I have always been a fan of work by Jojo Moyes and unsurprisingly absolutely adored this book. I loved the plot line, the character development throughout, it was very moving and my emotions were changing throughout from laughter to sadness, and my heart full of love for Lila, who was really struggling with everything life was throwing at her (living with her stepdad and her two daughters (Cecile who is 16 and Violet who is 8) after the death of her mum and the end of her own marriage to Dan after he leaves her, then on top of that her birth dad shows up in need of a place to stay which only causes conflict between him and her step dad. Then to put the cherry on top of Lila's less than stressless life her husband was having an affair with the one of her children's classmates mother, who is now pregnant. I honestly relate so much to Lila in some ways and also my heart was breaking for her. I was so glad that she was able to piece her heart back together a bit with TWO love interests which also managed to get her head in the right place again to start writing. Such a beautifully woven story, full of real life situations that a lot of people would be able to relate to, in one way or another.

The complicated lives and times of “extended” families. It all gets messy when Lila’s widowed stepfather and her estranged biological father both come to stay with her “temporarily”. And, that’s even without her own love life.
This all seemed so true to life and all the characters believable if not all likeable. I found myself saying “Don’t do it” and wanting to give her, probably unwanted, advice.
A fascinating read

I was quite disappointed with my last Jojo Moyes book Someone Else’s Shoes but thankfully We All Live Here was much more enjoyable. While the plot was pretty predictable in a most places, it touched on a lot of relatable subjects, had a lot of heart and the character development was really strong and the protagonist very likeable. A lovely, comforting read.

I found this book quite dull in comparison to the many other JoJo Moyes books I have read. I don’t like giving up on a book so I did persevere and the last third was a little more fast paced and interesting.

It’s very much a character driven novel with the main character being Lila, a 43 year old, who’s written a best-seller about keeping your marriage alive. Two weeks after publication, Dan, her seemingly perfect husband, left her and is now living with Marja, a younger woman who has a son at the same school as one of Lila’s daughters. Her stepdad, Bill, has moved himself in as his wife, Lila’s mother, died recently. Lila’s daughters Celie and Violet are both causing stress in different ways. Then Gene, Lila’s long estranged biological father, turns up and causes even more chaos in all their lives.

I found it very slow with little happening other than the fractious day to day lives of a blended family. All the adults in the story seemed to behave without regard for others and irritated me. If you live a novel with strong characters, dysfunctional family dramas and a whole gamut of emotions this may appeal to you but it was not my favourite of the author’s books.

With thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lila’s life is chaotic. Her bestselling book about how to keep marriage alive has been undermined somewhat by her husband leaving to begin again with a new woman (and new baby) and her publisher is on her back for new work. She has recently lost her beloved mother and her straightlaced stepfather appears to be quietly moving in with her. Her teenage daughter refuses to say much or talk about what is bothering her and her youngest sings far too many inappropriate rap songs. And for the icing on the cake, her estranged father has appeared on her doorstep needing help years after abandoning her and her mother.

This was such a wonderful read and so much of it rang true - the changing nature of family life, the pressures of having to deal with the problems of children and aging parents at the same time, navigating new relationships after a long marriage - and it managed to make me both laugh and cry at various points. Jojo Moyes is a wonderful writer about women’s lives and this was one of my favourites of her books, full of warmth and engaging characters. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

We All Live Here is another fantastic novel from Jojo Moyes full of relatable characters and situations. Lila’s husband has left her for a younger woman who is now pregnant. Lila has to see her everyday in the playground while collecting her youngest daughter from school. This happened shortly after her book was published. A book that gives advice on how to freshen up a stale marriage. Lila is also managing her bereavement following the sudden death of her mother. Her elderly step dad has moved into her crumbling home and her real dad suddenly appears after being absent for most of her life. Full of the usual humour and more poignant moments, this is a great read for anyone juggling life and it’s ever increasing demands.

This book articulates perfectly the complications and chaos of family life. Fun, moving, but also very astute and wise. Pure joy!

🤍Book review 🤍


We All Live Here
by Jojo Moyes


Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own.

We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes is a heartwarming and entertaining family drama filled with humor, love, and relatable chaos.
The story follows Lila, a recently separated mother navigating life with her two daughters, her stepfather, and the unexpected arrival of her estranged Hollywood actor father, Gene.
Moyes excels at creating well-developed, lovable characters, each dealing with their own struggles.
From teenage rebellion to grief and second chances, the novel explores family relationships in a raw, honest, and often funny way.
The mix of emotions—sadness, laughter, and hope—makes this book truly engaging.
The story feels real, with messy situations, mistakes, and growth, making it easy to connect with the characters.
It’s a feel-good, uplifting read that beautifully captures the ups and downs of a family life.
If you enjoy stories about love, resilience, and imperfect but strong families, this book is a must-read!

We All Live Here is an easy read family drama with a lovely cast of richly developed characters who are relatable and likeable,

If books with dysfunctional families is your thing then you will love this book. It is about grief, love, forgiveness and new beginnings.

Highly recommended!!

This was a great family drama, following Lila and her family after a lot of recent upheaval in their lives.

Covering loss, grief, breakups, abandonment and teenage issues to name a few, this was a believable look at the chaos of family life and how it can come in all shapes and sizes.

With a great cast of characters, I recommend this if you are in the mood for a warm and witty family drama.

I am smiling just thinking about this delightful story of Lila and her unconventional but likeable family. We All Live Here ticked so many boxes for me. Feel good, emotional, funny, and believable. The characters are it's real strength, but the messy, chaos of their lives and the pace of the plot were up there on making this such a readable novel.
As Jojo Moyes has matured, her focus characters have too, and I think that Lila is so well portrayed as a middle-aged single Mum. There is a big audience for this type of tale, and I am here for it. The supporting cast were also entertaining and had a real depth. The teenage kids and the older 'Dads' especially.
I would definitely recommend this book for escapism, relatability and fun. And blimey - it makes me REALLY glad I no longer have to do the school run....

Jojo Moyes is the author of my favourite book Me Before You and I have read all of her books and loved them all they all are so well researched and have such depth to the storylines so I do not hesitate to read each new release of hers.

We All Live Here is her new release and this one is very different from her previous books it was just the kind of light easy read that I needed after reading so many heavily detailed books recently.

This book centres around the Kennedy family as Lila is on the start of navigating life after her recent separation from her husband but there is no chance of her being lonely at home because the house is bedlam with a mix of family members all bringing humour, dramatics, heartache and challenges to the household. Jojo Moyes always excels in character development and this is what shines through in this book as she takes each character and really brings their struggles to the heart of the storyline and skilfully weaves them all together in this chaotic household.

Mistakes are made and feelings are hurt but at the same time lessons are learnt and relationships are made stronger, this is a realistic storyline that doesn't gloss over the actions and emotions after separation and this is dealt with in a brutally honest way which at times you sympathise with and at other points have you chuckling away and fully backing her ruthlessness!

I really enjoyed this book and it was the perfect book at the perfect time, I don't think this one will leave a lasting impression on me like all of her other books not because it wasn't good but because it was just a nice simple read but it didn't have a storyline that I feel will be memorable as it didn't have an impact on me.

Enter Lila’s chaotic home and embrace her extended family . A wonderful cast of characters that come to life on the page. Love, life, friendship , forgiveness , upsets , caring , hurt resound in the telling of this family lifec

Lila is a 42 year old single mother living with her two daughters and stepfather after her mother passed away recently. She has to navigate her new normal after her husband left her for another woman and then one day her estranged Hollywood actor birth father shows up. What else could go wrong?

I thoroughly enjoyed this messy, dysfunctional family that JoJo managed quite masterfully bring to life in this book.
We get to see how not only Lila manages with her grief and new relationships but also how her children are coping with their own awkward feelings.
I also loved how all their different personalities really showed up on-page.
It was funny, sad, lonely, romantic and crazy but most of all up-lifting! I would recommend to anyone wanting a new women’s fiction read.

Another absolutely fabulous tale from Jojo Moyes! I laughed and I cried at this relatable story of family - from broken marriage to family by choice and learning to love again. The characters were all beautifully written and relatable. I loved Celie and the portrayal of teenage friendship and finding yourself. A really great read that I highly recommend.

A thoroughly enjoyable family drama.

I loved the MC Lila and felt so much empathy for her situation. Lila is grieving the sudden loss of her mother, her husband has moved out to be with his mistress and a whole menagerie of characters seem to descend on her house.

The characters were flawed, witty, charming and utterly human. Failing frequently but trying again, ever hopeful.

Thank you so much to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

A nice easy read with a motley crew of (mostly) likeable characters and a reminder that families come in all shapes and forms.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I recently heard the phrase "the sandwich generation" used to describe a generation of people in their 40s who are dividing their time between looking after their children and also their parents: so literally they are the filling in the middle holding things together. This book perfect demonstrates this.
Lila is struggling herself but is holding it together as she supports her daughters and also her fathers. She's not perfect but she is doing the best she can - in sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart-breaking situations. I felt completely for her need to be seen but also to make everything look effortless.
A perfect cast of characters and a story that draws you in and delights to the end.

Wow. Well here it is, my favourite, top book of 2025. It may only be February but I doubt very much there will be any other book this year that will bring me so much unbridled joy reading it. Every page was an absolute pleasure.

This book reminded me a little bit of The One Plus One in that it’s family orientated, but I’ve only read that and Me Before You, out of this authors books to compare with. It’s lots of fun, absorbing, crazy and vibrant and there is never a dull moment in the Kennedy household.

A set of diverse characters bring chaos to the family home in their own special ways. A mixture of generations rubbing along together in often challenging circumstances. Even the dog Truant (what a name) adds a touch of craziness to the family. He’s got to be a Jack Russell, I don’t know if it ever refers to his breed but he reminded me so much of our own loony dog, a dog that will actually bite the hand that feeds him if the fancy takes.

Every single character is a star in their own right. Even aside from those in the Kennedy house, there’s additional characters who add more depth to the plot. The gardener/friend of Bill, Lila’s friend as well as her new love interest. Full of warmth and good humour, this is a fabulous book that will keep you completely engrossed.

5* I jumped at the chance to read the latest book from Jojo Moyes and certainly wasn't disappointed.

Lila's unbelievably complicated life is exhausting, but soon became addictive reading. Every day she collects her youngest daughter from school and is faced with her ex-husband's girlfriend who's also waiting in the playground for her child. Lila's older daughter has become a stroppy teenager: rebellious, argumentative and prone to slamming doors. After Lila's mother dies, her grieving step-father moves in, the dog turns psycho and the family house is in desperate need of repair.

Lila's long absent father arrives from America, claiming all the hotels are full (he's broke) and he wants to stay with her just for one night, this turns into weeks. The house appears to be shrinking, both dads are at each other's throats, and Lila desperately needs peace to write her second book or she won't be paid.

This isn't a lightweight read, it's extended family life multiplied many times over. 'We All Live Here' is skilfully written and hugely entertaining. A well deserved 5*.

With thanks to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion.