the Block Party was such a fun book! A bit crazy (in the best way) and so many jaw dropping moments that I just couldn't put it down!

The book starts out and it’s Memorial Day, present time. It’s the annual block party on Alton Road and everyone is enjoying themselves until someone gets murdered.
We then go back one year to the last block party and meet the neighbors and learn all about betrayal, rivalries and lies leading up to the murder.
Alex, Nick and Lettie are the Foxes and they host the block party. Emily and Ken are the Adairs and they have two boys, one of which is Dylan. Emily is Alex’s sister. Willow and Evan are the Thompsons and they have a daughter Riley. Riley and Lettie were best friends when they were younger but are no longer friends. Dylan is dating Riley.
Brooke Bailey is a widow who may or may not have pushed her husband off a cruise ship.
The new neighbors are Samir, Mandy and Jay Kumar. Samir appears to be very controlling on Mandy and doesn’t encourage interaction with the neighbors.
The story is told by Alex and Lettie. While there are a lot of characters, it is easy to keep track of them all.

This was definitely a you had me at hello cover and when I saw the title??? Well, when it comes to neighborhood shenanigans I'm always down to clown. I don’t care if the neighborhood story is of the Hallmark Romance variety or a Lifetime Stabby Stabs for Women option. I’m in. I don’t even care if it’s a plot that’s been done a trillion times before as the case was here. I still want to read it.

The Block Party starts with . . . a block party (thank you, Captain Obvious) that literally ended with a bang and then we timehop back to the previous year to find out exactly what went down and who was going to end up in a body bag. Like most of these, Big Little Lies is the most obvious comparison and like most of these, this one was going to pale in comparison. Because it was soooooooo boring! You’d think with drunks and druggies and stalkers and affairs this would have been a page turner, but that was most certainly not the case. And speaking of drunks? By the 18,000th time Alex talked about how much she liked swilling wine . . . ugh.

The worst part of the entire experience? I literally made a note in my Kindle guessing what the superbadawful was that broke the camel’s back . . . . but I had put this one aside so many times to numb my brain with garbage television instead of reading by the time I got to the end I didn’t even care enough to remember what the characters names were so I somehow still surprised myself.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

In Jamie Day's domestic drama/thriller, 'Block Party,' readers are thrust into the glamorous yet twisted world of a high-end cul-de-sac, where secrets are as abundant as the manicured lawns. As a reader, I found myself engrossed in the whirlwind of lying, cheating, murder, & scandalous neighbors that filled the pages, making for an entertaining read.

What sets 'Block Party' apart is its multifaceted narrative structure. Day skillfully weaves together multiple points of view, immersing readers in the lives of the diverse characters during the annual neighborhood block party. While the abundance of characters adds depth to the story, it occasionally led to confusion, making it a challenging task to keep up with the various perspectives.

However, Day's writing prowess shines through, guiding the reader through the maze of characters & plotlines. Despite the initial confusion, the author masterfully ties all the threads together in a satisfying conclusion, leaving no loose ends. The narrative's complexity, though occasionally perplexing, ultimately enhances the overall reading experience.

The novel's strength lies in its ability to evoke a myriad of emotions. From shock to empathy, readers are taken on a roller-coaster ride, mirroring the highs & lows of the characters' lives. The themes of betrayal, deceit, and the facade of suburban bliss are explored with depth, adding layers to the story.

I am looking forward to Jamie Day's future works, hoping to witness more of the author's gripping storytelling and character development. Thank you to #NetGalley, #stmartinspress, & Jamie Day for providing me with an advance copy of this compelling tale. This review is a voluntary expression of my honest thoughts, & I recommend 'Block Party' to readers seeking a thrilling domestic drama filled with suspense, intrigue, and all the feels.

THE BLOCK PARTY
Jamie Day

You are invited to the annual Memorial Day block party held in the exclusive Meadowbrook community.

Are you going to RSVP?

A cast of characters all gather to attend the annual Memorial Day block party. Everyone wants to attend this exclusive party but only a few are invited. By the end of the night, someone ends up dead, someone else is a suspect and everyone wishes they hadn’t attended the party.

I really could’ve done without this interpretation of a neighborhood thriller. Everything felt very basic. Motives were conventional, habits were stereotypical and when you add in dual timelines and a handful of perspectives, it all feels written according to a template and all for not.

There wasn’t anything that the author did wrong, and I wasn’t offended. I also wasn’t intrigued or inspired. It was a mediocre experience with few emotions one way or the other.

Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copies!

THE BLOCK PARTY…⭐️⭐️⭐️

Just ok for me

This book, told in dual perspectives, highlights how neighborhoods can hold secrets all their own. Alex and Lettie, mother and daughter, each have their own vision of how "it" happened that night, and the year leading up to it. There are a lot of characters introduced, and we get drawn into a Desperate Housewives operating model.

Unfortunately there are several trigger topics included in the book that might turn readers away. I hope the finished copy includes warnings. For me, this book was just ok and didn't live up to the hype.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

From the first chapter, Jamie Day had me hooked. I love a twisty thriller and this one delivered. It was face-paced and the character development was there.

Good neighborhood mystery with lots of mayhem, interesting characters, and twists and turns, kind of a modern version of Desperate Housewives. Narration alternates between Alex who knows everyone in the neighborhood and Lexie, her goth high school student. Most of the characters grow and learn something from all the drama. The writing is good, added bonus, I always give props to an author who know how to use the word nonplussed. Can't wait to read her next book.

The Block Party by Jamie Day takes us to the bougee Alton Lane where there is an annual Memorial Day block party. This year the party ends with a band when someone is murdered. Who could have committed such a heinous act? The story is told from Alex, a divorce mediator who overindulges in alcohol and has too much time on her hands, and her seventeen-year-old daughter, Lettie who supports all causes that save the planet (she also dresses in black and wears Doc Martens). Neither character is likeable. Lettie is extremely annoying. She is constantly explaining her behavior and actions (she wants one thing, then changes her mind once it is too late, and then wants to fix it). We get to meet the various residents of Alton Road (a troubled teen, a controlling spouse, a cheating spouse, a sexy widow whose husband died under mysterious circumstances, a vengeful young man, a worried wife). Secrets and lies abound on this street (it is worse than Wisteria Lane). The characters lacked development and their complaints became annoying (the same thing over and over). The story not only alternates POV it also goes between this year’s block party and last year’s block party. There are also chapters that take place in fall, winter, and spring. In addition, there is a Facebook community chat of residents who live on streets near Alton Lane. I did not feel that the chats added anything to the story (people who were jealous because they could not live on Alton Lane, felt snubbed because they are not invited to the annual party, wanting to know the reason for the police presence at the party, etc.). The Block Party is not what I expected. I expected drama, suspense, some humor, and mystery. I wanted to be in on the juicy secrets. The story moved at a snail’s pace and the book is also way too long. None of the characters are likeable. I kept reading because I wanted to see if I correctly guessed the identity of the killer. I did find myself skimming through the middle (I did not need to read Lettie’s reasons for her various actions or why Alex felt the need to overindulge in alcohol). The residents of Alton Lane needed hobbies instead of being occupied with their neighbors’ activities (these people are beyond nosy). The story lacked action and suspense. I was very happy when I turned the final page. Everything is neatly wrapped up at the end with some interesting secrets being brought to light. The Block Party is one event that I will be happy to decline.

This was a really well written family drama/thriller. The multiple POVs made you think that you had a the whole story, but did you? Although there were a lot of characters to keep track of, it was not a chore. Everyone seemed to fit perfectly in their places and confusion of keeping everyone straight was definitely a minimum. This was a slow burn in a way that you weren't sure how reliable everyone was at telling the accurate story. Even though there was scandal, betrayals, stalkers, murder, this is still a neighborhood I would want to live in. I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of their lives for the short time I was reading this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This book started with a bang and caught my attention right away. Current day Memorial Day block party in an exclusive cul de sac and sudenyl there is reports of a death. Finding out who, if anyone, is dead takes the remainder of the book and a lot of back and forth from current day to the goings on of the previous year. It seems like all of the residents of Alton Road have something to hide and unravelling the lies somehow dragged a little in the middle of the book. The character's lives made me start to lose interest as it felt like there was too much going on at once, sometimes. Overall, I thought the storyline was good with lots of twists and a few red herrings, maybe a few too many though.

This book was a lot of fun to read. Told in two viewpoints (mother Alex and daughter Lettie), in alternating chapters, the format was easy to handle, given there were several characters in the story. Taking place over a year, from one neighborhood summer block party to the next, there is a lot of drama to unpack. Lettie, a high school senior, is smarter, wiser and kinder than some of the adults in the neighborhood. I enjoyed watching the story unfold through her eyes. Her mother, Alex, is at most times quite tipsy, although well-meaning and even entertaining.

The story? Someone on the block has been murdered! But who was murdered, by whom, and why? As the book progresses, the members of the neighborhood slowly reveal their characters, thereby providing pieces to the puzzle. I didn't have it fully put together until the end, although I had my suspicions! Recommended.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the complimentary e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Alton Road’s residents have their fair share of secrets that they’ve kept from each other and from everyone else. One secret entwined with another or about another. . .

The annual summer block party ends with a murder. Rewind a year and follow the residents of Alton Road through a series of events to find out who had motive and who is responsible.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. #NetGalley #TheBlockParty

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. I love good thrillers and this story was well crafted with lots of different characters. Some you'd love and other you'd detest. Surprisingly enough I didn't expect the end that way. A must read I highly recommend

What do you get when you mix neighborhood busybodies, family dramas, teenage angst and romance with alcohol and drugs? You get a bunches of stories that add up to a sort of closed room (neighborhood in this case) who did what to whom mystery. Our characters learn from their mistakes, wise up, reconcile and recommit to themselves and their families. The book doesn’t leave you hanging and kept my attention throughout even though I didn’t like all the characters. Good escapist fiction

An uneven domestic thriller. It is fast paced until it is not. The ending was somewhat telegraphed and the characters aren’t the most likable. All in all a decent summer read.

On the night of the annual block party on Alton road, there has been a murder. This is an exclusive neighborhood. This is not supposed to happen on this street at all! But, then the secrets start to come out and things are not as they seem!

Ok…this is just my opinion. This story is a mess…or maybe it is just too soap opera for me. So, this maybe your type of read. I just felt like there were too many story lines, too many characters and not enough connections and a lot of gossip. Plus, it has quite a few repetitions. Just got on my nerves more than it should.

It did keep me entertained all the way through. It was just a tale that I didn’t much care about.

The narrator, Megan Tusing and Suzy Jackson did a pretty bang up job. I do love a tag team!

Need a soap opera type read…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Although I do like books with multiple POVs, the plot of this book was wholeheartedly underwhelming. I found myself speed reading to get through it.

This was a fun book to listen to! In the vein of "Bad Summer People" by Emma Rosenblum (which I loved) and "Cul-de-Sac" by Joy Fielding (which I DNF'd) this was a solid middle-of-the-road thriller. Filled with neighborhood drama and adults acting like children, this is a quick summer read.

Every summer, Alton Road throws a block party before the kids go back to school. This year's party, however, is ushered in with new neighbors who are unfriendly and don't seem to fit the street's vibe. The new neighbors aren't the only ones hiding things, however... From infidelity to blackmail to substance abuse, this is one messed up community.

Juicy, Solid, and a Quick read, you won't want to live on Alton Road after reading this.

Man, I love a twisty thriller and this one delivered. So many timelines and voices in this story along with being fast-paced made it a win for me! I guessed a few of the twists but not all and I loved the use of the social media to transition between timelines. Everyone loves to speculate on neighborhood drama so it was fun to feel like I was right there with the adjoining neighborhoods.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!