We All Live Here
Published 2026-07-22 13:40:39
Book info
- Author
- Year 2025
- Genre Romance
- Format Audiobook
- Pages 450
Single mum Lila: Has got her hands full with two unruly daughters. Is the author of an unexpectedly successful self-help book. Is the impulsive owner of a flashy sportscar.
She also: Has a stepdad who quietly moved in after her mother died. Has a deadline looming on a book that just won’t write itself. Is exchanging school-gate daggers with her ex’s pregnant girlfriend.
It feels like she alone is holding up the sky.
So the last thing she needs is a stranger at the door. Not even when he’s a Hollywood star. Needing a place to stay. With a million-dollar smile she doesn’t trust for a second.
Because this is Gene – the father she hasn’t seen in 16 years...
Thoughts
I've read Jojo Moyes before, but not for a while, and when I saw this roll by on the library's audiobook selection, I thought it was worth a go... particularly as it's narrated by Jenna Coleman, a voice I know and recognise from Doctor Who.
The narration is great, clear and engaging and adding just enough emotion to steer the story without being melodramatic. Coleman narrates the story of Lila and her extended family, as the pressure is piled on from every angle, and you want to keep listening.
The story, however, took a while to grab me, and I think if I hadn't had that trustworthy voice telling me the story, I probably would have given up at several points. The characters started out pretty unlikeable - Lila really did some horrible things along the way. Writing about her love life without talking to other parties first was pretty mean, and I don't get her consistently forgetting her responsibilities at the school - why not accept the help that was being offered when she had no intention of doing the tasks assigned to her?
Celie, the daughter, at least has the excuse of being a teenager and being bullied. I did like the scene where Gene was giving her advice on how to survive at school. Relatable, good advice, and quite funny. Teaching her how to walk into a room, don't hunch, don't seem like you care. "Now I’m not saying how you stand is going to make a whole bunch of difference." But it does! The evolution of Gene from flighty missing father to involved grandfather is a highlight, as well as the gardener who stands by Lila even though she treated him badly.
This is a tricky one to recommend. The people around Lila are much more likeable than she is, so having a lead character who isn't the strength of the book can be difficult to engage with. For me, it was the performance that carried the piece, so get the audiobook and skip the paperback.
I can't go higher than a 3 here, because it took too long to really get me hooked on the story but in the end I was happy to find out how it all worked out for the family.
Rating: 3 / 5