus on a relationship that is already basically over just didn't make for a compelling read.
When Joe and Roisin join their group of friends for a weekend away, it's a triple celebration - a birthday, an engagement and the launch of Joe's new crime drama on TV. Eighteen-year-old Mallory Greenleaf is no longer interested in chess, not since her hypercompetitive dad left—the game calls up painful memories. But she grudgingly agrees to play in a charity tournament as a favor to best friend Easton Peña. After she unexpectedly beats current world champion Nolan Sawyer, she’s offered a fellowship that will prepare her to play professionally. Even though Mallory doesn’t want to play anymore, she needs the money that winning would provide; she’s delayed college to support her family, since her mother is chronically ill with rheumatoid arthritis and is unable to work regularly. The more time she spends with Nolan, the more Mallory comes to like and respect him—and the more time she spends playing chess, the more she remembers how much she loved it. But when she learns that Nolan has been keeping a big secret from her, she isn’t sure if she’ll be able to move past it to build a relationship with him. Filled with the author’s signature humor, well-developed characters, and realistic conflicts, plus the fully realized setting of competitive chess, this captivating romance will delight teen readers as well as Hazelwood’s adult fans. Mallory and Nolan are both cued white; there is some racial diversity among the supporting cast. Mallory and Easton are queer.
stars** The curse of high expectations from one of my favorite authors who I mostly rate 5 stars, or, less often, 4 stars. Burningly funny, achingly romantic, and a plot so tightly crafted it's like a song' LAURA JANE WILLIAMS I enjoyed the side-plot that didn't villainize other women and went at things from a refreshing Mhairi McFarlane is one of my favourite authors, so I could not wait to read Between Us. And it did not disappoint.
Mhairi consistently writes flawless romantic comedies and Mad About You is no exception' HOLLY BOURNE Roisin finds herself searching for clues to the truth – about her life, their history, and the man she thought she loved. And it’s then that Roisin finds the most unexpected plot twist of them all. Among those same old friends, there’s a surprising potential for new beginnings . . . EVERYONE LOVES BETWEEN US The whole time I'm reading a Mhairi McFarlane novel, I feel like a fist is squeezing my heart… she is so ridiculously talented." – Emily Henry So, to start off, the main character's name is pronounced "Rosheen" but is spelled: Roisin. I dunno, but I felt like I was stuttering in my head each time I came across this name! (Slowed things down a bit too, I must say.) Two talented chess players challenge each other on and off the board in bestselling author Hazelwood’s YA debut.
Roisin and Joe join their friends for a weekend getaway and series of celebrations. Unbeknownst to Roisin, they'll watch the series premier of Joe's new show between the engagement and birthday festivities. She doesn't expect secrets she's shared to be displayed on screen in excruciating detail and can't help but think he's using other life experiences as inspiration as well. Hollywood's calling and Joe leaves Roisin to figure out how she wants to proceed alone. As per usual, her characters and stories are completely immersive and what you may typically think of women's fiction or romance, is always elevated by her in a masterful way. So far, the book has not bored me, even though spending so much time with the ex-drama is frustrating. I wished Nate and Rosie's romance took up more of the book, and I prefer more intimate, slow-burn romances to instant love stories. Roisin (Ro-SHEEN), her longtime boyfriend, Joe, and their fellow former bookstore employee friend group, The Brian Club, are off for a weekend of various group celebrations, including watching the premiere of screenwriter Joe's new crime drama. Roisin is horrified when on-screen events and characters seemingly mirror secrets of her childhood and possibly implicate Joe's infidelity. Joe swears it's creative license, but Roisin starts to see pieces that don't fit quite right and the more she digs, the more suspicious she becomes. Many of us have stood in Roisin's shoes at some point in our lives. We take as gospel truth everything our partners or loved ones tell us, only to have the rug pulled out from under us when we discover that we've been handed the booby prize behind door number 3 in the Game Show of Life.McFarlane strikes romantic comedy gold with this tale of reunited sweethearts who have to grapple with the past... deeply satisfying on several levels, and Lucas’s final romantic speech is one for the ages.. a beautiful balance of tenderness, wry humor, and deep emotion.”— Publishers Weekly (starred review) Roisin finds herself searching for clues to the truth – about her life, their history, and the man she thought she loved. And it’s then that Roisin finds the most unexpected plot twist of them all. Among those same old friends, there’s a surprising potential for new beginnings . . . Speaking of Joe, I liked that as readers we knew something wasn't adding up about his behaviour but you didn't know exactly what he was up to. Having him be a TV writer where it appeared that he'd allowed life to inspire his work, was really interesting too and I was just waiting for him to be found out and called out by Roisin. For now on, any faux romance novels just get an immediate one star rating and review from me. I don’t care how much I used to like the author.
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