This my 3rd GN book, and he really is a master storyteller. I loved the small Irish town setting, the characters, and the way the story slowly builds but holds your interest from the beginning to end. The narration is a delight, it felt like the author was reading this story just for me. I highly recommend this audiobook ! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m a long time fan of Norton’s chat show and this is the third of his titles I’ve read (all narrated beautifully by the author). His fiction is a delight. I’d say there’s more of Graham’s cleverly cutting cattiness in Forever Home than there was in Home Stretch or Holding.

🎶 Book as a song lyric: “Understand the things I say/Don't turn away from me/‘Cause I've spent half my life out there/You wouldn't disagree… ~Ode to My Family, -The Cranberries

📖 Favorite quotes: “Sometimes knowing where or when things went wrong, didn’t mean you could fix them-it just meant you could beat yourself up over them more effectively.”

“You remind me of your father…I don’t mean it as a compliment.”

This cozy mystery centers on two families…and a quite few mysteries and secrets. Moira is my favorite, a spry senior citizen that adds a lot of laughs and brightness to a tale with some heavy themes. The rest of the cast are very authentic in that they continually move back and forth on the line between being likeable (or at least pitiable) and not.

I was bothered a bit by CSA being downplayed and/or brushed aside and then I realized it was bothering me *because* that’s what happens in actual families if not out and out gaslighting etc. It’s actually better acknowledgment/treatment than some of us (survivors) get, sadly.

Norton’s characters behave as flawed humans do. Some of the raging lack of self awareness is easy to match with people we all know in our lives, for instance.

One thing though, rang false to me: the instant cure for hoarding. Hoarding is serious, not really healed and sorted within an afternoon, spurred on by a single epiphany, but it *would* be very nice if that were the case.

All in all, it’s always interesting to dive into the very Irish and very human mysteries Graham Norton weaves.

⚠️ TW/CWs: Grooming, pedophilia, child pornography, gaslighting, early-onset dementia, child abandonment, grief, violence, bodily gore, emotional abuse, trauma, victim blaming, suicidal ideation, description of suicide, alcohol, classism, fatphobia, misogyny, eviction, homophobia, hoarding, breakup, death of parent & partner, xenophobia/racism.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I actually didn't realize when I requested this book that Graham Norton was the author (and narrator!)- I had only looked at the blurb- so that was a fun surprise as I used to LOVE watching his show. I wasn't disappointed by his writing skills! The characters felt so real to me, and the story kept my attention throughout.

A small town, family drama with a little bit of mystery infused. Great characters who are fully formed real people, interesting storyline(s) and wonderful narration. It’s smart, well written a fabulous listen. I’m a fan of the author and yet this was the first of his written works I’ve read. My mistake as I will now be going back for more!

This was my first Graham Norton novel, and I was pleasantly surprised. I wondered at the beginning, but as I got into the characters, I rather enjoyed it. Maura, the mother, was a piece of work!!!! It is a novel of domestic fiction, with a little cozy mystery thrown it.

4.5 stars
Forever Home was such a touching slice of life. Graham Norton has a gift for giving us fully fleshed out characters. We might not like (m)any of them or the things they say and choices they make, but they are so realized that you’re just there for it all! I think the situations in this book will ring true for so many people in different times of life— the older generation dealing with health situations and who will care for them, the middle generation trying to care for their parents and children, the young adults trying to launch their own lives and navigate expectations. There’s something for everyone in this book!
*Thanks to HarperVia and NetGalley

Welcome to Ballytour, a section of Cork, Ireland. It’s a small, close area where everyone knows everyone else’s business. Or do they? Meet Carol Crottle. She’s a youngish single mother and a school teacher. When she visits Sally Berry’s house to tutor the girl, one of her students, she and Sally’s father, Declan begin to fall in love. It isn’t long until there’s no doubt to their relationship. But over time, Sally and her brother Killian take a dislike to Carol. After all, she’s not their mother, Joanna, who just up and disappeared years ago for no reason anyone comprehends. Over the years, Carol moves in with Declan, a pharmacist. She truly loves him.

Unfortunately, Declan develops Alzheimer’s Disease. His children, now grown and living on their own, decide that he should be moved to a care facility. Although they never married, Carol’s opposed to it, willing to stay and tend to him, but his children are more concerned about her claiming a portion of the proceeds from selling the house than her feeling for their father. Carol has few option for where to move once shown the door, so she returns home to live with her parents, Moira and Dave.

Her parents, worried about her, concerned that she misses living in Declan’s house, purchase the residence for her, without asking. Carol doesn’t really want to live there alone. But what’s done is done, and they decide that they can fix the place up and sell it for more than they paid. While determining what needs to be done, they discover a body, and need to figure out what to do with it. They don’t want to call the Guarda, the Irish police.

Moira, a delight of a character, begins brewing a plan. Moira is smart and clever, determined and a bit controlling, but about all, she’s organized. It isn’t long until she has a scheme figured out, and all Carol can do is go along for the ride and deal with any bumps that arise along the way.

This was a delightful, if rather dark, cozy mystery. It’s filled with touches of humor, as well as heart moments of sadness. The writing is excellent. The narration, done by the author, is professionally performed, but it’s the characters that sell this story. They’re quirky and three-dimensional. While some of the things they do are questionably realistic, their personalities are true.

I listened to the audiobook version of this novel. I enjoyed it very much. I found it a quick and easy to enjoy, completing it over a few days.

I received an advanced reader copy of this audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.

I don't really know Graham Norton from anything, but I guess he's a TV celebrity. He also writes books, and I had a lot of fun with this story about a middle aged woman who gets kicked out of her house when her long-time boyfriend gets early onset dementia. It really made me think about the benefits of older couples getting married.

The characters in this novel are well-rounded and really entertaining, and the author did a great job narrating the audiobook.

At some point, though, the plot took a wonky turn and things got pretty dark, and then very silly, and the engaging tone from the first half kind of fell apart. It became a bit farcical, and after the climactic scene, everything just dragged on for much too long.

If things had wrapped up more quickly, I would have given this 4 stars, but the audiobook was a couple of hours too long. Also some of the backstory about child porn felt unnecessary.

I would give Graham Norton another try. He has a fun narrative voice and a gift for writing appealing characters.

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 stars Thank 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.

"Forever Home" by Graham Norton is a Blend of Family Fiction and Cozy Mystery!

I didn't expect Forever Home to be such a fun listen!

Two families living in a small-town in Ireland, with complicated ties, collide in the most interesting, over-the-top way. This sometimes dark, sometimes humorous story, provides a great build-up through detailed backstories in the first-half, that results in a suspenseful, thrilling, and a bit of a wacky second-half.

An unexpected twist, about halfway, kept me glued to the story and attempting to figure out who it was and how everyone involved was going to fix the mess they found themselves in. It was quite the dilemma and definitely kept me guessing.

At the core of this Family Drama is a focus on mother-daughter relationships, the price one pays for keeping long-held secrets, and, through it all, attempting to live your best life.

"Forever Home" has a wide-range of characters that are diverse and neighborhood antics similar to happenings in our everyday lives almost anywhere. The family dynamics are compelling and somewhat realistic, but certainly always interesting. The inclusion of the dry, snickery humor this author is so well-known for is an added bonus and pure-delight.

"Forever Home" audiobook narrated by the author, Graham Norton, is definitely a "Yes, please" and "Thank you very much" experience for me. His narration is captivating and his voicing skills are nothing short of amazing. Truly.

"Forever Home" delivers an unexpectedly good time and no one is more surprised than me how much I enjoyed the author's writing style and storytelling. Who knew? Not me, until now. I'll be checking out his backlist for more fun and I highly recommend this entertaining story to those who enjoy a blend of Family Fiction and Cozy Mystery that's on the darkly humorous side!

4⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Audio, and Graham Norton for an ALC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

"Forever Home" was a wonderful, cozy read. I've long been a fan of Graham Norton, but had yet to read a book by him. This was a great introduction to his writing. His prose is so lovely and I especially enjoyed the way he brings the reader into the story through thoughtful descriptions and smart character writing. The dynamics between the characters truly moves the plot along in such a compelling and realistic way. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish and would recommend for anyone else who enjoys a mystery/thriller that is an easy and comfortable read.

FOREVER HOME is an absolute beauty of a book. Graham Norton has somehow created the kind of book that keeps you up all night with suspense and comforts you at the same time. What a feat - but not unexpected from this author.

We meet Carol on one of very worst of days of her life. Declan, her partner of a decade, is in a care home where dementia has entirely consumed him. His adult children, who have never really accepted her, are forcing her out of their father’s home. They plan to sell it and move on. We learn quickly that this is not a family who looks too closely at their relationships, or considers the trauma that might be buried in their memories.

But of course, this is not just a story about a woman grieving her partner and her home. (The title, after all, tells us there’s more to that house.) The plot is just as engaging as Norton’s previous books, with moments of suspense and of humor. The characters, full and vividly present, are a gift to the reader - particularly Carol’s mother, Moira. (I suggest the audiobook for Norton’s portrayal of the 80 year old Moira - the personality in the voice is perfection.)

FOREVER HOME is darkly comic book is not one to be missed. The reader leaves with a full heart and a mind full of reflection. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC in exchange for my entirely honest opinion.

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery audiobook that is narrated by the author. I didn't know what to expect when I started listening to it, but it drew me in immediately. The craziness that surrounds the family and their home, made me want to keep listening. Beware that there is also a sensitive subject matter involved as well, that is a serious matter. Thank you, Net Galley and Harper Audio, for the ARC in return for my honest review.

I really look forward to all his books. There a well written, very engaging with wonderful stories, and this was no different.

I had no idea what to expect from this book (I got it solely based on author recognition) and the audiobook took me a bit to get past a somber subject matter in the voice of an upbeat talk show presenter (irony, as I chose the book because of him, I know).
That said, I suppose I expected something lighter so to have it be such a mystery with so many light characters become so cunning and devious and the slight of hand with character personality traits, the red herrings and false leads was so well done. The characters all seemed so standard to start but then started to warp and change focus throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

#arc
#netgalley
#foreverhome

This one just wasn't for me. I've liked some of Graham Norton's books in the past and was excited for this newest but I just couldn't connect with the characters and ended up DNFing at 20%. Many thanks to NetGalley and hte publisher for an opportunity to read/listen to an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

As I’m going to write MY review, I see others from last year…which is strange, because my info says the release date is September 19th?!? Not sure, but maybe that’s for the audiobook? Or maybe in the US?
In any case, this was another terrific book!
It is based in Ireland (I think) and we open up with Carol, first with her roommates, then with her husband to be… and finally with her as a single Mom…
We progress to see that she moves on and finds an older man who she falls in love with, much to her parents dismay. And they build a life together. But the crazy thing is, that his wife is missing from the picture… His kids however, are not. And they are not happy about Carol entering the picture.
Years go by and life changes…and Carol finds herself back with her parents…
This is where the story truly begins…
I laughed out loud. I was close to tears. And I cracked up when the women were in the van, and then the boat together!
The way he writes this is truly amazing. You will be drawn in, and loving every minute of it…because it all feels so real! It could be you in these very circumstances. And that’s what really brings it home for me!
I loved how the families came together when needed. I loved Moira, as an elderly powerhouse of a woman. And I loved Dave, as her quiet but fierce sidekick when need be!
And…I loved the nosy old neighbor!!
Beautiful story and beautifully told!
A little far fetched, yes, but why not?? 😉
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!
Thanks to #NetGalley and #HarperAudio for the ARC of the audiobook! #ForeverHome by Graham Norton. Supposedly hitting the shelves on September 19th!

A wonderful contemporary cozy!

I've been a fan of the Graham Norton Show for so long. This is my first novel by him and little did I know that he's a great writer as well! I love how his humor is shown throughout the entire book.

Carol lives in a small Irish town and finds a second chance at love with a much older man Declan. Declan's ex-wife left him and their children long ago and is still a mystery to all.

When Declan developed early onset dementia, his adult children placed him in a care facility and put the home on the market.

Carol is devasted knowing Declan would be against selling the family home but with no other choice she moves in with her mother Moira.

This is a character-driven story and all are well depicted especially the matriarch, Moira~ my absolute favorite character! She brings humor and spunk to this mixed cozy mystery and dark comedy story.

I feel the first half is stronger than the second where there are moments I caught myself daydreaming. There are secrets that are waiting to come out and twists you may or may not have guessed! The conclusion was a happy and satisfying one. Overall, I had a wonderful time listening to Graham Norton's delightful narration. 3.5⭐

My thanks to Harper Audio and Netgalley for the ALC.

I loved the audio narration by Graham Norton. It was phenomenal. I was very excited when I found out he would be doing the audio book . Using his voice alone, he is able to give each of the characters that he narrates their own personality through his tone, inflection, pacing and cadence. Great little mystery with in depth character development You’ll laugh and you’ll cry as you get to know this family and all their secrets are exposed. It’s not a page turning mystery but a slower burn family drama with a mystery mixed in. I really enjoyed it and I would read more by Graham Norton. I very much enjoyed his writing style.

Graham Norton has written a quirky yet comfortable novel about family relationships of every kind. The central character Carol is the anchor who is dealing with ungrateful stepchildren, a son who she feels has grown far away from, and parents who meddle but adore her. And in the background of all these connections is a missing person mystery. Graham Norton himself narrates the story and his delivery is just as enticing as you would expect.