Scan barcode
k_cavacini's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. I really love the author and she definitely writes in a way that keeps me interested and wanting to know more. My only complaint was the "mystery secret" that surrounds Tessa, the newest resident of Newport Cove, was somewhat anti-climactic. I felt like the build up was more than the payoff, not to mention that it was pretty easy to guess what the secret was early on. But other than that one complaint, I enjoyed the novel and the characters.
teressac's review against another edition
4.0
Sooooo close to a 5 star rating. I loved the characters, loved their storylines and the way the book smoothly told a story from their perspective. The only thing I didn't like was the last few chapters, the ending felt abrupt and too neatly wrapped up in just a few pages. But other than that, I really enjoyed the book.
mello78's review against another edition
4.0
I surprisingly really enjoyed this book. It was a book to read as part of a book club I recently joined. It’s not the type of book I pick for myself. I really enjoyed how the writer described parenting. I found it very relatable and sometimes quite funny.
storybookstephanie's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fun read. There was some slightly disturbing content towards the end. The Listserv email at the beginning of each chapter made me laugh out loud and I found myself really rooting for all the main characters. Really enjoyed it!
purrfectpages's review against another edition
3.0
Just upon reading the first few pages of The Perfect Neighbors immediately I began to conjure up images of Desperate Housewives (there's even a passing mention of the Delfino family!) meets Big Little Lies. Convinced I knew where this story was headed, I braced myself for soapy intrigue set against an otherwise idyllic backdrop. The theme had to be everything is perfect here...or is it?
While this prediction was not entirely untrue, I felt that The Perfect Neighbors didn't really live up to the level of intrigue I was hoping for. This story revolves around four main women who reside in the community: Kellie, who just returned to the work force, Gigi, whose husband is taking a stab at a political career, Susan, a successful businesswoman still bitter about her recent divorce, and Tessa, the new, mysterious resident of Newport Cove. All of the women (minus Tessa) have shared potluck dinners and carpool outings. When Tessa enters the mix, they are eager to add her to the fold, but also weary of this mysterious woman who seems like she has something to hide.
The Perfect Neighbors fell flat in a few key areas. First off, there's the women's friendship. I don't think this novel's success was predicated on the relationship between these women, however, since their lives obviously overlapped, I wanted to see even more intertwining. I wanted them to either be there for each other or be at each other's throats. Instead, the characters all came across like ships in the night. Sure, they worried about each other from time to time, crossing paths and knowing glances at random functions. But nothing meaningful or no real bonding ever came from their friendship. It had me wondering why we needed them to be "friends" at all.
Then we have the individual stories of each woman. To be blunt, none of them were meaty enough for me. Okay, so Susan's husband left her for a woman she thought was her friend. If this had happened in the story itself perhaps it would have seemed more scandalous. But we're introduced to Susan in the aftermath of this occurrence. Susan's story is all about how to move on. I know this is important, but it's not exactly riveting.
Next up we have Gigi who is stressed at trying to exude the perfect suburban lifestyle as the wife of a potential politician. But Gigi's got a brooding teen at home and she's harboring a few secrets in her own past that need addressing. Gigi's past seemed a bit random. Howver, I think I would have liked this story more had Gigi spoken to her daughter about her past. It was mentioned that Gigi thought about it at one point, but the follow through never happened.
Finally though, we have my two least favorite women of the pack, Kellie, who, although married, his seriously flirting (and crushing) on her co-worker and Tessa, the new resident with the deep, dark secret. Kellie irked me because it was clear she wanted more to happen with her co-worker all along. It seemed like she only told her husband out of fear of being found out, which was supposed to have turned into genuine remorse. I suppose things could have happened that way, but I didn't like how Kellie's character was painted and wasn't sure she deserved to be forgiven so easily.
Which brings me to Tessa. I guessed Tessa's big secret pretty early on, but hoped I was wrong. I mean her reveal was a juicy one but hello...Tessa's husband KILLED. A. MAN. and got away with it! We never really even learned all the facts there. Did the guy do anything to these kids or did he just possess the pictures? Don't get me wrong, either is creepy, but murder? Really? Why didn't they just report the guy to the cops like normal people and get the creep out of their lives?
All in all as I reread through this review I realize this book made me angrier than I realized. To end on a positive, the one thing about the story that made me chuckle were the listserv blurbs in the beginning of each chapter. Again, the book earned interest, but I'm not sure it entirely earned my respect.
While this prediction was not entirely untrue, I felt that The Perfect Neighbors didn't really live up to the level of intrigue I was hoping for. This story revolves around four main women who reside in the community: Kellie, who just returned to the work force, Gigi, whose husband is taking a stab at a political career, Susan, a successful businesswoman still bitter about her recent divorce, and Tessa, the new, mysterious resident of Newport Cove. All of the women (minus Tessa) have shared potluck dinners and carpool outings. When Tessa enters the mix, they are eager to add her to the fold, but also weary of this mysterious woman who seems like she has something to hide.
The Perfect Neighbors fell flat in a few key areas. First off, there's the women's friendship. I don't think this novel's success was predicated on the relationship between these women, however, since their lives obviously overlapped, I wanted to see even more intertwining. I wanted them to either be there for each other or be at each other's throats. Instead, the characters all came across like ships in the night. Sure, they worried about each other from time to time, crossing paths and knowing glances at random functions. But nothing meaningful or no real bonding ever came from their friendship. It had me wondering why we needed them to be "friends" at all.
Then we have the individual stories of each woman. To be blunt, none of them were meaty enough for me. Okay, so Susan's husband left her for a woman she thought was her friend. If this had happened in the story itself perhaps it would have seemed more scandalous. But we're introduced to Susan in the aftermath of this occurrence. Susan's story is all about how to move on. I know this is important, but it's not exactly riveting.
Next up we have Gigi who is stressed at trying to exude the perfect suburban lifestyle as the wife of a potential politician. But Gigi's got a brooding teen at home and she's harboring a few secrets in her own past that need addressing. Gigi's past seemed a bit random. Howver, I think I would have liked this story more had Gigi spoken to her daughter about her past. It was mentioned that Gigi thought about it at one point, but the follow through never happened.
Finally though, we have my two least favorite women of the pack, Kellie, who, although married, his seriously flirting (and crushing) on her co-worker and Tessa, the new resident with the deep, dark secret. Kellie irked me because it was clear she wanted more to happen with her co-worker all along. It seemed like she only told her husband out of fear of being found out, which was supposed to have turned into genuine remorse. I suppose things could have happened that way, but I didn't like how Kellie's character was painted and wasn't sure she deserved to be forgiven so easily.
Which brings me to Tessa. I guessed Tessa's big secret pretty early on, but hoped I was wrong. I mean her reveal was a juicy one but hello...Tessa's husband KILLED. A. MAN. and got away with it! We never really even learned all the facts there. Did the guy do anything to these kids or did he just possess the pictures? Don't get me wrong, either is creepy, but murder? Really? Why didn't they just report the guy to the cops like normal people and get the creep out of their lives?
All in all as I reread through this review I realize this book made me angrier than I realized. To end on a positive, the one thing about the story that made me chuckle were the listserv blurbs in the beginning of each chapter. Again, the book earned interest, but I'm not sure it entirely earned my respect.
enigmadame's review against another edition
I feel like I reread an early version of Laine Moriarty's "Big Little Lies." I liked this book, but it just wasn't...as gripping as Ms. Moriarty's. Maybe because I read that one first? Maybe because it was better? Same plot: we all have secrets, but whereas I feel like "Big Little Lies" came to a conclusion, "The Perfect Neighbors" was more open-ended.
phdee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
brooke_review's review against another edition
3.0
The title, "The Perfect Neighbors," is a word play, hinting that the residents of Newport Cove (one of the 20 safest neighborhoods) are not as perfect as they put pressure on themselves to be. The novel follows 4 female residents of Newport Cove, & delves into their relationships with their families & each other. Dealt with here is divorce resentment, maintaining outward appearances, workplace infidelity, & deep dark secrets. An entertaining enough read, but I always felt one step removed, as if I was on the outside looking in - there's a wall between the characters & the reader.
NOVELIST APPEALS
Genre: Domestic Fiction; Mainstream Fiction; Multiple Perspectives
Character: Relatable
Pace: Fast-Paced
Tone: Gossipy; Suspenseful
Writing Style: Compelling
NOVELIST APPEALS
Genre: Domestic Fiction; Mainstream Fiction; Multiple Perspectives
Character: Relatable
Pace: Fast-Paced
Tone: Gossipy; Suspenseful
Writing Style: Compelling
julielb's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounded up
I love Pekkanen's mysteries written with Greer Hendricks. Their novel, The Golden Couple, is one of my top reads for 2023. So I was eager to try this earlier book by Pekkanan, read via kindle.
Newport Cove is designed to be a bucolic, family-oriented and very safe neighborhood. We meet several of the families with the focus on the women of the house. One family is supporting the husband/father who is running for Congress and the public scrutiny that comes with it. Another woman is re-entering the workforce now that their kids are old enough, working as a realtor, and starting to get an ego boost from a handsome coworker. Still another is dealing with recent divorce and her ex-husband's new partner, soon to be wife and mother of a new child, was a friend of the woman. And finally there is a new family who just moved in, running from their previous neighborhood and murderous events that happened there.
We meet the women and watch as they try to keep public persona firmly in place to hide their secrets. Some secrets are not big, but still impactful to the woman and her family, while other secrets are quite big, pushing that family to do all they can to keep it hidden.
This was well written, easy to read. The 3.5 is because at times it drug, with long sections during which very little happened. I became impatient occasionally but the nice thing with Kindle books is the ease with which you can swipe forward!
An overall enjoyable read. But I believe the books she coauthors are much more stronger, have more depth, more intrigue, more drama and keep you wholly engaged.
I love Pekkanen's mysteries written with Greer Hendricks. Their novel, The Golden Couple, is one of my top reads for 2023. So I was eager to try this earlier book by Pekkanan, read via kindle.
Newport Cove is designed to be a bucolic, family-oriented and very safe neighborhood. We meet several of the families with the focus on the women of the house. One family is supporting the husband/father who is running for Congress and the public scrutiny that comes with it. Another woman is re-entering the workforce now that their kids are old enough, working as a realtor, and starting to get an ego boost from a handsome coworker. Still another is dealing with recent divorce and her ex-husband's new partner, soon to be wife and mother of a new child, was a friend of the woman. And finally there is a new family who just moved in, running from their previous neighborhood and murderous events that happened there.
We meet the women and watch as they try to keep public persona firmly in place to hide their secrets. Some secrets are not big, but still impactful to the woman and her family, while other secrets are quite big, pushing that family to do all they can to keep it hidden.
This was well written, easy to read. The 3.5 is because at times it drug, with long sections during which very little happened. I became impatient occasionally but the nice thing with Kindle books is the ease with which you can swipe forward!
An overall enjoyable read. But I believe the books she coauthors are much more stronger, have more depth, more intrigue, more drama and keep you wholly engaged.