Really enjoyed this read. It was a page turner for me trying to figure out who would be the most affected by all the kept secrets.

This excellent new book by Sally Hepworth is about secrets, both those that we keep from our friends and neighbors but as important the secrets that we keep within our families. The author does an amazing job of giving us a great plot with people that we all feel like we know in our day to day lives.

Pleasant Court is a small neighborhood and Essie, Fran and Ange all live their with the families. They are all parents of small children and even though they all wave to each other and talk everyday chatter, they aren't really good friends. They all wonder why Isabelle decided to move there since she's a single woman with no kids. The story is told from all 4 woman's point of view and as they each tell their story, secrets are revealed in each family. Even though mistakes were made - some major - all four women remain likable.

You never really know the secrets that someone else is keeping from the world. This book about friendship and motherhood and secrets is a great read.

Thanks to goodreads and the Great Thoughts Ninja Review Team for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Ever been curious about that goes on in your neighbors' homes? Ever thought about what secrets your neighbors try to hide as they close their door and window shades at night? Surely, most of us have and that is the premise of this novel by Sally Hepworth.

The people of Pleasant Court have secrets and as we delve into the novel, we learn more and more about what is driving them. Some secrets are those of infidelity, some of a lost child, and some are of the illusions we sometimes see in marriages and relationships. Essie, the main character suffers from postpartum depression but is befriended by a new neighbor, Isabelle, who seems to take quite a big interest in Essie. That interest is returned as Essie seems more and more drawn towards Isabelle. Essie fears she might be harboring a gay relationship. Essie is the mother of two children with a doting husband yet why is there this overwhelming attraction to Isabelle?

Then there are the other residents of Pleasant Court. Ange, Fran, and Essie's mother hold within themselves their own secrets. Why is Ange such a controlling person? Why is Fran so afraid to let her husband near her newest child? Finally, why is Barbara, Essie's mother, always so solicitous? All of these questions are answered as the book continues to a somewhat surprising, yet to to this reader, a somewhat hard to believe conclusion.

The book is certainly a quick read, but the problem is some of the reasoning behind the secretive nature of the characters seems far fetched. I enjoyed the story however, as it leads one on a journey to find out what their neighbors hid behind their doors.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Publishing for an arc of this book.

Strap on your seatbelt and get ready for a riveting read! I often “solve the mystery” before the end of a novel but an “aha” moment escaped me with this one…

There is a nagging memory of a child in a nearby suburb that went missing years ago. That child was never found. Something like that would never happen in Pleasant Court.

The novel centers around three families in a small Australian neighborhood and each home could be the family next door. Essie had a mental breakdown a few years ago. Her mum and Ben are concerned now that they have another baby. She seems to be handling the stress alright but you can never be too sure. Fran is a super intelligent attorney currently on maternity leave. She seems hyper-focused on her newborn and won’t let her sweet hubby near Ava. Ange is the quintessential control freak of the bunch. She’s happily married with two sons, owns a real estate agency and always looks spectacular.

As the women slowly form a bond, Isabelle moves into the neighborhood. She’s aloof and without a husband or children and what exactly does she do all day? She’s certainly secretive and doesn’t make an effort to fit in. What’s her story?

How well does anyone ever really know their neighbors and the dichotomy within their households? How long will they be able to keep their secrets secret?

I received an advance review copy of this book from Great Thoughts Ninjas. All opinions are my own.

Since I don't read a whole lot of chick lit, I'm choosey about which titles to read when I do decide to pick one up. This one said, "for fans of Liane Moriarty", which I found to be completely true while reading. It's an Australian suburban mystery among young mothers and families. There are several families living on the quiet street of Pleasant Court in Melbourne. Each family has their own struggles, which include crying babies, postpartum depression, feelings of isolation from the rest of the world and detachment from the people they were before marriage and babies. Each family also has their own secrets, which emerge as twists and turns in the story as it progresses.

I didn't love this book right from the start. It took me a while to get everyone's husbands and kids attached to the right mother/wife, and it took me a few chapters to start becoming invested in what was going on with the characters. But it turned out to be a great read, so much so that I finished it in one day. If you're looking a good little, reality escaping, light reading--The Family Next Door may be just the ticket.

"She couldn't expect every puzzle piece of her life to click together just because she wanted it to. All her life she'd lived with a peice of her puzzle missing, and maybe that was just the way life was."
I was quickly absorbed into this neighborhood, and anxious to learn each persons secrets.
I was shocked at the twists and turns of this novel and it kept me wondering right up to the last few pages, just how things would end.
Sally Hepworth does an amazing job of making you feel as if you are actually standing in the kitchens of these homes listening , to solve the dilemmas in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. When I started this book, I wasn't sure what to expect, but as soon as I sorted out who the characters were, and "got" their voices (quickly), I was hooked. Most families have a persona people believe is truly them, but usually there is always a story behind the appearance. This book takes this premise and runs with it. What added to my interest was that it kept me guessing, and each time I thought I knew where it was going, another turn came up. Highly recommended.

This was my first Sally Hepworth novel. It is the story of four women in their 30s who live in the same neighborhood in the suburbs of Melbourne. From the outside, all the women's lives look perfect. As the story progresses, the reader is invited to peek inside each of their home lives and, somewhat predictably, we learn that they all have their secret dysfunctions.

I love women's fiction, and I often turn to it when I'm in the mood for something on the lighter side that won't make me think too hard, and just allow me to enjoy the characters and relate to them. THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR did just that for me. Nothing about this novel was memorable for me, in fact I will probably forget the plot and the characters by next month. However, it was fun to read while it lasted and made my weekend enjoyable. The only misstep I think Hepworth made was with Essie's story. Her attraction to her [sister] Isabelle and the implications of that, including her apparent disdain for her husband, who truly loved her and cared about her, felt unresolved. She never seemed to love Ben or appreciate him, and that fact was just kind of ignored at the end of the story.

In many ways, Hepworth's writing reminded me of Liane Moriarty; however, her characters, plot, and insight into all the little mundane activities that make up a life were not nearly as sharp and compelling. I would recommend Hepworth's novels as a filler for when one is waiting for Moriarty's next novel. It isn't nearly as delicious, but it has a reminiscent flavor that will get you through until you're able to have the real thing.

a somewhat predictable, formulaic novel. not a bad read, but not on par with her previous novels. dragged in places, characters one-dimensional.

I received an advance review copy of The Family Next Door from the Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

This was the first of Sally Hepworth's novels which I have read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! This book read similar to a Laine Moriarty novel - as this book had a very large ensemble cast, and was set in Australia. While it took me a bit to remember who was who in the book, once I put two and two together, it flowed much better for me. The book has a few twists which I never saw coming (I did not read the back of the book before, so I knew nothing about the book before starting), and I appreciated them all, the twists actually help tie together some of the character's story lines. I did feel a few of the characters were unnecessary to the main characters, and just took time away from possible further development of back stories.
But honestly, all in all, I really enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading Sally's previous books!

I received an advanced review copy of this book from The Great Thoughts Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own. Excellent book with a strong plot and believable characters. I really enjoyed this book. It has enough twists and turns to keep you reading and guessing. Definitely worth reading.

This Author never fails. I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. Very well written and suspenseful.

Motherhood is not the ideal that Essie dreamed it would be. Once, in a moment of frustration she left her newborn alone in a park. Luckily nothing happened and Essie got the help she needed, but the fear that she could slip again is jut below the surface. And now Essie is pregnant again. She takes her mind of her worries by getting to know her new neighbor, a single woman with no children, an oddity in a neighborhood where everyone is married with children. As Essie gets closer to Isabelle, it would seem that the newcomer’s choice of homes was anything but random. Readers will probably guess what’s happening, but Hepworth keeps the story alive and exciting with vibrant characters and snappy dialogue