This book was very average for me. It was exactly as it promised as a mystery/thriller. The writing was a little repetitive at times but after the first few chapters, it wasn't too noticable. When I read books like this, that I know are going to have twists and turns, I don't try to figure them out, I like the book to guide me on its journey through them. I had a hard time with this book, I wanted to know what the twist was! I was guessing a little and when it was all revealed, I had bits but definitely not all of it. And it was a HUGE reveal that I gasped out loud at! It was almost a little too huge though, that it came off as unbelievable and I expected another reveal that never came.

This was a very fast read but that could be that I wanted to know what was going on! There wasn't any part that felt like it was slowing down or that it got boring, but there was a lot of filler stuff. There was a spot or two that it could've got spicy and I was glad that it didn't, nothing above a PG rating there.

Overall, a decent mystery/thriller with some twists and turns but could probably have been half the length and still achieved the same end. It would make a good beach read or a quick vacation book.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fast-paced book that kept me guessing. I wasn't quite sure where the storyline was headed, and I'm glad I stuck with the book. At times the writing was a little too descriptive of things that weren't central to the story (description of kitchen cabinets, overly descriptive about slippers, etc.), and other times there were big events that kind of happened out of nowhere.
Tabitha and Talia are twins and are good twin/bad twin and neither is in a healthy marriage. A new neighbor sets a number of things in motion and ultimately there are a couple of twists that are tied up by the end. If you're looking for a quick thriller, this is a good option!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this e-ARC.

Little Beak is a small town bursting with suspense. The relationships are intense, the mystery plentiful.

This book held my attention the entire time and kept me guessing throughout. I don't think I trusted a single character in this book.

Highly recommend this book if you enjoy suspense and small town mystery. Bonus points if you like stories involving twins, mystery neighbours & small town bakeries and bookstores.

Oh and there's cupcakes! I could really go for a cupcake right now.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for early access to this novel.

Definitely one of the more fast paced reads I've experienced and the first book I had the pleasure of reading on my Kindle so its going to hold a special place in my heart on those grounds alone. I had a bit of a hard time differentiating between Talia and Tabitha occasionally, until their husbands were mentioned, due to how close the writing for the characters could be at times. Absolutely loved the multiple POVs though and how each scene was thoroughly painted for you. The twists and turns that start to reveal themselves towards the end of the book and the suspense built had me entranced. Wish I could've been able to really sit and enjoy this one in one sit down, but it was also easy to manage with the short chapters. Overall, a pleasure of a read and I'll be looking forward to getting the physical copy of this book and reading any future books from Sally Royer-Derr!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Secrets Next Door by Sally Royer-Derr due to be published March 4, 2024.
Twins, Talia and Tabitha, live next to each other with their spouses, Zack and Grant. When a new neighbor, Anne, moves in next door the twins are suspicious. Who is hiding the secrets in this neighborhood.
The first part of the book didn’t seem like much of a thriller, but as the story progressed, the personalities of the twins came out and I got to know who they really are. Let’s just say there were many twists, turns, and secrets in the cul-de-sac – not all of them good.
This was a totally new author for me. I looked up more of her books – she has several standalones (like this one) and a trilogy that sounds interesting. I will definitely check them out.
I highly recommend this book and author!
#NetGalley #SallyRoyerDerr #StormPublishing #TheSecretsNextDoor

The story follows the story of Talia and Tabitha, twin sisters, who are married and they live next to each other. Their lives are pretty quiet and their bakery is so successful. Life is "light and easy" up untill a new neighbor, Anne, moves next door to Talia. Talia is quite worried because everyone around her is acting quite strange.

The story was quite interesting and kept me going. The plot twist was something I didn't see coming. At least not entirely. The story wraped-up pretty well and I appreciated the kind of follow up after the events that happened at present.

This one started off so good and i was very invested as it’s an easy read. I liked the mystery and was hoping for a great thriller with an amazing ending. However the ending seems to come out of nowhere and felt a bit rushed. I would have liked to feel like I knew a bit more of the past of the twin sisters .

Overall I still thought it was a good book and I enjoyed reading it.

In a quiet suburb, neighbors discreetly observe as Anne moves in. She receives a traditional welcome from her next-door neighbor and soon friend, Talia, and Talia's sister, Tabitha, who scrutinize her every move. Anne quickly realizes the facade of perfection maintained by Talia and Tabitha. However, Anne has her own secrets, which she knows they won't uncover without risking their own hidden truths.

1. **Plot and Storytelling:** 3/5 The plot was decent, holding my attention but not leaving me awestruck. The twist felt somewhat odd.

2. **Characterization:** 4/5 The characters were solidly developed and portrayed, though their growth throughout the book was limited.

3. **Writing Style:** 3/5 Sally Royer-Derr’s writing was enjoyable, although the pacing felt slow for a thriller. Nevertheless, the book was well-crafted.

4. **Originality:** 4/5 The book offered a unique spin on the suburban thriller genre, particularly with its ending.

5. **Emotional Impact and Resolution:** 2/5 I didn’t find myself deeply invested in the characters emotionally, and the ending left me feeling somewhat perplexed. However, I appreciated that all loose ends were tied up.

Overall score: 3/5

If you enjoy suburban thrillers, you might want to check out "The Woman in Cabin 10,” by Ruth Ware. It's a gripping mystery set on a luxury cruise ship, but it still maintains the suspenseful atmosphere and intricate character dynamics often found in suburban thrillers.

These twins are kind of annoying. I know I said I wasn't going to read or listen to twin books again but here I am.
These girls are enmeshed. They love next door to each other, work together, and get into one another's space all the time. I hope my girls are a little tiny bit more separate.
The story wouldn't be the same if the girls weren't this close. Also our girls are really shallow "every woman wants to look like her."
"We are town royalty."
Ugh
I was not at all expecting the ending.

The secrets next door by sally royer-derr. A murder she wrote type book. Twin women , living in a small town. They are living their lives. Then next door an author moves in. She brings mystery and secrets

This book was a slow burn for me. I enjoy books with multiple POVs, but this one wasn't my favorite. I also feel that the bake shop talk was a little overdone.

This book was good. It had good twists and turns that has the reader hooked. I had to know what are the secrets and how the book ends. Definately recommend this book for thriller lovers. Thank you to netgalley for giving me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A mixed bag thriller for me. The prologue really sets up the story and I found myself waiting to see where and how it would fit in. Over all I liked the thriller’s plot, there are twists and I didn’t see the final one. But much text is spent on moneyed-American living with ‘women’s cafe meets and shopping’ which is not my thing. If it’s yours you will enjoy this story more than I did. Secondly the characters and their feelings about each seem to switch unbelievably. Example description of he’s just perfect and life is always perfect, to a few chapters on he is unpredictably dark and aggressive. This just didn’t gel with me. Thank you to Storm Publishing for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

I wasn’t a fan of this book. Almost DNF. Did have multiple POVs but was a very slow burn. The last 30% of the book was better. Contained a twist but it was kinda a boring twist. Wouldn’t recommend.

I love thrillers, but this was a huge miss for me. Even though this book is so short, it felt like a chore to read. I wish it had been longer to show certain conversations go down, as it would have added substance to this book. It felt surface-level, which was annoying. Also, the pacing was off and the revelations in the last few chapters seemed to come out of nowhere with no real build-up. I'm giving this two stars because I did like some of the twists that were revealed, as they were interesting.

Tabitha and Talia are twin sisters, living next door to one another in a small town called Little Beak. They co-own a little bakery. Tabitha is the glamorous, vain sister with the wealthy husband and child and Talia is the more modest sister, married to her childhood friend Zach. Talia and Tabitha have a rocky relationship, one sister a little more demanding than the other.

Anne Graveley has moved to Little Beak to write a series of novels. Something about Anne makes the sisters suspicious and they set out to find out what secrets she may be hiding. There is a lot more to uncover than I could have guessed.

This was a fast paced novel, with a few interesting twists, not all of them predictable. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Going into this book, I knew what to expect; that being said, this book lived up to my expectations. It read like a Lifetime movie, which was what I wanted. As a domestic thriller, much of the drama and tension focused on two twin sisters, Tabitha and Talia, and their husbands, and in this sense, the plot felt predictable. If you're looking for something thought-provoking, this might not be the right book; however, if you're wanting a quick, entertaining read, this is it!

Thank you to Net Galley and Storm Publishing for this ARC.

3.5 stars! Quick, fast paced read that hooks you from the prologue. The author is super descriptive which helped me picture everything as i read. I only predicted one of the twists and enjoyed how the book ended. I would definitely read more from this author. Thank you Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.

I received this arc and would like to thank NetGalley and Storm Publishing. I am not sure where to begin! Talia and Tabitha are twin adult sisters, each married and living next door to each other, when Anne moves in to the house next to Talia.
So this is described as a mystery. There are some aspects I like, and they are as follows.
1. I liked Talia. Not Tabitha so much! Enjoyed the over the top “gods twin/bad twin” relationship. (I am a mood reader and wanted to read for pure entertainment- not deep thought!!)
2 The mystery- when it finally appears- at 78% into the book.

Ok- what I didn’t like.

1. This story is mainly told from Talia’s perspective. And the “mystery” starts because her sister doesn’t like the new neighbor. There is a lot of inner dialogue and thoughts from Talia.
2. The constant description of the bake shop, the cupcakes, the icing, the decoration on the cakes. I get they owned a bakery- but more time was spent on this than mystery.
3. The mystery! We are barely given any backstory to Anne, or Talia, Tabitha and Zach (Talia’s husband). So the big reveal of what’s really going on was like thrown in!!! Between affairs, a death, then “oh yeah- when they were little this happened and this is who she is now”- kinda thing. WHAT??? There was NO build up to this, then wham! It would have been so much better if the author had really included the back stories in past/present more than she did. The character Anne is introduced, talked about, interacts maybe 3 times with the sisters- but the whole thing revolves around her, so it is very flimsy.
4. All the entanglements between characters. Twisted- yes- but maybe too obvious.

I feel it could have been very good if it wasn’t told by mainly one character, more info/clues about the mystery, and more inclusion in the story about what the heck Anne is doing!!

When I closed this book, I couldn't decide if I was satisfied or mildly disappointed or both.
Talia and Tabitha are twins who live next door and the POVs alternate between the two. Their lives start unravelling when a mystery book writer moves in their neighbourhood. The twins are well written and each POV shows a deeper side of the characters mentioned. The author has done a great job of keeping it light yet the leaving the story in a shroud of suspense.

What disappointed me was that the real action towards the end where all the storylines seem to align with each other. It had a long wait time because though there was a reckoning it wasn't tight. Also a certain character angle felt a bit far-fetched so I drew back a star from it.

I do recommend this book if you like light mystery. I thank Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the E-Arc and I am leaving this review voluntarily.