We’ve all wondered from time to time about what goes on behind the closed doors of our neighbors’ houses. Beyond the perfectly manicured lawns, the shiny, just-waxed cars, and the welcoming front porches live the people that we have come to know in our own communities, but do we really know them, or are we just acquainted with the facades that they portray to the outside world?
Sarah Pekkanen has done a fantastic job of tapping into small community life. Setting the novel in an idyllic community which boasts that it is one of the twenty safest communities in America, she has made this setting familiar to her readers. I felt as though she could’ve been writing about my own neighborhood. It’s this relatability that makes her writing so appealing. We get to be voyeurs into what could be our own neighbors’ houses and lives, imagining what secrets they’re keeping within the confines of their four walls.
The Perfect Neighbors focuses on the lives of four women in Newport Cove – Gigi, Susan, Kellie and Tessa. These are normal women who are experiencing normal issues that most women would be able to relate to on some level, but with an extra dash of drama to make it more entertaining. From marital issues, divorce, teenage angst, work and family life, it is easy to, perhaps, catch a glimpse of someone that you know from your own community…or maybe even see a bit of yourself.
The Perfect Neighbors is a fast paced read that is filled with humor, emotion, friendship, community high jinks and a touch of suspense. It is highly entertaining and well written, and might just encourage you to invite a few of your own neighbors over for a cup of coffee or glass of wine in order to get to know them a bit better.
*4 Stars
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