Block Party was a train wreck I couldn't look away from. The anticipation and mystery kept me going, but it was truly a trashy story about trashy, rich people. Very unrelatable characters. So many people I wish I had never met. There was no one to root for. Except for maybe Lettie, but then she was obsessed with a boy for no real reason. At least that part was a little redeeming in the end, but I don't know...
There are ways to making interesting stories and characters without making the reader feel completely disgusted by them. Isn't there? I guess if you like to watch Desperate Housewives or Jerry Springer then you'll love this.

This book was FANTASTIC. Fully developed characters that brought equal parts likability and disgust. The story line was deep enough that I wasn’t able to easily anticipate the outcome. The best thrillers are those that keep you guessing until the very end! This is the best book I’ve read so far in 2023!

To me, The Block Party felt like a classic rich people neighborhood murder mystery book. It felt like something that’s been done before, but it did it decently well. I was engaged for most of the book and enjoyed the story that was being unraveled every chapter.

I wasn’t a big fan of Lettie. She was annoying to me and I didn’t like her narration.

I agree with some other reviewers that I wish the book focused on a smaller number of characters - at some points it felt like there was a lot going on with every single character so there was a lot to keep track of.

Overall it wasn’t my favorite book but I did enjoy it, 3.5/5 stars!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC of this book!

TheBlock Party for me was a bit slow and at times going in many directions at the same time but not ending up anywhere. Lots of characters with integral problems. I kept waiting for it to become really interesting and that only started to happen at the very end.

This book had many, fun twists and turns and kept me guessing, I loved that it was unpredictable. Definitely a thriller with a side of soap opera which I also think is a good thing! My minor complaint is that the teenage narrator was not a very believable teen, very clearly an adult writing what they think teens would say/think. Also the other lead/narrator was a female alcoholic and I feel like that trope is a bit stale.

[3.5 stars]

The Alton Road Memorial Day Block Party starts out with a bang - literally. Readers are then brought back in time to explore the events leading up to this annual event. The cul-de-sac has many tense relationships, but are these relationships volatile enough to lead to tragedy? Everyone has their secrets but when the time comes to reveal them, nothing will ever be the same for this quiet neighborhood.

I was so invested in this book, waiting for it to become a true "thriller." However, that moment did not come until 90% of the way through the book. I did enjoy all of the build-up, but as other reviewers have said, some parts could have been condensed to focus on different elements of the story. Parts of the ending felt rushed and unrealistic, as well. Overall, I did really enjoy this book and I am looking forward to what Day has in store in future releases.

****I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Block Party starts off with a bang. This story jumps in right away with action. It then goes through the very “soap opera” style of lives each of the residents on Alton road has. It seems everyone has some sort of secret and drama.

The writing style of this book is fun as it feels current with the social media posts throughout the book.

I do wish the author had kept more of a focus on a smaller number of character than covering so many.

I love reading these neighborhood mystery stories. This is the story of a group of families who live in the same block and how their lives intersect and crescendo into a murder during the annual block party. You know there's been a murder right at the beginning but you don't know who or why.

And then the book rewinds and tells you the story of the families and how they overlap with each other and piece by piece you start seeing all the secrets and it keeps you guessing until the very end.

Nothing is really what it seems and everyone has multiple secrets.

I really enjoyed my time with this one.

with gratitude to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Even with the chaos of this block and the multiple story lines, this book dragged for me. The characters were either unlikable or boring, sometimes both. It was definitely interesting enough to finish, but it took me a while to get through it.

This is a great summer/beach read. My one problem is that it could have been a bit shorter without losing its message.
The author did a really good job developing her characters. I liked the bond between Alex and Emily. The teenagers were portrayed realistically.
I'm not sure Samir would have been that open with Alex and Brooke, but it moved that story forward in a good way.
I have read a lot of books over the years and I can say in all honesty that I did not see that end coming. I had some ideas of what it might could have been. I was wrong on all counts. The ending is just GREAT!

The Block Party by Jamie Day Who was murdered at Meadowbrook's annual summer block party on Alton Road, and why? The Bug Man is perfectly portrayed as an obnoxious, sleazy salesman and a likely murder suspect, Is he, however?
Backward and forward time periods are used to introduce the residents of Alton Road, each with their own drama and secrets. Several POVs are presented along with feedback from the local networking website.
There were so many twists and turns that a scorecard was needed at one point to keep track of all the people and relationships.
The why took me by surprise.
Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

This is a domestic suspense novel that centers upon a murder that occurs during a block party in the wealthy enclave of Alton Road. The story moves back & forth in time, narrated by Ash, an alcoholic control-freak housewife & her more easy-going, environmentalist daughter Lettie. We are introduced to several characters who live on the block, all of whom seem to have skeletons in their closets & possible motives for the murder.

This is a quick paced read with many different story lines. I especially liked Lettie & felt sorry for her with her two (imho) overly controlling parents. I found Ash quite annoying & became quite irritated with her wine drinking & excuses for it. I also really enjoyed the social media posts between chapters with people weighing in on the mystery & dissing their wealthy neighbors. The posts seemed very true to life.

All in all, this is a fun, quick read & I look forward to reading more by this author.

3.5 stars

I am going to give myself credit for picking the best books lately!
"The Block Party" kept me up until 3:12 Am , when my husband woke up and kind of "shamed" me into trying to sleep - ha. Of course I finished it this morning and it was good right until the end. Alex and her husband Nick live in 1 of 5 houses on an affluent cul-de-sac.( First I though, uh oh "Desperate Housewives" . But this was way better than that.) Every year this neighborhood has a Memorial Day Party. This book covers 4 years of the event.
I do not want to say too much, this book covers marriage, growing up, family, revenge, and some really bad choices. This book is worth your time and money .

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin' s Press and Jamie Day for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.—

I really enjoyed this book! I thought the characters were developed well and were in some sense, relatable. I enjoyed reading the story from both the perspective of a mother and daughter. I was surprised by the ending, which I was not expecting.

This block party is one you didn't want to be involved in.
This story was told by the point of view of Alex and Lettie. A mother and daughter in the cul-de-sac. The story starts off at the present tense block party and then goes back a year to the past block party. A whole year leads up to what happened.
I was so invested with everyone's secrets that lived on the road. I was convinced from the very beginning that everyone was involed in the murder somehow that happened at the block party. But I did not see all the twists and turns that followed. Mostly everyone looked suspicious somehow. I did not see the ending coming at all. I loved it.
I truely enjoyed reading this mystery and it was a fast read.
Thank you netgalley and author for letting me read this Arc for an honest review.

I promise this is one block party you do not want to be invited to!

The book starts off with a foreshadowing of the eventful Memorial Day block party. We get a glimpse at a few characters and a few of the problems they have. The story then starts with a rewind to the previous year’s party and then told in the perspective of Alex & her daughter, Lettie through the year and focuses on 5 different families.

The people on Alton Road are no strangers to drama. The gossip is never ending and they each find a way to entangle themselves into everyone else’s business. It’s a story line that I want to no part of in real life but will pick it up every time to read about! Has some serious Desperate Housewives vibes and I loved every single second of it. The story kept me engaged and I loved the twists throughout the entire book.

Definitely recommend! Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me early access to read and provide my review!

This is the classic Peyton Place plus Desperate Housewives as well as a bit of Melrose Place (and then some) all wrapped up into a very fast moving story. Every household on this posh cup de sac has something going on. It all comes to a head during their annual block party. There are so many secrets I’m surprised the neighborhood held itself together for so long. Excellent domestic suspense that I highly recommend.

Let me just say that I am glad I've never been to a block party like this one! The Block Party by Jamie Day is full of intrigue, deception, and plenty of twists and turns. The book is told from the point of view of mother-daughter duo of Alex and Lettie. Each gives insight to their own lives, as well as those that live on their cul de sac.

Each of the characters are described with complex detail. And each one has a secret of their own. It was a quick read for me, as I became invested in each of the characters. I was left guessing until the very end!

Special thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Jamie Day for this ARC.

Definitely has a Desperate Housewives vibe! Every house has secrets, and some would kill to keep them. Fast moving story, it was hard to put down once I started. The dual POV helped move things along.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

I was really intrigued about this desperate housewife type of vibe when reading the synopsis. It seemed to deliver on that thought.

What I was not expecting was the slowness of it. The time frames jumping was a little confusing. The 3rd person, mixed it with some first person, then Lettie’s first person pov was not my cup of tea. While I’m not usually a 3+ POV fan, I believe it would have helped. The references of climate change took away from the story.

The main goal of the book was good. Never knowing what goes on behind closed doors was a great theme, especially those who are the “perfect” type.

It’s one of those I liked but didn’t at the same time. It took me a week to get through it, which was disappointing.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Jamie Day for the ARC for my honest review. All opinions are my own.