I was excited to read Next to Heaven by James Frey, especially as an advanced reader copy (ARC) before its official release. However, my experience with this book was largely disappointing. For a writer of Frey’s stature, the writing style was surprisingly rough. The prose felt repetitive at times, with certain phrases or words being overused, which took me out of the story. It was almost as if the author was trying too hard to emphasize points, but the effect was jarring rather than impactful.

The plot itself had potential but was weighed down by unnecessary filler. There were several moments when the book seemed bogged down with excessive details that didn’t add much to the narrative, making parts of it feel unbearably slow. Additionally, the murder, which should’ve been a central, pivotal moment, happened too late in the book to have the emotional impact it could’ve had. The build-up was long, and when the event finally occurred, it felt like an afterthought.

The characters, unfortunately, didn’t help elevate the story. Most of them felt unlikable, and I found myself struggling to connect with any of them. The novel had a “train wreck” quality, where it was almost painful to read, but I kept going, if only to see how it would end. If you’re into drama-filled, chaotic stories about rich, beautiful, and unhappy people, this might be your thing. But for me, it came across as more of a guilty pleasure, similar to a reality TV show—entertaining at times, but ultimately shallow.

In short, Next to Heaven is a book that might appeal to fans of trashy, melodramatic stories, but for me, it didn’t land well.

Edit as it seems there has been misinformation shared regarding the use of AI.

I went into Next to Heaven hoping for an intense, character-driven thriller. I had genuinely enjoyed A Million Little Pieces (outside of the memoir controversy) because of its emotional depth and compelling characters, and I was hoping Frey would bring that same resonance to a murder mystery.

What I got instead was a meandering narrative that felt hollow. The prose lacks soul, the characters feel templated/stereotypical, and there’s a detachment that makes it hard to connect emotionally. To make matters worse, the murder — the entire reason I picked up the book, aside from the author — doesn’t even happen until the last quarter. By then, I was already skimming, just waiting for something (anything) to happen. Pacing is everything in a thriller, and this one drags.

I hope that clarity come regarding the use of AI/AI-assisted writing as it does impact how the overall book and writing is perceived and I fear that this controversy may have created a bias to my review. Thank you NetGalley, Authors Equity and James Frey for the ARC, I wish I could give this book a high rating as I have really enjoyed his past books A Million Little Pieces and The Final Testament of the Holy Bible as well found Bright Shiny Morning a good read.

I was intrigued by this book due to the cover and the description gave it the appeal of a gossip girl kind of rich folks mystery. Unfortunately, that's not really what I got. The story's plot was a bit lackluster in general and the point of the mystery happened very late in the book. Also the formatting of the book was really off.

Thanks to NetGalley and Authors Equity for an eARC of Next to Heaven by James Frey! This story was well written and the beginning hooked me in. Although I didn’t really like some of the characters, the ending of this book was great!!

I was thrilled to get this book as an ARC based solely on its description and that I thought it would be an entertaining read! With that said, it was and the premise was a good one. Upon beginning to read the book I became aware of the AI claims and tried to put that aside and power through as had gotten in to the story, although I wasn’t loving the characters and some of the writing. But maybe that’s due to the AI assistance. No matter the plot was thought provoking in a very shallow way that makes it a good beach or vacation read!! Ha! You may cringe at some of the descriptives but they go along with the storyline so….

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this book in a day. From the very first page, I was completely hooked. James Frey has a way of pulling you right into his characters’ lives. You feel like you’re in the room with them, but at the same time, he keeps you just far enough away to leave you wanting more.

This is a saucy, sharp look at how the other half live. It’s a world where drug-fuelled sex parties are just another Tuesday, where power and wealth protect the people at the top, and those with less money and influence are often left as pawns in their games.

Connecticut felt like its own character. The setting was vivid, atmospheric, and really shaped the mood of the story.

The characters were a mix. Some were deeply flawed and messy, some were easy to root for, and some were just clearly the bad guys. Frey doesn’t sugarcoat anyone. He gives you people in all their complicated, chaotic glory.

There were plenty of twists and turns that genuinely surprised me and kept me racing through the pages.

If you like character-driven stories that feel raw and real, with scandal, power struggles, and a setting that sticks with you, I definitely recommend picking this one up.

3.5 rounded to 4⭐

I have to admit to being very curious by the description of the book. Wealthy socialites in a CT town throw a swinger's party. I mean, I know these parties happen, but not in my little town in CT anyways (that I'm aware of). Would this book give me a peek inside those scandalous parties? It did, assuming that's what really happens.

The character development was very involved, and I felt like I knew a great deal about many of the parties involved. I appreciate that and had an instant like or dislike for several. While I could see where the story was headed, I was hooked and picked up the book whenever I could.
What I didn't like and found absolutely frustrating was the authors use of words in a repetitive style over and over again. Think, "more and more and more and more", "so __, so, so __, so so so __". It made me want to SCREAM! The gossip tree descriptions were another area I rolled my eyes over and over again. Or in the author's style, over and over and over and over again. In my opinion, this writing style does not add to the story or wasn't used correctly but I found it took away from the book as a whole.

I found this book to be filled with messy characters, spicy secrets and lots of betrayal. And I was here for it all the way through! I went back and forth between the digital copy and the audiobook and will share my review with the audio version as well.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Authors equity for the electronic advance review copy. The opinions expressed herein are genuinely my own.

This book was very repetitive, and had a lot of information that I found unnecessary. Did not keep my interest.

Next to Heaven was one of those books I wanted to give a chance but it just didn’t quite work for me. The premise sounded emotional and interesting, and I was ready for a poetic, soul-shaking story about love and loss. But once I got into it, I felt lost.

The lack of structure made it hard for me to stay connected and like I mentioned previously lost. I kept waiting to click with the story but it never quite happened.

This might really speak to readers who love experimental, poetic writing and don’t mind wandering through raw emotion without much plot. But for me, I need a little more structure and character grounding.

Repetition happens a lot in this book and I understand that it was to be poetic but it was distracting and felt unstructured. At some part in the book it felt the tone of who was writing was much younger than other parts. It felt very chaotic and unfinished.

This review is is completely my own unbiased opinion, thank you NetGalley and Authors Equity for an ARC of this book.

This book reminded me of an HBO show. A little graphic for my tastes but sure to be something everyone’s talking about! Rich people’s crazy lives is always a page turner!

I liked it until I read that it was partially AI-written? I’m torn. It was an ok book, and I was drawn in until it started seeming repetitive. Could that be because of AI? I want to give it a chance but definitely torn.

I really wanted to love this new book by the sometimes controversial James Frey. It had all of the elements for a steamy beach read (which I’ve been craving)! A swingers party cooked up.by a couple of bored billionaires wives, that leads to a murder mystery? Count me in! I was so appreciative of the ARC!
While the book is a fun and frothy romp, some of the raunchy language fell flat and felt more directed at male readers (in a locker room) than women. Yogurt cannon gave me the ick. I suppose this also could have been a good character indicator at how crass this man is. The characters felt unlikable to me. I wanted to root for somebody but I only felt invested in a few of them and their desire to get out of this world. I would recommend this if you’re looking for a summer fling of a book to bring to the pool or the beach and take your mind off of more serious things going on. It was fun at times, kind of gross at times and could have been shortened in length/description at times. Going into the book knowing what you’re getting into, I think it can be a quick fun read if you’re looking for a bit of smut to spice up your summer ☀️All in all, it was entertaining but I don’t know if I would rank it super high on my must read list. I think a lot of people will read it anyway because it’s garnering buzz over the author and the subject matter. A lot of the characters just don’t have enough redeeming qualities to invest enough in their stories
** trigger warning: there are mentions of quaaludes and SA.

First, a HUGE thank you to NetGalley and Author’s Equity for the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book, to be released next week. This book was an absolute blast! Next to Heaven is as close to a soap opera I will probably ever watch these days — outside of the WWE, that is — and it moves with such propulsive energy. It feels salacious, with infidelity occurring almost every few chapters, but it never feels overtly dirty. It’s violent, if not particularly gory, and mysterious, if not necessarily a mystery. Next to Heaven is a pulp novel about the privileged and how wealth can alter world views of what kind of behavior is right and was is wrong. It is also the story of female friendships and how looking out for people you care about can look very different for different people. This is a taut thrill ride of a novel and one that I found myself blazing through. I know James Frey has his detractors, but I really dug his prose style here. It made this story fly by and feel kind of gritty; like despite the money these people are playing with, there is something grime to their behaviors. I know that I much lighter of a critic when it comes to books than I am movies, but if a book can hold my attention for more than a day and keep me excited to return to its pages (especially if I think about it while at the theater watching a movie), then I can’t help but be enamored by that book. Next to Heaven might not change the literary world, but it is a thoroughly entertaining work worth reading.

This book was very predictable. I am not a fan of not using quotation marks. It made the story and dialogue harder to follow. I have heard this book was written using AI and I would say it definitely seemed that it was.

I really enjoyed this book once I got past the history of the town. I just felt like that was a little too lengthy. When it got to the actual story, it kept me entertained and guessing what would happen next. It was fun to read about the wealthy and their games. I would recommend this book with a warning about the slow start, but well worth the read!!

What a ride! This crazy, naughty book had the best opening line I've read in a long time. It hooked me and I wanted to find out more about Devon. A crazy, out of this world rich world. Devon and Belle plan a party, with ulterior motives. The party starts and begins an unraveling, in unexpected ways. Delishiousness in a book with a brilliant ending I did not see coming.

Next to Heaven by James Frey is a fun read. I read this book because I live and work in Darien (the town next to New Canaan or “New Bethlehem”) and because the author is coming to Darien Library (where I work) next month. The book is fun and provocative, full of salacious details that could/did happen here. It felt like I was looking through peoples windows the whole time I was reading. It was very gossipy and such a fun summer read.

I tried to get into this book. It had an interesting premise and some character arcs had promise. It was just to hard to follow. The chapters kept changing to discuss different characters and I didn't understand what was happening. It started going off the rails early on and I just couldn't get into it. Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for my ARC.

This book is repetitive in its structure and the characters lack depth and are singularly motivated. While the titillating device of having a key party and many affairs holds much of the novel together it doesn’t make up for flatness of the novel. Thanks to NetGalley and Authors Equity for an advanced copy for an honest review.

I read a million little pieces back when it was an Oprah’s book club pick. I enjoyed it but then this author fell off of my radar.
I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy from NetGalley .
This just wasn’t it for me. A complete letdown.
Sadly I won’t be picking anything else up from this author.