Married couple Stevie and Amber move into what they hope to be their dream home, to find that the previous resident (Dorothy) still upstairs in the house. Dorothy is the 80 year old foul mouthed owner who decides she’s not going anywhere. And so the story begins as Stevie and Amber navigate the chaos to achieve their happily ever after.

Friends of Dorothy appears to be a light-hearted, funny read about love and friendship centering around a couple, Amber and Stevie, who move into their home only to find the owner (Dorothy) still there. I know. An absolute plot twist for Amber and Stevie. As I read on though and the story progressed, it turned out to also be a book about very important social issues such as discrimination against members of the LGBTQIAP+ community and social housing.

Overall, I loved Dorothy and the perspective she brought to Amber and Stevie’s life as they navigated their challenges. She was the absolute star of this book. I also loved everyone banding together for the greater good. While I appreciated that the author highlighted these issues through this book, I did find some of the conversation between some of the characters a bit repetitive and unbelievable which dampened my reading experience slightly.

Read if you enjoy:
Good friendships
Spunky characters
A small town/village setting
Suitcases full of mystery
Familial history
Found family

Unfortunately as much as I love Sandi and really wanted to enjoy this read, I was over 60% of the way through and just didn’t feel like the story or characters were going anywhere. I was very reluctant to but had to DNF.

I haven’t read any of Sandi Toksvig’s books before, but saw this and liked the premise. It didn’t disappoint; after a few months of only reading thrillers, I was ready for something cosy and feel-good. The book deals with some difficult topics throughout the story, but with warmth and humour from the characters who pull together. Overall I enjoyed it, not a rapid page turner, but a lovely one to read next to the Christmas tree!

I was so sucked into this from the start; a young couple purchased their dream house, and everything seemed perfect, but then they discovered Dorothy. Dorothy was the owner but hasn't moved out. Weaving in and out of different characters and lives makes this a beautiful book. I would recommend it.

The writing in this book is absolutely stunning. The story was captivating, and held me tight, I raced through the book and loved every minute of it. This is a true literary masterpiece.

I enjoyed this book by Sandi Toksvig. The story line was a little different to the usual novel of this nature, and I felt that set it apart. It was great to see a slightly different set up and the reasons why Dorothy sold her house and then didn't leave. Seeing how Amber and Stevie navigated this and how their story progressed was really interesting.

Amber and Stevie have found what they hope will be their perfect home, but there's a catch: Dorothy, the previous owner, is still living there, and seems to have no intention of moving. A touching, often raw, and wonderfully British story of chosen family, and what it means to give one another hope. Sometimes funny, often wry, and always heartfelt.

Imagine buying a new home, moving in and finding that the previous owner has not left. In fact she is still very much installed. For Amber and Stevie, this is meant to be the forever home, surely they can convince Dorothy to leave?

But Dorothy, 80 years old and with no filter, is not going anywhere, she is waiting in the house. And it seems Amber and Stevie will have to work round her.

What happens is farcical, humorous, tinged with sadness and full of warmth and good nature as the story progresses. this book made me laugh out loud, it made me cross with people’s opinions and expectations of what a family should look like.

Without doubt, one of my books of the year and something that could do with a second reading to enjoy all over again!

I had read and loved a couple of the author's previous books and very much enjoyed this one too. Amber and Stevie buy a house, but previous owner Dorothy is still living there and appears reluctant to move out. The story goes from there and is both hilarious and moving, with wonderful characters and is ultimately uplifting and lovely. A delightful read.

A joyful tale with endearing characters whipped full of wit in typical Sandi Toksvig style. Lots of laugh out loud moments, clever humour as well as poignant issues addressed.

Gentle London comedy with a whole load of fabulousness

I'm going to say it: this is Tales of the City-lite. There's nothing wrong with that, and it openly wears its heart on its sleeve, with a landlady/squatter/guru doing her best to fulfil everyone's wishes before she pops her clogs. With plenty of action, adventure and every colour of rainbow represented, sometimes with dramatic revealing effect, I loved this. It didn't quite hit all the spots, with the central couple sidelined by the much more fabulous characters and stories hidden away in the depths of the novel, but I'll forgive that slight blip.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

While I found the prose a bit stilted at first, the novel grew on me. Toksvig draws her characters well and you naturally accept the presence of Dorothy as essential to the story within about 50 pages. If you're looking for a book with a lot of heart and found family, then this book is for you.

Dorothy has sold her house to Stevie and Amber. The only thing is, when they move in, she hasn't moved out! As they try to encourage her to leave, the couple find she becomes more involved in their lives.

As expected with this author, there are lots of very funny moments, along with some serious issues covered, such as discrimination and family estrangement.

I really enjoyed the read, there are some wonderfully eccentric characters within a lovely story of neighbourhood and friendship. A slow burn, long in places, but a good read.

Friends of Dorothy is exactly the kind of story you'd expect from Sandi Toksvig, warm, funny, all about finding the family you need not necessarily the one you were born with. Dorothy is a fabulously sparky 80 year old who has sold her house to Stevie and Amber but hasn't actually moved out yet. When they move in and find Dorothy there, they try to encourage her to leave but despite their best efforts it never quite works and eventually the three of them fall into a beautifully supportive communal living situation.

They also have Stevie's childhood friend Jack in their circle- he's gay but doesn't think any one knows (they all do of course). He'd love to be in love but doesnt have the confidence to make the first move.

Dorothy is a magic maker, she can sense what people need in life and is happy to give them a nudge when needed. She knows everyone and everything, and there's nothing she can't do or procure, from jukeboxes to reliable builders, she knows where to find them all.

The story is so warm and uplifting, a great story to cosy up with on a cold night!

When newlyweds Stevie and Amber move into their first home together they find that its comes with an unexpected tenant, a little old lady! Previous owner Dorothy has decided she isn't going anywhere...

As the couple try to find a way to encourage Dorothy to move out they become closer and she becomes more and more involved in their life!

A very funny book, with relatable characters, which highlights important issues experienced by the lgbqtia community, including discrimination at work and family estrangement and breakdown.

I really enjoyed the humour of the book and found Dorothy such a wonderful character. It did drag on a bit with some unnecessary detail and so I felt it could have been a bit shorter but it was still a lovely feel good book with real joy in places. A perfect pick me up for those who need it.
Thanks to Sandi Toksvig, Virago and NetGalley for the ARC.

Such a lovely book
As a rule I tend not to read books written by celebrities .,for some reason Sandy Tusvik is different and full of admiration for her as a person I felt that this couldn’t help be carried over into any book that she wrote. I’ve not read any of her previous novels
A the novel is set in a London Square where a newly married lesbian couple move into a house only to find that the previous occupant is still camping there and a sofa upstairs. reluctant to throw out on the street the couple allow her to stay and gradually we learn more about their back stories their new grandmother figure. There is a neighbourhood bar where one of their friends works and they run a drag night and eventually a jolly knees up for the old people.
This book is truly lovely a whole cast of eccentric British characters,Even the tiny cameo roles are just perfect.
The characterisations team totally real you feel like you knew these people already or at least you did by the end of the book
Writes says she speaks fast funny and clearly I found the whole novel very enjoyable reading found it difficult to put it down.
There is a Britishness in the characters on the setting which is strange since Sandy herself is of Danish origin I believe. I think overseas readers would find the characters amusing and very British.
I would recommend this book for people who are primarily emotional character based novel if you like books like A man called Ove by Frederick Bakman or Frank and Red by Matt Coyne then you should enjoy this novel.
I’m I’m pretty sure I won’t be pitted picking up celebrity novels and money occasions in the future but would definitely read again anything Sandy Toksvig writes
I read a copy of the novel on NetGalley UK. The book was published in the uk September 2024 by. Little Brown book group /Virgo.
This review will appear on Goodreads, NetGalley UK and my book blog bionic Sarah S bookwordpress.com. It will also appear on Amazon UK.

I suppose this is a romantic comedy, but with (mostly) Gay characters. The main couple are Amber and Stevie, two women who are recently married and have just bought a house. When they move in, the previous owner is still living there and doesn't look to be going anywhere soon. The plot is the story of the neighbourhood, the pub, local people and rekindling of old friendships. Not all is sweetness and light as there is prejudice too, but the main characters pull together to form their own family.
I did find the book a little chaotic at first and it took me a few chapters to get into the plot, to get to know and like the people , which is why I have given it 4 stars, by the middle of the book I was rooting for them all .
Thanks to Net Galley for a great read in exchange for an honest review

This was brilliant! Characters created with the warmth that you would expect from this author - realistic and genuinely wonderful.