My father used to say, "getting old was not for sissies."" This is proving true for Carl and Duffy, roommates at the nicest assisted living facility in their town. Their daily agenda was predictable until a young girl tumbled through their window. Sporting a shiner, and only one shoe, the girl, Josie, turned out to be the granddaughter Carl never knew he had. A recovering alcoholic, it didn't take long for Duffy to recognize a kindred spirit. Although he preferred to ensure his behavior would not cause him to be kicked out of his current home, Duff decided it was time to take the risk. His life had been one mess after another. He determined Josie should be spared the pain in this novel about redemption and love.. I found this book to be compelling in its story, as well as the promise that,, as long as we draw breath, there is more in life than we could expect.

I recieved an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and will recommend it often!

Brooke Fossey gave us realistic characters in the Big Finish. Duffy and his "gang" show us their wisdom, caring, and conniving.

This title should do well here (Texas) with our community (aging). Thanks for the early look at this uplifting novel with engaging characters.

This was sent to review, sounded ok, gave it a try

I started reading and I didn't want to stop!
Duffy made me chuckle

Characters' idiosyncrasies were fun to see, discover,
and learn how to adapt and live with another.

GOOD READ!!

Duffy is an 88-year-old man who thinks of himself as a curmudgeonly sober alcoholic, though he’s much more likeable than he thinks. He’s living with his roommate Carl in a nice old folks home, but he knows the owner would love nothing more for him to have any sort of medical emergency, even something as simple as a fall, so she can send him to die in a hellhole for old folks that’s the stuff of his nightmares. If she gets rid of people who signed contracts before she bought the place, she can charge double the rent to new residents.

When Josie breaks into their room with a black eye and hands shaking from alcohol withdrawal, Duffy wants nothing more than to be rid of her—if she’s found, Duffy and Carl will be banished to the dungeon-like nursing home up the street for sure. But Josie, Carl’s granddaughter that he’d never met before, is in trouble and needs somewhere to crash. Carl wants to make up for a lifetime of neglect, and Duffy’s heart strings are pulled because he recognizes a fellow alcoholic—but she’s young enough to still have a full life if alcohol is no longer a part of it.

But keeping this young woman hidden turns Duffy’s world upside down.

I really enjoyed this this novel. It’s a touching book, but it does not make making it to your late eighties look at all appealing. Thanks so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES APRIL 14, 2020.

I really enjoyed reading this story. Duffy just has all the answers, except he doesn't, especially when the young niece of his roommate shows up in their room at the assisted living home. Lots of surprises here.

<i>The Big Finish</i> by Brooke Fossey is a delightful read, although not as humorous as the blurbs promised. It has definite humor, but it is bittersweet and touching in ways I hadn't expected. The novel lays out the story of Carl and Duffy, roommates at a Senior Assisted Living facility who had become best friends. Suddenly one morning, a young woman appears, unannounced, through their window, bedraggled and barefoot, with a black eye. She announces that she is Carl's granddaughter - while Duff thought Carl had no children. As the story unfolds, we learn the intimate details of past relationships (with spouses, children, and with Alcohol), as the residents of Centennial try to help young Josie get her life on track, all while trying to avoid being moved to a higher level of care. Interesting viewpoints and characters, well plotted and, as I said, bittersweet. But , as I also said, delightful!

Duffy, an eighty plus senior at a nursing home, and his roommate Carl are living a quiet life until Josie, Carl's granddaughter climbs into their window. Josie is the granddaughter of a woman with whom Carl had an affair while he was already married. An amusing yet poignant tale of a curmudgeon turned caring and the horrible effects of alcoholism and the results of the past catching up with you. A book you will remember.

Duffy and Carl are roommates and good friends at their Assisted Living home. Their goals are to get their favorite table at meals and avoid being sent to the nursing home. Life changes when Carl's granddaughter climbs through their window with a black eye. Great characters, good description of battles with alcohol addiction. I really enjoyed this book. Thank you, Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of a group of octogenarians at an assisted-living residence. They are under the constant threat of being sent to the full-care nursing home where they know they will wither and die. I fell in love with these colorful characters, especially after a young woman climbed through the window of Carl and Duffy's room bringing all kinds of trouble with her. I'm a firm believer that God places people in our life when we most need them - the task is to see them and either help them or allow them to help us. It's a life-affirming process and Brooke Fossey's novel drove that point home. I loved the ending even though it left me in tears (mostly happy).

This is a story about an assisted living facility with a group of seniors and a granddaughter who sneaks through a window and reunites with a grandfather she never knew. Duffy Sinclair, the grandfather's roommate, has a lot in common with Josie the granddaughter of Carl. He is determined to help her learn some valuable life lessons as they struggle through their demons and shares his knowledge in his declining years. Oh and it is a struggle! They fear getting thrown out at every turn. Their are lots of laughs as well as insights in this delightful book! #The BigFinish #BrookeFossey #NetGalley

I requested this book because we are currently running a promotion of The Big Finish for Berkley marketing (Jin Yu), and thus useful for me to know the story outline--which I found different to what I expected but quite moving. Reviews are at https://www.bookbrowse.com/arc/arc_reviews/ and will be featured from time of publication.

This is a heartwarming and poignant story about an elderly man who discovers he wants to leave a legacy of doing some good and helping others. It's also very entertaining.

This book was received as an ARC from Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this book are completely my own.

I totally did not expect the direction this book took. I thought it was going to be a thriller where the teenage daughter is involved with some criminal activity and Duffy was her getaway and breakaway car. Duffy had intentions of leaving a legacy before he passes away and has gotten himself in a lot of trouble and wants to cut out his troubles and really end the last years of his life with a bang. This was a story of realizing what life was really meant to be like for you and the role you were destined to play and for Duffy, the relationships you create with people that you never thought were meant to be and all that made sense finally is brought to light. I was really delighted by the unexpected finish of this book and I know our library community will be lovingly surprised by it too.

We will consider adding this title to our Adult Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

We will consider adding this

The narrator of The Big Finish, is an 88 year-old ex alcoholic living in an "assisted living" home. Duffy is touchy about not calling the place a nursing home, because that's his biggest fear, one he shares with his roommate, Carl. Both of them fight every day to stay alert and on their feet, to avoid ending up in the place across town where the bed wetters and the dementia addled go to die.
Duffy is doing okay until a barefoot girl with a black-eye climbs in his window one morning and announces she's Carl's granddaughter. And she needs a place to hideout for a week. Duffy thinks Josie is a liar and a scam artist because he and Carl have shared their whole life stories during the long nights and he knows Carl's dearly departed wife was never blessed with children.
Carl has never laid eyes on Josie. But he knows she is his granddaughter.
Josie and her problems bring a whirlwind of change to Duffy and to almost everyone else at the home. This is a serious story, but told in a humorous, self-deprecating way by Duffy, one of the most engaging characters I've ever read. Other residents and employees at the home are shown to be real people with families and lives outside the scope of this story. I finished the novel wanting to know more about Anderson, the hunky chef, and Nora, the hardworking nurse with two kids to raise alone, and Alice, the soft-spoken lady down the hall.
Simply put, one of the best reads of the year.

Heartwarming and touching, with humor, this is the story of two friends, Carl and Duffy, roommates in an assisted living facility. Add in a cast of characters, the other residents of the facility, plus their caretakers to further enhance the story. Boredom is upended when a young woman climbs through the window into Carl and Duffy’s room, claiming to be Carl’s granddaughter. I highly recommend this book and thank Netgalley for the ARC.

Duffey is 88, sarcastic, and content in his life at the Centennial. His best friend is Carl, Nora is is favorite nurse, Anderson is the young, vitally strong chef-jack-of-all-trades, and Duffey admires the adorable Alice, one of the elderly residents, from a distance. He is happy to spend his days filling the hours with center activities; arts and crafts, trips to the local WalMart, and lording over his friends. Until one day trouble slinks in between the slats of the blinds of the open window, and Duffey's comfortable existence is challenged.

Duffey's world is a future which many of us face, like it or not. What a heart breaking look at adults, past the prime of life, living together in an "adult community"; otherwise known as a nursing home. Duffey knew he was no longer able to care for himself, and there was no family to fall back on. He had a huge fear of Simmons, the less-than-stellar cheaper elderly care option in town, and the fear of winding up at Simmons causes Duffey to take measures to protect his fragile existence. His frustration and determination at maintaining the lifestyle he had come to appreciate are real struggles; his aging body, although in better shape than some, rebels, and the harder he tries to make things right, the more wrong they become. A reformed alcoholic, the daily struggle threatens to take over his life again, and he is afraid it is a battle he cannot win if he allows it back into his life. One day, Duffey realizes the world he created for himself is about as close to perfection as he can get. There is so much heartache and fear along the way, yet Duffey discovers that winning does not look quite as he imagined.

This book was a fun and easy read. The characters are ones you love and root for. It’s lighthearted but not completely predictable. I enjoyed it a lot.

Couldn't put it down! Immediately loved the characters, and could picture myself living at the Centennial. An emotionally charged story of love and life, and yes I cried at the end. One of those books that makes you just stop and ponder.