I really enjoyed this book and fell in love with the characters of Joel and Frank. I laughed at their escapes from "prison", cried at Frank's life story and at Joel's feelings of not being allowed to participate in his life, and really reflected on how we as a society treat our elderly. This was a really wonderful book and one that I would definitely recommend to others.

4.5

This was an amazing Fredrik Backman-style book. The writing style and humor reminded me so much of Backman and was such an enjoyable lighthearted read about a real life serious topic.

Joel living the end of his life in a nursing home, has faced a lot of loss over the course of the past few years and is struggling with his place in the world now that he is alone. When he gets a new roommate, they start to form a unlikely friendship. Joel tries to stay on course and continue with his grumpy demeanor, but Frank's charming antics get the best of him and they become best friends in a short amount of time.

While Joel opens up more and more, he is also learning little by little about Frank and how they really aren't so different from one another.

Through Frank's friendship Joel's character grows an incredible amount throughout the short book. It takes many failed attempts, but the reading from Joel's POV we see how the friendship helps mend Joel's other relationships and perspective on life. Through Frank and their friendship Joel learns that maybe life isn't all that bad and he isn't as alone in life as he thought he was.

{@harlequin #partner @Netgalley}

I started this book all I could think of was that the main character Joel reminded me of a cross between Ove (from A Man Called Ove) and Allan Karlsson (from the 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared) and both of those guys I loved, I truly and deeply loved.

Its easiest to just start out saying that I give this novel 5 stars. It made me cry. Yes, I cried.

I don’t know what it is that has been happening to me lately, I used to be so tough with my reviews. Getting a 5 star was rough. But when a book makes me cry, — yes, makes me actually have to stop reading and pull myself together before I can continue because I am crying over its content, then (regardless of said content) it is an automatic 5 star.

When an author can elicit that much emotion out of me, well, the only word I can muster up right now is just….. Bravo.

I loved these characters so much. Not just the main characters either, but the supporting cast, the other residents at the nursing home, with their quirky personalities, and then the staff members who deep down cared so much about the residents but are so afraid to get attached. The author portrayed these people on paper so well that you almost really felt like you were there at the residence with them. I also found a lot of truth to the comment Joel made about how people are left there until they die. It sounds so harsh, but yet it’s the bitter truth. This novel will open your eyes a little to the perspective of the elderly as the twilight years descend, and it really makes you think.

Aside from all this deep stuff I’m choosing to tell you about, there is this amazing story about friendship, comradery, loss and love. One that will actually make you laugh out loud, and maybe even shed some tears. It was heartwarming, heartbreaking and inspiring all at the same time. I highly recommend reading this book, and I bet afterwards you end up recommending it to someone else. You’ll definitely walk away from this one with a lot more than what you started.
And to sum it all up the best way….. in the words of Red from Shawshank Redemption “You can get busy living, or you can get busy dying."

Thank you Harlequin, Dan Mooney and NetGalley for the ARC of this book for an honest and unbiased review.

While there are some very funny scenes in this book, it is not really a light read. It’s sad and thoughtful and thought provoking. It’s about grief and aging, and the desire to live one’s life with dignity, with pride. Joel Monroe is a lonely, seventy six year old man who lives a nursing home after losing his wife. Feeling alone, stifled, not in control of his life and not on the best of terms with his daughter, he loses the desire to live and begins to plan what he’ll do about it. Frank Adams, stage name of Frank de Selby, a soap opera actor who never quite made it to the big screen, is Joel’s new roommate. Self assured and full of energy, the quick witted Frank brings to Joel something he’s been missing since his wife died - friendship and he agrees to help Joel on his mission. Their developing camaraderie is one that brings hope and joy to Joel, someone to confide in, someone to laugh your head off with. Their escapades will make you laugh as they “escape “ to go out for a pint or to Joel’s old house so he can look at his garage. Their heart to heart conversations will make you cry. Joel isn’t the only one in need of a friend. Frank confides in Joel about the man he is and his estrangement from his family. For some reason I thought this was going to be a sentimental, sweet story of an aging man. I wasn’t expecting this lovely, touching story, which was so much more.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Park Row through NetGalley.

I wanted to fight for Joel Monroe and Frank (Adams) de Selby. I wanted to defend them, to protect them, to do whatever I could to give them the chance to live their final years, months, days with dignity and grace.

I still want to do all that.

That’s the power of Dan Mooney’s The Great Unexpected.

You eyes will be opened, your mind will be switched on, and your heart will warm and break at the same time.

Joel Monroe lives in a nursing home called Hilltop. He moved there with his wife, and she died a few years before the story begins. Mourning, but unwilling to show it, Joel has become a little removed from the other residents, who generally view him with sadness and skepticism. Frank de Selby, a stage name, is a former actor who becomes Joel’s roommate, much to Joel’s chagrin. The friendship between Joel and Frank is not easy to come by. The staid and straight-laced Joel is more or less alarmed by the jesting and unconventional Frank.


The two elderly men share secrets, though, because they’re stuck together and it seems impossible not to. Joel wants to die, on his terms and his time, and Frank is gay.

Impressed that Joel hardly flinches at his sexuality, Frank tries hard not to flinch at Joel’s wish, and even promises to help him find a meaningful and good way to go. In the meantime, they become truer friends than either has had.

To say more about the story lines would be to spoil things and if I spoil the book, you might not read it. And you should read it.

So I will move on to other related things…

Plot – Mooney’s plot in this novel is fantastic. It’s something I’ve never read before and something that made me cry, made me laugh, made me ache, and made me heal. It’s hard to elicit those four things in such equal measure. Two old men, looking back on what’s happened and fearing what’s ahead… it’s not the most common plot and maybe that makes this book all the more special.

Setting – The setting of this book is not clearly defined, beyond the Hilltop Nursing Home. There’s a castle and the characters remind me of British things so I picture it in England. I think Mooney deserves full points here for not clearly defining the setting beyond the confines of the nursing home, or prison as Joel calls it, because the home and what it means are one of the central characters. Not part of the setting.

Characters – The characters in Mooney’s novel are vivid and unique. Even nurses and residents who appear a handful times have a story and their stories are powerful. Joel and Frank could be your grandfathers. Una and Mrs. Klein could be your smiling, patient grandmothers. Mighty Jim, lost in his mind as he is, delivers words of wisdom in ways that hit home. Nurses Liam, Angelica, and Karl are devoted to the people in their care and their lives outside the walls say why.

Point of View – The Great Unexpected is Joel Monroe’s story. He is central to all that happens. I experienced everything through his perspective. And it is a good perspective. He reminded me of my grandfather, proud and yet quietly devoted. He could surprise me with warmth and laughter. And he was so afraid of getting old and losing himself.

Theme – The theme of Mooney’s story is the elderly. It is what they have lived and what they will live. It is the way the elderly can be forgotten by society, can be tucked away and called ‘safe’ without regard for their wants. It is how even the best meaning people can have the best intentions and still, inadvertently, ignore the ones who gave them life – as parents and grandparents or as the generation before.

Symbolism – The symbolism in Mooney’s story is stark and yet vivid. Una wears Joel’s wife’s clothes, and Joel tries not to see. Nurse Liam wears a Pride flag pin, and thanks Frank with quiet simplicity. Frank has two personas, Adams and de Selby, and can be two different people entirely when certain situations arise. And Joel, the symbolism in his existence is that he begins the story unshaven and nearly always in his pajamas… and he ends the story in dark suits accented by Frank’s vibrant silk scarves.

Conflict – The conflict in The Great Unexpected is life vs. death. No one at Hilltop is unaware that death is an ever looming specter. Some of them would give anything to cling to life, some accept that they are alive and that they will be dead, and some want to control the end and die on their own terms. It’s a conflict common in literature, but it’s made more important in the context of the elderly and nursing homes.

This is, in short, the best book I’ve read so far this year. It’s one of the most powerful books I’ve read in a very long time. It’s important and it’s good. I hope you’ll consider reading it and let me know what you think.

And if you’ve got any other elder-centric books to recommend, please let me know in the comments!

I received a copy of The Great Unexpected through NetGalley and Harlequin – Park Row in exchange for an honest and original review. All thoughts are my own.

My Thoughts
I lost a lot of sleep last night because I could not stop reading this book. Here are my pros and cons:

Pros

- The first chapter was a bit of an emotional roller coaster. Very impactful and a perfect set up to the rest of the story.

- The title of this book is perfect on several levels. Not only does it apply to the story itself, but I think it applies to the reader as well. This book wasn’t at all what I expected and it surprised me in ways I didn’t anticipate.

- Any time a book makes me cry it is an automatic 5 stars for me. Seriously. When an author can create such a strong emotional connection to the characters that I actually cry… well, bravo! And this book made me cry twice! (Note: I am NOT an emotional person. It takes a lot to make me cry.)

- The characters were awesome. First you have Joel, fed up with life and unable or unwilling to see the positive in anything anymore. Then there is Frank… a man who exudes joy and happiness and seems to always seek the silver lining in everything. Interestingly, both men have their issues and vulnerabilities and each man hides their pain from others in their own way – Joel by being cantankerous and downright mean, and Frank by constantly performing to hide the pain. I absolutely fell in love with each character and empathized so much with each of their situations.

- While the Joel and Frank relationship was the foundation of the story, I think the relationship between Joel and his daughter Eva was the most emotional for me. What a realistic depiction of dysfunction and non-communication and how it can impact lives! Joel was part of a generation where the husbands were the earners and the wives were the ones that dealt with the emotions. He lived by this principle and his relationship with his daughter was negatively impacted because of it. When Joel and his daughter’s relationship hit the boiling point I was crying all over the place! So well written, emotional, and devastating. It was superb writing.

- I enjoyed Joel and Frank’s “escapes” from the nursing home more than I expected. I was really rooting for them to have the time of their lives.

- It was great to read a book like this about men. I’m not saying they don’t exist, but I personally haven’t read many books that showcased the emotions and vulnerabilities of men like this one did. Most books I read of this nature have a female as the focus of the story and it was refreshing to read a solid and emotional story about men.

- The ending was absolutely heart wrenching, powerful, and hopeful.

Cons
- None.

Summary
This book is phenomenal. It is simply a must read. If nothing else, you should read this book to understand that just because people get old, it doesn’t mean they don’t still want to have a say in and some control over their lives. I really felt sorry for Joel. While he didn’t express himself well, he had every right to his feelings of frustration for being treated like a child! Older people should be treated with respect and love, not as burdens. On the flip side, Joel needed to learn that just because people were around to help him in the retirement home, it didn’t necessarily mean they always thought he was incapable of taking care of himself. I can’t imagine the balance required to maintain autonomy in a retirement home facility while essentially having your entire life planned and monitored by others. God bless the folks that work in these types of facilities that know how to find that balance and treat our older generation with the respect and care they deserve.

Thank you NetGalley and Park Row Books for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“The Great Unexpected” is a thoughtful examination of aging and elder care. It is a story told with humor and compassion about the challenges faced by those of us facing the last chapter of our lives, those who love us and those who care for us. I was impressed that each side was given a voice. I was able to understand the depression, isolation, frustration and fear that the main character Joel Monroe was experiencing. His daughter Eva was well portrayed and her reactions to her father’s behavior were equally understandable. The caregivers at Hilltop, the facility where Joel Monroe lives, covered the spectrum from hardline to quietly sympathetic, and I was reminded of the difficulty of the job. I felt the frustrations of being marginalized, about being subjected to superfluous rules. Then along comes Frank Adams a/k/a Frank de Selby who has a completely different take on aging, and loves nothing more than upsetting Joel’s routine. A friendship is born and through the pages there can be no doubt of the power that friendship brings to a lonely man who could be quite clever at times and “a thundering idiot at other times” .

Reminiscent of Fredrik Bachman’s “A Man Called Ove” this is a story that can be meaningful told in many ways and recently I have come across several other books that relate to these issues and their importance.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for a copy.

Unexpectedly entertaining! I chose this on a whim because it was offered by the publisher as an early release and I was honestly skeptical at first but when I read the plot line, I decided to give it a try. I was very pleasantly surprised. As a caregiver for my elderly, nursing home resident family member, I kept picturing various people I have met as the characters in the book. Truly well done.

#TheGreatUnexpected #NetGalley

“ The Great Unexpected” by Dan Mooney…be still my heart! This book was amazing! Such a beautiful story of friendship! I’m not going to get into the plot because I am a firm believer in finding everything out for yourself. What I loved about this book was the overall theme of friendship. It took me on a wave of emotions. It was both hilarious and depressing, uplifting and somber. But at the root of it all friendship. I loved the characters. They are older and this book really does them justice. There is such a stigma associated with old age and growing old. The author did a great job at not only bringing some of these to light. The ending... :( .Overall this book was multilayered, and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. 4.5 stars

*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

The Great Unexpected by Dan Mooney is a story of an unlikely friendship struck up by a grumpy old man sick and tired of living in a nursing home and his unlikely new roommate, an ex soap opera star. As Joel determines that they are grown men and do not need to be treated like children he enlists Frank as they hatch an escape plan. I absolutely loved this book! The writing and characters are wonderful and the story is witty and heart-warming. I hope everyone reads this book, it is wonderful! I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Park Row Books, and Dan Mooney for the opportunity to read his latest book - 4.5 stars!

This book seems like it could be depressing - Joel is in a nursing home where his wife died. He's depressed, tired of everyone telling him what to do and feeling like a prisoner, so he has decided to kill himself. Then he gets a new roommate, Frank, a retired soap opera star, whose flamboyant presence changes the nursing home atmosphere. These two unlikely friends become lifelines for each other. Along the way, they give life lessons to the other characters in this book as well as to the readers to keep the elderly's wishes in mind and to always treat them with respect.

A great read!

As someone who is almost 50 years old, most of the books I read are about characters younger than I am and situations that have happened, or could have happened in my past. The Great Unexpected by Dan Mooney was a refreshing look into my future and what some of the struggles I might have will be.

The Great Unexpected takes place in a nursing home where Joel and Frank are roommates. Joel and Frank are complete opposites. Joel is a grumpy old man who was a mechanic with a wife and daughter. Frank was a soap opera and theater actor. They are both lonely and as they become friends share some hilarious adventures together and are able to help one another with struggles they each face.

I loved this book so much! The characters were great and I fell in love with each one of them. They were strong characters and even though old, they both grew and developed as the story progressed. I loved their friendship and the trouble they got themselves into. I could very easily see their personal struggles as being struggles many elderly face. I was sad for the story to end and sad to have to say goodbye to them. I think this will be a book I read again so I can visit with the characters over and over.

Even though this book is about elderly men I think it is a book that all ages can read. It had themes of not only getting older and the feelings that come with that but also themes of depression, loneliness, grief, regret, life, happiness, family and friendship

This was a wonderful book! It touched on many different themes and was such a lovely story of these two older "gents" and their adventures. Dan Mooney did well when he created Joel Monroe and Frank Adams/de Selby ~ they are unforgettable! This book is perfect for fans of A Man Called Ove and The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper.

Thank you so much to Park Row Books and NetGalley for the copy of this book for my review.

This was such a heartwarming, sweet, awesome book that I honestly wasn’t expecting to like. It goes pretty far out of my comfort zone for me but I found myself really enjoying it!

The ending was a little depressing for me and as I’m known to cry easily over books I hesitated and about put it down. I’m really glad that I didn’t though because it got a lot happier and honestly had me smiling through most of it. Until the end of course and then I cried, go figure.

You definitely won’t regret reading this novel.

The Great Unexpected was a very unexpected surprise. I thought I'd enjoy the book from reading the synopsis, but I loved it.

There is tenderness, heartbreak (of course), life lessons and humor. Having taken care of my mother while she was on hospice at my home, I felt like this book really spoke to me. My entire family learned so many lessons while helping her through her last months. Some of those lessons are gently driven home in this book, especially in my opinion, that the elderly or those dying still deserve choices and quality of life. As my mom said once, "I've got 6 months left so who cares if I enjoy that salty soft pretzel I haven't been able to eat in years due to strict salt intake guidelines? I'd rather eat the pretzel and enjoy what time I have left."

The humor in this book is well done and serves to break up what could easily be a melancholy tale. The characters are so enjoyable and well done that I wanted to sit down and speak with them. I think almost everyone could read and enjoy The Great Unexpected and when it's my time, I want to have choices and freedom because we're all leaving, it's just a matter of when and how well we've lived and enjoyed our lives.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts in this review are my own and freely given.

A touching story a sweet book that had me laughing & then brought tears to my eyes. Joel & Frank to true characters who become roommates in an old age home .Their plans for an epic escape will hav yu cheering then on,#netgalley #harlequinbooks,

A lovely story about life after loss. Wonderful characters, quick plot, wrapped up with a nice tidy bow of life lessons.


I received an advance copy; all thoughts are my own .

This book was a little slow to start, and it took me a few tries to really get invested in it. But once I did, I fell in love with the protagonist, Joel, and his frenemy Frank. Their friendship felt real as did their personalities. The book was a wonderful look at aging, friendship, family, regrets, and another chance to make things right in your life. The only part of the book that was iffy to me was the timeline. I think that the same events could have taken place at a less accelerated pace and it would have seemed more believable. If you liked A Man Called Ove, this is a great book for you.


Trigger warnings: suicide, language, absentee father

Joel is in an old person's home. His wife has passed away and now his silent roommate has passed away. He is estranged from his daughter and grand kids and is kept in the home under watch because he has had a stroke. What does he have to live for? While planning his demise, a new roommate is brought in and in an "Odd Couple" like situation, the book's plot gets moving. Frank is willing to help Joel but wants to make sure the death is worthy of his life. In the meantime, an unexpected and great friendship is developed. This is book is sweet and sassy and all those things that readers are finding so wonderful in books about the older generation.

As medical science “advances” and more life-ending diseases are treatable, more and more people need to find a new way to live with advanced age. Loved ones die; children and grandchildren move on to live their own lives; as we get older we are left stranded and invisible.

“The Great Unexpected” is a clear-eyed and largely unsentimental look at Joel Monroe, living his last years in a nursing home. Joel is ready to be done with the whole situation. He is tired of being penned up, protected from death at the cost of not really having anything to live for. When he is given a new roommate, Frank Adams de Selby, he doesn’t want to have anything to do with him. But Frank will change Joel’s life.

I found this book incredibly thought-provoking. It isn’t pleasant to think about our end-of-lives, or those of the people we love, but it is required if we are to deal realistically with what is to come.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.