We All Live Here

Jojo Moyes’s novel We All Live Here is a work of romantic fiction and women’s literature. Originally published in February 2025 by Viking, the novel traces the story of Lila Kennedy’s family and writing life in the wake of her divorce from Dan and her mother Francesca’s death. The novel is written with Moyes’s characteristic wit and empathy and explores themes including the Challenges and Rewards of Family Life; Healing, Reconciliation, and Personal Growth; and the Search for Love and Companionship.

Moyes is best known for her 2011 novel The Last Letter From Your Lover and her 2012 novel Me Before You. Both titles were adapted into feature-length romantic dramas and won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award. The themes evident in these titles recur in We All Live Here.

This guide refers to the 2025 Viking hardback edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of death, illness, bullying, sexual content, and substance use.

Plot Summary

Forty-two-year-old Lila Kennedy is struggling to orient herself after her divorce. When she discovered that her now ex-husband, Dan, was having an affair with Marja (a mother at her daughter Violet’s school), Lila felt her world crumble around her. She’d just published The Rebuild, a personal growth title about rebuilding one’s marriage via love and grace. Not long later, Dan moved in with Marja and her son, Hugo. Shortly thereafter, Lila’s mother, Francesca, was hit by a bus and killed.

In the present, Lila is living a few doors down from Dan with their daughters, Violet and Celie, and her stepfather, Bill McKenzie. Lila loves her stepfather and girls, but she’s finding it difficult to manage family life while working on her next book. Her literary agent, Anoushka, wants her to write about her post-divorce single life, but Lila hasn’t experienced anything but frustration and loneliness since Dan left her. To make matters worse, her estranged biological father, Gene, shows up on her lawn one day in need of a place to live.

Gene and Bill have an immediate rivalry. Bill resents Gene for abandoning Francesca and Lila years prior, and Gene resents Bill for building the life he couldn’t with Francesca. Their petty battles quickly begin to annoy Lila, who is struggling to communicate with her daughters and write anything interesting to send to Anoushka.

Then, one day, she meets Jensen, the landscaper whom Bill hired to redo her front garden. Remembering Anoushka and her best friend Eleanor’s advice to “get back out there,” Lila asks Jensen out for a drink. They share a nice conversation at the pub, pick up liquor afterward, and spend the night together in Bill’s empty carpentry studio. In the days following, Lila feels proud of herself. She doesn’t want a relationship with Jensen, but she’s taken a risk and enjoyed herself. She’s also gotten some inspiration for her book in the process and quickly starts translating her and Jensen’s night into writing.

Meanwhile, Lila develops a crush on Gabriel, a father from Violet’s school. They start chatting during pickup, and Lila learns that he’s a widower and single father. Over the weeks following, they begin to exchange text messages and eventually go on a date. Not long after eating dinner, they have sex, but Gabriel insists that Lila go home because he doesn’t want his daughter to see her. Gabriel seems distant in the days following, leaving Lila confused and frustrated. She talks to Eleanor about the situation, unsure about what she and Gabriel are doing.

Jensen eventually confronts Lila about their relationship. He wants to see her again, but Lila has been unresponsive in her texts. She insists that she’s not upset with him but is too busy to go on another date. Not long later, Jensen comes over to pick up an invoice for the garden and discovers pages from Lila’s manuscript featuring their night together on her desk. Hurt, he accuses Lila of using him for her writing. A few days later, Lila then discovers that Gabriel is dating other mothers, too. She confronts him at a pub for deceiving and using her.

Lila writes Jensen an apology letter. She’s decided not to write her book after all and hopes that she and Jensen can make amends. A few nights after mailing the note, Lila calls Jensen for a ride to the hospital. Bill has had a heart attack, but she can’t get out of the driveway because a tree fell on her car. He gives her the ride and then chops up the tree and clears the drive while she’s gone. When she returns, the two have a nice conversation. They see each other over the next weeks, too, and Jensen forgives Lila. They agree to start over and go on another date.

Jensen accompanies Lila to Violet’s school play. She’s shocked when she discovers that Gene (a failed actor) has been working on the costumes for the production in secret. With Jensen’s mediating help, Gene then has a conversation with Bill (also in attendance), and the two put their differences behind them. After the play, Lila embraces Gene, glad that he’s part of her life.

In the months following, Lila and her family settle into a more peaceful and joyful life together. Lila starts ghostwriting a celebrity memoir, Bill heals, Jensen and Lila start formally dating, Gene assumes a bigger role in Violet’s and Celie’s lives, and Lila makes amends with Dan.