Thank you to Netgalley for this arc.

In this novel we are following quite a few families in the neighborhood of Meadowbrook. This story spans exactly one year from the events of one Memorial Day until the Memorial Day of the next year. And throughout the whole thing we are trying to figure out who is dead in the neighborhood through a group chat. The events of the book are very interesting and is perfect to read during the summer.

The Block Party got kind of buried in my review pile among all the summer beach reads that came out. But now is a great time to pick it up if you too missed it this summer.

The gated or exclusive community is a pretty popular trope in the mystery genre. I've read several over the years but the trope didn't feel tired as the characters are really interesting.

The story is told from alternating points of view - Alex and her daughter Lettie. I thought Lettie was an interesting choice as she is a high school senior. I see why she was chosen as it gives the reader access to some of the things going on below the surface of the adult relationships that might not have come to light if only adults had been used as the narrators.

I enjoyed Alex's chapters more because Lettie's sometimes felt a little too much like reading a young adult novel. However, I do commend Day for capturing the young adult voice in those chapters.

I kept forgetting that this was a murder mystery as there was so much focus on the characters and their inner-workings. It very well could have been women's fiction.

The Block Party opens with the annual Memorial Day block party on an upper-middle-class suburban street. The story then goes back 1 year to the previous year's block party and moves forward. Keeping with the the block party theme, several holidays are the focus such as Halloween, Friends-giving, and the Christmas holidays. This made the book feel less like a summer read and more of a year-round read.

As i said the characters are interesting and we really get to know them as their private lives are revealed either by the character's own admission or through another character's discovery. The murder (and even the Memorial Day block party) were very secondary for me as I just wanted to know what was going on with the characters. Though as the story progressed I did get more curious about the murder.

This is definitely a great book for a long weekend as I wanted to devour large chunks of the story as I got engrossed in the lives of the characters.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Tuesday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2023/11/2-great-character-centric-stories.html

I love domestic suspense, but I think that after having read so much of it, it's getting harder to find books that have original takes on things. For readers not a well-versed in the sub-genre, I do think this would be an enjoyable read, but I found it too predictable to spotlight.

This was a slow read for me. There is a lot going on in Meadowbrook and a lot of characters to keep up with as well. I found most of the characters to be lackluster and with too much commentary. I liked the idea of the book but just wanted it to be done.
Thank you for the advanced copy.

A block party. A murder. And as secrets surface, things aren't as they seemed. I enjoyed this book!

"The residents of the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal utterly unknown to the outside world, and even to each other. On the night of the annual Summer block party, there has been a murder. But, who did it and why takes readers back one year earlier, as rivalries and betrayals unfold—discovering that the real danger lies within their own block and nothing—and no one—is ever as it seems."
What happens with the neighborhood, do they ever figure out who or what is endangering their lives?
Great story, kept me entertained from the beginning, quick read. I give this book stars.
Thank you to St Martin's Press, netgalley, and the author for a chance to leave an honest review.
Published July 18, 2023.

i honestly was expecting more from this! i could not relate to any of the characters, i just felt they were melodramatic. i wish it was a little shorter because i began losing interest about 50% of the way through. the ending was surprising and i enjoyed the mother/daughter dual POV, it’s quite unique.

Everyone has secrets to spill on Alton Road, but some could alter the course of more than one life in The Block Party by Jamie Day. In fact, it could end in murder, which it does in this debut novel. A whole cast of diverse characters appear in this domestic thriller, and you'll learn why this person does not like that one, who's sleeping with whom, who is addicted to what, and who's been throwing rocks through windows.

I enjoy these domestic thrillers so much, but some are better than others. I've read a handful in the past few years, and this one was very entertaining. It's a slow burn where you get to know the major players who live in the same neighborhood. Even the teenagers appear in their own level of scandals, so there's a different perspective that comes in. One of the teens narrates some chapters, so that's where you get that angle from.

Although I never watched Desperate Housewives because I had a newborn or may have been pregnant when it started, I assume there were shades of this show within this novel. Every character has a secret motive, some try to one-up each other, and many are trying to hide what is really driving them. A new couple moves in with their son around the time of the annual block party, and that's when a lot of this drama begins.

I liked the way it was written and the alternating viewpoints of the somewhat omniscient narrator and one of the neighborhood teenagers. The teenager perspective was good and didn't seem too mature for her years, which I've found in other books. Also, you get to know all the characters in a balanced way. Everyone gets their time on-screen, and you'll understand their motives and backgrounds. I felt like most of the characters were covered except for any that really weren't that important to the plot.

I didn't love the NextDoor app type of comments woven into the book because I felt like they weren't needed. The comments are from observers from other parts of the town. They weren't necessary and weren't from anyone that close to the situations, so I didn't think they added anything to the book. But that's a totally nitpicky comment to make, so you quickly read them and get onto the next chapter.

If you're into the domestic thriller genre, this is a great addition to the genre. It's chockfull of gossip and scandal that burns until you're caught up in the flames. I highly recommend it, and hope I get the chance to review the author's next book in the future.

I enjoyed this book immensely. It kept me guessing until the end. It has a lot of irons in the fire, though, but end the end it all worked. Jamie Day did a great job with writing this story. It showed how neighborhoods can be. They gossip and fight, but also can be great friends. If you like an easy read with some mystery, give this book a chance.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jamie Day and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

3.5 rounded to 4

This was a fun read. I love domestic, crazy neighborhood thrillers and this one was just that. The characters (though a little overwhelming at times) all played their crazy roles perfectly. My one complaint was that there a bit TOO MANY twists that didn't add anything to the story, so they seemed unnecessary.

An amazing thriller telling the story of one neighborhood shattered when a murder occurs. Fascinating and unpolished characters! Loved it!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for opportunity to read and review this arc honestly.

I was in a terrible reading slump so I figured I’d pick this book and give it a go. Needless to say it got me out of that slump. The story was intriguing, and easy to follow. I connected and was invested in some of the characters, and there weren’t any that I really found obnoxiously annoying like some books. The ending wrapped everything up well and didn’t feel rushed. I really enjoyed the book and have recommended it to others.

I wanted to love this one, but the reality is that I loved the gist of it and hated the execution.
I'm not yet tired of the Shenanigans in the Cul-de-sac stories, I think it provides a great setting and a variety of connected and nearby characters. And this is a complicated story with a lot of characters who each have problems and suspicions and behind-closed-door issues.

But the characters here are the main problem. Willow and Brooke blurred together in my mind, and I always had to think to remember the difference between Ken and Evan. The Samir family is brought in as an outsider in every way and we don't get to know them that well even though they're an important part of the story. What can I say about the Bug Man. The BUG MAN? This was not a great choice for a character, and every interaction with him was ridiculous. And then there is one of our narrators, the very nosy Alex, who is deeply invested in spying on her neighbors and developing theories about their relationships. Her actions were unreasonable and outrageous.

But I was still planning to give it 4 stars until the end, when we get pages of explanation from one character, pages of confession from another character, and then more explanations from another character. I always have to take a star off for long expository confessions, they're my pet peeve.

Finally, I LOVE the cover. So different from the hundreds of "mysterious house on a dimly lit street" my TBR list is full of. More fun covers like this please!

So, it's three stars for this one. I didn't hate it, I mostly liked it. But it's more a book I'd love to read on summer vacation when I check out a 10-book pile and just plow through them. Quantity, not quality. Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I want to see more covers like this one and I'm still all in on cul-de-sac stories!

I'll start off by saying this book would make a great movie on Lifetime or Netflix. So many interesting characters appear in this story. The sexy neighbor with an onlyfans following, the alchoholic superwife, the sleazy cheating husband, and the new mysterious neighbors who everyone is trying to figure out.
This was a fun book to pick up with nonstop drama from all the characters. I will note it does get confusing at times because there are multiple stories going on at once. It does all tie together as the book concludes.
Overall this was a fun romp and definitely a sizzling look at crazy drama in a "boring" suburban neighborhood.
This could be a great pick for book club or just a easy weekend read.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m all in for a neighborhood drama and this book really delivers it. I liked the way it was paced and how each household’s bit of personal drama was presented.

Jamie Day's THE BLOCK PARTY is the exact sort of novel I enjoy. Bougie, catty, dramatic relationships between women, their husbands, and competitive neighbors down the block. The narrative format of setting up the block party year to year is what I enjoy as well, but I will say that this book had entirely too many characters and tried to do too much. The result: stopped caring about any of them and couldn't wait for it to be over.. I think it should have focused on EITHER just the parents, or the teens. To try to build so much intrigue between so many people got absolutely ridiculous. I did enjoy the use of the neighborhood app as a mechanism for reporting the buzz around the emergency.

I so enjoy when I have an idea about what’s going on in a book and I end up being right even if it’s a super creepy thing. This book was so good and the characters are very engaging. The way the story is told with dual narrators Alex & Lettie gives a better picture of what is going on in the story. We know someone died from the Meadowbrook Online Community Page but not who until almost the very end. The theme of revenge is explored well & I liked when Lettie gave up her revenge plot on Riley. The female characters in this book were fun & varied while the male characters were mostly highly flawed. I also liked that alcoholism and domestic violence issues were brought into the story. I still can’t believe Alex drove under the influence. The climax of this story was exciting & tense and the ending was so good, I liked the way some of the missing pieces were filled in.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this book. It was a good read.

The residents of the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal utterly unknown to the outside world, and even to each other.

On the night of the annual Summer block party, there has been a murder... GASP!

There are many characters, but thankfully only two narrators to keep track of as the drama unfolds.

Narrated by Alex, a mediator, and her daughter, Lettie, a high school senior, the narrative alternates between last year’s block party to this year’s, interspersed with chapters that take place between fall, winter and spring.
In addition, residents of the community shared their theories on the Facebook community chat -- these perspectives were supposed to add fuel to the fire, which for me, they absolutely did.

While the story took me a minute to be fully immersed into it, I loved the domestic drama/thriller-esque novelty to it.

The Block Party by Jamie Day was such a fun summer read! I love books with “perfect” neighbors/friends/families who all have something to hide and The Block Party delivers.

Lots of twists and turns, characters who aren’t what they seem and add in some murder for fun!

Thank you, @stmartinspress and @goodreads !! I really enjoyed this.

The residents of the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal utterly unknown to the outside world, and even to each other. On the night of the annual Summer block party, there has been a murder...GASP! There are many characters, but thankfully only two narrators to keep track of as the drama unfolds.
Narrated by Alex, a mediator, and her daughter, Lettie, a high school senior. The narrative alternates between last year’s block party to this year’s, interspersed with chapters that take place between fall, winter, and spring. In addition, residents of the community shared their theories in Facebook community chat--these perspectives were supposed to add fuel to the fire, which for me, it really absolutely did. While the story took me a minute to be fully immersed into it, I loved the domestic drama/thriller-esque novelty to it.