Next To Heaven by James Fry, the book head a great summary and even 50% in I was still intrigued no one can write snarky the way James Frey can and have it leap off the page my only issue with the book is it had 1 million characters it took forever to get to the murder and no one in the book was likable except for maybe Teddy and Grace I also didn’t like the way although funny at times the author tended to repeat sentences because I mean the book was long enough but having said that, if you’re in for a good long slow burn read you may just love this thriller/mystery about rich people behaving badly. Devon and Bell throw a swingers party with a few of their specially chosen neighbors and all of them have secrets things they want to hide and eventually someone gets murdered in a gross way, I might add, but it did make for lots of lol moments I just found the book was too long. When reading a book I know after the ending I’ll get that feeling of whether I absolutely loved it or have negative feelings towards the story if the ending is an awesome one it usually clouds all my prior opinions and although this ending was pretty good I still think it could’ve been much shorter.#NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #JamesFry, #NextToHeaven,

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

This book was wild!
What happens when the rich get bored? A very spicy party amongst the Connecticut elite. But as they do, the night spirals into chaos, betrayal, and you guessed it murder. There were some very cringy moments and the writing style wasn’t my favorite but still a very entertaining read. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Pure brain candy. This book is a hot mess in the best way possible. You do have to pay attention to keep everyone straight, but once you get it down it's a wild ride. This needs to be optioned for Netflix.

After a 'party' held by the uber wealthy for their equally wealthy friends, madness ensues. Lust, betrayal, lies, cover-ups and alliances are formed. Just go in cold and buckle up.

*Enter: rich people behaving badly*

Belle and Devon are part of an extremely wealthy community in New Bethlehem, Connecticut. Rich and bored, they decide to throw a lavish swingers party and invite a select few from their community to participate. But even in a idlic community, there are dark secrets, lies, betrayal, and evil. The aftermath of the party will change their lives forever, and soon someone’s life will be ended.

I’m a huge James Frey fan and he’s one of the authors who got me back into reading years ago. I love his writing style, how it flows like a stream of consciousness at times without regard for punctuation. So when I saw his newest book was on @netgalley, I jumped at the opportunity to read it. This wasn’t my favorite of his books, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

This book is definitely rated R due to all of the sexuality throughout it, as well as m*rder and r*ape. Some parts were very difficult to read due to the subject matter, but I had to know what happened! I like how Frey sets the backdrop of New Bethlehem by giving us a full chapter of the history of the town and how it came to be one of the most elite areas in the country. Basically, this book is all about rich people behaving badly and stopping at nothing to get their way. A lot of the characters were painfully unlikeable, while there were others who my heart hurt for. (I do wish we could have gotten more closure for Katy)… Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I look forward to continuing to read Frey’s work.

I rarely give a review for a book I didn't read 100% of the way through, so please note that my review is biased in its incompleteness. Perhaps if I had been able to continue reading I would have enjoyed the story more.
There is a wide cast of characters who have their entire lives summarized in such brief scenes that I struggled to remember who was who, and even when I could remember I was deeply fatigued by the assertions of the power that the 1% had in their impact in politics and community. It's entirely my own fault for thinking I might be interested in a rich-people-behaving-badly story while being so thoroughly angry and repulsed by what the real versions of these type of people have been doing.
This doesn't feel like a darkly fun romp for me, it's more of a confusing slog.

James Frey is back with another wild ride! This book felt like a weird fever dream one might have after binge watching too many episodes of Housewives before bed. Didn’t like any of these characters? Absolutely not. Could I look away? Also absolutely not (with popcorn in hand).
I do appreciate how Frey writes with a brutal, blunt honesty about people & their proclivities. He’s always going to give you the ugly truth and it’s going to make you feel uncomfortable at times and I always feel an urge to check my privilege.
Did this book teach me anything and will it stick with me? Not really. But it was a perfect palate cleanser between a heavy fantasy series and was just the drama I needed at the time.

This one just wasn’t for me. While the story itself had potential, I struggled with the writing style. The characters were written in a way that felt more nonfiction-like—overly detailed and weighed down by unnecessary background that didn’t serve the plot. Some of the language seemed to exist purely for shock value, which felt more distracting than impactful. It’s clear the book was aiming for gritty and provocative, but it missed the mark for me.

Thank you NetGalley, S&S Audio, and Author’s Equity for the ALC and e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I was really trying to push through but yogurt cannon is where i draw the line, DNF @ 46%, should have been 5%.

Look, the premise is exciting. A bit of rich, elite, bored couples get together and swing and someone ends up dead. But the unconsensual sex & sayings like yogurt cannon really made this unbearable. I get it's supposed to be crass but that could have been portrayed with a girl being extorted, drugged & r@ped.

The pacing on this is also awful. We get a literal whole chapter on the history of this made up waspy town, the same length as the party, the whole point of the book.

Anyway, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This was a wild and messy ride, and I was here for it all. I didn't think I would enjoy it as much, but I flew through this book in about 2 days. The ending took me by surprise, because I did not see it coming, but I was satisfied iykyk. There was a lot in this book that I did not see coming, so that was fun. Who knew one event could practically alter so many things? There were likable and not-so-likable characters, but that made the book enjoyable. I think so many people get caught up in the lifestyle that rich people portray without even knowing what those people are really going through behind the scenes. I think this book did a good job of showing that. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

Thank you, Net Galley for this ARC!

this was . . . not good. or well written. but it was trash in the same way reality tv is, eg. engaging and hard to look away from.

Next to Heaven was a quick fun read that kept me from reading the NYT or checking my 401k . And Thank Heavens! The residents of New Bethlehem, Connecticut are the spoiled uber- rich, bored and looking for more excitement in their excessive lives. A neighborhood swingers party is planned at one of their mansions and it becomes the catalyst for change that no one expected.

I was completely engrossed in this novel and recommend it to anyone looking for something to take your mind off real life chaos. Stock up on frozen dinners so you won’t have to cook while you’re reading!

This book was an emotional rollercoaster I didn’t know I signed up for and I loved every single second of it.

Something I absolutely adored was how James Frey proves he is the king of details. He paints the characters, the places, and every twist of the story with such care, without giving too much away. It’s like he’s letting you into each character’s mind just enough to make you feel everything: the pain, the love, the betrayal, but still leaving room for surprise.

There are four main couples at the heart of the drama in New Bethlehem:

1️⃣ Devon and Billy - She married for money. But money-love doesn’t hold when the storms hit.
2️⃣ Grace and Alex - Oh, Grace. Stuck with the charming, rich, ambitious (and unfaithful?) Alex. I just wanted to hug her.
3️⃣ Teddy and Belle - The couple who are too comfortable. Their love has turned into a quiet routine, and honestly, it made me think a lot about what it means to keep love alive.
4️⃣ Charlie and Katy - Not married, not tied down, just vibing with freedom and desire.

And it’s not just about these couples, the entire town of New Bethlehem feels alive, messy, and full of secrets.

James Frey, labeled the bad boy of American literature by The New York Times, brings us a story that's bold, gripping, and way different from anything I’ve read before. And the ending? Oh my god… just know that you will not see it coming.

If you’re into emotionally complex characters, tangled relationships, and stories that keep you hooked until the very last page, I highly recommend this one.

Most importantly, a big thank you to NetGalley, James Frey and Author's Equity for providing me with a copy of this publication in exchange for an honest review.

James Frey’s Next to Heaven aims high with its sprawling themes of redemption, existential yearning, and the search for divinity in the mundane. Unfortunately, while the book is ambitious in scope, it falls short in execution, leaving readers with more questions than insights — and not always in the good way.

Frey’s prose, typically known for its raw, unfiltered emotion, often feels overwrought here. The stream-of-consciousness style, while potentially powerful, lacks the precision and clarity needed to guide the reader through the novel’s more abstract or metaphysical moments. Instead of evoking transcendence, the narrative frequently veers into confusion, making it difficult to connect emotionally with the characters or their journeys.

The book also struggles with pacing. Lengthy philosophical digressions interrupt character development and plot progression, making it feel more like a disjointed meditation than a cohesive story. While these passages are clearly heartfelt and deeply personal, they often read as indulgent rather than enlightening.

That said, Next to Heaven is not without its merits. Frey’s willingness to tackle grand, existential questions is commendable, and there are moments of real emotional resonance — particularly in the quieter, more grounded scenes. Readers who enjoy experimental structure and unfiltered introspection may find these glimpses rewarding.

Ultimately, while Next to Heaven aspires to touch the divine, it too often gets lost in its own ambition. A tighter narrative focus and more nuanced character work could have helped this novel reach the emotional and philosophical heights it was clearly striving for.

Well the writing felt like reading a journal or memoir. Narrated from the perspectives of different characters. There is a lot going on. Expect murder, betrayal, secrets, and crime. Author has taken us in the lives of wealthy people but it all becomes chaotic with unsettling realities, and so much more. There is a fictional town in New Bethlehem. It seems like a paradise but the secrets, mystery and truth are buried beneath it. It took a while for me to get into this book. I liked the ending. Thanks to the Publisher

Next to Heaven is a sharp, fast-paced dive into the dark, gossipy underbelly of a picture-perfect town, where money talks, secrets simmer, and danger wears designer. Think Big Little Lies meets Desperate Housewives, with a narrative style that feels like someone’s journal crossed with an all-knowing narrator binge-watching the chaos unfold.

At first, the writing style took a little getting used to—it’s terse, punchy, and almost detached—but it ends up suiting the tone of the story surprisingly well. Once I settled into it, I could totally picture everything playing out like a high-gloss TV series. The rotating cast of characters, each with their own secrets and social masks, kept things moving and kept me guessing. I genuinely didn’t know what had happened until the very end—which is exactly what you want in a mystery!

That said, the ending didn’t quite land for me. While the story had me hooked, the final twist felt like a slight betrayal of the setup, and a little too convenient. Still, Next to Heaven is a fun, engaging mystery that I’d recommend to readers looking for something juicy and stylish. If you like your thrillers glossy, fast-moving, and packed with secrets, you’ll have a good time with this one.

The narrative centers around Devon and Belle, two glamorous women who, despite their wealth and status, seek excitement beyond their routine lives. They orchestrate an exclusive swingers' party, inviting a mix of New Bethlehem's elite, including a disgraced ex-NFL quarterback, a hockey coach with a penchant for married women, and a ruthless Wall Street "closer." The evening spirals into chaos, culminating in a murder that threatens to unravel the town's carefully maintained facade.

Five stars all the way! What a fun book about rich people behaving badly. The book comes from many characters’ point of view and is set in a small very upscale town in Connecticut. It’s definitely raunchy and has themes of sex, drugs, murder and infidelity. In other words a great beach read!

Next To Heaven is a diabolical and fun read. It is Real Housewives meets true crime. I found myself sneaking away to read pages of this because I couldn't tear my eyes away. I think this book is a perfect read for a getaway trip. I found the plot and characters to be very juicy.

Thank you to James Frey, Authors Equity, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

I absolutely love this writer!

What a twisted group of people who are not happy with anything until they are and then they are not.
Fortune---Betrayal...Crime.... Murder. Does money ruin lives? It is a twisted story till the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Another fantastic read by James Frey!

He always knows how to pull you in within the first few sentences of the book and doesn’t let you go!

It was a story I didn’t expect and it totally worked! Some characters were really messed up and some your heart ached for. You hated and you laughed too!

You always see the exterior lives of rich people and that is what they want to show you. But what goes on behind the scenes when they get bored or their marriages aren't what the facade shows is what always makes things a little more interesting.

The ending you think you see coming , but do you really?