Ginny Taylor thought her life was pretty average. A job she sort of liked with a boss who was sort of a jerk and a boyfriend who maybe wasn't the End All Be All but he loves her. Until she walks into her own apartment to find her boss and boyfriend going at it. After a week off work, Ginny comes back and throws enough of a scene to get fired. Months later and she still hasn't found a job, exactly. Although she has sort of become friends with the actress downstairs, Cassie Frost. Yes, that Cassie Frost, the one who was recently on a reality show. The reality show that has people issuing her death threats. The Cassie Frost that is in serious need of some good PR. But Ginny doesn't want to be her PR person.
The flow of this book is just delightful. Even and steady, I was able to sit down and read this in one sitting and was not ready to put it down at any point. Because it does cover a year, not every part of Ginny's life is delved into and was a bit shallow but an overall delightful read.

Four stars
This book came out February 6th
ARC kindly provided by Avon Books UK
Opinions are my own

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book was just not for me. I did not like the writing style or the characters, but I did think that the plot was cute and a heartwarming premise. I'm sure someone will enjoy this!

I’ve been reading a lot of thrillers and crime novels recently so I will tell you that The Neighbours was absolutely the breath of fresh air that I needed. That’s not to say it wasn’t without it’s dark, deep topics – especially as Ginny is dealing with some tough things at the start of the book – but it is also a much lighter read than those I’ve been reading lately. It’s one that had me laughing out loud one moment and then cringing the next. It was just the book I needed to read.

I really loved the relationship develop between Ginny and Cassie. It felt real, raw and honest. I really enjoyed watching as they helped each other without realising that they were helping each other. I definitely think the characters were my favourite part of this book.

But of course, it was also the narration that pulled me in. Nicola Gill has done a wonderful job of creating a book that is easy to read. I got pulled into Ginny’s head very quickly and easily. I instantly felt empathy for her and the horrid hand that life had dealt her. It was just wonderful to see how she dealt with it all and how the humour of the book came into it. Everything just flowed really easily which is just what I love about a contemporary read.

This book took me on an emotional rollarcoaster and I absolutely loved every second of it. I am very much looking forward to reading whatever Nicola Gill writes next and I would also highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good contemporary fiction read – especially one that is full of good English humour!

Ginny didn't mind her life. She had a boyfriend, a well paying PR job, and her best friend was her flat mate. Everything was vanilla. Until that vanilla life falls to shambles. She catches her boss in bed with her boyfriend. She can't find a new job. Her best friend has moved to New York and her new flat mate is constantly in bed with her own boyfriend. She feels as if she can't live up to her parents' standards. With the world of social media boasting every engagement, child welcoming, wedding pictures, she feels as if her own biological clock is ticking. Ginny may never find the one.

Then Ginny makes friends with the one person she least expected: the neighbor below, the once Hollywood starlet, Cassie Frost. Cassie has not been taken too kindly in media recently with her lack of PC (make no mistake she does not discriminate and actually fights against it). But as Ginny and Cassie spend more time together, divulging stories of each others failures in romance and jobs, Cassie sees a possible chance that they could help each other; Ginny become Cassie's personal PR rep, and in turn Cassie pays her. But working for Cassie is not the easiest. If anyone has ever watched the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and seen when Susie Meyers works as Sophie Lennon's manager, this is how I loosely saw it. Both have great glimpses of personality, but are quite difficult to manage when they don't have a good public image.

Ginny finds luck when she nabs a PR job, and the boss actually gives her the chance to succeed, and her co-workers care about her. Her friend Julia sets her up with her brother Nick, who in comparison to Jack is literally Mr. Perfect. He truly cares about Ginny's days, comforting her, and taking care of her. What's not to love?

Nicola Gill not only tackles relationship and job stress of life, but also how to help your friend deal with depression. Readers whom have never experienced such can learn what not to do just as Ginny had to learn a bit the hard way of what you should/should not say/do.

Nicola Gill's book is not a chicklit. It is the perfect modern women's literature book you need to read. The romance is not overwhelming, nor is it mushy. It is overshadowed by the greater messages at play: You don't need to be married to have a kid, nor should you worry about a "time clock" for marriage and children. Do not settle for a man that can't take time to tend to your needs. The Neighbours is unintentionally comical, like watching an episode of Friends, but more relate-able

‘The Neighbours’ centres on a story between two characters; Ginny Taylor, a thirty four year old PR consultant and Cassie Frost, an on and off Actress. They are in fact neighbours, this is how the most unlikely friendship develops! and what a friendship it is too. I really feel for Ginny as her boyfriend Jack is caught with Ginny’s boss (talk about work being awkward from then on) This event takes Ginny on a turbulent journey with Cassie. Although we get an insight into all aspects into Ginny’s life I love that the story always comes back to her relationship with Cassie.

I love these two characters, they are the complete opposite of each other. Cassie is outspoken and says what she thinks but Ginny is more introverted. Though after being friends with Cassie some of her personality starts to rub off on Ginny (this isn’t necessarily a bad thing!) ‘The Neighbours’ sends out a very clear message, it’s always good to have a friendly ear when things get tough ❤️

What a debut from Nicola Gill! I loved the very loveable main characters. The narrative is free flowing and the emotions of the characters just leap off the pages. I have been gripped from the beginning. I can’t wait to see what Nicola writes next. If you are after a read that will make you gasp, make you laugh and make you cry (yes I was on the verge!) then this book is definitely for you! 😊 I give ‘The Neighbours’ 5*/5*

Thank you so much to Avon for a copy of the book

Ginny is 34 and has just found her boyfriend and her boss having sex in her apartment. Appalled and furious, she goes on a crying jag for awhile before heading back to work. Her boss then calls her in the office and she is fired. Ginny is a woman with low self-esteem and knows that she isn’t getting any younger while wondering if she will ever marry and have a family. Now, she is struggling to find another job.

Cassie is 55 and lives in a flat below Ginny. She has long been a well-known actress but after appearing on a reality show, Cassie is no longer loved. In fact, people dislike her.

Cassie introduces herself to Ginny and when she finds Ginny is currently out of work, begs her to put her PR skills to work and help her get some work. At first reluctant to do so, Ginny finally relents and get her a gig on a morning show which goes badly.

This book follows Ginny as she looks for a new job and her indecision about which man she wants to marry which all boils down to who does or does not want babies. In addition, we see how a strong friendship grows between Ginny and Cassie. Ginny proves herself to be a compassionate person.

This book could have been edited and reduced in length. It was slow to get moving and somewhat shallow at times. I did find myself laughing out loud here and there which kept me reading on. I’m sure readers will enjoy this book.

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

The Neighbours was a women’s fiction that revolved around Ginny and her neighbor Cassie. It was about friendship, fighting depression, relationship, getting over fear, and working to achieve dream.

Writing was good. I liked the way author represented Ginny’s mediocre life and Cassie’ defamed life with realistic tone that had balance of seriousness and wit. Story was told from Ginny’s perspective.

Book started with 34-yr-old Ginny talking about her simple life whose fertility clock was ticking at rapid rate. She was holding onto her boyfriend to fulfil her simple life by marrying and producing babies with her. But that went to downhill when she found him having pleasure with her boss at her own flat. You can guess where this is going. Jobless, boyfriend-less, wallowing in sadness and self-pity was not exactly a picture she imagined. At the same time her neighbor, Cassie was turning into national hate figure after a reality show. She needed publicist who can help improve her reputation and Ginny desperately needed a job.

Now Ginny lacked confidence and she was not sure she could handle Cassie’s bad reputation and a prickly nature while Cassie no matter what people says never lacked confidence and her power of persuasion was irresistible.

The story was about two totally opposite in nature and in life style neighbours forming strong friendship, helping each other in all kind of situation, uplifting other from depression, giving an honest opinions, and developing over the time.

This was character driven story and relationships between characters and their life was most important part of the story. When I read synopsis, I knew I’m going to have wonderful female friendship and I wasn’t disappointed there. I expected this book to be fun and light-hearted but it was much more than just friendship and fun moments, there was darkness, sadness and depression.

Ginny was timid, squeamish, and a pushover but at the same time she was nice at heart, helped her family and friends. She definitely deserved better than non-committing, competitive, and self-centered Jack. I really felt for her in the beginning but then she was wallowing and whining too much. I had really difficult time to warm with her but when she actually started helping Cassie when she was going through depression, I liked her a little more. But then she had to make that stupidest decision. I wasn’t happy with it. Then again she became such wonderful neighbor, I started liking her back. You see my like and dislike for her was really bumpy ride.

I can see why she was taking one after another disastrous decisions but how could she not see the relationship she was giving a chance won’t last long and what that guy was doing to her. Can a person really be blind in obsession of family and child? I know the answer and we have read thrillers who have given us horrible layout on that. Another point was she never voiced her thoughts and took decision based on what she assumed. I mean you are already hurting somebody what harm would come if you can just say what you’re thinking! It was just so hard to warm to her.

Anyway, I loved her development (that definitely could come earlier) and what she did for Cassie. I admired when she worked to achieve her dream and her amazing decision (one and only) when she got over her fears in climax.

Now even though Ginny was near my age and Cassie much older (55), I connected with her and I liked her from the very beginning. I could see she was bitchy, temperamental and difficult woman but she was honest, brave, bold, and spoke her mind. Yep, total badass. The way people treating her making her national hate figure, it was really horrible. Oh hell, some even said she should have died! I don’t understand why and she was taking it all with such brave face, rode the hate wave like diva. But of course she was human and it affected her. I loved the way she fought her depression, gave her loved ones a chance, and developed by the end of the book. No doubt she was my favorite character.

Some side characters were good while some were shockingly horrible. My second favorite character was Nick. He was such a gentleman and lovely guy.

What I liked most was the message conveyed here through Cassie and Ginny’s story. Depression can come to any one at any time, some face it during their downtime while some can face their worst time and see depression coming much later. There are so many ways to treat depression but it’s different for every person. What works for one person might not work for another. Depressed person should not be left alone they need love, care and companionship no matter how much they denies. Another message was never stop chasing your dream. It’s always hard but there’s always a way or an alternative. You cannot just depend on others to get what you want. And the most common one- talk about your problem with concerning person, don’t just assume things and take decision that you might regret later.

There were few twists and turning points in the book that kept me hooked to story. I really dreaded a heartbreak or even worst but thank fully the end wasn’t bittersweet. It was chocolicious sweet.

Why 4 stars-

Ginny was really frustrating most of the time. I wanted to shake her so hard. As I said it was just so hard to warm to her.

The thing is I loved Cassie I wanted few chapters from her perspective. We are told she was bitchy and did things on reality show that had turned her into hate figure. It was not in detail what exactly happened or what she said, how she felt/so suddenly felt depressed. I wanted to give that middle portion which was so focused on Ginny’s stupid decision to Cassie.

Overall, it was great read with strong message and friendship that all women’s fiction readers would love to read.

Thanks to Avon Books for the ARC!

Ginny and Cassie are two very different women, but at the same time they also have much in common. It was interesting to read a story about two women helping each other, learning with each other, making new beginnings and developing a very unlikely friendship.

This is Nicola Gill's first book and I think she did a good job. I'm hoping to read more from her in the future. Can't say this is my favorite book ever, but it definitely made me smile a few times.

In this era of “ageism” it is wonderful to see a book about two women with roughly two decades of difference in their ages come together in a celebration of friendship.

Ginny is a thirty-something woman who is struggling with her place in life. She feels unfilled in her job but has no idea how to get a different and better one. When she walks in on her live-in boyfriend shagging her boss – in Cassie’s own apartment – she is forced into looking at life from a different, jobless perspective. She is good at what she does – marketing and PR – but she isn’t always on her game when it comes to job interviews.

Her neighbor, Cassie, is a fifty-something, well known actress who, sadly, has sabotaged her career over time with her boorish behavior, uncensored mouth and worse. She desperately needs an agent or PR consultant to help her get her life back in gear but no one will touch her, not even with a ten foot pole!

Cassie talks Ginny into helping and soon the two realize, well, they have absolutely nothing in common and barely can tolerate one another. As they work together, however, they realize that one doesn’t always have to have similarity as a foundation upon which to build a great friendship. Both of these women learn from one another, help each other turn their weaknesses into strength and, ultimately, they form a beautiful friendship.

The Neighbours is a humorous, witty look at relationships of all types and illustrates how each of us have something to offer to one another, despite our differences. And yes, in today’s world where differences are highlighted and maligned, it is a joy to see how our lack of sameness can be a strength. This is a wonderful, well written story of friendship that is perfect for readers of all genres.

The premise of this book- two women from very different walks of life trying to band together to get their lives back on track- called to me. I was really excited to read this, and I have to say... it delivered! This was in parts a fun, fast read with soulful bits that tore at me. I laughed, I cried.... I wanted to throw the book in a fit of frustration with the characters. In short, I loved it.
The characters of Ginny and Cassie were both really well done and, while there was a lot of things they did that I disagreed with, I found myself rooting for them. Cassie, especially made me laugh on her "good days" with her charm and self depreciating witt. Her bad days broke my heart. Watching the two women interact and try to get their lives back on track was interesting and heart warming. The way Cassie was taken out of context in parts seemed far too real- in the world of Instagram, YouTube and paparazzi it's easy for things to be misconstrued and a simple misstep can break you.
The cast of characters here were really well developed and memorable. My favorite was Nic and I might have a bit of a book-crush on him if I am honest. He was so charming and patient, supportive of Ginny and accepting of her need to take care of Cassie. I respected that. The romance between Nic and Ginny made me smile... it just felt so natural! This was a four star book for me, I will be keeping my eyes peeled for more of her books!
On the adult content scale, there's some sexual content, substance abuse (?) and language. I would give it a three. While definitely geared toward adults, I would hand this over to my teen niece without issue.
I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Avon books in exchange for an honest review. My thanks!

The Neighbours starts with Ginny, a 34 year old woman who works in PR and whose life is about to be turned upside down. Her roommate and best friend, Nancy, is moving to the US and when Ginny comes home from work she expects to come home to an empty apartment. But instead she finds her boyfriend Jack cheating of her with her boss Annabel. She dumps Jack and she quits her job.

Cassie is Ginny’s downstairs neighbour. Cassie is a 55 year old actress who is suffering from a reputation-damaging and embarrassing TV-show appearance.

Ginny and Cassie paths cross and an unlikely friendship develops. At first they don’t seem to have a lot in common, but the more they get to know each other, the more they begin to see they can help and support each other.

The story is written from Ginny’s perspective. She feels as though she should have accomplished more at her age. She isn’t where she wants to be career wise and relationship wise. I thought Ginny’s inner dialogue felt real, believable and relatable.

The Neighbours deals with some difficult and heavy subjects. Mental health (depression), disappointment and insecurities.. Nicola Gill did a wonderful job on writing about these subjects in a sensitive way. The story is light-hearted and filled with humour, but it never feels like the subjects are trivialised.

But this is not just a book about mental health. It is also about friendship, love and finding happiness. Both Ginny and Cassie’s characters grow over the course of the novel. Ginny learns to be more confident and Cassie finds peace with who she is and where she’s at in life. They grow and they support each other.

The Neighbours shows the importance friendship and it’s a heart-warming story that made me tear up and laugh out loud.

I enjoyed this book very much. It was well written and especially the latter half had some really funny, laugh out loud sections. The main character Ginny was very likeable and I particularly enjoyed the telling of her friendship with Cass. The romantic storyline didn’t quite ring true for me but I liked the way it was all tied up in the end.

Fab read about helping others even when things go wrong, and finding friendships with perfect you wouldn’t expect you. Thoroughly enjoyable book, well worth adding to you reading this for this year. Thank you for letting me review this book x

3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4.

I believe I picked this book up on NetGalley because I thought the cover was so cute. When I started reading it, I wasn't even sure who the author was and I immediately assumed it was Mhairi McFarlane because the main character reminded me so much of her characters and the writing felt super similar. When I finally looked, I realized it wasn't Mhairi at all.... BUT if you like Mhairi's novels, chances are you'll like this one from Nicola Gill, as well!

Ginny is a 34-year-old Londoner who has just ended a serious relationship in a terrible way. Not only that, but she's lost her job (in large part because of it!) and is constantly being reminded of how successful all of her peers are in terms of their careers, love lives, and families. Really, it's a tale as old as time, but Ginny is such a likable character, which made it an enjoyable read. Throughout the book, Ginny befriends her washed up celebrity neighbor, hunts for a new job, and ventures into the dating world.

The Neighbours isn't the kind of book that's going to change your life (and honestly, I don't feel like the title is very fitting), but it is a nice escape read that almost made me feel like I was spending time with a friend.

3,5 stars rounded to 4

Ginny and Cassie were neighbours who quickly became friends. Ginny walked in on her boss and her boyfriend in a comprising position. She ends up loosing her job. Cassie is an aging star who suffers with depression. Ginny tries to help Cassie get her life back on track and becomes her PR.

I don't know what I was really expecting when I started reading this book. Its told from Ginnys point of view. I liked Ginny, she's made mistakes, but who hasn't? It touches on a lot of difficult topics ut it also has some humor. There were parts that seemed to drag on a bit. It's well written and fast paced. This is an easy book to read with a storyline that's realistic and characters that could live next door to hou.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author Nicola Gill for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There is so much packed into this novel, it's really surprising that it's Nicola Gill's debut!

Ginny is in her mid-thirties and, as part of a relationship for the last couple of years, is waiting for THE proposal. Shame no-one told her partner. Ginny also has the boss from hell and when she discovers the pair of them 'in flagrente', her world implodes on both fronts and she finds herself without either of them. And so she gets to know her neighbour . . .

This is a skilfully crafted book, and one which kept my attention throughout. There is a good range of characters, each with their own stuff going on, all with a serious side but the story is sprinkled with humour all the way through. Each thread is tied off leaving no doubts about what happened to anyone - just as I like it! I imagine that this is far from the author's first work - although it is her first published novel - as the writing is accomplished and polished, and I really enjoyed everything about it. It unfolds into a very entertaining tale, one which made me smile and giggle! Most definitely one I'm very happy to recommend, and I consider this well worth 4*.

My thanks to publisher Avon for my copy via NetGalley; this is, as always, my honest, original and unbiased review.

Ginny has a lot to cope with, an ended relationship ,no job, and a bad tempered celebrity neighbour. Really engrossing, well written,realistic, sad times but also with laugh out loud moments. Perfect reading for a cold ,wet,winters day or a holiday in the sun.

Sorry not my type of book. I tried hard to get into the story and like the characters. The story seemed to be too long and not as interesting as I hoped it would be.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Finally, I’ve read a decent book this year. I was beginning to wonder whether it was going to be possible and whether I’d used up all my good book tokens in 2019! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this; it was the breath of fresh air I was after. It encaptured me, and I was even thinking about it when I’d put it down and was doing other things. It was continually drawing me back into its depths and world.
I, like most people who have left reviews, had thought that it might be a Psychological Thriller based on the title and a bit of the blurb. I had read a similar one about neighbours last year which didn’t turn out quite so happily ever after! This is definitely not a PT, through. It is an uplifting, blossoming and charming story. It does touch on some tough subjects, but they are handled delicately and are in keeping with the storyline.
I really liked the author’s style of writing. I can understand why some of the reviewers couldn’t get on board with it. I suppose it could feel a little disjointed. I felt, however, that it wasn’t littered with unnecessary scenes and detail. We were left in places to fill in the blanks. For example, Ginny sends a text to a client. The author could very easily have regaled us with a full-blown conversation that went backwards and forwards, tying that part of the story up in a neat bow. However, all we get is that the text was sent and Ginny moves on to the next thing in the story, we don’t really get to find out what the client thought or whether there were any repercussions. However, we would have done if there were any, we didn’t need this spelling out for us. This is just one small example that I can give without giving any significant spoilers. I thought this worked really well, and I didn’t feel like I was wasting my time reading things that I didn’t need to be reading, and I could get on with the story that mattered. However, I’m not sure it quite worked with the very very end, which did finish very abruptly. I turned the page expecting just a little more and was shocked to find the acknowledgements. I’d been wrenched from the world quite abruptly, oh well.
I loved the characters. Cassie was superb. I wish I could be more Cassie and not give so many cares! Ginny’s transformation and growth in confidence really transpired as the book went on, but oh my days I really felt for her curly fringe at the awards ceremony. I wanted to stand up and ask anyone if they had a brush for her!
I received a bag of Cadbury’s Twirl Bites in the post as part of the promotion for the Blog Tour for this book; I thought it was random as I’d not yet read the book. They were very welcome though, as the day I received them was a very stressful day and chocolate, as we know, solves everything. Now I’ve read the book they don’t seem so random. So thank you Avon Books for making my day with a little bag of goodness, I’m certainly glad they were Ginny’s favourites and weren’t some nasty vegan celery!
Overall, a fantastic read and I am sure this author is going to go to do absolutely amazing things! I can’t wait for her next book!

Neighbours Ginny and Cassie meet at just the right moment in their lives, in this charming romcom from Nicola Gill.
Ginny, in her mid thirties, suddenly finds herself out of her PR job having discovered her boyfriend Jack in a rather compromising situation with her boss Annabelle. Oops!!
Cassie, a once lauded actress of stage and screen is keen to make a come back after her initial disastrous attempt in the jungle reality Tv show. Who better than Ginny, who whilst in between jobs and determined to become a published writer, could help her achieve her dream??
That’s the premise for this novel which is lighthearted with some hilarious scenarios. Struggling to find another job and clearly failing in the relationship department, these two neighbours become unlikely friends and as their friendship develops we get further insight into what makes these women who they are.
I think I almost prefer the character of Cassie over Ginny, for her outspoken behaviour, cynicism and tendency to say the wrong thing landing herself in hot water time and time again. As a once famous actress she has some great anecdotes about the showbiz world and is still incredibly glamorous if (almost)completely self centred. On the other hand Ginny is the typical thirty something looking to find The One and her biological clock is ticking loudly, a fairly predictable character of this genre. She doesn’t have much self belief, either in her own creative writing abilities or in her role in PR, even when she lands another great job at a media agency. Both these characters symbolise some of the internal struggles we all face as women, lack of confidence, desire to find true love, hang ups about our appearance and fear of becoming old and forgotten. This makes Ginny and Cassie very relatable characters and they are easy to like.
Predictably, even when Ginny meets Nick, an eligible perfectly lovely man, the path of true love is littered with obstacles. Surprise surprise!! However, whilst this is on the face of it a breezy uncomplicated read, the author does tackle the real problem of depression albeit with a lighthearted touch so thankfully it’s not entirely fluffy and nice throughout!
I found this novel immensely pleasurable to read, easily caught up in these two fictional women’s lives and their unlikely friendship. Friendship is such an important part of everyday life and this storyline proves that often people come into your lives at certain times when what they have to offer is exactly what you need. Heartwarming and a perfect excuse to escape reality, this romcom will put a smile on your face and satisfy a need for a happy ending.
My thanks as always to the author and publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.