I'm kind of on the fence about this one. While I initially found the book very interesting, by the end I didn't really care for any of the characters. And actually liking at least some of the people in the book is an important part of having a good one. While i thought the characterization was top notch, every single person seemed to have an issue with others, bad childhood/parents, fixation on someone other than the person they married or sense of entitlement so strong they felt they could get away with anything.

So for the first half of the book or so, I found the plot somewhat interesting, but when all the bad behavior came in with almost everyone, the story went downhill in my opinion.

I was excited for this book, but it just didn't cut it for me. I DNF it at 15%. If you like domestic thrillers with horrible rich people then this book is for you!

Well, I semi hated this book. Did I read in very quickly? Yes. Was it well written and engaging? Yes. Did I hate every single character? Also, yes.

If you like a good domestic thriller, this is the book for you!

This is just not my genre, I can't seem to put this sort of book down once I get started, but if I know in advance, I won't read it.

I will read more from this author, just checking the description a bit better in advance.

3 1/2 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

What happens when you buy the worst house in the best neighborhood? Alexis and Sam are about to find out. Things seem great, although the house is quite a fixer upper and they may not quite be able to keep up the lifestyles of their neighbors… Then suddenly one of the neighbors, Teddy, is found dead. The neighborhood is shook and the rumors fly. But who really killed Teddy?

This book had mild reality tv show vibes. As the reader, you sit back and watch catty women discuss their theories during cocktail hour, while Teddy’s wife is right there. Not to mention the affairs and other drama swirling around.

Alexis is an easy character to like. She’s just had her second child, she’s not going in to her job, and she’s dealing with a house that’s more than she bargains for. She’s lonely and her body feels different, you just want to root for her. Especially when she begins to be friendly with the other neighborhood ladies.

In the end, I gave this book 3 stars. I felt like I needed a little more thrill rather than drama. I kept waiting for some big twist, but I felt like it was fairly easy for me to guess. And probably Alexis should have pieced it together, too, if she was paying attention. If you’re a Bravo girly, this would be a good summer read to pick up.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review! This book comes out June 20th!

Moving into your dream home in a great neighborhood should be the best thing to happen in your life. But, what if it isn’t? There seems to be some drama going on and secrets abound. Then……a neighbor ends up dead. Are the neighbors hiding something?
There are LOTS of twists and turns within the story that keeps you reading on.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

Thanks to Netgalley, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for the gifted eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review!

This domestic suspense novel was an okay read. It was pretty typical for a neighborhood-with-secrets plot. Lots of characters, a suspicious death, and marriages on the brink of disaster. Overall, I found it to be pretty one-note. The big twist wasn’t very exciting and I found Sam and Alexis’s toxic marriage to be depressing. It wasn’t terrible, but I won’t be remembering it for very long.

“𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒌𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒕. 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒕. 𝑰𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆.”

Described as “Desperate Housewives meets The Couple Next Door,” combined with a gorgeous cover, I couldn’t wait to dive into this debut from Melissa Adelman.

Adelman’s writing is intriguing; she develops the atmosphere of the neighbourhood really well. The opening chapter reminded me of House Hunters, with the real estate agent describing 51 Shadow Road. I immediately could picture the house and the neighborhood. Rich neighbours always make for juicy storylines, and I could definitely see the parallels to Desperate Housewives: the scandals, the neighbours gathering around in the middle of the night after an event, and the parties where everyone gathers. The question “do we ever really know our neighbours” definitely applies here! I found Blair to be an intriguing character; between her point of view and Alexis’, I was more interested in Blair’s. I’m not sure if it was because we spent so much time with Alexis and there was a shadow of mystery surrounding Blair, or the fact that I found Alexis and her husband, Sam, to be extremely unlikeable. They are both obsessed with wealth, they seemed to hate each other and I found it really hard to know why they were even together. The story is definitely a slow burn and I found myself skim reading parts. It felt like there just needed to be more: more tension, more scandal, and an ending that wasn’t hinted at so many times throughout the book.

What the Neighbors Saw is a story of secrets, scandals, greed, and gossip. Its slow burn and unlikeable characters may not be for some, but Adelman’s writing shows promise and I’d read something else from her in the future. Thanks to Minotaur Books for the ARC!

Alexis and her husband Sam buy a fixer upper they can barely afford in an over priced neighbourhood. A few weeks after moving into their new neighbourhood, their neighbour Teddy is found dead. Alexis develops an unhealthy obsession over Teddy’s widowed wife Blair.

I enjoyed the storyline but was not a fan of Sam or Alexis. Both came off as whiny and self absorbed.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The description for this book starts off “Desperate Housewives meets The Couple Next Door” and that drew me in immediately. This story follows Alexis and her husband Sam after they buy a fixer upper in an exclusive neighborhood. After one of their neighbors is found dead on the nearby riverbank, the neighbors are on edge and suspicions run high. As Alexis grows her friendship with Teddy’s widow, friendships are tested and the neighbors grow divided. I liked that we followed multiple POVs throughout the story, and felt like that really kept you guessing as you read. The twist I didn’t see coming and wasn’t predictable. I wish it was a little faster paced, but because the story unfolds over a period of time, the pacing made sense. If you like drama, unlikeable characters, and a good twist definitely pick this one up

4/5⭐️
Release date: June 20, 2023

Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress and @minotaur_books for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I received a digital ARC from St. Martin’s Press. Minotaur Books, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.All opinions expressed are my own.

This story is all about neighborhood drama. I liked how the drama unfolded to show what was really going on behind closed doors with each couple. However, there were a lot of things discussed that just made the story seem small-minded. The fact that some of the neighbors assumed that Alexis was the nanny at first, and constantly asking where she was from, being the prime example. I know there are people who still think like this, but I had hoped Alexis would speak out about it. Instead, the reader just read her internal thoughts about what she wished she COULD say.
I do look forward to seeing what Melissa Adelman writes in the future. I enjoyed her writing style. The short chapters kept me turning pages.

The description to this book is very spot on. The book is entertaining, slow build up but very character driven. The ending was satisfying. I also enjoyed the dual pov.

Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the chance to read an advance copy of What the neighbors saw by Melissa Adelman. I had high hopes for this book, and other people really enjoyed it, but I found it started off too slow. With the fact that the characters are unlikable, which is a big deal to me, this book was not for me. However, I am sure some people will enjoy it.

A peek into the lives of the wealthy and horrible. There is so much wrong with these people it’s hard to know where to start. Everyone is terrible: mean-spirited, snobbish, judgmental and oblivious and uncaring regarding the wants or needs of anyone not within their approved circle. “Everyone” includes newcomers Alexis and Sam who barely scrape their way into the neglected Cape Cod house in the exclusive DC suburb. They are both lawyers – and successful by our standards, anyway – but they don’t quite fit in. They are thrilled to buy the house, but their motives and their relationship don’t seem too solid. Alexis is expecting their second child and as the story moves on and the baby is born she becomes more and more overwhelmed. Even with a long maternity leave, a live-in nanny and house cleaners. Sam is the opposite of sympathetic. He is on the partner track and does not empathize or sympathize with the fact that Alexis stepped back to a less competitive firm after their first child was born and is full of jabbing little comments to her. As they settle into the house she begins to experience a bit of buyer’s remorse about just how much work needs to be done to it, while his focus is on status and appearances and social climbing and how deficient in everything she is.

Yes, everyone welcomes them to the neighborhood but I wouldn’t go overboard and say all the welcomes were warm. Blair seemed sincere enough but it’s not until her husband Teddy is found murdered on a nearby trail that Alexis begins to develop a friendship with her and to finally start to feel a little bit comfortable and close to someone.

The narration switches between Blair and Alexis and relates their encounters with, and thoughts about, all the other characters. The story is rather slow-moving, even during a murder investigation; it seems everyone has secrets, ulterior motives and are generally unpleasant to one another. It’s a dark book in that every single character is suspect, but keep reading and you will discover a couple of very interesting twists and revelations and a truly unexpected ending.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing, Minotaur Books, for providing an advance copy of What the Neighbors Saw via NetGalley. I voluntarily leave this review and all opinions are my own.

What the Neighbors Saw is Melissa Adelman’s debut, and I will eagerly be awaiting her next book! This had everything I love in a domestic thriller, with a rich neighborhood, neighbors who were unreliable and always seemed like they could be a suspect or have an ulterior motive, and a twist ending that I wasn’t expecting.

Alexis and her husband Sam purchase a rundown house in Alexis’ dream neighborhood, even though they can’t really afford it. While settling in to to their new house, their neighbor Teddy is found dead on a running trail nearby. With Alexis trying to befriend her neighbors, she uses this opportunity to be there as a source of comfort for Teddy’s wife Blair. As Alexis and Blair’s friendship progresses and Alexis starts to spend more time at Blair’s house, she starts to question things about who her neighbor really is.

I always love a dual perspective story, and this one alternates chapters between both Alexis and Blair. Alexis’ husband Sam was horrible to her and the entire time I was reading I kept questioning why she would stay with someone who would treat her like he did. There were so many little tricks I fell for throughout reading thinking the killer was going to be someone it wasn’t and I was truly surprised with how things played out. Kind of makes me want to go back and reread the book to see everything I missed!

Alexis and Sam move into a fixer-upper in a affluent neighborhood. What follows is a jumble of weird neighbour encounters, money problems, and horrible relationships. Other than Alexis, no one is remotely likable. There are way too many neighbours to keep track of. And the denouement, which comes after a really, really slow buildup, is absolutely silly.

2.5⭐ rounded up to 3.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. I offer my review freely.

I read this book in two days, I didn’t want to put it down! A few twists and turns, told from different perspectives. If you like thrillers, this is a good title for you.

3 stars

Alexis and Blair star in this domestic thriller (which involves more mystery than thrills) as neighbors in a fairly swanky suburb. Blair feels like she belongs in this place and has the social clout to prove it, but her whole life is thrown off balance when (early on) her husband is found dead under potentially mysterious circumstances. Alexis is new in town and suffering from an intense case of conspicuous consumption, along with her husband, who is awful. From the jump, readers may wish - especially for her sake - that he had been the one to meet an untimely end instead.

This is a slow burn filled with details about interior design, which at times become distracting. Many of us watch Nancy Meyers's movies more for the kitchen aesthetics than any of the characterization or plot, and if that is your jam, this book is a scaled back version of the same concept. Alexis is obsessed with having the least appealing home on the block, and despite what this may do to their family's financial security, both she and her husband are willing to take some wild steps to make updates. And when they aren't making those updates, they are thinking and talking about them all the time. This created a sense of imbalance in my reading experience, especially in the first half of the novel.

These women are each coming into their friendship with their own baggage, and readers will be able to see the likely trajectory fairly early. That noted, there is a reveal about one of them that just weirded me out so much. When I think of this book, I'm certain this weird twist will be the main detail I recall. I'd have loved more suspense and a smarter, less gimmicky turn of events.

Despite my obvious misgivings, I did enjoy listening to this. The narrators of the audiobook keep it moving and engaging, even when the underlying material slows a bit. I'll be back for more from this author but with hopes for some different choices.

This one really grabbed my attention. I love a neighbor thriller and this satisfied that! Will definitely be recommending to my friends that enjoy this genre.

This book was pretty anticlimactic for a thriller.

I was very bored 20% into the book and can’t even tell you what’s happening of who the characters are other than some family just moved.