3.5 stars

This book was good, not great. I couldn’t really root for any of the characters but none of them were all bad either. Alex might have been my least favorite tbh. She was a little too nosy and gossipy for me and ignorant about it to boot. Not quite sure how I feel about the layout of the book since I kinda had to go back and read the 1st part over again to remember. Nice plot, good characters. Would definitely give author another shot.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This felt like a season of Desperate Housewives and I am HERE. FOR. IT.

Seemingly independent storylines all end up converting in a way I would have never expected to tie a neat bow on an otherwise dramatic story?! YES. This is my kind of domestic suspense!

While I really enjoyed the multiple storylines and how they converged at the end, there were SO many subplots to follow that I found it sometimes distracting instead of entertaining. I often found myself going back to reread parts to fully understand the story. There were a few subplots that I could have done without.

Overall, there are definitely some triggers in this book and some incredibly heavy topics. The topics aren't deeply addressed, more so mentioned, so I would read triggers before picking this one up. There were a few jarring scenes that I could imagine might be an issue for some.

I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a domestic suspense that errs on b*tchy over scary!

The Block party of the year goes sideways and it is so scandalous you just cannot stop reading! It gave me a Desperate Housewives vibe which I loved as it was one of my favorites! I am glad that there was only 2 POV in this book as I was able to keep everything straight. This book was fun and kept you sucked into the story and wanting to know who is dead and who isn’t. Who did it? I am greatful to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this!

This was such an intriguing thriller. It gave me Desperate Housewives feels. The author does a fabulous job engaging the reader. Each chapter ends on a cliff hanger and kept me on the edge of my seat. I liked how the book was written with a dual POV, one a teenage girl and the other, her mother. There's mystery, betrayal, secrets, and.......murder. This is a party you definitely don't want to miss.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed reading this book. A little slow at times, but there was a solid story and solid ending. I think there could have been a few things left out to move through it a bit quicker. Told in alternating POVs from present day and last year, the Block Party focuses on a group of neighbors who get together each year and have…you guessed it! A block party. Someone is murdered at this year’s party, and there is also an online forum that is debating the rumors of a murder and whodunnit. I enjoyed these little forays into the online forum and found them entertaining and funny. The characters were, while sometimes infuriating, very well developed and believable.

*2.5 stars rounded up

I went into this book thinking I was getting a mystery/thriller. What I got was mostly domestic drama. Not that I don't like a good domestic drama if it's done well, but I had quite a few problems with this one.

Let's start with the positives.

The writing is very simplistic, so it's easy to read this very quickly. The chapters are very short, too, usually just 5-7 pages, so that also helps keep you turning the pages.

For the most part, I did want to know what was going on with the various mysteries, even though they weren't very strong. So, I was motivated to finish the story, even though by the end I couldn't stop rolling my eyes at the conclusion.

Also, even though the two main characters, Alex and her daughter Lettie, were a bit annoying, they were well fleshed out and easy to connect to. Most of the side characters...not so much.

Here were my problems.

The writing. I know it was in the positive section above, but the dialogue was so cringy at times! There also wasn't much description, either. It's very bare bones writing. So, while that does mean you can read it quickly, it wasn't interesting to read either.

The other problem that frequently took me out of the story was the logical inconsistencies. A lot of mystery/thrillers have this problem for me, so I'm willing to overlook some things. But so many things just didn't make any sense.

So, if you're looking for an easy-to-read domestic drama with some light mystery elements, I'd say give this a go. But it's far from being a favorite read of the year for me unfortunately.

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital arc. All opinions are my own.

This book had my name written ALL over it!

Neighbourhood drama, scandals and gossip, with a touch of murder.

I could not wait to get my hands on this book, I was so ecstatic when I got approved to read this.

The annual summer block party on the exclusive Alton Road cul-de-sac, is one to remember when someone is murdered.

The suspense slowly builds in this book. You’re just itching to find out what happens. But so many little details throughout the book, have you guessing who is guilty and who is the victim. Almost like breadcrumbs being dropping.

It was so simple who the guilty party was, and it all made sense. I really enjoyed this book!!


Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a DRC. The Block Party is available now!

Block Party opens with a crime being committed during the annual Memorial Day block party and the rest is the book tells the story leading up to that fateful day, slowly revealing clues as to what happened and who was the victim. It had all the vibes of a Liane Moriarty book and Desperate Housewives with a neighborhood chatroom speculating what happened and then the rest of the book dangling clues with dual POVs and unveiling all of the secrets, scandals and deceptions of the various neighbors. This street was full of lies, secret trysts, drama and conflict. No one can be trusted, more and more wild things came to light and everyone was a suspect. It was pure summer fun reading and I was so hooked watching it unfold.

The Memorial Day neighborhood block party is a big event each year on the exclusive cul de sac of Alton Road. Between one party and the next year, the tensions between the neighbors builds as gossip and secrets eventually lead to violence.
There’s something really entertaining about a group of neighbors who are gossipy, back stabbing and interfering and these scenarios usually make really good thrillers. This book had the potential for some good twists and surprises but it just fell flat for me. The “bad guys” were obvious and it seemed like there were really too many motives and far-fetched events leading up to the climax. I felt like the plot was forced and most of the squabbles unnecessary. Overall, the book wasn’t boring but certainly not a five star read.
#NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress

The Block Party is a really fun and juicy read, perfect for summer! This neighborhood had everything: gossipy neighbors, revenge, affairs, stalkers, teenage drama and it all culminated at the annual Memorial Day block party. This one had me guessing and on the edge of my seat until the end!

The Block Party
Author Jamie Day

Thank you, @stmartinspress, @netgalley, @macmillianaudio, and @librofm, for my #gifted e- arc and audiobook! I listened to this one narrated by Megan Tusing and Suzy Jackson, and it was a perfect summer audio read!

The Block Party ~ you'll die if you miss it~

At the annual summer block party for the residents of the affluent Alton Road, there has been a murder.

It's not clear who committed the murder, nor is it clear why, so Jamie Day brings her readers back a year and winds us down the suburban road filled with white picket fences, betrayal, gorgeous gardens, secrets, seemingly perfect homes, and lots of questions as to what goes on behind the beautiful closed doors.

The Block Party is quick, witty, entertaining, and suspenseful, and the many residents of Alton Road have so much going on in their lives that proves once again, that you have no idea what others are going through! Gossip, drama, romance, mystery - The Block Party has it all! Absolutely a perfect summer read!

THE BLOCK PARTY is full of drama and told in two timelines: we start out at a neighborhood Memorial Day block party, which ends with murder. Then we go back in time one year to see how we got to this point.

There’s gossip, cheating, drug and alcohol abuse, secrets, and plenty of mystery. You don’t find out exactly what’s going on until the last few pages.

I know many people enjoyed this one, but it was a bit slow moving for me. I didn’t really connect with the characters so it was difficult for me to get invested. I have to admit that while the ending was satisfying, with some big surprises, it took everything in me to get there.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of THE BLOCK PARTY in exchange for my honest opinion.

If you are looking for a book that grabs you from page one, this is the book for you! The Block Party has all the ingredients that make up a tasty summer read—secrecy, gossip, rumors, infidelity, addiction, and murder. Everyone in this exclusive cul-de-sac has something to hide and lots to lose. I read this book quickly because I did not want to put it down. This book was a five star read!

I had very high hopes for this book but unfortunately it just got boring. Many times domestic thrillers start to blend together, and for this one I was really waiting for that thing that made it memorable. But it never arrived. The characters were fun as well as the setting.

Review of The Block Party by Jamie Day

A huge thank you to @stmartinspress as well as @getredprbooks for the copy of this book. I enjoyed reading it with my friends in
the #sqafbookclub. It’s always a good time with that crew! This book was so fun! It screamed of summer, and I loved the entire summer vibe it had. But of course, it is my favorite genre thriller, so it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. I loved the neighborhood drama and the mystery and who was murdered and why. It was well written, and I loved the piece throughout the book. I definitely will be picking up the next book by the author.

Synopsis from Amazon:

This summer, meet your neighbors.

The residents of the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal utterly unknown to the outside world, and even to each other.

On the night of the annual Summer block party, there has been a murder.

But, who did it and why takes readers back one year earlier, as rivalries and betrayals unfold―discovering that the real danger lies within their own block and nothing―and no one―is ever as it seems

This read certainly kept my attention as I eagerly read to see who was murdered. I loved the local commentary interspersed through the story. The characters were very interesting and the interconnections between them well thought out and revealed in suspenseful ways.
So enjoyed both Lettie’s and Dylan’s storylines, and amazingly each character’s storyline was interesting and seemed very realistic. The ending brings everything full circle. This read is a perfect blend of family drama and suspense causing the reader to feel they cannot put the book down but have to read more to figure out what is happening.
Many many thanks to Jamie Day, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this just released read - which I highly recommend.

What an expertly woven story. I loved reading this and trying to figure things out before they were revealed. A great read.

DNF. Just wasn’t feeling this one. Too many characters. So many unreliable characters. Kind of boring. Drunk female trope. Blah.

I love block parties! Getting to commune with your neighbors can be a bonding experience however, this is one block party that I hope to never encounter! The Block Party contained a quite bit of everything from drama (lots of it), lies, cheating, heavy drinking, revenge, stalking, and even murder. The story is told by two perspectives: Alex; fixer, mediator, heavy wine drinker, the good and responsible neighbor, open minded mother and Lettie; Alex’s rebellious, environmentalist, intelligent, observant, misfit daughter! And did they tell a story! This book had suspense, twist, turns, mayhem and madness. The conclusion was heart pounding! I recommend this book. #THEBLOCKPARTY #NETGALLEY

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬💭:
The summer feels of this book captured me. I was really intrigued by the story and i was really in the mood for a summer thriller. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my e-ARC and Macmillan Audio for my audiobook. It recently came out this week!

𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛📝:
A yearly block party is hosted by the residents of a cul-de-sac on Alton Rd. This year, a murder happens and secrets emerge that shake what once was a peaceful neighborhood apart.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. This story had so much potential. However, I felt like it focused alot on the drama more than what I was interested in, the murder mystery. I was captivated initially, but I totally got lost in between because of how the plot felt a bit all over the place. I didn’t mind the multiple characters involved, but somehow there were too many stories that the author wanted to tell that I felt were unnecessary. It finally picked up towards the end but it didn’t have that wow factor for me.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚: 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢, 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘴