I was so intrigued by the premise of this book and it honestly was so much better than I expected it to be it is an incredible read.
There wasn't anything I disliked about this book. the writing style and format was good and engaged me the whole way along, the storyline was absolutely riveting and thought provoking.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. After reading the blurb I was expecting a light hearted drama so I was completely taken aback by this beautifully written story. It really delved into the topic of community spirit and was so heartfelt and emotional. A fabulous cast of characters from all different backgrounds and cultures who came together to form a formidable force. This book is the true definition of feel good. Highly recommended.

Sadly, I couldn't connect with the story nor the characters of "Dear Neighbour". The narrative felt forced, the multiple characters' perspectives arc not greatly executed, and the storyline that could have been uplifting felt too unrealistic for me to be able to suspend my disbelief.

Basic premise elevated to a real joy by the brilliantly written characters.

A moving read on an emotional subject of home and community and what that means for people.

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot, or the publisher's blurb.

This is an enjoyable read, that delves into some of the issues facing urban and city dwellers in social housing.

The characters of the residents are well described - they are a total mix of ages, nationalities, genders etc - and all have their own stories to tell. I especially liked Bill, the oldest resident, and understood how he would have felt in the face of potential eviction. The "baddy" was well written too!

I was pleased with the eventual outcome. The book has an overall "feelgood" factor, and shows how people can overcome seemingly hopeless causes if they pull together.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

A lovely book which makes you think that there are good people in the world after all. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This is story that makes you believe in humankind. Life affirming, heartwarming but also full of sharp social remarks.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I loved this book. I’m from West Yorkshire and so know the area it was set in (the attention to detail in describing the various places that the story takes place in within that area was excellent and I felt like my mind could pan the scene and see exactly where things were. I felt I had a world in my hands). The story was moving and Bradley manages a large cast of characters really well (when not done well I find that I struggle to connect with or remember characters and am less invested in the story overall, this happened with a thriller recently with a similar number of characters). Like the city it is based in the characters are also diverse in a way that felt real not forced and was refreshing. It also deals with important social matters and I think would be an excellent book club book.

Alice is working hard to provide for her daughter, Mollie. But it's a challenge juggling her job alongside her duties as a single mum in Leeds: a city she barely knows. Her neighbours keep to themselves, and as much as she longs for a friend to rely on, she knows that things don't work out that way. Bill has lived on Leodis Street for eighty years. Its where he was born, began his married life and eventually cared for his wife in her final days. Since Sally's death, Bill's home is a place of solitude, his talisman against an unrecognisable world. When the residents of Leodis Street are threatened with eviction, Alice knows she needs to make a stand.

This is a real feelgood story. Although it can also be heartbreaking, it has its humorous moments too. It tells of how a group of residents are trying to prevent themselves from being evicted from their homes. The characters are a mixed bunch, but they're also well developed. My favourite character was Bill. The story is told from several perspectives. This is a well written and character driven story. I was rooting all the way for the residents to come out the winners.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #LittlerownBookGroupUK and the author #JaneClaireBradley for my ARC of #DearNeighbour in exchange for an honest review.

Loved the subject matter of this book, about a group of neighbours who despite living on the same street hardly know each other until they are all affected by the fact that they may have to leave their homes . Lots of different characters to enjoy with a vast range of ages and backgrounds.
Despite enjoying it, found it very similar to another book I had recently read. But never the less would recommend reading ti

Sometimes in your life you just need a feel good book to pick you up, and Dear Neighbour was absolutely it for me. I love stories set in streets or blocks of flats, the characters lives weave intricately around the place and the people. Dear Neighbour is a story about finding friendship right under your nose, understanding the struggles other people deal with and standing together to make a better life. I loved it.
Thanks to Jane Claire Bradley, Sphere and Netgalley for the ARC.

This is a really lovely book that celebrates community. The characters are well-written and the story line is great. A real feel-good story. Recommended.

Heartwarming tale of lonely neighbours who come together to protest against their homes being demolished, finding friendship and a real sense of community. I really enjoyed this book and the characters in it.

This book gave me so many different emotions! From the first chapter I was thoroughly invested in the lives of the Leodis Street residents.

Funny at times heartbreaking at others I'm not afraid to admit I shed a few tears along the way.

I mostly read crime thrillers but wanted something light to read in one weekend and this book was perfect!

Thank you to netgalley and Jane Claire Bradley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in return for a true and fair review.

I'm so sorry, I did not finish this book. I'm not the target audience for this genre & just couldn't get into it. I've given 5 stars because I have to give a rating & it would be unfair to give a low rating just because it's not my thing.

I really enjoyed this book - heartwarming and real. The first I have read by this author but I suspect not the last.

I enjoyed meeting and learning more about the backstories of the inhabitants of Leodis Street - threatened with eviction they band together to fight the decision. A group of disparate individuals of different ages and backgrounds they work together and learn to be a real community.

My only issue was with the developer - he did not come across as a real person - more a caricature but otherwise a very enjoyable read.

The residents of Leodis Street in Leeds receive a shocking letter informing them of a forced eviction giving them just 28 days to vacate. Alice, a single mother to Mollie, grumpy 70+ Bill, librarian Levon originally an asylum seeker from Iraq, Ajay, a nurse and A-level student Jessie decide to fight back and form a plan of action. Whilst the neighbourhood is certainly a bit rundown, it definitely needs TLC, this is their home when all is said and done.

What a lovely book! It’s very well written, and though told from several perspectives it smoothly flows through the drama and really gets to the heart of this lovely community. Somehow, the author pulls you in, making the fight feel personal and so you want to get involved! The characters are a diverse range which really reflects Leeds and all their different personalities come across loud and clear. I enjoy all their back stories but perhaps Bills is the one that’s the biggest gut puncher but I will definitely channel my inner Jessie, I love her and her humour. I really like their internal monologues which enables the reader to thoroughly understand them. It’s so refreshing to read a book where you love the main characters and just boo at the smarmy developer. The setting of Leeds is very good as is the use made of the library where Levon works. I do know Leeds but could easily picture it even if I didn’t.

Although this is obviously character driven, it raises a very pertinent issue of the question of affordable housing, of tenants rights being ridden roughshod for the luxury end of the market. Gentrification is a very relevant issue and something we all need to be aware of. It also has it as at its heart what your home means to you and it shouldn’t matter what that home is if that’s where you love. Parts of the story make you angry at the injustice, others sections are sad and make you want to weep but this is a story of a wonderful group of people and it is heartwarming. Even though the ending is a bit ripe Brie, I still really like it. This is a very good read with an excellent message.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Kirsteen Astor at Little Brown Book Group for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Post to GR and Twitter on 1/6
To Amazon and Waterstones on 15/6

It seems there is a new zeitgeist for novels these days, a plucky bunch of council tenants take on the system and win when their houses are threatened.
Dear Neighbour is one such story, and it's not half bad as these stories go. Ths trouble is, it's not that good either.
It has some nice characters, but they all seem picked to represent something. Alice, the single mum, Ajay, the caring single nurse with the wonderfully over the top mum who wants him to find a husband, Jessie the defensive goth like teenager whose life is turned around by the group of neighbours battling the rich and greedy developers trying to demolish their street, and the lovely librarian who is also a past refugee/ asylum seeker, whose local knowledge and charming activism ( laced with baking) makes him the still calm centre of the group.
Then there is Bill, the oldest inhabitant, who, obviously, starts out a real curmudgeon but has a heart of gold, of course. His back story is actually very interesting and does give the book a much needed different angle.
It was, I must say, a pleasant book, but eminently forgettable and not a little contrived, and, even more sadly, not very believable in its final victory.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sphere, Little Brown for an e arc of this title in return for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this book with diverse selection of characters from teens to eighties.The community spirit is felt throughout the book .

This was a bit of a slow burn and the characters and the story grew on me as the plot developed and it ended up being a really good read.