Certainly, here's a more opinion-oriented review:

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“'A Gracious Neighbor' by Chris Cander ventures into the intricate world of women's connections and societal expectations. It's an exploration of friendship, societal scrutiny, and the hidden complexities within seemingly perfect lives.

The portrayal of Martha's desperate pursuit of friendship and her fascination with Minnie's life resonated deeply. Cander beautifully captures the nuances of female relationships, shedding light on the weight of societal judgments and the secrets we keep.

The endorsements from Chandler Baker, Margot Livesey, and others truly capture the essence of this read. The character depth drew me into Martha's neighborhood, although I craved a bit more exploration of the secondary characters to fully enrich the narrative.

Overall, 'A Gracious Neighbor' is an absorbing dive into the intricacies of women's connections and the facades we maintain. Chris Cander's narrative offers insight into the challenges women face in society's lens, making it a compelling and thought-provoking read.”

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of A Gracious Neighbor. It was a slow moving book that took me a couple tries to successfully finish. I didn’t want to DNF because the story premise was good, but it was difficult to get through.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

I was not thrilled with one one. Didn't really enjoy it.

Martha and Minnie are neighbors in neighbors in West University. Martha is a loving wife, devoted mother that just doesn't fit into the West U mold. When glamorous Minnie moves in next door, Martha is thrilled. They were in high school together and Martha hope to rekindle that friendship. Martha become preoccupied with Minnie's life and her success in the art world. But all is not what is appears to be. What is really going in Minnie's house. This book examines female friendship, judgment of others, loneliness, the attempt to fit in, jealousy and much more. So many topics for book clubs. Having lived in West University for 13 years, this book rings true.

I enjoyed this one, but it could be better. While it kept me reading (page turner for sure), it felt very slow. Very little happens during the entire book until like the last 15%. I kept thinking something would surprise me, and not much did (there were a couple in there). I feel like there would be a lot to discuss with a book club though. The questions at the back did make me think again.

Read if you like slow page turners.
I just reviewed A Gracious Neighbor by Chris Cander. #AGraciousNeighbor #NetGalley

A Gracious Neighbor
Author: Chris Cander
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 2⭐️
Pub Date: July 2022

Synopsis: Martha Hale is a typical mom and wife trying to make it in an affluent neighborhood. Lonely most times, Martha is thrilled when an old high school pal, Minnie, moves in next door. Martha becomes obsessed with Minnie and her life, to the point where it consumes her life. Martha uncovers some of Minnie’s secrets and remembers that not everything is how it seems.

What I Liked/Disliked: I’m going to start with that the most exciting thing didn’t happen until 86% into the book. The ending was mute and boring. I felt bored most of the book but I have a hard time DNF. This book is also solely focused on Martha and is heavily character driven. I would have liked to learned more about the side characters and what happened to them.

Favorite Quotes:
- “Don’t mind the Tesla crowd.”
- “Two olives landed on the concrete by his feet. Time seemed to stop as they stood there.”

Read If:
* Maybe don’t🤷🏼‍♀️
* I can’t tell you what to do

Martha Hale has a happy life with her lawyer husband, Lewis, and son, Harry. Their lifestyle isn’t as privileged as that of their neighbours, and Martha doesn’t have any friends, but she doesn’t let it bother her.

When old high schoolmate Minnie Wright nee Foster moves in next door, Martha, who spent her teenage years trying to befriend Minnie, sees this as her chance to re-initiate a close friendship with Minnie.



The book, set in an upmarket neighbourhood in Texas, raises the themes of jealousy and satisfaction with one’s lot in life. It also reminds us that perfection is an illusion. Even Minnie’s house, for all its perfection, harbours huge cockroaches, an insect universally looked upon with revulsion.



At first, I found Martha hard to like, but slowly I developed a grudging tolerance towards her. She was kind and she had her heart in the right place. Of course, the effects of her actions weren’t always as she expected or hoped for. She overthinks the problems in her life and resorts to solutions that are inane and doomed to fail. She takes her self-styled role as Good Friend and Neighbour so seriously that she doesn’t even realise that she is transgressing boundaries that should not be crossed.

There was a singular loneliness in the characters’ lives. Martha was lonely, but so were the others, even those whose lifestyles were better than her own.

It was a slow burner of a novel, so slow that the author even manages to name-drop one of her other books into this one.

After the 28% mark, chapters began to end on a vaguely ominous note. But it was only at the 53% mark that the action promised to get into a higher gear. The first hint of trouble came at the 80% mark.

The plot was a loose series of events. On the surface, there seemed an excess of minutiae about Martha’s life. But it did feel like a build-up at some points.

Even though the pace was slow and it was more of a character-, rather than plot-driven book, we read about Martha’s day with a sense of foreboding, knowing that something is about to go wrong.

Some issues I had: The cuisine served by the restaurant they went to for their anniversary dinner should be North Indian cuisine, not Northern Indian.

One simile that stood out for its visual imagery: She felt like cheese melting between two warm slices of toasted bread.

Women can be so mean to each other. As a high school teacher I see it all the time. Boys may physically fight and then it is done, or they just stay away from that person. Girls can be calculating and mean and have VERY long memories! Martha is desperate for friends and finding it hard to make them as an adult in her neighborhood. However when her old classmate moves into the neighborhood she thinks she and Minnie will be friends again, but something is off. Jealousy and awkwardness abound and the narrator isn’t someone the reader really likes, something about her and her interactions makes you uncomfortable. But maybe that is the point, to sit in that feeling to think about the way we treat and see others.

Well written and I enjoyed the funny (small) reference to Cander's previous novel. It moved a little too slowly for me and I had a little trouble identifying with the main character -- who I actually liked quite a bit -- because of the cringeworthy behavior her lack of self-esteem brought out in her.

Book: A Gracious Neighbor
Author: Chris Cander
Publisher: Little A
Pub Date: July 1, 2022

I just could never get into this book. It didn’t have enough action and didn’t hold my attention. It was way too descriptive and I just couldn’t get past it to even get into the plot. And honestly I didn’t like Martha at all. This just wasn’t the book for me.

Thank you Little A and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is July 1, 2022.

Martha has never felt that she quite fitted in with the crowd. She felt she was always on the edges, not getting either the clothes vibe right or the conversation right. When Minnie, a girl who was a mate at school comes next door to live, Martha is elated thinking that with her polished syle Minnie is going to be Martha's entre into society. Alternately ignored or welcomed Martha still not get what drives Minnie to act the way she
does and what starts as just plain curiosity as to what her neighbours do, ends up in real stalking.

Martha does not intend actual harm to either Minnie or her husband John but she is intensely curious about their lifestyle, the poshness of it all, and then the bickering and what seems to go beyond the surface veneer of the glam life. Martha herself would be unrecognisable as the normal stalker,
if ever there was a definition of one but things spiral out of control and she is apparently caught in trying to catch up, make amends and do it all.

The story highlights of one aspect of keeping up with the Joneses and what happens when you feel slighted that you do not have it the way someone else does. Envy in a slightly different form but to what extent you would go to have it all.

A very insightful read into human behaviour.

Martha Hale lives with her husband and teenage son in the affluent neighborhood of West U. She's never really felt included in the community, no matter how hard she tries. She's thrilled when she realizes her new next door neighbor is one of the popular girls from when she was in high school. She has makes plans to become good friends with her new neighbor, Minnie. Minnie and John seem to be the perfect couple. They are both beautiful, successful, and seem to have it all. Martha cannot wait to become best friends with Minnie and finally feel worthy.

Martha starts out just a bit obnoxious, then she becomes outright cringy and deranged. If she wasn't so annoying, I might just have felt bad for her and her insecurities. Minnie is portrayed as an extremely mysterious character, and yet we learn nothing more about her. So much about her life is insinuated and yet we get no closure on that part of the story. I was really hoping for an exciting ending, but it was utterly disappointing. The way the book built up the story, I kept expecting an amazing ending and was really disappointed and frustrated. I found this book a total waste of time and I'm almost angry with myself for thinking it was going to get better.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐥𝐲? 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭?

Behold a woman trying her hardest to fit in, to channel the effortless air of the women around her. Is it something in human DNA that makes people compare themselves to others, try to emulate them, even if it means going into debt, or doing things that are unnatural to their identity? Often modeling themselves and their children off of people they don’t like, if they’re honest. Martha Hale just wants to have a friend, to be liked by her neighbors, who are wealthier than she and her husband Lewis. In fact, she is ashamed that she works on her own lawn, because this uppity community would never deign to dirty their hands. It still stings now that they moved themselves in when they bought their home, it just isn’t done, the proper thing is to hire a moving company. She is embarrassed that her attempts at fashion always fail, too. The house next door finally sold, she even dresses up in her smart clothes to make a good impression, hoping to welcome and befriend the new neighbors. As fate would have it, she recognizes the woman who steps out of the car, it is Minnie Foster looking untouched by the years that have passed since they attended High School together. She is beautiful, elegant, rich and by Martha’s standards, a real vision. This makes her day, finally she has something to look forward to, and this time, unlike high school, no other women will eclipse her and get in the way of their friendship.

Martha doesn’t have it all together, she isn’t gracious, and watching her try so hard hurts. It’s that awkward embarrassment that is like youth, when people are looking for their own little clique. Of course, money is often just as much of a divide in youth as it is in the adult world once kids hit a certain age. We know who they learn it from. Beauty crosses the borders, charm, athleticism, that isn’t a surprise, and it doesn’t necessarily end when we grow up. Martha wants to be accepted in her community, she takes on a lot of volunteer work, she pushes her husband and son to try harder, advises them against their behaviors so they don’t appear abnormal. Martha has always been good at observing, as we learn from her childhood, a skill that will serve her well in studying Minnie. She was never good at making friends, but photography was her passion, both a ‘prop and shield’ socially. All Martha ever wanted was to help Minnie, and darn if she isn’t letting her. What does she have to do to be invited into her glorious life?

Maybe photography will serve her well again, Minnie has a beloved bird, and it’s just the thing. Minnie mentions she could do the bird’s portrait. She is delighted! As Martha throws herself into this connection, rumors about Minnie’s successful rise in the artworld and whisperings about her perfect husband perplex her. Watching Minnie, it all seems so wonderful from the shabby side of life Martha is living in. Martha’s mood begins to suffer, envious of the fabulousness of Minnie’s life, which she is doing risky things to witness. It’s getting out of hand, she is letting herself go, she should be paying attention to her son and husband. Why is she so obsessed with Minnie? She will learn that we all present ourselves differently when in public, making it impossible to really know how another lives, feels about their circumstances. How many boundaries, though, will she cross for such intimate knowledge? Will she find herself in danger? It’s easy to recognize feelings of inferiority. I can’t imagine there is a person alive who hasn’t been on the outside at least once in their lives, whether it’s with peers, family, co-workers, etc. It’s enough to make anyone unbalanced, trying to be something you aren’t. A story of loneliness, friendship, envy and the danger of illusions.

Published July 1, 2022

Little A

This quite a gripping novel as it stays open ended if a murder occurred or not. It is a story about women and their relationship with each other. The narrator Martha Hale, a socially awkward women with little self awareness wants desperately to belong, to be part of the ˋit´ circle of women but despite all her efforts she is always on the sidelines. Through the arrival of her new neighbour she learns that not everything is as good as it sometimes looks and she learns to question some of her believes. Very clever is definition of gracious at the beginning of the book as it helps the reader to reflect how far these definitions apply to the characters.

Author Chris Cander gives us a tale which is at once a comedy, mystery, and a study of the complexities and dramas of everyday mom life. The Gracious Neighbor is a gem to be savored.
🍋
Oh dear, socially awkward Martha Hale, just wants to be loved, needed, accepted by her snooty suburban Houston social crowd, and maybe, finally, have a friend.
Quelle surprise, Martha’s new neighbor is the It Girl from high school, who she dearly admired, from afar, but was never actually the friend she would have loved to have. Her chance is here!! Lemons bars and sweet tea at the ready!!
🍋
Martha’s everyday pains and regrets - of a lifetime, are palpable. So, thank goodness, are her foibles, her self deprecating humor and undeniable Texas sass. I loved her, and enjoyed her story immensely.
🍋
Thank you NetGalley, Little A, and Chris Cander for the opportunity to read this delightful book in exchange for my honest and wholly independent review.

A Gracious Neighbor promised so many literary tropes that I love, but I just couldn't get into it. The beginning of the book felt heavy with exposition and lacked any action, and it couldn't keep my attention. I also found Martha unlikable to the point where I wasn't invested in her story at all. Unfortunately, this was a miss for me.

Thank you #Netgalley for the early read!

This novel follows Martha, a lonely woman, who really wishes she had more friends, particularly in her neighborhood. She sees others chatting, attending parties and wants to badly to fit in. When the house next door is sold, she was eager to meet the new neighbors. She was surprised to see that it was a girl she knew from high school, she thought this is her way in, to make a friend. We watch as Martha finds ways to interact with Minnie all while learning hidden secrets. A bit of a slower read for me, lots of commentary when I wish there was more to the story and interactions with others.

Loved this book. It did take a chapter or two for me to full give my attention to the story. However when it got it then it kept it for the whole rest of the story,

This was a good read! I felt as if the writer did an excellent job at making the main character seem relatable, and it kept me wanting more of the story and pushed me to keep reading to find out. A book that really gets you thinking about your neighbors in a way that you never would before lol

Who wouldn’t want to be a gracious neighbor. Loved this book! I want to read more by this author so bad! Looking forward to the next book!