I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Rich, flawed characters drive an engaging tale. How well do we really know our neighbors? How well do we really understand ourselves? A wonderful, heartbreaking story perfect for fans of Little Big Lies.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A group of neighbors become close friends. After celebrating an adoption by one of the couples, many of the other neighbors begin to judge the adoptive parents' treatment of their new daughter. Authorities are called in, friendships shatter, someone dies... Lots of emotions are generated in this story line.

This would be a great book club choice.

This was a fun book! I thought the characters were endearing and likeable, and the plot was interesting enough for me to keep reading through! Not my favourite, but it was a fun read!

A mixture of suspense and domestic drama! I thought there would be more thrill and suspense but it was still an enjoyable read despite that being the case. Good setting, characters, and dialogue as well. I didn't realize this had come out two years ago too! Thanks to netgalley and to the publisher for the copy!

Thanks NetGalley, Twelve Books and Joanne Serling for a free copy to review though it was released in 2018.
Disturbing book following the lives of four families in the same street, they throw parties together, go on vacations together, kids spend their time together all seems perfect on the outside.. that's until one family decided to adopt a child from Russia.
I don't think we were supposed to like any of the characters, especially Paige who I wanted to get out of the book and physically attack!
The writing style was engaging, I liked it but the story itself upset me. Besides Paige and Gene who did or didn't abuse their adopted kid, all the other parents variably mistreated their kids one way or another. It was scary to witness other parents lives from the outside and see how easily one could slip into such a behavior without even being aware.

~ www.roxtao.com ~


First things first: this is not a thriller. It might be described as one, it might even give you the illusion that it is, at least in the first pages. But slowly, slowly, you will understand that it’s not. By definition, a thriller is suppose to…mm… thrill you? To surprise you? And Good Neighbors has a good start in building that required tension. But somehow, chapter after chapter, the tension just dissipates somewhere in thin air, leaving you with a deflated balloon that hisses embarrassingly instead of popping with the glorious bang that you’d expect.

Buuuut…. There is a big “but”. I did actually enjoy the book. I can’t say I was “thrilled” (pun intended) to go back to it each time I interrupted my reading sessions and it did take me a while to finish it because of this reason. But weirdly, I liked the dark colors the author uses to paint her whole story. The slow action didn’t disturb me, the lack of suspense didn’t feel like a flaw. Don’t get me wrong, there is a certain feeling of apprehension, only that it’s not as concentrated as I was expecting when I read the synopsis.

I also loved how dark, somehow rhythmic and melancholic the protagonist’s voice was, as well as how lyrical Serling’s style is because of the abundance of verbless clauses. Few authors surprised me during the years with a very unique writting style that would be worth reading even if they’d write a grocery list, but I think J.D. Serling might actually be one of them.

And my-oh-my, I couldn’t wait to write this review only to share this one thing with anyone who’s reading it: the deeper the writter digs in the heroine’s mind and soul, the deeper you feel she went into your own. There’s nothing wrong with the protagonist. Realistically speaking, she doesn’t do or act in any wrong ways. But in the same time, there’s something disturbing, there’s something that feels somehow too personal and hidden. Or, perhaps, that’s exactly the issue: that it should be concealed and yet, there it is, out in the open, a truth about each one of us that we never acknowledge even to ourselves. You will find that ugly part of yourself in one of the protagonist’s thoughts. Perhaps when she’s thinking about all the ways she wishes her kid to be different. Or when she’s judging her own husband. Or when she’s not such a good friend as she likes to think. When she is not saddened about somebody else’s unhappiness. When she throws money to cover the guilt of lacking the proper feelings or taking the right actions. When she avoids responsibility just because her comfort zone is warm and nice. We all do things like these. We all have dirty sides that we refuse to look at. We all know they are there, despise them, feel guilty about them and yet, do nothing to correct our ways. Maybe because unconsciously, we feel they are irremediable, maybe they are our souls’ diseases that cannot be cured.

I was captivated by the characters in this novel and enjoyed the story. I was satisfied by the conclusion, and I can't wait to read more from this author!

This story was rather disturbing to me. The only character I liked was a little adopted girl from Russia. Although you will get to know several "good neighbors", the story really revolves more around this little girl. Is she being mistreated, or not? Mixed stories are heard from her adoptive parents until the mother just disappears.

Perfect read for a Book Club!! I found “Good Neighbors” to be very compelling and thought provoking. It highlighted some of nitty gritty politically incorrect inner thoughts that many people in suburban neighborhoods have. Although I did not identify or 100% relate to these women, they were all portraits that incorporated components of different kinds of people I have met along my journeys in several different towns. There are fascinating glimpses of a reality everyone who has made friends through their children, schools, neighborhoods etc will recognize. We learn just enough about the characters to form our own opinion about them and their motivations; coloring our impression of them with our own experiences and perspective. I found myself ruminating about the book for days afterwards, and examining the artificial social constructs of friendships and communities.

Gosh, there's nothing more that I than love than a voyeuristic journey into the lives of people living in perfect neighborhoods! This book is about the Desperate Housewives of Fair Lawn. The neighbors, Paige and Gene, adopt a little girl from Russia, Winnie, but things aren't going as well as everyone would have suspected. Paige appears to be unloving and possibly abusive towards Winnie. According to Paige, Winnie just has problems that adopted children have, like oppositional defiant disorder.

This story leaves you questioning your moral compass and also, how well you know your friend group.

I look forward to checking out Joanne Serling's next novel.

A special thank you to NetGalley, Twelve Books, and Joanne Serling for providing me with a reader copy.

GOOD NEIGHBORS was an interesting read that definitely makes one think about the nature of parenthood. It is also quite true to life, unfortunately. Some people who adopt really seem to think that their adoptive child should be well-behaved and always sweet - just grateful to have any family at all. GOOD NEIGHBORS aptly demonstrates what can go wrong with such assumptions. Well-written, interesting characters.

Wow this was devoured in a day! Anyone that lives in a subdivision with their young family can relate to the characters and environment. Everyone's in the same social class, same number of kids, everyone's superficial, but they're not truly your friend. This is thought provoking and a wonderful read!

The ending of the book sums it up for me.
***"We'll never know." It was true, we could never know. Which was so exasperating even now, after all that we'd been through.***
Too much polite fakeness between neighbors, an unlikeable narrator, a vague ending. I just couldn't get into it. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

Four neighbors four couples who are great friends or are they.Really enjoyed this book the characters te drama a very engrossing read.#netgalley#goodneighbors

An intriguing read!
Like the title, the plot focusses on a group of neighbours who truly feel they are living the best life possible- endless drinks, meals, parties for the children- or any excuse for a party!
But as the plot continues, the truth begins to surface and the cracks begin to appear on this seemingly ‘nice’ and ‘suburban’ group of individuals.
A change of circumstances for one family
In the group threatens to unravel a whole host of problems.
It was really engaging from the start and makes the reader face some uncomfortable truths and wonder what they would do in the same circumstances.

This story line started with four families living in the same neighborhood as friends. It became dark when one couple adopts a little girl from Russia. While the father and brother love Winnie, the mother is not happy. Winnie is not the perfect little girl that Paige expected. Read and learn how this book years the neighborhood apart. You won't be sorry!

This was an unusual book. I liked the topic: adoption of a special-needs child, and I liked the original take on the consequences: that it's difficult, that the special needs are often multiple and undiagnosed, that it might be impossible for the neighbours to know how to support the family through the process,

The writing style was dominated by exclamation marks and half-finished sentences, and it worked well for the confusing and chaotic situation in which the protagonist found herself,

I wish I could understand the protagonist's motivation better. Her actions weren't always laudable, and it would have helped to know the rationale behind them.

A mystery for our generation. Loved this book. You should definitely add this one to your summer reading list. Perfect for a by the pool read.

This book was not what I expected.

When the book started, I hated the main character. I get WHY she acted so fake, and why she said and did the things she did. But I not only disagreed with her choices, I actively disliked her.

By the end, she showed real growth, and I liked her better. Is she someone I would want to go out for a drink with? Heck no. But liked her better...And more importantly, I was totally drawn into her story.

I actually loved and hated the way it ended. It didn't give me my hea. However, I don't think there is one in this type of story. I also really really really want to know more about what happened to some of the characters.

This book is a little dark, a little depressing, and a lot fascinating. If you were one of the neighbors, what would you do?

One of my new favorite books! This author has such a way with words the pages flew by in no time! I can’t wait to see the next work by this author! This was such a joy to read!