Cuthbert Close reminded me a lot of Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives, a show that was so deliciously addictive. Last year I read After The Party by Cassie Hamer and really enjoyed it. I have to say that I think that I liked The End of Cuthbert Close even more.

Cuthbert Close is a typical middle class street that could be anywhere in Australia. It tells the story of a close knit community, in particular three women and their families. Cara, Beth and Alex are so different and yet such great friends. they would do anything for each other. Their friendship is tight...and then Charlie Devine and her teenage daughter move in to the street. She is not like them - she is glamourous and the wife of a famous online health blogger. She threatens to disturb their lives, but in a good or bad way?

It is a story of friendships and bonds, family and money struggles, motherhood and being working women in this day and age. It was a very relatable storyline for me, and I felt connected to these women in many ways. It would be lovely to live in a place like this where everybody looks out for each other. It is funny and emotional and I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thanks to Harlequin Australia and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

I’d love to live in Cuthbert Close.
From the first few pages, I was so invested in the neighbourhood I was ready to move in! Like Australia’s answer to Marian Keyes, Cassie Hamer’s terrifically entertaining story is filled with the sort of people you need in your life— and the strain on relationships you learn to live with.
Three diverse women, Cara, Beth and Alex, are central to the story and their problems— true and imagined— come alive on the pages. The story revolves around the kind of practical issues that exist in the fast-paced lives of today’s families, where women juggle and wear a multitude of hats. Written with an authentically Australian flavour, the idyllic community of The End of Cuthbert Close is easy to picture; the characters’ motivations, desires and foibles as delicious as the scent of Cara’s spicy cooking, or Beth’s homemade quiche. I particularly enjoyed the women’s waves of guilt concerning parental expectations—each carries emotional baggage that drives their decisions and sets the tension.
But the seemingly easy lives of those in the close are disrupted when the impeccable Charlie Devine and her teenage daughter, Talia, move in, leaving their mark on the three families. All too soon, the expectations of the families are at stake, as relationships are challenged and cracks appear beneath the surface.
The story covers a variety of issues, giving a true sense of the difficulties faced in relationships, no matter what stage of life. The ever-present voice of The Primal Guy— Charlie’s absent husband, is a brilliant device. It adds a touch of comedic relief at turning points—like an irritating itch under the skin that hints at more. I was inspired to continue reading, and rocketed through to the end, far too easily.
Now, I’m struggling to part with my new friends in Cuthbert Close…I want to stay in the pages. And that’s the best sign for me of a tremendously entertaining book.

This is the second book I read from Cassie Hammer and she totally nailed it again. It's a story of neighborhood's friendship at Cuthbert Close, Alex, Beth and Cara. Each with their own motherhood and family issue. Each character just feels so real and easy to like. I love their solid friendship despite each has different characters. Not to forget, the new neighbour, Charlie, who'll bring a bit of spice into the story.
Thanks Netgalley for an electronic ARC of this book. Highly recommended read of this year.

This was a fantastic book that accurately describes friendships, life and motherhood.

After years of living on the same close-knit street, Beth, Cara and Alex have become very good friends. Their relationships are realistic and relatable, I felt as though I'd fit into their circle quite easily.

Reading this book felt very much like watching an episode of Desperate Housewives; it was full of drama with splashes of comedy.

I really enjoyed reading this novel. Thank you to Harlequin for providing me with a copy of this E-book to review via Netgalley.

Cuthbert Close in typical middle class Australian suburbia is a close, friendly street where everyone gets on, look out for each other's kids and close the street at the end of summer for an annual street party. That is until glamorous neighbour Charlie Devine, wife of a popular online health guru, and her teenage daughter move into the street. Then all sorts of things start to go wrong.

I very much enjoyed this warmly humorous take of life in suburbia and the three very different women, a corporate lawyer, a food stylist and a stay at home mother, who form a special friendship and share life's ups and downs together. Over the course of the difficulties they face they all come to realise what it is they most want out of life and even though Cuthbert Close may never be the same again they will always be best friends.

Cassie Hamer’s The End of Cuthbert Close is a great summer read, it’s a very relatable story of motherhood, life and friendship. It can easily be devoured in one sitting.

You can choose you friends but not your neighbours...

Food stylist Cara, corporate lawyer Alex and stay-at-home mum Beth couldn't be more different. If it wasn't for the fact they live next door to each other in Cuthbert Close, they'd never have met and bonded over Bundt cake.

But when a Charlie Devine, glamorous wife of online lifestyle guru moves into the Close things are inevitably going to change, but will it before better or will this be the end of the close?

After reading Cassies debut novel After the Party, I was keen to read her next one and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

I loved the interaction between the three main women and how they each deal with motherhood, relationships and just life in general.