Neighborly: A Novel

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Healing the Wounds is quite obviously about trying to heal the trauma Jay experienced that was revealed in Crossing the Lines. However, it is also about healing wounds Alice did not see that she also carries, and touches a few in Henry as well, though for many reasons he has the fewest visible. He still has some, the events of the previous books still affected him. In the end they will be in a much more stable place, and there is a lot of work done on each person individually, the relationship as a whole, and determining where each one ultimately wishes to be in the future in relation to each other. I know I have an outstanding read on my hands, when I don't want the book to end before I even started reading it. Tuesdays With Jay is incredibly fun and fills in many of the gaps of the main series. However, I HIGHLY suggest you read this as you go, after the dates of the story (which would be very difficult to pinpoint for a first readthrough) or definitely wait until this point of the main series to read. Or wait, if you wish. While it ads depth to the main series, and puts a few things in more context, specifically adding more about Jay and what he is thinking and feeling, it is definitely not necessary to enjoying the series. That being said, if you are loving the book as much as I am, I'm confident you will want to read this. Mostly Jay's POV at this point. This book was so well written that I can remember all the raw emotions I felt as I read it. Each character Alice, Jay, and Henry examines themselves, their actions, and is transformed in some way. I eagerly awaited the release of this book. Looked forward to it as if it was a coffee date with beloved friends following a long quarantine. I have read the series multiple times, especially after a particularly tough day during this pandemic. It was a great escape. Only a few authors make me read slowly, savoring every word. Like each sentence is a delicious bite of chocolate mousse.

I started reading this on vacation and had to stay up one night to finish the last half of the book to find out who was causing the mental turmoil for Kat and trying to destroy her. I needed to know. There were some interesting events that tugged on my emotions. How did I feel about Kat? How did I feel about her neighbors? Did any of her neighbors remind me of people I knew or met? Could I predict the outcome? This book truly was about family dynamics. We learn a great deal about Alice and her family. She has been keeping big secrets from Henry and Jay. Alice is uncomfortable speaking about her family issues and Henry does not push her. The last book that came out, Tuesdays With Jay, I read along with all the books again. Because it was another concurrent POV. But this was SO much Henry and Jay. It was about halfway through before I really got on board. And being inside those characters was intense.Despite what I wrote in that last paragraph, I’m glad I read this book. I’ll definitely read the next book in the series to see where the throuple end up! OMG what not. Henry is his eloquent self, Jay is his cute self and Alice…. Yes! What growth of characters…. Especially Jay! I couldn`t be prouder! The storyline is brilliant. If you love suburbia that's got a twisted side under perfect facades then this is for you. The book is paced perfectly and when the first reveal hits, even if you sense it coming, its still deliciously naughty and thrilling! Alice continues to be inventive to help Jay overcome his reluctance to some play scenes. Well done Alice and Jay.

All in all, I’m glad I didn’t pay for it but can’t say I regret reading it. It wasn’t exactly good but it took me out of my comfort zone. We learn about Jay's family, his childhood, how he grew up and how he finally grows up. It was not only emotional for Jay, it was also emotional for me! Hopefully his understanding and loving sister Nate will be in future books! And Ms. Barber’s wisdom is often conveyed in visual words as if it were one of Henry’s paintings. Here’s what he tells Alice, “‘Life is change, sweet girl. A shoreline of needs and boundaries ebbing and flowing. As each tide rolls in, we will adjust.’” But other observations are delivered in a straightforward manner. “The mind magnified faults with greater ease than it praised virtues.” But really there was not ENOUGH suspense or at least I was too preoccupied by all the overpowering emotion baggage from Kat. Good fences make for good neighbors. Minding your own business and not interacting with your neighbors makes for better neighbors!This was a Kindle First Reads book, and I was excited to read it based on the synopsis. Everything in this book could have been wrapped up in a short story. As for side characters, there’s about 3 million. To be honest, they all merged into one in my head and I couldn’t actually remember who was who whenever a name popped up, apart from Andie, who had a bit more of a developed story than the rest of them. Life in her new neighborhood isn't that perfect, someone is leaving her threatening notes and it turns out her neighbors are a bunch of creepy swingers who want Kat and Doug as fresh meat for their sex sandwiches or whatever it is that swingers do with fresh meat. A story with so many twists and turns, and turns and twists, and then a real bender, and character perspectives and sudden format changes and herring so red even Agatha Christie would be jealous that it is almost exactly like reading a mystery novel. And in case you missed that at one point the author tells you that many Agatha Christie novels have, in fact, been read and this is just like that. Even worse, Jay’s springing a new idea on his partners: it’s time to come out to his family. His decision might destroy them all—but Henry’s hunger for Jay’s public embrace makes it almost worth the risk.

This is one of my top favorite series and I am so happy to have a new story about these characters that I love so much. In Minding Their Manners, Alice's sister Olivia comes for a visit, stirring up old hurts but paving the way for deeper understanding between the sisters of the home and happiness Alice has found with Henry and Jay. The same can not be said for Jay's inspiration to introduce to his large, judgmental family, the truth about his relationship with Henry and Alice. It's painful, maddening, and heartbreaking but ultimately freeing for Jay. I really didn't take to any of the characters, had no empathy or sympathy with them, and finished the book feeling thankful they weren't my real neighbours because I was fed up and bored with all of them. Henry, Alice, and Jay must redefine who they are to each other and what they want for their future—together or apart. Can they trust in their love enough to survive the consequences? Just because your paranoid doesn't mean nobody's after you. F bombs and highly sexualized content. Childhood is a template for all that comes laterLife should be grand for Henry, Alice, and Jay. They’ve defeated the doubts that kept them apart and embraced a relationship that suits all three of them. When Kat and Doug buy their small home in their dream community, everything soon starts to look nightmarish. Somebody is leaving unpleasant notes at their house, stealing their parcels and perhaps spiking Kat's drinks. Kat's got a dark history that she keeps secret from even her husband and that secret runs through the book as an undercurrent. As her dream starts to fall apart, the strange happenings in her neighbourhood leave her unsure who can be trusted and who can't - including her husband, Doug. I am not ashamed to say that I have been in a passionate affair with the Neighborly Affection series for many years. The series overall is a true treasure, and Minding Their Manners is another stunning gem in the collection.