Grace has been struggling after the death of her beloved Frank so when her grandson Jude suggests going along to the book club that Frank ran she wasn’t too sure, but to appease Jude she went. To say that it wasn’t like most book clubs was no exaggeration. They didn’t have a book that they all read, instead they had silent reading time where people could feel free to read what ever they liked (sharing if they did at the chat at the beginning of each session. Grace was sure it wasn’t for her , that is until the had of friendship came from fellow member Annie. Then when Jude suggested that he came along with her to the next one she decided she would.

I felt Grace learnt more about Frank after this than she actually knew before.. it also taught her things about herself and her family. Read in one sitting . I loved the book recommendations, I’ve taken a note of some. Look forward to May this author.

This novel by Kate Storey is a beautiful read .it's about recently widowed Grace who is convinced by her grandson and daughter to join a book club her husband Frank started.
She had become a bit of a recluse over the 12 months since her husband suddenly died and the book club takes her on a journey of discovery about her family and the ADHD they have but had kept from her to protect her.
The characters are beautifully written and I really enjoyed seeing how Grace develops.
Definitely recommend

This wasn’t as deep and emotional as The Memory Library. I found the plot shallow esp its treatment of ADHD. Grace skepticism was heavy handed, her narrative made it sound like it’s a chronic and contagious disease the way she’s going on about it, overthinking it, and feeling a certain way about being “normal” compared to her “quirky” family.

All this being said, I did enjoy the relationships between the characters and the sense of community Frank’s Silent Book Club fostered amongst its members. I love the emphasis on the importance of reading and how it brings people together, and teaches empathy. I love Grace’s relationship with her family, and how reading helped her heal from Frank’s death and helped her foster new and lasting relationships.


Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7431238409
Fable: https://fable.co/review/374d47b3-30c8-4b2c-8777-b0b2d6562cdc/share

Recently widowed, Grace is convinced by her grandson to join a book club her husband Frank started. Deeply saddened by his passing 18-month prior, Grace has become a bit of a recluse. When she goes to the book club, she finds that it is not like a traditional book club. All of the members are reading a different book for part of the meeting, and discussing them at the end.

This silent book club makes Grace uncomfortable at first, but leads her to finally enter Frank's untouched library. As she rummages through his books, she begins to find journals about what he has read, his desire to bring awareness to mental health, and to revitalize the book club he started. As Grace strives to help achieve his goals, she starts to find a purpose in her life again.

This is my second book and second 4-star review of a book by Kate Storey. I really enjoy how shes is able to weave together such heartwarming stories around the impact of books in a person's life. I felt an instant connection to the diverse characters in this book and how reading was able to touch each one. And books about books/reading always seem to find a place in my heart. This book was an absolute hit for me and I look forward to reading more books from Kate Storey.

If doing a book challenge and you are looking for books that are mentioned in other books, this would be a great book to find them. Some, but not all, include:

Anxious People
The Year of Magical Thinking
All Quiet on the Western Front
Demon Copperhead
Gulliver's Travels
The Complete Sherlock Holmes
Charlotte's Web
Rebecca
The Tempest
One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

Thank you to Avon Books UK, NetGalley, and Kate Storey for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

It took me a bit to warm up to Grace. Her internal monologue when she found out her grandson had ADHD—and when she started piecing together that her late husband probably had it too—was hard to read. Not because it was poorly written (quite the opposite), but because it was real. And as someone who lives with ADHD every day, hearing those knee-jerk thoughts hit a little too close to home. I found myself flinching on behalf of past-me, the one who’s been on the receiving end of comments like those.

But here’s the thing—Grace grows. And not in a cheesy, all-tied-up-with-a-bow kind of way. She grows in the kind of messy, nonlinear, deeply human way that feels true. Watching a woman in her seventies unpack internalized ableism, reconnect with her past, and stumble toward vulnerability? Yeah, that’s the kind of character arc I’m always hungry for. We don’t get nearly enough stories where older women get to transform and expand instead of just fade quietly into the background.

And then there’s the book club itself—a cozy little gathering that feels like a beacon to anyone who’s ever wanted to belong without having to perform. It reminded me of my own love for the idea of silent book clubs, and that deep, hopeful longing to find a found family in exactly that kind of setting. Every time the characters came together, it made my heart do the little happy wiggle. You know the one.

This book isn’t perfect, but it is full of heart. It made me smile. It made me think. It reminded me why I keep showing up for stories about connection, no matter how different the people on the page may be from me. Sometimes, they surprise you. And sometimes, they help you understand yourself just a little bit more.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review—and I honestly loved this quiet little gem more than I expected.

I loved the fact that the main characters are older (70s), and, of course, I loved the book angle! I wish I could find more books like this. Character development was a bit uneven in regards to the book club members. I'd have liked to known them a bit better. Numerous topics are addressed in a sensitive matter, such as ADHD, and it made this book informative, as well as entertaining. I look forward to checking out future books from this author.


Possible trigger warnings: mental health issues (especially ADHD) and grief

Grace is dealing with depression after the death of her husband Frank. She is surrounded by bookshelves in every room, filled to the brim with books that he loved. Never having been much of a reader herself, this wasn't something that they shared. He had started a bookclub and tried multiple times to get her to join him, but she kept rebuffing him, finally asking him not to bring it up again. Now that he is gone, however, she is reconsidering her decision. It would be nice to be around those who also loved Frank, and having someone to help fill the silence in her life. However, when she arrives at the book club meeting, she is in for a rude awakening - it is a silent book club. There is a bit of catching up at the beginning, and people are free to talk about what they are reading if they choose to, but then everyone settles down and reads quietly whatever book they choose to read. Disappointed by the sparse attendance and confused by the lack of chatter, Grace flees Annie, one of the members, talks her into coming back the following week, though, and the more times she attends, the more she realizes this is exactly where she is meant to be.

I loved The Memory Library, so I was excited to read this one as well. This one was good, but it didn't quite stack up to The Memory Library. I loved all of the characters, and it had a good message. It was also heartwarming, and I learned a lot about ADHD and Neurodiversity because that was the underlying theme of the book. My one complaint is that it was a little too "in your face" about the ADHD. I think it was mentioned at least evry other page. I feel like the message would have gotten across just as well if the author had been a little more subtle about it. Possibly it is a British thing - maybe ADHD is not as prevalent there as it is here in the U.S. I don't know. Otherwise, this was a very enoyable book

I love @lisatimoneywrites books 💜The Forgotten Bookclub is her newest cozy work of fiction that absolutely delighted me.
Grace has been struggling to keep moving forward after the death of her beloved husband, Frank. Worried she has been leaning too much on her daughter and grandson she reluctantly agrees to attend Frank’s old book club, so she can show her daughter she really is fine. When she discovers the book club is a silent one, and the members are all close friends who share their feelings the entire thing overwhelms her. But with time she finds a new community and a new connection to the man she loved and lost.
As a reader and avid book lover I adored this. The community and friendships that are formed over a love of reading was beautiful. If you need to read about the good in humanity I definitely recommend picking up this one when it releases on April 10 (or really any Kate Storey book if you can’t wait that long)
Thank you to @netgalley and @avonbooksuk for letting me have an advanced copy of #theforgottenbookclub for review
#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookrecommendations #bookreview #cozyreads

Grace is still grieving from the loss of her husband Frank who died twelve months earlier from a heart attack, married for forty seven years they were everything to each other and she is struggling to carry on without him. Her grandson Jude suggests she join the book club that Frank set up at a local bookshop years earlier, she doesn't have the same love of books that he did but she reluctantly agrees, when she arrives she discovers it's not what she expected, where members all read the same book and then discuss in the group, this is a silent group where they can read what they want but in an hour of silence, she can't cope with any more solitude and flees the shop. Fellow member Annie persuades her to give it another chance, from that moment she pledges that neither Frank, or his book club, will be forgotten and this, along with Frank's hidden journals could actually be just what she needs to help her through her grief.

This latest novel by Storey, although it centres around the bookclub and the legacy that Frank created, is about so much more than their love of books. This quirky group of people, who i absolutely adored from the beginning, were a little community of people that relied on each other and their love of books to escape reality for an hour every fortnight and this is exactly what Frank wanted from his silent book club, a place where they could go and not be judged by others for who they were and what genre of book they enjoyed. This story covers a range of subjects such as grief, depression, the understanding of neurodivergency and probably most important of all is friendship and how someone reaching out that hand of friendship can change another persons life in so many ways. I loved this author's first book, The Memory Library, so was excited when I heard about this one which was everything her debut novel offered and then some. This is another heartwarming, emotional story from one of my go to authors, which i highly recommend, but you will need tissues!

I'd like to thank Avon Books and NetGalley for inviting me to read this, I will post by review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Thank you to netgalley and publishers for allowing me to read an early copy of this book for my review. In this story we meet Grace who is still deeply grieving the loss of her husband. To try and encourage her to get out and meet people, her grandson suggests Grace attends the bookclub her husband started. The bookclub turns out to be a silent reading club, which Grace thinks is not for her, but she is warmly accepted into the group by the wonderful members and soon settles in and strikes up friendships. The book touches on several topics including grief, depression and adhd all of which give the reader food for thought.

This book is an eye opener. An emotional and uplifting look at coping with unseen
issues. Kindness and acceptance re paramount.

3.5 Stars
One Liner: Heartwarming but a bit too strong on the message

Grace hasn’t been a reader but supported her husband, Frank’s passion for books. However, his death left her in deep grief and with no idea about what to do with his books. Her grandson suggested she join Frank’s book club.
However, the book club is not how she imagined it to be! Uncertain and stressed, Grace flees the place only to be stopped by Anne, who wants her to give them a second chance. As Grace brings new life into the book club, she makes new friends and a lot more!
The story comes in Grace’s third-person POV.

My Thoughts:
I’ve quite enjoyed the author’s previous book, so when I was provided access to this one, I was hopeful of grabbing it (after checking a few initial reviews).
The book deals with grief (loss of a loving partner), but the central focus is on community, found family via the book club, reading, and ADHD.
ADHD is the core theme of the book, though the book club is supposed to be the one based on the title and premise. While I totally appreciate the intent and the details provided, the execution seemed too in the face at times. Yes, it is necessary to create awareness, but it shouldn’t affect other parts of the story. Yes, neurodivergent people need a space like this book clu,b but an iron hammer isn’t an effective tool to spread the message.
Apart from that, I quite liked the range of side characters we met. Everyone stands out and has something to offer. They are not just stereotypes but people with backstories, which we learn as the story progresses. This makes it easy to root for them.
The relationship between Grace and Rosie and Rosie and Jude is heartwarming. Yay for showing positive parent-child relationships and dynamics. Of course, it doesn’t feel unrealistic or perfect. It is just happy (which is what we want).
There are many references and book recommendations, which makes sense since this is about a book club. I’m not sure about the spoilers, though. Can’t say!
I would like to remind people that the world is not the white man’s burden. I mean, a character has lost their job and can’t find another, is depressed about many things in their life, has financial problems… but takes time to worry about the events in the Middle East? Are you kidding me? Sort your front and backyard first if you can. Don’t we know where the UK is spiraling into? Ridiculous!
That said, the ending was sweet and hopeful. All developments are positive (and easy). I don’t mind that in fiction, so that’s cool.
And oh, we have an adorable cat, Earnest. He is such a smart fella, I tell you! I love how the cat is integral to the book club, though it belongs to only one member.

To summarize, The Forgotten Book Club has a heartwarming premise, nice characters, and a worthy message. While it does get heavy-handed, it is still a good read that’ll leave you warm and hopeful.
Thank you, Jessie Whitehead, NetGalley, and Avon Books UK, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

3.75 ⭐️

Thank you so much to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me a free advance review copy of this book, The Forgotten Book Club, in exchange for my honest opinion.

It was a cozy and enjoyable read about Grace's story of grief after the loss of Frank, her husband of 46 years, and how she learned to cope and move on. Her journey to acceptance—that she had more to live for—while also discovering parts of her husband's life that she didn't know about, made her question their life as a couple and whether she really knew her husband and her whole family. Going through the five stages of grief with the help of her newfound family through the silent book club that Frank founded was such a blessing. Grace is a representation of many older people who have trouble accepting the new ideologies of today but are making a great effort to learn and change. This book tackles ADHD in a profound manner that may be off-putting to some readers. It's a great topic to discuss in a book, and even greater if you feel represented by some of the characters, but it felt a little too educational for me that the whole book just revolved around ADHD. If that's how the author intended it to be then she did a really good job. Honestly, we need more of this representation anyway, I’d just like it to be more of a theme and not the whole topic, because I would like to know more about the silent book clubs and their members and how Grace will move forward instead. On the other hand, I love how there are so many good book recommendations inside a book and I love that they mentioned my favorite book here, The Anxious People by Fredrik Backman.

Overall: This book revolves greatly around ADHD awareness, it's good if you want to learn more about it. I love the diversity of the book club members and the inviting cozy setting of this book while discussing the importance of community, overcoming loneliness, and helping each other. It is at a bit of a slower pace than I would like it to be, but not hard to read at all.

Trigger Warning: grief, loss of a loved one, mental health struggles.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for the advanced reader's copy of The Forgotten Book Club by Kate Storey.

I really enjoyed this novel about grief and finding one's self on the other side of it. Grace has lost her husband Frank who had a book club. Through her grief her grandson suggests she attend it to feel closer to his spirit. It turns out to be a "silent book club" where everyone reads quietly. It takes her by surprise and she almost gives up on the idea. However, she's talked into staying and we read the development of various friendships.

I found all the characters delightful. I was surprised that the book spent a great deal schooling readers about ADHD.

I have read one of Kate Storey’s books previously so I was looking out for more, and this one didn’t disappoint. Dealing with such difficult subjects as bereavement, ADHD, unemployment and depression, this book manages to skilfully and sensitively handle the topics whilst producing a fun, interesting and heartwarming novel.

Grace’s beloved husband passed away and Grace was struggling. Grace knew that he loved his fortnightly book club, but Grace had never gone as she wasn’t really a reader. When her Grandson Jude persuades her to go along, she was very surprised to see that there weren’t that many members, and that the evening was spent with them all reading their own books, silently. Grace can’t cope with the solitude and quiet, and runs, vowing to never return. Annie from the book club persuades her to return, and slowly with the help of her new book club friends, and her family, she reconnects with her late husband in a way she didn’t think possible, and spreads the book club message far and wide.

I really enjoyed this novel. The themes were handled so sensitively, and well, and I will definitely be looking out for more of her books.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7428973415

https://maddybooksblog.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-forgotten-book-club-by-kate-storey.html

I found this to be an enjoyable, entertaining, thought provoking and informative book. I knew very little about ADHD but this features a lot and wasn't what I expected from the book description but I did enjoy it and feel that I've learned a lot about this condition and the huge numbers of people affected by it. I really liked all but one of the characters and loved what a caring and close community they became. I love the idea of a silent book club and wish there was one near me as I'd definitely join! I belong to book clubs but the idea of one where you don't all have to read the same specially chosen one that might not be your own personal cup of tea and instead members read any book of their own choice and discuss it afterwards really appeals to me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and my thanks go to Netgally and the publisher for a pre release copy in exchange for my honest review

This was a nice read about family, loss, dealing with grief and moving on.

The story is about Grace, who recently became a widow and decides to join a book club. It is the very one that her husband Frank used to run. She struggles at first and decides to read some of Franks personal journals. By doing this, she learns more about Frank than she ever did whilst they were married.

I enjoyed the way the book club mentions all different genre of books and why they were important to the characters. The way the members all came together to support each other was lovely to read also. The only part I didn’t enjoy very much, was that the storyline centres around ADHD and this was mentioned throughout the story.

Overall, a nice uplifting read.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a lovely, heartwarming book! This book covers neurodivergence, grief, mental health and how a book can solve anything! Grace is in the throes of grief and when she joins Frank’s old book club, she meets new friends and finds a propose. The characters are all likeable (apart from one!), short chapters and I love how the story developed. It’s made me want to join a silent bookclub now! Perfect for someone who wants an uplifting book!

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I loved reading this book.

Following the death of her husband Frank, Grace is finding it hard to deal with the loss.

Her daughter as well as her grandson suggest that she joins the book group that Frank set up.

But, when she attends, she finds that no one talks and it’s a “silent” book club, finding it not right for her she leaves. But then she’s talked into attending again.

She meets people that are from different backgrounds and soon they become friends and slowly begins to live her life again, wanting to do something for others.

Her plan is to carry out the work her husband wanted to grow the book club, so that others can also find support. As well as to raise awareness of ADHD, this is what Frank, her daughter and grandson each have.

I recommend this book.

I loved this. It starts as a fairly simple story about a widow who is struggling with the loss of her husband, until she is persuaded to join a book club that he helped found in a local book shop. But it soon becomes so much more than I expected. With themes of loneliness, mental health and neurodivergence this is almost a gentle self help book. It’s an easy read with a cast of very different characters, but all with their own little quirks.

Briefly, when Grace joins Frank’s book club she little realises just how close and how special the members will become. This is a book club with a difference. It’s a Silent Book Club where the members sit and read quietly for an hour, any book they choose, and then if they wish to, they can discuss it afterwards. Grace finds this concept hard as silence is one of the things that she is struggling with but she perseveres and the journey she goes on, in understanding her family and helping others, really is wonderful.

I loved how all the different genres of books were included in the book and did wonder if they were particular favourites of the author. Certainly a few of mine were mentioned. The characters were great, I particularly loved Annie and of course Earnest the cat. Anyone with a love of books is going to lap up this beautiful story, in fact for me it was almost perfect - books and cats, all I needed was a dog! But it’s not just for book lovers this is a books for anyone who loves a good heartwarming story. I’m not a weeper but my eyes were a little damp once or twice so keep the tissues to hand! A wonderful story of friendship and the strength to be found in the support of others. Fantastic.