I wanted to like this book and it did start off ok, but it fell flat for me. While I normally enjoy multiple POVs, some of the views of this story just missed the mark for me. It was a bunch of drama and marital issues and secrets, but not salacious.

The Block Party was a miss for me. It was extremely slow, predictable, and the characters were quite “meh”. The idea was there, it just wasn’t my favorite.

This follows the residents of Alton Road during their annual Memorial Day block party. There are a lot of secrets and betrayals in this little affluent suburban neighborhood that culminate into an unexpected tragedy on what was supposed to be a family, fun filled day. This was a bit slow, if I'm being honest. I am not sure if I would have finished it had this not been an audiobook. It didn't feel like too much actually happens throughout the year leading up to the party. Secrets slowly unravel, but that is about it. Nothing really shocked me or left me in suspense. I did enjoy the online neighborhood community page and thought it was a hilarious and fun inclusion.

Juicy and delightfully entertaining.

Dramatic and highly addictive like Desperate Housewives and I'm definitely here for it. Yes please.

I absolutely loved it.

✨𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀✨
• domestic suspense
• not so perfect marriages
• alternating POV
• many characters with intertwining stories
• women’s fiction
• don’t keep secrets from your family

✨ 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 ✨
Holy characters all over the place and everyone is all up in everyone’s business! This is basically up there with Desperate Housewives in terms of marriages all over the place, and even the teenagers getting commingled in their own drama (that still ends up coming back to the parents).

The many characters sometimes made it difficult to keep up which added to the confusion of “whodunit”?

Nosy Alex sometimes got on my nerves, but how else were we to get in on the drama?

I don’t get why the alternating point of view changed from third person to first person between two characters.

There was one really good twist in there, but the rest of it was just bonkers super rich people doing crazy, rich people things. Like I said in Quick Takes: don’t keep secrets from your family.

Very good suburban whodunit! I was sucked in by the many characters and their dramas. It is like a Desperate Housewives remake with all that’s going on! I could’ve done with less Lettie drama but it all came together in the end very well.

Block Party by Jamie Day
- June 11, 2023
5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review

Loved, loved, loved this novel! Okay, there are certain types of novels that are kind of made for me and this is definitely one of them. I love books that are set during a neighborhood get together and if it is set during some kind of holiday? Even better. You want to know what will make me love it even more? When we flashed back to a year prior to see what led up to the crime! This had it all. This will become one of my yearly reads. I will be purchasing it and reading it again. I adored the narrators Suzy Jackson and Megan Tusing.

If you love the things I mentioned in this review then I would suggest you read this because you will love it!

I usually only request books from Netgalley from authors I've read before but I read the synopsis of this one and just fell in love. The book definitely lived up to my expectations. It was thrilling, startling, and surprising in all of the best ways. A star taken away because there were a few parts I disliked, including the daughter's POV. I wish the author had done more than two POVs. But overall this is a thriller to remember.

fun! really enjoyed reading & listening to this. Felt like it was a little too long, but there were lots of secrets and storylines to wrap up! Thank you NetGalley!!

This book was such a disappointment, A classic suburban murder mystery that's been done before, this didn't bring anything new or exciting to the genre.

This was a jam-packed story with a cast of dynamic and dysfunctional characters.

The story is told from dual POVs: Alex and her daughter, Lettie. It begins with Alex leaving the block party early and passing out drunk at home. She later wakes up to the sound of sirens blaring and finds out that someone has died at the party.

Rewind to the previous year, and we get to know the neighbors a little better. On the outside, they appear to live perfect lives, but behind closed doors they have their own problems to deal with and some overlap with one another. While these characters were all developed very well, there were so many of them to keep track of that it got to be a bit confusing at times.

Overall, I enjoyed the drama that ensued throughout this book, especially the huge twists that are finally revealed. The only thing I didn’t like as much was Lettie’s POV. Those chapters felt more like they belonged in a YA book, and while I understand she was a teenager and her POV contributed to the story, it wasn’t quite what I was interested in reading.

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of this book to review.*

I received this from the publisher for review. This is one of those great popcorn mysteries that you can polish off in an afternoon. First, can we take a minute to love the fact that this takes place on a cul-de-sac? I have a dream of living on a cul-de-sac, so I knew from the first sentence of the description I was in! I loved the juicy secrets and dilemmas of the characters, how they intertwined and just how messy things can get when people are hiding their truths.
Its a great read to cuddle up with for the afternoon and go on a ride of who done it and what are they hiding.

This was a fun summer read and gives off Big Little Lies vibes. There were a lot of characters to keep up with as well as subplots. This one started off strong in the beginning but dragged in the middle, which led to not maintaining my interest .

A special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read "The Block Party" prior to publication.

I love thrillers and domestic thrillers are a personal favorite of mine. This book was a fun mixture of "Desperate Housewives" and "Gossip Girl" with quite a bit of mystery and twists sprinkled through.

To me, there were far too many characters. I felt I never was able to understand their motivations and felt often jumbled about how did what and what their background was as the perspective switched back and forth.

Overall, a satisfying domestic thriller that kept me guessing all the way through.

The Block Party tells of what tragedy transpires at the annual Alton Road block party and then slowly reveals what led up to it and who were the victims, who were the perpetrators and why. It is a story of neighbors guessing what their neighbors are like behind closed doors, while trying to keep their own personal, private lives from becoming the newest gossip, while trying to connect with each other and becoming friends. It is a story of families experiencing heartbreak, grief, loss, addiction, divorce and depression. It is about mothers, sisters, daughters and women's connections to each other--do we support or sabotage? A twisty mystery that is addictive to the satisfying end! I loved it and would love to see it as a streaming series!

A gripping and suspenseful novel that delves into the hidden lives of the residents on Alton Road. Set in an exclusive cul-de-sac, the story takes an unexpected turn when a murder occurs during the annual Summer block party. The author skillfully weaves a web of secrets and scandals, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as they uncover rivalries and betrayals that occurred in the year leading up to the tragic event. The characters are well-developed, with their layers of secrets and hidden motives adding depth to the plot. ultimately a thrilling mystery that will leave you guessing until the very end.

This plot has been done quite a bit. I did enjoy the writing and pacing and how the story unfolds. The twist just wasn’t good enough I guess
3.5 stars

What a drama filled, twisty adventure. The Block Party is full of secrets, lies, and a bunch of nosey neighbors. I figured out one of the main secrets well before it was fully revealed, but I still enjoyed the suspense of wondering if I was correct and seeing how all the secrets would unfold. The number of characters added to the intrigue when trying to figure out who was guilty of what, but I did often have a hard time keeping them all straight. I almost needed an Alton Rd family tree cheat sheet. This book would be great for anyone who enjoys a domestic suspense thriller in a boujee neighborhood. There are lots of suspects and they all have their own motives! (pub date July 18).

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC via NetGalley.

I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. It kept me on my toes and the author gave just enough material to give me a glimpse behind the veil without getting a true reveal until the end. Deftly written, suspenseful, and at times jarring - it was all good things one could hope for in a thriller suspense.

Also, I love the bug man.

I received an ARC courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of The Block Party. The Block Party is the story of. a murder during a yearly Memorial Day party in an upscale neighborhood. The drama unfolds between many characters, as told by two narrators. The book reminded me of Desperate Housewives, and there are lots of twists. Ideally read in the summer, this book is suspenseful and fun.