Cover Image: The Neighbors

The Neighbors

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Member Reviews

This book is sooo amazing I'm not sure I can find the words to express it!! Hannah had me turning pages so fast - I don't think I've ever read a book quite like this!! Her tension is amazing and I was hanging on every word!!

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Abby is in a horrific car crash as a teenager and loses her beloved brother, Tom, in it. She survives and blames herself for the accident, never truly moving on from it. She carries the trauma with her every single day as she was supposedly drinking behind the wheel when the accident happened.

Flash forward to many years later where we find her happily married to the loving Nate. Nate and Abby have a snarky teenage daughter named Sarah, who is hell-bent on challenging her mom's strict rules.
Their three lives are about dramatically change when their new neighbors move next door. There is Liam, who is to die for handsome and in incredible shape for a middle-aged man. There's Nancy, his wife, who is insecure about her looks and wishes Liam would give her more attention. And then there is Zac, their son, who is a typical teenage boy with the exception of his exceedingly attractive looks, looks he inherited from his father.

Abby and Liam know each other from their teenage years, and are absolutely stunned to discover they are neighbors. Their secret threatens to destroy the happy couples' lives, a secret that will shock readers right to the very last page of this book!

What I enjoyed about this book is the complexity of the characters. By the end of the book, you feel like you know them and can envision them being real human beings. I felt bad for Abby, who has been denied so much love and affection in her life that she seems unable to be happy even when Nate bends over backward to take care of her.

The final pages of this book packed a huge punch and will not disappoint. If you like thrillers that have clever twists and turns, this book is for you!

I rated this book 4.5 stars (🌟🌟🌟🌟) out of 5! Highly recommend it! Thank you to Harlequin, NetGalley, and the author, Hannah Mary McKinnon for an advanced reader copy of this book.

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3.5

One can only imagine Abby's shock to discover her new neighbors includes Liam, someone from a past she has run away from and is trying to keep secret. The two agree to act like they never knew each other. Little did they know that going down this path of deception world have a ruinous outcome.

This was a quick and engrossing story. Everyone has a secret and it's not until the end that we see how the pieces fit together. It was all quite the roller coaster ride with and ending I did not see coming. Well done!


I received this from Harlequin - Mira, via Netgalley.

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I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and Harlequin and Mira Publishing for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book. There is a slow build up of secrets and lies that keeps you in suspense waiting for them all to be exposed. Abby is living with guilt believing she caused the death of her brother in a car accident many years earlier. She broke up with her boyfriend, Liam, during her initial grief and guilt and married the man who rescued her from the accident. The book alternates between present day and the past. Many years later Abby’s first love moves next door with his wife and son. Abby and Liam are both shocked at this situation and decide to keep it quiet that they know each other. As we learn more about the past we realize there is even more history between them and the suspense builds. This book was well written and as the secrets add up between Abby and Liam we also learn of indiscretions between their spouses and teenage children. There are also some interesting twists at the end of the book. Highly enjoyable read!

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This was a dramatic, unsettling story full of secrets and lies.

When Abby’s ex moves in next door to her and her family, a series of dramatic situations unfold.

Told in alternating perspectives and timelines, this story gives you an idea of what is happening in multiple character’s minds as time passes.

This was personally not my cup of tea, and I’m having a difficult time putting my finger on why, however my friends during our group read helped me to realize that perhaps it was my expectations coming in that this would be a mystery/thriller and it was more of a soap opera like drama for me. I wish I would have adjusted my expectations to better enjoy this story. That being said, if you go in with the right mindset, this may be the book for you! My fellow reviewers have this one high marks, so please see their reviews as well.

Thank you to Mira Books for my copy of this book.

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THE NEIGHBORS by HANNAH MARY MCKINNON is an intriguing, gripping, and thrilling story that kind of took me a little bit by surprise. Let me just say holy moly what an ending! I found the storyline to be quite enjoyable and entertaining but I wouldn’t say that it was all that suspenseful though. It was one of those books for me that held my attention enough throughout the story and then when those twists and turns hit, the story really came together and left me thinking WOW. I absolutely love it when an author uses this approach as I feel totally elated and satisfied in the end!

HANNAH MARY MCKINNON delivers an extremely impressive, well-written, and subtle story here with well-drawn and well-written characters. The characters were so interesting to read about and each had their own unique voice and contribution to the storyline. The story was told in the present day as well as flashbacks from 1992 in multiple points of view. I thoroughly enjoyed the way that this story was told and when all the secrets and lies were revealed in the end it was extremely pivotal to the story in a whole for me. There was one reveal that I was a little disappointed with so that is where this story lost a star from me.

The ending was quite interesting, shocking and totally blew me away. I thoroughly enjoyed this highly entertaining and unputdownable story! Would recommend!

This was a Traveling Sisters Read that I read along with Brenda and Lindsay, and we all ended up really enjoying this one!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Harlequin, and Hannah Mary McKinnon for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

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5 stars! Oh wow – this was fantastic!!

Now that I’ve picked my jaw up off the floor and caught my breath after finishing this novel, I will attempt to write a review for this fabulous book.

I loved everything about this book! The characters, the storyline, the writing, the humour, the perfectly paced suspense, that ending – WOWZA! I was immediately drawn into this story and my attention never wavered throughout. The author, Hannah Mary McKinnon, is brilliant with her words. She had me hanging on each sentence wondering what direction the story would turn next. There are so many twists, turns and shockers that my jaw hit the floor more than once. I highly recommend this gripping, stunning, well-written novel that will leave you thinking about it long after you have finished reading the last page.

I read this with my Traveling Sisters, Brenda and Norma, and we all enjoyed the twisty, addictive and shocking journey it took us on.

A big thank you to NetGalley, HARLEQUIN and Hannah Mary McKinnon for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Neighbors is available now! Don’t wait any longer to get your hands on a copy!!!

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Felt like a modern take on a Shakespearean tragedy - in a gooood way! I kept guessing every step of the way and had many theories and it was very interesting to see what became of those theories and how they changed along the way.

I really enjoyed this! The dual timeline and switching perspectives made the storytelling really unique and interesting to follow! Definitely will be looking out for McKinnon's next book!

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I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from The Neighbors. I'm a big fan of not actually reading novel synopses before reading the book and I'm so glad I didn't. I read the synopsis after I finished the book and I felt like it definitely gave too much information that would've ruined some of the shock factors within the story - which, granted, some were fairly easy to identify (which is totally fine, since they're in the synopsis anyways).

This book is full of twists and turns though. I really love a book that switches between different time periods, so you gradually find out the truth. I also enjoy books with chapters from alternating perspectives. This novel had both of those elements and they were done so well.

I wouldn't necessarily say this is a fast-paced thriller - it's more of a steady pace. But I don't mean that in a negative way. I very much enjoyed the novel and just felt really invested in the characters (even if I didn't necessarily condone their choices). While I understand Abby is the focal character of the entire story, I would have loved to see a bit more character development for the other characters, as well - especially Nancy and Zac (they're minor characters, but are still fairly important to the storyline).

Anyways, final thoughts are I really enjoyed The Neighbors, and it's definitely one I would recommend for quick, twisty read.

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The Neighbors is the latest book by Hannah Mary McKinnon. It is the first book of McKinnon's that I have read.

I enjoyed The Neighbors. It was an interesting book. When Abby's old boyfriend Liam moves in next door, Abby's world is thrown into turmoil. Abby's husband Nate has no idea the new next door neighbor is Abby's old boyfriend. Nate thought that he and Abby had a great relationship. They had bonded over her brother's death 20 years earlier. Nate had saved Abby from the burning wreck but was unable to save her brother.

Everything in The Neighbors goes back to that tragic night and the decisions Abby made as its result. Will Nate and Abby work on this together? Or will Abby give into her desires for her old boyfriend?

The story is told from everyone's viewpoint. That made it interesting but it was also hard to get attached to any one character.

Good book. Looking forward to more from Hannah Mary McKinnon.

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THE NEIGHBORS by Hannah Mary McKinnon. Channeling a daytime soap opera, the neighbors have so many secrets to hide that don’t stay hidden. The story is good with a bit of a slow beginning, focusing on the various characters and their backgrounds. There are many sneaky twists and turns before the end of the story.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

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I just this moment finished The Neighbors by Hannah Mary McKinnon
I'm totally speechless and literally yelled "Oh My Gawwwd!" out loud, yes i really did. There is a line near the end of the book that explains my feels right now, "I don't know what to do with this information. I can't ---"

I am in awe of the writing, the complex layers of storytelling, the gripping thrill of this domestic masterpiece, the multiple viewpoint characters. My review took a few days to write as the ending had me saying Oh no you didn't leave it like that.

This book is a brilliantly written story. A devine treat of twists that get you in the heart and gut. Wheelie!

Thank you, Hannah McKinnon. *mind blown*
You've gained a major fan. I now need a glass of wine, or better yet a Whiskey.

Friends and book lovers: read this book! Available NOW. Just go get it, get your library to order it, share with a friend, anything, it's that good.
#TheNeighbors #NetGalley

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Read this on a recent vacation and loved it!! Lots of plot twists (some I guessed, but it didn’t take away from the fun.) Original characters, fresh voices and writing that wouldn’t let me put the book down. The ending was a punch in the gut. But a fun engaging story nonetheless. Can’t wait to read more from this author.

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Review will be posted week of 3/26/18
Nate and Abby Morris live a seemingly average life in England. That is until Abby's ex-boyfriend, Liam, moves in next door with his family. But you see, Nate doesn't know that Abby knows their new neighbor intimately. Abby and Liam's history isn't just the average dating tale either. Abby and Liam were majorly in love until an accident kills her brother. Abby blames herself for his death and decides that she doesn't deserve happiness and her former perfect life with Liam. So, she pushes him away and they break up. Except her feelings for Liam never truly stop even though she has married Nate and moved on with her life. Unexpectedly, Liam moves in next door with his son and his wife, Nancy, and he is just as surprised to find Abby as his neighbor. Things get really, really complicated, especially when Liam's son, Zac, shows an interest in Abby's daughter. Can we say awkward? Many secrets are revealed not only about the accident, but also about Liam and Abby's former relationship. Some of the secrets readers may see coming from a mile away, but others will definitely surprise readers. If you like domestic suspense, The Neighbors by Hannah Mary McKinnon will keep you entertained.

So, I really didn't like any of the characters in The Neighbors. I wanted to like Abby and did just a little bit towards the beginning of the story, but as things progress, I couldn't get past some of her selfish actions. I did feel bad with how she beats herself up regarding the death of her beloved brother, but, ultimately, she was a tough character to enjoy. That doesn't mean I didn't get sucked into her story, because I definitely did. It was like a train wreck. I couldn't stop reading even though just about every chapter made me cringe.

Their new neighbors, Liam and Nancy, were just as despicable in The Neighbors. I knew Liam was holding some major secrets surrounding his past with Abby and I wanted to feel badly for him, but I just couldn't. He chose to marry Nancy and he has a son with her, so he needs to act like an adult. But of course, that didn't happen...not really by any of the adults in the novel. Nancy is the worst. That's all I am going to say about that.

I had a few issues with the plot and some of the story lines surrounding cheating, but other than that I thought it was a quick and fun read. It definitely kept me entertained despite the fact that I didn't agree with the characters one bit. The ending of The Neighbors was a tad rushed, but overall, I thought it was soapy fun just like a guilty pleasure or watching your favorite show on Lifetime.

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The Neighbors is a novel about how the past and your secrets always catch up with you. A couple, Liam and Nancy, with a teenage son move in next to Nate and Abby and it turns out that there is a link between Abby and Liam with unresolved issues from the past. I love books that look at relationships and secrets and this book was so readable, I didn’t want to put it down from the moment I first started reading it. Some of the things in Abby’s past are clear from the start but there are other things bubbling around that I simply had to keep reading in order to find out what else there was to know. It becomes clear that other people in Abby’s life have their own secrets and it seems that at some point all will converge.

This is one of those books where I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the main character Abby because of what happened when she was younger, even when I couldn’t condone some of her actions later in the novel. It felt like the accident when she was younger had completely undone her, it had made her into a different person and someone she couldn’t even recognise anymore. It felt like even in the present day that she’d never fully come to terms with what happened, or really figured out who she was without her brother. There were elements of this that I could empathise with – I think losing someone close who is pretty much the same age as you when you’re young does change you, it certainly did me when my best friend died when we were 20. I always felt like I lost a part of me when she died and I’ve never been able to put myself back together how I was before and I could see that it was the same for Abby.

The novel has multiple narrators and goes back and forth in time so the picture of each character is gradually built up. I felt quite unsure as to how I felt about the other characters – they all seemed to have their flaws and I kept going from liking them to disliking them and back again but I enjoyed being kept on my toes. Everyone in this novel did feel like a real person though; the flaws and the secrets and the way they all behaved felt very believable and while I didn’t always like how they acted, it did feel so human and real.

I very much enjoyed how this novel also explores guilt, and the way different people deal with the bad things they believe they’ve done. There is a definite sliding scale of how each of us feel guilt and it was interesting how this book looks at Abby and how she has such terrible guilt for her brother that is all-consuming but it doesn’t stop her consciously making decisions later on that have the potential to really hurt people emotionally. There is also the unspoken agreement that comes to pass between Abby and Liam not to let on to their respective spouses that they already know each other when they are seemingly introduced for the first time. I was interested to see how that played out in the subsequent chapters to see how each of them felt about the lie by omission.

There was a sense running through this book of fate and destiny – that there are people we’re destined to meet, and a course that we may well be on regardless of what we do to change things. Abby could have behaved differently than she did in the present day but it felt like she still had one foot firmly in the past and fate was pushing her towards the way her life might have been if the accident hadn’t happened. I always find the idea of fate fascinating, I’m never sure whether I believe in it or not but sometimes life takes you on a path with a series of events that makes you wonder occasionally.

There are elements of this book that I saw coming and others that caught me completely off-guard, which was great. I like a book that makes me start to feel comfortable and then pulls the rug out from under me and The Neighbors definitely did that.

The Neighbors is a domestic suspense novel that is very gripping, full of tension and a whole rollercoaster of emotions; I definitely recommend it!

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Wow, Wow, Wow!! Five dazzling stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Isn’t it always exciting when a new family moves into the neighborhood?
Who hasn’t discreetly peered through the shades, checking out the incoming newbies? Lots of questions to be answered. Will they be pleasant and approachable? Perhaps even becoming good friends? Or will they just disappear, only to be seen coming and going when necessary. Plenty of drama all by itself, right?

But what if it turns out to be someone from your past? Someone you assumed you left far behind. And, oh my…now they’re moving in right next door!

When an accident wipes-out what was left of Abby’s family, she takes the hand of the man who saved her, leaving everything and everyone far behind. Forever closing the door on that part of her life. Now it looks as though that door has been pried open. Just enough for someone to slip back in.

Be careful...once you start down that slippery slope...

This was such an outstanding tale of domestic fiction and I absolutely loved every bit of it.
Told from several POV and timelines, I couldn’t read it fast enough. Desperate to know how this was going to end!
With an absolutely explosive ending, this one will leave you breathless and emotionally exhausted.
A hands-down must read!

Word of the day: WOW!

Thank you to NetGalley Harlequin and Hannah Mary McKinnon for this ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

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1992

Abby and her brother, Tom, have just been in an auto accident. Abby was thrown from the car but Tom was trapped inside as it went up in flames. A man named Nate happened upon the accident and although he wasn’t able to get Tom out of the car, he was able to get help for Abby. She blames herself and says she was drinking and driving but doesn’t remember anything. Abby had been in love with a man named Liam but broke it off. Nate was so helpful after her accident and they ended up getting married.

Now, Abby and Nate are the parents of a teen named Sarah. They see that they are getting new neighbors and when they introduce themselves to them, Abby realizes the man is Liam. He is married to Nancy and they have a teen named Zac. Abby and Liam pretend that they have never met.

Nancy is a very outgoing woman and wants the two couples to be close and spend time together. Nate is a kind and helpful man and has volunteered to help Nancy with some redecorating around the house as Liam is just not talented in that area.

The story flashes back and forth from the present to the past and the reader sees the relationship that Liam and Abby had shared and evidently their love for one another is still alive. Dare they risk an affair?

This book expresses how guilt can overtake one’s life as it has Abby’s as she is always trying to atone for Tom’s death. We see the temptation to cheat on one’s spouse and how secrets are not always easy to keep. I cannot give away anything more because I don’t want to reveal spoilers. I enjoyed this book and I know readers will enjoy it.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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I had the honor of reading this book from NetGalley via Harper Collins. It was a pleasure to read such a good book.

This book has lots of twists and turns. Secrets, lies, hurt, abandonment, pain and love. Lots of love too.

Abby blames herself for her brother’s death and doesn’t think she deserves to be happy ever again. Her mother blames her too. She’s a real piece of work and seems to hate Abby. Even more after Tom’s death. Their dad left when they were young and they never saw him again. Their mother hid lots of things from them that Abby will learn about many years later.

Liam is the love of Abby’s life until the wreck that took her brother’s life. She pushed him away. She did not want to be happy or felt like she should not be happy. After all she was driving the car that killed her younger brother.

Nate, he saved Abby’s life that night. He pulled her away from the burning car and he was there for her through a lot. They ended up together. Got married and had a daughter. She knew her heart would always belong to Liam but Nate had been there and she felt like he deserved her respect and love.

One day a family moves in next door. They have a son. It’s been many years since Abby stopped seeing Liam. The neighbors next door are Nancy and Liam and their son Zac. Liam and Abby act as thought they have never met.

Do they still have feelings for each other. Will they end up together? Will Nate and Nancy end up having an affair? Will each stay where they are and be happy? Or will something totally out there happen to throw you into a different world.

This book was SO good. It has a bit of everything. It totally surprised me at the end. I did not see it coming at all. I was shocked to say the least. I’m usually good at figuring out what is going to happen but not with this one. It blew me away.

I cried so much reading this story. I rooted for true love to win. I do not condone affairs at all but a part of me thought Liam and Abby should end up together. Somethings things are just not what you think. Now what they seem. This was one of the best books I’ve read. I truly, honestly loved it.

Another big 5 star book for me!!!

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The Neighbors was an entertaining story from the first page to the very last. New neighbors move in next door, and everything just unravels from there. Lies between husbands and wives. Tension between mothers and daughters. Old flames coming back into your lives. Secrets that you’ve kept buried for years and years. Lies you’ve told yourself to keep yourself sane. Deceit. Dishonesty. Unfaithfulness That’s what this book is.

This story is told in multiple POV’s, and also jumps from present to past. I think the author did a great job unveiling things slowly, but giving clues that made you start to narrow your eyes and ask questions. There are honestly so many secrets and lies in this story that it was hard to keep them straight. By the end though... I was screaming at all of the revelations. MOST of them I pretty much had figured out, but wasn’t sure until it was all confirmed.

I honestly spent so much of this book YELLING at all of the characters. They are all extremely flawed, and extremely human. For me that makes them some of he hardest characters to read, but that also shows me how WELL this author has written this book. The characters make poor choices. They will make you feel uncomfortable, and in the end you may still not enjoy any of them, but I have to say I ended this book with my jaw first dropping, and then a smile.

If you enjoy characters who lie, cheat, keep secrets, and honestly just in general aren’t perfect. The Neighbors will be a perfect read for you.

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