I am surprised at how "busy" this book is. I've read many of Fern Michaels' books. This is the first one that failed to tell a clear story. While it did have many sections that made sense, as a whole, the chapters did not seem connected.

Alison spent her youth in various terrible foster homes. She escapes after high school graduation and holds numerous waitress jobs to save money. With the help of a financial wizard, she accumulates enough wealth to purchase a beachfront home. Unfortunately this dream home is far from perfect. Bones of children are exposed and there is rumor of a cult in the community. Will this be Allison’s dream or nightmare “

This was written a little too slow for my liking. It has a good story but it didn't grip me. Thank you for the ARC.

Not too sure what is going on here. This is not typical Fern Michaels. From the characters to the plot everything seemed off.

I have read a lot of Fern Michael's books and have always enjoyed them. Allison is looking for a place to settle - she has no family or ties. She finds her perfect place on Palmetto Island. When she found out that there is a house on the market and it is within her budget, she was delighted. All went well for a while, but then she realized that the townspeople were harboring a very big secret. Should she stay, or should she go?

In a departure from my usual Fern Michaels (who is honestly one of my favorite authors) - this was NOT a winner for me. Too much and too much it coming from out of left field :( I WANTED to love it - I just didn't :(
I provided an honest review in exchange for a digital copy of Fear Thy Neighbor from Netgalley.

Twenty-nine year old Alison Marshall has led a life filled with danger and challenges, fleeing from an abusive foster situation as a teenager. Since her escape, she’s worked and saved a nest egg and now is ready to settle down. When she reaches Florida’s beautiful Palmetto Island, she believes she’s found the right place to put down roots. And when she finds a little house on the beach that she can afford, she’s convinced this is the place she wants to live.

But there’s a dark side to Palmetto Island and Alison begins to wonder if she’s made the right decision. Should she abandon her plans to put down roots and just continue on to Key West, or is this where she’s meant to be?

There are plenty of twists and turns as a cold case becomes hot again and Alison is caught in the middle of Palmetto Island history.

Ms. Michaels gives you plenty of suspense in this summer read.

All Alison wants is to live her life free. She had a horiible childhood and does not want that to define her. She buys a house in a small shore town. As she gets settled and realizes there is more to the story in this small town.
From the frist page to the last I was sucked in. I couldn't determine what was going to happen next. The Who-dun-it and the what the hell happened are all in this book. Iti s definately a page turner.

Fear Thy Neighbor is a thrilling read by bestselling author, Fern Michaels.

Alison Marshall has always lived a nomadic lifestyle, beginning as a child in the foster care system. When she discovers a cute little cottage for sale just a stone’s throw from the beach, she believes her lifelong dream has finally come true. She decides to stay and make this quaint beach town her permanent home. When strange things begin to occur, she starts to think she’s made a deadly mistake. Will she survive to live her dream?

Fern Michaels pens another novel sure to be a bestseller. The characters are fully-developed with complete backstories. The beach scenery is breathtaking and plays an important role as the perfect setting. The premise and plot are well-defined and fully-realized. I give Fear Thy Neighbor 4 out of 5 stars, deducting for a slightly drawn out ending. I recommend it to all readers of women’s fiction, especially if you like a little suspense.

My thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

I am a huge fan of Fern Michaels and this new book did not disappoint!!!!! I was all into this story w/my mind all over the place. This story was mind blowing!!!!!! Five stars in my opinion

Alison gets an amazing deal on her perfect little cottage on the beach. When she finally feels like her life is coming together and she is making friends strange things start to happen around her. Is it too good to be true? Maybe.

This book wasn’t one of my favorite of Fern Michaels due to parts feeling rushed and unbelievable. Still I thought it was an interesting read and she told a good story. This book definitely would appeal to those who are already fans of Fern Michaels and who are looking for a light book to read by the pool or at the beach.

I want to thank NetGalley, Fern Michaels and Kensington Books, Kensington for this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

When Alison heads out in search of a fresh start once again, she thinks she's found the perfect place to finally set down some roots after a lifetime of feeling like an outsider. But soon she begins to feel like the seemingly idyllic island she's found is too good to be true when problem after problem seems to come up. Add in a reporter investigating a creepy cult, a cold case involving a little girl found on her dream property and some hostile neighbors, and Alison begins to question whether she should have just kept driving past Palmetto Island.

As an avid reader, I know the name Fern Michaels, but I haven't read anything by her before, if you can believe that! But this book really caught my attention, so I decided to give it a try. And it was a great place to start, if you ask me! It was an easy read and I sailed right through it, captivated from the opening chapters. Something is off right away on Palmetto Island, and as a reader, I wanted to know what it was!

Alison herelf was a little tense, a bit dramatic, but knowing her backstory, it was understandable, she had been through a lot - more than anyone should in her short lifetime. It was nice to see her ease as the story went on, though she had to go through a bit to get to the end of the story! This one was a bit of a wild ride as I said in the description, there's a lot going on. But the author weaves all the threads together well to create a good story.

I really liked this story and thought it was a nice vacation to the beach, with a bit of an edge. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a book that's a bit of a mix between a cozy and a mystery/thriller - it has elements of each!

I gave this story 3.5 stars. Usually I can't put down a book written by Fern Michaels, but I there were too many unanswered questions in this story.

Alison Marshall had a horrible childhood. She was in and out of abusive foster homes her entire life until she ran away the day she graduated high school. Now she's 29 years old and finally ready to settle down for good. For the past 12 years she's drifted from different cities in Florida, working hard, saving every dime, and building up her nest egg. When she drives South and stops in Palmetto Island on her way to the Keys, she knows that she's found a place to call home.

The Island is a small, quiet community on the beach and it seems to have everything Alison wants, especially a cute house for sale on the beach. It's the perfect price for a beach home, that makes her decision to live on the Island.

But when strange things start happening after a few weeks, she starts questioning her decision. The locals have a secret and when she finds out what it is, her life is in danger.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

It has been a while since I have read Fern Michaels and this book reminded me of why. The storyline was ok but first I never really found myself liking any of the characters and there are so many parts that are just unbelievable.

I realized that the main problem I have always had with Fern Michaels writing is the way her characters talk. The conversations are so unrealistic that they are distracting.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a gripping, suspenseful book that pulled me right into the life of Alison. It was so interesting to learn of her time in foster care in the prologue and then to hear about her story and life in Florida. I liked that I never quite knew what was going to happen next as I quickly turned the pages to try to figure out what was happening. The book was interesting, thrilling, strange in a good way, and surprising at times as the events unfolded. I enjoyed it. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

Alison had escape her last foster home. After almost being raped. Alison decide she was never going back so ended up living on the streets at times and got waitresses jobs as she got older. When she had enough money, she would quit her job and move on to someplace new. When she arrives at Palmetto Island she stops at the local coffee spot and gets coffee. She calls a realtor about a cottage on the beach in the local newspaper. Alison likes what she sees and buys it. She has made a few friends when she discovers someone has put fish guts in her refrigerator. It stinks up the cottage. She has no idea who did it. As time goes by, she experiences more weird things going on. The locals have a deadly secret.

So much happens to Allison in this novel that I found myself reading and ignoring the world. It’s an excellent suspenseful thriller mystery with a little romance in it. Answers to questions do come but not the answers I expected. It’s an excellent novel.

I enjoyed the prologue and had high hopes.. As I read further I found my mind wandering, skimmed and decided the book was not for me. Ancient cults, a woman with a difficult past trying to find a safe haven that is more horror story than secure landing...just not my cup of tea. It might work better for me at a different point in time but...today it did not hold my interest as I could not relate to the characters or the story.. 2-3 Stars

Alison Marshall, 29, moves to an old beach house on Palmetto Island. Since leaving school, Alison has moved around a lot, regularly changing jobs, but now believes she can settle on Palmetto, even though she had originally intended to only stay a short time. But is the Island the peaceful idyll she is expecting?

Alison's background story captivated me and kept me interested and I was quickly invested in the protagonist's welfare. I thoroughly enjoyed this compelling tale of secrets, suspicion, strange happenings, small-town politics and community life. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I may have been the only person on the planet who hadn't read a Fern Michaels novel. With "Fear They Neighbor," I've joined the masses who enjoy Michaels' power-wielding female characters. As for the plot, it was OK. Woman with a bad past finds her forever home and falls in love with the man of her dreams. However, and that's a big however, the plot is unbelievable. A cult? A psychic? A missing teenager? Really?

The descriptions of the Florida beach are real. Who wouldn't want to leave there, even if someone leaves fish guts in your refrigerator? And the idea of a normal life in a normal seaside community do seem appealing.

The author seems to have a winning formula for her books, preferring protagonists who aren't weak-willed or unwilling to find their inner strength. I look forward to reading another Fern Michaels novel to see if my assumptions run true.

There are mixed reviews on this book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The last few stories stories written by Michaels missed the mark, but this had it all in my opinion. Ali has had a rough life, brought up in the foster care system and unfortunately seemed always placed in families that saw her as a paycheck. She ran away the day she graduated high school and is determined to make something of herself. Now at 29 she is tired of drifting and seems that in her travels the small island of Palmetto Island is calling to her. She doesn’t make friends easily, but something seems to click and she is finally making a few friends. Life isn’t as perfect as she dreams life on the beach town should be. Human bones, cults, little girls disappearing and strange characters are just a few of the crazy she crosses.
There are a couple of storylines, one seemed obvious, but the other had twists and turns, kept you guessing till the end. The ending seemed a little rushed, but it was a page turner.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #FearthyNeighbor