The Mother Next Door is my first foray into Tara Laskowski’s novels, and I am so glad I took a chance on her novels. This book is certainly comparable to Big Little Lies as described in the blurb and I was itching to find out WHAT the truth of the matter really was. I love books like this; suburban dramas, moms gone bad, secrets, lies, gossip, and revenge! There’s just something to tantalizing about it and I eat them up at record speed! If you’re interested in books like this, then I highly recommend giving this one a try. You won’t regret it! I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for us in the future. Hopefully it’s something along the lines of this book because I’m always looking for novels like this.

I don’t want to spoil the plot for this book because it’s one of those page turners that you should really go into blind. I will say though that I liked the twist (didn’t love it but LIKED it) and was pleasantly surprised to see that I didn’t figure it out before it was revealed. Although I will admit that I do think there should have been a lot more consequences than there were… Which were none. For a book like this it seems that the ending was a little too easy. Sometimes this makes the book come off as unrealistic. Other than that, I gobbled this one up and would definitely recommend it to other readers!

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙:
• Suburban Dramas and Mysteries
• Books about moms gone bad with secrets and revenge
• Authors like Liane Moriarty, Robyn Harding, and Amber Garza

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)

What a ride , it give me the vibes of Pretty Little Liars and though out my time reading the book I kept thinking of the song Got A Secret To Keep.In fact I would say that song is the perfect song for this book, the atmosphere , the feeling of been watched, the unknown messenger who kept sending messages as well as their parts of the story just gives it that perfect fall vibe .Plus with how suspenseful, sinister and a bit twisted , as well as just the right amount of spookiness to it , it wouldn't let you down.

I loved so many things about this book. It reminded me of Gossip Girl but with adult women during Halloween. My favorite part of the book is the setting. I'm someone who loves fall and Halloween and the author does a great job of describing this Halloween-obsessed neighborhood. The book isn't scary at all but it is suspenseful. This was a fun read and I'm down to read anything this author writes.

Tara Laskowski's The Mother Next Door will appeal to many fans of domestic drama and mild thrillers. Her characters are fairly believable and she does a nice job of making the reader see the setting. There are no glaring issues that warrant criticism beyond the somewhat tired tragic adoption issue, neither are there breathtaking wow moments. The story's ending was predictable and the catty women and psychoish teen characters were there in full force. Male characters seemed to be there for decoration or to create melodramatic conflict.

<i>The Mother Next Door</i> is the <b>perfect</b> fall read. This novel is set around Halloween Night and the Ivy Five. Theresa has just moved into the neighborhood and soon is welcomed into the fold as the 5th of the "Ivy Five"- 5 women who live on Ivy Woods Drive and host the most <i>epic</i> Halloween party the town has ever seen. Except the previous 5th left under mysterious circumstances. And now the other women are getting warnings about something mysterious that happened on a previous Halloween...many moons ago. And it wasn't good.

<i>The Mother Next Door</i> is told from multiple perspectives - from several of the mothers and the one that is tormenting them--threatening to spill all of their dirty secrets. <u>VERY</u><i>Big Little Lies</i> with all of the little twists and turns. Lots of things I did not see coming!!

I really, really enjoyed this! It was like Mean Girls as a suspense story. Good descriptions, even though there were multiple main-ish characters, the author didn't jump around between them, only two, and the others felt fully fleshed-out as characters - I feel like we all know a Theresa, a Kendra, a Bettina, Pia, Alice in our lives. Perfect for an October/Hallowe'en read or book club choice.

This one was not for me. The many characters told from so many different perspectives was tough to keep track of and I kept having to look back to remember who was who. The story itself was interesting but didn’t live up to my expectations for what could have happened. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was a little befuddled while reading., especially at the end. I reread it several times and still couldn’t grasp who was the culprit. A cul de sac has a maven of mother’s but heady secrets as well. Theresa just wants to fit in, but she has a hidden past that she is finding harder to cover. The Plot was good and dialogue decent. I just didn’t understand the ending/

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝟐 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬:
Mean Girls meets Big Little Lies and a town with dark secrets where everyone knows everyone else. Plus an urban legend that is downright creepy.

𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
The Mother Next Door is a domestic thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat with characters that are menacing, cliquey, suburban and full of secrets. Laskowski beautifully alternates the storyline between two main characters and a third who is unknown. This allows the reader to have just enough info to keep them engaged and wanting more. The story is suspenseful, chilling and the perfect read for fall/Halloween. Highly recommended.

After a quick review, I believe our library visitors will likely gravitate toward and enjoy this book. This is the kind of book many of our patrons enjoy, with similar vibes to "Big Little Lies" and "The Hunting Wives." Thank you for the ARC!

2.5 stars rounded down

A decent enough mystery/thriller set in the tony suburb of Ivy Wood among a group of upper middle class women.

Theresa has always longed to belong with the popular girls and now she’s finally getting the chance. Married to the newly appointed principal for Ivy Wood High, she, her teen daughter Lily, and her husband have moved into the prestigious Ivy Wood Drive. Run by Queen Bee Kendra, and the rest of the Ivy Five (though, mystery alert! there’s only four of them), their big event is the Halloween party and Theresa has been invited to join them.

As well as Theresa’s and Kendra’s narration, there’s a mysterious third voice promising to bring death to this year's Halloween party. It seems to be connected to an urban legend about Ghost Girl, a young woman said to be dressed in a bridal gown who throws herself off a railway bridge, which is maybe than just a legend (which anyone could find out with 2 minutes on Google but apparently nobody does that sort of thing in Ivy Wood).

As the title suggests, this is all about the mothers; they are the main draw here, followed by the teens, and then the men run a very distant, wholly one-dimensional third. However, other than Theresa and Kendra, the Ivy Five don’t really come alive. It’s all a bit overwrought and yes, they all have secrets, yes someone is threatening to expose those secrets, and yes there’s plenty of schadenfreude-fueled folks who could be that threat. In the end though, it’s nothing very exceptional and no-one really gets their comeuppance or suffers.

Thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

The Mother Next Door is a mystery full of suspense perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty’s or Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere.

The mothers in this upscale neighborhood are all about appearances and keeping secrets. Known as the Ivy Five, this group has the best parties, beautiful homes and fashionable clothes. An invite to the annual Halloween block party is a coveted ticket. New neighbor Theresa, the wife of the school principal, is desperate to fit into this group. As the countdown to Halloween approaches, she willingly participates in the party prep and joins every committee at school in order to belong.

Tara Laskowki’s domestic thriller builds as secrets are revealed and loyalties are questioned. This novel is a perfect creepy thriller for cool fall days and the Halloween season.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to review this title before its release.

Ohh I simply adore womens fiction/psychological thrillers! Add in a Halloween setting and I am sold! A group of women on Ivy Woods Drive call themselves the Ivy Five. Only when new mom Theresa comes to town, there's only four. And suspiciously no one wants to explain where the fifth woman is. Everyone has secrets, and just because Theresa is quickly christened as the new fifth of the five, it doesn't mean they trust her yet. As one by one secrets are revealed and relationships are put to the test, who is taunting the Ivy Five is a wonderful jaw dropping surprise until the very end.

I couldn't put this down! It was so so good. The more and more I read the more questions I had and the farther I had to go. Just one more page kept me up with the sun, but this book was honestly worth it. Drama, suspense, and hidden secrets mixed with high society social lady drama made for a perfect Halloween read! Five BIG stars!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you to NetGalley, Tara Laskowski, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I could not get enough of this book! The secrets, the drama, backstabbing, and manipulations within this group of five women was such a treat to read. The countdown to Halloween Block party was a nice touch as was Alice's Halloween playlist at the end.

Suburban parenting is a common trope lately, and generally recounted in one of two ways - funny or creepy. “The MotherNext Door”, with its Halloween theme, is definitely in the thriller camp. This domestic novel centers on a neighborhood group of alpha-moms, “The Ivy Five”, who have just become five again, as a new member joins just in time for planning the block’s annual Halloween party. Now there are old secrets suddenly being threatened and not all may be what it seems… toss in an urban legend with all of it & it’s a perfect read for this year’s Halloween season. A fun & quick read - recommend to all those who enjoy similar novels. My sincere thanks to the publisher, author and Net Galley for the e-ARC, which I was gifted in exchange for an honest opinion. This review to be published on pub date on Amazon. - link to come!

Psychological thriller set in an upscale suburban enclave, The Mother Next Door by Tara Laskowski will keep you turning the pages until you finally find out who is the mastermind behind the shenanigans, both benign and sinister, that befall the residents of Ivy Woods. Spoiler alert: is not who you think it is.

A perfect beach read full of self righteous rich bitches, annoying PTA moms, secrets, murder and a neighborhood to die for. Mix them all together and you have a fun dark twisty read! The setting is ohhh so creepy too!

A Q&A with myself, because why not?

Who are the Ivy Five?

A group of neighbors who live on Ivy Woods Drive, a cul-de-sac of tight knit neighbors. They’ll do anything to keep the peace and protect their own. They’re also big news at pep rallies, and of course...the annual Halloween block party.

Who’s the leader of the Ivy Five (Hive)?

That would be ‘queen bee’ Kendra. She’s lived in the neighborhood for years, and what she says basically GOES! Try to step on her and you’ll get stung.

Why are there only four members?

Well, there used to be five members. One of them essentially disappeared and dropped all communication years ago, after a significant event.

Who’s the new ‘bee’? (Newbie, and yet also going with the “hive” theme..get it?)

That’s Theresa. She’s the mother next door who just moved in with her husband, who is the principal of the local high school. She also has an angsty teenaged daughter who may be making the wrong kind of friends.

Why is someone threatening the Ivy Five?

Because they have a devastating secret. Their Halloween block party isn’t always just fun, booze, and dancing. It can have deadly consequences.

What kind of consequences?

Great question. Almost each Ivy Five member has a secret that they do not want revealed. How far would YOU go to keep things under wrap? Hmmm? I’ll wait for your answer.

Well, should I read this book?

Do you like to be entertained? Do you like seasonal reads with unlikeable, yet intriguing, characters? Then yes! The story is suspenseful, easy to get wrapped up in, and has many atmospheric moments. It’s perfect for Fall/Halloween lovers.

Why 3.5 stars?

While I enjoyed the ending overall, and even the epilogue (!!), the intensity level lost some consistency. There was a bit of far-fetched ness, but I would still recommend it. Hence, I rounded it up to 4.

Thank you to Graydon House for providing me with a widget of the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 10/12/21.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

You may have an address on Ivy Woods Drive, but you haven't really arrived until the Ivy Five give you their seal of approval. Who are they? Just four moms who have their fingers in everything that happens in this exclusive neighborhood. Envied by some and loathed by others, one thing they are not is ignored. But wait, didn't I say they were the Ivy Five? So why are there only four members? We will find out what happened to the fifth member when they invite Theresa into their group.
Theresa, her husband Adam, and her daughter Lily have just moved to the neighborhood. Adam is the new high school principal, and Theresa, well she has always dreamed of living and belonging in a place like this. She is pleasantly surprised when she is deemed worthy and is asked to join the group. The main event on the agenda, the spectacular Halloween party that the Ivy Five host every year.
The chapters count down the days to the big event, and you just know that there will be more than trick or treating happening. Not only does Theresa have more than one big secret, but I would not have thought she needed to borrow any decorations for her house. Her closets were overflowing with skeletons! She isn't alone though, the other women have been keeping a huge secret too!
There were a ton of twists, turns, red herrings, and reveals as we reached the big day. Once all the puzzle pieces came together, everything and nothing made sense. I mean that in the best possible way as I was constantly yelling what at all of these characters. There is something about a book with a very descriptive fall setting that appeals to me when it is hot and humid outside. These women were more than a little over the top, but their shenanigans made this an enjoyable read.

Halloween is everyone’s favorite holiday on Ivy Woods Drive. The costumes! The pumpkins! The decorations! The threats and murder?

People from all over the area come to see the annual Halloween celebration on Ivy Woods. Planning starts early and this year, new resident Theresa is thrilled to be involved. She has just moved to town with her daughter Lily and husband Adam, the new high school principal. The Ivy Five, the four supermoms who organize the event, have asked her to be the fifth in their clique (don’t ask why there were four in a group called the Ivy Five. You’ll find out later.) and she’s busy with meetings and costume planning. Meanwhile her daughter Lily, a high school freshman, has become best friends with Ellen, a senior with some dark interests. As the days move closer to Halloween night, tensions escalate. Someone is sending anonymous threatening notes to the group. Could that urban legend connected to Ivy Drive not be a legend after all?

The Mother Next Door is a tense, fast-paced domestic thriller. While the women of the Ivy Five were fairly unlikeable, Theresa was a sympathetic character who wanted the best for her husband and daughter but sometimes went about getting it in the wrong way. I loved the Halloween theme! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) and Tara Laskowski for this ARC.