Thank you to #Netgalley and the publisher. I wanted to like this book but I couldn't get into it. Not sure if it was the plot or my mood at the time so decided not to finish it.

2.5 stars
This book was just not for me.
i found the story, characters and most of it just so ...incredible boring.

Will not be finishing this novel. I thank the publisher for the opportunity and hope to work with them again.

This is a light-medium weighted mystery and was packed full of a lot of drama. This is definitely a domestic thriller so if that is not for you, then maybe don't read this. If it is, I really think you will like learning about this neighborhood. Nicole Westerhof is our viewpoint throughout this riveting drama. The pace is slow but there is a lot of depth when it comes to character development and the threads that connect each character.

In an idyllic suburb, four young families quickly form a neighborhood clique, their friendships based on little more than the ages of their children and a shared sense of camaraderie. When one of the couples, Paige and Gene Edwards, adopt a four-year-old girl from Russia, the group's loyalty and morality is soon called into question. Are the Edwards unkind to their new daughter? Or is she a difficult child with hidden destructive tendencies?

As the seams of the group friendship slowly unravel, neighbor Nicole Westerhof finds herself drawn further into the life of the adopted girl, forcing Nicole to re-examine the deceptive nature of her own family ties, and her complicity in the events unfolding around her.

There's a whole lot going on in this book - and for me, there were too many unanswered questions left hanging as I completed the last page. Was it Paige? Was it Winnie? What was Nela's problem? Why was there so much importance placed on the families having to be so tight - when it's obvious that they don't even really like each other? Why did XX have to do what he did - it was kinda out of the blue (XX used to not spoil it for others ;) ) This was a 3 star for me. This honest review was given in exchange for a free digital copy from Netgalley and the publisher.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. An interesting read. If you like reading real housewives type story plots you might like this.

It's so difficult to enjoy a story when you don't really enjoy the characters. I didn't really connect with anything in this story.

I was intrigued but hesitant to read this, as there are a lot of "good neighbor" books coming out recently. This one wasn't bad, but it wasn't great (hence the 3 start rating). The overall plot was good and kept me interested, but I felt there were too many loose ends, and there was too much of a slow build with an underwhelming climax. It had potential, but I feel like it missed the mark.

Oh my goodness, "Good Neighbors" by Joanne Serling was a wonderful, juicy, relatable novel about an upscale suburbia neighborhood, where the neighbors in a cul-de-sac become dear friends, until things get sour. Well developed, full of great characters and build up. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Good Neighbors by Joanne Serling is a debut novel and a book that has been sitting on my NetGalley shelf begging for attention for quite some time. I will read basically anything that has the word neighbor or neighborhood in the title, and just as the synopsis suggests, this is a bit of a neighborhood drama with a mysterious quality. We follow Nicole throughout the entire book and do not have any other viewpoints which was fine, but I do wish we would have had at least one more to keep things interesting. On the plus side of that, I feel like we really got to know Nicole well which was nice, and I enjoyed the mystery surrounding what was going on with Paige and her adopted daughter from Russia. I feel like I actually learned some interesting information about Russia itself, which is always a bonus since I love learning through fiction.

To me, Good Neighbors had a very literary fiction feel to it, and the pacing was pretty slow for my taste. This is a character-driven story and the mystery itself is pretty light, so I wouldn't go in expecting lots of twists or anything. There is some drama between the neighbors as well, but nothing like what I've seen in other books, so it had a pretty tame feel for me. I was a little confused about the way it ended as well, and there was also an odd dose of religion that I wasn't expecting. Clearly, this was mostly a miss for me, but I think the right person could enjoy it. Also, I did enjoy the audiobook narrator Susannah Jones and recommend going with the audio which is on Audible. So, who should read this book? If you like literary fiction with a touch of neighbor drama, this is for you.

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

Maybe I should skip books about neighbors because this one was such a huge disappointment. I didn’t care at all about these characters and their problematic issues nor about this setting. I always love the premise behind these books, as you don’t know what goes on behind closed doors. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me.

I got a copy of this book from NetGalley. I enjoyed the idea of neighbors and how much you truly know about them. It’s not always what you see when they are out walking their dog. Good ending!

Thank you Netgalley, Twelve, and Author Joanne Serling for this ARC.

So, I kept waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for the big twist, for something to happen, anything. Well, it never did. This is not a thriller. It does not have twists or turns. If anything it is a domestic drama or women's fiction. Very disappointed.

I know, I know - it's another novel about a neighbourhood, LOL!
This was interesting premise about 4 couples, all who have children. One couple decides to adopt a Russian girl, however things are not as rosey as they dreamed and hoped. I quite enjoyed this drama-type novel but I kept feeling like perhaps there would be a thriller quality, however there wasn't really one. Needless, I enjoyed it and to see what people do when all are faced with certain difficult facts & how they deal with them.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this.

I give this 3 / 5 snowflakes! ❄️

Great book. Highly recommend and will most defiantly read more by this author and suggest to others!

This was my first book to read by this author but I cannot wait to read more! The characters stay with you long after you finish the book. Such a great story and fast read. Highly recommend!!!

The whole time I was reading this book, I kept wondering why it has a relatively low 3.1 star rating on Goodreads. The plot was good, the characters were decent, and the whole book keeps you guessing about things. Then it ended … with nothing. No answers, no closure, not even hints at what might have been, nothing. That took this book from a four/five to three star pretty quickly for me.

The book itself is pretty good. It centers around a group of affluent neighbors who are in each other’s lives because their kids are all the same ages and play together. They aren’t best friends, but it’s nice to know your neighbors and be able to trust them around your kids.

One day, neighbors Paige & Gene Edwards announce that they are adopting a little girl from Russia so that their son would have a sibling. Everyone is happy, especially the couple who are excited to be parents again. They leave for Russia to get their new daughter, but when they get back, the neighbors start seeing some changes.

The book is written from the POV of Nicole, the Edwards’ neighbor. She’s starting to notice that her formerly easygoing friend Paige is a bit tense these days. Soon, the other neighbors also notice this change. Paige has taken to yelling at her new daughter, Winnie, over simple toddler mistakes. She won’t give her anything, like new dresses or even birthday parties, claiming Winnie ruins all the nice things in their house. She says horrible things, like Winnie should’ve been left in Russia, and soon her son Cameron is also bullying the little girl.

Nicole doesn’t know what to do. She’s spent time with Winnie, and she only sees an adorable and sweet child, who loves to play and give lots of hugs. Paige insists that the girl is putting on an act for Nicole, manipulating her into believing that she’s good when really, she’s a bad seed. Finally, Nicole calls Child Protective Services to make sure Winnie isn’t being abused behind closed doors. When Paige finds out, she goes crazy, insisting Winnie is the problem, not her.

Then we get to the ending. Was Winnie being abused? Did Paige’s husband and biological son know? Was Winnie mentally ill? Was Paige? Was Winnie a special needs child? Winnie hasn’t been seen for a few weeks - where is she and who is she with? For that matter, where is Paige?

Unfortunately, you’ll get no answers to most of these questions. The book ends rather abruptly, with no information on the questions that build up while reading the book. I enjoyed this whole story, waiting to see how things ended up, but then was beyond disappointed that my questions weren’t answered. What could have been a great ending was just left blank for the reader, and as I mentioned, is the reason for the average three star review. This is a debut novel, so perhaps the next will end better, because otherwise, this was a really good book.

(I’d like to thank Twelve Books, Joanne Serling and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my review.)

The blurb caught my attention but after that I lost my interest and didn't read this book. Maybe next time.

This book centers on four families thrown together due to the proximity in which they live to each other. One of the couples (Paige and Gene Edwards) adopt a 4 year old little girl from Russia. After bringing her home, it is clear that something is awry. However, does Winnie really have all of the behaviors/problems or are they brought about by a lack of bonding with Paige and Gene? Paige and Gene begin to withdraw from the neighbors after the adoption, causing even more of a stir. This book is interesting in that it is told from the point of view of Nicole, one of the neighbors. I wish that some of the other characters had been more developed and portrayed. This story was very thought provoking and invites you to question your own neighbors and what goes on behind closed doors. Do we know our neighbors as well we think? This book was a quick, enjoyable read. I would have preferred more insight/background into some of the other couples than was provided. I do recommend this book and am interested to read more from this author. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy of this book for review.

Four young families become friends in a close neighborhood. When one adopts a young child from Russia it raises questions about the child herself and their suitability as parents.

This novel was heart wrenching and engaging