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!

Excellent read! Had a hard time putting it down. Liked how the block party was the central theme of the book. Through the block party we meet the characters, begin to learn about each family’s issues and how they deal with them. Layers of subplots and suspense well devolved with a surprise ending . Loved it !

I liked Alex’s POV pretty well. A lot of ridiculous drama. A lot of loose ends or ends that were tied up too quickly. Nothing to write home about but a decent take at a neighborhood thriller nonetheless.

HOWEVER. Lettie? Couldn’t stand her POV at all. She was a CRINGY teenager written by someone who I guess wanted to make her as stereotypical as possible? Idk. All her activism and dark clothes felt way too forced to me.

Honestly, the two POVs felt very disjointed for most of the book. Alex felt like a decent thriller and Lettie felt like a (not good) YA One Tree Hill-esque drama. Take that as you will.

Overall, I’d skip this one. There are better neighborhood thrillers out there. I finished it but barely.

Best book read in 2023!!! The Block Party brings the excitement with one hell of a party. So much so that I think I might want to relocate to their world.
Let me tell you guys, everything is flying! Bullets, Bodies, Lies, Fireworks, Romance, Divorces or was that Pre-Nups...and so much more! Notice the caps for emphasis -yes, it was that good!
Let me set this up for you: I'm hogging down on a bag of chips when I couldn't put them in my mouth fast enough to keep up with the pace of this book. I was so invested I have to go back and vacuum after this review. I kid you NOT! I literally turned to my college age son and said, "This book is fantastic!" I couldn't depart to even get the darn mail that was just delivered...Lol
Seriously, what's not to like? Jamie Day brings this inviting thriller from one of my all time favorite publishers-St. Martin's Press.
There's blackmail, stalking, murder, mystery, intrigue, drugs, infidelity, parental issues, relationship problems,.. my word!
As a divorced, single mom of three (2 in college/1 in high school) with all the drama/isssues loaded I couldn't help but relate on many levels and I hope you can too.
The urgency, the thickening plots, the sense of structure, the colorful and vivid characters, the setting...It's all just perfect.
If you're like me you enjoy fast paced energy. Things moving and groving in all directions yet relatable, exciteable, and dare I say dangerous.
Revenge is on the minds of some as we learn that adoption might be in play. Each characters relationships are tested. Nerves fraid. Emotions on high. Alerts should seriously be given before entering certain situations.
Wait,...Did you hear fireworks?!...
As seasons change with the weather the moods swiftly change. Life is constantly evolving.
That ending....Oh, girl. You had me perplexed what direction we were headed.
I didn't know whether to duck from a sucker punch, hide from a bullet, run for the hills, grab the binoculars, watch from afar, or simply dive in & enjoy the water.
Wow! I seriously think I might just need a social detox or whatever's on the menu at this point. LOL!
Speaking of which what are we being served up next? I can't wait to see because I'll prepare myself now. Maybe grab a few pills to go with a nice drink or something...Oh, wait...I don't drink nor take pills.
Ok, well then I'll sit and wait because I'm not wealthy and money doesn't grow on trees but if you play your cards right....it may just fall into place. Just ask Willow.
I always wondered if people would be worried about D.N.A. results if they're really seeking truths but perhaps I'll direct that question to Riley as she seems to be all set.
Mandy is my hero! Hot damn! I don't blame her , no really I don't because in life you sometimes have to take matters into your own hands.
That mess with the two deaths is so engaging, twisty, and darn right fun that I'm sure it'll be praised for years to come.
This book darn near gave me a seizure, but luckily I've only had one stroke. Poor Evan though, I just wish he was in better health.
Welp, I got to go. It's been a blast. Sparkle on -Queen!
Thank you for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

2/5 stars! The premise of this book had me pulled in. I'm hella anti-social and wouldn't be caught dead (punny) at a block party, but was excited to read about murder and mystery at a fictional one. Unfortunately, the writing didn't live up to the premise. It felt like the characters were all or nothing. They're only shown to be 2-dimensional beings. This stuck out the most with the social justice warrior teenager that felt like she had no personality outside of saving the world. I struggled to root for any of the characters. I will say that incorporating social media posts was a fun take and enjoyable.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Jamie Day's novel was a fun, suburban-thriller! Her novels reminded me so much of Meg Mitchell Moore and her recent book Two Truths and a Lie. Reading The Block Party on a beach would be very enjoyable. Jamie Day tells the story of a street with a lot of drama - more than the average suburban neighborhood. Alex, the main character, is dealing with her own drinking problems, therefore overlooking those of her daughter. This is a cross-generational story where we learn about the children of these neighborhood dwellers, and all the different tales of each person on the street. It felt like there were a lot of different storylines going on at once but I liked how they came together in the end.