I'd like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an E-ARC of this book. I am not married, and I am not a mother - yet I found every families' story relatable. I enjoyed this book immensely. #TheFamilyNextDoor #NetGalley

Truly loved this story and the mystery of who Isabelle was. The looks at the different families was also a great point of this story,

I’m very torn in how to rate this book. It completely reminds me of Desperate Housewives but that made it somewhat predictable.
I thought that the characters were fun and well developed. The storyline progressed at a good rate and I never had the desire to stop reading it.
All in all, I did really enjoy it and thought that it had just enough plot twists to keep me entertained.

I really enjoyed this book. Each chapter revealed more about each character. The premise of the story is that there is a child that was kidnapped and a nephew neighbor, Isabelle, a single fortyish woman shows up to a neighborhood. A nice, friendly but not too friendly neighborhood. At first glance, we have the first impressions that each of the main households is under the control. The only anomaly is simply that Essie suffered a post partum episode after the birth of her first child. Yet as the story unfolds, the reader discovers that each family has deep struggles. The book concentrates on telling the stories through the women and touches on what women seem to struggle with the most; motherhood, life balance, and impression management.

As crises occur, however, the women slowly break down barriers and discover good friends and support systems where they didn’t expect. Their original opinions of the family next door, whoever they may be, shifts.

The author paces the novel very well. She explores the subjects of marriage, motherhood, friendship, as well as infidelity, rebuilding after a crisis, or choosing not to include people after crisis. The reader doesn’t know who the abductor of the child is and, although there are arguments for each of the households highlighted, the child abduction is really just the catalyst for the houses of cards to fall and personas to slip.

I really enjoyed the book. I found it intriguing but also deeper than what I expected.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the preview copy of this book.

I had read and enjoyed The Things We Keep, and The Mother's Promise and this latest offering from Hepworth continues in the same vein. Excellent character development, and engaging storyline and a close look at how families work.

I, too, thought I knew where the story was headed and enjoyed the unexpected twists and turns.

Recommended.

If you enjoyed watching Desperate Housewives, this is a great book for you. Pleasant Court is a lovely neighborhood where Ange, Fran and Essie are each living with their husbands and raising their families. Things are so peaceful. But, each of the ladies has a secret she's hiding. Things become more intriguing when Isabelle, a single young woman moves into the neighborhood. Why would she want to move into this family neighborhood? No one seems to know. It sure seems like she has a secret she's hiding from everyone too. Soon the neighborhood secrets begin to unravel. How will everything end? Fantastic characters, great plot development, definitely a great book!

First time reading this author & I look forward to reading more by her.

Takes place in a Melbourne Australia neighborhood, Pleasant Court. Young married couples with small children, each family doing what families do- work, take care of the kids & keep on moving! But not everything is a perfect as it seems, a little bit of a Peyton Place!!

We met 3 women & their spouses & children, the twists & turns this story takes will keep you guessing & surprised by the twist this story takes. A new person moves into the neighborhood, a single woman & that is when things really start to snowball.

Each character was well developed & I didn't see the turn the story took until towards the end.

Very enjoyable book!!

I received an advanced review copy of this book from The Great Thoughts Ninja Review Team & from Net Galley, this is a fair & honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read The Family Next Door.
What defines a "normal" family, living in a "normal" neighborhood, in a "normal" town - this book tears that premise apart. The story centers on several families and their secrets and how they intertwine. There are alot of characters and subplots so this is not an easy read. I had to go back a few times to make sure I was comprehending.
Good Book - just a bit wordy and more complicated than I like to read. Fans of Moriarty and Unger will like this book.

When I read the synopsis for The Family Next Door, I thought that this would be a quick read. Something that would be a light read. Yeah right. This book is anything but light.

The Family Next Door has two major storylines and four sub-storylines. One of the major storylines was the mystery lady who is telling her daughter how thankful she was to have her. The other major storyline was about Isabelle and the reasons she moved to Pleasant Court.

The sub-storylines center around Ange, Fran, and Essie. Each has a secret that no one knows about. Ange needs to control every aspect of her life. Fran will not let her husband come near their newborn daughter. Essie’s storyline is a bit more complex. It focuses on her leaving her then-newborn daughter to a park and leaving her.

I loved how the author took each woman’s story and interwove it with Isabelle’s storyline. Each woman added depth to Isabelle’s storyline and they all interconnected. The mystery woman adds a bit of mystery that makes you want to know more about her and her situation.

I am not going to get into each woman here. But I will say that I did enjoy each woman’s story. I also felt bad for each woman portrayed. Each woman had issues to overcome and each did it in their own way.

I did predict what happened towards the end of the book. But I was not ready for the lengths that the person would go through. I actually felt bad for her. The trauma she endured was crippling. Doesn’t excuse what she did but still.

The Family Next Door is a gripping drama that breaks your heart. The characters are fleshed out. The plot is great. This was a book that made me think at the end of it.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, language, and mild violence

I would like to thank Sally Hepworth, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing to read and review The Family Next Door.

All opinions stated in this review of The Family Next Door are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Things are not as pleasant as outward impressions would have you believe on Pleasant Court. A new, single woman has moved in to this family neighborhood and everyone is wondering why. Fran has a new baby and a secret that she is trying to bury with endless running. Ange, the perfect working Mom, is seeing things in her husband that make her question his every move. And everyone is worried that Essie will again suffer postpartum depression and is keeping a close eye on her. When Essie becomes obsessed with the new neighbor everything begins to unravel. A story of family and truth and love that keeps you guessing about who is telling the truth.

This story centers around a neighborhood- “Pleasant Court” - of primarily married couples with children. It’s a family friendly community.

Ange & Lucas - Essi & Ben - and Fran & Nigel each have two kids.
Barbara is a single woman who lives next door to Essi — Barbara is Essi’s mother...and a hand’s on grandmother.
The only only single women mentioned in this community ( or of significant interest) is newcomer, Isabelle. She lives next door to Essi ( we assume the opposite side from her mother)

The men play a small role in the novel. It’s the women who are in the drivers seat.

With plenty of snide remarks, prissy attitudes, trials and tribulations, judgements, jealousy, gossip, infidelity, secrets and lies......”The Family Next Door”, is equal parts a serious soap opera, soap opera parody.....
.......a sympathy card to the pressures of raising a family and a satire jab at suburbia and the women who can always find something to gossip and complain about.

Personally, I felt this book was ‘readable’ but not inspiring. Besides the fact that I felt the plot was thin - lacking authentic depth - I felt there were too many roads that lead to nowhere. A path got carve out ... but then we didn’t get to walk on it.

At the start of this story Essi leaves her baby in a park and goes home — there was potential to move the story in many directions - much could have been explored .....
but instead the author quickly moved us to 3 years later — and essentially moved on to learn about everyone else in the community ( yes Essi spent time in a psychiatric institution- but it was simply mentioned).... ZIPPY-DO-DA.... Essi is well with another baby in hand.
I never felt Essi’s forgetting her baby -leaving it in that park - ever tied in with the rest of the story.

Later — Ange wanted to begin a “Neighborhood Watch”....and invited the ladies to her house. NOTHING about that idea got developed.

One of the kids broke his wrist - it was another tidbit detail no more important than eating Froot Loops for breakfast.

The big question this novel brings up is “how well do we know our neighbors”? Fact is ..... I think the topic is very thin. To get me/ the reader to ‘care’ one way or another I would need another story than the one we read. At times the writing was a bit too clever and smug for its own good.

If I knew this book was straight black comedy I think I might have liked it better...
As it was .... otherwise — it’s hard to read an entire novel with most of the women so tightly-wound up to their issues.

However .... I like this quote very much.... I read it a few times. And it made me sad .....because the people who suffered most in this novel were the children.

“One thing you didn’t realize until you were a grandparent was is that little children were a tiny glimpse of magic in a dreadfully difficult world”. ...... absolutely the authors best line in this book IMO!!!

3 Stars .... I actually considered giving it less to be honest.... but I feel there ARE women who will eat this type of book up —
The PLUS for me in reading it —

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth.

Pleasant Court seemed like the perfect place to raise your family. Fran, An He and Eddie all lived on Pleasant Court with their families. Then Isabelle, a single woman, moves onto the street! The only other single person on the street is Essie's mom. Pleasant Court holds many secrets. This cul-de-sac of folks is not so perfect after all. This book kept me guessing to the end.

Pleasant Court in Melbourne Australia seems like a pleasant place to live...or is it.? This is another book that asks the question "Just how well do you know someone?" You live with a person, share their bed, share meals with them, raise children with them, you know them right??? Well, do you?

Ahhhhhh, small towns. Lovely scenic places. They are supposed to be safe. Nothing bad ever happens there. How can it? Bad things don't happen when things are so pleasant do they? What a joy to live in a community where you know your neighbors and your neighbors know you. A place where you can get together for neighborhood watch or just to chat about your day over a cup of tea or glass of wine. A place where one can smile and wave, believing that everything is okay, everything WILL be okay, everything should be okay...but what happens when it isn't?

Have you ever know someone who looks like they have their shit together? Seriously, he/she is the one who looks great, smells great, is healthy, always smiling, always on time, never seems to have a bad day and you envy them...because life is hard and they make it look so easy. Well as they say, you never know what goes on behind closed doors. What drives someone to exercise excessively, what drives someone to always smile even thought their heart is breaking, who acts as if everything is honky dory even thought he/she is harboring a HUGE secret?

Every family/person in this book has something to hide.

Ange works out, gets her hair and nails done. She wants to look good for her handsome husband. He is a good looking man and women throw themselves at him. Ange wants to -no she needs to look good for him.....

Essie once took her daughter to the park and left her there. Her husband and Mother keep close eyes on her to make sure she is "Okay" Her mother, Barbara helps her out a lot as she had postpartum depression. She has even moved closer to Essie to help her out. A Mother's job is never done.....

Fran runs all the time. Several times a day and she is uncomfortable when her husband is left alone with their youngest daughter. Why? She doesn't seem to care when he is with their eldest. Their marriage seems fine so what is her issue?

Isabelle is the single woman who moved into the neighborhood. Single and childless, she sticks out and everyone wonders about her. But Isabelle also wonders about those in her neighborhood. She watches them and makes her observations.

It soon becomes evident that not everything is as it seems once you get behind closed doors. Characters have their secrets and as the book unfolds, their secrets come out. Some we see coming and there was one that was a shocker!

This was a really enjoyable read. It is fun, the plot moves along at a nice fast pace and nothing felt rushed or drawn out. I felt that the revelations came at just the right time. I liked how the story is told through the various women's point of views. This is a great way to see what is motivating them, what is going on behind that smile, a look at their personal feelings and emotions. We learn their secrets and the secrets of other's in their lives.

I have read a couple of Sally Hepwoth's books (The things we keep, The Mother's promise) and have enjoyed them! This is another wonderful book by her. So far she has not disappointed and I will continue to be a happy reader of her work.

I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to them for the opportunity.

I've read two of Hepworth's previous books and was looking forward to her latest. Definitely a fast read [as were her others].

This was too much and too little. Too many things going on and not enough depth.

Set in Australia in a Melbourne suburb.
"The small suburb of Pleasant Court lives up to its name. It's the kind of place where everyone knows their neighbours, and children play in the street.

Isabelle Heatherington doesn't fit into this picture of family paradise. Husbandless and childless, she soon catches the attention of three Pleasant Court mothers.

But Ange, Fran and Essie have their own secrets to hide."

And so it begins.

A husband cheats. A wife cheats. Secrets, more secrets, and dysfunctions.

The writing was fine. And, I confess, it kept my attention and I plowed through it because I wanted to see how it played out. Nonetheless, I didn't much care. Perhaps because I found all the characters somewhat shallow and self-absorbed. Yes, a contradiction.

However, some descriptions just made me smile.
"...her expression, as usual, was gently started thanks to the perfect amount of Botox."

So, it was a page-turner, BUT.

Suburban moms have secrets behind closed doors. We think we know our neighbors, but do we really know what is going on in their lives. This book is great domestic fiction, with twists that kept you reading and characters that are relatable. Ange seems to have it all, two young sons and a handsome husband, but is it all a façade. Essie, the mother of two young girls, experienced post-partum depression with her first, now with another baby, is she experiencing it again. And, who is the mysterious new neighbor, Isabelle what's her reason for moving to the neighborhood? The Family Next Door is a captivating read.

This is an amazing book of secrets, lies, and more secrets! I loved it and could not put it down! Essie, Fran, and Ange are friends and neighbors. Then a new neighbor Isabelle, moves onto their street. Each of the four women have secrets. I loved the characters and felt like I could be one of the women on their street. I thought I had it figured but I was completely wrong! I truly loved this book and it kept me guessing until the very end! I received an advance review copy of this book from the Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

The picture perfect Yuppie neighborhood with the picture perfect Yuppie families. Then moves in the most un-Yuppie like single lady. But every family has its secrets.

A great book and an interesting story. I loved getting to know the families that lived in the neighborhood. And I did not figure out the mystery until it was laid out on a platter for me.

Lastly, I will admit it took me way too long to figure out they were in Australia.

I received an advance review copy of this book from Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

I figured this would be the typical book about neighbors and something sketchy but I couldn't have been more wrong. So different ! Every single family with their different issues but seemingly living the perfect life. Even when you know Isabelle was looking for a missing child, you could not figure out who it was in the story that had been taken. Totally kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat. Just an all around well written book ! I highly recommend it. !

Confession: I am a reader who tries to out think the author and guess the twist. I am a horrible person to watch a mystery with--just ask my daughter. So, I was thrilled to be outwitted by Hepworth. I followed her bread crumbs to the edge of the cliff where I fell into the depths of her suburban suspense novel.

First off, what is it about Australian cul-de-sac's--or maybe just cul-de-sac's in general? First there was Big Little Lies, and now we have The Family Next Door.

The women of Pleasant Court have perfect lives on the surface, but soon there are ripples in their crystal-clear reflections. Essie is battling postpartum demons, Fran thinks if she runs far enough and fast enough, she'll erase her mistakes, and Ange's obsession with perfection hides a few secrets as well. And what about the new neighbor, Isabelle--is anyone really that nice and accommodating?

Hepworth skillfully ties these lives together and builds a nice story of suspense set in a suburban neighborhood. I don't want to give anything away, but I got totally sucked into this book and read it in about a day or so. 4.5 stars from me.

I received an advance review copy of this book from Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.