“The Block Party” was a LOT of a wild ride by Jamie Day. Where to start - well, start by popping some popcorn and sit down. The book begins with the present, then zips back a year and continues forward to the present day. Interleaved are comments from a site (kinda like a chat group) in the present day. Then everything - and more - is revealed in the final few chapters. The chapters are told from the POV of two characters - Alex and her daughter Lottie. I have to admit, I didn’t really feel a connection to either character and it did take me a bit of time to keep the block families and individuals straight … but this was a ride and a half. There’s drama … there are surprises … there’s Peyton Place (or for you young-ones, Real Housewives). This book kept my interest (though at times the pacing seemed slow) and I didn’t see the big reveal coming at all.

Thank you for this ARC!

I love a good mystery and I think, (living in a community similar to Alton Road) it gives a peek behind the curtain how little we know about what goes on behind closed doors. And how much appearance matters.

While, I did find it slow at times, I always like twists that I don’t see coming and multiple narrators, so overall I enjoyed it!!

Very realistic charters.
Quick read-enjoyed dual POV
Ending wrapped up a little too neatly, but I wouldn’t have wanted a not so happy ending either.

The Alton Rd annual block party is the talk of the Meadowbrook community social media sites. Why have the police been called to the block party? The gossip is unstoppable, but it appears there has been a murder, on the picture perfect cul-de-sac of Alton Rd. What could be going on over there on that perfect street?

The book starts off on the day of the annual Alton Rd Memorial Day block party where tragedy strikes. The book then flashes back a year and brings us through the lives of the “Altonites” and what brought us to the tragic events of the annual block party.

The book is quite a ride, bringing us up and down, having us guessing on what really happens. Overall there are some good plot twists that I didn’t fully see coming. I would have given this a higher rating but I did find at times that the book was a bit dragged out, but overall a good entertaining read.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley, publisher and the author for the ARC. I really enjoyed reading this book. The interactions, relationships, and dynamics between the families in this neighborhood are beautifully captured making the reader want to learn more. It makes us ask ourselves "How well do we know our neighbor". Although there are some grim scenes they never slip into complete gloom. It is quite the page-turner with a few bits of humor thrown in. Highly recommend!

A very good domestic mystery. I live in a subdivision in Florida, so this genre always piques my interest. It was well done, good characters and great character development. I read it in one weekend while lying in the sunshine. I would definitely continue to follow Jamie day.

☀️Book Review☀️
The Block Party
Publish Date: July 18, 2023

This was an overall fun read! It felt a little slow to me at times, but the last quarter of the book really picked up and got good. I really was motivated to find out what happened.

A few things bugged me…1. The point of view was mainly third person, but every so often was a chapter titled “Lettie” which was then Lettie’s first person POV (no other chapters had a character’s name). It was odd and I don’t understand why it wasn’t all in third person. 2. When sibling characters call each other “sis” that is kind of annoying and unrealistic. 3. And this might be overly picky but…there were lots of references to USC (like lots) and how it was too expensive because of out-of-state tuition. Yes USC is in California and the setting was not, but USC is a private school so out-of-state tuition doesn’t apply. It’s just expensive for everybody. See…probably too picky, but if it’s a real place and mentioned tons, the facts should be correct.

But in the end, I liked the variety of characters and their interesting back stories. I thought the ending wrapped up nicely! I would rate this 3.5 rounded down to 3.

Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress and the author, Jamie Day, for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Side note on the blurb that’s on Amazon: the blurb states it’s a summer block party, but the block party happens on Memorial Day which is in May, which is spring.

I really enjoyed this book. Living on Alton Road is no joke. There are a lot of characters, but the author does an amazing job at character development that it was easy to keep them all straight. There were so many twists, turns and neighborhood drama that it kept you guessing and wanting more.

I would definitely recommend this book. You will want to check content warnings due to some heavy subject matters at times.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. Publication date: July 18, 2023.

Thanks to Net Galley and St Martins Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The book description immediately lured me in, but I found this book to be quite a tedious read. Certain parts of the story were just much too long.

I did enjoy the dual POV of both Mom and daughter telling the story. I also enjoyed getting to know each neighbor in the culdesac. But I will say some of the things that happened in the neighborhood were a little too unrealistic and far fetched. There was also one too many “twists” rolling in at the end of the story.

Overall, it was an okay suspenseful book, but not one of my favorites.

WOW! Talk about a block party! I seriously couldn’t put this book down until it was done. I will definitely read another book by Jamie Day. She kept me guessing until the very end!

The story starts with a death at a block party on Memorial Day and switches back and forth through seasons from the previous year to present day. It alternates between Alex, mom who has begun to love the wine, her daughter Lettie who is getting ready for college, and throws in the conversations of some nosy neighbors in an online community group. Throw in some really complicated relationships between all the neighbors on their block and a super annoying pest control guy and you’ll constantly wonder who died and who did it until the very end! Very well written!

Thank you St. Martin's Press and net galley for this ARC copy. The description of this book and the first chapter had me really interested and then I found the book becoming a bit slow and not as interesting. Other readers have really enjoyed this book though.

While this book has a slow start it really picked up! With so many characters that and details you feel like you live in the neighborhood. Twist upon twist keeps you guessing till the next party.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc copy! Unfortunately the pacing of the text really ruined it for me and I didn’t enjoy this book. The two main character narrators were the most boring of the many characters we had to keep straight.

Omg this book! Immediately engaging and the characters were easy to keep track of.

An upscale neighborhood with secrets galore. Not only is it a murder mystery, but you get to try to figure out who was killed. Told from the pov of Alex (one of the moms) and Lettie (her daughter). There's so much craziness and mayhem.

Great story, great ending. Wish I could wipe my mind and read it from the beginning.

Books like The Block Party by Jamie Day are my kryptonite! If you're a fan of suburban drama (think Big Little Lies) then I highly recommend this book to you. I was addicted right from the beginning!

Wow! Alix has planned the yearly Block Party every year. Of course she has no idea this year’s party will be one no one will forget. Like most neighborhoods each family appears to be leading a normal life. Nothing could be farther from the truth,. Unbeknownst to each family these secrets link them all in twisty surprising ways. After the explosive beginning this book takes the reader back to the block party occurring the year before, Things are put in motion that bring all the secrets to light and lead to a block party that goes nothing as planned. Shots ring out but who has been murdered? Why did it happen? Nothing and nobody are as they seem. But it all will be sorted out at The Block Party.

I'm going to be in the minority here, but this was just a s0-so read for me. The cover and title drew me to this book, but once I started reading, I found the characters rather boring with lots of cliche problems (drinking, drugs, infidelity, revenge, stalking). Because I didn't particularly like the characters, by the end of the book I didn't really care at all who murdered who at the neighborhood "block party".

Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martins Press for the ARC.

This was a good domestic thriller. I found it to be a bit predictable, but there were a couple of surprises at the end. This is if Desperate Housewives and Big Little Lies had a baby and made a book.

Woah. I literally couldn't put this book down. This review has spoilers! Thank you netgallery for a chance to read this advance copy! I really enjoyed this book. Most murder mystery you know who does asap! And spend the rest of the book figuring out who did it. Instead this book you are learning about a bunch of people, so your trying to figure out who dies and who did it! And there are so many people who can be the killer or the person killed. The twist and turns of this book. How everything makes sense at the end. The page turner. Gripping the pages book. I am beyond impressed by this book and thankful I got to read it.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

to be published July 18, 2023

Ever read Joy Fielding’s Cul-de-sac? I happened to love that book (and Joy Fielding) and am obsessed with books like it. It’s incredibly hard to do neighborhood drama/suburban suspense, but some authors truly get it and do it well. Jamie Day is an author that gets it and has definitely done it well with The Block Party.

Twists and turns so sharp that your head is left spinning until the end, characters so detailed and engaging that you can’t help but be interested, and expert storytelling brings this book to life. You won’t be disappointed whatsoever — just be sure to pay attention. This is one block party you’ll never forget and will be sure to go down in neighborhood history.

4/5!