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.

Stevie and Amber have married and moved into their first home together. Both are looking forward to starting marital bliss in Grimaldi Square. But there is a problem. They arrive at the house and octogenerian Dorothy is in situ; aware that she shouldn’t be there when the new owners take residence but she isn’t going to talk about it. She makes tea and gets to know Stevie and Amber who are becoming more and more agitated by her presence.

‘Friends of Dorothy’ is a quirky and lovely little story of friendship and compassion where we have an eclectic cast of characters - from the eponymous Dorothy herself and the other residents of Grimaldi Square. Yes, the plot is far-fetched but I love the fact that we have such a feisty character who is not going to back down and leave the house until she gets her revenge.


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I’ve read some poor reviews about this book so read it with some trepidation. Basically, I’d been grateful for an ARC so felt obliged.

Having finished it in one day, I’m wondering if those criticisms were from people who expected a different genre from Toksvig? I felt it was the perfect read for a lazy, autumnal Sunday. The characters were fun, the plot was silly, the setting was cute. It didn’t tax my brain but that’s the exact kind of book I wanted today.

Queer, witty and cozy, with all the threads wrapped up by the end. (3.8 rounded up to 4).

I give this a somewhat reluctant 3 stars, as I was split between its pros and cons, but 2.5 isn't an option.

Pros: I liked the various themes handled in this book - found/'logical' families, queer lives, homophobia and transphobia, living with trauma, ageing, and more. I liked the characters, particularly Amber, Dorothy and Bobby the Builder.

Cons: I looked forward to reading this because I'm a keen fan of QI and enjoy Sandi Toksvig's dry humour in that show. Unfortunately, I feel this humour falls quite flat on the page, and it rather descends into farce in places, The writing is - it pains me to say this - not particularly skillful.

I do think Friends of Dorothy would work brilliantly as a TV series, so long as it focused less on the farce and more on the deeper issues, with the dark humour preserved.

Thanks to the author @sanditoksvig, publisher @LittleBrownUK and Netgalley for the ARC. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.

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Whilst reading this – I heard Sandi Toksvig interviewed on the Dish podcast (hard recommend – one of my must listen to podcasts with Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett, sponsored by Waitrose) and she was talking about writing this book. Basically she was writing a different factual book that required LOADS of research and ballooned into something much bigger than expected – and decided she wanted to write something that required no research at all – hence ‘Friends of Dorothy’ was born.

The book is most definitely a play on the ‘Friends of Dorothy’ colloquialism which is defined on the Fluent Slang website as follows:

“The term friend of Dorothy is a slang phrase that refers to someone who identifies as LGBTQ. It originated in the mid-1900s as a discreet way for LGBTQ individuals to identify themselves and connect with others during a time when the queer community faced persecution. The exact origin of the term is uncertain, with some suggesting it may be a reference to Dorothy Parker, a writer who had many gay friends in the 1920s and 1930s, while others believe it comes from the character Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,” who befriends outcasts. The term is often used within LGBTQ circles as a way to discreetly identify oneself or to arrange meetings that would go unnoticed by the heterosexual majority. Although the term is not as commonly used today, it may still be heard among LGBTQ communities and can also be abbreviated as “FOD.” It’s important to emphasize that the term is not sexually explicit and is not intended to be offensive.”

But also one of the central characters is called Dorothy – and the supporting cast either are or become her friends over the course of the book.

Whilst the book is primarily about Amber and Stevie and their new home – it is so much more than that. It’s about ‘family’ from friends, it touches on homophobia and transphobia, it looks at the use of recreational drugs for pain relief, the support of a community, end of life care and so much more.

Overall it is a total delight of a book. I loved the whole cast of characters and the journey they went on and the power of a group of family built from friendship and support. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to anyone.

A huge thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for my ARC. It came out in September 2024 so you can but it IMMEDIATELY and I think you probably should!

I absolutely loved this book! Sandi's books are generally a delight anyway and this one didn't disappoint me at all. Five stars.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for sending me the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a real laugh as it highlights major social issues. It is full of vivid characters and shows kindness in a myriad of different ways.
I enjoyed reading this book immensely.

Friends of Dorothy was not entirely what I was expecting. It tackled serous subjects such as cancer, homophobia, transphobia, and PTSD, but still managed to be funny in parts,
I absolutely adored Dorothy, she was my favourite character because of her quirkiness - her antics were the best part of the book.
Friends of Dorothy left me feeling good; it wasn’t a book I wasn’t able to put down, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

What a fun read! While some pretty serious topics are covered this book managed to remain a delight throughout and a real LGBTQ+ romcom.
In the best of ways it reminded me of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City (before Toksvig even used his phrase 'logical family' and I really became invested in all of the characters and their lives - however far fetched some of the plot became.

Cop Stevie & Paramedic Amber have found their perfect home. OK Grimaldi Square looks a bit desolate, the old pub is run down but their house can be made perfect. Stevie is organised, she is a list maker & planned their moved exactly. What she wasn't prepared for finding an old woman sitting in the attic room showing no signs of going anywhere! She was the previous owner but she is not going anywhere. She is waiting for something- or someone! That is our introduction to Dorothy.

This was our introduction to a crazy tale that at times had me laughing out loud & at others moved to tears. The characters are marvellous- I felt I knew them, or I wanted to meet them. If analysed it isn't the most believable story but who cares when presented with this delightful tale? Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book- I loved it!

This book did not grab me at all. I didn't find it interesting which I am quite sad about as I really like the author and I thought I would love the book but it's not for me,

Sadly this book wasn't for me. I wasn’t invested in the characters - although others obviously enjoyed it.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.