A #1 New York Times bestseller and the first novel in a brand-new series–from bestselling author Abbi Glines–about a small Southern town filled with cute boys in pickup trucks, Friday night football games, and crazy parties that stir up some major drama. To everyone who knows him, West Ashby has always been that guy the cocky, popular, way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god who led … football god who led Lawton High to the state championships. But while West may be Big Man on Campus on the outside, on the inside he’s battling the grief that comes with watching his father slowly die of cancer.
Two years ago, Maggie Carleton’s life fell apart when her father murdered her mother. And after she told the police what happened, she stopped speaking and hasn’t spoken since. Even the move to Lawton, Alabama, couldn’t draw Maggie back out. So she stayed quiet, keeping her sorrow and her fractured heart hidden away.
As West’s pain becomes too much to handle, he knows he needs to talk to someone about his father–so in the dark shadows of a post-game party, he opens up to the one girl who he knows won’t tell anyone else.
West expected that talking about his dad would bring some relief, or at least a flood of emotions he couldn’t control. But he never expected the quiet new girl to reply, to reveal a pain even deeper than his own–or for them to form a connection so strong that he couldn’t ever let her go…more
WOW! Abbi Glines has managed to consume my brain….yet again!
Whenever I pick up a novel written by Abbi Glines I make damn sure I have nothing planned for the day I choose to read it. Picking up Until Friday Night was no different. I cleared my schedule for this novel and I’m so glad I did!
West and Maggie’s story is sweet and emotional. It’s a must read for anyone looking for a fast paced novel! I cannot wait to reread Until Friday Night, I’m already looking forward to that day when I eventually get to it again!
I cannot wait to continue on with this series!
3.5
Spanish & English Opinion
La historia tiene muchos elementos que me gustaron: lo diferente que es Maggie, la parte de pérdida y tragedia que une a West con ella, la conexión.
Me molestó que él fuera tan descarado en muchos momentos. Esas actitudes “masculinas” están glorificadas y en realidad son patanerías simples. Punto.
Me gusta el grupo de amigos y me motiva leer sus historias.
The story has many elements I enjoy: Maggie’s different personality, the tragedy and lost that makes them connect, their connection.
What I disliked was how unashamed and absurd his hookups were. His need to be “hated”. Those attitudes are glorified and actually, they are plainly absurd, childish and petty.
I like the group of friends and I’m intrigued about their stories.
This story hits home for me. I also watched my dad wither away with cancer. I shed several tears through this this one. The relationship these to young people formed was beyond ed beautiful. Maggie had a terrible childhood and had to see something no-one should ever have to see, but she found a way to protect her self and get by. West wasn’t dealing, he was just finding ways to cover up the pain. I am interested in this mysterious girl though, there has to be a story there. Lots of emotion in this story. You don’t want to miss it.
Friday nights and first loves
Friday nights, football games, first loves, first heartbreaks, and, of course, field parties.
This book is west and Maggie’s story – West is a footy player – a popular jock at their school , everyone would think he has it all, but his secret is that his dad is sick and he’s not coping , but doesn’t want to let down the facade .
Maggie has just moved to town to live with her cousin and aunt and uncle . She’s witnessed a very traumatic event and as a result has become a selective mute.
Maggie and west find each other and help each other heal while falling In love.
This is a sad but sweet high school Romance , new adult sports romance . I enjoyed reading it however I could t get as emotionally invested in it as I had hoped given the deep grief these two were experiencing . But still a good story and worth giving a go! 🙂
Why did I wait so lont to actually read this lovely story. I’ve had them on my Kindle since releasem and also have the hardback copies on y bookshelves.
I loved spending time with West and Maggie their story was so heartfelt and totally resonated with me. I too lost my Mum in 2018 so felt their pain.
A beautifully written story, that ebbed and flowed, certainly keeping you turning the pages, wanting – no needing to know what happens next.
Maggie was a beautifully written character she had such compasion, far older than her 17/18 years.
West, knew he was being an ass, and initially kept taking, he did however redeem himself and again for someone so young, had older shoulders.
The back story of Maggie so so heartbreakingly sad, and you could definitely see why she introverted into herself.
The other characters, her cousin Brady and her Aunt Coralee & Uncle Boore were so good with her and with Brady’s friends top class pillars of the community.
West’s parents were absolutely great and when we me Dad we got eo experience a little of what West had called him ‘his hero’. Brady’s mom was such a wonderful lady, going through so so much.
West & Maggie got to know each other by becoming each other crutch, and whilst Maggie had not realised , West felt exactly the same way baout her as she did him, there were a few muddied waters, but they both worked it out, to not only become each others crutches but each others best friends and eventually lovers.
Maggie was a fiersty girl, I loved her attidute she had the spirit of an angel and the backbone of a Rhino. Can’t wait to see how their story developes in the rest of the series – well Im hoping we get more…
Beautifully written, heart wrenching YA love story.
I’m a bawling mess, LOL. This was a beautiful story. It was heartbreaking but also beautiful. The author did an amazing job of not adding any extra agnst, the story didn’t need it. Also the characters were very real and solid. The story hits too close to home and that is what made me a crying mess throughout it. Just beautiful.
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! The way West falls for Maggie is so beautiful, i can’t evennnnnn! I’m on the third book because it took me one day to read each book. When Maggie was there for West when his father died was so sweet. West helps Maggie talk after watching her father kill her mother is amazing.
Sad but really good
This was a cute and emotional story. Definitely enjoyed reading this. I was captured from the beginning. I went through all the feelings and was left with a happy heart.
After having this book on my shelf for a few months, I finally picked it up and I am glad I did. This book had my emotions all over the place and my contacts clouded with tears. Before reading it, I read a lot of mixed reviews as so often I do on any other Abbi Glines book but I don’t let those reviews interfere with my own feelings because I am a huge sucker for Glines and her books. This book was different. It was more than the typical bad boy falls in love with good girl type of book. It was about loss, grief and survival.
The trauma of having witnessed her father kills her mothers shuts Maggie down. For the two years following this tragic crime Maggie doesnt’ speak. She’s afraid that the sound of her voice will bring her back to that horrible day. In addition, she’s afraid that once she starts speaking others will expect her to talk about what she witnessed. Not speaking has helped her survive and move forward. Even her nightmares are silent.
West is from a small town where everyone knows everyone and high school football is huge. West is a star football player; strong, confident and a ladies man. He is able to hide his true emotions and the pain he is going through with his home situation. West’s father; his hero is dying of cancer.
When Maggie is sent to live with her aunt and uncle, her cousin Brady (West’s best friend) is somewhat forced to show her around school and town and take her to hang out with him and his friends. Maggie doesn’t want to join Brady anymore than Brady wants to assume this responsibility but in order to please “Aunt Coralee” Brady and Maggie make it work by making their own arrangements.
During one of the field parties, Maggie is waiting for Brady in her hiding spot, in the dark away from everyone when she first sees West. West leaves the field party to go home to his mother and sick father. After having finished a call with his mother, West sees Maggie staring at him. He knows who she is and he knows she doesn’t talk but he is drawn to her. Maggie doesn’t speak to West that first time but she saw right through him. She was able to see the pain in West’s eyes. When West finds out what Maggie has gone through and why she doesn’t speak he knows that she is the only one who could see his pain. The grief they both feel has drawn a connection that nobody else could understand. They form a bond and eventually Maggie speaks to West. She wasn’t expecting to but she knew he needed her.
One of the saddest moment in this book for me was when West dad took his last breath. I felt the love and the pain all at once. When he left the room and saw his friends and teammates hand’t left the hospital my heart just filled with so much love. Everyone deals with grief in their own way. Maggie did it on her own but West became very dependent on Maggie for his. This scared Maggie because she witnesses firsthand that a relationship like the one she was developing with West could become toxic and dangerous and it scared her.
This book was different than a lot of other Abbi Glines book. She has touched on topics of cancer and death before (in Sometimes it Lasts) and the hospital scene in this book took me back to the hospital scene on One More Chance (after Harlow gave birth to Lila). I felt the same kind of love.
This book was more about surviving and finding that often times you aren’t alone and there is always someone out there who understands loss, who has experienced loss and has survived it. It is a book about friendship and love. Maggie is definitely one of my favorite heroins.
3.5/5 Stars
This review MAY contain spoilers.
This is my first Abbi Glines book and I would say that I enjoyed this book for the most part. I did take issue with some of the things in the book, but not so severely that I disliked the book.
I truly liked the plotline and the issues that are covered in the book. The author didn’t shy away from the sensitive issues, which I liked. These issues are really the heart of what this story is really about and the two main characters journey through them and tackle them. I felt that the story was strong and that the small southern town world-building was adequately portrayed. The writing in the book was very welcoming and easy to read. The storytelling was very relatable. I felt that the pacing of the story was a little off. Some parts seemed to drag on too long and others passed by in a flash when there should have been more.
I did enjoy the romance. I felt that the author did a great job of showing Maggie and West glow closer over their shared grief and pain. They both could relate to each other in ways that no one else could. They latched on to that, nourished it, and it turned into love. There were some sweet moments between the two of them. I felt that their break up and then the makeup was a bit rushed though.
I did not think that the characters were very strong. They left much to be desired. I thought that Maggie was the best character out of everyone. She had depth in the right places and mystery in the others. Her journey with her grief and PTSD was written well in my eyes. The rest of the characters, apart from Maggie’s aunt and uncle, really didn’t pan out as well as I hoped they would. Let’s start with West. While I thought that his journey with his grief was also written well, the other parts of him irked me at times. For instance, he was a complete man-whore. And this was before his father was sick. It wasn’t just something he did to deal with his feelings. It is just one of his less than stellar personality traits. I felt that Maggie’s cousin, Brady, and all of their football friends were basically filler. They didn’t have any character growth throughout the story at all and the reader doesn’t really get to know them. So when they are around the main characters you don’t feel that pull of chemistry. They are just there. I feel like this book would have been excellent if the other characters had more importance and a personal connection. And while we are discussing friends, let’s chat about how Maggie had NO friends other than West, her cousin that barely spoke to her, and all of their football friends that also barely spoke to her. She literally had no female friends. None. Not ANY other friends and that really bothered me. Even if she was mute or didn’t talk, there are still ways to make friends if she had made an effort.
Overall, this was a very emotional read with a heartfelt romance and an engaging plot. The characters could have used some more development but, that aside, the story is still worth reading. I would definitely recommend this book to contemporary young adult romance fans. I fully intend to read the other books in this series to see what happens to some of the other characters.
Absolutely loved this story! I’m not always the biggest YA fan, the incessant drama gets to be a bit much. But I was drawn to West and Maggie’s story from the first page. This book is full of emotion and really makes you wish you were from the small town of Lawton. I’m really looking forward to diving into the next book.
If you’re an audiobook fan, I give this one two thumbs up! The female narrator is new to me and she was really good! I loved her country accent!
I love this series. It’s so deep and I’m a sucker for wounded characters. If you like books like this check out The Goodbye Boyfriend: A Stand-Alone YA Contemporary Romance Novel (The Boyfriend Series Book 3)
I was excited to hear AG was starting a new series. I absolutely loved this book and often found myself in tears. UFN touches on heavier subjects than some of her other books. Maggie and West are more mature kids because of their circumstances. Their bond is something special and I enjoyed watching it grow.
Best book every
Seemed to capture teen angst well. Variety of topics covered.
ok so I was rereading this to get listen to the second book because the second book at my library is a long wait for the Ebook. I love Abbi Glines books ( mainly because I’m reading a lot of her books), I have to admit that this was a nice change. This is not NA this is YA which is something new for Abbi. I definitely would say this I really want to know what happens next.