This book started out cute, the bond between women who grow up like sisters.
As I read it, it felt overly simple, and a tad dryly worded.
Too much unnecessary filler information, scattered information filled in, and an awkward resolution at the end.
Overall I'm giving it 3 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

Thank you @rararesoucers and @anitamayw for letting me be part of this tour and reviewing this book. The Girls Next Door is a psychological thriller . The story is about four Friends that were born on the same day and thirty years younger, they have unbreakable friendship. When Chantelle tells them her husband having affair everything change. I found this to be a gripping read that held my attention from the start. There were some great twists. I was very shocked with what happens in the book, and it has a brilliant ending that will leave your mouth hanging open. I felt like I connected with all four of the girls. Furthermore, I did feel many emotions while reading this book, which is all good. Brilliant read that you will be glued to and won't be able to put this down 5 stars.

The Girls Next Door was a great read. It has interesting characters and plenty of twists that kept me hooked throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'The Girls Next Door' by Anita Waller.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Anita Waller, Boldwood, Bold Book Club, Book & Tonic and Rachel's Random Book Tours .

Publication date 25th April 2024.

This is the third book I have read by this author. I have also previously read 'The Couple Across The Street' and 'Fatal Lies' (book 2 in her 'The Forrester Detective Agency Mysteries') and I would highly recommend them all!!

This novel consists of a prologue, 35 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

I absolutely LOVED this fast paced, gritty and unputdownable page-turner filled with non stop action and secrets!!!

This book is fantastically written with vivid descriptions that absolutely grip the readers attention and keeps them hooked from the beginning tot he very end!

Yet another HUGE success from the extremely talented Anita!!! This book had me hook, line and sinker from the first page and I could not put it down!!! Every time I said one more chapter it ended on a cliff-hanger and I just had to know what was going on!!! This kept on happening over and over until before I knew it I had devoured the whole book in one sitting!! If you are going to read this then clear your day because it is truly unputdownable. I started this this morning and finished it at approx. 2pm, reading it in one sitting. This is one of those fascinating books that will have you questioning the characters and yourself throughout!!! This book starts by taking us back to 1987 and telling us the story of 4 female friends who all live on Larkspur Close in Hackenthorpe and all gave birth to daughters close together. Laura Roberts gave birth to Chantelle on the 4th March 1987, Nora Wheeler who is Gran to Jessica on the 23rd April 1987 who is bringing her up with her husband Arthur after Jessica's mum walked out on her, Tracy Marsden gave birth to Melissa on the 6th June 1987 and Suzanne Chatterton who gave birth to Erin on the 21st August 1987. We are then taken to the year 2022 where Chantelle, Jessica, Tracy and Erin have a close bond and are more like sisters than friends. Erin is single has inherited and is running her grandads bookshop and is looking to add a tearoom with Jess as the manager and Melissa is also single and worked as a paralegal but quits after problems with a colleague. The 4 women are there for each other through thick and thin so when Chantelle discovers her husband Andrew has been having an affair the rest of the friends support her and her children. If that wasn't bad enough, Andrew is then killed while out riding his bike and things go from bad to worse when Jess loses her Grandad and the Mother who abandoned her shows up!! Was Andrew's death an accident or was he murdered? Why had Jess's Mother returned after all these years? Grab your copy to find out for yourselves!! I can promise you wont regret it!! With a storyline ram packed with family, friendship, loyalty, death, secrets, mystery, drama and much more this book has everything you could ask for in an addictive page turner!! There is plenty going on to keep the reader glued to the pages from beginning to end. There was just constantly something going on and Anita's fantastic evocative descriptions brought absolutely everything to life in front of my eyes. I definitely didn't see the twists coming and I have read hundreds of crime and psychological books so a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS Anita!! It is getting harder and harder to surprise me but you managed it in this successful page turner!!! Grab your copy and jump on the rollercoaster ride of secrets, family, humour, heartbreak, twists, mystery and everything you could ask for in an epic page turner!!!

I absolutely LOVED the majority of the characters and became completely invested in them immediately. Although this is only the first time I have met them they already feel like friends. I loved the loyalty and friendship between the four women and each of them had their own unique personalities, strengths and weaknesses which complimented each others. It really is an amazing friendship group with women that you would want by your side when you needed a friend. This book really does show what true friendship is and not some of the friendships you see around where one minute so called friends are shopping and laughing and the next they are slating each other. The fierce loyalty of the women to each other is fantastic to see. I also have to mention Jess's Nan who I absolutely adored and is an utter gem!! Anita really does create a fantastic group of friends that you feel like you are a part of while you are turning the pages of this book. They are all very well developed and realistic and Anita's evocative descriptions ensure each of them come to life in front of your eyes. Congratulations Anita on creating an amazing group of memorable characters!!!

Congratulations Anita on another absolutely amazing page turner!!!This is exactly why you are one of my favourite authors and here's to your next success 🥂!!!

Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read the prologue and first chapter of Anita's 'The Couple Across The Street' which I have actually read myself and if you enjoyed this book you will love that one!! I would definitely recommend it!!

Overall an addictive and gripping psychological thriller rammed with secrets and twists!!

278 pages.

This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle, free with Kindle Unlimited and £9.99 in paperback via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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An enjoyable read about four women and an unbreakable bond .
The four women were all born around the same time thirty years ago and all lived on the same road , they grew up more like sisters than friends.
Their birth even sparked a newspaper report querying if there was something in the water on Larkspur Close .
One of the women Jess was brought up by her grandparents after her mother walked away a month after her birth , whilst the other girls were brought up by the parents .
Life seems to have just slowly moved on for each of them Chantelle having her own children twin girls , Jess desperate for both a baby and a job , Erin owning her own book shop and Melissa eager to escape the legal profession.
Everything is about to change for the friends and change their lives for ever.
This book is an easy read and is shows the intricacies of relationships, secrets and ultimately lies .
A great ending and one I didn’t expect .
An enjoyable read .
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books .

A quick read that gets into action right from the first chapter. It's not exactly just a thriller but also more about relationships, sisterhood, family, loss and betrayal.

Found it enjoyable. The theme of the book is extremely interesting and unique. Also liked the sisterhood beyond blood interesting. Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange of my unbiased review.

"So much love, so much heartache at the moment, but they were strong women and strong women could survive anything."


This one sentence can very well sum up the entire book. The novel 'The Girls Next Door' by Anita Waller revolves around the lives of four best friends. All born within a period of 6 months, they were destined to be the best of friends (more like sisters), supporting each other in every ups and downs of life. However, when calamities rain on them in the form of an accident, a gruesome murder, and deaths, can their friendship survive the test?

When I first started the book, I was expecting a thriller - the subtitle, blurb, and ominous book cover all pointed to a thrilling read. However, it was not exactly that. For the majority of the book, it felt more like a slice of life that celebrated friendship, community, sisterhood, and love. I still enjoyed it thoroughly. The author's writing style feels like a flowing river; the sentences blend. The pace of the novel was quite slow, going further away from the thriller concept. The characters, however, were well-built, and I wanted to lean more into them. I was so in love with Erin's life (it is a dream) and Jess's strong character.

The thrill in the book was very subtle, and the book would have been better without that. The only time I was surprised was at the very end of the book. Even with this, I recommend this book; you just have to see it from a different angle.

Four girls, born on the same street, grew up together, best friends forever, right?

I liked the characters of the girls, they were so close that at times you'd be forgiven for thinking they were siblings rather than close knit friends.

I've read several books by Waller courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources and have thoroughly enjoyed them. She certainly knows how to engage her readers with her ingenious plots and edge of your seat suspense.

The Girls Next Door was a brilliant story of friendships, unbreakable bonds and murder.

Yes, this is a crime fiction book BUT it is so much more. An enjoyable, easy read about four thirty-something women who were born within six months of each other & in the same road; more like sisters than close friends.

If the women need to talk things through, then they know who to turn to. Erin wants to expand her bookshop; Chantelle has discovered her husband is being unfaithful ; Jess is concerned about her grandparents (who raised her from a baby) & Melissa hates her job. They are a supportive group & would do anything for each other. Does this include murder?

A fabulous, heart-warming story despite the dead bodies. Recommended reading.

A heartfelt story about four close friends who are just like sisters. I enjoyed reading how these friends are there for each other in some challenging times. I was more focused on their friendship bond even though there is a mystery entwined in the story. The pace is a bit slowish compared to the previous books written by the author. Can't wait to read her next one too.

In 1987 four baby girls are born within six months of each other all living on the same street. Chantelle, Erin, Mel and Jess grew up more like sisters than friends and their close friendship carries through into their adulthood. The girls are there for each other through thick and thin and when one of them discovers that their husband is having an affair, they all rally around, then when said husband is killed whilst out cycling his bike again they rally around. Just as the girls are supporting their grieving friend, Jess suffers a blow seeing her Grandpop passing away and her estranged mother shows up!

There are secrets galore for some of the girls and when they come to light it shocks them all, the past comes to light and someone ends up dead.

I really enjoyed this book, I loved the closeness the girls had growing up and how they are always there for each other no matter what even - murder?

4 stars

This one may just be a case of it’s me, not you.

Based on the blurb I expected this to be a mystery/thriller. This was not really a mystery or a thriller. It was more contemporary fiction/chick-lit. It’s a story about friendship and family, and making the necessary changes so you can live a happy, fulfilled life.

Most of the book is spent dealing with the love lives, work lives, and friendship between the four friends. There are family deaths, career changes, business expansions, divorces, and we get to see how strong their bonds are through everything.

Chantelle’s husband dies 19% into the book and it’s classified as an accident almost immediately. At no point do the police think it’s foul play and there is no investigation into his death. The truth is finally revealed in the epilogue.

There is another murder about 55% into the book and we get to follow some of the police investigation, but again, most of the storyline surrounding this death is spent focusing on the emotional toll it takes on the friend group and how they handle it and support each other.

I enjoyed getting to know the friends and the people close to them. Waller does a great job fleshing out the characters so we feel connected to them and invested in their lives. I also liked reading about Erin’s bookshop and her plans for expansion.

This was a quick read and it flowed well. It just wasn’t what I was expecting when I picked it up, which was a bit of a disappointment.

Thanks NetGally and Boldwood Books for the advanced copy.

Four girls are closer than sisters. Blood relations they are not but they are close friends and confidantes.
Their bonds with be tested over a span of a few months when one loses her husband, another discovers a devastating secret, and another falls in love.
The story was engrossing as the events unfolded. I wondered who did what to whom and why.
As the blurriness became more clarified about the truth I could see how it all unfolded.
The bonds of sisterhood withstand the test of time.

I enjoyed this book with all the twists, turns and friendship between all the girls and their nearest families. Was a good read but not a great read! Still a little confused about the ending as there were a few areas needing some conclusion. Will look out for this author in future, maybe there will be a follow up book?
Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Girls Next Door by Anita Waller.

At the start of this story, I was a bit bored and worried that it was going to be a hard book to keep my interest in reading. Shortly thereafter, I was hooked and invested.

The author did a great job of working the various storylines, and releasing information at the optimal times.

The ending had me in shock! But I will not spoil it for other readers. Very well done.

My only complaint is that I was distracted by some editing errors throughout the story - the biggest one was Chapter 33, after the *** section, it says “who contacted Sian to get her to travel to Sheffield”, however, it should say Anna, not Sian.

#TheGirlsNextDoor #NetGalley

Okay, so Erin’s bookshop needs to be a real place that bookworms can visit!!

This is my second book my the author and I’m really loving her writing style.

The friendships between the girls is so endearing and then add in Jess’s grandparents and the bond they have with the whole group.

Another fantastic thriller by the author

Four girls are born within six months of each other on the same street. Four girls destined to be friends for life. Four girls who share all their secrets – except maybe secrets are being kept about them...

Chantelle has twins and has just found out her husband, Andrew, is having an affair. When she prepares to deal with the situation, her husband is found dead. Jess wants a baby and possibly a job, but her husband, Mike, wants her at home as his career comes first. Mel is a paralegal but has fallen out of love with her job and is having an issue with a coworker. Erin loves her job working with books but feels something is missing in her life. And it’s not the guy who buys the first editions and constantly flirts with her.

Now having to deal with Andrew’s funeral, the four friends all have a turn in their lives where more deaths occur and life-changing decisions must be made.

This was a very quick read, but didn’t come across as a psychological thriller at all. In fact, the thriller part, or even the psychological reasons behind it, didn’t make much sense. When a confession is made, the reason behind the decision to make sure the girls are safe seems trite. And the twist? Well... it was accepted rather easily.

If it had been advertised as a friendship drama, it would have made more sense. In the prologue, you are told that a murder will be linked to one of the girls so the thriller part is not unexpected. The repetition of only “one glass of wine” or about tea/coffee became a bit tiresome. I did feel, however, that the emotions brought across by the characters in having to deal with grief and love or loss thereof, plus the friendship was done well. The editing was good and the story easy to read, but in one section Pam is Mel’s secretary and then for three lines after that Mel is referred to as Erin. A definite mistake in there.

Not a bad story but it didn’t engage me in the way I’d hoped. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review the book.

I am a huge fan of Anita and her work and I have been for a few years now. I haven't quite caught up with everything that she has written but that is something that I hope to rectify in the not too distant future. I read the synopsis of 'The Girls Next Door' and it certainly sounded like the sort of book I have come to expect from Anita - an addictive and fast paced psychological thriller with more than one twist and turns along the way. Well it was certainly all that and so much more. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Girls Next Door' but more about that in a bit.

As with all of Anita's books, I was drawn to 'The Girls Next Door' by the eye catching synopsis. When I started reading the story itself that was it. To say that reading 'The Girls Next Door' became addictive is a bit like saying that I like eating cake - in other words a huge understatement. I would pick the book up only intending to read a chapter or two but I would still be sat there several chapters and an hour or so later. My Kindle wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I couldn't bear to miss a single second of the story. Besides I had to keep reading to see if the story was going to turn out the way that I thought that it would. The more of the book that I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. All too quickly I reached the end of 'The Girls Next Door'. I found 'The Girls Next Door' to be a gripping and tense psychological thriller, 'The Girls Next Door' certainly kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat.

'The Girls Next Door' is superbly written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Anita Waller. Anita certainly knows how to grab the reader's attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a story and then some. For me, the story hit the ground running and maintained a fairly fast pace throughout. Anita clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes her characters seem just as real as you and I. Reading 'The Girls Next Door' felt like being on an at times rather unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. I love the way in which the author makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action.

In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Girls Next Door' and I wholeheartedly recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Anita's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

I wish publishers would stop calling things thrillers that are not thrillers. This was a book about the relationships among women. The crime felt like it was thrown on top to market it as a thriller. Simply letting the characters support each other in a normal tragedy would have been enough. It was a decent piece of women’s fiction, with strong and supportive characters.

Jess, Erin, Mel and Chantelle are childhood friends who are more like sisters.

Chantelle caught her husband cheating, and now he’s dead. Jess’ grandfather is critically ill and he’s been a grandfather to all the girls. Erin is about to expand her bookstore. Mel desperately wants out of her job.

The four girls keep each other’s secrets, cover for their lies and support each other in everything.

Slowish but steady and kept my attention from page 1.