I absolutely love this authors books and this book was no exception and had to start reading this as soon a I was lucky enough to receive a copy to read. This was a tense psychological drama from
The very first page and read it in practically one sitting. This was the story of zac and Nina who think they have moved into their ideal home until the are faced with the neighbours upstairs who are not all they seem. This was a very fast paced read with lots of twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes.

My second book by this author and I sat and read it in a day on holiday. Easy to read, great characters and a story that kept me guessing until the end.

Nina and Zac have just bought their first flat, the downstairs of a former family home. It’s going to the the perfect place for them to start their new life together, including Nina using the outbuilding to run her own start up business from home. It’s just a shame that the couple upstairs aren’t as welcoming as Nina and Zac hoped they would be…..

A really great read that I couldn’t read myself away from. Anyone looking for a thrilling and twisty read would love this book.
Thank you NetGalley for my copy.

I really enjoyed reading this, the story was fast paced and the tension grew the further I got into the plot, I had a few different possibilities as to who was behind Nina’s torment and I wasn’t too sure of the actual relationship between Chris and Vanessa. Normally i hate mentioning the end but this was a brilliant one. I got this as an Arc and would like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for letting me have the book to read and the opinions expressed are entirely my own views and are completely unbiased.

Readers will love Zac and Nina! I felt an instant bond with them and rooted for them and their success throughout their journey together in a new flat and new life adventures.

But like Nina, I also felt very suspicious of the neighbors upstairs! From the moment they introduced themselves to Vanessa and Chris… something just didn’t seem right.

In perfect Shalini Boland style, she made me question who to side with. Was Nina really off her rocker? Was Chris really an insensitive, overly suspicious boyfriend who favors his friends over Nina? Was Chris really an abusive woman hater with an agenda? Was Vanessa really a meek, soft spoken “afraid-of-her-own-shadow” neighbor to be worried about? Who are these neighbors who all seemingly have their own agendas? Oh let’s not forget about the flawed family members who also make you question everyone! Of course everyone has their secrets!

I loved the voice of the past that Shalini threw in every few chapters to keep you guessing about how the past and present are connected.

Another fabulous domestic thriller to add to your shelves by Shalini Boland! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shalini Boland’s latest thriller is about a couple, Nina and Zac, who move into a beautiful two flat on the idyllic Mistletoe Lane. They are in the lower unit, and excited by the prospect of owning their own place. Nina is hopeful that having neighbors so close by (and upstairs) will provide an opportunity to make new friends.

Except, when she and Zac meet the couple upstairs, something seems off. The husband hardly acknowledges Nina, and the wife seems way too quiet. Nina eventually meets some of the other neighbors, and she is just not feeling the love...but she doesn’t know why.

It eventually becomes clear to Nina that she and Zac aren’t welcome in the neighborhood as tension escalates and bad things happen...things that may turn out to be dangerous.

Shalini Boland is an auto-read author for me. I fly through her books and almost always enjoy them. This one is no exception. Her writing is smooth, and I was hooked for most of it, wanting to know the who, the what, and the why.

The last 20% is a bit absurd as the story gets into motives and consequences. I couldn’t really buy into it. Now granted, we hear about unhinged people all of the time who do bad things for a myriad of reasons. I was hoping for something a bit more twisty.

While this won’t offer anything startlingly new to fans of the genre, it’s still an enjoyable and quick read that should entertain most readers. Don’t let the generic title and book cover turn you off. Boland really has some great stories to tell.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 9/13/21.

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

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Bookouture and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

This thriller was indeed that. It was suspenseful, a nail bitter that had me on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t put it down. Shalini Boland is a queen of the thriller/suspense/mystery genre. You’ll be waiting for the next by them (I don’t want to assume pronouns).

Shalini Boland is at the top of my read-every-book-this-author-writes-list. There hasn't been a bad one so far.

Her characterization is always well done with those small details that breathe life into the people I am reading about. Even tiny mannerisms are tossed in. There are the characters I've come to like and others not-so-much mainly because they aren't nice to the main character, Nina. Then there are those I'm not sure about.

I figured out the main culprit fairly early on, even though Shalini threw a few red herrings in the book. The biggest clue was the sex of the offender. But still, even with that certainty--there was an edge-of-my-seat nervousness because I didn't have a clue how dangerous this person could be, or what they would do next.

As always, I recommend any book by this author.

This was a solid suspenseful thriller. The pacing was great and I enjoyed the twist ending. It wasn't too obvious unlike others I have read but remained routed in logic.
This was the first book I've read by Shalini Boland but I would totally pick up another of her books. A really enjoyable way to pass an afternoon.

Wow what can I say a brilliant author a brilliant book. Thriller as it's best. Page turner, twists and turns didn't want it to end. Read it in one sitting roll on the next book

This is a thrill ride of a thriller. Exciting and scary at times I absolutely couldn’t wait to find out what happened. I can’t recommend this book strong enough.

The Couple Upstairs had all the formula of a good psychological thriller, but for some reason the characters and the setting didn’t grab me that much.

A riveting page turner!
Nina and Zac buy a flat, the bottom storey of a house with an outbuilding perfect for Nina’s upcoming business.
Their neighbours upstairs are Chris and Ness.
Let the games begin…
One ickle bit of this book troubled me.
Nina had a row with Zac. She went out to work in her office and whilst there she phoned her mother.
When she returned to the house the door was locked and she had NO way of contacting Zac who she thought was inside.
WHERE DID THE PHONE GO TO??
Very fast paced book and it keeps one guessing till the end.
Would definitely recommend.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture!

Another great book from Shalini Boland! To be honest you can’t go wrong with this author! Fabulous read with lots of twists and turns that kept me up reading late into the night. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Our new home was supposed to be a chance to leave our past behind. But was moving here the worst mistake of our lives?"

If you could see me now...... I have goosebumps, I have that pit in my stomach that only develops on straight up fear. This book is EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!

The Couple Upstairs, exceeded every expectation I had . Shalini Boland has a talent that can not be surpassed. I am thoroughly impressed with the writing style and perfect narration. The character development made you feel like you knew each one of these characters personally.

Had I known I was in for such a wild ride I would have started reading this book earlier in the day instead of being kept all night, at first it was because I was reading, followed up by not being able to sleep, haunted by what I had just read.

This was an easy five star read! Go pre-order!

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read and review The Couple Next Door, prior to the September 13, 2021 release date!

Great book!! I love the story in here. It was full of twists and turns that you never see coming. I was glued to the pages and couldn’t wait to see how it ends.

3.5 rounded up.

Zac Ainsworth and Nina Davenport excitedly move into the downstairs apartment of 15 Mistletoe Lane in the Bournemouth area. The couple upstairs are Chris and five months pregnant Vanessa. Chris seems cool, reserved and rather dismissive of Nina and friendlier to Zac whereas Nina just seems to be a quiet little mouse hovering in his shadow. Vanessa offers a welcoming gift of a chocolate cake and let the games begin!!

If you’ve ever read a Shalini Boland then you know it’s a twisty ride! A somewhat curmudgeonly neighbour informs Nina, Mistletoe is a parasite, so who is the manipulative parasite in this tale and why? The premise is good and the incidents build in intensity and there are some good moments of fizzling fear and tension. Scenes are described very clearly and it’s easy to visual the scary happenings and I love the setting. Both the couples dynamics are done well but frankly Nina, Zac ain’t worth hanging onto if he lacks trust!!

This is an easy read and I do enjoy it but it follows a predictable path in that you KNOW that there’s going to be a volatile, unpredictable and unhinged character and though I don’t get 100% there, my suspicions are heading in that direction just because it had to be! The reasons for the unfolding events do seem a tad spurious but it does take all sorts and people do take silly things to heart then let things fester and carry out the craziest of actions. There are at least two 180’s by characters that are a bit abrupt, sudden and fortuitous but not necessarily unexpected. Some dialogue is a bit meh on occasions!

Overall though it’s a sort of ‘beach read novel’ especially suitable for Dorset! It’s enjoyable, entertaining and doesn’t take a huge amount of effort to read and sometimes that’s exactly what’s needed!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Bookouture for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Another great book from Shalini Boland. Although the title was a bit of a give away to who was to blame there were still plenty of twists and turns throughout the book. Definitely worth reading

I love a book about nightmare neighbours: it's so horribly possible and feels like it could happen to anyone if you get unlucky.

I really liked the pacing of the book, every chapter advanced the plot and there wasn't too much unnecessary waffle. The characters felt realistic, and I appreciated that we were shown what Nina and Zac's relationship was like whilst it was still good - too often in this genre we see the problems in relationships but no indication of why they're even together in the first place.

My one issue with the book is that the title is a big spoiler! You know someone is sabotaging Nina and Zac, and lots of different suspects are introduced, but you know it will end up being the couple upstairs who are responsible because the title literally tells you so! I think I would have enjoyed the end reveal more if I hadn't known all along who it would turn out to be.

One thing I really like about Shalini Boland's books is she always provides detail at the end to let us know what the characters are doing after the main events of the book. I hate open endings so I find this really satisfying.

Overall I really enjoyed reading the book, but I wish there had been more surprises in terms of the ending.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I really enjoyed it. I liked the whole who is telling the truth plot. I thought the book was twisted and kept me wanting to read until the end.

Nina is excited to buy a flat in a lovely seaside town with her boyfriend Zac, hoping to start a new life in a new home, develop their relationship, and work on her business. And also to get to know her new neighbours. But then things start to go wrong - food poisoning, arguments and banging from the couple upstairs, nasty reviews about Nina's business... is someone out to ruin her life? Between worrying about her business and relationship, Nina also worries about pregnant Vanessa in the upstairs flat, concerned that she is in danger from her husband Chris. Have Nina and Zac made a mistake coming to live here...?

Another brilliant book from Shalini Boland. The plot was creepy and thrilling and I couldn't stop turning the pages until I reached the shocking ending. With a range of quirky characters and twists and turns, the story was really addictive and exciting. I liked how the flashback chapters keep you wondering how it links to the present, and of course it all comes together in the end. A suspenseful book that I completely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.