Skip to main content

The Good Neighbor - Amy Sue Nathan



Description

Things are a little rough for Izzy Lane. Still reeling from the break-up of her marriage, the newly single mom moves back to the Philadelphia home she grew up in, five-year-old Noah in tow. The transition is difficult, but with the help of her best friends—and her elderly neighbor, Mrs. Feldman—Izzy feels like she’s stepping closer to her new normal. Until her ex-husband shows up with his girlfriend. That’s when Izzy invents a boyfriend of her own. And that’s when life gets complicated.
Blogging about her “new guy” provides Izzy with something to do when Noah’s asleep. What’s the harm in a few made-up stories? Then, her blog soars in popularity and she’s given the opportunity to moonlight as an online dating expert. How can she turn it down? But when her friends want to meet the mysterious “Mac,” someone online suspects Izzy’s a fraud, and a guy in-real-life catches her eye, Izzy realizes just how high the stakes are. That’s when Mrs. Feldman steps in, determined to show her neighbor the havoc that lies can wreak. If Izzy’s honest, she could lose everything, and everyone. Is the truth worth any cost?

Review

It took me a while to get into this book and feel anything towards the main character Izzy. It all seemed a little superficial and did it matter if she lied online anyway, wasn't it all just a little harmless make believe?

After a couple of chapters that all changed for me, I really bought into Izzy and the challenges she was facing as her ex-husband went to California for an extended break, leaving her with no support or income.

I started to enjoy the Carrie Bradshaw type posts that Izzy was writing and the dilemmas she faced in the real world. Then the "good neighbour" part of the story kicked in and we met Mrs Feldmen. What a fantastic character - I could just picture her house and her family, but formed the wrong picture about them it turned out, but I will let you discover that for yourself.

(BTW - if you search for the book online, make sure you use the USA spelling of Neighbor - otherwise you won't find it by title).

One of the scenes near the end of the book with Mrs Feldmen did give me a moist eye and not something I saw coming. This book is a real surprise, the chick lit type description does not do the book or the author justice as she tackles lots of different issues and on different levels.

Oh and the lying online? - turns out it did matter - big time - but as I don't do spoilers you can discover that point yourself.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars.

My thanks go to netgalley for a e copy of the book in exchange for a review.

Comments

Post a Comment

Those leaving a comment on any post on this blog do so in the knowledge that their name and blog link are visible to all who visit this blog and by providing their comment they have published their own personal details on this blog and also consented to our use of that personal information for that specific purpose.

Popular posts from this blog

The Invisible Women's Club - Helen Paris

  Description Readers have fallen in love with this beautiful, heart-warming and uplifting story about one woman's journey from invisibility to being seen once more... 'A  heart-lifting  and  thoughtful  read, that gives a huge shout out to the  power and strength of women ' 'This book is  all heart and soul  ... and just the right amount of  humour ' 'A story of  courage  and  strength  that's  witty ,  warm  and filled with  wisdom ' 'Helen writes so sympathetically about characters who may not fit into the 'normal' bracket but are so  likeable and instantly relatable ' ------------------------------------------------- Ignored. Seventy-something Janet Pimm is invisible. Spending most of her days alone, she tends her beloved allotment with the care and love she doesn't receive from people. Plants, Janet thinks, are more important than friends. Overlooked. Janet's neighbour, Bev, has reached the age when a cloak of invisibility th
Post a Comment
Read more

Clues to You - Claire Huston

  Description One murder mystery weekend. Two rival sleuths. They’re looking for answers. But will they find love? Kate Brannon is delighted to be attending her first murder mystery weekend in a movie-worthy Victorian manor house. Still getting over being dumped, cracking the case would be a welcome boost to her flagging confidence. And the prize money wouldn’t hurt either. But Kate’s dreams of victory become a nightmare with the arrival of Max Ravenscroft. Smart, enigmatic and annoyingly handsome, Max is Kate’s sleuthing nemesis. When she and Max are forced to work together, Kate despairs. But, as the investigation brings them closer, she finds being his partner in solving crime isn’t all bad. With growing suspicions that the game is rigged against them, can Kate and Max beat the odds to find the killer? And, as their partnership deepens, can they find romance too? A sweet romantic comedy with a cosy mystery at its heart. Perfect for fans of Kathryn Freeman, Laura Jane Williams and Ka
1 comment
Read more

Wednesday's Child - Yiyun Li

Description ‘One of our major novelists’ Salman Rushdie‘One of our finest living authors’  New York Times A dazzling new collection of short stories, spanning 15 years of writing, from Yiyun Li, the prize-winning author of  The Book of Goose  and  Where Reasons End A dazzling new collection of short stories written over a decade, spanning loss, alienation, aging and the strangeness of contemporary life – from Yiyun Li, the prize-winning author of  The Book of Goose A grieving mother makes a spreadsheet of everyone she’s lost. A professor develops a troubled intimacy with her hairdresser. And every year, a restless woman receives an email from a strange man twice her age and several states away. In Yiyun Li’s stories, people strive for an ordinary existence until doing so becomes unsustainable, until the surface cracks and grand mysterious forces – death, violence, estrangement – come to light. And even everyday life is laden with meaning, studded with indelible details: a filched jar o
Post a Comment
Read more