The Neighbors by Hannah Mary McKinnon @HannahMMcKinnon @HQstories #bookreview
Title: The Neighbors
Author: Hannah Mary McKinnon
Publisher: Mira Books
Publication Date: March 13, 2018
Page Count: 384
My rating: 4 stars
About the book:
Abby looks forward to meeting the family who just moved in across the street—until she realizes they’re the one couple who could expose her deepest secrets
After a night of fun back in 1992, Abby is responsible for a car crash that kills her beloved brother. It’s a mistake she can never forgive, so she pushes away Liam, the man she loves most, knowing that he would eventually hate her for what she’s done, the same way she hates herself.
Twenty years later, Abby’s husband, Nate, is also living with a deep sense of guilt. He was the driver who first came upon the scene of Abby’s accident, the man who pulled her to safety before the car erupted in flames—the man who could not save her brother in time. It’s this guilt, this regret, that binds them together. They understand each other. Or so Nate believes.
In a strange twist of fate, Liam moves into the neighborhood with his own family, releasing a flood of memories that Abby has been trying to keep buried all these years. Abby and Liam, in a complicit agreement, pretend never to have met, yet cannot resist the pull of the past—nor the repercussions of the terrible secrets they’ve both been carrying…
My review:
When Abby and Nate notice that there is a new family moving into the neighborhood they of course try to be friendly to the newcomers. Nate made his way over and offered to help but when Abby arrives she gets quite a shock when she realizes that the husband is none other than her ex, Liam, who was the love of Abby’s life until a tragic accident rocked her world.
Years ago Abby and her brother had been in a car accident with Abby being the only one who survived. This had Abby completely hating herself and struggling with how to go on in life so she pushed Liam away. At the same time Abby met Nate who was the man who had pulled her from the flames that engulfed the car that night which brought them close together and eventually to marriage.
The Neighbors by Hannah Mary McKinnon is a suspenseful read that is full of long buried secrets and drama between these two couples. The story is told by changing the point of view between the various characters and also flashing back into the past to build the story of just what had happened the fateful night that Abby had lost her brother, pushed Liam away and found Nate walking into her life.
While I found this one to be engaging I hesitated in really calling it a thriller. There are a few twists here and there to keep a reader on their toes but for the most part it just seemed to be more domestic drama that thrills. A few things that came with the wrap up kind of seemed a bit obvious to me but other events really surprised me. In the end though I did enjoy the book and would certainly pick another by this author in the future.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via Edelweiss.
Find this book online:
About the author:
I was born in the UK and grew up in Switzerland. Unsurprisingly I love chocolate, mountains and cheese, and books, of course.
When I moved to Canada with my husband and three sons in 2010 I went through an (early) mid-life crisis.
Maybe it was the failed attempt at a start-up company or the fact I suddenly found myself in my forties, but one morning I decided to follow my oldest passion; I started writing and never wanted to look back.
My first novel, Time After Time, a lighthearted, romantic read, was published by HarperCollins AVON in June 2016. My second novel, The Neighbors is a domestic suspense story, and will be published by MIRA in North America on March 13, 2018.
To find out more please visit www.HannahMaryMcKinnon.com or follow me on Twitter @HannahMMcKinnon or Instagram @HannahMaryMcKinnon
Carries Book Reviews 
Wonderful review as always Carrie. You have me intrigued enough that I’m adding this to my tbr.😊
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This one still has quite a while until it’s publication so if you get interested you may check EW to see if it’s still there. 🙂
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