Thank you Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jason Allen's novel "The East End" revolves around the lives of the families surrounding a Hampton mansion. Corey is a recent high school graduate and a Hampton local. His single alcoholic mother has worked at the Sheffield's mansion for years and he despises them for how they have treated her. He hates the Hampton summer visitors for all they have and the reminder of all the things he doesn't. He has taken to sneaking around these mansions in the dead of night playing pranks on the inhabitants. He decides to go to the Sheffield mansion the night before the family is scheduled to arrive and is surprised to find the daughter and her friend, a girl he has had a crush on for years, already there. He hides in the bushes spying on them when to his shock another car pulls up. It is Leo Sheffield and he too has brought a guest, but it is not his wife Sheila. When a series of unfortunate events take place and someone ends up dead in the pool this motley group will scheme, blackmail and lie to keep the events of this fateful night hidden in the dark.

I enjoyed Allen's writing style which was full of detail and drama. The story is told from the perspective of multiple characters. I cant say that I connected with any character and no one was a true protagonist, I actually disliked most of them, which I think (or hope) as the point. I found myself sympathizing with Leo more then I expected to. A few plot lines felt generic and things I've seen before but over all it was a pretty good read.

This book was much different than I thought it would be. Darker. Harder to read.

Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I did not like this book. I felt uneasy while reading it... but it's so well written that I felt compelled to finish it and couldn't put it down. I needed to know what was going to happen and SO MUCH IS HAPPENING IN A SINGLE WEEKEND!!! It's all catastrophic and I kept telling myself that it will get better... and then I didn't even try to convince myself and just went with the flow.

Many thanks to the publisher for my e-copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. I made it to about 26% but it just wasn't clicking. Nothing specifically wrong with the novel, however I do think its billing as a thriller was a bit misleading given how slow-burn the first quarter of the book was.

Wow...East End by Jason Allen is an incredible, highly addictive novel. Thank you to Harlequin and Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. I couldn’t stop reading this book. The gripping, suspenseful storyline kept me up reading late into the night. An atmospheric, fast-paced, captivating story. It was a real escape that I certainly enjoyed.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Synopsis: A tragic accident threatens to unravel two families in this gripping novel of suspense and culture clash set in the Hamptons. Corey Halpern, a local high schooler with a troubled home life, is desperate to leave the Hamptons and start anew somewhere else. His last summer before college, he settles for the escapism he finds in sneaking into neighboring mansions. One night just before Memorial Day weekend, he breaks in to the wrong home at the wrong time: the Sheffield estate, where he and his mother, Gina, work. Under the cover of darkness, Leo Sheffield - a billionaire CEO, patriarch and owner of the vast lakeside manor - arrives unexpectedly with a companion. After a shocking poolside accident, everything depends on Leo burying the truth before his family and friends arrive for the holiday weekend. Unfortunately for him, Corey saw what happened, as did other eyes in the shadows. Secrecy, obsession and desperation dictate each character's path in this spectacular debut.

The East End by Jason Allen is a classic suspense novel that keeps you guessing until the end. Corey is one of the have nots in the Hamptons and chooses to break into the homes of the haves for fun, until the night before Memorial Day weekend when he breaks into the wrong house, thinking it's empty, and sees something that he should not see. The mistakes of that evening compound over the holiday weekend and add up to a thrilling, not to be missed summer read!

The East End is Jason Allen's debut novel. A story full of dysfunctional people repeatedly making bad choices .
Set over a couple of days at a Hampton mansion the main characters are the billionaire home owner, his housekeeper and her teenage son.
A tragedy occurs where we witness, trapped by circumstances, social classes colliding.
A crazy series of events, resulting in a surprising conclusion, make this a riveting read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin/Park Row for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Gina Halpern is a cleaner for the super wealthy Sheffield family who own a huge mansion in the Hamptons. Memorial Day weekend is quickly approaching and Gina is gearing up for the Sheffield family to descend for the summer season. Gina is divorced from her first husband, but she had a boyfriend, Ray, who continues to harass and threaten her. Gina has two sons from her first marriage, Jason and Dylan. Jason has just graduated from high school and hopes to go to college in the fall. Jason also helps Gina clean for the Sheffield family to earn extra money.

Leo Sheffield has come to the family home one day early bringing a friend. Both are high on cocaine and alcohol. When an accident happens, it is seen by two people and now Leo is left to try and cover things up.

OK. Enough spoilers. The book continues when Leo’s wife arrives with the children and an entire entourage of guests to be entertained for the holiday weekend. The story shows us how the wealthy live and the difference between them and people like Gina who have nothing. Oh, but there is so much more to this book that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and biting your nails. I really enjoyed the story and how money can buy just about anything.

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

Ah...the Hamptons. It's not all glitz and glamour. There are people who actually live and work in the Hamptons and The East End is about that culture clash.

Cory is young and dumb. He gets a thrill from breaking into houses - just to mess with people - not to actually take anything.

Gina is Cory's mother. A recovering alcoholic who works as a housekeeper.

Leo is a billionaire who arrives to the Hamptons - with his male lover. - who ends up dead.

What happens is a thriller that involves secrets and lies and cover ups. It's a face paced read that will be perfect for the beach this summer.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

This really has three stories going on at the same time.
One: Corey getting ready to escape the Hamptons because he feels trapped when his little escapades of breaking into the rich people homes as a prank get him more then what he bargained for.
Two: Corey's mother Gina working for Leo Sheffield. Dealing with an abusive ex-husband and having severe dependencies on alcohol and medications.
Three: Leo Sheffield dealing with an unhappy marriage and his own sexual preference.
These three character are well developed an as you reading the book you feel that you get to know them and their feelings and frustrations.
This isn't an easy book to read but well worth your time. If you are looking for all happy endings this is not the book for you.

I think this is going to be the summer of reads about wealthy vacationing going wrong, lol. And I am here for all of it. Here in this story you have a young man, Corey, who is trying to figure out how to get out of his current life situation without having the stress of worrying about his younger brother and their pill popping, alcoholic mother. While out and about one night engaging in mischievous behavior, he is pulled into an issue that is going to set the scene for his summer and some important decision-making.

From the outside looking in, you think that Leo is living the perfect life with his wife and family, but in reality it is a sham and he is unhappy. He is harboring a secret that could cost him much more than he is willing to pay. While trying to hide one secret, Leo finds himself in a much worse predicament that drives him further down the path of self-destruction.

Gina, the pill popping, alcoholic mother is such a train wreck. I thought she was a functioning addict but quickly realized that she did not have herself together whatsoever. She not only put her life in jeopardy, but also her job and the lives of her children. While being Leo’s confidant, she finds herself in a predicament that is not helpful to her already messed up situation with her addiction.

As the one single event that was supposed to transpire in secret starts unravelling and the lives of Corey, Gina, Leo, and unfortunately, Angelique become intertwined you realize that there may not be a happy ending for anyone. There are secrets, threats, and plain fear involved. You see everyone’s moral compasses spinning rapidly as they all try to figure out what to do, who to trust and when to let go.

The East End is the first novel by Jason Allen. I was pleasantly surprised by his debut and I will continue to look for more of his work. The background premise of the book is the wealthy and the help that caters to them. However, it is not as it always seems. Corey and his mother, Gina, have helped the Sheffield family for years and this year is no exception. Corey begins breaking in to homes in the off season, only to spy on the families. I found this creepy as all get out and it makes me wonder who is watching me as I sleep! Allen does a great job here making you feel uncomfortable and freaked out! As the Sheffield family begins to arrive, you learn more and more about the family and what we all hide from each other. Drinking, drug use, murder, and forbidden love--Allen packs in a great story line! Overall, a great debut! I will be recommending this to others and will be looking for more work by Allen. Special thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

#TheEastEnd #NetGalley

Thank you @harpercollinsus for inviting me to be a part of the tour for The East End by @eastendauthor, out now!

Luxurious opulence- check. Secret affairs- check. Reckless behavior-check. The East End by Jason Allen reminded me, in many ways, of a modern Gatsby. As I was reading this book, I found myself making comparisons to The Great Gatsby, which is one of my favorite books. I don't know why, but I am drawn to stories about the downfalls of the rich and the famous. This is a story about the haves and the have-nots, and the lengths both are willing to go to in order to save face. Overall, this was a fast-paced story that happens in real time. We experience the events of the story as the characters do, which allows you to be fully immersed in the story. As each character reaches his/her breaking point, the tension mounts, and you feel like you have to keep reading to find out what is going to happen next. The characters in this book are scandalous, and this story is so full of domestic and marital drama that it makes "Real Housewives" look like "Leave it to Beaver." This story shows the tangled webs we weave in order to hide the truth. If you are looking for a quick, binge-worthy read, this one may be for you. ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5.

This book was a whole lot of nothing going on except rich people being overly concerned about reputation. There was little to no character development.

The East End by Jason Allen is a riveting and original tale set in the Hamptons.

The story begins with Corey Halpern, a Hamptons local from a broken home who breaks into mansions at night for kicks. He’s not looking to cause any harm but it serves as an odd form of escapism for him. One night just before Memorial Day weekend, he breaks in to the wrong home at the wrong time: the Sheffield estate, where he and his mother, Gina, work. Leo Sheffield—a billionaire CEO, patriarch and the owner of the vast lakeside manor—arrives unexpectedly with a companion.

After a shocking poolside accident, everything depends on Leo burying the truth before his family and friends arrive for the holiday weekend. Unfortunately for him, Corey saw what happened, as did other eyes in the shadows. In a race against time, each critical moment holds life in the balance as Corey, Gina and Leo approach a common breaking point.

While there are plenty of “rich people problems” and class divide stories, The East End truly does tackle the differences between the ultra-rich and working class folks. Between those three characters, there’s not a villain but plenty of flaws and poor decisions. I thought I would get annoyed at the Leo character but he’s much more complex than what meets the eye.

The author grew up in a working-class home in the Hamptons, where he worked a variety of blue-collar jobs for wealthy estate owners. So he brings an authoritative voice on the topic (learn about Jason’s writing inspirations and more with this Q&A). He really paints a striking picture of going from these mega mansions to a rundown poor area of the same town. It’s hard for Corey and Gina to hide the bitterness as being identified only as the “help” and nothing more. There’s much to unravel there.

This is a suspenseful tale that will keep you guessing but will also make you think. It’s well worth your time.

I am so honored to be part of the blog tour for Jason Allen's debut novel, The East End! Thank you, Park Row Books, for the ARC!




Right off the bat, I noticed that Jason Allen has an easy, relaxed writing style that I quite enjoy. The story begins in the Hamptons, right before the tourist season begins. Before any of the rich vacationers come to roost along the beach, townie boy Corey Halpern decides to snoop around and possibly rob a mansion that his mother cleans for a living. What could go wrong, right?

Unbeknownst to Corey, this family has SECRETS. Big ones. Damaging ones. In a classic "wrong place, wrong time" turn of events, he ends up witnessing something he shouldn't while sneaking around the house. And he isn't alone - the owners' daughter Tiffany and her best friend Angelique had also snuck up there for the evening, unbeknownst to everyone.

When Corey and Angelique both bear witness to what may have been a murder, it turns everyone's world upside down and sets off a chain of events that weaves everyone together in such an interesting way. It also forces the reader to answer questions about themself - what would you do if you saw a crime being committed? What would you do if you accidentally found yourself at the center of an impossible situation? What if you just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time? It could change everything for you and the ones you love in a second.

During the last 25% of the book, my heart was pounding and I couldn't put it down. The suspense is constructed perfectly, and the pace is great. I couldn't wait to find out what happened next! The ending wrapped up in a perfect, stunning conclusion - the culmination of everyone's stories and misunderstandings colliding with each other. Great read, and I am looking forward to more books by Jason Allen!

*** Blog Tour ***

The East End by Jason Allen is a dark story that takes place over about 3 days. The author creates an intensity that keeps me reading to find out what happens to the characters even though there is no mystery to be solved. I turn the last page and think ... but what happens next? The fact that I invest enough into the characters and the story to want to know says to me: good read perfect for the beach.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2019/05/the-east-end.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

WOW.
I can fully disclose that I went into this book with low expectations. A debut novel. My favorite genre. I’m hard to please.

This book had me from the first chapter. NEVER a dull moment. I was riveted from the get go. If it wasn’t one thing, it was another. Even though there were many characters and side stories, I was never ever confused or going back to find out what had happened.

FABULOUS debut novel. Absolutely fabulous.

A death in the Hamptons…….accident or murder? This book focuses on two families. There is the family that owns the estate and the family that works there. The characters are complex and well developed and all seem to be somewhat dysfunctional in their own way. The class distinction colors how each character views the death, all of them having different reactions. It was a very insightful look at the way the wealthy and the impoverished handle the situation.

Also reviewed on B&N and Kobo under the name IrishEyes430