Day: March 8, 2018

The Family Next Door

Author: Sally Hepworth
Published: March 6, 2018
252 pages

Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: February 25- March 6, 2018
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars

Book Description:

A gripping domestic page-turner full of shocking reveals, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Amanda Prowse and Kerry Fisher.

The small suburb of Pleasant Court lives up to its name. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows their neighbours, and children play in the street.

Isabelle Heatherington doesn’t fit into this picture of family paradise. Husbandless and childless, she soon catches the attention of three Pleasant Court mothers.

But Ange, Fran and Essie have their own secrets to hide. Like the reason behind Ange’s compulsion to control every aspect of her life. Or why Fran won’t let her sweet, gentle husband near her new baby. Or why, three years ago, Essie took her daughter to the park – and returned home without her.

As their obsession with their new neighbour grows, the secrets of these three women begin to spread – and they’ll soon find out that when you look at something too closely, you see things you never wanted to see.

Jessica’s Review:

If you enjoy novels with multiple points of view and short chapters, then The Family Next Door is for you!  We have five points of view from Ange, Fran, Essie, Barbara, and their mysterious new neighbor Isabelle.  Through them, we get to know the people of Pleasant Court… and their many secrets and betrayals.

Family  begins with Essie leaving her newborn in the park alone.  Then we fast forward three years. From this beginning you are pulled in and want to know what happens next.  Life is anything but ordinary and boring at Pleasant Court and everyone has secrets and lies.  You don’t know what will come next and you do not want to put it down!  If you liked the show Desperate Housewives then you will really enjoy this novel!

You don’t know what direction the secrets will take you on this journey and you will constantly wonder what is coming next.  The short chapters with alternating points of view keeps you saying, “Just one more chapter!” until it is way past your bedtime! Some of the secrets and realities are outlandish (like Desperate Housewives was) but still make your jaw drop.

Hepworth wrote Family while pregnant and edited it with her newborn, so naturally she was home a lot and found herself wondering what her neighbors were up to.  This is a novel that will leave you wondering who your neighbors really are and what are their secrets! Because you know they have them…. We all do….

The Family Next Door is highly recommended. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing me an arc copy to read and review!

Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK