The highlight of this book was definitely its portrayal of family, and the characters’ relationships with each other. Though not a major part of the story, I found the child characters to be better written than I usually find. The dialogue was well-written, and it was a very emotional reading experience at some points. Though there was a lot going on in this book, it remained a fun read throughout and the ending came as a surprise for me.

Though this book is marketed as a mystery, I would say that it’s much closer to general fiction up until the last 30 percent or so, and even then it never really fully becomes a mystery in the traditional sense. I think it struggles in general with sticking to a genre. As general fiction, though, it’s still a good read, and I recommend it if you like the idea of a family story with a crime fiction twist. Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC. This is my honest review.

4/5 A tale of four women weathering life’s storms while trying to push ahead.

Thank you NetGalley! I did enjoy the storyline for this one. Such a great friendship the women had and I liked reading about it and how they supported each other. Although I wouldn’t fill classify this as a thriller, it was definitely a slower read

This book didn't quite deliver the mystery and thriller elements I anticipated; instead, it leaned heavily towards women's fiction. While I enjoyed the strong bond between the female characters and the unexpected twist at the end, I found the pacing to be sluggish, and the characters lacked individuality. They all seemed to blend together, thinking and speaking in similar ways, making it challenging to differentiate between them most of the time. Suzanne, who was supposed to be a central figure, remained somewhat of a mystery herself, with limited insight into her character beyond her lies, health struggles, and sporadic work at the bookstore.

Though I didn't dislike the book, I believe it was misclassified in terms of genre. If it had been marketed as women's fiction or general fiction, I might have approached it with different expectations and rated it more favorably.

I extend my thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood Books, and Anita Waller for providing me with a review copy of this book.
My opinions expressed here are genuine and entirely my own.

Upon reading the blurb, I had high hopes that it would be a gripping read. However, the plot ended up focussing more on the friendship between the four women, which I enjoyed, but it didn’t quite have the suspense that I was looking for. I liked the short chapters and how the writing flowed so easily. The revelation at the end was also good. Overall, I would recommend for a quick and easy read, bearing in mind that it doesn’t quite hit the mark for a thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to review this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall 3.75*

The story itself is a good solid tale of females who have close bonds throughout their lives and try to stick together whatever life throws at them but for me it isn't really a psychological thriller albeit there are some elements which would categorize it us such. I did love the interaction between the women and whether they are guilty of murder or is it just an accident - which the author does well.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood books for the ARC to review

The Girls Next Door is a spellbinding look back starting in 1987, in the small community of Larkspur Close.
Anita Waller introduces us to 4 families that are all linked by the births of their 4 baby girls, born within 6 months of each other.
The story starts off drawing me into the circle, until I feel a companionship with these young women and their mothers.
They share their joys, sorrow and secrets. But some secrets are so shocking that even I didn’t see them coming.
If I could give this book 10 stars I would.
#AnitaWaller
#TheGirlsNextDoor
#Boldwood

Another of Anita's books I've loved. Her writing is so easy to read and always keeps me gripped.

The ending of the book was a big surprise and very cleverly written.

Can't wait to read another of Anita's books.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Four baby girls born within six months of each other in 1987 living on the same street. Chantelle, Erin, Mel and Jess are the foursome who make our group and they are more like sisters than friends. Now 2022 and the girls are 35 and are all on the precipice of monumental changes in their lives. They have grown up together, shared secrets and have an unbreakable bond.

I wouldn’t categorise this as a thriller of any type, more a story of companionship, friendships, anguish, support and most importantly love having no boundaries, and although it wasn’t what I expected it was still an enjoyable women’s fiction read with a surprising end.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for granting me with the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows four friends that grew up together as babies to adults. I felt indifferent about each one of the ladies, honestly I didn’t love the characters but they also weren’t unlikeable either. Getting to know more about each one of them and their home life issues is where the mystery starts in the book. Yet once death comes knocking on their door more then once it really has you trying to figure out who has done what. For the most part I did figure out the plot twists but I didn’t know the why behind it and that is what kept me to keep turning the page. Jess, Chantelle, Mel & Erin all were a supportive friend circle and even their parents were just as supportive. The book does get a bit long winded due to so much repetition in my opinion but overall I thought it was a solid book to read. This was a complimentary copy I am grateful I have received and all opinions are my own.

This was a quick read that was classed as a psychological thriller, however I feel it was more of a mystery and not an edge of your seat plot. Having said that, I did enjoy the story of the four women and I loved the friendship they had together, let’s face it who wouldn’t, and I especially liked the bookshop element. Some of it felt a bit far fetched but there was nothing wrong with it overall. Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for letting me read and review this book. 3.5 ⭐️

This was an engaging read, though maybe a little far-fetched. It centers on 4 best friends who grew up together and are now in their mid-30s. They have had fairly drama free lives but it all comes to a head when they each experience major life changes around the same time.

The characters were likable for the most part and the friendships felt real. The storyline was a little depressing as the book continued and I felt it wasn’t super believable for all these huge events to happen within weeks of each other. That being said, I did enjoy the various happenings because they kept the book interesting. The twist at the end was a surprise and I liked the way it was all tied up.

Overall, though I had to suspend my disbelief a bit, I did enjoy reading about these characters. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The girls of Larkspur Close grew up more like sisters than friends. Now in their 30s, secrets and death seem to be all around them. Is it all a tragic coincidence or is someone intent on making sure the girls are happy?

An enjoyable psychological thriller, with likable characters but some of the twists were easier to spot than others.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

3.5 stars

I did like this book but I found that there was a lot going on. I kept forgetting which character was in what relationship.

I do love Anita’s books but unfortunately I couldn’t love this book 3.5 stars

My 6P review

What would you do for love? How far would you go? The story of four girls all born in the same summer. More than thirty years later, their friendship is unbreakable. The story follows the lives of Erin, Melissa, Chantelle and Jess. When Jess’s husband is found dead after being discovered having an affair, everything changes. Was it an accident?

I liked the four women and their relationships with each other. Their strong bond showed they could overcome everything. They were well fleshed out and their bonds were evident.

The premise of the story being a mystery regarding the death of Jess’s husband, was really well put together however this was not a thriller as I was led to believe. This was a general fiction book or possibly even chic-lit. The “mystery” took forever to get to and by then the book was almost over. The characters were well written but the story was boring and it was certainly a let-down.

The author used a lot of description and conversation which became tedious to read after a while. The dialogue was awful.

Where was the suspense? I almost didn’t finish the book.

I loved the bookshop and soon to be tea rooms. I would love to have a cuppa in that setting.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great book! It held my attention, the characters were likeable and very real. I had figured out the twists, but it didn't matter, I still couldn't put it down.
Thanks to netgalley, Boldwood Books and Anita Waller for the chance to read this advanced copy.

They keep each other's secrets. They hide each other's lies. They were destined to be friends. The four girls - all born the same hot summer. There was even a newspaper article after they were born. They said there must be something in the water on Larkspur Close. They predicted a safe and happy life for them all. More than thirty years later, it's more than an unbreakable friendship - it's more like a sisterhood. It's the girls who Jess reaches out to because she's worried about her grandparents who've raised her since her mother disappeared, who Erin tells about her new business idea, who Melissa calls to say she's desperate to escape her toxic job. But then Chantelle messages saying she discovered her husband is having an affair. And everything changes. Because then her husband is found dead.... And only a few people knew his secret.

Four women, all born within six months of each other, and lived in the same street, have become four very close friends who look out for one another. They are now all facing some kind of major life decision. The girls share an unconditional friendship.

There's a lot taking place in this book. The characters are well-developed, the pace was steady. A story of trust and support.

Published 25th April

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #AnitaWaller for my ARC of #TheGirlsNextDoor in exchange for an honest review.

Such an awesome thriller! There were so many twists and turns, and it kept my attention the whole time. Definitely pick this one up!

This cover definitely gives you haunted house vibes so definitely makes you want to read this book! Great Job on the cover!

The twists and turns and was great writing. The twist at the end mad you sit and have a hangover!!!! This was fast paced, characters were likeable and the synopsis of the book was well described. The four girls POV and relationships was great and it was great to see how close they were.

the Plot of the book and the writing fantastic and will read more from this author.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

This was a good read with a surprise twist at the end. I really enjoyed the novel, it was an easy read, the characters were great,  well described, I enjoyed the relationship the four girls had and how protective they are of one another. This was a story of friendship and love between 4 girls that were all born in the same year, living on the same street and formed a lifelong bond.
The author developed a good plot with some twists I didn't see coming. I'd gladly read more of her books

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of The Girls Next Door by Anita Waller

I thoroughly enjoyed this unique story about four women born within six months of each other on the same street. They grew up together as sisters and are there for each other through thick and thin. When some devastating things occur in their lives, they ban together and tackle things as one big family.