I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

After a tragic accident, Ellen falls in love and marries the son of the local doctor. The marriage is not what she expected and she is shocked that the truths she had always known were not true.

4.5 stars

I am only familiar with Graham Norton from his British talk show; this is the first of his books I have read, and I really really enjoyed it. It reminded me a bit of the writing style in The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher (this is an old favorite of mine, so I mean no offense to compare Mr. Norton to an old lady 😁). There were a couple of twists in the book that were very well done. The book is told from different timelines, both from the point of view of different characters but also different times (it starts in 1987 and ends in 2019). I know some people aren’t a fan of that style but I enjoy it, and the breaks between different characters and different times were very clear so there really was no confusion. My only small objection is how much booze factors into this book; everybody drinks and everybody drinks every single day. As a non-drinker I don’t really get the appeal of being buzzed or drunk every single day. But that’s just me.

Thank you to NetGalley & HarperVia for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

British television host Graham Norton has written a beautifully touching coming of age story about a group of families whose lives become intertwined after a horrific accident occurs in their small Irish town. As lives are torn apart from the accident, it’s the intertwined secrets kept buried which seem to cause even more damage.

A group of young adults decide to go to the beach the day before two of them will be married. But the marriage will never occur. A terrible car accident will destroy all their lives. Three of them die. And as the town mourns the dead, their wrath turns to the driver of the car, Connor. Unable to bear this terrible burden on their family and their son, Connor’s parents decide to send him away to Liverpool to work in hopes he will return when the shock subsides. Little do they know it will be years before they even know he is still alive.

Connor, who has secrets he can never share, is thrown into a job and apartment with strangers. Then something happens to him and he is tossed onto the streets, a lost, guilty boy who feels he does not deserve to even be alive. He then spends many years of his life running. Running away from the accident, his life, himself and the embarrassment he thinks he is to his family.

As Connor’s parents give up hope of ever seeing their son again, their daughter Ellen has married one of the survivors of the accident. This marriage she realizes is very tangled. Connor has no idea of the situations back home as he has found his way to residing in New York. But a chance meeting with a stranger will once again change his life forever. Those secrets he has kept buried for years once again will surface and he must decide what to reveal and what must be taken to his grave.

Home Stretch examines the true love of family as well as the forgiveness we have to not only absolve someone of mistakes, but liberate oneself from the horrible burdens some carry. But for others, their ego is too great and they would rather feel nothing rather than be free to live the life they truly want.

Norton’s novel deals with love, loss and pain. But in the end his most important lesson is that the truth will always set you free.

Thank you #NetGalley #HarperCollinsPublishers #GrahamNorton #HomeStretch for the advanced copy. The book will be coming out in late June..

This is a story of drama and heartache, beginning with a carful of teenagers involved in a fatal traffic accident the day before “the wedding,” where the bride, groom, and bridesmaid are killed. Thereafter, the effects of this tragedy on a small Irish village are felt for years to come. And many secrets come out years later concerning some of the survivors.

This one will make your heart ache, but will also give you some satisfaction and happiness towards the end, as truths become known and society’s views begin to change.

Graham Norton has done it again with his elegant writing and cozy storytelling style. I already can’t wait for his next book!

I'd like to thank NetGalley, Graham Norton, and HarperVia for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this Irish family drama! It opens in a small town, the day before a big to-do of a wedding. There is a car crash - a number of people from the wedding party die. Connor - the driver - survives and this is mostly his story, but a little bit of the town after he leaves it. Quiet but with a few twists here and there.

I chose this book based on other N.G. reviews but didn't get past 35% or so. The writing was good but I couldn't connect to the characters. I could emphasize with the main character's plight but ultimately, I just didn't care enough to find out what happened (based on the chapters I read) so it was a DNF book for me.

Graham Norton is a hugely successful Irish comedian and actor, though I know him best from the snippets that turn up on my Facebook feed of his TV show where he interviews celebs from the entertainment industry. I have always found him to be warm, funny, and very likeable. It turns out he also writes fiction and The Home Stretch is his third. Though it’s a decent enough novel of families, choices, and decisions, I think I’ll stick with my Facebook snippets in future.

In 1987, in the rural Irish town of Mullinmore, a car crashes at speed into a ditch. Three of the six young occupants are killed outright and one is rushed to hospital in a coma. Two walk away with no injuries: Connor Hayes was the driver and, in shame, his family arranges for him to go and work construction in Liverpool. But Conner is a closeted gay man and once his building site coworkers find this out, he can no longer stay there. Martin Coulter, the other survivor and the handsome son of the town doctor, starts courting Conner’s older sister Ellen.

The novel then skips to 1995 and the action has moved on. This is one of my troubles with the novel; like a Greek tragedy all the action happens off stage. By the time we rejoin our characters, Conner is living as an openly gay man in London and Ellen is married to Martin with two children. We are told, rather skimpily, how this comes about but surely these liminal shifts should be what the novel focuses on?

There is one final time skip to 2012 (during which, once again, a lot happens but we only see the end result) and, in theory at least, everything we thought we knew turns out not to be true. Except, of course in practice, it sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb from very early on.

I found it hard to get to know the characters because so much of the development happens while we’re not in the room - they just emerge, changed, a few years later. There’s some interesting thoughts about the changing acceptance of homosexuality in Ireland which we see through Conner’s eyes and later his nephew’s, but we never actually see the way that tolerance emerges, it just changes from one time period to the next.

I’m not sure who this gently undemanding and perfectly pleasant fiction is intended for, perhaps bigger fans of Graham Norton than me.

Thanks to HarperVia and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

I could not put this book down! From the tragic first chapter to the increasingly emotional twists and turns, this is a wonderful story about tragedy, family, resilience, acceptance, and (of course) the cost of secrets and lies. There are notes of "social commentary" and some insight into the political climate in Ireland, but none of that overwelms the story of this family. Connor and his sister are both relatable characters and their stories felt incredibly true to life. Norton is a new author to me, this is the first book of his I have read, but it certainly won't be the last.

Home Stretch is a very fitting novel to read in this century since it is based on happenings, biases and secrets from 1987. Connor, Martin, and Ellen as well as their families all bear the burdens of hidden lives that are exposed by Graham Norton in this well-written tale of tragedy, loss and love.

I did not know Graham Norton was an author as well. I adore him. This book was pretty darn good, I enjoyed it. Sometimes it was a bit heavy but overall a very engaging story.

Is there anything Graham Norton can't do?

He acts, he hosts, he writes. I love his talk show, and based on that alone, was anxious to get my hands on Home Stretch, his third novel. But I have to admit I didn't expect much. He's very talented at other things, but that didn't necessarily mean he could write, right? I figured the book would be good for some Bridget Jones-style British humor, but other than that, what were the chances it would be any good?

Well. I've learned my lesson. Never underestimate Graham Norton.

First of all, Graham is Irish, which I didn't know, and the book is set in a small town near Cork. There isn't much Bridget Jones-style stuff -- more like Maeve Binchy, although that comparison doesn't really hold up either. Graham's characters and style are all his own.

The book begins with a car accident that kills three young people in Mullinmore, where everyone knows everyone. Another survives but is paralyzed, and two others survive unscathed, at least physically. The accident is like a pebble dropped in a pond, and the rest of the book is about the ripples that emanate from it -- ripples that affect multiple lives across three generations.

There aren't really any great surprises in this book. I figured out Twist #1 pretty quickly, and Twist #2 sort of logically followed. But you'll figure those things out before the characters do, and then all you can do is watch as the light dawns on them too. That tension makes the predictability more bearable than it would be otherwise.

And these characters. Oh, these characters. Yes, there are some cliche overprotective parents (are Irish mothers really all that different from American ones?), and there are a couple of gay man cliches as well. But Connor and Ellen are so beautifully drawn and so compelling. Their pain is palpable at some points in the book, later to be replaced by equal amounts of joy. I loved watching them come to terms with their lives -- not the lives they thought they had or even the ones they'd wished for, but the ones they'd been given. My heart ached for them for all they'd lost or given up, and, just like in real life, those things can't be recovered. But life can go on in unexpected ways, and there's joy to be found after heartbreak. From the way he writes about it, I get the feeling Graham Norton knows this from experience.

Knowing that a story with this depth of feeling can come from his mind, I'll probably watch Graham a little differently on his talk show from now on, and I definitely want to read his memoir now. But first, I'm off to find copies of his first two novels. Thank you, Graham -- this one will stick with me for a while.

I really loved this! Ive never read this author before but I will def get his others. Well put together and enjoyable. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher!

What a delightful surprise. I didn't know Norton was an author. This book had none of his cheeky tv persona, and plenty of warm, poignant scenes of family, scandal, coming out, and eventually forgiveness in the 1980s.

I really loved Graham Norton's first two novels so was anxious to get my hands on this one. But I'm disappointed with Home Stretch. I felt weighed down with the relentless (for me) tragedy and misfortune and when good things happened, it felt very late. I realize that Norton was examining what gay people and their families have gone through in the slow acceptance of sexual differences and he certainly conveyed the pain and loss experienced by the characters, There were some surprises that kept me reading but many things I had guessed already. I will still look forward to Norton's next book. Writing a novel is such a herculean undertaking that I don't know how anyone writes one good book, and Graham Norton has written at least two. According to many readers, three.

Graham Norton’s third go-around is far and away his best. I inhaled this novel.

Flawed but compelling characters drive this tragedy forward and backward through time, as chapters alternate between the 1980s through the present(ish). Main character Connor flees his Irish town after being responsible for the deaths of three people and serious injuries to another in a car accident, but he still has to internally deal with the fallout—and so does everyone else he left behind. Will he ever be able to come back home again?

A perfect drama to me is when I can just lose myself in conversations that people have with each other. Home Stretch is filled with these. Norton really excels at capturing the earnestness, pain, frustration, and other complications between spouses, siblings, friends, and lovers. A few twisty bits I saw coming from a mile (kilometer?) away but other revelations I was completely shocked by.

Very reminiscent of A Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this advanced reader copy!
If you know anything about Graham Norton, this is the book I expected from him. Most Americans I dare say do not know who he is, but having lived overseas, I was delighted to see that he is a writer!
This book begins with a horrible car crash, and what unfolds is how the small town and the families deal with this tragedy. There’s some back and forth timeline which is essential as information unfolds and secrets come out. There is also a layer of ‘coming out’ both to ones self and to family that appears. Survivors guilt factors heavily.
A small thing, but I am of Irish descent and have never read the word “wischt” in my life, although I heard it often as a small child. I thought my mom was making it up! I’m still talking about it! It delighted me to no end and brought my mom back.
Anyway, great story, easy read, enough drama and humor to keep me flipping pages. I don’t know if our library in Ohio will receive this edition, but it’s well worth a read should you find it in a book shop or on kindle. Congrats Graham!
4*

I'm a big fan of Graham Norton and his two previous novels, this one is no exception and reminded me of Armistead Maupin's work.

One moment in time can change the course of a life forever, it's all in how one reacts and tries to move forward. This turns out to be harder for Connor than one could imagine and Graham does a wonderful job of bringing those hardships and struggles forward. Small towns and their people can be tricky sometimes, most don't have a support system in place and feel isolated. This is a beautiful story about family, secrets, shame, self discovery, inclusivity, love, heartbreak, and acceptance of one's identity.

Highly recommend.

Timely and heartfelt - a lovely offering from Norton. A recommended first purchase for most general fiction collections.

In American Pie, Don McLean sang about "a voice that came from you and me." With Home Stretch, Graham Norton gives us further proof positive he writes in "a voice that came from you and me." Norton excels yet again at giving us flesh-and-blood characters. Every reader knows people like those who populate this poignant novel. Norton captures the foibles of men and women. He effortlessly transports us back and forth through time as he tells his tale. It is a story about the loss of innocence and the pain which comes from naiveté. But, most importantly, it is a novel about the triumphs which come about when they times are a-changin'. Thank you to HarperVia and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy! #HomeStretch #NetGalley

I received an advance copy of, Home Stretch by Graham Norton. This book is not for me, others might like this kind of raunchiness, but not me.