I have has never heard of this author until after I read this so I didn't know his background went in blind. I learnt his back story after reading, I can see why the book worked so well and I felt so real now.

This book for me was a mix of wit, mystery and dark undertone it flows and reads easy but never once felt lazy or brain fluffy it was insightful observant and smart it never once was a chore to read. I read it over a day I couldn't put tot down.

I loved the short chapters each told from a different characters POV in the third person. There was vast cast of characters each with a unique voice and story they interlinked perfectly to tell what was complex plot that was told with real style. There was a sense of pending tension though out, the characters developing as the plot does...the writing was truly a class act.

I got big white lotus, little big lies, Kevin Kwan and Emma Rosenblum vibes from this which I loved.

Really really enjoyed this one, great from start to finish I'd say it make perfect pool side reading.

Crying out to be made into Netflix series

A strong 4.5 Stars

As an audiobook it works really, the reader had good tone and kept the pace well

Frey has created a world of privilege that everyone will do anything to get to. I want something else to happen in this glitzy neighborhood so I can go back! The story and dialogue would lend well to a movie or series. Gershon as the narrator was perfect. The sexy drawl of her voice lent to the nefarious characters and the mystery at hand.

I really enjoyed this. It definitely reminded me a lot of Big Little Lies, with much more debauchery. I did find it difficult, at times, to keep the characters and their spouses straight but in the end, it all fell together nicely for me. I did predict the reveal but that didn't make it any less enjoyable for me. After all, I support women's rights and, more importantly, women's wrongs.

Next To Heaven, written by James Frey and narrated by Gina Gershon, is an absolute must read/listen! In a way, it felt like a modern twist on the kinds of novels that turned me on to reading ages ago written by authors like Jacqueline Susann, Jackie Collins, and Sidney Sheldon. Thoroughly escapist and unputdownable. The fictional town of New Bethlehem is really New Canaan, CT—the town right beside mine in Fairfield County, CT. I recognized all the landmarks and his descriptions are spot on. Some characters I loved, some I loved to hate. But I enjoyed every minute!! And Gerson has the perfect sultry voice for this book! Highly recommend!!!

This was amazing, I loved it! Totally gives White Lotus vibes. I'll be recommending this one to everyone I know.

I absolutely loved this book. Multiple POVs from a cast of characters who are varying degrees of extraordinarily wealthy but morally bankrupt. This story was so engaging and fun to read. Readers get to know each character and what led them all to attend a small party and each characters fallout from participating. The pacing here was really good and by the time I finished racing through this I felt so satisfied by each characters ending. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was perfect.

Wow! James Frey knocked it out of the ballpark with this one. I have been a long time fan of Frey so I had high expectations and those expectations were certainly met with Next to Heaven.

If you know, you know. Privilege, over indulgence and greed. Thrilling, funny and at times very sweet. Then you turn a page and you want to take a knife to a certain character's throat and end him. Frey drew me right in with setting up each and every character as well as the towns mentioned. I loved the set up and while it may seem like a lot, it was needed. Knowing the backstories made the rest of the book that much more enjoyable. You are in for a fun ride with some twists and turns and a big "I didn't see that coming" moment. Frey also ties everything up, not leaving the reader hanging.

I read the book along with the audio version. The incredibly talented Gina Gershon is the narrator and she brought the characters to life with a whole lot of pep in her step. She flawlessly executes each and every character, in only a way she can. Also, Gershon and Frey seem to work very well together and they have a fun chat at the end of the audiobook. This read kept me engaged and I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Next to Heaven was well executed and could very well be a television series in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of both the digital and audio version of Next to Heaven. I have left an honest review.

Wow! Play with fire and you get burnt...or torched!! I haven't read anything by James Frey since My Friend Leonard...this book makes me wonder if I should go back and read some of his previous books. I like how the book is structured and the chapters give you a glimpse of what's going to happen but you don't still don't know what's really happening. Great character development. The ending is perfect!! Just what he deserves...Definitely worth checking it out.

Thank you NetGalley and Swift Press Audio for this ARC, I really enjoyed it.

I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion of this book.

This book was WILD!

This book was so messy with the seggs parties and the partner swapping, OMG! This was just a lot to unpack!
There are depictions of abuse in this book, so be prepared; however, the ending makes it all worthwhile. My flabbers were ghasted!!

What do rich people do to pass the time when they have nothing better to do??

Read this book and find out!

Gina Gershon did an outstanding job of bringing this story to life. She paused in the right places and added just the right amount of inflection to convey the emotion in the scenes she read. This book was a good time for me. This is my first, but it will not be my last read from James Frey.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, AE Titles / S&S Audio | Simon & Schuster Audio, and James Frey for the advance listeners copy of this twisty book.

I'll be the first to say that one of my resolutions this year was to read more books out of my comfort zone, more books that pushed the envelope just a tad, and ohh did this one push... in all the good ways.

Listening to Next to Heaven was like mixing all of my favorite reality TV together with a twist of whodunnit and a splash of why, and it was so good.

Gina Gershon is one of those voices that I know the moment I hear it, and when I saw she was the narrator on this, I was so excited, and I think she was the perfect choice to lend a voice to our mind-bending cast of characters.

If you're ever curious about what goes on behind closed doors in the world of the one percent, this is the audiobook for you. I'd just say maybe don't listen at work, you're welcome.

Thank you to NetGalley and S&S Audio for providing an advance copy of this audiobook. I have voluntarily listened to it, and all thoughts are my own.

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. The narrator did a good job getting through those areas the best she was able. Kudos to Gina Gershon.

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 digital version as well. I found the length at under 11 hours perfect for me.

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