Drama about three families with a bit of mystery. Very fast paced, read it in less than a day. Kept me turning pages to find out exactly what was going to happen. Can't quite call it a psychological suspense book, but readers who enjoy those will like this one. Lots of secrets that come to light over the course of a heat wave in Melbourne.

The Family Next Door may not be all that it's cracked up to be, that's the premise of this novel by Sally Hepworth. Three suburban families, secrets, lies, mystery, and intrigue abound. It's light, fast and entertaining. Alternating from the three wive's viewpoints, the story flows fairly smoothly. There is a bit of suspense, but it's pretty predictable. It actually reads more like a television show, and the characters are a bit two dimensional for my taste. The Family Next Door is something I'd choose for a beach read.

I was completely engrossed in this book right from the start. Likeable, believable, flawed characters, and a story that builds like a mystery all the way to the end. Hepworth handles all of her characters with love and empathy. A very good read.

Enjoyed the honesty in the first part of this book and continued to enjoy as Hepworth pulled out an unexpected story. Realistic. Captivating. Honest in presenting characters and situations, the different story lines and characters all come together in the end. This novel reminded me of the television limited serial, Big Little Lies. It’s gripping. You will want to find time in your day to keep reading.

Appearances can be deceiving… no, wait, that is the opening line for the old television show, “Desperate Housewives.” On the other hand, appearances are deceiving and this book greatly reminded me of that old show.
This is the story of three desperate housewives whose lives all seem fairly normal from the outside – until a fourth woman, who is single, moves into the neighborhood. Isabelle doesn’t quite fit in with the mothers, wives, neighborhood, and she unreasonably appears to know far more about the women than she should. Soon, secrets are told but to what end and why?
Sally Hepworth is a very good writer, very readable and she definitely has an artful way with adjectives when describing everyday, mundane life as a mother. There are lines in the book that will make most women say, “Uh-huh, been there, done that too.”  However, I had a huge feeling of disconnect with the women in the book. None of these women were like anyone I knew, their relationships with their husbands never rang true to me and what is up with women who only are friends with their other neighbors? Don’t they have any interests outside of their neighborhoods? This is the second book in as many weeks revolving around neighborhood women. The first I related to because they did have an outside life – friends, jobs, family. This one, not so much. There simply was no believability factor for me, therefore, I found myself reading the book simply to find out who was Isabelle and what were her motives. If that is enough to keep you satisfied, then you might like this book more than I did. I tend to like books that have some character development, thought, purpose. This was just, well, something to pass my time.

The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth

Brief Summary: This story is a domestic drama that tells the stories of three women and their families living in a suburban neighborhood in Australia. Isabelle has just moved to the neighborhood; single, childless and allegedly gay, she catches the eye of her new neighbors; though readers quickly learn that Ange, Fran, and Essie have their own secrets to hide. I really enjoyed this author’s previous work, The Things We Keep, and was eager to read her latest work.

Highlights: This is an easy to read and quick paced novel. I kept reading to figure out what brought Isabelle to town and who the unidentified voice in the novel was. There are many interesting relationship and psychology factors. The multiple view point narration keeps it interesting.

Explanation of Rating: 3.5/5: Slightly above average. This book held my interest but I would recommend others over it. This novel normalized common relationship pitfalls that will resonate with readers.

Psychology Factors: Postpartum Depression, genetic attraction, postpartum psychotic episode, and depression in young adult men. All these factors helped shape the novel. Genetic sexual attraction is very misunderstood but got my attention after it was on a recent episode of Law and Order: SVU. It’s also under researched. Nigel’s depression and subsequent effect on his marriage was very real; unfortunately not everyone is open to help. I had never heard of postpartum psychosis; likely because it’s so rare, occurring in 1-2% of births but is very serious due to the risks to the infant and mother.

Favorite Quotes: “Back then everything had been so clear and so simple. Now despite everything Lucas had done; nothing was clear. Ange had always been so clear about what she would and wouldn’t put up with in a relationship, but he was a good father.” It’s easy to say what you would do in someone else’s place until you are there.

This is an enjoyable quick and easy read; perfect for the beach this summer. Book clubs will find some good discussion points too.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review

Now when she walked out of her house and saw one of the neighbors, she went over and said hello-even if it was early in the morning. It seemed impossible to her now that they had all been going through their own private torture while living right next door to each other.

I have read Hepworth before and am I big fan. Her plot is driven thru her characters that each have their distinct mark on the story. This is no different however, it was a thrilling read. I was at the edge of my seat, turning the pages of my trusted kindle as fast as I could.

First of all, I wasn't sure what "family" this was geared towards. There are several families in the mix set in Australia (also a different setting for Hepworth). Neighbors Ange, Fran and Essie are wondering about their new neighbor Isabelle. She is mysterious and single, and vague. However, each of these neighbors are keeping something from each other. Essie whose mother lives next door helps Essie with her babies. Her mother and husband are terrified that another incident will occur where Essie will leave her baby unattended. Is Essie an unfit mother and would she do harm to her children.

Fran and Nigel with their two children appear happy and all together, but will it pass the ultimate test when a secret is revealed.

Ange believes her marriage is strong and stable. Her husband is the every woman's dream, Handsome, attentive and a loving father. What happens to their marriage when it is based on a lie.

Isabelle has the greatest secret of all. She has motive and determination to get what is rightfully hers.

Each of these women of their own narration that is unique and brings you to their struggle. A struggle in womanhood, motherhood and how each struggle is done alone. As with most struggles, it starts in the mind until you put it into action. Which each of these women did. Again always fan of Hepworth!

A Special Thank You to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

An excellent summer thriller that doesn't involve violence against women. Which, sadly, is hard to find. I read this cover-to-cover in one afternoon and have already recommended it to several friends.

Single Isabelle doesn't seem to fit into the Melbourne neighborhood of young families, and everyone's suspicious. She seems to be particularly fascinated with Essie, a young mother with a terrible secret. But Essie is not the only one with a secret: two other moms on the street wish they could run away from family crises they cannot divulge. A lot of head-hopping, not much character development.

The Family Next Door is a quick read about a neighborhood teeming with secrets. The three women at the center of the story, Essie, Fran, and Ange, are all wives and mothers, and each has her own set of problems and worries that she keeps hidden away behind a facade of domestic bliss. It’s Isabelle’s arrival in the neighborhood that kicks off the cascade of revelations, as secrets come out and lives are upended.

The book is fast-paced, and while some of the secrets may be simpler to guess, the big reveal at the end is shocking and very unexpected. I enjoyed the characters, although overall the tone of the book was a bit too Desperate Housewives for my taste.

For readers who enjoy dramas about marriage, family, lies, and life-long secrets, this will make a great choice for summer beach reading.

Sally Hepworth has done it again! This is the perfect summer beach read. I was fully invested in each woman's storyline and I was satisfied with how each one ended. I started out loving Ange's story the best, but I grew to love Fran and Nigel's story. I was surprised with Isabelle's motive for moving to the neighborhood and I loved the twist! I highly recommend this one!

Sally Hepworth writes about motherhood, families and friends. She has a knack for exploring relationships and the "everyday" in an interesting way.
In this novel, she focuses on a street in an affluent suburb in Melbourne and a few families who are neighbours. It is a suburb full of families which is why they are surprised when a single woman, Isabelle moves in. It becomes apparent quite quickly to the reader that not all is as it seems with Isabelle and that she is there to uncover a secret.

The first half of this book has a <i>Big Little Lies</i> feel to it, but by about half way it has left those comparisons behind and I was hooked and couldn't stop reading. As we get towards the latter half it feels more like a Hepworth book again as we explore relationships and motivations for decisions. She is a truly talented character writer and I look forward to reading her future books!

If you haven't read any of her work before, I recommend starting with [book:The Things We Keep|25663807]. Although I have enjoyed all of her books, I still think that is my favourite :)

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Essie may seem to have it all, a loving and helpful husband, a mother who helps out and two healthy children. She’s been able to put behind the terrible moments years ago when for one moment she left her first born baby alone in her carriage while she went to have tea. After treatment for her postpartum depression, life has gotten better but she now has a new baby and doubts about her ability to be a good mother plague her.

Soon Essie will have a new neighbor who she finds fascinating. While most other neighbors wonder why Isabelle has decided to make their community her home, Essie wants to become her friend. Essie’s neighbors and friends don’t really approve of Isabelle, or are at least are more cautious about welcoming her fully, but they all have their own lives and problems to deal with.

Before too long Essie is spending more time with Isabelle and starts keeping secrets from her mother and husband. Both of course are worried about her and remember just how fragile Essie was after the birth of the first baby so could she be falling back into a depression or is something else going on?

The narrative is told from the perspective of several of the women so while there are quite a few characters to keep track of, as well as all of their problems, I didn’t find it difficult at all to keep up with and actually liked reading all the different plots. An enjoyable story of domestic intrigue.

I love Sally Hepworth, and while this book is a bit of a departure from her other books, I still enjoyed it. It reminded me a bit of Liane Moriarty's Big, Little Lies. Honestly, I didn't really care for the two side stories, but the main plot line was really interesting. Overall, it was a good read.

The Family Next Door revolves around four women who live in the same neighborhood. One of the women is new to town. All the women hide secrets in their lives. The mystery here is what exactly is the new woman in the neighborhood doing? Who is she and what is she up to? All secrets are revealed with some surprising results.
I really enjoyed this read. The characters were all interesting. I liked the neighborhood dynamic. This was a quick read that touched on real life issues. I look forward to reading more by Sally Hepworth.

I am becoming a real fan of Sally Hepworth's novels. She has great character development, the kind where you can really get to know the characters and understand their actions, she promotes empathy for her characters. In "The Family Next Door", you are introduced to five characters in a suburban Australian neighborhood. With each chapter you get glimpse into one of the families lives. As you move from family to family, chapter to chapter, you can get a good sense of the neighborhood dynamics. The story line delves deep into the pains and joys of motherhood. You definitely feel the pain of postpartum depression and the loneliness that one can go through after having a baby. There is also a mystery involved that leads to a surprising ending. Hepworth allows us to feel compassion for all the characters, even the ones that do tragic, life altering things. It is a thought-provoking and compelling novel.

This book is centered around a group of neighbors who live in a sweet little cul de sac and engage in daily activities...often together. Most of the families have babies or young children. Most of the families appear to be normal but most of the families have issues. Most of the issues are with their relationships. Two of the houses are occupied by single women...a lovely grandmother and a curious interesting single woman. Relationship issues relate to affairs, infidelity, jealousy and preoccupied husbands.

The author discusses the importance of family and a support system. The topic of postpartum depression and mental illness is brought up. There are twists and turns , suspense and mystery

Thank you netgalley and the Author

Really enjoyed this book. The story was current enough to keep my interest. interesting to see all the issues people deal work behind closed doors. Thank you netgalley for the copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was really excited to read this book. The story follows the lives of three women who all live in the same neighbourhood. They are all also keeping pretty huge secrets, and when a new neighbour moves in, their secrets are ready to burst free. I apologize for the short review, I was not a huge fan of this book so I do not have a lot to say.

The main story follows Essie, and to me, it seems as though the other 2 characters’ secrets were added to make the book longer and to break things up a little bit. I am not going to spoil anything, but the story probably would not have changed had the book just focused on Essie’s story. The other story lines were not as exciting and I found I would either stop reading or I would skim through their POVs. Which is probably why it took me so long to get through this one.

I think this type of fiction, “Women’s Fiction,” is just not my cup of tea and that is why I was not a fan of this one. Not that it was bad, just not the genre I enjoy. However, if you like “Women’s Fiction,” then you will probably like this book.

This was a very well written interesting book. Fast paced and fun. She is turning in to one my favorite authors. Always a good read!