Interesting premise but I don’t think this book knows what it’s trying to be and because of that it misses the mark across the board. Is it a thriller? Is it a murder mystery? Is it psychological thriller? Family drama? I’m still not quite sure and I’ve read it!

Characters didn’t feel ‘real’ and I honestly didn’t buy into any of them. They all felt too caricature for me. They were all fairly unlikeable honestly - even characters that I feel like i should I have liked I just wasn’t bothered by!

The plot loses itself a few times and I found myself not really caring or being invested in any of it.

The ending really put the nail in the coffin for me as I just didn’t find it anywhere near as satisfying as I had hoped. I saw most of the ending a mile away and the one thing I didn’t see coming was only a surprise as there had been no mention of breadcrumbing for it at all so it felt like it was used for shock value?

Overall this wasn’t for me but I’m sure other people will jump on it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC for my honest review.

Really enjoyed this small town thriller, with unexpected twists!

Great plot and great characters, did not see the twist coming.

Would recommend to people who like Freida McFadden thrillers.

Slow burner to page turner! Was not expecting those twists. I thought it was going to have a predictable and suburban thriller cliche ending, but nope!

The last 20% does go quick, but it does wrap up any loose ends.

I would say this is a good fit for fans of Claire McGowan and Mary Kubica.

First read for me from this author. Look forward to exploring her other novels. 4 stars!

Thank you for giving me a chance to read this new thriller! It was a very fast paced book that kept you on your toes and wanting to know more in every chapter. I loved all of the characters, especially how opposite Talia and Tabitha were! This was my first read by Sally Royer-Derr and I would love to check out more by her!

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Secrets Next Door is a fast-paced, can't-put-down psychological thriller. Twins Tabitha and Talia live next door to each other on a calm suburban street. Their families are friends and they do almost everything together. For one twin, that is all she wants - to have her sister as her bff and a financially stable marriage. However, for the other twin, she wants freedom from her relationship with her sister and an emotionally stable marriage. Both twins are about to face significant challenges when a new neighbor moves onto the street. Anne immediately asserts herself into the lives of the twins. What is Anne's angle? What is she hiding? And how far will one of the twins go to ensure her relationship with her sister is protected?

The Secrets Next Door is fast-paced with nice, short chapters. The story alternates mainly between the twins with a few extra POVs toward the end. There are definitely quite a few shocking twists. While I suspected some of the reveals, I still thoroughly enjoyed the end and was surprised by parts. The characters are rather unlikable (some more than others) but that fit with the story. I wasn't a huge fan of the "premonition" bit at the end. I found that to be unnecessary. I think that there would be plenty of other explanations for why Anne felt compelled to reach out. Still, the book kept me reading, and I'll definitely be recommending it.

I really enjoyed this book a lot! It was interesting from the beginning, and it kept me hooked until the very end. It had some really great twists and turns, and I was surprised by the ending. I loved how it all played out. I would definitely recommend to other readers, and I can't wait to read more from this author!

I really enjoyed this book. I felt the pacing was good and the plot twist. I'll definitely be reading more of this authors books.

The Secrets Next Door
By: Sally Royer-Derr

5 Stars

This story was a crazy wild ride. It was fast-paced and thrilling. It had a captivating set of characters in the forms of the twins,Talia and Tabitha, their husbands Zach and Grant, and their new neighbor Anne. When Ann moves in on the other side of Talia and a friendship pops up between them, so do questions, drama, and secrets. Tabitha is always jealous, Talia knows this. How jealous is she? And who is Ann really? Who does Talia have living next to her? She thought she knew.

I was so pleased with this story. It was thrilling and mysterious. Twins always have secrets, but man, this book brings out some big crazy ones. From start to finish, I was on the edge of my seat. The writing was well done. The ending was shocking, and the big reveals are crazy and aren't to be missed.


*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Reviews

A very quick and easily digestible suspense story! I wish it was a tad longer so a bit more detail could be added, especially during the climactic scenes. Despite that, I was able to get a good grasp on all of the characters and truly wanted to see how the story ended!

Quick and easy read- but not necessarily a good thing. The concept had me intrigued, and I will say I did keep turning the page to know more, but I think that’s largely because I was waiting for something to happen. This novel is largely filled with the inner thoughts of our characters rather than action and plot. The writing was a bit lacking and was over narrated and repetitive at times.
The last few pages revealed the “ah-ha!” of the novel, but lacked believability due to a couple of factors.
I’d say this is a 2.5 for me. Enjoyable enough, but I’m not sure it would be one I would recommend to others with confidence.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 2.5 stars rounded down

The Secrets Next Door follows twin sisters Tabitha and Talia, who are connected at the hip and best friends. They live next door to each other with their husbands, Zach with Talia, who is a childhood friend both girls had crushes on forever, and Grant with Tabitha, an old-money caring man who Tabitha is head-over-heels for, along with their son Cole.

One day, a new neighbor moves into the empty house on the other side of Talia, a mystery writer named Anne Graveley. At first, both women are hesitant with this mysterious women, but Talia warms up to her and they become friends, while Tabitha grows more suspicious and cold towards her. Tabitha is convinced that Anne is doing something to mess with their family, whether that is spying on them or sleeping with her husband, she doesn’t know.

This is a twisty psychological thriller told from both Tabitha and Talia’s points of view, that I enjoyed the plot of but thought the writing was really childish and simple. It was a quick and easy read which is why I didn’t DNF it, but I did not really enjoy the book much.

The Secrets Next Door by Sally Royer-Derr is a fast-paced psychological thriller.

Twin sisters Tabitha and Talia live next to each other, run their bakery together, and have created an ideal deal life for themselves in the small town of Little Beak. The arrival of Talia's new neighbour, the very successful mystery author Anne Graveley, throws their seemingly perfect life into complete chaos. With Anne arrives danger, threatening to expose dark secrets and change the course of all their lives.

How well do you know the people close to you? How well do you really know your neighbours?

Before I start, I want to mention that I have a lot of mixed feelings and this is a difficult book to review.

The Secrets Next Door has a compelling storyline and the writing style is easy to follow. Though not the most nuanced, it makes for an enjoyable reading experience.

If you are looking for something more layered and thought-provoking, this is not the book for you. The focus lies solely on this one incident that is introduced towards the beginning of the book and addressed at the end, any other incidents or unresolved issues implied at are never really addressed, which I found to be rather one-dimensional and frustrating. Along with that, the information that I feel should've been had hinted at was clearly laid out, eliminating some of the suspense. Some primary characters did't get enough attention, would've loved to understand their motivations a bit more. The characters don't really have a distinct voice and are't well-developed despite the extensive background laid out for them, which leads to a lack of emotional connection - as well as the fact that they aren't exactly likeable. They also make a lot of contradictory statements throughout the book and their actions don't align with their beliefs, which makes it somewhat difficult to figure them out. There is a lot of repetition as the same piece of information is shared from both Tabitha and Talia's perspectives in the same excruciating detail.

Overall, the enjoyability of the book stems from the storyline and the ease with which it can be read. If you are just looking for a quick read with no strings attached, this is the book for you.

This book was an absolutely wild ride, and proves there is no way to truly know those around you, no matter how close to them you feel. Talia and Tabitha are twin sisters living next door from each other in luxury homes while co-owning a bakery in a quiet suburb of NYC. They get a new neighbor, Anne, the author of several popular mystery novels. When Talia and Anne begin to develop a friendship, Tabitha and Talia’s husband, Zach, become adamant that it must end. Sure Anne is a little odd, but can the new neighbor really be that harmful?

This book was fast paced and easy to read, but I felt the writing was a bit elementary at times. I also felt the pacing of the plot was slightly off; the way the plot twists were bought in didn’t have me on the edge of my seat, and I wasn’t able to connect to the characters as much as I wanted. I found it hard to understand their motivations and actions. Nonetheless, this was still an entertaining read! I think I would rank it 3.25 stars. It’s perfect for readers who like family drama and mystery.

A super slow building book. It really didn’t get interesting for me until the final third of the book. I have found that I have a hard time with books that don’t have love able characters. That seems to be my main problem getting into this book. Talia was really the only character who was semi-likeable in my opinion. The twist came out of nowhere for me. Mainly because it was kind of a wait what???? I think this book definitely will have an appeal for some people.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

It was a quick and very enjoyable thriller. The plot is filled with some very interesting reveals and I did not see most of them coming. Part of the plot is a revenge arc and I do love a good revenge arc; this one did not disappoint me. I did not like Tabitha, one of the main characters, but Talia was an intriguing character and I liked to learn more about her. Anne was also quite mysterious and interesting. And the ending was really satisfying.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Let me start off by saying that the premise of this book is amazing. The story revolves around Talia and her sister Tabitha who live next door to each other. They run a bakery together in Little Beak. Everything might look great from the outside, but then a famous thriller author, Anne Gravely, moves in next door and things start to get interesting and secrets get revealed . As secrets unravel, the characters find themselves navigating through a web of lies, betrayal, and unexpected twists. It's a thrilling and suspenseful read that will keep you guessing. I enjoyed the book however, there were a few things that prevented me from giving it a higher rating. One of the main things that stood out to me was the pacing. At times, the story felt a bit slow and I found myself wanting more action. My other issue was that detailed descriptions, I understand that they are intended to immerse the reader in the story; however, they came across as excessive and overdone.

Super slow start and I could not keep Tabitha and Talia straight in my mind. I tried my best to finish but couldn’t at this time.

We have Talia and her identical twin Tabitha who live next door to each other. They run a bakery, and each live their own separate lives with their respective husbands Tabitha’s son Cole. Things pick up when they get a neighbor. Why is the neighbor creeping around in Taila’s backyard? Why are some things just not adding up? Taila may be content to overlook things but Tabitha wants to get to the bottom of things. What will they find out?

I enjoyed this book, I think it was a quick and simple read. It was a little slow in the beginning but it definitely held my interest. I enjoyed the ending and would recommend it to others!
(Thank you to Storm Publishing, Sally Roger-Derr and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on March 4, 2024.)

The story centers around twins Talia and Tabitha, and their families, and each chapter switches narrators (mostly Talia). Talia and Tabitha live next door to each other and when new neighbor Anne moves into the neighborhood, they wonder what secrets she keeps. As Talia forms a friendship with Anne, what secrets will be revealed.?

I found the book slower paced until it was almost over, then it quickly tied everything together (including an ending I couldn’t quite believe). A quick evening read.

If I had to describe this book in one sentence it would be: "I could not put it down"!!!!

WOW!! WHAT WAS THIS? I loved this book! Binged it in only one day! I'm so happy because I finally found my first 5-star read of the year!
I didn't know this author but now I want to read more books of hers! I was addicted to the story right from the beginning of it. It was impossible to put it down! The writing was so captivating and bewitching.
I loved the story, this is how you write a mystery/thriller. It was full of plot twists and surprises (I could predict none of them!!). I was totally in shock as I was finishing the book! The final part caught my attention even more and it was SO GOOD! I loved the final three moments: when they discovered what was happening; the confrontation and 2 years after justice was done.

I highly recommend you read this book! My first 5-star read of the year! Thank you !!!