The Great Unexpected: A Novel

This book had a bunch of feelings running through it. It was sad, funny and endearing. It starts out with our main character, Joel, who is in a nursing home. After Joel's wife passed away, he has become a cranky, angry man. He dislikes life and tired of it. After a comatose roommate passes away, the nursing home moves in Frank, who is the opposite of what Joel is. Things get crazy after that.
This was an enjoyable book. Sometimes it seemed repetitive but the strong character building pulls you in and keeps you there. The writing was good as well. Definitely an emotional rollercoaster but worth it.

Cried at the end

Didn't like the subject matter. Supposed to read it for my book club. I declined. Life is too short to waste it on this book.

If I just described the book or read the cover, I would have expected this book to be depressing. Instead, I found it to be very hopeful.

And very well written. Deals with issues of aging and death yet ends up a feel-good story with some meat on its bones.

While I mostly enjoyed this story, I found one aspect of the story to be so annoying as to override the rest of it. Unless I'm reading it wrong, Joel is locked into his room every night, and not allowed to leave the grounds either. While i understand that someone with dementia needs those things, I found it unrealistic that Joel needed these rules. He was sound of mind and mostly sound of body. He was certainly capable of deciding he would like to hop the bus or take a taxi into town to see sights, or go to a restaurant etc. I get that he had to eat when they said, and take his meds when they said (although to be honest, how can you force someone to do these things?) but why would they be allowed to imprison him? Made no sense and undermined the main topic of the story.

just a great story to read about friendship between 2 very different older folks....totally worth reading

This book made me think of my husband, my parents, and my grandparents. Relatable on so many levels. I laughed and i cried. Fantastic characters.

Curmudgeonly Joel Monroe is not a fan of his life in Hilltop Nursing Home. While determining to end his life, a new roommate moves in. Frank Adams (or de Selby, his stage name) could not be more different than Joel, yet the two strike up an unlikely friendship. They embark on plotting and adventuring, contemplating the past and understanding the present.

Dan Mooney writes The Great Unexpected with great humor and emotion. From beginning to end, the characters feel genuine, and they charmed me into plenty of smiles and even a few tears. It’s a heartwarming story, and I highly recommend it to the interested reader.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

I have a soft spot for stories about grumpy old men. I thought I’d love The Great Unexpected even before reading it, and I was right. The relationships between characters (friends, father-daughter, husband-wife) are moving and honest. And of course, thinking about aging and death is terrifying, but also eye-opening. I highly recommend The Great Unexpected if you enjoy stories like Up, The Odd Couple or A Man Called Ove!

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for providing a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.