this is a heartfelt story about human connection, community, and self-discovery. At its core, the novel explores themes of friendship, overcoming loneliness, processing grief, and raising awareness about ADHD. The book club at the heart of the story is unlike any other—offering not just a love for books but a space for healing, purpose, and support.

Grace, the protagonist, struggles with grief after losing her husband, Frank. Though never a big reader herself, she finds solace in the book club he loved so much. Initially unsure of its unconventional format, she gradually embraces its unique approach and discovers the impact Frank had on others. As she learns more about his passion, she finds new purpose in continuing his legacy—expanding the club’s reach and incorporating ADHD awareness.

With beautiful reflections on friendship, literature, and mental health, this novel is a touching journey of healing and personal growth.

The Forgotten Book Club was an enjoyable enough read, but it hasn't really stayed with me as much as I thought it might. Kate Storey's writing was engaging and the plot was well-handled (although I still want to know what Lee's job is), but I found I couldn't care deeply about any of the characters, well-drawn as they were.

Great characters good storyline. Hooked from the first chapter. Thanks for letting me review. Would continue the series

“The Forgotten Book Club” is a delightful and emotive read. The book has a strong sense of belonging and community which rings out loudly through the pages. Reading it was life affirming and comforting for me.

Grace is recently bereaved and struggling to go out and even consider socialising. Her late husband, Frank, a book lover, was more outgoing and had set up a popular book club in a local bookshop. Grace is persuaded by her family to go to the book club and is horrified to discover it is a “silent” book club where everyone reads their own choice of book. She attempts joining in but hates the silence, feeling more alone and judged than anything and doesn’t wish to stay. What she doesn’t count on is the kindness and warmth of her husband’s chosen family. A ragtag bunch of readers all with hearts of gold who help her understand the silent book club concept, and that the social chat can be at the beginning not end and she can leave before the reading part if she feels uncomfortable.

Encouraged slightly, Grace tries again. She discovers how important Frank was to all the members. She slowly begins to feel comforted and enjoys attending the club. In the meantime, she also discovers Frank’s book journals which open her heart to changes in her as she hears his voice again through his notes.

In essence “The Forgotten Book Club” is all about overcoming grief and adversity. The love of family and friends and finding true belonging.

Each character is written in an understanding way some colourful characters some appearing more mundane but each with their own struggles very real, lovable and important to those that know them. The members of the book club are from different walks of life, a diverse bunch of readers that I enjoyed getting to know.

Throughout the text different books are described including what they meant to each reader. It not only warmed me to each character but added to my own book wish list. The genres chosen Frank and the book club members are as varied as the people themselves illustrating that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover or content. A love of books of every kind with no snobbery or judgement is made clear as each member tells us more about their own choices and a glimpse into their own stories.

Such an emotional read and so well written. I loved the storyline and the well developed characters. Very enjoyable

This was a ‘nice’ book. There was nothing particularly challenging about it but nothing to not like either. Grace is a widow who is really struggling with her loss and she is persuaded to attend the book club set up by her late husband. As she comes back to life she learns a great deal about her family and herself.

When grief hits hard there's always that longing to find that connection to the one you have lost. When Frank died Grace made it her mission to understand his life and his love of reading. A lovely story of jew friendships and understanding. The author taps into the mental health struggles of family and friends and makes it her aim to help those around her.

I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

Kate Storey has the most beautiful way of writing conflict, heartbreak, healing, and inclusion. This story is a 10 out of 10 for me. As I read this book, I relived the death of my father and how my sisters and I attempted to get my mother back into society, and how difficult it was to watch her grieve. Also, being the mother of a child that has been diagnosed with ADHD without hyperactivity, I felt a lot like Gracie. I did not want him to be dependent on the meds that the doctor had given him. However, watching him blossom with a little assistance has been such a joy.

Kate has an amazing finesse with words that I do not believe I have seen before. The way her characters come to life and her attention to detail regarding each scene are absolute music.

Kate will always be an auto purchase for me!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Avon Books UK | Avon, and Kate Storey for this beautiful ARC.

The storyline had me hooked from start to finish. A lovely story written so well covering many issues in an informative way along with great characters.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

There is a quote that says, "reading for pleasure is one of life's great joys", and I do believe that. I have always been knows as an introvert, and many people don't understand introverts, but I found friends here that understood. This was a story about grief, and Grace realizing after her husband passed away, she was feeling lonely, and isolated from everyone. She also discovered after going to the book club that her husband started, but she never went to, it was hard to get back into life after staying at home for a year.
I learned a lot from this story, and many times I felt this book was written for me to read, so I can understand things. Since the pandemic, I think loneliness and isolation is still here, and I highly recommend this story. There was another part in the story, that after they started the book club, that you don't feel lonely, when you are reading books, that you connect to, that you understand them, and they understand me, and you can feel the hugs coming through the book. This was one of those books and I highly recommend it.
I received an ARC from Avon through NetGalley. It will be a book I will always keep and never forget.

This is a lovely book about loss, grief, family and the power of friendship. I was a little worried when I started to read about the grandson having ADHD, as my son has a diagnosis since he was seven, and I get cross when it is misrepresented. However, it is dealt with really well and would be informative for people who do not understand the condition. I love the idea of a silent book club, where you can all read whatever book you like. If there was one near me, I would definitely be there.

This is a book that I wouldn’t typically read but something about the title intrigued me to want to give it a go. I gave this book a solid 4 stars as it was beautifully written and touched on common themes of grief, ADHD, anxiety, and depression. There were times I felt the mention of ADHD was a bit strong and over focused on however the book did its job of getting readers to understand what ADHD is and how people diagnosed with it cope. I enjoyed the story and was captivated from the very beginning!
Thank you for the opportunity to read this story! It’s one I will remember.

What a beautiful and wonderful book. 'Life can begin with a single story. You just have to Bring Your Own Book…' I love that and I loved this book. The story of Grace, her husband loved books, her not so much. But when her husband dies and she eventually joins husbands old book club things change for her.

This is a story about healing, friendship, a new life and it is a gorgeous, emotional and heartfelt read. If you love books you will love this uplifting story. Well written and the characters are a treat, easy to read and it will have you turning the pages.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I received a free copy of, The Forgotten Book Club, by Kate Storey, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Grace is a widow after losing her husband Frank. Frank loved books, and was in a book club, before he died. Graces decides to try out Franks; book club, but it is not whats he expected. This was a great read, I loved all the characters.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really enjoyed this book, liked all the characters and the storyline and would recommend to other readers.

The Forgotten Book Club is an upcoming novel by Kate Storey, author of The Memory Library. In this story, we follow seventy-year-old Grace, who, after the death of her husband Frank, decides to visit the book club he created. Frank was a voracious reader and book collector, but when Grace attends her first meeting, she’s surprised to discover that it’s a silent book club where members bring their own books and read together in quiet companionship.

It’s rare for me to read books with a protagonist in their seventies, but I really enjoyed this perspective. I loved reading about the books discussed in the novel, some I’ve read, while others are now on my TBR. I especially appreciated the exploration of ADHD, as multiple characters navigate life with it in ways that felt authentic and well-researched.

My only critique is that the book club members felt underdeveloped compared to Grace, Frank, and her family. I would have loved to learn more about them. That said, this was another stellar novel from Kate Storey, and I highly recommend it.

Another winner from Kate Storey! I was excited to get my hands on and read this touch novel after loving her last release “The Memory Library.” While it wasn’t quite to the level of Memory Library it was a sold 4⭐️ read.

I went into this book completely blind so I was pleasantly surprised to read about a “silent book club” as I just started a local chapter of one in my area. From. Selfish personal stance, it actually gave me some ideas for future meetings!

One thing that Storey does well is explore the intricacies of relationships and how people can get a deeper understanding of a loved one.

This book also relies heavily on neurodiversity awareness; specifically ADHD. It is a little preachy at times but it didn’t bother me over all. The one thing that was a bit odd, and maybe this is a geographical area difference since the author is from and the books setting is in England, is that in the US ADHD is quite common. While I’m sure there are areas in the US where it has a harsher stigma, overall I don’t think the stigma portrayed in the book matches reality, at least in the US. I almost feeling like underneath it was more explaining the autistic experience of adult individuals with low to moderate support needs. Regardless it brought a spotlight to neurodivergence and mental health in general which is always a good thing.

The book was a page turner from beginning to end and leave the reader with feel-good fuzzy warmness in the end. I can’t wait to share this with my mother who also loved The Memory Library after I suggested it.

This book comes out April 10, 2025 so get it on your TBR today as you’ll be glad you did!

I am thankful to have gotten the eARC for free from Avon Books UK through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

Absolutely loved this beautiful book filled book. Covered many thought provoking topics in a sensitive way, both educating and informative. Had damp eyes a few times. Happy to recommend

The Forgotten Book Club by Kate Storey is a book about grief and so much more. Grace is mourning the loss of her beloved husband Frank with the help of her daughter Rosie and beloved grandson Juan and at their suggestion she agrees to go to the book club he founded despite not being much of a reader. Once there she is surprised to find that it is nothing like she was expecting, instead it is a silent book club where a diverse group of members gather together once a week to read whatever books appeal to them . Grace struggles with the silence, it gives her too much time to think of Frank and so she rushes away only for one of the members, Annie, to follow and convince her to try again. Annie and Grace strike up a friendship and slowly but surely Grace embraces the silent book club and its members, and they in turn are overjoyed to welcome her. New found friendships are not the only thing that Grace finds as she embarks on this new adventure, she also learns more about her husband and the legacy that he has passed on to his daughter and grandson.
This is such a sweet and wholesome read, and one that many book lovers will enjoy. Each member of the group has their own story to tell and I really felt like I got to know and love them over the course of the book. There is so much compassion and empathy displayed by these characters that it really was a feel good read, but that being said the author is not afraid to tackle some difficult and heavy subjects head on including depression but with a strong emphasis on the value of connection and community. There is also a lot of discussion about neurodivergence and several neurodivergent characters and I think the author did a good job of pushing beyond the typical stereotypes and showing that it is a spectrum of experiences even if it did seem a little heavy handed in places. Finally I found myself making a TBR list of some of the recommendations that the characters made when discussing their favourite books, as someone who loves books about books this one ticked so many boxes for me.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

What a lovely read. When Grace was widowed she struggled for a year to open her husband’s study where he stored his most precious books. Concerned about her welfare her family encourage her to join her husband Frank’s book club. Not a typical book club where people read a shared book Grace discovers this to be one of silent reading where people can escape for an hour a week. As the members become her friends she is enveloped in their warmth and becomes part of their caring community. Bringing new life into the book club Grace finds herself confidence to live again.
A brilliant read. Full of emotion, compassion, friendship and love. If you love books you’re in for a treat.