Welcome to the Ivy Five in the neighborhood of Ivy Woods Drive. Who are the Ivy Five? A group of five women that run the posh neighborhood of Ivy Woods Drive. Every year they host the annual Halloween block party which is what these ladies are known for.

Let's meet Kendra.... she's the Queen Bee of the group and watch out her stinger will come for revenge if she doesn't get her way.

Currently, there are only four members because one of the members mysteriously disappeared and they haven't heard from her since. This will come to haunt the Ivy Five at the annual Halloween block party.....not all dancing and having fun.

Of course, the Ivy Five group is not all it seems and dark secrets start unfolding at the seams with every member.

I loved the fall and Halloween vibes in this one and definitely recommend checking this one out if you love unreliable characters and a shit show train of drama between women.

Thank you to Graydon House and Tara Laskowski for my copy!

4 stars!

Pub date: 10/12/21
Published to GR: 10/3/21.

The Ivy Five, everyone wants to be them. They throw the best parties, including their annual Halloween bash. They are the envy of their neighborhood and always keep their secrets. They are down one Ivy though since Jacqueline ran off without a trace leaving behind her young daughter. At last though, Theresa has moved into the neighborhood and her husband is the new high school principal. She can’t wait to be an Ivy and escape her past. The annual Halloween party is coming up and Theresa is ecstatic to be part of it and to be accepted into the group but something sinister is lurking in the woods behind their houses. Someone is watching and sending a message that they know what really happened that Halloween night so long ago when a young women committed suicide. Will the Ivy Five be able to keep their secret or will their new member expose them all and her own secrets?

This is the perfect Halloween book filled with urban legends, secrets and mystery! I scarfed down this book hoping I was right about the mystery and boy was I wrong. The ending had me saying “whoa, I didn’t see that coming,” which is one of my favorite phrases when reading!

Thank you to Harlequin, Netgalley and Tara Laskowski for letting me read this one early. Pub date for this one is 10/12.

I thought this would read more like a thriller, but alas its a mean girls type drama. I have a hard time with books like this because it's hard to find someone to root for. I need a likable character to cling on to for some reason and I didn't find that here. The pace was a bit slow for me also. It just didn't quite meet my expectations, sadly.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tara Laskowski and Harlequin for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the pacing of this novel, it wasn't too fast or slow and the author dribbled little bits of information throughout the novel so that you wouldn't ever want to stop reading, and it worked! I wanted nothing more than to find out who died, why and who was guilty of murder. The different perspectives throughout the novel really made me guess and second guess what was going on in this novel and I enjoyed that! I would definitely recommend this great paced, dark atmosphere, tense mystery novel. Perfect time of the year to read about Halloween too!

5/5 Stars!

This book was a great read just in time for the holiday - it has everything, secrets, urban legends, a mysterious death and Stepford-wife type neighbors trying to keep it all from falling apart. So naturally I was immediately intrigued and drawn into the story. There's a lot going in the book, and it all ties together really well to create this eery world, where you're not sure what's real and what's lies.

I liked all the characters, but the key to tis book is not really knowing who to trust, because there's a ton of suspense and suspicion gong around and as soon as you think you have a handle on things, there's a twist that turns things upside down. I was confused and kind of doubting myself right up until the big reveal. But I really enjoyed the ending. It fit really well with the story and all the loose ends were tied up satisfactorily.

I really wouldn't mind another trip back to Ivy Woods in the future, as it seems there may be some more secrets there, and I would definitely read more from this author. She obviously can spin a great story with some deep characters, so I'll be looking out for her name in the future.

Such a fun, spooky read for Halloween season!

The Ivy Woods annual Halloween Party put on by the Ivy Five is always a big deal. Theresa is new to Ivy Woods, or at least the Ivy Five (who, by the way, have only been 'four' for the past few years, but seems the name stuck) thought at least. Theresa is welcomed with open arms, thrown right into the party planning and group costume. She quickly becomes the fifth member they're missing. Theresa, however, has some secrets and a connection to Ivy Woods that no one is aware of. Not even her husband or daughter.

This is a great atmospheric thriller with lots of secrets and lies to uncover. I didn't really love any of the characters, they were fine, I just couldn't connect with any. Told through multiple POVs with one of the POVs being a mystery character and short chapters the story chugs along at a quick pace! The perfect read this fall!

"Ladies and gentlemen, skulls and boys: by the time our Halloween block party is over tonight, one of us will be dead..."
You are invited to the annual Halloween Party🍁
on Ivy Woods Drive hosted by the Ivy Five

With pumpkins 🎃 on sale, the turn of fall, football season...what could be better than an atmospheric domestic suspense. I'm thankful I did not get an invitation or even helping to host such an event with the devious work of these mothers. A look at some very privileged lives gone very wrong.
The mothers are busy as bees 🐝 preparing for their annual party. In what used to be the Ivy Five, we are lacking one in which a mother has gone MIA. A new mother has moved into the neighborhood and has been accepted into their little society. They know more about her than she cares to reveal.

There are secrets, lies with deadly consequences, and a great divide of loyalty between these women. In the beginning, you know a crime has been committed and a young woman's life was cut short, but what you don't know is who is the killer and why has this happened. A twist at the end reveals a shocking revelation.

As far as the characters, I don't feel like I could connect with any of them or even like them. I enjoyed the book and I like the way it delivered in revolving doors of present to past and changed with POV of several characters...But y'all..."It's a nice place to live. And we're gorgeous people. Who wouldn't want to be here?" 😳
The coolest thing about the book is the soundtrack you can find on Spotify: http://bit.ly/MotherNextDoor
"That's What Friends Are For" Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder 💕
"Happy Halloween"
Thanks NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Although it took me a couple chapters to figure out the plot of this book with the two alternating narrators and a third undetermined narrator, once I did, I had a difficult time putting The Mother Next Door down. Every time I thought I had the characters figured out, something would happen to prove me wrong. I loved all the secrets that slowly revealed themselves as the story progressed! This was a wonderful, suspenseful read by Tara Laskowski! It was my first read by this author, but it will not be my last.

Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.

#NetGalley
#HarlequinTradePublishing
#TheMotherNextDoor
#TaraLaskowski

“By the time our Halloween block party is over tonight, one of us will be dead…”

Theresa’s mother raised her to fight for what she deserved in life, and she deserves it all…So when she sees an opportunity to move into the coveted Ivy Woods Drive cul-de-sac, Theresa calls in a favor to obtain the perfect job for her husband and buy the perfect house. Theresa is offered to become a part of the clique of moms known as “The Ivy Five”, and she knows she’d be a fool to turn it down, especially when she’s included in their famous Halloween block party. Finally, she will have the perfect life of which she’s always dreamed. But this isn’t a Norman Rockwell painting…there is someone watching the Ivies…someone who has kept a secret ready to release at the most opportune time…someone that will make them pay for the sins of their past…

Every wonder what happened to the "Mean Girls" when they grew up and became moms? Look no further, and snatch up a copy of "The Mother Next Door"! What a fun read with a "Pretty Little Liars" all grown up feel! Can you keep a secret? Enjoyed and would recommend!




**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

This was a great book. It's very Little Black Lies Meets Desperate Housewives. The Secrets, the twists and the fast paced plot had me wanting more. This was a quick read. I loved the characters. I loved Tara's style of writing. The characters were easy to relate to in many ways. I would definately read another Tara Laskowski book. Awesome book to add to my September line up and perfect for the Halloween and Fall Season!

I would classify this more as a drama than a thriller, though there was a tiny bit of suspense. I never fully connected with the characters and the pace was slower than I'm used to with this genre. Everyone has secrets, and you have to wonder who to trust. Some parts were predictable. It didn't quite live up to my expectations.

A group of women with secrets….this doesn’t surprise anyone! But what happens when the secrecy is threatened? This was a good story with a few twists.

The Mother Next Door by Tara Laskowski is mostly being tagged as a thriller but for me I felt this one fell more into the drama category with a bit of suspense. The story is told by changing the point of view between the main characters which are in a timeline leading up to the Halloween party and also with passages between their point of view of Halloween.

Theresa has just made the move to the suburban cul-de-sac Ivy Woods Drive. Being in a new neighborhood of course Theresa wants to fit in with the other moms around. Four of those mothers are in a group that call themselves the Ivy Five and they take Theresa into their friend group hoping to make it whole again after losing their former fifth member. As the ladies are planning the upcoming Halloween block party they begin to receive threatening messages.

Now perhaps I may be reading just too many thrillers set up as coming into a new neighborhood and the secrets and lies being hidden there but for me I just found The Mother Next Door to be just an Ok read. I do however seem to be a minority opinion on this one as others are loving it and normally I do enjoy some good old popcorn drama but I just found the story rather slow moving. Also for me the characters didn’t really stand out that much and I didn’t particularly find myself caught up in their drama the way I have with other stories of this nature. Again, not bad but it won’t become a favorite of mine.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Halloween-Themed Mystery/Drama With An Urban Legend - And A Punisher Scene. In the early 2000s, pre-MCU version of The Punisher - the one with Thomas Jane as Frank Castle/ The Punisher and also featuring John Travolta and Will Patton - I've always LOVED the scene in the finale where Castle tells Travolta's character "I made you kill your wife. I made you kill your best friend. And now I've killed you.". This book actually has elements that played out there within it as well, and this book actually works the drama and even action in those sequences much better than even that movie pulled off. (Though in its defense, in that movie the scene in question is just a plot point in service of the actual story, and here the story ultimately revolves around this scene.) To my mind, all of the above is obscure enough that I haven't actually gone into spoiler territory here, so let's move on.

This is a tale where several characters are at play, but we only ever really hear from three of them - the newbie, the Queen Bee of the resident Mean Girls (in this particular case, the mothers who effectively run the school's PTA board), and a mysterious "other"... who seems intent on killing someone on Halloween night. It mostly takes place in the leadup to that night, where we see that not all is as it seems on Ivy Lane, and that, in the words of Tony Stark (when referencing Nick Fury in The Avengers), her "secrets have secrets". Which goes for most every "her" here, particularly the three we actually hear from.

Arguably the one knock here is that male characters are almost non-existent and pretty damn one dimensional, but eh, this is fairly common across the genre, particularly when written by females. Finding an author that actually does opposite-sex characters well in this genre is a bit difficult at times, so it is more easily excused - for better or worse- as simply the way things (currently) are when this occurs.

Beyond this quibble though, this is a strong enough book, and spooky/ creepy enough that it absolutely fits right in with the Halloween vibe and its release is thus perfectly timed in mid-October. Definetly not a classic "monster tale", but if you prefer your monsters of the more human variety... this may be up your alley. (Though to be fair, there is nothing *overly* horrific here. Though there are absolutely some very bad people here.) Very much recommended.

This was a quick read that was hard to put down.

There are two points of view plus another secret one. Our first pov is Theresa. She's new to the neighborhood of Ivy Woods, but went to college in the town years earlier. She's newly married to the principal and has a daughter in high school. Our other pov is Kendra. She's the queen bee mom of the area, part of "the Ivy Five". There are currently only four women in the Ivy Five and we find out why a bit later in the book. Kendra is one of those perfectionist moms always on the go. They are getting ready to host their annual Halloween party that takes over a month to plan out. Theresa wants to fit in and finds herself watching the women before finally meeting them. While she enjoys the popularity and fitting in, Theresa quickly learns that she's not the only one keeping secrets. Our last pov is from someone secret. They are the one sending vague threats to the moms. Those threats let us learn what happened on Halloween so many years before. The thing that changed all of their lives.

While I guessed correctly early on with who the secret pov was, there were still a few twists that surprised me. I was wrong on one thing and only sort of right on another. I enjoyed reading this and watching everything play out. The characters were not likeable, but I still found myself invested in their lives. The pacing was great and I would definitely read another book by the author.

I gave this book 4 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my earc.

Theresa is new to the exclusive cul-de-sac Ivy Woods Drive and wants to fit in.

The Ivy Five moms welcome her since one of their five has been gone for a long time. If they allow her in, they will be back to five instead of four.

The four Ivys - Kendra, Bettina, Pia, and Alice have always hosted a Halloween Party that took months to prepare for and a party that was talked about as the best ever.

This year someone has been sending messages saying they know what the moms did in the past. What could that be?

They ignore the messages at first, but they come more frequently and scare the Ivy Five.

Wonder who did what and when?

The women are all catty and shallow with secrets of their own, including the missing Ivy girl.

I didn’t like any of the women or trust them.

What will happen at this year's party?

Will everyone's secrets be revealed?

Will it be perfect just like each woman thinks she is?

The book flowed well, but there was too much drama in it for me even though the theme seemed to be that you never know who to trust. 3/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Theresa Pressley, her husband Adam Wallace, and their teenage daughter, Lily, have just moved to an idyllic suburban cul-de-sac, Ivy Woods Drive. It didn’t take Theresa long to figure out that the neighbours who live on her street are influential; they’re tight, will do anything to keep peace and protect their own. In fact, the leader of these overachieving mothers, The Ivy Five (Hive), is the queen bee, Kendra McCaul. Theresa, the ‘new bee’ next door is dying to be included in the hive and being the new principal’s wife, she’s worth considering. What she doesn’t know is that the Ivy Five has been four for a long time and the hive is eager to be whole again.

The queen bee has been hosting the annual Hallowe’en block party for years. Everyone looks forward to the fun, drinking, and dancing. Underneath the masks, however, are five women who have a secret they don’t wish to be revealed. Readers are invited as a fly on the wall eight weeks before Hallowe’en and are privy to the tension ramping up to the party. Someone is threatening to expose the secret the hive has been hiding and it’s fraying the bond and secrets are becoming exposed…

This fantastic atmospheric domestic suspense is filled with unlikable characters, unreliable narrators, flashbacks and family secrets. It’s fast paced and features gossipy, backhanded moms whose strive for perfection ends in murder.

Grab your costume, come have some fun. It’s going to be the last Ivy Woods Hallowe’en block party and it’s going out with a BANG!

Publishes October 12, 2021.

I was gifted this advance copy by Tara Laskowski, Harlequin, Graydon House and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I am rounding up a bit on this review. Was it an amazing book? No. But was it a fun, easy read that quickly satisfied my desire for a fall-themed thriller full of secrets and lies? Absolutely. The Mother Next Door takes place in an upscale neighborhood on an exclusive cul-de-sac full of a group of moms who most everybody else in the neighborhood envies. They stick together through thick and thin, and Theresa, who recently moved to the street, would love to join their clique. When Theresa seemingly gets her wish, she discovers that the moms may not all be quite what they seem, especially the "Queen Bee" Kendra. But Theresa has some secrets in her own past that could not only threaten her standing with her new friends, but also could destroy her life as she knows it.
One of the best things about this book was the fact that it is set in the lead-up to Halloween. It begins just as the school year starts, and then concludes with the annual epic Halloween neighborhood party thrown by the moms of the cul-de-sac. I found it a perfect read for this time of year, to get you in the mood for all things fall. That being said, the descriptions could have been more immersive--if you are looking to feel transported to a place full of crisp breezes with brittle leaves dancing in the air, creepy moonlit mists, and the smell of cider, this isn't where you'll find it. But pretty much everything you would associate with fall is mentioned, from pumpkin coffee to candy corn to inflatable lawn decorations to slasher movies to backyard bonfires. But as I stated, it felt as though these things were thrown in with an intended "casualness" that didn't quite hit the right note (almost like there was a check list of things that should be included in the book). These things really made me see and smell and FEEL the season.
My favorite character in the book was Kendra. I feel like her motivations and personality were really explored well. I knew where she was coming from, and even if I didn't always like her actions or agree with her decisions, she felt like an engaging character. I had a hard time relating to Theresa, however. She just felt a little flat to me and I couldn't connect with her. The problem this created was that, as the reader, I was supposed to sympathize with her and feel her anxiety... But I didn't. And this may be a spoiler, but--the character of Alice ended up confusing me a bit in the end. I kind of felt like there was more there that could have or should have been explored. Or maybe that I had missed something...
The plot was good. I followed along on Theresa's journey to fit in as the school year progressed through bake sales, football games, and committee meetings--all while someone is out there threatening the tenuous status quo of Theresa's new neighborhood. I guessed a couple of the secrets and twists, but some were a complete surprise. I did like the ending; it felt like if fit the tone of the book very well.
I have read other books that evoke that feeling you get in autumn much better than this book did. I have read thrillers that really ratchet up the tension better than this book did. I have read books about seemingly idyllic neighborhoods that reveal the painful reality behind the "perfect" residents better than this book did. Which made me want to give it 3 stars. BUT...over-all I did enjoy this book quite a bit! It was fun. It was a quick read that kept me wanting to know what would happen next. It really got me in the mood for fall. It had just the right amount of "soapy" elements to keep me entertained without making me want to roll my eyes. The characters might have been slightly one-dimensional, but sometimes you want a book like that! (SO many books have tortured, deeply flawed, terribly complex characters these days that a break from that can be nice.) So, because I liked the book, despite its shortcomings, I am giving this 4 stars. If you are looking for a fun, light thriller to get you ready for Spooky Season, then I would recommend this book

Big Little Lies has nothing on The Ivy Five. These women are pros. The only thing is they are now one short of five. What happened to the other member? Stay tuned.

Every year the Ivy Five have their annual block party on Halloween. Ivy Woods Drive is the place to be. The perfect cul-de-sac for the perfect families who live there. The envy of the town. But not for one person. This person knows their secrets and is about to spill them all.

When Theresa moves into the exclusive street, she is eager to fit in. To be accepted by these perfect women and their perfect lives. She finds herself volunteering or everything and soon she is one of them.

Then the threats begin. Secrets run deep in this town and especially in this group. They’ve done some pretty awful things and now someone is threatening to out them all. But who is it? Could it be the new girl?

While they all rush to cover their own backsides, Theresa has secrets of her own. Secrets that will intersect with the Ivy Five and may blow up all of their lives.

These were just despicable women. Which is a compliment. They were so horrible that you had to keep going to see who did what to whom and why!

This is a really good domestic suspense tale and I’m glad I read it!

NetGalley/October 12th, 2021 by Graydon House

The Mother Next Door is my first foray into Tara Laskowski’s novels, and I am so glad I took a chance on her novels. This book is certainly comparable to Big Little Lies as described in the blurb and I was itching to find out WHAT the truth of the matter really was. I love books like this; suburban dramas, moms gone bad, secrets, lies, gossip, and revenge! There’s just something to tantalizing about it and I eat them up at record speed! If you’re interested in books like this, then I highly recommend giving this one a try. You won’t regret it! I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for us in the future. Hopefully it’s something along the lines of this book because I’m always looking for novels like this.

I don’t want to spoil the plot for this book because it’s one of those page turners that you should really go into blind. I will say though that I liked the twist (didn’t love it but LIKED it) and was pleasantly surprised to see that I didn’t figure it out before it was revealed. Although I will admit that I do think there should have been a lot more consequences than there were… Which were none. For a book like this it seems that the ending was a little too easy. Sometimes this makes the book come off as unrealistic. Other than that, I gobbled this one up and would definitely recommend it to other readers!

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙:
• Suburban Dramas and Mysteries
• Books about moms gone bad with secrets and revenge
• Authors like Liane Moriarty, Robyn Harding, and Amber Garza

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)