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Welcome to the Neighbourhood
Until recently, the most exciting thing that that happened in Ashdown Close was a parcel going missing.
That was before the arrival of Sian and Richard at number 8. They are cool, glamorous, and everything that Kitty hoped her life in London would be. Kitty can’t help but be dazzled by her new neighbours, and makes it her mission to befriend them.
But when she sees a mysterious stranger leaving their house, she realises they might not be the perfect couple she thought. Aided and abetted by her reluctant best friend Grace, Kitty is determined to find out the truth.
But nosy neighbouring has consequences.
And on a street where everyone knows everything, what if you uncover more than you bargained for?
That was before the arrival of Sian and Richard at number 8. They are cool, glamorous, and everything that Kitty hoped her life in London would be. Kitty can’t help but be dazzled by her new neighbours, and makes it her mission to befriend them.
But when she sees a mysterious stranger leaving their house, she realises they might not be the perfect couple she thought. Aided and abetted by her reluctant best friend Grace, Kitty is determined to find out the truth.
But nosy neighbouring has consequences.
And on a street where everyone knows everything, what if you uncover more than you bargained for?
- GenresHumor
432 pages, Paperback
Published January 15, 2026
353 people are currently reading
651 people want to read
About the author
Jane Fallon
23 books1,540 followersJane Fallon is an English producer and novelist, most famous for her work on popular series Teachers, 20 Things To Do Before You're 30, Eastenders and This Life. She is author of ten novels on the Sunday Times Bestseller List — Getting Rid of Matthew, Got You Back, Foursome, The Ugly Sister, Skeletons, Strictly Between Us, My Sweet Revenge, Faking Friends, Tell Me A Secret, and Queen Bee. In 2011, Foursome was nominated for the Melissa Nathan Award for Romantic Comedy Fiction, and in 2018, Faking Friends was nominated in the popular fiction category of the National Book Awards and in 2019 was long listed for the Comedy Women In Print prize.
Fallon has been in a relationship with popular comedian Ricky Gervais since 1982, after they met while studying together at the University College London. The couple has lived together since 1984 and are based in North London.
Fallon has been in a relationship with popular comedian Ricky Gervais since 1982, after they met while studying together at the University College London. The couple has lived together since 1984 and are based in North London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
January 20, 2026
Always fantastic Jane Fallon, no one writes female revenge like her. Auto buy author for me.
January 27, 2026
Jane Fallon got me back into reading with ‘Oversharing’, a book which I would re-read. So it’s with a heavy heart that I must say I did not enjoy this book. It is a very long book for story with irritating characters and underwhelming arcs.
The ending is the best part when we hear the voice of Sian, written in a similar fashion to that of Oversharing. Although Sian is perceived as the villain who all of the other characters conspire against to get ‘revenge’ this ultimately seems a bit overkill considering their own actions throughout the book. The lack of responsibility Kitty takes for her part in the story and Lottie’s wet approach to life just dampened the ending.
The flow of the story was also confusing with changes of location, time or days within the same paragraph with no clear divide. This may be more the publishers choice.
It’s ok for a quick beach read but wouldn’t recommend for anything more.
The ending is the best part when we hear the voice of Sian, written in a similar fashion to that of Oversharing. Although Sian is perceived as the villain who all of the other characters conspire against to get ‘revenge’ this ultimately seems a bit overkill considering their own actions throughout the book. The lack of responsibility Kitty takes for her part in the story and Lottie’s wet approach to life just dampened the ending.
The flow of the story was also confusing with changes of location, time or days within the same paragraph with no clear divide. This may be more the publishers choice.
It’s ok for a quick beach read but wouldn’t recommend for anything more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2026
A fun and quirky novel. I liked all the characters and the way the story unraveled. Wasn’t sure where it was going in the end but the ending was resolved nicely. Grace was one of my faves! I read this in a day because the writing is just so easy to demolish. Thank you to NetGalley for this arc
February 9, 2026
Having read and adored lots of Jane Fallon books I had high hopes for this book but it really didn’t hit the spot for me unfortunately.
Right from the off I struggled to care about any of the characters. The name Kitty grated on me from page 2 and don’t even get me started on the names of Sian’s supposedly cool friends.
The main characters are supposed to be in their mid 40s but they behave like school children, obsessing over “finding evidence” and catching people out. Kitty and Grace are far too invested in other people’s lives for it to be realistic. I’d honestly had enough by page 100 but I can never leave a book unfinished so I speed read the rest.
Worst bit was the ending where there’s wooping and patting each other on the back saying “you were amazing” after humiliating Sian. The punishment definitely didn’t fit the crime considering the age group of these people. It was school playground behaviour. Don’t even get me started on Kitty seemingly getting away with sleeping with Lotties husband and them still being friends at the end. It was all just a bit cringe. (I’m cringing now remembering it).
Seems like lots of people loved the book so maybe I missed something. There were no shocking twists for me as I called them all. Maybe it’s that? I won’t let this put me off this author completely and I will undoubtedly pick up another Jane Fallon book in the future but for me this one was 2 stars.
Right from the off I struggled to care about any of the characters. The name Kitty grated on me from page 2 and don’t even get me started on the names of Sian’s supposedly cool friends.
The main characters are supposed to be in their mid 40s but they behave like school children, obsessing over “finding evidence” and catching people out. Kitty and Grace are far too invested in other people’s lives for it to be realistic. I’d honestly had enough by page 100 but I can never leave a book unfinished so I speed read the rest.
Worst bit was the ending where there’s wooping and patting each other on the back saying “you were amazing” after humiliating Sian. The punishment definitely didn’t fit the crime considering the age group of these people. It was school playground behaviour. Don’t even get me started on Kitty seemingly getting away with sleeping with Lotties husband and them still being friends at the end. It was all just a bit cringe. (I’m cringing now remembering it).
Seems like lots of people loved the book so maybe I missed something. There were no shocking twists for me as I called them all. Maybe it’s that? I won’t let this put me off this author completely and I will undoubtedly pick up another Jane Fallon book in the future but for me this one was 2 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2025
Jane Fallon’s books are normally quick and enjoyable reads with interesting characters so I was pleased to get hold of a copy of her latest.
Kitty moves into Ashdown Close after walking out on her longtime relationship with Geth. However her new life in London does not go as planned and she feels isolated and lonely, her only friend being Grace, who drives her mad most of the time.
When she starts to become friendly with her next door neighbours Sian and Rich, things start to look up and Kitty gradually becomes closer to Sian. However when she sees something she shouldn’t and eventually comes clean with Sian about what she has seen things become complicated and she is drawn into a situation that can only end in tears.
Although the premise of the story was good and it was an easy read, I just did not warm to any of the characters. Some of the interactions between the main protagonists did not ring true and even Kitty the person who is at the centre of the plot is annoying, particularly in her dealings with others. I’m surprised Grace is still speaking to her by the end of the book. And as for Lottie, she is obviously a very forgiving sort of person.
I found the ending itself rather trite although it did tie up most of the loose ends. All in all it was an okay read but I preferred some of the authors other books which I recommend you read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.
Kitty moves into Ashdown Close after walking out on her longtime relationship with Geth. However her new life in London does not go as planned and she feels isolated and lonely, her only friend being Grace, who drives her mad most of the time.
When she starts to become friendly with her next door neighbours Sian and Rich, things start to look up and Kitty gradually becomes closer to Sian. However when she sees something she shouldn’t and eventually comes clean with Sian about what she has seen things become complicated and she is drawn into a situation that can only end in tears.
Although the premise of the story was good and it was an easy read, I just did not warm to any of the characters. Some of the interactions between the main protagonists did not ring true and even Kitty the person who is at the centre of the plot is annoying, particularly in her dealings with others. I’m surprised Grace is still speaking to her by the end of the book. And as for Lottie, she is obviously a very forgiving sort of person.
I found the ending itself rather trite although it did tie up most of the loose ends. All in all it was an okay read but I preferred some of the authors other books which I recommend you read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.
January 22, 2026
A speedy entertaining read.
Fallon’s writing is always good and this book is no different. The change for me is the characters - they weren’t all likeable and some still hadn’t grown on me by the end. I think the blurb gave away too much and it is fairly clear what’s going to happen. The twists are unforeseen, but the main disaster was a given.
Loved the gossipy, neighbourhood drama but thought both Grace and Lotte were far too forgiving (absolute saints).
Love the author, love her books and she will always be on my TBR List.
Fallon’s writing is always good and this book is no different. The change for me is the characters - they weren’t all likeable and some still hadn’t grown on me by the end. I think the blurb gave away too much and it is fairly clear what’s going to happen. The twists are unforeseen, but the main disaster was a given.
Loved the gossipy, neighbourhood drama but thought both Grace and Lotte were far too forgiving (absolute saints).
Love the author, love her books and she will always be on my TBR List.
February 24, 2026
witty...gritty...and downright dirty...think Mean Girls combined with Sex and The City!
January 22, 2026
3.75/5
Kitty breaks up with her long-term partner, gets a new job, and moves to London. However, she is not leading the exciting life she thought she would. She lives in a boring neighbourhood. Then one day, the cool and glamorous Rich and Sian move in next door…
I love Jane Fallon — I find her books to be the perfect palate cleansers! They’re rom-coms, but they’re written in a thriller-like format and are very addictive and moreish.
This started off slow and predictable, and I really wasn’t fond of the main character, Kitty. However, the second half of the story was so much better.
Kitty had some great character development, and there were some fantastic twists towards the end. Obviously no spoilers, but I really liked how the book ended too.
Nearly a four-star read for me, but not quite!
Kitty breaks up with her long-term partner, gets a new job, and moves to London. However, she is not leading the exciting life she thought she would. She lives in a boring neighbourhood. Then one day, the cool and glamorous Rich and Sian move in next door…
I love Jane Fallon — I find her books to be the perfect palate cleansers! They’re rom-coms, but they’re written in a thriller-like format and are very addictive and moreish.
This started off slow and predictable, and I really wasn’t fond of the main character, Kitty. However, the second half of the story was so much better.
Kitty had some great character development, and there were some fantastic twists towards the end. Obviously no spoilers, but I really liked how the book ended too.
Nearly a four-star read for me, but not quite!
March 14, 2026
Really enjoyed listening to this!
March 9, 2026
This would have been 4 stars but the main character is just so very unlikeable for the majority of the book. I couldn’t root for Kitty, her treatment of Grace was too mean.
February 16, 2026
Tedious and Unsatisfying
I have enjoyed all of Jane Fallon's books and I was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, however, it was very disappointing. The story was preposterous, the characters unlikable and it was so tedious that I couldn't wait to finish it. I hoped it would pick up and that something would happen but nothing much did.
I have enjoyed all of Jane Fallon's books and I was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, however, it was very disappointing. The story was preposterous, the characters unlikable and it was so tedious that I couldn't wait to finish it. I hoped it would pick up and that something would happen but nothing much did.
February 13, 2026
Ahh I do love a Jane Fallon book! I must admit that I expected this to have more plot twists than it did but I still greatly enjoyed it. Grace deserves her own book now!
February 12, 2026
Jane Fallon is an auto buy author for me, I’ve loved reading her books for years and so I was beyond excited when @michaeljbooks messaged to ask if I’d like this advanced copy. Her books are always such fun reads, they’re entertaining and quite often involve brilliant revenge plans.
Kitty has upturned her life and has moved to London looking for adventure. Although things haven’t been overly exciting in Ashdown close. Sian and Rich move in next door and Kitty is instantly drawn to them and their glamorous lifestyle. However, one day sees a woman sneaking out of their house from the back whilst Sian is out. Is there more going on with this couple than meets the eye? Are they not so perfect after all?
This one was a little slower to get going compared to previous hooks. However it did really pick up pace about a third of the way in.
I really liked the characters in this book, particularly Grace. At time I did feel Kitty was a little unlikeable in how she treated Grace, but Grace was always there for her and was such a good friend to Kitty. This theme of friendship is thread through the story and a key part of the book.
I loved all the neighbours, and seeing the snippets from neighbourhood WhatsApp, it was all very relatable. It also raises that question of how well do we really know who is living next to us, and should we get involved in other people’s business.
I couldn’t actually work out how this was going to end, there were several surprises along the way that kept me wondering. I really liked the way it wrapped up the story overall.
This is an easy, fun read, about neighbourhood gossip, drama and at the heart of it all, friendship.
Kitty has upturned her life and has moved to London looking for adventure. Although things haven’t been overly exciting in Ashdown close. Sian and Rich move in next door and Kitty is instantly drawn to them and their glamorous lifestyle. However, one day sees a woman sneaking out of their house from the back whilst Sian is out. Is there more going on with this couple than meets the eye? Are they not so perfect after all?
This one was a little slower to get going compared to previous hooks. However it did really pick up pace about a third of the way in.
I really liked the characters in this book, particularly Grace. At time I did feel Kitty was a little unlikeable in how she treated Grace, but Grace was always there for her and was such a good friend to Kitty. This theme of friendship is thread through the story and a key part of the book.
I loved all the neighbours, and seeing the snippets from neighbourhood WhatsApp, it was all very relatable. It also raises that question of how well do we really know who is living next to us, and should we get involved in other people’s business.
I couldn’t actually work out how this was going to end, there were several surprises along the way that kept me wondering. I really liked the way it wrapped up the story overall.
This is an easy, fun read, about neighbourhood gossip, drama and at the heart of it all, friendship.
February 8, 2026
I found this book a bit of a drag, with unlikeable main characters , and a unrealistic plot. Humerous in places though
January 20, 2026
Silly and fun, easy to read, lots of twists and turns to keep you hooked
January 20, 2026
I enjoyed the characters in this “ soap opera” book. A good easy read for the holidays.
October 26, 2025
*ARC read*
This was such a fun book! I love everything Jane writes and this was no exception.
This was a well-paced, intriguing story, I really liked all of the characters, and appreciated how rational they seemed to be. All of the twists felt well supported and like they made sense.
It would have been easy for this to tip into something much darker or much more frivolous, but it struck a happy medium and it worked.
This was such a fun book! I love everything Jane writes and this was no exception.
This was a well-paced, intriguing story, I really liked all of the characters, and appreciated how rational they seemed to be. All of the twists felt well supported and like they made sense.
It would have been easy for this to tip into something much darker or much more frivolous, but it struck a happy medium and it worked.
January 29, 2026
A fun, convoluted story with great characters and clever twists. I could tell early on that all was not what it seemed, but it took me a while to put all the pieces together.
February 5, 2026
***3.25***
Enjoyable twisty story with complex characters who were basically very human. Funny and witty- nice easy read.
Enjoyable twisty story with complex characters who were basically very human. Funny and witty- nice easy read.
February 27, 2026
2.5 stars. Read for book club! Took longer that it should have!
February 26, 2026
It just took so long to get going and although the twist was good, it just felt slightly unhinged
February 26, 2026
love all her books but disappointed with this one
November 30, 2025
2.5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I love Jane's books so much. But this felt like a completely different angle to the other one's I've read. But where it is similar is in the fabulous writing and storytelling and character creation.
One thing I love about her books is that the characters aren't perfect. A lot of books make their protagonists to be perfect, a bit twee, where everything goes well for them. But very few people are like that in real life. Jane has written some very good characters and some very bad characters (in terms of who they are, not in terms of the writing ability), and even the good ones are ugly at times and I enjoyed that. Having said that, even though they were well written, I found I didn't really care about the characters. It's not that I didn't like them as such, but I found it difficult to connect with any of them. What didn't help is I didn't like the main character Kitty. She was playing the victim but I found most of her issues were of her own doing and so I just found her irritating.
The start is obviously introducing our characters to give us something to invest in. And then about halfway it gets more into that psychological thriller, so I definitely got more into it then, I just wish it had started a little earlier.
I think one thing I'd have liked is for it to have been darker or lighter. I love a dark, morbid book, but I also love a fun, frivolous read. This felt like it was straddling both and was neither one thing nor another.
It started off slow and I did keep checking how far into it I was because it seemed like I wasn't getting anywhere. But it definitely did improve and the pace picked up and I found it more engaging. Perhaps if it was a little bit shorter then the pacing might have worked, but it felt like it dragged somewhat.
I also found the ending a bit...perfect, I suppose is the word. The story itself and the characters are a bit haphazard and a bit mad, and the ending was a bit too neat for me, which felt at odds with the rest of the book.
I didn't like it quite as much as her other ones. I did like it, I did, it's well written and fun, but there was something about it, something I can't quite define, which meant I struggled to lose myself in it. I would still recommend it because I've seen other reviews giving it raving 5-star reads so I think it'll split the crowd. The story is interesting, the pacing a bit off, the characters a bit bland and the ending too twee; and I hate saying anything negative about her work because generally it's brilliant. But it won't in any way stop me from reading her future books.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I love Jane's books so much. But this felt like a completely different angle to the other one's I've read. But where it is similar is in the fabulous writing and storytelling and character creation.
One thing I love about her books is that the characters aren't perfect. A lot of books make their protagonists to be perfect, a bit twee, where everything goes well for them. But very few people are like that in real life. Jane has written some very good characters and some very bad characters (in terms of who they are, not in terms of the writing ability), and even the good ones are ugly at times and I enjoyed that. Having said that, even though they were well written, I found I didn't really care about the characters. It's not that I didn't like them as such, but I found it difficult to connect with any of them. What didn't help is I didn't like the main character Kitty. She was playing the victim but I found most of her issues were of her own doing and so I just found her irritating.
The start is obviously introducing our characters to give us something to invest in. And then about halfway it gets more into that psychological thriller, so I definitely got more into it then, I just wish it had started a little earlier.
I think one thing I'd have liked is for it to have been darker or lighter. I love a dark, morbid book, but I also love a fun, frivolous read. This felt like it was straddling both and was neither one thing nor another.
It started off slow and I did keep checking how far into it I was because it seemed like I wasn't getting anywhere. But it definitely did improve and the pace picked up and I found it more engaging. Perhaps if it was a little bit shorter then the pacing might have worked, but it felt like it dragged somewhat.
I also found the ending a bit...perfect, I suppose is the word. The story itself and the characters are a bit haphazard and a bit mad, and the ending was a bit too neat for me, which felt at odds with the rest of the book.
I didn't like it quite as much as her other ones. I did like it, I did, it's well written and fun, but there was something about it, something I can't quite define, which meant I struggled to lose myself in it. I would still recommend it because I've seen other reviews giving it raving 5-star reads so I think it'll split the crowd. The story is interesting, the pacing a bit off, the characters a bit bland and the ending too twee; and I hate saying anything negative about her work because generally it's brilliant. But it won't in any way stop me from reading her future books.
February 18, 2026
Really struggled to finish this , I thought it dragged a lot and could’ve been wrapped up quicker . Enjoyed the friendships storylines but that’s about it , disappointed because I love this authors other books
February 8, 2026
4.5 stars. Read this over a couple of days as each chapter left me wanting to keep reading on. Easy to read and funny which is what I needed. Loses .5 as I’m still gutted Sian ended up being so awful for not a lot of reasons!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2026
2.5 stars. I thought this book would be right up my alley as I normally love following different residents on a street who all have secrets. This one didn’t turn out that way though and I was a bit disappointed with where it ended up going. The characters and their decision making were frustrating at times and there just wasn’t enough happening within the plot to really suck me in. The ending was a bit lacklustre and I definitely feel this story shouldn’t have been over 400 pages as it really dragged in parts.
I did enjoy the relationship between Kitty and Grace and there were points where the pace picked up but overall this just didn’t really work for me.
I did enjoy the relationship between Kitty and Grace and there were points where the pace picked up but overall this just didn’t really work for me.
February 25, 2026
(2.5/5 ☆) “She rests her head against Grace’s. They sit in silence for a moment.‘You know, you’re very clingy these days,’ Grace says. ‘I like it.”
a mostly enjoyable read ! i stretched this to a 2.5 because there was moments i did really enjoy where this was going and i think it was a very intriguing plot for the first part at least ! i do think this fell off when it started getting so convoluted and every character was suspected and the story kept changing every page! i get a plot twist but it does get to a point! even so i did like reading this, i think that the author was just trying to do toooo much xox
a mostly enjoyable read ! i stretched this to a 2.5 because there was moments i did really enjoy where this was going and i think it was a very intriguing plot for the first part at least ! i do think this fell off when it started getting so convoluted and every character was suspected and the story kept changing every page! i get a plot twist but it does get to a point! even so i did like reading this, i think that the author was just trying to do toooo much xox
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2026
Very soap opera, very predictable and at times preposterous. Sian's sudden flip from likeable character to EastEnders final boss didn't work for me, nor did Kitty's stupidly malleable moral compass.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2026
Oh this book was dull!
I usually love a Jane Fallon book - it normally hooks me from the off.
However, this book was sooo slow paced it took forever to get going. It was just so repetitive with the ways they were trying to catch the husband out. Adding to this, I didn't think any of the characters, including our protagonist Kitty. I usually like a flawed character as it's so much more relatable and believable (and Fallon normally excels with her characters) but these characters were just plain annoying!
The book got going about 75% of the way through, but unfortunately by then it was too little too late.
Disappointed with this one, and felt like such a waste of time!
I usually love a Jane Fallon book - it normally hooks me from the off.
However, this book was sooo slow paced it took forever to get going. It was just so repetitive with the ways they were trying to catch the husband out. Adding to this, I didn't think any of the characters, including our protagonist Kitty. I usually like a flawed character as it's so much more relatable and believable (and Fallon normally excels with her characters) but these characters were just plain annoying!
The book got going about 75% of the way through, but unfortunately by then it was too little too late.
Disappointed with this one, and felt like such a waste of time!
December 10, 2025
I have thoroughly enjoyed lots of Jane Fallon’s previous books, but for me this one just didn’t hit the mark. I found it to be drawn out and the pace was just too slow. I didn’t engage with or especially like any of the characters and almost gave up on it a couple of times. Having persevered though, the plot did pick up a little from about the middle of the book and I found the second half was a slight improvement on the first.
This book wouldn’t put me off reading any more by this author in the future.
This book wouldn’t put me off reading any more by this author in the future.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews