"Forever Home" by Graham Norton is a delightful and poignant exploration of love, loss, and the ties that bind us to our pasts. Norton's talent for creating richly drawn characters and his skillful blend of humor and pathos make this novel a compelling read.

The story revolves around Carol, a woman who returns to her small Irish hometown to take care of her aging father. In doing so, she reconnects with old friends and confronts long-buried secrets. Norton's portrayal of small-town life is vivid and authentic, filled with quirky, memorable characters who bring warmth and depth to the narrative.

Norton's writing is sharp and evocative, capturing the nuances of human relationships with a deft touch. The novel balances moments of heartfelt emotion with instances of laugh-out-loud humor, making it both touching and entertaining. The themes of family, forgiveness, and finding one's place in the world are handled with sensitivity and insight.

While the pacing occasionally lags and some plot developments are a bit predictable, these minor issues do not significantly detract from the overall enjoyment of the book. The strength of Norton's characterizations and the charm of the setting more than compensate for these shortcomings.

Overall, "Forever Home" is a warmly engaging novel that will resonate with readers who appreciate stories about family, community, and the enduring power of love. Graham Norton has crafted a story that is as heartfelt as it is humorous, making this a thoroughly satisfying read.

3.5 I really need a prequel about Moira in her younger days.

This was a great mix of literary fiction and mystery. As the 2nd book I've read from Graham Norton, I'm once again impressed with his ability to weave a story about ordinary people who have to grapple with difficult life choices and the consequences. He has a real gift for creating depth to his characters.

I don't read a ton of literary fiction because I often find it slow to start, but once we get into the meat of it I am almost always glad I gave it a chance.

***Thank you to Harper Audio for providing me with the Audiobook for free via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This book was so, so, so, so good. I love that Graham Norton is writing such beautiful stories with real characters.
I also adored that he read the audiobook.

It added the emotion and it was perfect.

This was one of my most anticipated releases as I’d loved Norton’s previous novel Home Stretch, it was a 5 star read for me but Forever Home fell short. I found myself completely uninterested in the story, the characters, etc. :(

I love the way Graham Norton has of developing his characters so fully that I can look at them with empathy despite their flaws and the seriously bad choices they make. I find myself shaking my head as I swiftly turn the pages, as if I'm sitting across the table from a friend relating a juicy story about an acquaintance or neighbor. Thus is the case with Forever Home which tells the story of Carol, who goes though the story interacting with her various family members who seem to make all the decisions for her and basically bully her to get what they want.

Luckily she grow a backbone slowly through the story and take control of her own situation. Although there is a murder mystery going on in this story, it is told is such a way that you will find yourself laughing out loud on occasion. At its heart though, this novel is a character study that looks into each member of a blended family and how misunderstanding can fester over the years when people choose not to communicate with each other and choose to live their heads instead of out loud.

Overall, I really liked this book and I thank Netgalley and the Publishers for the Audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.25

I went into this book blind, and was surprised, pleasantly. I really enjoyed storyline, and I don't think I ever have. This is a really good cozy mystery.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Harper Audio for an audio copy of this book for an honest review.

Thrilling, dark, humorous and a real page turner are just some of the ways I would describe this book. A thrilling mystery that keeps its audience guessing and sucks them in through a detailed series of backstories in the first half of this book, Forever Home isn’t a book you want to pass by. The narration by the author is an extra treat that just pushes this book over the edge. This was my first book by Norton but it certainly won’t be my last.

3.5 stars.

I love Graham Norton! I think he’s so witty and charming on his talk show and this always translates to his books as well. Even though I shouldn’t be, I find myself constantly surprised by what a gifted writer he is. His talent for intriguing storytelling never fails and although “Forever Home” wasn’t my favorite of his, I still enjoyed this family drama steeped in mystery and dark humor.

The plot centers around middle-aged Carol who lives in a small Irish town and finds a second chance of love with Declan. Declan has adult children from a previous marriage and they are none too keen about his new relationship for various selfish reasons. In spite of this, Carol and Declan move in together and things are going well for a short while. When Declan starts developing early onset dementia, his children undermine Carol’s wishes and force Declan into a care facility and then put their childhood home on the market. Since Carol and Declan are not married, Carol is effectively rendered helpless and homeless. The story takes many turns from there and various secrets are revealed throughout the novel.

I felt the first half was stronger than the second and unexpectedly was more interested in the family dynamics than the mystery introduced later in the story. Overall though, this was such a fun read and I loved Norton’s sharp characterization of familial conflict.

I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by Graham Norton himself and was absolutely delightful! I hope he always narrates his own novels.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Audio for this advanced copy!

This is a great novel, the first I’ve read by Norton, who I came to know through clips from his show online. His characteristic wit comes though, and I absolutely love that he narrated the audiobook himself. He does a fantastic narration job, and his comfort with a performance and charisma really come through. I’d highly recommended this book, and I’ll be on the lookout for others by him.

Forever Home by Graham Norton, read by the author
I had to DNF but not because of the writing or narration which was excellent. It was because dementia is a very tough topic for me and so I just could not get past the first part of the book. This was just a bad choice for me and I will try another book by this author.

"Forever Home" delivered so much more than I expected! At times both humorous and suspenseful, Norton's novel manages to take a somewhat ordinary event in a family's life — the onset of dementia and transition to a care home — and transform it into an engaging mystery full of heart.

At its core, "Forever Home" is a character study. Central to the plot is Carol, a divorced mom of an adult son who leaps at a second chance for love when she finds herself falling for an older man, Declan, who is the father of a student she is tutoring. When he later develops early-onset dementia, she finds herself on the outside of the relationship and looking in, ostracized by his children who are in control of his medical and financial decisions. When the children decide to sell the house that Carol lives in with their father, a chain of events is set loose that has Carol questioning everything she has known about Declan and their past.

I did not expect this book to contain a mystery but was thrilled with the direction it took. While Carol's growth throughout the plot is satisfying, there's really no question that it was her mother Moira who stole the show. I absolutely adored Carol's parents and their misguided attempts to care for her.

Do you like a bit of black humor? It is said about the Irish that they are able to see the light in grave situations and this book by Irish author, comedian and tv host is a perfect example of what that can mean.
The story is centered on divorced teacher Carol who moved in with one of her students' single father - 15 years her senior. The rumor mill has fodder enough especially since Declan's wife simply disappeared one day years back. Years later Declan becomes too ill to live at home - or at least that's what his now grown children think and is moved into a nursing home. Carol without a claim to her name is forced to leave the family home... until her parents buy it for her, since the power was turned off Carol and her mom uncover a partition in the basement and a huge secret hiding behind it.
This book is a character study heavily focused on family and community. The characters are just brilliant, they feel real. They're human on the page, flawed and moved by motives that are not always rational but certainly relatable.
There's a definite dark side to this novel and a good dose of mystery, which I loved. However this is a character study not a fast-paced thriller. Layers get peeled back and the reader slowly gets to uncover more about Carol, Declan, Carol's parents and Declan's children as the novel continues. Everyone seems to be hiding something... Carol's mom Moira, who always has to be in charge, was my very favorite character.
A character-based novel with an interesting cast of characters and a great mix of dark and comic moments
- as well as the darkly funny ones!
This was an entertaining audio.

Is there anything better than a cozy mystery to welcome you into autumn? The answer: a cozy mystery by Graham Norton. Having Norton as the audiobook narrator was just the cherry on top.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the audio ARC!

Posted from Goodreads:
Knowing only Graham Norton’s television show, I did not know what to expect from a book written by him. I certainly was not expecting a laugh out loud funny, cozy mystery and novel of family dynamics and self-discovery. It was not groundbreaking, but it was incredibly engaging. If you are a fan of any of the above genres and are familiar with the goings on in small, preferably Irish, towns, you will enjoy “Forever Home.”

Many thanks to HarperAudio via NetGalley for this audio ARC given in exchange for an honest review.

This could have been interesting, but there were so many characters and all had personal issues and it felt like every one of them had a problem with the other. I couldn't tell anymore who liked/disliked whom. Then there was a mystery that was a bit lacking in actual mystery. I think the problem was that all the back and forth between characters made me zone out and I couldn't commit to the story. Maybe something actually happened? I finished, but I really don't know.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

I enjoyed this!

I'm usually not a huge fan of cozy mysteries, but I really enjoyed the slow and steady atmosphere created in this. The dysfunctional family drama blended nicely with the family secrets and lies to make a really engrossing and readable mystery.

Would definitely recommend the audiobook! It took me a minute to get used to Graham Norton's voice as a narrator since I'm used to hearing his voice... not as a narrator, but once I got used to it, I loved how he brought his words to life.

3.5

I am a huge fan of Graham Norton, but sadly, I only recently discovered that he is also an author (I should add that I am from Canada and have also only recently been introduced to the Graham Norton Show). I was intrigued and was very happy to receive an audiobook copy of Forever Home. It’s safe to say I enjoyed the narrator, since Norton narrates the book himself. He did a wonderful job capturing the unique personalities of his characters.

Set in a small town in Ireland, this book is full of humour, dark moments, quirky characters, mystery, and heart. This story is never predictable, but for one feature: the love of mothers for their daughters. The home plays a central role as stories past meet with present along with nosy neighbours constantly threatening to spoil a good plan. The twist in the story keeps you guessing and I found myself telling others about the book as I was incorrectly predicting “who”. The character of Carol’s Mother Moira was my favourite. Quirky and full of completely bonkers schemes that were somehow absolute genius. I can’t imagine how this book would have been without her. While this was my first book by this author, I look forward to more and would recommend this audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for providing a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* more of a slow burn book for sure! not gonna lie it took me a while to get into it but then i couldn't put it down! would recommend to ppl who like mysteries but don't like the scarier thriller type reads.

(𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 @𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 @𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 #𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘴.) The first Graham Norton book I read was 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩 which I read as a backlist book last fall. I loved it, so was thrilled to see he has a new book this year, 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘. ⁣
⁣
In it, a family home becomes a subject of controversy. Declan, who’s owned and lived in it for years, is suffering from early onset dementia and has had to move into assisted living. His wife left the family many years earlier and for a very long time, his much younger girlfriend, Carol, has shared the home. Now that Declan is unable to live there, his two adult children are eager to sell the place, something Carol knows he never wanted. That family drama is one side of the story, but there’s also a bit of mystery thrown in to round out the whole thing.⁣
⁣
The story is narrated by Norton himself, who (as you’d expect) does a very nice job. I enjoyed listening and found it especially easy to take in on a recent road trip. While I enjoyed the story, I also felt it lacked the intensity of 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩, leaving me just a tad disappointed. I’d recommend this book to those who liked 𝘐𝘧 𝘞𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘏𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 by Cat Shook or 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 by Sally Hepworth. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Why did I just find out that Graham Norton writes amazing books?! I absolutely loved this book. Narration was amazing too of course. Read it, you won’t regret it!