This was one of those "can't stop reading" novels that I had to read all through the night. It was suspenseful and kept me guessing right up to the end. I love a good mystery that is full of tension and with characters that we can't decide if we trust them or not!
Thank you for my review copy!

Unfortunately, I was unable to read this in a timely manner as I wasn’t getting books to my kindle. I didn’t realize my kindle email address changed and I wasn’t receiving books. I’m so sorry!
I did end up purchasing the book and I’m so glad I did. I couldn’t put it down. I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to review earlier.

Alexis and Sam seem like a perfect couple. Sam is working on making partner at his law firm, Alexis is pregnant with their second child, and they just bought a house in an affluent suburb in DC. Sam is ecstatic to be part of the social circle he's been working towards and Alexis is happy to be in a beautiful house in a safe area. But as Alexis starts to notice disturbing things, she wonders if they may have made a mistake in trying to live among the elite.

The book starts off quickly with a death in the neighborhood. Teddy is well-liked and respected in the neighborhood and his death comes as a shock to all. Almost immediately, Alexis makes friends with the grieving widow, Blair. Alexis has often felt like an outsider being of mixed race and living amongst primarily caucasian populations. Although the neighborhood has been welcoming enough, she still feels judgment from them. But her friendship with Blair seems genuine and has put her more at ease. As Alexis and Blair become closer, Alexis' relationship with Sam starts to crumble - between the cost of all the work that needs to be done on the house and money problems despite Sam wanting them to live above their means, Alexis' isolation and loneliness, and the strange and disturbing instances that are going on in the neighborhood.

I liked the dual narration between Alexis and Blair. It was interesting to see the difference perspectives. The character development was decent and the story felt interesting enough to keep me reading. The pacing was a bit slow and it took a while to move the plot along. Neighborhood dramas are always a bit hit and miss for me. Some really suck me in, while others are too drama-y. This one was maybe just too drama-y for me and not thriller-y enough.

Rating: 2.5

A neighborhood thriller, you never know who you can trust! I love an unreliable narrator and trying to figure out the truth between all of their mixed versions of events. The nosy neighbor trope is abundant and I eat it up in this book! Adelman did a great job of pacing throughout and I enjoyed the who-dun-it.

Ultimately, I'm realizing I'm not a thriller type girl, but this one still held my interest and I enjoyed!

This was so well written. I was engrossed from the first page and it ticked all the boxes of my expectations . I would definitely recommend to others.

There was never a moment in this book- up until the very end, that I understood where this book was going. Woooooow. The characters are just as twisted as one could imagine a person COULD be. I was wrapped up in every word. This is one of the most fascinating and confusing books I’ve read in a long time.

I am normally a fan of a good neighborhood drama, especially when you throw in some morally grey, dis likeable characters. But I just couldn’t connect with this story. I wanted a faster pace, and some tighter twists.

While this one wasn’t my cup of tea, others will enjoy it.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

A young couple decides to purchase a fixer upper in an affluent area that they wouldn't otherwise be able to afford. It's their dream home, or it will be once they repair it, decorate it, and basically, sink all their money into it in the process. They believe all their hard work and sacrifice will be worth it in the long run until a neighbor's murder soon after they move in has them questioning everything. 

What the Neighbors Saw is a domestic thriller by debut author Melissa Adelman. When I read the blurb, I immediately thought this book would be right up my alley. It's one of the types of thrillers I enjoy reading most, and I couldn't wait to dive in. I finished the whole thing in one sitting, because I had to know who the killer was and what in the hell was going on with the people in that neighborhood. They all seemed shady af to me, so the author obviously kept me intrigued throughout the story. 

The problem I had with it mostly lied in the slow-burn nature of the narrative and the ending. I appreciated the twists, one of which I guessed and one I didn't. I can't say more without spoiling the book, so I'll leave it at that. 

Domestic thriller and Desperate Housewives-style drama fans that don't mind a slower-moving plot, this one's for you!

I wasn't sure how to feel about this one and I am still struggling to really put into words how I am feeling. I started this awhile ago and put it aside because I got bored. But I recently finished it and was left wanting more.

The story was good. Cute family moves into a new neighborhood that looks too good to be true. Every single neighbor is awful but that isn't completely unheard of in affluent neighborhoods. And within a few weeks of them moving in, there is a murder of their neighbor. But as the time there continues, you start to see the cute family dynamic crumble. Which left a sour taste in my mouth because Sam was a complete jackass anyway so not sure what Alexis really saw in him. And as the book progresses, we don't see any movement on the murder mystery. I had always suspected that the wife had something to do with it but I wasn't quite sure to what extent.

Reading this on my Kindle I was able to see when it was wrapping up. And wrapping this story up in the last 23 mins of the book was wild. And it was such an obvious way to make the murder(s) happen that it almost felt cheap. It also didn't really give any satisfaction for me when the MC's husband was such a prick to her. I don't know, everything felt rushed within those last 23 mins.

This book was a hot mess. People were talking about being broke while driving BMWs and having live-in nannies. Are you f**king kidding me? I'm not perfect, by far, but I cannot with this book.

Neighborhood drama alert! What seemed to be a perfect cul de sac turns out to be a nightmare!
I did not really love the characters in this one, they both seemed very self righteous to me, but I liked the plot and it did move along fast.
This is a great summer read if you haven't picked it up yet. Lots of twists and keeps you guessing!

This debut had a very interesting premise but I’m not sure it was executed as well as it could have been. The premise of how well do you really know your neighbors and a more modest couple moving into a rich neighborhood to look at how the other half is living up close was good. But I struggled with seeing Alexis and Sam as modestly wealthy since they have a live in nanny, buy an expensive house and do lots of renovations, buy a brand new BMW. The story moved a bit slowly and while I understand and can appreciate a slow burn this one fizzled at the end for me. I think part of what was slow and struggled to grab my attention is that I didn’t like any of the characters very much. Shortly after Sam and Alexis move in to their new work in progress home their neighbor Blair’s husband is murdered in the woods nearby on a trail. As the police struggle to find any clues all of the dark secrets of the neighborhood start to show and seem extra sinister.

This was an enjoyable, gossipy neighbor light mystery. Great character development with fun dialogue and intrigue. It would be great for a beach read as it keeps you interested and wanting to find out all that is going on in the neighborhood.

Alexis becomes enamored with a fixer-up in a wealthy DC suburb. She convinces her husband, Sam, to purchase the house that although is severely discounted for the neighborhood, it is still outside of their current budget. As they move into their dream neighborhood, they are plagued with costly home repairs while trying to maintain the illusion they belong in this community. When their neighbor Teddy is found brutally murdered, the picture perfect neighborhood they envisioned is shattered. With Sam engrossed in making partner to help pay for their lifestyle, Alexis is left alone to care for their two kids. She soon befriends Teddy's wife, Blair, and becomes obsessed with uncovering who committed this crime.

Whew, this was such a messy drama. There were absolutely no likeable characters to root for but plenty of neighborhood gossip among them. The story started dragging a bit midway and then the ending felt quite abrupt. However, I must say that the twists were absolutely wild. This story is the epitome of wealth doesn't preclude crime. The main character's obsession with wealth to distance from her poor upbringing was completely off putting.

I read this due to the cover. Didn’t even know what it was about. But I am so glad I did. It kept me flipping the pages and on the edge of my seat. Kept me guessing and I needed to know what was happening. I loved getting to know the characters and how they all mixed in together.
Reminded me of desperate housewives so much.

This novel had me on the edge of my seat as I read through the chapters. I loved learning about the different characters in this novel and how all the neighbours fit in with everyone else. It made for a great novel full of twists, turns, secrets, and betrayal.

I was so happy to get a copy of this one! I have to say it kept me guessing. I felt so bad for the main character, but also related to her to an extent. She spent her life wanting more and wanting to fit in and "keep up with the Joneses". I truly enjoyed this read and ended up giving it a 4 star rating.

DNF @ 53% - Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into this one after giving it a fair shot. I don’t feel invested in the characters and am underwhelmed. *rated one star due to needing to give a star rating per NetGalley guidelines for submitting a review

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC via NetGalley.

Gripping, fast paced and makes you always want “just one more page” this is a brilliant novel you won’t want to put down.

Things that seem perfect, usually have hidden red flags. Who killed teddy? His wife Blaire appears to be a grieving widow. Or is she?