Halloween is everyone’s favorite holiday on Ivy Woods Drive. The costumes! The pumpkins! The decorations! The threats and murder?

People from all over the area come to see the annual Halloween celebration on Ivy Woods. Planning starts early and this year, new resident Theresa is thrilled to be involved. She has just moved to town with her daughter Lily and husband Adam, the new high school principal. The Ivy Five, the four supermoms who organize the event, have asked her to be the fifth in their clique (don’t ask why there were four in a group called the Ivy Five. You’ll find out later.) and she’s busy with meetings and costume planning. Meanwhile her daughter Lily, a high school freshman, has become best friends with Ellen, a senior with some dark interests. As the days move closer to Halloween night, tensions escalate. Someone is sending anonymous threatening notes to the group. Could that urban legend connected to Ivy Drive not be a legend after all?

The Mother Next Door is a tense, fast-paced domestic thriller. While the women of the Ivy Five were fairly unlikeable, Theresa was a sympathetic character who wanted the best for her husband and daughter but sometimes went about getting it in the wrong way. I loved the Halloween theme! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) and Tara Laskowski for this ARC.

When Theresa and her family move to Ivy Woods, she finds herself one of the Ivy Five, a tight group of alpha moms with kids in the same high school. They share a secret which directly involves Theresa's family, and someone knows, and is sending threats. The narration moves between the Ivy Five and an unknown character with their own agenda.
The book's chapters count down the days until the big Halloween block party, which keeps the pace moving because SOMETHING is going to happen, and it's probably not good.
I will recommend to readers who enjoyed The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn and Dare Me by Megan Abbott.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This was definitely a fun page turner! A woman joins a group of well-to-do moms in the suburbs... and doesn't exactly know what she is getting herself into. Are the women being followed? Who committed the murder a decade ago? Is anyone safe?

This is a great book for Halloween! Thank you so much to Trade Publishing and netgalley for the ARC!

⭐⭐⭐.3 stars
Ivy Woods Drive is a great neighborhood, the woods surrounding the area makes everyone feel like they are living in a protected secluded forest.
The neighborhood is also famous for the annual Halloween Block Party organized by “The Ivy Five” (however right now there are only four ~ it seemed one moved away and hasn’t yet been replaced ~ until perhaps now!)
Theresa Pressley and her husband Adam Wallace, who is the principal of the local high school are newlyweds and new to the neighborhood. They live next door to one the “Ivy Five Moms”. Theresa find herself invited to join one of the planning group meetings. She finds out that
they are getting blackmail notes that their secret is going to be revealed ~ one hidden for thirteen years.
Theresa is one the mother next door and the story’s center.
I am a big psychological thriller fan ~ love the twists and turns; but have to admit I struggled trying to figure out what was really going on and who is who.
I hung in there and then an Ah Ha - I got it!

Want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing (US & Canada ~ Graydon House for this uncorrected eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review. Publishing Release Date scheduled for October 12, 2021.

I love a good thriller set at halloween! The Mother Next Door is fun, intriguing thrill ride. What happens when a new mom moves in and wants to join the most influential group of moms, The Ivy Five? Theresa is new to the neighborhood and wants to make friends. The Ivy Five have only been a group of four for a while, so they decide to take a chance on Theresa. Every year they throw and amazing halloween block party and this year she wants to help. She quickly realizes that the Ivys are keeping secrets, possible deadly secrets. The Ivy Five will do anything to protect their families. Overall, I really enjoyed The Mother Next Door. I didn't find it to be as sinister as it's marketed but I still really enjoyed it.

This was such a fun book! So spooky and atmospheric, it’s perfect for fall weather or a rainy day. I appreciate that, despite there being a number of main characters, each one felt thought out and independent from the others. I did see one of the twists coming, though not the other, and definitely went down the path I knew the author wanted me to go (but it was such a fun path!), but I think an indicator of a good book is when, even if you’ve discovered the twist you still can’t put the book down. Looking forward to reading more books by Tara Laskowski!

Fun, mysterious, and a little bit dark. What more could you ask for?!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56555529

I really enjoyed this mystery about a group of Queen Bee suburban moms who are keeping secrets about a decade old mystery in which a young girl in the community was killled. I really liked the Halloween setting--this would be a perfect read for that time of year. The resolution was well plotted and brought all the clues together. Overall, a solid pick.

Really loved Tara's follow up to her multiple award winning debut. As an mystery writer, I can usually guess the twists but this story definitely took me in places I wasn't suspecting. There was one reveal at the midpoint that completely made me say 'Oh wow." as I was reading it.

A lot of people are comparing this to Little Big Lies (which I haven't read) and Desperate Housewives, which I loved. But it also feels a bit like a grown up Pretty Little Liars. Tara has such an amazing voice and really does an amazing job carefully laying out the puzzle pieces so that everything fits and makes sense once it's complete.

SO MUCH FUN! This book is completely entertaining, a true page-turner. I'd call it: neighborhood noir. An affluent desirable neighborhood, a group of women with secrets, and the relatable newcomer. That in itself is a must read, right? But the oh-so-talented Tara Laskowski adds intense relationships, marital strife, a mysterious daughter, threatening messages, haunting secrets, secrets, lies, mind games--and Halloween! Like I said: so much fun.
But Laskowski's secret sauce is that this is more than a terrific summer (or anytime) read--she understands human psychology, the power of revenge and desire--and the inescapable heartbreak and pressure of being a mother and a wife and a friend.. Loved this!

When Theresa's husband takes a new job and the family move to Ivy Woods Drive, she has no idea what she's in for. As the annual Halloween party approaches, Theresa is pulled into the layered drama of the Ivy Five, the most influential, powerful wives in the neighborhood. But someone is watching, someone who knows their secrets threatens to tell the truth.

This is the perfect Halloween read! Told in alternating perspectives, the voices worked well. I never felt like they were muddled, which can be a huge issue with multiple POV, but Theresa and Kendra's voices felt individual and developed. This definitely felt like a modern take on “Desperate Housewives”, and I think anyone who loves the gossip-prone nature of that show will love this. It was indeed in a similar vein in tone and twists to “Big Little Lies”. I will say the women gave me Mean Girls vibes at times. None of these characters were hugely likeable, but I gleaned that going in and it didn't bother me. I am always fascinated by what makes people act as they do, and thought the book did a good job in characterizing the various players so I could see what was driving their behavior. Overall, "The Mother Next Door" was an entertaining, fast-paced, thrilling read with a cast of unlikable characters, twists and turns that will leave you surprised at the unexpected ending. For anyone looking for a suburban suspense with family secrets. This was my first book by this author and since I really enjoyed it, I look forward to reading more from her. Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the chance to read and review a copy of this book in exchange for my thoughts.

I thoughts this was a super-fast paced, well-written domestic drama. I couldn't figure out the mysteries in the book right away, but they did not totally come out of left field either

Wow, what a read, and correct in comparing to BIG LITTLE LIES! Fast paced, unputdownable, and fun! The author developed the characters in an amazing fashion, which really helped me further immerse in the story! Full of tension, which kept me on the edge of my seat and glued to the pages! Of course there’s plenty of twist and turns, thrills, chills, and shocks, which I loved! A very twisty tale, that I highly recommend to my fellow thriller lovers!

Will buzz around and use low Amazon reviewer number on release!

This women’s fiction has great Halloween season atmosphere and mystery thriller vibes. Definitely pick this one up if you want some juicy mama drama. This was an entertaining read, and the twists and reveals were part of the fun, even when they weren’t all shocking.

I enjoyed the way different character’s viewpoints were woven throughout. I liked the slightly ominous tone of an unknown viewpoint. I will mention the excellent fall season setting once again because it was my favorite thing about this book.

I want to start by saying that I am angry with myself for reading this in May. This would have been such a wonderful book to read in October! I had a hard time putting this down. This reminded me of Desperate Housewives meets Fear Street books from the 90s. This is the story of four mothers known as the Ivies (5- but really 4?) who live in an affluent area. They throw a Halloween block party every year and this year, they start receiving notes threatening to spill a secret they have hidden for 13 years. There’s also a new mother in the block who is eager to join the group but we aren't sure if she can be trusted? The characters are totally unlikeable and the setting is creepy and so well done. Honestly, just don't make any alliances here or trust anyone because it all changes so much and they are all lying liars! I LOVED this one!

When Theresa’s new husband becomes the new highschool principal, Theresa is thrilled to move to the suburbs and onto Ivy Drive. She quickly becomes involved with the ‘Ivy Five’ who are beginning to plan the spectacular annual Halloween party. Theresa questions why there are only four members of the elite ‘Ivy Five’, and is somewhat troubled by the vague responses and fleeting looks exchanged when the others say the fifth member moved away years ago but the name stuck. She is happy to become the new fifth.
As planning for the neighbourhood bash gets underway the ladies begin to receive threatening letters and FB messages/photos alluding to something that happened years ago. Could this have anything to do with the legend Theresa’s daughter and her new best friend are obsessed with?
This book is a great seasonal read. Filled with Halloween traditions, legends, and fall atmosphere this is a fun twisty escape.
Thank you to the author and publish for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy.

This was a fun read, though I didn't find it quite as dark and mysterious as the synopsis made it look like. It was indeed in a similar vein in tone and twists to Big Little Lies, though; that was a apt comparison. The story centers primarily on Theresa, who moves into an upper-class neighborhood outside of Washington DC when her husband gets a job as high school principal. The neighborhood is ruled by a clique of mean girls and Theresa is desperate to fit in. As we get to know both Theresa and the group of women, secrets are exposed, particularly as it relates to a dark event in their past, in which no one was really that innocent. The POV is told in alternating voices between Theresa, Kendra (one of the "Ivy Five" clique)., and via flashbacks from an unknown character.

None of these characters were hugely likeable, but I gleaned that going in and it didn't bother me. I am always fascinated by what makes people act as they do, and thought the book did a good job in characterizing the various players so I could see what was driving their behavior. Though there were more than a few characters, but the author did a good job at giving them the depth I needed to understand their decisions.

The threats that the women received didn't come off quite as foreboding to me as I think they were intended, but the flashback scenes were quite atmospheric. I figured out part of the twist but not all of it, and thought that it all came together really well when the mystery was revealed.

All in all, this was a fun read and I enjoyed it. I think those who like domestic suspense as well as friendships that might not be all they seem will enjoy it. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

About as riveting as The Mickey Mouse Club on a bad day. Inane characters, devoid of any substance. The plot--well, lets just say it's probably the world's worst and leave it at that. I do NOT recommend this book.

The Mother Next Door
by Tara Laskowski
Publisher: Graydon House
Publication date: October 12, 2021
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃
Description :
Good mothers: Never show their feelings. Never spill their secrets.
Never admit to murder.The annual Halloween block party is the pinnacle of the year on idyllic suburban cul-de-sac Ivy Woods Drive. An influential group of neighborhood moms - known as the Ivy Five - plans the event for months. Except the Ivy Five has been four for a long time. When a new mother moves to town, eager to fit in, the moms see it as an opportunity to make the group whole again. This year’s block party should be the best yet...until the women start receiving anonymous messages threatening to expose the quiet neighborhood’s dark past - and the lengths they’ve gone to hide it. As secrets seep out and the threats intensify, the Ivy Five must sort the loyal from the disloyal, the good from the bad. They’ll do anything to protect their families. But when a twisted plot is revealed, with dangerous consequences, their steady foundation begins to crumble, leaving only one certainty: After this year’s block party, Ivy Woods Drive will never be the same.
🎃 MY REVIEW 🎃

Looking for a Halloween themed book for this fall ? If so i have the perfect one for you. You can request it through netgalley now or pre order and get it right before halloween.
The Mother Next Door is a nail biting, intense , domestic suspense thriller with lots of secrets and lies that have been hidden for 13 years. There is so much jealousy and envy going on in this story which is what made it more exciting. From personal experience I know that jealousy and envy brings out the very worst in people and can forever destroy someone . Halloween and the urban legend really gave the whole story more of a spooky vibe.The unique story line kept me hooked to the point of not wanting to put the book down. Someone is out for vengeance but who ??There is plenty of twist and turns throughout the story which built up to a very unexpected ending. I was immersed in this book from the very start until the astonishing ending! Even though I started and finished this book all in one day some parts was a little far fetched . Some of the characters were very well developed however i feel like the story would have been better if the other characters were more developed. There were characters in this book that I loved and others I could not stand .I have NEVER EVER hated a character as much as I hated some of these. As odd as this may seem that is part of what made it so good.
*******Disclosure*******
I received a free E -ARC copy of this book from netgalley prior to release. Many thanks to NetGalley ,the publisher and the author for the chance to read and review a copy of this interesting book in exchange for my honest review.
I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. As always if you like the book you read please take the time to leave a review for the author in places like goodreads & Amazon. It does not have to be long. Just a few sentences saying you liked the book will do. Authors really appreciate every review they get !

#TheMotherNextDoor #NetGalley
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This was a great read that I found hard to put down. Think Desperate Housewives with a Halloween twist. The Mother Next Door tells the story of four mothers known as the Ivies who live in an idyllic neighbourhood. The Ivies throw a Halloween block party every year and this year, they start receiving notes threatening to spill a secret they have hidden for 13 years. There’s also a new mother in the block who is eager to join the group. But can she be trusted or is she behind the blackmailing?

This book was greatly paced and written. I figured out the culprit later on but i think the author did a great job of setting the pace and elevating the suspense/thrill factor. Using Halloween as the backdrop and adding an urban legend story in the mix added to the spook factor.