Member Reviews

Unlikeable, unreliable characters, obsessions, secrets, and just where will this all go? That sums up The Neighbors We Want. Told in multiple points of view, it’s a rather intriguing psychological suspense novel with stay-at-home dad Adam and his postnatally depressed wife Sarah at the centre of a murky group of people. The others include Ali who Adam likes to watch from his window, her ex-boyfriend Crispin who is lurking near Ali’s place and doing odd territorial things, and Crispin’s mother, who is also Sarah’s mighty strange boss. Adam gets it in his head that Ali has been abducted, possibly killed, and then one thing leads to another and another… And it turns out, these are the neighbours we do not want.
The Neighbors We Want is for those readers who enjoy flawed characters and multiple narrators in a psychological suspense novel.

Was this review helpful?

Weaving A Tangled Web…
It’s a fair enough phrase to attach to this tale of suburban noir - what a tangled web they all weave here when first they practice to deceive- and, it seems, they all are. Secrets, lies, power, control and obsessions are to be found in abundance in this suburban street. Told by way of differing points of view and perspectives and with a narrative packed with twists and turns, this tale of family, parenthood and relationships unfolds. Intriguing and unexpected.

Was this review helpful?

This book was a bit hard for me to get into; however, once I was in, I was addicted. I enjoyed all of the characters and their development. I did not expect the ending and the change in one of the main characters.

Was this review helpful?

The Neighbors We Want by Tim Lane was an intriguing suburbia mystery..
The suspense is palpable, the mystery deep and compelling.
The plotting is tight, the pacing so pitch perfect it was impossible to put this book down.
I really enjoyed the book, I did find parts of it a bit slow but the slow burn never took away from overall experience.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this
amazing eARC!

Was this review helpful?

Oof. This was a tough one to get through. Every single one of the characters was unbearable and unbelievable, not in a fun way. The writing style also wasn’t for me. It was a confusing mix of tenses, stream of consciousness, with a tiny bit of dialogue thrown in. Also, Evie having her own POV felt completely unnecessary. Actually, her whole character really brought nothing to to table. I did keep reading because I needed to see how the story fit together, so the plot was solid! That’s a plus!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you for providing me a copy of this book. I love thrillers and was excited to read this based off the premise. I am sad to say that this book, however, was not for me which made it difficult to get through. The style in which the book was written is also strange.

Was this review helpful?

First, the cover of this book is everything! But the book, it was weird! Not sure I would classify this as a thriller. Psychological, marital distress, and suspense, absolutely! For anyone who has had a baby, you know the strain it can inevitably put on a marriage. But the couple in this book were at moments, downright horrible to each other. I could not stomach Adam whatsoever. His peeping Tom, sex-obsessed and liberal comments were not enjoyable. There were a lot of storylines within the characters, and it reads more like an endless stream of consciousness than a suspense book.
The Neighbors We Want was just ok.

Was this review helpful?

I received an ARC copy of the Neighbors We Want by Tim Lane from NetGalley.

Adam and Sarah live in this small seemingly nice town, but after having a child, Adam and Sarah's marriage seems to falling apart. You think that you know who the bad person is in this book, but somehow there is someone that is always just a little bit worse .. and these people are DEFINITELY NOT the neighbors you would want lol.

Lies, secret affairs, horrible bosses, drugs, and lust are just some of the things this book explores. I would say that it was a faced-paced read but it left me wanting a little more character development throughout the story. Overall, it was a good book and left me guessing until the end.

Was this review helpful?

This was well written, fast and a quick read! I love stories with Neighbours behaving badly and this one fit the bill! I had not read this author before but will definately read again 3 stars from me!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this novel for the purpose of this review.

This was an enjoyable read. The story line did not hold any real surprises but was entertaining none the less.

I agree with a review I read that stated that this is not so much a mystery but more a question of how low will the couple go. Even with that in mind the writing was good enough to carry the story.

Was this review helpful?

If you're looking for a confusing, non-psycological thriller that makes you ask yourself "what the hell is going on" multiple times throughout the story, then this is the book for you! The writing seemed chaotic, the characters weren't very likeable, and I kept waiting for that pivotal moment of the story, but it never came. Tough to get through and wouldn't recommend.

Was this review helpful?

I am really at a loss at how to review this book. I finished it because I was dying to piece everything together and to see how it ended, but I really don’t know how to feel about it.
Categorized as a thriller, but it was genuinely just so odd. Thrilling? Maybe. Interesting? For sure.
The intertwined relationships had me interested from the beginning, especially Evie’s and Sarah’s.
This book comes out September 5th if you’re looking for a weird thriller!
3/5 ⭐️

Was this review helpful?

Unfortunately this did not work for me. All the characters were insufferable and the plot was ..... what? What was it? This was so hard to get through.

Was this review helpful?

3.7
I found this a, yes, slightly weird, but overall serendipitous little read. The trick, I think, is not to take it altogether too seriously. Sure, it's a little dark for lighthearted, but there's something kinda fun in that too.

Was this review helpful?

Multiple POVs; domestic thriller vibes; really struggled to stay engaged with this one; the writing style was difficult and distracting and the plot seemed all over the place; I was really excited after reading the synopsis, but the book fell a little flat in its delivery and was pretty unsatisfying; there was some suspense and tension but it all felt a little too forced

Special thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Was this review helpful?

Super good book with twists that keep you reading. I loved the main character and they kept the story fresh. Definitely a good one to add to you TBR.

Was this review helpful?

I knew I had to read this book when I saw in the synopsis: “perfect for fans of Paula Hawkins and Gillian Flynn” - I say throw a bit of Sally Hepworth in there and then it’s bang on the money!

I enjoyed the way the book was written - I love the multiple POV’s. I particularly enjoyed how Evie’s POV was written as I felt like this added a lot of tension and build up to the story.

This was a page turner for me and I read it in a couple of days! I was desperate to know what happened and never would have guessed the ending!

Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a low stakes psychological thriller that’s easy to speed through. Would definitely read more from this author.

Was this review helpful?

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: September 5, 2023
New father, Adam, lost his job unexpectedly and is now struggling to adapt to his life as a stay-at-home Dad. Not only that but his wife, Sarah, has changed since the baby and the two of them are quickly losing what they once had. Desperate for something, anything, to change up the doldrums of Adam’s life, he catches a glimpse of his new neighbour, Ali, in the window and after she performs a quick striptease, he finds a new obsession. Until the night he looks for Ali and finds Kemp, Ali’s extremely obsessive and overly creepy ex-boyfriend, stalking outside Ali’s house. And then Ali disappears……..
Tim Lane’s second novel, “The Neighbours We Want” is a psychological fiction novel that focuses on obsession; obsession with sex, obsession with possession, and, of course, obsession with power. Sarah, Adam, Ali and Kemp are all obsessed with something, and their interconnected relationship is so twisted you can’t help but keep reading.
All four characters play a narrative role, with each chapter being told by one of the four neighbours. There are also a few chapters told by Kemp’s mother, who also happens to be Sarah’s principal. Still with me? If you can keep up with who the characters are, who they’re married to, who they’re sleeping with (not necessarily one and the same) and what their motivations are, then this book is worth sticking around for. The plot is right up there with a soap opera storyline (or a soft-core porn, but with limited sex) so it’s chock full of drama and intrigue and will keep you engaged.
I did not connect to any of the characters but I felt invested enough in them to continue reading to see how their storylines played out. Lane reveals the plot slowly, teasingly almost, pulling the reader along for a guessing-game of a thrill ride. The ending is exactly as expected and I was happy about it, as no questions had been left unanswered.
Lane is a new author to me, as I have not yet read his debut novel, “Rules for Becoming a Legend”, but I’m interested enough to keep my ear to the ground for any of his future works.

Was this review helpful?

"The Neighbors We Want," by Tim Lane is a drama that describes the story of Adam and Sarah who have recently had a baby and feel all the complicated emotions and exhaustion experienced by first-time parents. Their relationship is further complicated by secrets they keep from eachother. So, when Adam becomes obsessed by the disappearance of Ali, his neighbor from across the street, he and Sarah come to make progressively more troubling decisions that not only affect their work lives but also their marriage.

Unfortunately, I found the characters all so unlikeable and deeply flawed that the book felt more like a slog than a page-turner. As a result, the outcome was neither surprising nor particularly satisfying. It is not a book that I would recommend.

Nevertheless, thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I did not finish the book as I found the explicit nature of it somewhat unnecessary and not something I enjoy.

Thank you for the opportunity to read the book.

Was this review helpful?