Very fast paced thriller that I just could not stop listening!
I loved how compelling this book was, the way the writer thought it all through and when I say it delivered… IT DELIVERED!

I was instantly drawn into this story and the what ifs and do done it's, I felt so bad for the Mom having gone through everything she did with the abusive ex to find a guy who she thought was the best. Though is he.... What's he hiding after the neighbor's daughter falls out of her window and is rushed to the hospital several in the family are blamed and no one including the police know what to believe.

I read a lot of this genre and I hope not to spoil this one but I gotta say it was nice seeing one end this way.

This one was just ok. I didn't like any of the characters and they were all in the wrong the whole time. You can't trust anyone, they all have secrets and it wasn't the most exciting storyline.

Having said that, it was well paced and there was enough going on that you won't get bored. The writing was decent but the elements just didn't work well for me.

It felt like there were too many threads and it was all a bit much.

I liked the ending which saved the book for me.

3.5 stars

This was a decent thriller. When step brothers both fall for the new girl next door it causes some friction in the home. Then the girl falls out her window. Who was to blame? Lots of little twists along the way.

At some point you this almost every character was responsible for the girl’s fall. Overall a good story.

This book grabbed my attention immediately. I was a bit nervous that I wouldn't get grabbed by this one after reading the chapter of Rachel's fall. In that chapter, (Spoiler alert...sort of), she thinks a thought that suggests who caused her to fall out of the window.

Yet, despite this, the book did still suck me in. There was so much going on with the characters in this book. Almost all of them had questionable characteristics that made the reader doubt their innocence.

It had a good pace with short chapters. The different POVs added mystery and tension.

The ending fell slightly flat for me. Maybe that's because of the thought by Rachel at the start. But, I also felt the conflict was a bit random. I would've never anticipated it. The ending wrapped up fast. I would've liked to see a few more things explored in the wrap-up.

When Vanessa and her family get new neighbors with kids similarly aged to their own, the excitement is immediate. Unfortunately, when the new neighbor's daughter falls from her window and Vanessa's own sons become suspects things get out of hand quickly.

I absolutely loved this one. The writing is perfect and moves the story along in such a quick, believable way that I never wanted to put it down. That kind of writing in combination with an amazing narrator is unbeatable, I absolutely flew through it!

Whether in real life or fiction, I can never understand those who immediately become best friends with their new neighbors; it never ends well. Karen King keeps the reader guessing and gives good reasons to suspect everyone in the girl next door's life. For me, the ending was not wholly satisfying instead, I was left hoping the main character had learned her lesson about trusting people before getting to know them.

This book left you wondering until the very end! There were a lot of avenues to explore, as many of the characters had hidden pasts to explore. I enjoyed the timeline and layout of the text.

This had a strong start and I thought I had figured out who did it pretty quickly. I kept listening to hear the why because it seemed like there was an extensive backstory. Halfway through the book it seemed painfully obvious who had done it, however there were surprises at the very end and it wasn’t who I thought it was. I like a good surprise towards the end, but this ending felt like an easy way out and was so disappointing. The narrator was good and I liked how she did everyone’s emotional voices.

*Provided an ALC (advance listening copy) audiobook from the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.

This was an amazing book, my first by Karen King, but certainly won't be my last. This was a fast paced thriller that kept me engaged throughout. I found there to be intense twists and turns that left me guessing and made me not able to stop listening. I feel that this story was very relatable and leaves you wondering "who dun it" throughout the entire story. Huge thank you to Karen King, NetGalley, and Bookouture Audio. 5 out of 5- highly recommend.

As a mama-bear of two sons, this psychological suspense novel gripped me from the premise: my darling son is accused of attacking the girl next door. Told from multiple points-of-view, the mystery of how Rachel-the girl who had been involved in some way or another with all the members of the blended family living next door, fell or was pushed out of a window. Fractures began to appear in [the] family and “we became them and us”. The family dynamics/familial drama aspect was really well written and the fact that I was constantly suspecting all characters for the “whodunit” kept me engaged, but the ending with the twist felt just a bit rushed. Once again, I enjoyed a psychological suspense on audio (my favorite way to read this genre) and Tamsin Kennard did a great job.
Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ALC. This book is available now.

This one started off a little not amazing in my opinion, but when it picked up around the half way mark my opinion changed.

There were times when it felt like the story dragged and others when the conte to felt like a stereotypical novel, but in the end the story was enjoyable. I think the ending/discovery was unexpected and I found myself audibly saying “Oh? Okay that’s unexpected” when I got to that part of the story. The whole time I thought I had it figured out and was sorta bored because of it, but that unveiling quickly changed my opinion.

I think this could be taken as a cautionary tale for two reasons, which would be clear after reading this. For the twist and the lessons I would recommend this to others.

Half-truths and lies are the key components of this thriller, and deliciously obfuscate what is happening to make this a gripping listen.

Girl Next Door is my first book by Karen King, and I will definitely be binge reading her previous books after this. Thrillers are my go to, I love a good mystery, especially one I can't figure out with a lot of twists and turns that I don't expect. This book had all of it, I was hooked by the first chapter and it kept me guessing the whole time. Every little easter egg took me in a new direction, but I still didn't see the ending coming. Some author's throw out some crazy twist at the end that doesn't make since, but this one has kept me thinking about all the clues that I missed or misinterpreted.
This story told through multiple POV's of a family that accuses the boy next door of hurting their daughter. Vanessa, Aaron, Jake and Lucas are a happy blended family who befriend their new neighbors. Both boys Jake and Lucas take a liking to their daughter Rachel and begin fighting for her affection. But when Rachel falls from a bedroom window and lands in a coma, her parents accuse the boys of pushing her. With Rachel still unable to tell what really happened, the detectives questioning begins to unravel their perfect family and they are not what they seem.
I loved Karen King's writing style, it kept me engaged and invested, a must read for any thriller lover.
Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for approving me to read and give my honest review. Unfortunately, I thought I had downloaded this book but couldn't find it in my queue anywhere. By the time I realized what had happened it was already archived, and I had to wait for it to come out to read.

This is a page-turner mystery. Vanessa's beautiful family will never be the same as the new neighbors move in, specially since her teenage son Jason and her step-son Lucas fight over who Rachel, the cute girl next door, likes best. When Rachel falls from her window and almost dies, the boys are the police's prime suspect.
I listened to the audiobook, which was well narrated in my opinion. I liked the multiple POVs and got really hooked trying to figure out who the culprit was. However, the ending was really disappointing. I recommend reading or listening to this book, but I'm giving it 3 stars due to the ending.


Although I'm not saying who it was, beware that the next paragraph contains a spoiler:


**Spoiler**: One of the most interesting things about murder mystery novels is trying to put the pieces the author gives us together to find out the killer/culprit/guilty person. It is not fun at all when all of a sudden a new character is presented as the bad guy at the end of the story. I felt betrayed as a reader/listener, since I would never have been able to complete this puzzle as I did not have all of the pieces.

"Girl Next Door" by Karen King is a psychological thriller. It's a quick and easy read. It's hard to put it down. The audiobook is narrated by Tamsin Kennard, who did a great job with all the voices, as usual. This is set in England in current times.

A new family moves in next door to Ness and Aaron and their children, teenagers Jacob and Lucas, and toddler Chloe. The new family has a 6 year old son and a fourteen year old daughter, Rachel. Both of the teen boys really like Rachel. One day, she falls out of the 2nd floor window and gets seriously hurt. Both of the boys are accused of causing the fall.

It took me a long time to figure this one out. It kept me listening straight through without stopping.

Characters - 4/5
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 4/5
Pacing - 4/5
Unputdownability - 5/5
Enjoyment - 4/5
Narration - 5/5
Cover - 5/5
Overall - 35/8 = 4 3/8 = rounded to 4 stars

If you like psychological thrillers, give this one a try. I recommended it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture Audio, and Karen King for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first book by the author and the narrator did an excellent job and I kept engaged and interested through out. I would be interested in reading more from this author in the future and would recommend this book as it was a quick, easy listen. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for this audio arc.

New girl, next-door drama! Brothers clash for her attention, but then a shocking accident leaves everyone questioning...did she jump, or was she pushed? Secrets unravel, and the truth behind the fall is more twisted than anyone imagined.

I enjoyed this, it was the first audio book I’ve ever done fully. Personally for me though I do prefer a physical book to read.

The story captivated me and did keep me interested and I had to carry on to know more