Forever Home by Graham Norton

Graham Norton has done it again! A gorgeously claustrophobic account of Irish village life, with a dark twist…

I really enjoyed this book! The Irish vibes were real, the characters were interesting with some good depth to them, and there was a good twist, although this could have been more shocking if I’m honest.

An enjoyable read from Graham Norton!

Brimmed full of dark comedy and wry humour, this is another wonderful read from Graham Norton. Set in a small village in Ireland, family life behind closed doors really does harbour some dark secrets. When divorced teacher Carol sparks up a romance with older man Declan, they are the talk of the village and Declans children are none too pleased despite their own mother abandoning them as children. Her disappearance sparked much gossip and guessing. When Declan falls prey to dementia, Carol is turfed out of the family home. Her mother Moira is outraged on her behalf and seeks to secretly purchase the property. She may have taken on more than she bargained though. With an unexpected visitor, all the skeletons come bundling out of the closet. The craic is mighty in this story. Moire is fierce Irish mammy and is by far my favourite character. No one meddles with her daughter. Dark humour is interspersed with serious topics, which never become too heavy - child abuse, emotional abuse, murder, gay adoption... #foreverhome #Grahamnorton #netgalley

Carol is a divorced teacher living in a small town in Ireland, her only son now grown. A second chance at love brings her unexpected connection and belonging. The new relationship sparks local speculation: what does a woman like her see in a man like that? What happened to his wife who abandoned them all those years ago? But the gossip only serves to bring the couple closer.

A glorious read.
Yes, it takes a while to get going but before you know it Mr Norton has grabbed your imagination and hooked you. It's his darkest novel so far but also his funniest. I was chuckling out loud several times.
Well observed, well written and I read it far too quickly. More please!

Let me start of by saying that I love Graham's writing style. He fully immerses you into the world of his characters and I felt like they were real people that I knew! Set in a beautiful Irish village the story focuses on Carol a divorced teacher who is now with younger partner Declan. This is a dark comedy story so of you want more light hearted comedy, this book isn't for you. The FMC Carol, goes through a lot emotionally and I think it will resonate with a lot of people who have been in similar situations (being with a younger man and dealing with step children part 😅). We also see her revert to her child like self when she moves back home which I think a lot of people today will resonate with. And we all love a good neighbour gossip, just not when it's about us! And Moira, what an incredible character! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. The storyline and characters are odd and it was a strange read. I guess the focus was on family and relationships but became more about the mystery and it lost all sense of reality for me.

Though it was slightly slow to start, and I kept veering off to read other books, once I dipped past the first quarter I found myself absolutely gripped by this story and I read the last 75% in just a couple of evenings. It's a tangled mystery, full of funny, moving character observations. Veering from dark to almost farcical comedy by turns, I was never quite sure what to expect from the story, and I can't say too much about that because I don't want to give any spoilers. This was an easy, addictive read. And Moira was my favourite.

This was just brilliant! I've not read anything by Graham Norton before – I love him on my telly, but I didn't know what to expect from a book. I shouldn't have worried, this was just fantastic! A proper character-based novel (my favourites) although there was enough plot and suspense to keep it going and keep me interested. A really enjoyable read.

I picked this book because it was written by Graham Norton but soon lost myself in the story. Graham Norton writes so well about women.

When teacher Carol, who is divorced, moves in with her older partner Declan, the local grapevine is buzzing. Carol rises above this and they are very happy until Declan gets early onset Alzheimer's. At this point Declan's children step in and force Declan into a home - and Carol out of their shared home so that they can sell it and take the money. Carol's mother can't bear to see how unfairly her daughter was treated and steps in to help - with some unforseen circumstances which threaten to rip Declan's family apart.

A darkly written story that will keep you guessing until the end.

This is a beautifully written and gorgeous read. Graham has a great knack for writing about small towns in Ireland. This book is a great story that is heart breaking at times. I love him as a presenter and even more as a writer. A talented and beautiful writer this is not to be missed.

What a brilliant book, what a story, I urge everybody to read this it’s beautifully written and the story is gripping. It has beautiful scenery, gentle wit, dark humour, love, tears and more. It’s a gentle thriller and love story of sorts all rolled into one lovely book.
Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Another great book from Graham Norton. I love the characterisations, the people are fantastic and their interaction is very realistic. The plot mainly revolves around Carol and the relationship she had with an older man. Everything starts to implode when he develops dementia.
His children, with whim she has a strained relationship, are determined to sell the house where they were living.
Carol's parents become involved as only an Irish mammy and daddy can.
The story is at times funny, at times sad . Both the main and minor characters are well portrayed, as is life in the town .
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARc in exchange for an honest view

This novel entices at first with a charming, slow burning, beguiling beginning as a village in the south of Ireland is depicted. But what seems on the surface to be a cosy domestic story soon morphs into a mixture of cosy mystery and dark comedy.

We meet Carol, who gets ousted from her home by Declan’s adult children. They take umbrage at her still living in the house she has shared with him. Their actions are prompted by Declan now suffering from dementia and living in a care home.

It’s also a house which their mother mysteriously absconded from when they were small. Declan viewed it as his family’s forever home, though his children have no compunction about putting it on the market and moving on.

Sally, in particular, isn’t keen on Carol, her former teacher, because though she blossomed under her tutelage, she resents the relationship she has with her father.

Forced to move out and move back in with her parents, Carol feels adrift and rootless for a while, though she is grateful to receive their help and support to fight back against Declan’s children.

There are some touching scenes in the care home with Declan, followed by attempts at rapprochement with his children, interwoven with the darkly comedic parts of the book where the bounds of incredulity become stretched.

Carol’s mother, Moira, is the novel’s saving grace with her shenanigans and erratic yet hilarious behaviour. Norton succeeds in maintaining the dramatic tension and keeping the reader guessing. An enjoyable, easy read though it’s totally unbelievable in places. 3.5 ⭐️

I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading Forever Home, but what a joy. The twists and turns and the laugh out loud (unless you are in bed and don’t want your other half to think you are mad) are wonderful. There is a serious side to the book as we learn how dementia can tear a family apart, and open wounds that have been closed for years, these scars can offer solutions to the problems, and help understand what had happened in the past, which enables them to start afresh and enjoy their lives.

I’ve read and enjoyed Graham Norton’s other novels so was pleased to receive a copy of his new novel, Forever Home. Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for my copy.

Like Norton’s other novels, this is also set in a small town in Ireland and the characters and setting are well described.

The story centres around Carol, who is in a long-term relationship with Declan. Declan develops dementia and despite his wishes to stay at his home, his children move him to a care home and put his house up for sale, leaving Carol forced to move back in with her parents. Carol’s parents buy the house for her and they discover something totally unexpected.

It’s difficult to say much about the plot without giving away the story. It definitely held my interest and I got into the story straight away. Of course, there’s a twist or two to keep you guessing.

I felt so sorry for Carol having to go through what she does. The characters were well developed without being too stereotypical. I especially liked Moira. She brought humour to what could have been quite a dark story.

I’m not sure if it was because I had an advance copy, but there were no chapters. The story also jumped from character to character quite quickly and it took a minute to keep track of what was happening.

Overall, this is another great read by Norton. I absolutely flew through the book and look forward to reading more from him.

I really enjoyed reading this book, the first book by Graham Norton but I believe not the last one. The story itself not believable but written very well.

Graham Norton is a fine author as well as a famous and very funny chat show host, DJ and presenter. His latest novel is an engaging, sometimes funny and very absorbing tale of a family at war set in Norton's native Irish Republic.

This was my first book by Graham Norton and what a revelation. Such a compelling and intriguing and really well written story. Loved it from start to finish.

I was looking forward to this but the formatting of the electronic copy I had made it difficult to keep track of what was going on. Ultimately it became too frustrating and I I gave up, which is no reflection on the book itself.. Graham is a great storyteller

I’ve enjoyed Graham Nortons other books so was looking forward to this.

Another great read.

Full of interesting characters, easy to read.