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