The Family Next Door is a deep dive into the idealistic suburb of Pleasant Court. Not everything is as it seems. Everyone is living in their own worlds, with secrets and hidden agendas.

Sally Hepworth is a talented writer and I can't wait to read her other works. She has a way of capturing women's voices and internal thoughts like very few others.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this fabulous book.

Once again, Hepworth delivers a well-wrought, complex story with characters that resonate. Few writers come close to evoking the dilemmas of real-life relationship with its moments of delight, glow, and dismay. Centered on a small neighborhood with close-knit acquaintances, the story goes behind the perfect and not so perfect exteriors to the raw, aching hearts and agonizing questions of what you would do for love. Particularly notable is the way that Hepworth writes children, in full-on sharing their sticky, exhausting, blissful selves. I've read Hepworth's novels for year and thrill in her deepening abilities and impressive skill in telling stories about characters who feel real, facing impossible choices and forging their way through life as best that they can do. A captivating story by a talented writer hitting her stride with a marvelous book club choice.

Disturbingly riveting with women who carry burdens that can crush them or make them stronger. But which will it be and for whom will the support really matter?

5 stars for this addictive novel! Full review to follow closer to publication.

Wow. I loved this book. I had a bit of a 'book hangover' from the last book I had read and wasn't really in the mood to start a new book, however, I must have had this one on my kindle from a while back (Thank you NetGalley for the ARC) and I am so glad I started it as I couldn't put it down! I was instantly hooked on the stories of the residents of Pleasant Court, told by Essie, a new Mum who had struggled with postnatal depression in the past. She has just had her second baby and is fearing it is happening again. We learn of her struggles, past and present, and how she really couldn't cope without her wonderful helpful husband Ben, or her even more wonderful Mum, Barbara, who moves into the neighborhood to help Essie with her girls. The book looks into the lives of the families who are neighbors, however they are not too close - they become closer as the stories unfold. It really makes you think, what goes on behind closed doors.... at first I did get a bit confused between all the couples and had to stop and think a few times who was who, but once I 'knew' everyone I was desperate to know more. Fran and her issues, again delving into her past and how she lives with her demons, Ange and her 'perfect' life is actually far from the truth, and Barbara - is she hiding something also? A new neighbor moves in, Isabelle, and instantly we know something is up with her, things don't add up. Why is she there? Who is she looking for? I have to say, I usually guess what's going on pretty early but I definitely didn't this time - and I am glad - as it was a bit of a twist that I did not expect.
This book is funny, moving, sad, beautiful and hopeful - all at the same time. It leaves you wondering how the characters lives are doing now, even though you know its all worked out in the end. I loved the journey of all the families on Pleasant Court, and will definitely be reading more by Sally Hepworth in future!

The Family Next Door was a fantastic book! I read it in a day because I couldn't bring myself to put it down. The mystery and the intrigue amongst the neighbors was captivating. This was the first book I've read by Sally Hepworth but now I'm going to check out her other works.

Beautiful story, wonderful mix of emotions with a veil of suspense. Fluently written and with short chapters that make you want to keep on reading. I also liked it that each main character told her own story.
This author is one of my favourites because she has a way of making you feel every emotion in the book. Loved it!

I liked the way that the plot evolved around multiple friends and real life struggles. These choices are cleverly captured and the decisions are tough. Highly recommend.

A great read! It takes a deeper look into a small neighborhood and how we all have our own secrets we keep to ourselves. I liked the fast pace of the book and his we read about each neighbor and what is going on in their separate lives. It shows us that we don't always know what is going on in the lives of the ones we think we know. I found some of the story lines predictable, but others surprising. Would definitely recommend to others.

I found each of the main characters here too flawed to connect to it feel sympathy for. But the story itself was interesting with quite a few plot twists and red herrings. However the big mystery was much too easy to figure out. 2.5 stars.

If nothing else it was a fast paced read.

I have to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the free eBook version of book in exchange for my review. This was a quick enjoyable read. These neighbors had there own stories and dramas to deal with but somehow they all still came together as friends. They began more like acquaintances but because they each had their own problems to deal with it seemed to pull them together as closer friends by the end

As the title indicates, this is a story of neighbours living in Pleasant Court and of how little we know of the neighbours, or even those we live with. There are many secrets and I loved the way the suspense just kept building as we were teased with the next level of the story. There were multiple POV’s, but I found it very easy to follow and also necessary to understand all the characters. I have not read books by this author before but I certainly will now.

Have you ever looked out your window and wondered what was going on with the lives of the neighbors in your neighborhood? Well, Sally Hepworth tells us all the secrets of the little suburb of Pleasant Court.
Essie is suffering from postpartum depression for the second time. Barbara, Essie’s mother, is her doting mother who is always there for her. Isabelle is new to the neighborhood who has taken an interest in Essie. Does she have an ulterior motive? Ange is worried that her husband is cheating on her... AGAIN! Fran is worried that a very big secret she is keeping from her husband will be exposed.
The author takes us through the lives of these families and with many twists and turns exposes all of their secrets. You will find out things aren’t always what they seem.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for an ARC in exchange for a non biased review of this book.

This novel was absolutely wonderful! I was drawn into this novel from the first chapter straight through to the very last page! I enjoyed the depictions of the couples and their lives with each other and their children. Sally has written a novel that has funny characters you can relate to. But at the same time, the novel is very emotional and mysterious! The story is based around the families that live in the Pleasant Court neighborhood in Melbourne. We get to know three families in particular and a single woman who has just moved into the neighborhood. We get to see into their daily lives and their relationships with the other neighbors. How well do we really know our spouses or our neighbors? Everything will be different for everyone in this neighborhood by the end of the novel.

How well do you know your neighbors? How well do you know your own family? Is anyone who they claim to be these days? These are some of the questions the women of Pleasant Court find themselves wondering all too often, starting with the arrival of the mysterious, single Isabelle in their family oriented street. I enjoyed getting inside the head of these different women and seeing where their stories would lead.

Small, perfect towns often hold the deepest secrets.

From the outside, Essie’s life looks idyllic: a loving husband, a beautiful house in a good neighborhood, and a nearby mother who dotes on her grandchildren. But few of Essie’s friends know her secret shame: that in a moment of maternal despair, she once walked away from her newborn, asleep in her carriage in a park. Disaster was avoided and Essie got better, but she still fears what lurks inside her, even as her daughter gets older and she has a second baby.

When a new woman named Isabelle moves in next door to Essie, she is an immediate object of curiosity in the neighborhood. Why single, when everyone else is married with children? Why renting, when everyone else owns? What mysterious job does she have? And why is she so fascinated with Essie? As the two women grow closer and Essie’s friends voice their disapproval, it starts to become clear that Isabelle’s choice of neighborhood was no accident. And that her presence threatens to bring shocking secrets to light.

My Thoughts: In the quiet Melbourne neighborhood, there are expectations about how people should interact with one another. There are get-togethers, there is a civility between them that is somewhat superficial, but then there is a neighborhood watch to make them feel safe.

As we gradually come to know each of the characters, there are hints of their secrets, and we are not quite sure how much we will learn. Which of the families has the most to hide? Why did Isabelle, a single woman, move onto Pleasant Court? We sense something is not right with her. She seems almost too enmeshed in their lives. What could she be hiding?

Alternating narrators tell the story in The Family Next Door, and occasionally an unidentified narrator is experiencing something horrific: a stillbirth, anxiety, and then confusion.

We learn about some of Fran’s secrets, and why she runs several times a day, almost like an addict.

Ange needs to present the perfect front…she is the realtor, after all. She “sells” the life you want to lead. But her seemingly perfect husband Lucas has layers of secrets.

Then there is Barbara, the perfect grandmother, but something is not right there, either.

As the revelations start coming to light, especially one totally unexpected one, we see that a missing piece of the puzzle has just clicked into place. 4.5 stars.

***My e-ARC came from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is a light easy read that I enjoyed. I’d rate it 3.5 stars as it did keep me entertained, and I didn’t want to give up on it at any point. This is the story of 5 women, four of which all live in the same neighborhood. It was a slow build up of keeping up with the main characters and their husbands and children’s names. The author did a great job of character development which led to a good story. Each woman was unique and had their own set of “family drama” issues. It’s hard to believe all this could happen in one Australian neighborhood, but it did make for an light entertaining read with a few twists. I was most proud of Ange for having the strength to leave a husband that she loved but put herself first and finally chose to accept that Lucas wouldn’t change his ways despite his promises to do so. Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Pleasant Court is an ideal place to live to raise a family and meet and enjoy living with good neighbors, who are sure to become more than people you pass on the street as you walk your dog or back out your car out of the driveway on the way to work. However, the residents all have secrets (I suspect everyone has some secrets, though, if you dig deep enough). Essie is living on the court with a secret about events that happened a few years back that marked her and probably will, at some point, come back to haunt her. Fran has her own problems and memories that have become part and parcel of her own deep secret, one she has kept from everyone, including her husband, but one that haunts her day and night. Angie also has secrets and suspicions about her husband’s fidelity that are well on their way to becoming secrets that will haunt her every day. Next, Barbara, Essie’s mother and regular helper and babysitter for her young children, has perhaps the biggest secret of them all—though possibly not if you are one pf the others. Finally, their newest resident Isabelle, who arrives and does not fit the Pleasant Court “mold” (i.e. is unmarried, with no children, no husband, interestingly suspicious job, etc.), who arrives and distracts them all, as they try to figure out what and who she is. This book follows these women as they go about their daily lives, acting and reacting to the secrets they hold close to their hearts, and how this secrecy affects them. In the end, all secrets are important, though are handled differently by each one of them.

This was a pretty good book. The fact that everyone had secrets that totally affected their daily lives made it an interesting read. I was a bit surprised at the ending, but I knew something like this was coming, based on the latter part of the story. I did find it a bit unusual and not exactly what I expected, but I can live with that. The book deals with a myriad of issues: infidelity, kidnapping and its effect on the family of the kidnapped, sexual attractions/relationships and the possible guilt that accompanies it, relationships between neighbors as well as between women who have become somewhat close because of the proximity of their houses, mother and daughter relationships, etc. There are others, but I am not going to go on. I thought it interesting that all this was in the book, but the book still retained its interest, good story line and plot and good characterization think most people will find the book interesting. I know I did. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

This story takes place in Melbourne, Australia, in a quiet cul-de-sac of identical homes called Pleasant Court. It centers around the main character of Essie, who suffered from postpartum depression after having her first child, Mia. As the book begins, at the suggestion of her mother Barbara (who lives next door) Essie takes Mia out for a walk to the park "to get fresh air." However, as is the norm Mia starts wailing if the carriage isn't in constant motion. It starts to rain and Essie must take refuge under a tree. She's at the end of her tether tending to her daughter without benefit of much sleep. After waiting for a bit for the rain to let up, she abruptly decides to escape to a shop for a cup of tea. I must tell you I was flat out shocked when I realized pages later she had actually left the baby at the park. This is the lightening bolt event that kicks off the book.

The other two ladies who live in the development are Fran and Ange. This sleepy suburban wholesome scene isn't all that it appears, for everyone is holding a secret behind their perfect facades. Fran is on maternity leave after having her second daughter. She goes out to run multiple times during the day as if she is literally running from something. Ange is a real estate agent married to Lucas, a photographer who owns his own studio just off the local park. He's several years younger than Ange and once had an affair earlier in their marriage. Ange frets that his studio is a hotbed for temptation... and she's also holding a secret that haunts her.

Then a mysterious and attractive woman moves into one of the homes. She seems all too perfect; very friendly and so good with everyone's children. Does she work? Is her absent "partner" male or female? She's around forty...will she ever have kids?

Then there's the character of Barbara, mother of Essie. She conveniently lives next door and is relied upon heavily to help Essie with her kids. She makes it all look so easy while Essie is constantly exhausted by them. Barbara/Gran hides the biggest secret of all!

The story chugged along at a steady and even pace, holding my interest throughout, as the inhabitants of Pleasant Court's issues resolved neatly to their conclusions.

Full review for Shelf Awareness -- but I loved this Liane Moriarty read alike.