First time reading this author and I was pleasantly surprised! Loved the plot and the story idea which was fresh and new in this genre! My only critique would be that the booked dragged out a bit in the latter second half! Telling the story from the vantage point of the two woman, without adding in the villain Liam may have made for a more powerful book! Thank you Evian for the advanced readers copy - will check out more from this author!

I wish that I hadn’t read the Publisher’s Summary of Alison James’s book “The New Couple.” I would’ve been a lot more surprised - so if it’s possible, don’t read the summary. This book is an interesting idea with some twists. It took a little while to get going but once things started rolling, it was an engaging read. My two quibbles would be (a) repeated conversations due to the multiple points of view and rehashing of information, and (b) one character being so incredibly obsessed about another couple seemed a bit Miss Marple Jr to me. I also was a bit taken aback by one part toward the end where someone admits to doing something and has this idea that “okay, closed the door on that - let’s move on with life” that that would magically fix everything. Again, this was an interesting idea and I liked the overall plan of how to accomplish the plot - even if it wasn't exactly well thought out beyond "let's do it!"

Thank you for the advanced copy, I think this may be my first book by this author, I was drawn to it by the cover.

This book had a lot going on - some suspenseful moments, lots of intrigue and various points of view set around what some would believe to be the perfect life!

Ideal afternoon read

The writing in the beginning of this convoluted story was stilted—Jane describing her neighbors and neighborhood. She was likable, if a bit boring, until she really started putting together the pieces of who Stephanie and Richard Hamblin were. Keren and Liam were awful. I skimmed both their parts of the book since they repeated Jane’s story from their horrible, dim witted perspectives. The ending was sad.

The New Couple, by Alison James

The premise of A New Couple by Alison James is very interesting and unique. It is a twisty story with juicy lies and ultimate betrayal.

Synopsis:
When Richard and Stephanie Hamlin win a house, their quaint close-knit neighborhood is buzzing with excitement. A house is not something you win everyday, but as neighbors drop by to welcome the young family they notice strange occurring events. What secrets are Richard and Stephanie hiding?

A New Couple is a slow burn that takes a bit to get into. The book is told from several different perspectives with an overall intriguing plot. The characters are a mixture of likeable versus unsavory which kept me quickly turning the pages. Although the plot feels a touch long, the ending ties the book together with a satisfying conclusion. This is my first read by Alison James and I look forward to reading more of her work.

The New Couple by Alison James is available on September 27th.
(3.75 ⭐⭐⭐💫)

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for sharing this unique book with me. Your kindness is appreciated.

Thank you to Bookouture for the arc for this book! :))

My initial thoughts for this book were that it would be similar to The Family Upstairs, mainly because the covers were pretty similar lol.

I thought the way the story was structured was a good way of creating suspense. I didn’t really understand if Jane was going to have a big part in the plot after her section ended but I was glad to see her POV again at the end, otherwise it would’ve been quite pointless. Although I didn’t really like Jane much as a character, especially at the start. She was quite judgemental and snobbish, but I suppose if she lives in a very posh area like that she would be. I didn’t like how she judged Danielle just because she was a stay at home mum and goes to the gym; I feel like there could’ve been more traits of hers that made her unlikeable. Her fake tanning isn’t really enough.
Keren was a far more interesting character, and I thought it was pretty cool to see how she was connected to the Hamlins when her section first began. All the puzzle pieces began to connect and make a lot more sense. This is something else I liked about the book, it brought everything back to a nice ending that tied up any loose ends and was clean.
As for Liam, he didn’t really seem like an interesting character; he was pretty two dimensional and making him an angry person who likes to control women is just something we should see on the surface rather than his entire personality. We see him get stressed a few times but his thought processes aren’t delved into much deeper which is disappointing because the whole thing was his idea. Would’ve been nice to see more of a personality to him.

The writing is, for the most part, basic. It’s very monotone - she did this, she wore that, then she said this. It wasn’t very captivating and I would find myself skipping sentences just to get to the next plot point. One thing that took me out of it was how much such mundane things were talked about, just facts and figures. There was a whole paragraph and dialogue about getting a mortgage, getting a new job, how much bills cost etc. It felt so randomly placed and wasn’t interesting to read.
Some scenes would also just be repetitive - a dinner scene then Jane talks to a neighbour then another dinner scene. I understand why Jane thinks her life is a little dull.
Sometimes the dialogue is a little out of place too. Too many ‘bruvs’ (I say this as a south Londoner) and people Liam and Keren’s age don’t really say ‘Christ’s sake, woman’.
The ending was good, but it was pretty coincidental - they had great luck on their side. But I suppose it adds some more drama, even though it felt a little rushed.

I appreciated that it was a fast paced read though it did feel like an ITV drama. Overall I would rate it a 2.5/3 but Goodreads doesn’t allow half stars. I think it was a good, quick read with good plot twists (I did genuinely gasp a couple of times) but it’s not one for a lot of mulling over once you’re finished.

Loved this book! Stephanie and Richard Hamlin win a dream home in a charity raffle. It's in an upscale neighbourhood where everyone knows each other business. Bored neighbour Jane takes an interest in the Hamlin's, and quickly realizes that they may not be who they say they are.

The story has 3 sections (different POVs) and is a quick paced suburban thriller. I recommend this book for readers that love Shari Lapena's the Couple Next Door.

The New Couple by Alison James is another compelling and fast-paced thriller that kept me glued to the pages. The talented Ms James has done it again, and you will want to add this one to your TBR.

The neighbourhood in the exclusive Sycamore Gardens is abuzz when one of its beautiful homes is won by the Hamlin family. Everyone is anxious to meet the new couple and their infant daughter Poppy, none more than Jane, who hopes that the distraction of the new arrivals will act as a salve for her own unhappiness. But when the young couple enter the neighbourhood, something does not sit right with the other residents. Just who is this mysterious couple who have arrived seemingly out of nowhere with more secrets than baggage?

This is an exhilarating read that I could not put down. Bingeable from start to finish.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this book... a Good plot, a bit slow but read through to the end. The story seemed a little familiar and predictable but a good escape for the afternoon

As always when this author has
New book out everything else comes to a
Stand still as I want to devour it in one go. This one was no exception. It was slow burning with lots of twists and turns and with every turn of
The page wanted to read on to find out more.

It is told from different Characters perspectives namely Jane being the main narrator and how her nosey neighbour obsession could lead
To more than what she bargained for and also shows us that behind closed doors not everything is always as it seems on the outside.

This was a quick read and would make a good tv drama. Look forward to this authors next book.

Thank you for the ARC!!!

I enjoyed the theme of seeming like the perfect couple/having a perfect life or circumstance happen (like winning the lottery) and instead it turns into a nightmare or not what you expected at all. I also loved the varying perspectives. I had some issues with the slang and it not feeling like the other novels I read which are set in the US with vocabulary I’m familiar with, but overall an enjoyable read!

It was an ok book. Yes it had suspense and mystery, but it just didn't hold my attention. Once again thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

⭐️⭐️.The New Couple tells the story of a couple who win a house in a charity lottery and move in to a very prestigious neighborhood. It’s another tale of the nosy neighbor as Jane believes something is up with the odd Stephanie and Richard Hamblin. The story is told from 3 perspectives. There’s a lot of twists and turns but I had it figured out (mostly) early on. I didn’t enjoy parts of the POV chapters as they were exact copies of the story I already read with dialogue being exactly the same. If there are no new insights, I don’t really see copying and pasting the same dialogue. Parts are a little slow but the writing is enjoyable. I’ve read a TON of thrillers set in the UK but this one had a lot of slang and sayings that I had no idea what they meant. That was a first for me. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Wow, this is a great read!! I was hooked from the first page and raced through it! You need to read it!

Stephanie and Richard Hamlin are the lucky winners of a lottery for a gorgeous house at 12 Sycamore Gardens. The neighbors of this close-knit community are all atwitter when the young couple moves in, with Jane Headley at number 6 being particularly curious. Jane is eager to meet the new neighbors and help them get settled in, only to find herself rebuffed by their frosty attitudes. But that doesn’t deter Jane, she’s more curious than ever to figure out what’s going on with her mysterious neighbors.

I think the blurb is a bit spoiler-y, so I recommend not reading it and going into this one blind. This is a solid mystery told from the perspective of three narrators. One is Jane, and the other two are her new neighbors. I love multiple narrator novels, but this one is a bit repetitive with more than one narrator recounting dialogue word for word. It’s got plenty of twists, with some I easily guessed and some that were a surprise. Overall, an enjoyable and quick read.

This book does depend on a personal pet peeve of mine – the inexplicably over-invested character. Why on earth does Jane care so much about what her neighbors are up to? Most people would probably just steer clear and give these neighbors the side eye, but Jane is kind of obsessed. Her husband and others even tell her to knock it off with the busybody routine, but she’s too wrapped up in her amateur sleuthing. It seems so implausible that a person would put their relationships and even their personal safety at risk over someone they barely know, but again, this is just a “me” thing and lots of other readers won’t mind it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Good book! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, and a few crazy twists! The storyline was very interesting and had me glued to my Kindle! I definitely enjoyed reading this book! I will recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

As I step through the cherry-red door of my new home, I know I should feel like the luckiest woman alive. I have a handsome husband, a beautiful daughter and now the house of my dreams. And to everyone else my life looks perfect…
When the neighbours stop by to welcome us, I tell them my name is Stephanie Hamlin and, under the watchful gaze of my husband Richard, I introduce him and our curly haired little girl Poppy. I smile as wide as I can and desperately hope I can fit in to this exclusive place with its pretty communal gardens. Because I’ve risked everything to be here.
Behind closed doors I try to relax, to unwind in the huge clawfoot bath and forget about my complicated past. It’s hard being the new couple on the street when you’ve got secrets.
Wow totally gripping really enjoyable read totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture
I just reviewed The New Couple by Alison James. #TheNewCouple #NetGalley

This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher for the electronic copy. This is a unique mystery...intrigue...family and friends...love and romance...careers...secrets...a new couple moves into the neighborhood...they are different...who are they really? Did they win the house? This talented and gifted author has written a novel that is fiction but reads somewhat like nonfiction...it could happen...it could be a series on television or a movie...it is a cannot put down book...red herrings...the ending is a real surprise...not easily guessed...I enjoyed this book. It was different...it was a mystery that was easily understood...enjoy this...I do wish the language had been left out...it did not add to the story.