Pleasant Court is a nice neighbourhood in the Melbourne suburbs - the sort of place families congregrate. So when single woman Isabelle moves in, she attracts some attention. Essie has just had her second baby and her personal trainer husband and her mother Barbara, who lives next door, are watching her carefully to see if she succumbs to postnatal depression again. Ange, the mother of two boys, has some doubts about her photographer husband Lucas, while Fran can’t seem to stop running – even in the midst of a heatwave. Amid all these secrets behind closed doors, Essie finds herself drawn to Isabelle but maybe it wasn’t coincidental at all that she chose this address.
This has all the ingredients of what makes women’s fiction great. Told from different viewpoints, it’s a compelling pageturner from a masterful storyteller. I basically read in an one sitting it’s that good!

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review "The Family Next Door
by Sally Hepworth" It was a great work of Women's Fiction. I love books that show multiple points of view. It helps keep things interesting. Each character point of view in the book was fantastic. The characters were interesting and likable. "The Family Next Door" really makes me wonder what my own neighbors are like and what they are going through. This book centers around Essie, a women in her thirties who had it all, the house, the kids and the husband. When a new single neighbor named Isabelle moves into their family oriented neighborhood, everyone is interested to know more about the new women. The story continues to introduce characters and show the power that women hold within themselves. A wonderful read that I would highly recommend.

4.25 stars rounded down to 4. Reviewing honestly in exhchange for an advance copy of the book with thanks to Netgalley.

The Family Next Door reminds me of all of the things I love about Liane Moriarty's books. From clever, relatable, modern characters to the cheeky charm of her mostly female protagonists. This is the first book I've read by Sally Hepworth but I will certainly be adding her to my list of authors to look for!

Honestly-I'm not sure I would have picked this book up based on the cover or the title. But it is a terrific story of 5 female characters and their families that live on a charming suburban neighborhood of Melbourne.

The book does a really great job of tackling female friendships, mother-daughter relationships, modern relationships, marriage, and sisterhood. The added bonus for me is that there is a good mystery and some well-thought-out twists encorporated to make it all the more fun.

Definitely will recommend this one to my fellow Liane Moriarty fans!

4 1/2 stars.

Gosh, I love everything Sally Hepworth writes.

Suspenseful, engaging, well developed characters.

Highly recommend.

I received an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

really enjoyed this book. It was fun to get to know the characters and spend some time with them. They certainly live in an interesting neighborhood!

I won't say too much about about this book because it really is one that you want to go into without knowing too much. The basics are that it is mostly about three families and a new woman that moves into their neighborhood. Everyone is dealing with their own issues in their own way. Of course, it is highly unlikely that there would be this much drama in one group of friends in real life, but it is very entertaining to read.

The writing was excellent. It draws you in, in makes you care, and it even makes you believe that it could possibly happen. I will certainly be looking for more books to read by Sally Hepworth in the future. There was just the right amount of emotion and just the right amount of mystery thrown in so that none of it felt forced.

It took me awhile to get into this book' at first it was confusing trying to keep the characters straight. Once I became familiar with each of them, I was fascinated to learn what would happen next in each of their lives. So many secrets! It made me realize that no matter how well we think we know friends and relatives, there are likely many things we'll never know about them. And things they'll never know about us!

I thought I knew where the story was going but the author pulled a major switch that made the story even more interesting! Though situations in all their lives were resolved, nothing was perfect. Like in life.

I enjoyed the book very much and recommend it.

Pleasant Court is a nice suburb where everyone knows everyone else, but it would be a stretch to say close friendships were formed. Essie, Fran, and Ange are all mothers of young children who take an interest in their new neighbor, Isabelle Heatherington, a woman who has neither husband nor children in a neighborhood full of families. It seemed a strange choice of residence to the trio of women, and they tried to learn more about Isabelle even as they concealed secrets of their own from everyone. One of the moms feels particularly drawn to Isabelle before the truth of her arrival is revealed, shattering someone's entire world when their child is put in danger as a result of the revelation.

What I Liked:

The story is told through the perspectives of five women—Essie, Essie's mother Barbara, Ange, Fran, and Isabelle—and this is something I've become a fan of over the last couple of years. With this format, you get a deeper sense of each of their personalities, and a better understanding about why they react the way they do much quicker than you would otherwise.

I really appreciated that motherhood was presented realistically, with all the sleep deprivation and frustrations that go along with it. I've read so many books where motherhood is presented as something that's constantly rosy and wonderful, so it's always nice to read something that mirrors reality, instead.

The mystery surrounding Isabelle was very well done. I had so many theories about her, but none were anywhere close to being correct. When all was revealed, it shocked the heck out of me, and the events that took place afterward had me on the edge of my seat, worried about what was going to happen next.

What I Didn't Like:

I can't recall anything that annoyed me.

Final Thoughts:

The Family Next Door is a compulsive page-turner with finely crafted characters and scenarios that will keep you reading 'just one more chapter' for hours. Hepworth is fast becoming a go-to author for me when I'm in the mood to read some high quality women's fiction.

I'm highly recommending this book, and I hope that everyone who reads it will enjoy it as much as I did.

I wasn't immediately taken in by this book. It took me a bit to get into the story. When I did, I was getting confused, as it was going back and forth between characters. Once I got to know them and could picture each of them, it made it easier to read and follow along. It was worth holding on ... I liked the story, which actually surprised me, when I realized where it was going. Not where I anticipated. Very good conclusion!

3.5 stars. I liked the relationships, the good and bad, in this one. I would have liked more of a feeling of the women neighbors being closer than they appeared. The little twists were a nice addition.

This was a very enjoyable story. I connected with the characters as they were lovely written. I am a fan of this author.

It’s true, no one can really know what secrets the family next door harbors, or even what secrets are kept in your own family. I loved the very realistic and relatable depiction of day to day struggles of raising young children. All together a quick, good read. #NetGalley #TheFamilyNextDoor

I want to thank the publisher, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This is my first title from this author, Sally Hempworth and I am looking forward to read her other works.
This book is really about the question how well do you know somebody and in this case your neighbor.
This story takes place in an idyllic neighborhood, Pleasant Court> and it follow the lives of five families. The book is so spot on with the different experiences that suburban wives and mothers may go through.
I enjoy reading about all the drama but also about the forgiveness, resolutions. I really liked that one of the characters, Ange, found her voice.
I do feel that some of the events in took away from the focus of the story.
But overall a very entertaining read!!

3.5 stars

This was a quick, entertaining read that kept me engaged throughout in wanting to find out the various secrets that each of the families were trying to hide. The story was told from the perspective of each of the 3 housewives – Essie, Ange, and Fran – as well as Essie’s mom Barbara and the new neighbor in town, Isabelle. As the narrative alternated between these characters, we were given insight into the varying amounts of drama that went on amongst families behind closed doors and how people who may appear from the outside to lead “perfect” lives could, in reality, be falling apart inside. Most of the characters were well-drawn and some were certainly more likable than others, but all of them I felt were realistically portrayed and relatable. I especially liked the different aspects of motherhood that were portrayed and getting to see how each woman dealt with the issues that came up, how their respective backgrounds influenced their decisions and actions, how they interacted with their spouses and their children, etc.

Overall, I would say that this was a good story with interesting characters and a few well-executed plot twists thrown in for good measure, though it’s a story that I’ve definitely seen/heard before, so from an originality standpoint, made it less memorable of a story for me. I also wasn’t as emotionally invested as I thought I would be and even though the characters were well-written and relatable, I didn’t really connect with them – in fact, there were a few instances where I felt a bit detached, a few scenes where I felt like I should’ve had a more emotional reaction but didn’t. There were also some parts that were a little too predictable, too neatly resolved, especially given some of the heavy subject matter -- it gave me the impression that this was perhaps supposed to be a “feel-good” read that maybe wasn’t meant to be taken too seriously. And yes, as other reviewers pointed out, there was definitely a “soap opera” feel to this one, which is perfectly fine of course, just not really my sort of thing. The writing was solid though and the flow was smooth, which made it easy for me to want to keep turning the pages to find out how all the issues would eventually get resolved. Overall an enjoyable, engaging, entertaining read, one that I would absolutely still recommend, even if a bit too dramatic and predictable at times for my tastes.

Received ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley

Any Sally Hepworth novel is a good read guaranteed and her latest novel is no exception. The Family Next Door centres on three families living in Pleasant Court. On the surface each family seems to be living the perfect life - beautiful houses, loving partners and adorable children. But Sally asks the question 'How well do we really know our neighbours?'
Although, the families are all nice and neighbourly they have never been very close and behind closed doors each household has its own struggles. Then along comes Isabelle Heatherington and all of a sudden the atmosphere changes. Why would Isabelle, a single woman from Sydney with no children, rent a 4 bedroom house in Sandringham? And how is it she seems to know so much about the children in the neighborhood.
The Family Next Door is a page turning, entertaining read. Focusing on the women in the story she does draws attention to the many struggles of being a wife and mother and then adds a bit of mystery with Isabelle, who's underlying agenda is ultimately revealed. Interestingly, Sally wrote this book when she was pregnant and had time to ponder on what her neighbours were up to and what possible secrets they held! A very enjoyable read.

A look at what really goes on inside the homes of one suburban neighborhood. This book tells the story of a seemingly quiet street that is everything but peaceful. Full of drama, betrayal, and just a hint of mystery, The Family Next Door leaves you with a feeling of "something isn't quite right" when a new woman moves in. The story that unfolds is highly entertaining and completely unexpected.

You know how Brit Chick Lit became a thing because of Bridget Jones’s Diary? How can that be over 18 years ago? Well I’m seeing a nice trend in Aussie Chick Lit thanks to Liane Moriarty. I mean who didn’t love Big Little Lies?
This book falls neatly into that category and it’s good. Nothing great but an easy read that was interesting.
The problem I had with the book was I never felt connected to any of the characters. There was just a lot going on in all of the families lives to try to make us care about everyone so in the end instead of caring about 1 or 2 of the main women I didn’t care about any of them. Does that make sense?
I can happily recommend this as a good beach read or if you are in the mood for chick lit check this one out.

Another great read by Sally Hepworth-let it be said I have read and enjoyed her other books and this is no exception. Imagine having a seemingly idyllic life in the bucolic setting of Pleasant Court ( kind of sounds like Wisteria Lane, doesn’t it?) where neighbors wave to each other but don’t invade each other’s privacy-not until a single woman suddenly rents a house and the neighbors are skeptical as to why she chose to live there and what her motives are. From that time on Hepworth opens the doors to each of these family’s homes for us and let’s us view for ourselves the secrets and sometimes shocking surprises that lie inside. No spoilers here-this book is too good to share the secrets that abound. I loved it. It is well worth the read. Enjoy!

If you're a fan of soap operas, this book is for you. It called to mind Desperate Housewives, even though I haven't seen very much of it. It's full of juicy drama, surprising twists, and lots and lots of secrets. It was just a bit too much to earn four stars from me, but several of the other ladies I read it with gave it four or five stars. I did enjoy the read, just felt a few things that ended up leading nowhere, only added to up the drama, should have been cut out.

Lovely Isabelle sticks out in her new neighborhood, Pleasant Court. Surrounded by mothers, fathers, and grandparents, she seems to be the only grown-up around without a little one to chase. It seems an odd choice of a neighborhood for a single woman, but it soon becomes clear she's there for a reason. She has lots of questions for her neighbors... but why is she so curious about their lives?

Essie, Ange, and Fran are all women with families who live in the neighborhood. Essie is having a hard time adjusting to life with a newborn, and we soon learn she once left her older child alone at the park when she was a baby and returned without her. Ange seems to be picture perfect, with a successful business and two adorable little boys. You'll see how perfect she is if you just check her Instagram, complete with colorful photos of family life (hashtagged appropriately, of course). Is it a facade, and does she even know it? Fran is another mother of a newborn with an older child, but seems to be literally running away from her problems. She exercises constantly, and seems hesitant to let her husband around the newest member of their family alone, though he seems kind and caring.

A juicy domestic drama with lots of reveals. This book is about getting to know these four women... and while they aren't always likable or relatable to me, they're interesting to read about. This was a Traveling Sisters group read, and I'm glad I got to read and discuss with other bibliophiles at the same time!

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and St. Martin's Press, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

I started reading this book & immediately thought the story was similar to a Liane Moriarty book. It was a great story filled with real life characters who had real life issues to deal with. I enjoyed that I thought I had the mystery worked out then....bam! Nothing like I thought it would be. The introduction to each character & their relationships was well paced and the climax came at the perfect point. The ending resolved each of the story lines in a satisfying way. I very much enjoyed this book.

The Family Next Door is an excellent, stay up late to read book that begins with a view of the residents of a little close-knit neighborhood. Everything looks great on the surface of this community, but the lives behind the doors are beginning to come unraveled. The story is told through the alternating voices of the women of the circle, but there is one story interspersed with the others that doesn’t fit and isn’t identified. We keep getting pieces of the puzzle, but we aren’t sure where they all fit. It was interesting and suspenseful without being frantic, and it was easy to identify with all the characters. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy for an honest review.