We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes

 

Summary (from the publisher): Lila Kennedy has a lot on her plate. A broken marriage, two wayward daughters, a house that is falling apart, and an elderly stepfather who seems to have quietly moved in. Her career is in freefall and her love life is . . . complicated. So when her real dad—a man she has barely seen since he ran off to Hollywood thirty-five years ago—suddenly appears on her doorstep, it feels like the final straw. But it turns out even the family you thought you could never forgive might have something to teach you: about love, and what it actually means to be family.

Review: This was an absorbing family drama, with a side of romance. I love that our main character Lila is in her forties and still trying to figure it all out after the breakdown of her marriage. Not only does she have to see her ex at school pick up, but she also has to see her ex's new lady, who is expecting a baby with him. Lila's mother also recently died, and in the wake of her death and her husband moving out, her stepfather has moved in with Lil and their two daughters and insists on feeding them very healthy but very unappetizing meals. To add to the household dynamics, her long lost actor father turns up and also expects to stay with Lila, which does not go over well with her stepfather. To top it all off, Lila is an author and is struggling to write her next book, despite desperately needing money from another book sale to support her wayward household. 

To add to the cacophony that is her life and household, Lila, in a desperate bid to get usable writing material, is trying to ease back into dating. While this was just a subplot, I really loved hearing about her love life and its many ups and downs! All the while, Lila is also juggling family disputes, coparenting, and mothering a teen. 

While most of the book is from the perspective of Lila, there are also chapters from her teen daughter's perspective. I thought this added a lot to the book. Her daughter is experiencing social difficulties and has interactions with members of the family that Lila is totally oblivious too and this added perspective really helped flesh out the story for me. There is also one section that takes the reader back in time to meet Francesca, Lila's late mother. While this did feel like a bit of a segue to go back in time, and back in time to a character who is no longer living, it did add so much to my understanding of a reader of the relationship between Lila's father and stepfather! It just worked for me, and I was happy to have this backstory. 

This reminded me a lot of the storyline in Is She Really Going Out With Him? by Sophie Cousens. However, whereas that one was more a rom com, this one feels heavier in its themes and I would categorize as more of a family drama. 

This was great on audio. I felt really reeled in to the family's story and was very satisfied with the way the author chose to conclude the different subplots. 

Stars: 4