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She just gets better and better' JOJO MOYES 'I LOVE her books PASSIONATELY and this is her best yet' MARIAN KEYES --This text refers to the paperback edition. I usually really like Mhairi McFarlane even though her books are of that genre where women find their inner power, a genre that normally I find hokey and annoying. I'm giving this four stars, the downgrade because so much of this was, I don't know, McFarlane flavored?
Not in the sense that I disliked it — as I said, I’m pretty much guaranteed to like her books to some extent and the lowest I’ve rated one is, like this, 3. I found MAD ABOUT YOU to be a louder book than usual from this author and while this wasn't on the same decibel scale, it still felt a little bigger. Especially when there’s a couple pairing within a friendship group, there’s always the threat of having to navigate a possible break up and what would happen then.This is definitely women's fiction (or chick lit if you started your tags thirteen years ago), but with a strong(ish) romance that shows up well past the halfway point. I guess that this does chime with the repeated refrain 'slow but then fast at the end' which pretty much sums up this book! It can be a real challenge and for some people, the desire to hang onto it, to try and recreate it or hold it together, can be really strong. Mhairi McFarlane has been one of my favourite authors for a while now, and as such I was sorry to find that her latest offering did not live up to expectations (though admittedly they are high for this author). Having the friend group meet while working in Waterstones was also such a nice touch, as a book lover.
The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read. That is always the main character coming to terms with upheaval and change, generally from a break up of a long term relationship but sometimes there are other issues at play as well, like a past trauma that still overshadows them in the present, or the loss of a loved one and grief, etc. Roisin is surprised when Joe seems to object to the break up, but she has doubts about the sincerity of his apology.I’ve read many a book that claims to be laugh out loud funny and romantic when actually, it fails on both of those fundamentals. And maybe because I am inclined not to want to give narcissists undue attention, I wanted the story to move away quickly; it doesn't. The thing I've come to find about McFarlane's novels is that they are all character driven, and this trait shines through again with Roisin and the gang. 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.
A lot of the beginning is her considering whether or not it’s right to end things, given the new revelations. This though has been completely unenjoyable, somewhat shrill in tone (especially that awful opening), an absolute chore. As the weekend unfolds, tensions are revealed between the group and Roisin’s sense of foreboding about her own relationship grows. She’s one of my absolute favourite authors and each year a new book is a joy – something to look forward to. So far, the book has not bored me, even though spending so much time with the ex-drama is frustrating.This just wasn't one I think I'll ever come back to and, sadly, I'll likely only remember it for it's most outrageous element (the meta bit). I wanted to feel a whole lot of things, because I'm used to feeling a whole lot of things, and -- barring maybe two moments -- in the end I didn’t feel much of anything. Before the weekend away, Roisin has clearly already been struggling with the relationship and it’s almost like when she sees his betrayal laid out upon the screen for her, it’s all she really needs to get the courage to do what she’s probably already wanted to do anyway.
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