Member Reviews
As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot (as I always think - why bother to read a book if someone's already told you what happens?!) - there are plenty of other reviews like that out there if that's what you're looking for.
I expected this to be a light and fluffy read - it turned out not to be, but I still enjoyed it on the whole. The characters are so different that it seems unlikely they'd be friends - but that's how life is sometimes, so it works! The book delves into some of the issues facing women (the dreaded biological clock, depression, trying to turn your career around when over 50), but the friendship between Cassie and Ginny helps them both. Makes you realise that whatever you're going through in life, others will have been in the same boat and can understand and help you.
This is my first read from Nicola Gill, but I'd happily read another book by this author.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.
I really enjoyed this book, it was an easy read with some great characters. The relationship between Ginny & Cassie was really great, uncomplicated & fun.
This is a quick easy read about relationships and friendship. This had an interesting plot, two people from either end of the spectrum brought together by unforeseen circumstances and forming a very unlikely friendship. It was very well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it, would recommend
Thank you to Netgalley, Avon books and Nicola Gill for letting me read this book, in exchange for an honest review
This was an enjoyable read, which I managed to get through quite quickly - bonus!
I enjoyed the storyline, from the cover you'd think you were set for a romantic novel but Gill tackled some hard subjects which took dark turns.
I found Ginny's career/relationship issues relatable in some ways but I do wish at times she could have been a bit more determined and less needy of her ex-partner and the life he was offering. I found myself shouting at the book trying to get through to her at one point, but I enjoyed that, it showed how invested I was in her and Nick too.
Cassie was my favourite character in the story and I found her character development throughout the novel really well written. I would have loved to have read more from her POV. Potentially in separate chapters from Ginny's?
Overall, some parts are predictable but it's a lovely novel about the power of friendship, albeit an unlikely pairing due to their contrasting personalities but Ginny and Cassie make a great team. Nicola Gill has put together a great read here!
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read this novel.
This is ultimately a book about friendship, which is likely to be a good read for fans of books like The Flatshare. Ginny and Cassie are opposites in a lot of ways, and this is not about their ages, but they each have something the other needs. Ginny is in need of a PR agent having destroyed her career, and Cassie is a publicist in need of a job. Building off of this premise, where it goes from there is that an unlikely, but meaningful, friendship forms.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
‘The Neighbours’ is the latest book by Nicola Gill.
Some women have it all. Others are thirty-four and rent a tiny flat alone because they recently found their long-term boyfriend in bed with their boss. Ginny Taylor is certain her life can’t get any worse. But then she meets her downstairs neighbour. Cassie Frost was once a beloved actress, but after a recent mishap she desperately needs a new publicist. And Ginny is a publicist who desperately needs a job – but can she be persuaded to work for the prickly woman who lives below her floorboards? Ginny and Cassie are two very different women, but they have more in common than they’d care to imagine (or admit). And when their worlds collide, they realise that sometimes – just sometimes – bad neighbours become good friends…
If you’re looking for a story that is funny and romantic, then this is the book for you.
When Ginny comes home to find her boyfriend in a comprising position with her boss, her life takes an unexpected turn with now being single and jobless. Although she’s fantastic at her job and having PR skills, she finds it hard to get a new job and finds herself working in a Mexican bar. Her celebrity neighbour, Cassie is also having a hard time, having recovered from eating a kangaroos anus in the jungle, she’s trying to get her career back on track but most things she tries don’t work out for her. So she asks Ginny for her help with being a PR guru but instead of them becoming colleagues, they become best friends.
I wholeheartedly enjoyed this story, both main characters Ginny and Cassie are engaging and relatable. Ginny is like most women at 34 years off age, stressing about marriage, babies and work and wondering if she’ll meet the one before it’s too late. Her grief and upset leapt from the pages, each time a friend posted a new arrival or engagement post. She’s kind with a huge heart and even when Cassie is at her lowest and pushing Ginny away, Ginny is determined to help her friend.
Cassie is a hilarious character, a renowned actress who starred with all the greats, her career is taking a nose dive and the only time the press want anything to do with her is give her bad press. She’s outspoken with a wicked tongue and loves to regale in old stories of her previous lovers and injects some glamour into the tale with her golden slippers.
Cleverly written, with witty scenarios and characters, this book is a fun and lighthearted debut that was the perfect accompaniment to a blustery Storm Ciara, ‘The Neighbours’ is a heart warming and engaging story about new beginnings and unlikely friendships, that I couldn’t put down.
You can buy ‘The Neighbours’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.
This was a disappointment. It was said this would be for fans of the flat share & never greener but this story was nowhere near as good as those. The writing was awful, it kept jumping to different parts within chapters and made no sense at times. The characters were dull and the story didnt really have a good plot. It was a pointless story to be honest
Really enjoyed this book! Such a heartwarming story. I really like the characters in the story how they developed a great bond becoming friends and sticking by each other through thick and thin helping her neighbour through her depression was so lovely as sadly that doesnt happen in real life.
Not for me unfortunately. I didn’t really like the main character all that much which meant I struggled to enjoy it all that much.
I'm a sucker for books about sisters and/or friendships and The Neighbours checks the friendship box really well. Two women, with an age difference enough for them to be mother and daughter, form a bond and help each other recover from setbacks and humiliation. This book was funny, sad and heartwarming and really focused on these two women who have nothing in common become friends and learn what it is like to have real friends. I would have like to have seen more character depth but overall I really enjoyed this book. Glad I had an opportunity to read it.
This was such a lovely read! I quickly came to care for both main characters; recently cheated on, and as a result now out-of-work Ginny and her curmudgeonly once-a-famous-actress. Their friendship, which grows slowly and almost reluctantly, is a real joy to follow. It's a quick read as you become so invested in their story and such a pleasure to enjoy - witty, funny and very relatable.
Two women, Ginny, 34, and her downstairs neighbour Cassie, 55, join forces. PR Manager Ginny had just had her heart broken and lost her job, former actress Cassie is going through a social media crisis. They start working together to polish Cassie's image, which is the start of a wonderful friendship.
I really enjoyed this one.
What a nice find. This was the first book I've read from this author and I really enjoyed it. The story was different from anything I've read recently and really captured my attention. It was so well written and the characters were fantastic.
I really liked the idea of this and found it an easy read that tackled some tough issues (not all of them in as much depth as I would have liked). It’s about a woman who decides to help her neighbour, a troubled reality star, get back on her feet.. More in video: http://www.betterthandreams.com/2020/05/march-2020-book-reviews/
Loved these characters. Such an emotional book with all the feels. Sometimes the subject matter was uncomfortable but such is life. At times very humorous and I would definitely recommend.
It took me a while to get to like these characters but once I did I really enjoyed this story. There were slower parts, but all in all it was a great read.
I found this very difficult to read. I did not finish it because it did not capture my attention. The characters did not interest me nor did the plot. I was disappointed because this looked like a novel I thought I would enjoy. The plot seemed to drag on, and it was very easy to put this book down.
A wonderful and truly delightful read. A pure feel good book. Heartwarming! Definitely recommend if you are looking for a short and sweet read, that leaves you with a smile on your face.
The Neighbours by Nicola Gill is relationship fiction with a sense of humour. This is the story of two women with absolutely nothing in common, who form an unlikely bond that changes their lives. Ginny, 34, has lost her job and her boyfriend at the same time. Cassie, 55, is an actress of a certain age who has ruined her own reputation when she humiliated herself on television. The two women live in the same apartment building and, when their paths cross, their relationship permanently changes them, sometimes for the good, sometimes for the not-so-good. The Neighbours will make you laugh and it will bring you to tears, sometimes at the same time. This is a delightful and entertaining read and we can all use a little fun. Thank you to Avon Book UK and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book about neighbors who come together to help each other. This was a fast read about a friendship that spans generations.