Great read! Looking forward to reading more from this author! I highly recommend this book and author to all!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately it’s not the book for me. DNF @ 21%.

This was a deliciously twisted book. I definitely did not see that end coming. Full of unlikeable characters. This book did not disappoint.

LOL..I now look at my neighbors with the side eye!!! Good read overall. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on my review.

This book has been sitting on my netgalley shelf for a long time - after several attempts at reading it, I never got past about 30% because sadly I could not connect with the story. I think it's time to officially DNF as this book and I are obviously not a good match.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

Leah, her husband Clay, and their two kids move to Maine from Seattle. They moved into an upcoming neighborhood that is left abandoned by the constructor. So it's just them and one neighbor family. Clay is always away, and so Leah is left to her own devices. She soon becomes enthralled by Clarissa, her neighbor. You would think that since they have similar family setups (husband, wife, and two kids) that they would be fast friends, but sometimes people are not as they seem. A local girl is missing, and all around secrets come to light.


This book is hard to rate. On the one hand, I enjoyed it, while at the same time I was bored. The main reason I kept reading was every now, and then you would get a piece of info that just grabbed you and made you go "What? Now I need to know more!" It had a way of catching you when least expected.


The story was well told and well written. It had an exciting storyline and easy characters to like, dislike, and relate too. This book has drama and intrigue. It focused a lot on racial issues as well, which I figured it would early on. Overall, it wasn't a bad book, but I can't say it's a favorite of mine.

This book made me think twice about my own neighbors... what do you really know about them!
This was a good solid read. Recommended.

After having read and enjoyed a previous book by Joseph Souza, I was very underwhelmed by this one. I’m afraid I couldn’t engage with the storyline at all, after several attempts. Too many mistakes including mentioning Bill Clinton as the first black president. The characters weren’t realistic or in any way redeemable and I didn’t appreciate the racism or the mysogynistic nature of the writing. I didn’t finish it.

Great storyline with good strong characters. Very well written. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Joseph Souza’s latest novel, "The Neighbor" is an intricate puzzle box of a story and the epitome of what I consider bold writing. Up front, this is a novel people will either love or hate. It’s story centers around people you will adamantly disagree with. And yet you won’t be able to stop coming back for more.

Souza’s real secret to this story is how he gets the reader to simultaneously abhor the characters yet feel so drawn to them and their plights. It’s like watching a magician perform a sleight of hand trick but never being able to pinpoint how exactly the trick is being done. Despite the characters’ immense flaws he allows for moments of vulnerability that make them surprisingly sympathetic and allow the reader to see themselves in the characters, something that–trust me–you won’t want to happen.

This is compulsive reading at its best, and I felt completely swept away in the strong undertow of Souza’s writing. Dark, disturbing, but completely captivating, this is the best form I’ve seen Souza in, which says a lot for this accomplished writer. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a different approach to your typical psychological thriller.

would not telling any one to read it, the many characters are cry babies, and there's to many racial comments, and the author even has that the first black president of USA was Bill Clinton and that give him the right to sleep around, was 20% in it when i just couldn't read any more of it , its so bad , with that said I want to say thinks to Netgalley for letting me read and review this book in change for my honest opinion

Leah, Clay, and their kids move from Seattle to Maine. They are the only people residing in their housing development, until a new family moves in next door. Leah becomes focused on befriending the new neighbors, and eventually crosses the line with getting to know them.

Told from alternating viewpoints of Leah and Clay. The main focus is Leah wanting to befriend her neighbors, but the small town where they live also has a mystery involving a missing co-ed. Leah is a bit obsessed with the missing girl, and starts looking into her disappearance. Clay is struggling with his brewery business, and not giving his wife and kids much of his time.

A psychological thriller with several stories happening at once. While a lot is happening, nothing is very engaging. In fact, much of the story is repetitive. Leah and Clay are both self-absorbed and not at all likable. The book touches on the topic of racial tension, but manages to be more awkward than interesting. On the plus side, this domestic thriller does contain some twists and is a fairly quick read.

I normally enjoy thrillers in which the bad guys are really bad guys. The more twisty the better. But in Joseph Souza's The Neighbor bad does not equal good. There is not one morally redeemable character in this novel. Not even the kids. No one to root for or cheer on as they do their dirty business. I simply didn't give a damn what happened to anyone. At many points I wanted to put this one aside. The misogyny and racism was blatant throughout. I only gave it two stars as the plot seemed to propel itself forward. Perhaps someone else will take to it for its page-turning capability.

This was a great read. very different to anything ive read before. It was a very different spin on psycological thriller and takes it to a whole new level. A must read for this year.

The Neighbor left me with mixed emotions. It also left me with mixed feelings. I like reading mysteries/thrillers. I also like reading books that take current events and put a fresh spin on them. The Neighbor did that. That is not what gave me mixed feelings. I felt that part of the book was very well written. My mixed feelings were about the characters and their storylines.

The storyline of The Neighbor was promising. A bored housewife starts spying on her next door neighbor. She soon becomes obsessed with her. The secondary storyline was about a missing college girl and her disappearance. I would have been fine with those two storylines. With the secondary storyline of Leah’s secret, Clarissa’s secrets, Clay’s secret, I couldn’t keep focused on the book. I felt overwhelmed.

I like damaged characters. They make the books they are in more interesting to read. But Leah was just out there. She came across as creepy. Put it this way, if I had a feeling that my neighbor was spying on me, I would be uncomfortable. I would have distanced myself like Clarissa did. I do wish that her secret came out in full earlier in the book, instead of being dragged out. Speaking of that, I didn’t like the 180 her secret took. By the end of the book, my head was spinning. I couldn’t keep up with everything.

Clay drove me nuts. His trying to rationalize his relationship with Mycah was pathetic. As was his trying to drink his issues away. I also couldn’t believe that he didn’t put two and two together about part of Leah’s secret. I mean, her attitude towards sex was a huge clue for me. While I thought that he was a tool, he did stand by Leah when push came to shove. So, I didn’t completely dislike him.

I ran through a lot of emotions with Clarissa. At first, I felt bad for her. But when her character did a 180, I was surprised. Then I started to dislike her. She was manipulative and knew how to work things in her favor. So, I wasn’t surprised with what happened to her at the end of the book.

Russell was the only one that I truly felt bad for. He was manipulated by all the women in the book. I felt that he didn’t have a chance because no matter what he did, he was screwed.

I actually enjoyed Mycah’s character. She was a strong woman who didn’t stand down for anyone. She was passionate about her beliefs. I do think that she got in over her head with Russell and Clay. Even though I enjoyed her character, I won’t excuse her actions.

The thriller part of the book was well written. I do feel that it got lost with everything that was going on.

The end of the book confused me. While I understood what happened, I felt the book ended too suddenly. I was left wondering what will happen.

What I liked about The Neighbor:

A) Promising storyline

B) Strong characters

C) Engaging storyline

What I disliked about The Neighbor:

A) Felt overwhelmed with the storylines.

B) The characters drove me nuts

C) The ending confused me

I would give The Neighbor an Adult rating. There is sex. The sex scenes between Clay and Mycah were graphic and degrading. There is language. There is violence. I would not recommend anyone under the age of 21 reading this book.

There are triggers in this book. They are: sexual abuse, racism, and domestic violence. If you are triggered by any of these, then do not read the book.

I am on the fence if I would recommend The Neighbor to friends and family. While I wouldn’t reread this book, I would be open to reading more books by the author.

I would like to thank Kensington, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Neighbor.

All opinions stated in this review of The Neighbor are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

I was really looking forward to this book but it didn't live up to my expectations. I didn't finish it. Sorry.

EXCERPT: That I didn't intend it to happen says nothing about my moral culpability. I screwed up and make no excuse for my behavior.

For that reason, I can't be totally honest with her.

I need to make sure that Leah never finds out. . . .

That the girl I had an affair with is the same girl that went missing.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: In a taut psychological thriller filled with breathtaking twists, Joseph Souza explores the tangle of betrayal and deception between two neighboring couples, and asks how well we can really know others--or ourselves.

It all seems so promising at the start . . .

When Leah and her husband, Clay, move from Seattle to Maine, she envisions a vibrant new neighborhood packed with families--playmates for her twins, new friends she can confide in and bond with. But while Clay works long hours to establish his brewery, Leah is left alone each day in a nearly deserted housing development where the only other occupants are aloof and standoffish.

Bored and adrift, Leah finds herself watching Clarissa and Russell Gaines next door, envying their stylishly decorated home and their university careers. But Leah's obsession with the intriguing, elegant Clarissa grows until she's not just spying from afar but sneaking into their house, taking small objects . . . reading Clarissa's diary. It contains clues to a hidden turmoil Leah never guessed at--and a connection to a local college girl who's disappeared.

The more Leah learns about Clarissa, the more questions emerge. Because behind every neighbor's door there are secrets that could shatter lives forever . . .

MY THOUGHTS: It all seems so promising at the start . . .

But by 37%, which was where I abandoned this read and I am going to paraphrase a sentence from the book here, 'I am practically losing my mind from the extreme boredom. . .'

The Neighbor started out with promise, but deteriorated into angst-ridden monologues by two self-absorbed people who winge and whine about their own and their partner's behaviour, but change nothing. Endlessly. Over and over the same old ground. Again and again.

No suspense. No interest in the fates of the characters. No reason to keep reading. A good indication of my increasing lack of interest is that it took me 4 days to get 37% through this 352 page book! I can normally read two books in that time. My first dnf for 2018 😧

Just because I found this to be an unsatisfying read doesn't mean that you won't love it. This is my personal opinion, my reaction to the book. Most reviews for this book are positive, so if you enjoyed the excerpt and like the summary of the plot, please go ahead and read The Neighbor by Joseph Souza. You may be one of the many who enjoy this book.

Thank you to Kensington Books via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of The Neighbor by Joseph Souza for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.

This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

Leah's husband wants to own his own brewery and make it big. What's a wife to do but move her two kids across country from Seattle to Maine to support her husband's dreams. Nothing is what she expected. They live in an undeveloped neighborhood, she has made no friends and never sees her husband. Whether out of boredom or desperation or both Leah becomes fixated on their only neighbors, the Gaines particularly Clarissa Gaines. Leah starts sneaking in their house trying to get to know Clarissa better. Things heat up when a local college student goes missing and is feared dead. Is there a connection between her neighbors and the missing girl?

Talk about a stay up all night and read book, this is the book. I found myself turning the pages faster than you can say BOO. Every chapter seemed to have a twist that made me go "WHAT?" and keep reading to find out what was happening next.

The only issue I kind of had with the book was the racial tone at the beginning seemed forced and I wasn't sure if it was necessary but as you read the book you came to understand why it was used and it makes the story so much more real. I do think it speaks of the current time we are in and what some of us experience in our communities.

This is the second book I have read by Joseph Souza and I plan on reading more. He is one of my top psychological thriller authors. If you have not read him, give him a try. I don't think you will be disappointed.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley from Kensington. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

"We all have secrets...Having secrets is a trait that all humans share."

But nobody has secrets like these neighbors -- a collection of seriously flawed, conniving psychopaths involved in a series of events that spiral out of control and escalate into murder.

Leah and Clay live with their 11-year-old twins next door to Clarissa and Russell and their two kids in an all but deserted cul-de-sac in Dearborn, Maine. The developer was a crook and skipped town before completing the rest of the subdivision and just those two families have homes. The Daniels are white and the Gaines family is black -- race is a huge issue in this psychological domestic drama/thriller. Clarissa and Russell have money and both are employed at nearby Chadwick College. Clay has started his own struggling brewery in town, works long hours, and Leah is a stay-at-home mom. Unfortunately for all, Leah is lonely and bored and curious. Leah is obsessive and gets sucked up into local drama especially with regard to the case of a missing female coed. She starts sneaking into the neighbor's house when they're at work -- and that's when she finds Clarissa's diary. Meanwhile, all sorts of other activities are going on behind the scenes. When the dust finally settles on all the lies and manipulative behavior, who will be left standing?

The reader is immediately engaged with this story despite finding it hard to believe that this much craziness can exist side by side in one little neighborhood. The relationships between all of the characters are so messed up that it almost defies belief. Add in extra-marital affairs, racial tension, secrets and lies and you get an explosive reaction. It is the kind of book that you just can't put down because you just can't imagine people acting like this and doing the things they do. I don't want to spoil the twists and turns for anyone, so I'll leave it here -- make sure you have some uninterupted time to get through this in one sitting. I really enjoyed it! Thank heavens I was able to catch my breath after its conclusion. The book is narrated by Leah and by Clay, but I daresay you won't be able to guess how it's all going to end! Who will you believe?

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for this e-book ARC to read and review. I definitely will read more by this author. The book was not what I expected, but that was all to the good.