This was my first book by the author, and though the premise intrigued me, I have to say, it fell pretty flat. The characters were bland and frankly, there were so many of them it took me a bit to figure it out. All in all, not one for me.

Thank you to getredpr, St. Martin’s Press and Jamie Day for the ARC!

It’s that time again - the annual Memorial Day Block Party on Alton Road, where the neighbors get together to socialize and begin their summer. Alton Road is considered the “elite” part of the neighborhood, and the other neighbors know it. For Alex, everything has to be just right; for her daughter Lettie, she is just bidding her time until she goes to college. But when gunshots ring out during the party, it becomes apparent this year’s party is like no other.

This was a fun summer read! The Block Party starts with a bang, and then we are transported back to the prior year’s party, where new people were introduced to the neighborhood and we see the background of several characters. There was a pretty big group of characters but I didn’t have any issues keeping them straight and seeing how their lives interwined was fun. The neighborhood also had a message board where the neighbors outside of Alton Road gossiped and that added a nice touch of humor to this story of domestic suspense. Told from the perspectives of Alex and Lettie, I thought the multiple point-of-view worked well in unfolding this story. With clever twists and a fun plot, this was an impressive debut novel that I can see being quite popular as a beach read.

Trigger Warnings: statutory rape, drug/alcohol abuse, domestic/gun violence

“The Block Party” releases July 18th! This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

This book is definitely full of all the rich people drama one could imagine. I enjoyed the alternating perspectives between Alex and her daughter Lettie. Though there were numerous characters to keep up with throughout the novel, it didn’t feel overwhelming since we see everything through the eyes of Alex and Lettie. I was definitely interested and kept turning the pages to find out who was killed and who did it, but I have to say that as the reveals started rolling in, I was underwhelmed. To avoid spoilers I won’t go into details, but just know that some of the secrets in this neighborhood are downright disgusting. I prefer my twists to be surprising rather than icky. Nevertheless, this was a quick read that kept me invested to the end. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a domestic suspense thriller that involves a ton of drama and self-absorbed characters. The writing is fun, and it doesn’t hide much which makes it an easy read, but the characters are so irritating that this was a bit difficult to read.

I tried to get into this book but just couldn't the writing was not great and the story did not keep my interest in the slightest.

The Block Party by Jamie Day was a 5⭐️ for me. I really enjoyed it with its drama, noisy neighbors, cheaters, lovers, addicts and young adults! Yes, all of that was in this novel. It just got crazier and crazier and it was good. I loved the writing style. And I have to say that this was the messiest neighborhood I’ve ever laid my eyes on. It’s told in 2 POV that are past and present narratives. The was shocking with great twist and turns. I read and listened to this. The narrates were Megan Tusing and Suzy Jackson and they were perfect. I highly recommend it.
Thanks Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

3.5-3.75⭐️

It looks like a debut, having heard a few early favourable reviews for this I didn’t want to miss out. It’s this fear which keeps my tbr pile massive. A domestic suspense, with a murder at its heart. The annual street party ( is this a US tradition? as I’ve seen it mentioned in a few books )

Having been forewarned that there’s a lot of characters ( there’s 15 families- and 30+ children thank goodness for the no shows!)I kept a list- I’m easily confused!

The time frame moves between the present day Memorial bbq and the previous year, and rounds up on the following Memorial Day. The main narrators are Alex the block party organiser and her daughter Lettie.

What I enjoyed
1. It’s got plenty going on. They all have secrets and lies to protect.
2. Lettie’s PoV gives it a younger vibe.
3. Lots of twists and turns with surprises.
4. We don’t find out who is murdered until the end.

What I wasn’t so keen on
1. I can’t say that I liked any of the characters, so wasn’t invested in the outcome.
2. Unfortunately I have very recently read a similar themed book which I felt was handled more effectively, that I couldn’t help drawn comparisons.
3. I think the cast could have been smaller, it only needed the main players. I don’t feel that it needs the social media group chat - the gossip didn’t add anything and it just added more names into an overcrowded scenario.

For me this was an ok read. I think I would have enjoyed the audiobook book version more.

3.5 stars
The Block Party starts on Memorial Day in an upper class suburban neighborhood. Someone is murdered at the block party. We then go back a year and unravel the lives of the main characters living on Alton Road. It was a good summer read, but a bit lengthy.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a reader’s copy of this book. My reviews never contain spoilers and are freely given.
The Block Party is a domestic thriller centered on a group of families who live on the same street. Every Memorial Day there is a block party for residents. At one block party, tragedy occurs.
Every family has flawed members and the families are inter-related in ways both obvious and subtle. As you move through the story the relationships become more clear, leading to the tragedy.
The characters are interesting; some detestable and some very empathetic. The story resolves nicely and it is an easy read.

I really enjoyed this story. It was an exciting thriller. The characters, though there was a lot, were easy to keep track of.
I enjoyed when the puzzle pieces started coming together at the end, because it seemed like there was a lot in question. But I think there was one too many things going on. It made the ending drag out a bit.
Otherwise I really enjoyed this book.

This is not your average neighborhood! They’ve got enough drama for an entire city. We’re talking addiction, blackmail, cheating, domestic abuse, marital discord, unruly teenagers, etc. You name it and the folks on Alton Road are most likely connected to it in some way. There’s even a stalker! It’s no wonder someone ends up dead at their annual block party!

I couldn’t ask for anything more in a domestic thriller. This was twisty and shocking. There are a lot of characters, but once you can keep everyone straight, you won’t be able to put the book down. If you’re a fan of Desperate Housewives or On a Quiet Street, you’ll definitely enjoy this salacious neighborhood drama.

This brought back memories of the show, Knots Landing! The residents of the elite cul-de-sac on Alton Road seemingly are living a charmed life, until this year at their annual Memorial Day block party there is a murder. Flashing back over the previous year, all is not as it seems and secrets within the households are revealed. Usually, I don't like books with unlikeable characters, but these residents are so self absorbed and despicable it made for quite the twisted story! Each page is filled with treachery, lies, secrets and deceit! The Block Party is a fast paced quick and very enjoyable read!

Cheating, murder, stalkers and teenage angst are all part of this neighborhood. Every year there is a block party with some years certainly being more memorable than others since it involves murder! There were a lot of characters to keep track of and they were all fairly flawed. Lettie was my favorite. I didn't love the resolution at the end but I thought the twist was pretty good.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

A block part turns murderous as the neighborhood secrets come to life. And let you tell me, thank god my neighbors aren’t like this! Think Real Housewives meets Big Little Lies. The drama was quite enticing and kept me entertained! I did not expect the end results at all, but enjoyed the synopsis. Definitely a fast paced read. This one hits shelves on 7/18/23!
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Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this ARC in exchange for my review!

What a wild ride! Suspense, family drama, young love, marriage troubles! Told in 'seasons' - beginning with the cliffhanger at the Memorial Day summer soirée where the police are called and the neighborhood chat board lights up with rumors of a murder! This culture-de-sac community has more secrets than a game of Clue! Adults behaving badly - while the teenagers are getting into trouble of their own! Fast-paced and surprising until the end!

The book opens with an exclusive block party. The exclusivity of the neighborhood is enough to generate gossip and bad feelings of those living nearby who feel they should be invited to the block party. As the party goes on, there is much bitterness apparent on social media but the death at the block party far outweighs the gossip on social media. The book has dual storylines, the day of the party and the events of the past year leading up to the current block party. There is a slew of clues given throughout the book and I did enjoy trying to put the pieces together. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC. This review is my own.

really enjoyed Block Party. Jamie Day treats you to a world of lord and deception interwoven amongst residents of an exclusive cul-de-sac where nothing is as it seems.

The story starts off at the present day. And then the reader is taken back and forth between the past year and the buildup to the murder in present day.

Many lives are changed and families broken up, but the path to get there is the interesting part of this book. Jamie will keep you guessing who done it and why.

I highly recommend Block Party.

This book just wasn’t for me and wound up being a DNF at 33%. From the blurb I was expecting a thriller or at the very least a murder mystery. Instead it read like a cross between a soap opera full of annoying characters and a YA book. My favorite parts of the book were the sections of text messages speculating about what had happened.

This book was so good, I could have finished it in one sitting, but … life. A great twisty, domestic drama. It was fun trying to put the pieces together and I particularly liked the way the author interwove the stories of these neighbors. Nothing is ever what it seems. Wonderful summer read. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

Wow, there is a lot going on in this book. It opens on the day of the annual Memorial Day block party of Alton Road. Here we’re introduced to the many neighbors of the elite cul de sac. A murder has been committed and everyone seems to have a secret.

The story is told alternately by Lettie and her mom, Alex. Alex was not a likeable character, but there were a lot of unlikeable characters here, that’s what makes it interesting. The only parts I didn’t care for were the Meadowbrook Online Community Page posts. The posts felt unnecessary, except to introduce more characters into the mix.

All in all, though, this was a fun read. It was a little bit of a soap opera, the perfect light mystery for summer.
3.5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.