Despite this not being was I was expecting, it was still an enjoyable read. I went in thinking it was going to be a funny + lighthearted but some heavy topics are covered, which is life but just unexpected. There are genuine moments of genuine laugh out loud humour where Sandi Toksvig’s humour & wit shine through.

★★★
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I want to thank NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for the opportunity to review this book.

A soul searching, intelligent novel, with a plethora of eccentric, unique characters.
Something of an emotional roller coaster......with the wit and humour we have come to expect from Sandi, mixed with huge dollops of thought provoking stuff.
A good read.

A warm, good humoured read. Dorothy was utterly charming, if only the world was “more Dorothy”!
The book goes from one unlikely incident to another, covers gay relationships , the elderly, is funny and sad in parts, it touches your soul, an easy read, lots of characters but written so well that you don’t lose track of who is who.

Having said all that, I’m sorry to say I lost interest about 70% of the way and gave up, I think it just became too far fetched for me!

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

I found this book quite emotionally devastating! It’s a rare thing to find a novel that’s warm and funny, but in no way cheesy or predictable. The witty one liners made me smile so much, and I love to see gay relationships represented in fiction, so it ticked a lot of boxes for me. It also satisfied my craving for interesting older women characters. Can’t wait to re-read!

With thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. It was completely joyful and Dorothy is one of my favourite characters ever. Absolutely marvellous.

Amber and Stevie have just bought their first home, a slightly rundown house in Grimaldi Square. But they didn't expect the previous owner still to be in residence. So Dorothy comes into their lives, and wreaks her own havoc, interfering and helping as they become friends and family. Learning why Dorothy hasn't moved on brings a darker twist to the tale.

The book has some really funny, laugh out loud, moments, especially when we meet Stevie's disfunctional parents (her father is easy to loathe, but one can also feel sorry him, painted into a corner by his own ambitions). It also handles being gay, homophobia, has unpleasant characters and moments of beauty.

Its a great read, and although it did start to run out of steam a little as the author tried to tie up all the loose ends, overall its a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story of a happily (and quite newly) married couple, Amber and Stevie. The couple have just bought a house in Grimaldi Square but as Stevie arrives for their first day there (Amber is late - being a paramedic, she's just unexpectedly helped a woman give birth!), Stevie discovers the house is still occupied by the previous owner - when Stevie enters the building she discovers 80-year-old Dorothy sitting upstairs on an old red sofa.

For both Stevie and Amber this is very unexpected and rather unwelcome but over the course of the novel, their relationship with Dorothy and Dorothy's friends develops. They become a family - non-related but family nonetheless.

A charming,heart-warming novel about the nature of friendship and family.

I was really pleased to get a chance to read this book having not read any of her books before, but being a fan. This was very light hearted ,and funny and an easy read. Quite different from my usual dark thrillers, I couldn't read too many books like this ,but the occasional one is fun to read. I enjoyed it.

What a fun, witty and delightful read.

Amber and Stevie have just bought their first home together. On moving in day they find Dorothy, the elderly former owner, accidentally locked in a room upstairs. Why is she still there? Does she plan on leaving shortly? Well, no actually.

So begins Sandi Toksvig’s Friends of Dorothy, an absolutely bonkers book filled with a loveable mad cast of characters. Birdie, Jack, Bobby, Arun, Agnes, even the curtain twitching next door neighbour Mrs Haggerston grew on me. More than anything I wished I lived in the community that Sandi Tokvig created.

The pace of the novel is quick with lots going on, but not so fast or confusing that you get lost or don’t know who is who. While it does approach some tender topics, I feel it’s the perfect read if you need a good laugh out loud book and a break from the daily grind of life.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Little Brown Book Group UK and Virago for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

Warm and funny. Like summer in a jar. Sandi Toksvig has created something special here. An absolute must read

I love Sandi so was really excited to read her book but it just wasn’t for me. I found some of the conversation too quick and hard to follow and I just wasn’t invested in the storyline or the characters. I’m afraid I left it at 63% of the way through.

I have read and enjoyed Toksvig's works before but sadly this one was not for me. Friends of Dorothy centres on Stevie and Amber, a queer couple who have moved in to a new house they have purchased and find that the previous owner (Dorothy) will not leave. The whole premise felt so unrealistic and the lack of believability kept pulling me out of the story and it was quite jarring. The main characters are nicely rounded but there does not seem to be a lot of plot and plods more between situation and situation rather than a flowing story / narrative arc.

I think I will stick with Toksvig's non-fiction moving forward.

Note: This was a DNF at 47% for me.

"Friends of Dorothy" by Sandi Toksvig is a charming, funny and sad novel about Dorothy, a woman who finds friendship with a gay couple in her old house, when she doesnt move out as expected on moving day. The book has relatable characters and a positive message about being true to yourself. It’s an enjoyable and uplifting read.

Very very funny as you would imagine from a book by Sandi but there is a very serious side to this book. It's sad and poignant and so the book as a whole wasn't what I expected. I hoped it would be funnier but of course given the subject matter it's better how it was. I still love it but it was sad to read in places.

I have quite mixed feelings about this one. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting.

From the blurb, this seemed like it would be a funny, light relief type book. Whilst some of it was very funny, there was a lot of serious stuff too. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; it just seemed like there was A LOT going on.

It started off strong and I was enjoying it very much at the beginning. At first it had quite a fun farcical feel. Plus, there’s such a great mix of characters with lots of representation that I like to see - lesbian, gay, trans and cool older ladies! My favourite thing about it was the found family vibes.

However, as it went on I just started to lose interest. It started to feel chaotic and cluttered. There were so many issues popping up and then horrible side characters that were super icky. I mean I guess that reflects real life to an extent, but it just didn’t work for me.

I guess I’m a reader who likes to escape and feel uplifted, and a lot of the content just depressed me. It was a shame because I did like the main characters and some of the humour was great.

Not really for me, but I do think a lot of people will enjoy it. My experience might have been different if I’d had different expectations on picking it up.

Just wonderful. Hilariously funny, lots of endearing characters and plenty to think about and reflect on too.
Amber and Stevie, a married couple buy their first home only to find the previous owner, Dorothy, still in situ with no intent to leave! Dorothy is quite a character and quickly becomes part of their lives, connecting them with a diverse group of 'interesting' neighbours.
The book does cover some serious issues too, in particular homophobia and transphobia along with controlling and abusive relationships.
This was my first read by this author but it certainly won't be my last.
I am grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this very entertaining book.

Stevie and Amber have just bought their first house together, everything is perfect... except for there's an old lady sat upstairs.

Dorothy is the seemingly unmovable fixture, and although she's initially a source of great frustration, it's soon clear that she's a friend to the whole community, and a never ending source of surprises.

This is a great easy and fun read, packed with colourful characters, and Sandi Toksvig's usual wit and humour.

I’m completely lost for words at how wonderful this read is it’s just got everything I love about reading and wow Sandi Toksvig you certainly know how to write a fantastic tale. This was a book that I really needed in my life right now as I’m going through some health problems and to read a book like this it just brought a massive smile to my sad face and also made me laugh out loud many times. This really is a real feel good story with a whole heap of wonderful characters, I was sad when it came to an end I really didn’t want it to finish It and I shall miss being a part of all the peoples lives in the story because it all felt so real and I got lost in the beautiful, funny and sometimes sad world of the friends of Dorothy.
So a superb 5 star read that I will never forget and a massive thanks to Sandi Toksvig I absolutely loved it.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group, Virago for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Fabulous!!! Loved this book. Sandi writes with humour and care. Her characters are believable and you warm to the story very quickly.
Dorothy is discovered in the house that Amber and Stevie have just bought on moving day. Why she won't move out is a mystery at first.
This is a feel good story, with some family drama and bit of chaos thrown in.

This is the wonderfully brilliant Sandi Toksvig's latest offering, and before you even start you know it is going to be ridiculously funny, witty, offbeat, and a joyous experience. Stevie Baxter, a meticulous and detailed planner and cop, is waiting for her wife, paramedic Amber, as she opens the door to 4 Grimaldi Place, London, their new home. As she opens the door, climbing the stairs, she has no idea just how chaotic and surprising her day is going to be. First, there is a woman on a red sofa, a 79 year old Dorothy Franklin, both of them screaming when they catch sight of each other. It turns out she is the former resident that they have purchased their home from, and she is going nowhere!

Then Amber comes home late, having been caught up in an unexpected emergency in which she helps deliver a baby, and shockingly, out of the blue, she announces that she wants a baby. Dorothy is a force of nature, swinging sledgehammers at walls with gay abandon, mini cab driver, cooks like a dream, taking her suitcase with her everywhere, and has a penchant for interfering in the lives of others, and as much they wish to be rid of her, Amber and Stevie cannot help being charmed by her too. Dorothy introduces them to their neighbours and vibrant local community, a slew of characters that include Agnes at the Onion pub opposite. As the outrageous narrative progresses, there are surreal, tender, hilarious, and challenging scenarios and parties that will test the newcomers and community alike, as the connections between them grow.

There are fabulous quirky characters that include piano playing Jack Parker, builders Arun and Bobby, the green fingered Birdie, the nosy religious neighbour, and more. Toksvig provides social and political commentary with her focus on our contemporary society, transgender issues, homophobia, the treatment of the elderly, caregivers, and the state and running of care homes. A beautiful picture is painted of the logical, not a biological, family at the centre of the novel as they fight, but their hearts are open as they support each other. This is a cracking read, delightfully entertaining, Dorothy is an absolute star with her secrets, that I am certain this is likely to appeal to fans of the author and a wide range of many other readers too. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.