I tore through Next to Heaven. It’s wild, messy, and totally addictive—James Frey leans into the chaos of privilege, secrets, and scandal in the best way. The writing is fast and punchy, and the story kept me guessing. Definitely one of those books you finish and immediately want to talk about.

A flashy, indulgent read that’s equal parts decadence and melodrama, Next to Heaven offers a satire of wealth, betrayal, and privilege—set in the polished but morally messy enclave of New Bethlehem, Connecticut. Frey’s world is full of grand homes, high‑stakes scandals, swinging parties, and secrets kept behind manicured hedges. The novel is strongest when it leans into its exaggerated excess: the parties, the fashion, the way ambition and desire intertwine with shame. There’s tension, intrigue, and enough twists (and one big murder) to keep you skimming forward.

But it doesn’t always land. The pacing drags in the middle, and some of the characters feel more like tropes than people; their motivations are sometimes murky, or they disappear behind the spectacle. The prose style— clipped, brand‑heavy, often indulgently over‑the‑top—works well when one wants glitter and chaos, but it can also become exhausting or hollow. Still, if you like your fiction dramatic, soap‑opera style, and not too bothered by depth, Next to Heaven delivers enough thrills and sharp satire to make the ride worth taking.

Knowing this author's past tendencies, I could not help but wonder of his AI buddy helped write this.... it was so slow & repetitious with unbelievable characters. Probably won't be trying this author again but I do appreciate the ARC opportunity from Netgalley.

If you’re in the mood for a messy, scandal-filled story you can breeze through, this is the book for ypu. Juicy, dramatic, and kind of ridiculous--in the best way if you’re just looking to be entertained! Next to Heaven by James Frey is basically a wild, gossipy ride through the lives of rich suburban couples who have way too much money, too much free time, and absolutely no shame. Think White Lotus meets Desperate Housewives, with a little murder mystery sprinkled in. Enjoyed the read! Thank you!

I was not sure what to expect when I picked up this book but what a fun twisty ride it was. I have not read a book like this in a long time, or perhaps ever. In a world of copy cats, this book stands alone!! Great read!

Another story of rich people doing bad things just because they can.
Residents of a wealthy, "progressive" New England town occupy themselves by lying, cheating, and making and moving money around. All fun and games until one of their own ends up dead.
This was fun enough, but I docked a star because of how everything wrapped up so perfectly for everyone.
Thanks to #netgalley and #authorsequity for this #arc of #nexttoheaven in exchange for an honest review.

TL;DR: I liked the first half of this domestic satire about several couples in a small town who decide to host a 'swingers" party. The back half falls apart with a sexual assault subplot slash revenge story that felt very on-the-nose (and a little gratuitous coming from the male author). The villain is so mustache-twirlingly awful, distractingly so.

I always enjoy a rich people being bad trope, but this one just didn't do it for me. The plot was good, and I feel like it could have been done very well. I feel like it was trying to be "provocative", but was trying to hard, and it just didn't happen naturally.

I loved this book. It's everything I look for in a guilty pleasure read. Beautiful people making terrible choices! This is a perfect beach read. I loved the narration and thought they did a great job. Solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a review of the audiobook.

Money, sex, and lies. The lives of the rich in the town of New Bethlehem go from idyllic to unraveled after a “swingers party.”

The premise of the book was intriguing, and I appreciated the easy reading. Minor gripe: I personally didn’t enjoy the repetitiveness of some of the lines, which made it feel a little overdramatized.

Overall, an entertaining but somewhat predictable whodunnit about very bad, rich people.

Despite the controversy surrounding James Frey he’s one of my favorite authors. This book just didn’t hit the mark for me.

When I read the premise for the book I was all in but the book was hard to get into.

Though this author has had some controversy in the past, I thought I would give him another try with his latest book. I ended up being pleasantly surprised with how invested I became in the characters and storyline. I would definitely recommend this one to others!

Out of pure curiosity, I chose to read this book when it was “read now” on netgalley. Now, I was aware of some history with the author, but learned about the AI claims much later.

I am an equal-opportunity-hater. I rate books honestly and without bias. But learning of the AI claims honestly explained alllll of my issues because this book was so hard to read. It honestly felt like I was on ambien trying to understand words. I found myself rereading paragraphs and sometimes full pages just to make sure Im properly comprehending what’s happening. It’s a literal mess. The writing was off and yeah, I really do believe AI contributed to the majority of this writing despite what he has stated.

In addition, with the disgustingly vulgar moments I encountered (boy I hate stuff like that, no matter the author) I still feel anything above a 1-star is GENEROUS. This book is just bad y’all. The cover is worse. And you’re going to write a book using AI and lie about it, at least use a real human tongue on the cover next time.

I’m typically a fan of James Frey. Even with the controversy around A Million Little Pieces, I adored that book. So I’m usually pretty excited for a new book of his to release. I was looking forward to Next to Heaven, but it really failed to meet my expectations. The book starts out immediately fatphobic, misogynistic, and just overall icky. It just got worst from there. The entire book is basically one big orgy, everyone cheating on everyone else, and all in the same friend group. It’s just (figuratively) incestuous, and I am not interested in all that nonsense.

I was interested in the murder mystery aspect of it, and I had a strong theory as to who died but not who killed them because everyone had a motive, but once I found out who actually died, there was no surprise to who did it, even though the story tried to point to different folks. It was absolutely obvious and completely predictable. Just so boring.

Honestly, I was just completely disappointed with this point and over it. I was happy when it was over

I read books to be entertained. This book did just that. Set in an elite Connecticut suburb, this is a fast-paced story with interesting characters. Add in a swinger party, cheating spouses, all sorts of deceptions and of course, a murder. Yes, this book was over the top, but that is what made it so entertaining to read. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

Very Desperate Housewives. But make it the East Coast elite. And racier. Much racier! The writing is quirky and repetitive, but I liked those aspects. Besties. Billionaires. A golden boy. Outsiders...and insiders. Countless unraveling marriages. And lots of hot sex...with pretty much anyone but their respective others. Secrets. Lies. Murder. And a happily ever after...depending on who you ask. While I loved the large cast of characters, and their in-depth backstories, I did have trouble keeping them all straight more than once.

Sadly, this was a DNF for me. I usually try to get through, but this one just did not work for me.
Thank you for the opportunity to try.
2

Wild and interesting read! I read this in two sittings. I love a story with a little controversy on the side! Thanks for the opportunity.

WOW! This was a wild read. Very Gatsby vibes that kept me coming back for more. Grab this read for a wild adventure into the world of the wealthy and the ups and downs of their world.

As my grandparents would have described the situation in this novel, "this is how the other half live." A suburban community of wealthy, privileged couples are playing with fire when one of its members plans a four-couple "swingers evening." The outcome of night of lust by the beautiful and bored participants is not surprising. There are those who want to ditch their current marriages to go for the newness of behaviors that are not considered proper. For one, it was a one and done moment. I enjoyed the writing style of this author and look forward to future works. My thanks to NetGalley and the author for a complimentary copy.