To be honest, I didn't love the storyline of this one. I could have dealt with one couple having an affair but to have more than that, it kind of bordered on over the top. The characters weren't overly likable and while I don't necessarily need them to be, in order to enjoy a book, in this case I found I wasn't too interested in what happened to either of them purely because they were so awful. There were a few good twists thrown into the story however overall, this book was just average for me.

The Neighbors We Want is not what I had expected.

The characters:
Adam, Sarah, Ali, Kemp and Evie.
Sarah and Adam are husband and wife. Adam is a stay at home dad, Sarah a teacher.
Ali is the neighbor across the street. Kemp aka Crispin is her ex. Evie is his mother and the principal at the school Sarah works at.

The story:
Nosy neighbors, peeping Tom's, forbidden relationships.

The writing of the book is not my favorite style. Too many unnecessary words and rambling prose. I was left confused through most of the book. It felt like I started the book in the middle and had no idea what was happening.

Not the book for me. I hope others will enjoy it more.

Thanks to netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the arc

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Audio for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. Unfortunately, it was not for me.

I had a very tough time following the story. It felt like we were dropped in the middle of it, with very little of the backstory explained. At times, the background was addressed as if we should already know. I also have a hard time succinctly describing what this book was about. For me, it didn't have much of a beginning or an end. I wasn't entirely sure where it was going, and it felt a little discombobulated.

Adam is a stay-at-home dad, or SAHD with a silent "H" as he likes to call himself. His wife, Sarah is a teacher. This is where it kind of plops you into the middle of things. Adam is obsessed with his neighbor, Ali, and seems to be somewhat of a peeping Tom. I don't think anything physical happened between them, and Ali seems to be put off by the attention. However, I found it odd that when Ali didn't show up from work and was seemingly missing, her job called Adam as the emergency contact she had listed. The relationship between them wasn't fully parsed out or explained. Adam's creeper status was also heightened because the only reason he was a SAHD was because he got caught and fired for jerking his pickle at his desk at work.

Sarah on the other hand, was having an affair with her boss's son, Crispen. When Sarah ended things with Crispen, he began dating neighbor Ali. Sarah's character was odd because I couldn't get a feel for her personality and just when you think you understand her, there's a personality flip. It felt a little like the author didn't know how to write her.

The whole thing culminates in a massive fire and a death, and a little bit of a whodunnit mixed in with "was it a murder?"

Overall thought is that I found the story incredibly hard to follow.

One thing that absolutely irked me to no end was that this writer had a style of making the characters repeat themselves 3 or more times in an inner monologue to emphasize the point they were dwelling on something.

- What did he do, did he do something, what did he do?
- What's going on, what's going on, what in the world is going on?

It came off like a hyper focused, anxiety induced or obsessive tick because it happened so often. I would have been fine with it, if it was limited to one of the characters doing it, but it was EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER and sometimes not even the main ones. It just bothered me and was so unrealistic that they all had the exact same inner monologue tendencies.

The characters were all unlikeable and you don't get a feel for their entire personalities.

Adam is new to the stay-at-home-dad life and, as his relationship with his wife starts to unravel, he becomes obsessed with his neighbor Ali across the street. One night, through his window he sees something that makes him question if Ali might be in danger and starts to seek out answers.

Ooooof, THE NEIGHBORS WE WANT by Tim Lane was not the story we (I) want 🙃

Rereading the synopsis after reading this book made me question who was responsible for hooking me into this weird, dysfunctional book with that blurb!

This one is very much a domestic suspense (hold the suspense) with a lot of odd sexual encounters and relationships that happen and are then never explained.

I didn’t feel any connection to the characters and am, overall, feeling very hung up on the story and the elements that came into play.

This one, unfortunately, didn’t do a whole lot for me, but thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me a chance to read this one early!

Publication Date: September 5

🏠 The Neighbors We Want - Tim Lane

2 ⭐️ - Ugh I hate to do this but this one just wasn’t for me. Also, why does the book cover match my house? That scares me. I hardly ever give low star reviews, but I also want to be honest with all of you. Please keep in mind that just because it’s not for me, doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy it! I thought the synopsis sounded great for fall/spooky season and the book was, just wasn’t for me.

This was not what I was expecting. I thought I was getting a domestic thriller about creepy neighbors. Instead I got a story about a creepy peeping tom neighbor who can’t control his hormones. The main couple doesn’t like each other, they both have weird connected affairs, and a child they don’t really care about? Overall this whole book was a miss for me and just felt so empty. It was definitely a miss and not what I thought I was getting.

🙂 The good 🙂
Domestic drama
Neighborhood full of nosy Nellies
Multiple POV - one of which is done as the person being interviewed by the police
Several intersecting relationships
I want more info about the can collector & why he has that nickname for Sarah lmao

😕 The not-so-good 😕
It was hard to care about any of the characters bc they were selfish, awful people for the most part
Very slow burn
I did expect more suspense and shocks from a ‘psychological page-turner’

Rating: 4 stars, rounded up from 3.5

Thank you @Netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Posted to Instagram: 08/24/23
Posted to GoodReads: 08/28/23

This was a thriller for the ages! Kept me on the edge of my seat. I love a book that keeps me turning the pages! Highly recommend.

So, there's this neighborhood, right? And man, it's got secrets—more than you'd expect. And guess what? The whole deal turns into this home detective story that's a total rollercoaster. But here's the thing, it's not one of those jaw-dropping, mind-blowing rides. Nope, it's more like a wild yet sad and real journey. Think less heart-pounding thriller, more like domestic suspense.

Picture this: you're chilling in this normal neighborhood, but bam, there's a hidden world of secrets waiting to be cracked open. The story takes you on this wild ride that keeps you hooked, even if it's not trying to blow your socks off. It's like you're right there with the characters, feeling what they feel.

Oh, and speaking of characters, they're dealing with some heavy stuff. It's not your typical shock-value drama—it's all about those raw, real emotions. You're not gonna get jump scares; you'll get a punch in the feels instead.

Now, this ain't your high-octane thriller. Nah, it's more about peeking behind the curtain of everyday life and seeing the messiness that's hidden there. Relationships get all tangled up, secrets come out, and it's not some big, flashy showdown. It's like you're in on the inside scoop of your neighbor's lives.

So, all in all, this home detective story in a secret-laden neighborhood is one heck of a ride.

The Neighbors we Want was a good book. It took a little bit to get into but got me hooked after a while. What made it difficult for me to really get into this book was that when there were flashbacks, I couldn't tell right away and the story would seem jumbled. Other than that, great read!

Getting straight to the point with this one - there were some elements of a good story in this BUT I could not bring myself to like any of the characters in this book. The plot is based on a multiple, weird and intersecting relationships that were hard to believe. A husband and wife, Adam and Sarah, having secret affair/liaisons with a younger couple one of whom is their neighbour, Ali, and the other who is the son, Kemp, of the strange principal, Evie, at the school in which Sarah is a teacher.
The story is told from the perspective of each of these quite selfish and unlikeable characters. In the midst of this is a baby, Maddie, for whom Adam is a resentful stay at home Dad, who has been fired after getting caught masturbating in his office at work.
I could go on, but I won't. Being a middle aged working mother, I am probably in the wrong demographic for this book and others may quite enjoy it. I, however, am unable to recommend the book.
Thank you Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

The story follows Adam, a once-successful professional who finds himself navigating the challenges of stay-at-home fatherhood after losing his job. As he grapples with sleepless nights and the overwhelming responsibilities of caring for his baby, Adam also begins to witness the unraveling of his marriage to his wife, Sarah. Amidst the turmoil, one person captures Adam's attention—the enigmatic and alluring neighbor, Ali.

Lane expertly navigates the complexities of Adam's growing obsession with Ali, drawing readers into a web of desire, secrets, and unspoken longings. Adam's seemingly innocent fixation takes a dark turn when he witnesses Ali's ex-boyfriend, Crispin, acting suspiciously near her home. When Ali goes missing and fails to show up for work, Adam's fear deepens, leading him down a treacherous path of deception and deceit as he becomes determined to uncover the truth.

Set against the backdrop of a seemingly idyllic suburban town, "The Neighbors We Want" paints a chilling portrait of hidden lives and fractured relationships. Lane skillfully reveals the myriad secrets concealed behind closed doors, forcing Adam to confront uncomfortable truths about those around him—and himself. As he delves deeper into the mystery, Adam discovers that no one is truly what they seem, and the town's façade of normalcy hides a disturbing undercurrent of darkness.

Lane's narrative is a masterclass in suspense, deftly crafting a tension-filled atmosphere that keeps readers guessing until the very end. The author skillfully explores themes of trust, betrayal, and the lengths people will go to protect their fragile realities. As Adam's pursuit of the truth intensifies, he grapples with the realization that he may not be able to trust even those closest to him.

"The Neighbors We Want" is a riveting exploration of human nature, desire, and the destructive power of secrets. Tim Lane's evocative prose and intricate storytelling create a psychological rollercoaster that will leave readers on the edge of their seats, questioning the motives and intentions of every character. This gripping thriller is a captivating exploration of the dark corners hidden beneath the façade of suburban life.

Adam, Sarah, Ali and Kemp (or, at times Crispin), Four people, lots of tangles, Adam's a stay at home dad who becomes obsessed with his neighbor Ali, whose ex Kemp is having an affair with his wife Sarah. Got that? All four of them tell this story but it's difficult, at times, to keep everyone straight, Adam's kind of stalking Ali and when she disappears, he's convinced Kemp had something to do with it, There are some chuckle worthy asides here but this isn't as suspenseful as I'd hoped and honestly, no one is really likable. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed this read but I wish that it hadn't taken so long for some thrilling to happen. The neighborhood itself was interesting as well as the people in it. I enjoyed the eclectic cast of characters The last 10% of the book was by far the most exciting.

After reading the description, I couldn't wait to read this book. However, this book fell flat for me. I didn't feel the suspense that this book was supposed to provide. I had a hard time maintaining interest in the book and had o read it over the course of multiple sessions with other books snuck in between.

Oh this one is weird... not in the best way but not in the worst? Just a little odd. Uncomfortable? I genuinely don't know how to talk about this.

This is a strange book. I don't know exactly how I'd even describe it other than that it is not for me.

I found the prose to be messy and the plot just couldn't keep me invested. I think it might need some more editing before release.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review.

A neighborhood suspense novel centering around Adam, his wife Sarah, their neighbor Ali, and her ex Crispin.

My biggest problems with this is that it didn’t feel suspenseful. It was more the story of these relationships with forced suspense. I had a bigger problem though with some of the ways the female characters were written by the male author. None of the characters were really likable, which made the little suspense feel unimportant.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

This book has some twists that make you re-examine your own thoughts. Seeing the story through the eyes of different characters was interesting, and made you want to understand each one. I do wish there were more consequences for some of the characters. Overall, once you can get to the actual storyline (and not all of the background needed), you can't put it down! I do like how Evie changes throughout the book. Tim depicted postpartum depression in Sarah, which makes you feel for her.

This book was really fun to read! I enjoyed the writing and the storyline and can’t wait to read more from this author!

Lots of unsavory characters that I had a hard time following. This one was not for me . I was expecting a thriller but it was more about their lives.