I found this quite slow to get into and it didn't keep my attention as it was difficult to engage with the characters. I got to 44% before I gave up. Just not for me I'm afraid

A new neighbor, your family, spouse, and friends. Not everyone has your best interest at heart. Who can you really trust?

This story would offer something terrible afflicted one of the characters but then had me thinking everything was going to work out. As soon as I thought that, something else would be revealed, changing all my beliefs. Definitely kept me on my toes and had me wanting to get back to the story while I was working.

I was not expecting the twist in this one. I thought it was going one predictable direction but it went in the complete opposite.

The Secrets Next Door had all the small town vibes with just enough to keep me on the edge of my seat.

The new neighbor has the whole neighborhood in a mixture of paranoia and awe, being she’s a famous mystery author. Twin sisters Talia and Tabitha do some amateur sleuthing…

What do we really know about our neighbors? What can they be hiding? Is family the only thing and why? Well many of these questions were brought throughout this novel. I needed to find out so I just kept on reading util I got my answers.

The Secrets Next Door is about twin sisters Talia and Tabitha who are not only sisters, they own a bakery shop together and live next to each other the small town of Little Beak. Talia is married to Zach who was a childhood friend and also a love interest of her sister when they were growing up. Talia and Zach have no children yet so they are always with her nephew Cole. Tabitha married Grant have their son Cole and live a very upper class life since Grant is very wealthy so money is not a problem. Talia is very quiet and reserved while Tabitha looks very beautiful and out there and many times makes Talia feel very bad with the things she says to her sister.

A new neighbor moves into the house next door to Talia and Zach. It turns out to be the famous novelist Anne Gravely who moved to Little Beak to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. so she can write her new trilogy. Then why is Anne hiding in the dark staring at Talia .Why is she so cold to Zach and Tabitia. What is she hiding? Why is Anne really here? Why is she so chummy with the twins mom?

. I would have to say the book was a little slow for me at the beginning. Once I got into it I could not put it down. The twists were really eye opening and I did like Talia growing as a person. Being a twin to Tabitha was not easy. There were many questions to be answered. I suggest everyone read it.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC. This was a very interesting and thrilling novel.

This was fast-paced and I am always fascinated by twins, but I did figure out most of the twists early. The story centers on twins Talia and Tabitha, who are in their early 30's and live next door to each other as well as own a bakery together. When a well-known mystery author moves in on the other side of Talia, the women, specifically Tabitha, are immediately suspicious of her motives.

I had a bit of a hard time with both Talia's and Tabitha's characters, as some of the things that they did seemed out of character with the inner thoughts they shared earlier. I had trouble really getting to know either husband and they seemed like tertiary characters in the story. I think the characterization could have been built out just a little better. Though I did figure out what I consider to be the biggest twist early in the book, there were a couple other surprises thrown in throughout the way.

Overall, I did think this was a fast read and I enjoyed it, but I think I would have enjoyed it just a little more if I felt more connected to the characters. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one had a lot of potential but fell a little flat for me. For starters, it had one heck of a prologue - I was intrigued from the first place! Unfortunately, after that, it took me a while to get back into it. Royer-Derr has a captivating writing style and I appreciated the detail in setting the scene, but some parts of the story dragged on because of that. I enjoyed Talia and Tabitha's characters, but some of the things they did and said didn't feel accurate for their age? Some of the plot points felt a little underdeveloped - overall, I think this would have been better as a novella or short story rather than a full-length novel. Thanks so much for this ARC!

Probably not the best book to read just as I have new neighbors moving in 😆 This was a page-turning psychological thriller that will definitely have you giving side-eye to your neighbors. I was pulled in from the very start, and I found the plot twists to be surprising. I can’t wait to recommend this book closer to publication day, and I’ll be reading future books by this author. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read!

I will never see my neighbors the same after reading this book! The Secrets Next Door had me on my toes from the prologue to the ending. A web of connections among people in the same town, this thriller passed my expectations. When a mysterious author moves onto the same street as twin sisters Talia and Tabitha, nothing will ever be the same for anyone. From hidden motives to threatening behavior, this book has twists and turns that will leave you shaken by the end.

This was the first book I read by Sally Royer-Derr, and I will certainly be reading more from this brilliant mystery thriller writer!

I love the air of mystery that surrounded the characters even at the beginning of the book. It plants you right in the midst of a very intriguing and puzzling situation. Enjoyed it. definitely a page-turner! I would recommend this for those in a reading slump. :)

This book was an enjoyable read, it was rather slow to start with but that didn’t bother me as I was getting right into it and couldn’t put it down. There was plenty of twists and turns throughout, with a good unexpected ending. The characters were good, the story was enjoyable and the style of writing was perfect.
This is the first book that I have read by this author.. I’ll be keeping my eye out for more in the future.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading psychological thrillers.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

A gripping psychological thriller that will keep you guessing. Anne is new to the neighborhood and is greeted as expected by her new neighbors as they seek to learn more about her her. But really they should be worried about what she knows about them.

The Secrets Next Door, by Sally Royer-Derr

Blurb:

What does she know?

On a leafy, suburban street, curtains are subtly twitched to watch the new neighbor moving in.

Anne gets exactly the welcome to the neighborhood she expects: a basket of homemade cupcakes delivered by the woman next door and her best friend. One wears a curious smile while the other studies her every move. When Talia and Tabitha leave, Anne throws the treats in the trash.

She knows what to expect from the new neighbors. Talia with her perfect husband and pale-peach sweater sets, and Tabitha who reigns as queen in the close-knit community. That’s why she chose this house.

But they don’t know what to expect from her.

And if they get suspicious, well they can’t uncover Anne’s secrets without spilling their own…

About:

This book’s main characters are twins, Talia & Tabitha, both happily married, - Talia to Zach, Tabitha to Grant; Tabitha & Grant have a six year old son, Cole. They live next door to each other, & lead the perfect lives, - or so they believe. Then, a new neighbour moves in next door to Talia, - Anne. Anne is a well known mystery & suspense author, & living alone, she exudes mystery. Tabitha doesn’t trust her. Talia thinks she’s hiding something. Anne says ‘everyone has secrets’. Talia & Tabitha set out to discover just what Anne is hiding.

What people are saying:

An absolutely gripping and twisty psychological thriller that will have you questioning everything in a race to the jaw-dropping ending. The perfect read for fans of The Perfect Marriage, The Housemaid and Nicola Sanders.

My Review:

I found this book easy to get into, & an easy read. It was well written, with a good writer’s voice, & it kept a good pace throughout, which kept me wanting to read more. The characters within were believable, & I liked how the plot incorporated both Talia’s & Tabitha’s personal/married lives, which came to intertwine with the main plot itself. It was full of mystery, with some nail-biting build up’s along the way, & it really did keep me guessing until the very end.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this. It kept me hooked, was difficult to put down, & had a satisfying ending.

Based on a rating of 1-10, where 10 is the highest, I would give this book a rating of 8 out of 10. If Psychological Thrillers are your thing, then this book is an absolute MUST-read! It was a pleasure to read, & I would highly recommend!

Talia and her identical twin Tabitha live next door to each other in the small town of Little Beak, New York. These twins may look the same, but they have many differences. They co-own a bakery, but the cupcake shop is really Talia’s dream. Tabitha found and married a wealthy man, Grant, and they have a son named Cole. Talia married her childhood sweetheart, Zach, and they haven’t had children…yet. Talia is the more shy, introspective and modest twin, while Tabitha is the glamorous-on-the-outside-but-insecure-and-falling-apart-on-the-inside sister.

One day, they get a new neighbor - and not just any neighbor. Anne Gravely, hugely successful and well-loved mystery author, has rented the house next to Talia’s, to get out of the city and have a quiet place to write a new trilogy. Soon, questions surface. Why is Anne always creeping around in her backyard, especially in the middle of the night? If she wanted to get out of the city, why does she seem to be gone a lot? Why did she move to this house, when she could be in a similar location on the water? Talia is more forgiving of odd things stacking up, but Tabitha is convinced that this woman is up to no good.

This book started with a bang of a prologue, and while it was slow to get into after that, it eventually picked up and the ending was done quite well. My (minor) complaints? The red herrings may have been a little too obvious. Sometimes details were left out, or something that seemed very relevant wouldn’t be resolved. Some parts were completely implausible. We also have a character struggling to sleep. When someone in a book has severe insomnia, there’s always a little thought in the back of my head that they are hallucinating from lack of sleep. That part, I like because it keeps you on your toes! Overall, not bad at all. 3.5 stars.

(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 Secrets Next Door is fast paced and suspenseful. It is a complex story with multiple levels to it. The twists and secrets are not easy to guess. I really enjoy when a story is unpredictable to me. I loved all the family and neighborhood drama. The premise of twins adds a nice touch. This is a quick and enjoyable read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The storyline is unique, with plenty of twists and turns I certainly didn't see coming. I recommend anyone who loves a thriller to read this. I will be looking out for more from this author.

This was great. I really think it’s going to be one of the big books of 2024. I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review

Thank you Storm Publishing and NetGalley for an early copy of The Secrets Next Door. This was an INCREDIBLE read!!!! The characters were sooooo good, you either loved them or disliked them. The ending was so unexpected it was WOW!!!!! Very fast read and just a great plot too. Thank you again.

Got 25% in but found it too slow. Not for me. The twins didn't have distinct enough voices, so I never knew whose chapter I was reading without double checking . Sorry

I have mixed feelings about this book. Now that the book is finished, I feel better about it. Everything gets wrapped up in a nice way and many questions are answered. I now understand the concept, and I like it. However, the execution could have been better. The whole first half of the book could have been cut in half. I understand the need to develop the characters and set the scene, but I don't think as much time was needed and most of the time I was just left frustrated. I was frustrated because anything that caused some sort of suspense was explained away instantly instead of left as a question that would have pulled me to keep reading.

If you ignore some inconsistency in the character development and if you don't need constant suspense in your mysteries, this is a good story to read. It's a nice mystery if you don't like to be afraid to be in your own house alone after reading, but still want to read a mystery that keeps a lot unknown until the end.

“How well do you know your neighbours?”

This follows twins Tabitha and Talia who live next door to each other and own a bakery in a small town. When a new neighbour moves in next door, they are immediately suspicious after a break in at Tabitha’s.

I LOVED this book and stayed up last to finish it. The characters were amazing (mostly Talia) and the characters that weren’t likeable you really felt the dislike towards them. I did not expect the twist near the end and I was shocked. Would definitely recommend.