Excellent book by Sally Hepworth. Fans of Liane Moriarity will love this family drama, full of rich characters and deep connections.

When Isabelle Heatherington moves into Pleasant Court, her neighbors are intrigued. The area is filled with married people and children, and Isabelle doesn’t fit the bill. While Essie, Fran and Ange are all trying to figure out what brought Isabelle to their neighborhood, Isabelle seems to be on a mission of her own. Captivated by the new tenant, Essie tries to befriend her and ultimately opens the door for an unbelievable discovery.

“The Family Next Door” absolutely blew me away. Not only did I feel like I was a part of each woman’s life, but I also managed to be thoroughly shocked by the twist that Hepworth delivered. I loved that mental illness plays such a large role in the story, because I think it’s a misunderstood ailment that occurs more often than anyone is willing to admit. The way that it relates to Essie’s storyline is powerful and stunning, and it adds a depth to her story that makes everything that much more devastating.

Even though the main story revolves around Essie and Isabelle, Hepworth spared no effort in creating supporting characters with fully flushed out lives—and issues—of their own. Fran and Nigel have two daughters, but is one of those daughters embodying a secret that could tear the family apart? Ange and Lucas are both successful entrepreneurs, but is their marriage as solid as their friends think it is? I loved that both of these women owned up to the truth of what their marriage was, and they made the best choices for their particular situations.

I implore anyone who enjoys domestic fiction and mystery to read this book as soon as it is published. You will feel the characters, you will get personally involved in their lives, and you will be amazed when you learn Isabelle’s real reason for moving to Pleasant Court. Remember, though—not all is as it appears.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of The Family Next Door. In exchange I offer my unbiased review.

I thought I knew exactly what this book was about but, wow; was I taken for a ride on crazy train! Sally Hepworth really knows how to throw some wild curve balls.
Set in a small suburban Australian neighborhood, where neighbors prefer to wave hello then actually stop and chat, the arrival of single Isabelle to the family friendly block is quite a surprise. And when Isabelle starts getting friendly & personal the mommies get panicky. In this town nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors, and there is LOTS going on!!!
This book was fun & entertaining but it's not going to rock your world. Somewhat trite and cliche, this is best read with a cup of wine and the kids tucked in bed for the night.

Quite a page turner filled with so many secrets and family drama. The mystery involved really keeps you guessing. Very well written, and the women characters could be any of my friends. I will definitely be recommending this book to our library patrons. I look forward to reading more by this author. Thank you for the opportunity to read.

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.

5 OUTSTANDING STARS all the way!!! I loved Sally Hepworth’s The Family Next Door! This is an absolute must-read, I will be recommending this to friends and family the next time I am asked, “read anything good lately that I should read?”

The Family Next Door centers around five families who live in Melbourne, Australia on Pleasant Court, each of these families have hidden secrets inside their beautiful idyllic homes; some of these secrets are jaw dropping!

Essie is a stay-at-home-mother of two young girls. She is married to Ben who owns a successful fitness company. In the beginning of the book you learn that Essie had a difficult time after her first pregnancy and her husband Ben and her mother keep a watchful eye on her.

Barbara is Essie’s mother and moved next door to help Essie with her two children. She is the perfect doting mother and grandmother who is always taking any stresses and burdens off her daughter. I often found myself wishing she was my own mother.

Fran is the mother of two young girls who appears to have everything together and makes everything look easy without being boastful. Fran is married to Nigel and is currently on maternity leave from the law firm she works.

Ange is a successful realtor, the mother of two boys, and the wife of Lucas. She thrives on appearing like she has the idealt life and sets up photo opportunities to present her perfection on social media.

Isabelle is the newest resident on Pleasant Court and the street takes an immediate interest in the new, 40 something who is single and without children. She just doesn’t fit the mold of the street and all eyes are focused on her.

The Family Next Door gave me all the feels, I laughed, I cried, I loved. There wasn’t a single character I didn’t fall for despite their flaws and indiscretions. I often wanted to give the women in this book big hugs, an ear, or a shoulder to cry on. Sally Hepworth developed beautiful, unique, and real characters that were authentic and likable. I was engaged throughout this novel and wanted to know what was going on, I enjoyed how each chapter was told by a different female resident on the street and they each had their own dramas unfolding behind closed doors. My mind was BLOWN AWAY by the big reveal and I cannot stop thinking about it. This will not be the last read from Sally Hepworth, I really enjoyed her writing style.

***Will review on Amazon and Barnes & Nobel on March 6, 2018

You may think you know your neighbors and those around you, but this story shows that you never know what goes on behind close doors or what others are dealing about in their personal lives. A new neighbor moves in and her background and motives behind her move are a mystery to the other ladies. The main mystery starts to reveal itself in the story but all character are dealing with their own events in their lives.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the free review copy of this novel. All opinions are my own. 

This novel starts off in the middle of the action, which makes it easy to get engrossed right away. I think the idea of exploring what life is like for women that are starting their families and having the dream, is interesting. It begs the question that is everyone really satisfied or is there more going on underneath the surface? 

This novel shows the struggles that plague women as they go through different periods in their life. Each woman seems to have it all, but it just isn't so. Even though this novel is very straightforward about some of the issues that are plaguing the women, there is also a sense of mystery. This novel slowly builds, which will make you want to keep reading. As the story progressed, I thought I had the 'twist' figured out, and I was wrong. I love when I assume wrong. This means that the author did an excellent job crafting the plot. 

This book is out on March 6, and it's highly recommended. It's perfect for any woman, and I'm sure mothers may be able to relate to this novel even more deeply than I did. If your a fan of family dramas, this book is for you. 

Happy reading!

Caitlin

In a world of boasting life's accomplishments on Facebook, this is a very timely book, although I think the theme of "putting on a face for the neighbors" is a timeless theme. It's a very relatable book for anyone that doesn't feel like they can be their true self in front of people.

We interact with several different characters, each of which are hiding something from us. As the plot progresses, we slowly learn what's being hidden and the rationale for it. This book moves quick, and it never lost my interest. The characters, a group of neighborhood friends, are each flawed in a different way, which makes it interesting to watch their friendship play out.

The ending was a surprise to me, which I love!!! I have found lately that I'm able to predict outcomes but this one crept up on me and shocked me.

I received and Advance Review Copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

This was my first read by Sally Hepworth and won’t be the last! Fast paced and held my attention! I really enjoyed it.

This book is great for anyone that enjoys books told from multiple POVs, as I do. I was completely drawn into the story. The writing is beautiful and the women themselves are complicated and compelling. Definitely a must read for fans of intricately layered women's fiction.

If you ever get to missing the ladies of Wisteria Lane, this may be the book for you. Pleasant Court is a quiet, peaceful area, where people are neighborly though not necessarily friends. They certainly don't share their secrets, of which there are many. Some are hiding their secrets not only from the world, but also from themselves.
This was a quick read and a real page turner, with more juicy secrets than any prime time soap.
4 out of 5 stars

Wow, Sally Hepworth has officially secured her spot as one of my "must read" authors. This book was fantastic; I devoured it in just a couple of days. The Family Next Door was suspenseful and heartfelt, It kept me turning the pages and I couldn't read it fast enough. It reminded me very much of a Liane Moriarty book. As you read you may think you know how it will end but let me assure you, you have no idea! I absolutely loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Family Next Door is your next beach read! Fans of Liane Moriarty will love this super juicy, fun page turner. I was completely absorbed in this compelling story of the neighbors of Pleasant Court. And when Pleasant Court turns out to be not so pleasant, well, the drama ratchets up. The women are in the drivers' seats here, the men all but afterthoughts. What unfolds will make you question whether you really know your neighbors (or if you want to!)...

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR by Sally Hepworth in exchange for my honest review.***

How well do we really know our neighbors? What secrets do they hide, behind closed? The mums of Pleasant Court aren’t what they seem. Everyone knows three years ago, Essie purposely left her daughter in the park, but nobody talks about it. Then Isabelle moves in. Why would a single woman move to Pleasant Court, the mums wonder. Isabelle has a secret of her own that will change lives forever.

The third person points of view of Essie, Isabelle, Ange, Fran and Barbara fill the chapters of THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR. Essie’s story interested me most and I sometimes skimmed the Ange’s and Fran’s, because I didn’t feel a connection to the characters. Essie, Isabelle and Barbara’s sections kept me invested in the book. If Hepworth had kept the focus of those three women I would have rated THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR higher.

I wanted more of Essie’s story, when begins with her leaving baby Mia in the park then skipped to three years later in the first chapter. While mental illness and postpartum depression were important components, Hepworth glossed over what I felt was interesting and central to the story.

THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR is a good beach or blizzard read.

A wickedly engrossing memoir about a girl in France who is kept at home by her mother and father. Here is the set up that is told in the prologue: A man in his early thirties comes across a poor family with many children. The man offers to take the 6 year old and give her the best life with the best education etc. The family obliges and so the man takes the girl and when she's 28 he says it's time for her to have a baby and she does. That baby is the narrator of the book and the weirdness has only just begun. The girl, Maude is subjected to the most awful things, these tests that are supposed to grow her into the most powerful person ever. She's punished and left in the basement for tests, she's made to be homeschooled by her love-withholding mother, made to play musical instruments but when the teacher suggests she go to a special school she's pulled out. It's head shakingly awful but it's written with short chapters and makes for an easy read- as far as length hoes.
What's most interesting is the epilogue, how the events shook out in the end and how to book came to be. This poor poor traumatized, brainwashed, abused woman.
Thank you Netgalley-although this was read very late. It's already published. Highly recommend.

Sally Hepworth creates quite the neighborhood scene throughout these pages. She allows the readers to peek behind those drawn kitchen curtains in order to get an eye-full. And an eye-full is what we get here. We will meet husbands who go through the motions, challenging children, and untruths that ooze onto kitchen floors. Hepworth keeps you turning pages in order to get a glimpse of the spider's crouching position. Quite the read, folks. Quite the read.

How well do you know the people closest to you? Are they who you think they are? Is anyone?

These are the questions at the heart of Sally Hepworth’s new novel “The Family Next Door.” It is a phenomenal novel that delves into the minds of several families and specifically five complicated women. Some are mothers and daughters; others friends or neighbors. The only thing I can tell you is that nothing is as it seems.

Difficult to put down once you start!

This was my first Sally Hepworth book and it won't be my last. Thank you Netgalley and Secret Ninja Reviews for the ARC

5 Big, brilliant, beautiful stars!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Sally Hepworth, sure can write a book! The question is why have I not read anything from this author before? This book checked off all my musts for a fabulous book.... wonderful characters... fabulous relationships... perfect pacing... some fun twists and turns....

This book focused on the relationship between five very well developed and relatable females... their relationships with their significant others... their relationships with their children... their relationships with one another... I always love reading about positive female friendships.... these ladies had a few bumps along the way, but they really were truly there for one another....

The book grab me from the very beginning and never let go..... it started with Essie struggling with postpartum depression and leaving her newborn at the park.... and then just took you on a crazy twisty ride.... I really was certain we were headed in a particular direction, and then we took a big turn into something I did not see coming.... well done Miss Hepworth....

Strongly recommend! for fans of books with well develop characters.... entertaining Dramma filled plotlines... brilliant relationship Dynamics... and just plain old fun!

PS: pack some tissue for this crazy ride, you might need it!

Great Read!! I highly recommend this book! It reminded me of "The Husband's Secret" but instead of one secret, there are multiple ones. Each family on this perfect cul-de-sac has a secret and are trying hard to keep it hidden.