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Forever Family
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 14, 2026
(May 14, 2026) I previously listened to the audio version of this book but took the time to read the story as well. On a second go around I found I liked the story slightly more, going in with adjusted expectations. I still found the characters very likable but thought too much time was taken up with mundane things. I stand by my original review below. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the eARC and I am leaving an honest review. (I am posting reviews on the book edition and on the audio version as the two are listed separately on Goodreads.)
(May 2026) Claire meets Lily while serving as Maid of Honor for her cousin, who happens to be Lily’s college roommate and best friend. Jump forward and Claire, who is divorced, moves near Lily for her work as an adjunct professor. Lily and Claire become friends over months as Lily introduces Claire to her friend group. And only because it is shared in the blurb, Claire and Lily are named godmothers to Willow, the bride's baby, and take on guardianship together after a tragedy occurs.
I liked how the story takes place over time, often jumping ahead at monthly or more intervals. There is nothing instant about this slow burn romance. Both Claire and Lily have their own reasons for wanting a child even though it isn’t always convenient. And I appreciate that they are supported by most of their family and friends in taking on Willow.
The story has some complexities and includes dealing with recovering from grief, homophobia, racism and divorce. But it doesn’t get bogged down in the angst. It is well balanced by healing, kindness, love and friendship. It does cover realistically caring for a baby and her needs.
The romance side is slow going. Claire has always considered herself straight and her interest in Lily surprises herself. Lily is out with solid queer friends. One odd thing is at a major turning point in their relationship it is only told about after the fact and not while it happens. So there is the confusing aftermath but none of the build up or anticipation of the event.
Overall the story is nice. There is some drama and no last minute break up. It does take some time to get the main part of the story. I liked that the two have honest communication and can express their feelings even before things heat up between them. But I was slightly disappointed that the heat was closed door. I listened to the audio book and the narrator did a nice job. It was easy to tell which character was speaking by her voice acting. Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Media for the audiobook and I am leaving an honest review.
(May 2026) Claire meets Lily while serving as Maid of Honor for her cousin, who happens to be Lily’s college roommate and best friend. Jump forward and Claire, who is divorced, moves near Lily for her work as an adjunct professor. Lily and Claire become friends over months as Lily introduces Claire to her friend group. And only because it is shared in the blurb, Claire and Lily are named godmothers to Willow, the bride's baby, and take on guardianship together after a tragedy occurs.
I liked how the story takes place over time, often jumping ahead at monthly or more intervals. There is nothing instant about this slow burn romance. Both Claire and Lily have their own reasons for wanting a child even though it isn’t always convenient. And I appreciate that they are supported by most of their family and friends in taking on Willow.
The story has some complexities and includes dealing with recovering from grief, homophobia, racism and divorce. But it doesn’t get bogged down in the angst. It is well balanced by healing, kindness, love and friendship. It does cover realistically caring for a baby and her needs.
The romance side is slow going. Claire has always considered herself straight and her interest in Lily surprises herself. Lily is out with solid queer friends. One odd thing is at a major turning point in their relationship it is only told about after the fact and not while it happens. So there is the confusing aftermath but none of the build up or anticipation of the event.
Overall the story is nice. There is some drama and no last minute break up. It does take some time to get the main part of the story. I liked that the two have honest communication and can express their feelings even before things heat up between them. But I was slightly disappointed that the heat was closed door. I listened to the audio book and the narrator did a nice job. It was easy to tell which character was speaking by her voice acting. Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Media for the audiobook and I am leaving an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Forever Family tackles the popular "sudden co-parents" trope, but unfortunately, it struggles to execute the premise with the necessary pacing or realism to keep the story engaging.
The Premise
The setup relies on a familiar, if slightly unrealistic, foundation: a cousin/friend appoints two newly close friends as joint godmothers, leaving them to raise a child together. As they navigate the challenges of unexpected motherhood, the narrative leans heavily into a "will they/won't they" dynamic while dealing with external conflicts, most notably the angst introduced by a bigoted mother.
The Critique
While the foundational trope requires a certain suspension of disbelief, Forever Family stretches it to the point of being entirely implausible. Instead of grounding the sudden-family dynamic in authentic character growth, the execution feels forced.
The biggest issue with the novel is its pacing. The book is significantly longer than it needs to be, bogged down by drawn-out chapters where very little actually happens to advance the plot. This sluggish momentum bleeds directly into the romance. What is clearly intended to be an agonizingly sweet slow-burn relationship ends up feeling deeply contrived. It moves far too slowly, stripping the romantic tension of its natural spark and making the eventual shift in their relationship feel more like a forced plot point than an organic evolution.
Furthermore, just as the story finally begins to find its footing, it relies on a frustrating and predictable third-act near-breakup. This added unnecessary drama to an already overlong narrative, making the final stretch feel like a chore rather than an emotional payoff.
The Premise
The setup relies on a familiar, if slightly unrealistic, foundation: a cousin/friend appoints two newly close friends as joint godmothers, leaving them to raise a child together. As they navigate the challenges of unexpected motherhood, the narrative leans heavily into a "will they/won't they" dynamic while dealing with external conflicts, most notably the angst introduced by a bigoted mother.
The Critique
While the foundational trope requires a certain suspension of disbelief, Forever Family stretches it to the point of being entirely implausible. Instead of grounding the sudden-family dynamic in authentic character growth, the execution feels forced.
The biggest issue with the novel is its pacing. The book is significantly longer than it needs to be, bogged down by drawn-out chapters where very little actually happens to advance the plot. This sluggish momentum bleeds directly into the romance. What is clearly intended to be an agonizingly sweet slow-burn relationship ends up feeling deeply contrived. It moves far too slowly, stripping the romantic tension of its natural spark and making the eventual shift in their relationship feel more like a forced plot point than an organic evolution.
Furthermore, just as the story finally begins to find its footing, it relies on a frustrating and predictable third-act near-breakup. This added unnecessary drama to an already overlong narrative, making the final stretch feel like a chore rather than an emotional payoff.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book
claire and lily bump into each other as each of them had reached a stage in their lives that neither wanted to talk about but they had recognised each other from the wedding they had attended... claire because she was family and lily because she was the best friend and whilst stuck together in the lift for a while they learnt they lived not far apart and so began the evenings spent at games nights that lily and her friends had started plus it helped claire in the new city to make friends
they were both looking forward to catching up and meeting baby willow but the frantic phone call they received knocked them both for six and had them rushing to catch a plane to make it in time as a serious accident had happened...
it seemed that claire and lily were to become guardians of baby willow after the accident had killed her parents, the only one not pleased about this arrangement was claires mother
and so began the different life for claire and lily of looking after willow that they had never dreamed would be their responsibility as well as coping with their grief
its not a bad storyline and watching how claire and lilys relationship towards each other changed was interesting to watch/read with the misunderstandings and dating of other people
claire and lily bump into each other as each of them had reached a stage in their lives that neither wanted to talk about but they had recognised each other from the wedding they had attended... claire because she was family and lily because she was the best friend and whilst stuck together in the lift for a while they learnt they lived not far apart and so began the evenings spent at games nights that lily and her friends had started plus it helped claire in the new city to make friends
they were both looking forward to catching up and meeting baby willow but the frantic phone call they received knocked them both for six and had them rushing to catch a plane to make it in time as a serious accident had happened...
it seemed that claire and lily were to become guardians of baby willow after the accident had killed her parents, the only one not pleased about this arrangement was claires mother
and so began the different life for claire and lily of looking after willow that they had never dreamed would be their responsibility as well as coping with their grief
its not a bad storyline and watching how claire and lilys relationship towards each other changed was interesting to watch/read with the misunderstandings and dating of other people
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Cute, but not necessarily what I was hoping for from the premise.
What I liked: it's a cute concept. I liked the bits with Lily's family. Claire and Lily were cute together.
What I could have liked more: there is a lot more detail about the process than there is detail about the development of their relationship. We're told early on that Claire is icy/reserved, but I don't really see that? The conflict with Claire's mom felt predictable. I wish we'd gotten more of their experience as parents; it's a lot of "she sleeps really well!" and always having someone available to watch her even before they hire help.
Overall: I still think it's a decent read. It's just not going to stick with me.
What I liked: it's a cute concept. I liked the bits with Lily's family. Claire and Lily were cute together.
What I could have liked more: there is a lot more detail about the process than there is detail about the development of their relationship. We're told early on that Claire is icy/reserved, but I don't really see that? The conflict with Claire's mom felt predictable. I wish we'd gotten more of their experience as parents; it's a lot of "she sleeps really well!" and always having someone available to watch her even before they hire help.
Overall: I still think it's a decent read. It's just not going to stick with me.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews