Just wrapped up "The Woman Next Door" by Natasha Boydell, and let me tell you, it's like peeking through the curtains into a world of secrets and surprises right next door.

The story is all about two neighbors: Ellie and Olivia. They seem like your typical suburban residents, but as the story unfolds, you realize there's way more going on beneath the surface. It’s a mix of domestic drama, a bit of mystery, and some serious emotional depth.

The narrator does a stellar job of bringing Ellie and Olivia to life. You can feel their personalities, their struggles, and the tension between them. It's like listening to a really juicy gossip session, except you're totally invested in finding out what's really true.

Natasha Boydell's writing style is super engaging. She's got this way of drawing you into the lives of these characters, making you feel like you’re a part of their world. The dialogue is natural, the details are spot-on, and the story just flows.

What's cool about this book is how it delves into themes like friendship, trust, and the secrets we keep. It’s not just about the drama; it’s about understanding what drives people and the complexities of relationships. Plus, the suburban setting is a perfect backdrop for a story that's all about what happens behind closed doors.

The pacing is just right – keeping you hooked without rushing through the juicy parts. You’re always wondering what’s going to happen next, and every revelation adds another layer to the story.

To sum it up, "The Woman Next Door" is a gripping and insightful listen. It's perfect for when you want a story that’s got a bit of mystery, a touch of drama, and a whole lot of real-life feels. If you enjoy stories that explore the intricacies of everyday life with a twist of suspense, this audiobook is a great pick. It’s like getting an inside look at the secret lives of the people next door – and who doesn’t love a bit of neighborly intrigue?

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

A KNOCKOUT of a book about friendship, family, joy,grief, blessings, loss, the beauty of forgiveness, and everything in between. Not a mystery (my typical fare) but a wonderful tale, nonetheless. My first time (but not the last) reading this author (she did a wonderful job of artfully weaving this dynamic and beautiful tale). Narration was perfect, as was the author's character and plot development, which showed people at their most flawed. (and their most generous and forgiving).
Thank you #Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this advance copy!

Meet Sophie a married mum of two who is living what she considers a lucky life. Then Angie moves in with charming husband and four adorably talented children. These two women couldn’t be further apart but when a storm brings them together and be-comes a wake up call for both families. Although their decisions may not lead were they both expect.

This book will grab you from the start and keeping you reading until the very last page. With a few twists and turns along the way. I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars

So…the old saying about never judging a book by its cover rings loudly and true for me with this book. I assumed I was going to be listening to a domestic thriller / mystery / suspense type novel with The Woman Next Door by new to me author Natasha Boydell. Maybe my subconscious craves this genre and I just can’t get enough of them. Instead, I got a women’s fiction story about the various relationships we embark on in our lives and what betrayal, lies, secrets and forgiveness does to those relationships.

Once I got over my initial shock and yes, disappointment, that there would not be anyone lurking in the darkened shadows wielding a butcher knife and the only spilled blood would likely be from a skinned knee or two, I got busy getting to know the numerous characters in this story.

First up is Sophie Brennan, her husband Allan (not sure how the author spelled it as I listened to the audiobook) and their two children Tom and Katie. Sophie is a stay-at-home mother and though she gave up a career in journalism to raise her children, she longs to have a career or something to call her own.

Angie Taylor is Sophie’s new neighbor who has moved in next door with her husband Jack and their four children Benji, Indie, Freddie and Ellie. Angie is a lawyer and very career oriented and has major trust issues with her husband, who she suspects of having a wandering eye.

Angie’s youngest two children are around the same age as Sophie’s children, so it’s really the children who bring the families together as they want to hang out and play. As you would expect, the families spend loads of time together, barbecues, picnics, school events and even go on vacation together. Sophie and Angie develop a deep friendship that I thought was typical of women who have things in common, but I sensed early on that they envied each other. Sophie envied Angie’s independence and successful career. Angie envied Sophie’s perfect marriage and the tight-knit bond she has with her husband and children.

Everything seems to be going well until it isn’t. Life throws these families a major curveball that sets them all on a course that drives them apart. Nobody gets murdered or goes missing, but the loss of the friendship felt like a death to me.

Where this story got really interesting for me is that the author didn’t let it end there. She fast forwards the story ten years later with the children all grown and the youngest of Sophie and Angie’s children find themselves crossing paths at Oxford. Will old resentments, bitterness and pain reappear or will there be healing and forgiveness?

Despite my initial remorse over the lack of suspense, I found this story to be very engaging and it held my attention quite well. I found the characters to be well written and engaging and easy to relate to. I thought a few of the characters were overly shallow and selfish, but my opinion changed as I got more into the story. The audio narration by Mhairi Morrison was performed very well and kept me plugged into the story.

My Final Verdict: Overall, I am quite glad I stuck with this story and was pleased with how it all played out. I don’t recommend it to readers who like the thrill of suspense, but readers who enjoy family drama and relationship driven stories should give this one a look.

I loved this book! Thank you for the ARC. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that I wasn’t leaving reviews on netgalley and was solely sharing on Instagram. My apologies. Huge fan of this author! I actually received the tangible copy. Trying to clean up my netgally account.

This book was listed as a thriller/drama and was far from a thriller. I usually like neighborhood stories, friends, relationships, etc. but maybe it was the lack of depth in the characters but this just was boring. I wasn't a huge fan of the narrator as while listening, even when I was pretty far into the book, I still struggled with who Angie's family was and who Sophie's family was. I couldn't decipher between the two as they read exactly the same.

This book was a bit disappointing for me … it was listed as a thriller, it absolutely is NOT a thriller! It is a contemporary fiction story about infidelity amongst neighbors and the consequences of that infidelity. It was an OK book, but not when you’re expecting a thriller!

This review was also posted on Goodreads.

This one I really thought was going to be a thriller, but was definitely more of “life lessons”. It shares about infidelity and the outcome it has on family and friendships. Then it comes out with a sweet ending bringing what tore them apart brining them closer because 2 of their kids fell in love. I liked this book.

This is a NetGalley backlist read for me and I was under the impression that it was a thriller when I requested it. It is not. I don’t know what about this (other than the cover) says thriller.

This is very much more contemporary fiction - which is fine, but definitely not what I was here for. If it’s marketed as a thriller it should be a thriller - that’s just my opinion.

This book was ok. This was listed under thrillers but it was more a contemporary fiction story. It is mainly about next door neighbors complicated relationship with each other and their family drama across ten years. I did not really care about the plot but the narrator kept me engaged until the end. I still wanted to see where the story was headed and if a big twist/reveal was coming.

Thank you to NetGallery and to DreamScape Audio for giving me a copy for my honest review.

This book was not what I was expecting but it was a good listen, the narration was great but the story was more drama than mystery which is my go to but was nice to branch out

Okay, this one I chose to put in ‘not right now’ pile when I initially began to read this because it wasn’t what I was in the mood for at that time.
This book is marked as a thriller, unfortunately I think whomever categorized this book, put it up for immediate failure.
Thriller readers and reviewers are some of the harshest critics out there and they will slam a book (no matter how good the writing is in other ways) if it doesn’t fulfill the status quo Thriller Genre.

I read multiple genres and yes I was disappointed that this book wasn’t a thriller and it held little suspense, BUT if I went into the book expecting a Family Drama or Women’s Fiction, my views on this book would rate it as a four. For a thriller it’s a two.

I feel this reads like a women’s fiction. It is a story of friendship, regrets, forgiveness and love. I found the characters enjoyable and I was engaged throughout the book. Very realistic. Thank you NetGalley for the audio eARC.

The Woman Next Door
By Natasha Boydell

This is a story about neighbors who end up being best friends. Sharing stories, fun family adventures. Sophie is your typical everyday day mom of two while Angie is successful in everything she does. Or is she? Two moms with completely opposite lives come together and form a bond that they trust. Until that one adventure. What happened that changed everything? What secrets haven’t been told?

I really enjoyed listening to this story. I would like to thank NetGalley & Dreamscape media for the advanced copy in turn for my honest review.

This book is definitely not a thriller. There was not a big twist and hardly any mystery. This is a story about how secrets and lies test family dynamics. It also shows the complexity of friendships, loyalty and forgiveness. Does one bad decision have the power to destroy lives forever? The audiobook kept me entertained and interested in the outcome. If you’re looking for a thriller, keep on looking. If you’re wanting a compelling family drama, this is the book for you. Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my audiobook.

It looked like a thriller, it seemed like a thriller.... I SWORE it was labeled as a thriller when I requested it from Netgalley. It is not. Domestic drama but really not suspenseful. Nothing interesting happened in 30% of the book so even if it wasn't a thriller, still not something I enjoyed either way. Chose not to finish the book.

Is the grass always greener on the other side? In this slow burn, two female neighbours struggle with envy and jealousy of each other's lives, or the perception they have of each other's lives.

Sophie is a married mother of two, who enjoys her life, until her successful lawyer neighbour Angie moves in next-door with her handsome, charming husband and four perfect children. Angie seems to have it all, and be able to do it all to, the career and the parenting.

The two woman are complete opposites, but an unlikely friendship develops between the woman and their children. The friendship makes each woman question her own life choices and happiness. The women both let envy take over and begin to make decisions in their lives that are uncharacteristic of them, leading to a perfect storm that threatens to destroy both of their marriages.

I expected this to be a bit more of a thriller, but it was a well-written domestic mystery and piece of women's literature. I enjoyed it all the same. It headed in a different direction than I had expected, which was appreciated. It showed the very nuanced, grey areas and complicated directions life goes in. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

This book turned out not to be what I expected I still enjoyed it but was kind of just ok. The story follows two family’s the one family new to the neighbor befriends there next door neighbors. The story mostly follows Sophie a family oriented woman who is not to happy with her lack of job and Angie a career driven woman who is supporting 5 children. It follows there day to day lives as they become friends until an event tears them apart
This book was just ok for me the story was somewhat entertaining and there was great character development. My issue with this book is the way it is presented I was expecting more of a domestic thriller with the blurb on the front so the entire time I was waiting for twists and it felt kind of tame for that genre. I would say it felt more like a women’s literature book. I did listen to the audiobook and did enjoy the narrator. I would like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

You never know who lives next door, and never assume the grass is always greener. Enjoyed the opportunity to listen to this ARC, twisty family and neigborly relationships lend to a good read.

This was a typical case of the grass is not always greener and the fact that you can never judge a book by its cover. When a new family moves in next door, Sophie gets excited, imagining new friends for her kids and a new mum on the block to have coffee with. She is rather disappointed when she finds out that Angie is some kind of supermum with 4 kids and a high-powered job as a solicitor. But when a storm knocks down the fence between the two houses, the families become close and even end up going on holiday together. Until it all goes horribly wrong on New Year's Eve. A good-paced plot, which was well read.