Forever Home: A Novel

What a good book. It had me so excited that I was telling my husband about it like it was a true story. It is full of excitement and surprises. It will keep you guessing. I totally recommend it. Graham Norton was on “Watch what happens live”, and I totally wanted to be his best friend. He was promoting this book and I thought that with his personality, this had to be good. I was right. It is a fast reading book. I very strongly recommend it.

I thought this was an easy, summer holiday type read.The relationship between Carol and Declans 2 children was so reflective of real life.The decisions made by the women were mad and made for a fascinating if not frustrating read to see how things would end.Thanks Graham.

*** SPOILERS AHEAD ***I adore Graham Norton's novels, but this one wasn't my favorite. The characters felt very one-dimensional, and the story required a LOT of suspension of disbelief. What innocent person finds a body in their house -- a body they had nothing to do with putting there -- and DOESN'T call the police? Carol's mother (who is crazy) wants her to keep the news to herself and help her dispose of the body, but Carol is 48 YEARS OLD. Why does a grown woman go along with this lunacy? And then they dump the body, and . . . that's it. No repercussions. No consequences. They just get away with it.And don't get me started on Joan. She let her husband keep her away from her children for decades? No mother would allow that. I might have fallen for this part of the story if we'd had a clearer picture of who Declan was before he met Carol, and before dementia changed him. Was he controlling, angry, difficult? Did he use threats to keep Joan away? We don't really get a strong sense that he did, or that he mistreated Joan while they were together, so why did Joan agree to it? I need way more information for me to find this part of the story reasonable.Overall I don't think this was Graham's best work. The story and characters didn't rival Home Stretch at all. But his writing style is still charming, and I'll still be anxiously awaiting his next one!

Mr. Norton is a great writer and I've read all of his novels. I actually enjoy his novels a lot more than those of other best-selling authors in the same genre.This book is set in a fictional Irish town with the usual elements and witty characters. Although I found no fault in it per se, I suspect that after having read Home Stretch, which to me was superb, everything else will never seem to live up to it, so maybe I'm biased here.Anyway, I still enjoyed reading it and will continue to read anything else he publishes.

It was the correct book. I got it before the arrival date given to me. Also in excellent condition.

Loved the book. This man is not only funny but a great writer too.

Carol is a divorced teacher with a son. When she meets Declan, the older parent of one of her students and befriends him, she initially believes it should be kept platonic. However over time, they discover they have feelings for one another. Declan is a single father whose wife abandoned him and his two children years ago. Carol believes she's been given a second chance at love and decides to take it.Fast forward to several years down the road - - Declan starts to show signs of dementia/Alzheimer's. Eventually, his condition becomes severe and in trying to take care of him, Carol is hurt. Declan's son, Killian uses the opportunity to move his father out of the home and into a facility. He and his sister decide to make the move permanent and sell the home, leaving Carol without a place to live. Since she and Declan never married and he left Killian with his Power of Attorney, Carol has no recourse and has to move home with her parents.The book continues on with Carol dealing with the heartbreaking truth of watching the man she loves fade away a little at a time without having any say over his care. Then it becomes clear that there was something being hidden in the family home which leads to a larger mystery that Carol and her mother tackle solving. This is very much a character driven book and the author does a solid job of building these characters from the ground up. You form opinions about them and either like them or you don't. It's quite well done.AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I also received an early copy of the audio. The narration was good and helped me to immerse myself in the story. It really gave the story a nice flow. 4 starsThank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook. I chose to read and review both of these and the opinions contained within are my own.

I read the whole book on a flight. Enjoyed both the book and the crowded flight because of the reading.

Oh my goodness I’ve had this book on my iPad for months but never got round to reading it. Yesterday and today I have and I loved it. A clever story of what happens when you get involved with past coming back to haunt you along with all different kinds of relationships. I’d recommend anyone to read it. It’s a great read.

Un libro costumbrista. Quizás algo descriptivo en exceso, pero bien escrito.

L’ambientazione è molto riuscita. I personaggi sono molto vivi e ben descritti.

I loved this book. Graham Nortons humour is seen through the entire book.That it is set in a small town in Ireland is an added bonus. Absolutely loved the beautiful Irish turn of phrase. Loved Moria and her stunning take on life.

I'd read all of Graham Norton's previous novels (this is the 4th) and had been impressed so far. He isn't just a celebrity writing books, he is actually a talented novelist.His confidence has grown with each book as he gradually ventures out of his comfort zone. We are still in Ireland for this plot but there is a huge appeal to these sensitively drawn characters.There are 360 pages split int many small chapters that are not numbered or named. The story was first published in 2022.The family drama is the main focus of the first third of the book. Carol and Declan have found love after broken marriages and all is good - despite the gossip! The problems start when Declan becomes ill and his adult children begin to take over. This is a story drawn from real life and Graham Norton writes it well with plenty of parts to which any reader will relate.This is described on the back of the book so no major surprises - just the lovely descriptions to enjoy.Then a discovery is made that makes Carol's world much more complicated. The style of the story becomes more comedic (and tragic at the same time) with the pace of the writing picking up too.It's a fast read and is comfortable to get through in just a few sessions. The characters are engaging (even the nosy neighbour) and I loved the descriptions of the small town.There are plenty of references to the location - particularly in the phrases used by the characters. It's not difficult to pickup the Irish accent as you are reading.The switch from reality to absurdist comedy is slightly jarring as it gives the feeling that you are reading 2 separate books. They are both great books but don't completely fit together.Throughout everything that happens in the plot it is the humanity that shines the whole time. The author shows a warmth for his characters that make it easy for a reader to like them and to connect to their lives.