Thank you to NetGalley and Authors Equity for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Next to Heaven follows the lives of Devon, Belle, and their husbands in the wealthy, picture-perfect town of New Bethlehem, Connecticut. Beneath the surface of their idyllic world lies a mess of secrets, which all begin to unravel after one night of betrayal and scandal—ultimately exposing the dark underbelly of power and wealth.

First and foremost: this book could basically come with a full-page trigger warning. There are references to assault, rape (off-page and implied), abusive and toxic relationships, cheating, swinging, drug use, and death/murder. Sorry if that’s technically a spoiler, but readers should be aware—this book could be deeply triggering for some, and that context isn’t made clear up front.

The whole vibe was very White Lotus—drama-packed from start to finish. If you’re here for high drama and aren’t too concerned with a layered plot, this might be right up your alley. The first 25–33% was a bit confusing as the many characters were introduced, but I appreciated getting some backstory to give depth to all the chaos that followed.

That said, there’s a lot that could have been improved in the storytelling. The murder reveal doesn’t happen until around 75% in, and it would’ve been more effective to tease that element right from the beginning rather than dropping vague hints at the end of each chapter. The tension built for far too long without enough payoff. As for the writing style—it just wasn’t for me. There was a lot of repetition (some of it maybe intentional, but a lot of it felt like filler), and the run-on sentences were distracting. I’ve seen speculation online that parts might be AI-generated, and honestly, I wouldn’t be shocked.

Overall, this book felt like a constant gossip session among Connecticut’s elite. If you love over-the-top drama and scandal, and don’t mind sacrificing some plot structure or style, this could be a wild ride worth taking.

Ok I had to put this book down when I read “yogurt cannon.” What kind of writing is that? It was actually so bad that I had to stop reading. The story itself didn’t seem too bad, but Frey lost his spark for me after the whole Million Little Pieces debacle.

I wish that I read about the author before reading this one. Unfortunately his background with fabricating his memoir and publishing it as nonfiction as well as him admitting he uses AI, it ruined what could have been a fun and entertaining story.

A wild ride you won’t forget)

This book is everything I didn’t know I needed—darkly funny, totally outrageous, and absolutely addictive. It reads like it was made for TV—think The White Lotus meets Big Little Lies, but even more twisted and over-the-top. If it doesn’t get adapted into a mini-series, it’s a missed opportunity.

Set in the pristine, scandal-soaked world of New Bethlehem, Connecticut, this is a razor-sharp, satirical deep-dive into the lives of the privileged and morally bankrupt. There’s sex, betrayal, murder, and one unforgettable party that sets the entire story aflame.

I’m so glad James Frey is still writing—despite the controversies of his past, his storytelling is razor-sharp and unapologetic. He has a rare gift for turning even the most intolerable characters into fascinating studies. I don’t usually love character-driven novels, but this one completely pulled me in. I cared about these characters, even when I knew I probably shouldn't.

🔥 It’s lurid, propulsive, and pure page-turning mayhem in the best possible way.

Fair warning: This book has it all—murder, deceit, elite-level dysfunction, and yes, an ultra-exclusive swingers party. Dive in with your eyes wide open.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am obsessed! This was so interesting, and I found this very intriguing. I highly recommend this book!

This book takes you through the life’s of the middle aged elites living in the prestigious town of New Bethlehem, CT. This story begins by setting the background of these eight main characters. As the story continues, it begins to become repetitive and confusing on who is married or sleeping with whom and who is connected to who. It leads up to a swingers party, which did not live up to what I expected it to be based on the description of the book. The big plot was the murder of on of the attendees weeks later. This happened so far into the book, that the bulk of the storyline in my opinion happened in the last one-third of the book. Throughout the book the plot and dialogue became extremely repetitive. Also, there are no quotation marks, which is annoying at times. I believe this book did not live up to my expectations and would not recommend it.

Really enjoyed this book. Love triangles, some spice, and a who-done-it.... I was a little disappointed with the ending, but not enough to not have enjoyed the read/listen.

Great reader for the audio book as well.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. It just really didn’t grab my attention and I was not into it.

I hope others enjoy it.

The author prefers to write like JRR Tolkien where there is extensive description and prose and history that is of no use to propelling the book forward. For someone who wants to be truly, fully, and completely immersed, this may be for you.

Next to Heaven by James Frey is packed with scandal, betrayal, and ridiculously rich people doing horribly messy things. It’s dark, unfiltered, and full of chaos. The characters are morally bankrupt yet sort of fascinating. The whole vibe is gleefully trashy in a guilty pleasure sort of way.

📚: Next to Heaven by James Frey
⭐️: 4/5

New Bethlehem, Connecticut. An affluent, idyllic New England town. Filled with old money, new money, restless marriages, and a one night party that was supposed to spice everything up.

…And then someone had to turn up dead. (Isn’t that always the case?) And the whodunnit brings some families together and tears others apart as everyone’s secrets, cheating, and lying come to the surface.

Okay, let me be totally honest. I loved this book. This does my favorite rich people doing awful, despicable things trope so incredibly well. The story isn’t just in the murder (which, yes, happens quite late into the plot), and is so character driven with these truly awful people.

That said, when I first got this digital ARC to review, I thought — “wait, this is by James Frey? That James Frey?” And personally, I can move on from the now long-ago memoir controversy (A Million Little Things is a great read despite the controversy, and I have always enjoyed Frey’s writing style.) But then after receiving this ARC, I heard about some of the other controversy surrounding him and his work, and I’m left wondering if he wrote rich people doing awful things so well because he’s a rich person that does awful things? Regardless, some of the ick stuck with me while reading, probably knocking my rating down by half a star because of that experience.

Big thanks to Authors Equity via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Next to Heaven is out on 6/17.

There's a lot of controversy around James Frey, but I can't deny that I enjoy his books. His latest, Next To Heaven, was a good read.

On the surface, New Bethlehem, Connecticut is a perfect New York suburb. A village atmosphere, tree lined streets, an excellent school system and very little crime. That’s on the surface. Under the surface, there’s…well…a lot. Deception. Adultery. Lust. Bribery. Violence and so much more. Next to Heaven is delicious, gloriously trashy and simply marvelous!

Almost all the characters are over the top rich. The men work too hard and the women have too much time to play. When the men are at their jobs, cheating others to make more money, the women are at home, cheating on their husbands and planning a party. Although everyone in town has heard the salacious gossip, it’s a very exclusive party. It’s an old time swingers' party although with sushi, Macallen scotch and Pratesi sheets. At this party, people fall madly in love, and others leave shattered. Lives are changed, and the path to tragedy and violence quietly begins.

Next to Heaven should have a warning. Anything that might cause triggers is in this novel. I loved it! It’s a well written character study. It emphasizes societal differences. It’s a mystery and a romance. It’s suspenseful and lascivious. And it’s so readable that you will not be able to put it down. Enjoy! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Authors Equity and James Frey for this ARC.

This novel proved to be a disappointing read that failed to deliver on its promising premise. Marketed as a gripping thriller centered around a shocking murder, the book instead dedicates the majority of its pages to explicit sexual encounters between its shallow, unlikable characters. While I don't object to sexual content in literature when it serves the story, here it felt gratuitous and repetitive, often described with cringe-inducing phrases like "coconut cream explosion" that pulled me out of the narrative rather than drawing me in.

The actual murder mystery - what should have been the driving force of the plot - receives shockingly little attention. The crime occurs almost as an afterthought midway through the book, and its resolution at the end feels rushed and unsatisfying. This left me feeling misled by the book's description and frustrated by the wasted potential of what could have been an intriguing premise.

The characters, a group of wealthy socialites constantly engaged in various affairs, never evolved beyond their superficial traits. Their endless sexual escapades became tedious rather than titillating, and the detached third-person narration style prevented me from forming any emotional connection to their fates. While Frey's prose is technically competent, the writing couldn't overcome the fundamental issues with plot and characterization.

By the final chapters, I was reading more out of obligation than interest, relieved when I finally reached the last page. The book isn't completely without merit - there are moments of decent writing and some might enjoy the soap-opera style drama - but I can't recommend it to readers looking for the psychological thriller promised by its marketing.

2/5 stars - A missed opportunity that prioritizes shock value over substance

Thank you to NetGalley and Authors Equity for providing an advance copy for review purposes.

This book is SO good. I loved it. Great Gatsby meets White Lotus meets Elin Hilderbrand. I would read a million more books set in this world. THE juiciest read of the summer.

Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgally for the arc of this book!
Unfortunately (at least for now), this book is not for me. The premise is what drew me in, and I'm still really curious to know what exactly happens (and exactly how badly the rich people behave) but for now, I will be putting it on hold.

I was unable to get into the writing style. Conversations between characters that are recalled and told to the reader lack cohesion, and the way the dialogue is separated (by lines) makes it difficult to tell who said what. The author is also a fan of repetition, and short sentences to emphasize descriptions of things such as the passing of time or changes undergone by the characters, which got stale.
As I stopped very early on, I acknowledge that these are set up chapters and once the plot kicks in things will be different.
I would recommend this book to fans of domestic thrillers, or those who like to see drama, gossip and the ills of high society. The writing does seem very self aware, so maybe it is simply a matter of getting past the start of the novel.

This has something like a Bret Easten Ellis vibe, but more like Glamarama than, say, anything you would want to read. More fartsy than artsy, if you see what I mean.

This was a redemption book for me for this author. What a fantastic page turner. A great juicy read about an uber wealthy Connecticut suburb and the scandals within it. Multiple POVs, multiple couples involved so it took a few chapters to understand who was who and who was involved with each other. I loved the juicy gossip, the twist at the end. A fun read. Every character was equally either likeable or unlikable. A great vacation read.

I heard about James Frey's new book on the New York Times Book Review podcast covering "12 Summer Books We're Looking Forward To" and was pleased to be able to read a digital ARC. I found it to be very light reading, with a whodunit plot that was just compelling enough to keep me turning the pages.

Rich, beautiful, and athletically gifted characters abound in this story set in the fictional town of New Bethlehem, CT, and I had a little trouble keeping the eight characters/four couples straight—blame it on the swingers' party mixing everything up at the beginning of the novel. Some characters' purpose in the plot remains unclear to me. I found the book very repetitive at times, and thought that it reads more like a screenplay than a novel. The story actually bears a lot in common with "Your Friends and Neighbors"—the Jon Hamm crime drama on Apple TV+. Fans of that series would probably enjoy this entertaining summer book, which I was happy to have the chance to read and review. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for letting me take an early look!

I love drama! I love watching it on TV (looking at you SLOMW) and I love reading it!

What could go wrong when a bunch of super rich couples come to a swingers party? Basically…everything. I loved the plot and the characters so much that I read this book in one day. So entertaining!!

My only negative would be the writing had a lot of repetition that didn’t make much sense and made me stop and reread several times because I felt like I had just read the sentence or phrase.