There is nothing I love better than some neighborly domestic drama. This thriller had it all. Each character was likable in their own way. One of the main characters, Lettie, exhibited amazing character development, ranging from an "angsty teen" to developing her own ethics in the year that the book takes place. You really love to encourage her throughout the book, and she is someone you could keep rooting for. Lettie's mom, Alex, is the other main character. Alex has her own struggles, making her relatable and entertaining. The Block Party follows neighbors on Alton Road from one year's block party to another. Each neighbor has well-kept and sometimes dangerous secrets, which will come out in full force by the end of the novel.
This book was utterly enjoyable each step of the way. Highly recommend for anyone who loves domestic thrillers, neighborhood and family drama, and general fiction.

I knew from the premise of this book, I was going to love it, and I was right. I live in a neighborhood of 19 homes all built around the same time, and we had annual Block Parties here for years….without the drama! I’m not usually a fan of books written from multiple perspectives, but sometimes it’s the only way you can tell a story effectively This author did that perfectly, and this book is so well written. So well written in fact that I had to do a search to see if this was really a debut novel. The dialogue was spot on, the words flowed, and it was easy to read. Onto the suspense. I really did not have this one figured out at all. With lots of twists and turns, this book kept me guessing until the end and I stayed up late reading in the dark on my kindle.
With a neighborhood as diverse as the one in the novel, it’s easy to see why it would be a hot bed of gossip, scandals, and drama, and deliciously so. It would be difficult to give a synopsis of the plot without spoiling things so I am just going to say read the book. It was a fun, suspenseful read, and I look forward to reading more from this author. This would make a great mini-series!

I can definitely see why "The Block Party" is already getting rave reviews. WHAT A BOOK! Ready to read another by Jamie Day.

I thought that this was a very enjoyable story. The writing was very good and it kept me on my toes the whole time. I was confused at the beginning with all of the different characters. But as the book went on, it was very easy to differentiate the different characters. They all had very different personalities that definitely came out as the book went on. I kind of guessed the ending, but it was still a shock when I read it. The drama in this book was very good and just made me more and more invested. This is a book that I would definitely recommend to my friends!

I was excited for this book, expecting a fun, maybe cheesy murder thriller based on the synopsis. And maybe that is what the book is, but I couldn't get far enough to find out due to the writing. The writing reads like a first draft where every single detail the author thought of had to be put on the page. It is extremely clunky, tiring to read, and every character is obnoxious. I was especially annoyed by the teen character, Lettie, who very much reads like a 50-something's idea of what a "rebellious teen" is. This book should have been given several more passes from an editor, and then maybe it would've been readable.

First of all, I will always read a neighborhood thriller. There's something so underlyingly creepy about what seems like a normal/safe neighborhood, only to have that trust and safety ripped away. This one was so good at doing just that. I enjoyed the characters, the story, and the setting of this book so much. It's definitely a fun summer thriller, and I will definitely be recommending this to my reader friends! Thank you NetGalley and Jamie Day for letting me read this- I truly enjoyed every page!

The neighbors on Alton Road are MESSY! No one in this neighborhood keeps to themselves in this Desperate Housewives meets Big Little Lies drama-filled book. The Block Party is a juicy and soapy type of novel that is a perfect summer escape. Releasing in the US in July 2023, you will want to have this one in your beach bag.

I really enjoyed the twists and turns in this story. The main narrators were both likable, but with their flaws. The mix of mysteries that unwound made the book a page turner. I couldn’t put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Alton Road is full of secrets and scandal… BUT… Maybe too many secrets and too much scandal! This book was told from the perspective of Alex and Lettie, one of the families residing on the cul-de-sac called Alton Road. Throughout the book, we learn about the lives of Alex and Lettie and also the lives/secrets of the other families living on the private street and how their lives intermingle. There is a lot of tea spilled in this book, and again maybe too much - there were some side situations that I felt like really had no place in the final outcome, and therefore didn’t need to be added.

While I did decide that I enjoyed this book upon completion, I wish that I would have had some insight into the final outcome while reading… I had to be 90% done reading to actually get some of the shock factor. I knew all of the secrets and scandals were building up to something, but it took a long time to get there, and a lot of the information provided could have been left out and the book would have finished the same way. It was like every page told another crazy secret and I found myself bored waiting for some sort of gasping moment…

I am giving this 3.5 stars – rounding up to 4, because I did enjoy the different character dynamics, and ultimately the end result of the book. I would recommend this to any friends who want a book full of drama, secrets, scandal and a somewhat shocking ending, but don’t mind what felt like a slow read at times.

I really enjoyed The Block Party and the events leading up to it. I saw a lot of my younger self in Lettie - particularly her penchant to be a loner and activist. I also saw a fair amount of my older (mom) self in Alex - trying to juggle a work/life balance and learn who she is, even as an adult. I found many of the characters relatable on different levels and the who/why kept me guessing up until the end.

DISCLAIMER: I was given an ARC of this book from @netgalley in exchange for my review. I was not compensated in any way.

Cross-posted: NetGalley, Goodreads, StoryGraph, and Instagram

The residents of Alton Road have a lot of secrets. At the heart of the story is Alex, who harbors a drinking problem, husband Nick and has a 17 year old daughter, Lettie. When the annual block party turns deadly, we learn that Alex’s friends and family are hiding their own issues.
Really enjoyed this book! Kept me turning the pages all the way through, lots of drama between all of the neighbors in an affluent neighborhood.

I really enjoyed this book. If you have ever lived in a HOA or gated community this book takes a look at the lives behind the glamour and what really happens when neighbors aren’t so neighborly. The Altonites are a fun group with all kinds of dynamics in the relationships. It was hard to put down and kept me guessing tell the end.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an early copy of The Block Party. This was a Fantastic Novel, sooooooo good. The characters were very real, the twist near the end was mind blowing and EVERYTHING about this book was Great!!!! Loved it! Did Not want it to end because I wanted to keep reading about their lives. Thank you Again.

Thank you, NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and Jamie Day for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A neighborhood filled with damning secrets, scandal, drama, and a raging block party! If Desperate Housewives and Big Little Lies had a love child, this would be it (in the BEST way)! In a twisted way I found myself envious of all the craziness within this neighborhood and finding my own very boring in comparison.

I felt like the information was a little bit dense, but overall solid, fluid writing. I actually enjoyed a whole year of buildup to the big finale. It kept me intrigued and locked in. I simultaneously loved and hated the characters. Lettie’s thought processing was VERY on brand for a teenager. I physically cringed multiple times while reading her self-talk about being obsessed with a boy. I definitely was not expecting that final twist!

3.5⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC.

This domestic thriller centers on an upscale cul-de-sac and their annual block party. For the first time in decades, there’s been a murder in the town of Meadowbrook. We follow the characters from the prior years block party until present day as we find out who is dead and why.

This is a twisty story full of unlikable characters. There’s cheating, substance abuse (drug and alcohol), cheating, stalking, and murder. Character range from successful doctors, photographers, and lawyers along with their high school/ college aged children. Around every corner is another secret, another suspicion, another betrayal, and ultimately another motive for murder. Lives are destroyed and pieced back together as you wonder… how well do you really know your friends and neighbors?

I really enjoyed this book. Definite promise however I found there was way too many chaacters too keep track which is a negative for me.. it was a good story though

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martens Press, and Jamie Day for providing this ARC.

All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Block Party is a fun murder mystery to start summer of with a BANG! Or two? Fans of Big Little Lies will love this domestic thriller.

The book begins at the annual Memorial Day block party in an affluent Massachusetts neighborhood. Almost instantly you learn from local Meadowbrook Community Facebook group that there’s been two fatalities at the cul-de-sac block party. The story abruptly shifts to one year earlier and moves forward. I really enjoyed the alternating perspectives shifting between a wine guzzling mom and her rebelling teenage daughter. As the story unravels you learn that the relationships in this seemingly perfect community aren’t what they appear to be. Everyone has a secret and the drama is unending.

This novel was packed full of twists that kept me engaged and turning pages. The characters are so well developed that the story really comes alive. Every time I thought I had it figured out, something new would happen. This is a debut novel that is sure to be a hit!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

The Block Party releases July 18, 2023.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Jamie Day, and St. Martin’s Press for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free advance e-reader copy of The Block Party in exchange for an honest review.

I had to make myself finish this book, which wasn’t all that well-written and with a plot that was completely far-fetched. I kept going because I was curious about the end which did have a twist I didn’t see coming and that kept my review at two stars instead of one.

The only character I cared about at all was high school senior and climate warrior Lettie, and I enjoyed the chapters from her perspective. The adult characters I found shallow, whiny and unsympathetic. The story itself was contrived and forgettable. I won’t be recommending this book.

This book has potential but was so long and drawn out. I like the plot device of starting in the present and going back a year to tell the story. But there was just too much dragging and not enough to hold my interest. Told from Alex and her daughter Lettie’s POV, I felt like the story was limited in its scope. I would have very much liked to hear more from the other characters POV, especially when discussing the same topics. Their perspectives would have added so much I think. Thank you to St. Martins Press and netgalley for my copy which in no way affects my review.

This was a disappointment to me
Very slow to get started and not very engaging characters
Sorry but I didn’t finish it