Ellie Monago

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Kat and Doug have moved into a new neighborhood called Aurora Village. It is certainly a dream come true, even if it cost them every penny they had. From a threatening note found outside their door to deep, rather disturbing secrets, Kat instantly becomes extremely worried. Also, they are the new parents of Sadie and this brings on challenges of its own, including the distance that has developed between Kat and Doug. More than one thing is off-kilter.

Between meeting the show more neighbors at a block party in their honor, and Kat's and Doug's time with nights' out with their neighbors, secrets begin to surface. All the while notes continue to appear and they progressively become more sinister. Unfortunately, things move beyond the notes, making them, especially, Kat very uncomfortable, if not rather terrified.

Personally, I am an avid user of spreadsheets in my everyday reviewing life. Well, spreadsheets have a major role in this story. A lot of neighborhoods have associations, well, this one tests the extremes of neighborly love. What will Kat and Doug do? No doubt my shock and surprise paled in comparison to what they must've thought.

That is the first half of the story. What happens thereafter in Neighborly is equivalent to a sharp right turn on a curvy road. The story shifts directions and touches on many issues, including Kat's childhood trauma. Not only that the person behind the notes steps up and that scenario is detailed through another perspective. The danger Kat faces is suddenly life-threatening.

How did I read this book in one sitting when I couldn't stand Kat? Granted she had a lot on her plate, but as this story was mostly old in her first-person perspective, readers got to get inside of her head. This left me just a bit nonplussed. But, the author certainly knows how to develop a finely-tuned balance. The story is full of twists and turns, no doubt about that. The conclusion, though...wow! Ellie Monago definitely has a knack for telling stories. As I just read her second book, Confidential, All I can say is that I am duly impressed. show less

Dr. Michael Baylor was a successful psychotherapist, especially when it came to his female patients. However, he is now dead and the detective in charge of the case has three potential suspects, Flora, Lucinda and Greer, Detective Gregory Flath certainly has his work cut out for him.

Each woman has a different story. Lucinda is trying to deal with childhood trauma. Greer is a career-driven woman who suddenly is desperate for a child, and is trying to work out the hows and whys. Then there is show more Flora, who started seeing Dr. Baylor for marriage counseling along with her husband Young.

As far as Flora is concerned, she began an affair with Dr. Baylor and they have been intimate for two years. As much as Flora might be in love with him, she is definitely just as obsessed. This is even to the point of resenting Dr. Baylor's time with his female patients.

Each woman, as things slowly reveal, is caught up in secrets and lies, and thus presenting a motive. Detective Flath is forced to question each of them at length, especially since doctor-patient privilege stands even after Dr. Baylor's death.

Confidential is delivered in knife-sharp precision in the past and present. Presently, the story is told from the detective's point of view. As far as the past is concerned, each woman's story is relayed. It becomes rather easy to see why these women need a therapist. To a large degree, each one of them is unraveled, falling apart at various times for various reasons.

There is not a single likeable character in this story! Yet, it is compelling from page one. Along with the detective, the job of the reader is to ascertain which of the woman is responsible for the murder of Dr. Baylor. Read well. Read carefully, as there are a lot of clues along the way.

What a book! I could not put it down, except for when my body demanded sleep. Otherwise, this would have been a one-sitting read. I enjoyed the writing style of Ellie Monago. I am certain that her real-life job as a therapist went a long way when it came to getting into the minds of Flora, Lucinda and Greer, all the while seeing how manipulative Dr. Baylor actually was.

I definitely found a new favorite author! So much so that I was forced to put aside what I had planned next to read in order to read her previous novel, Neighborly, which was equally engaging. I will be looking forward to anything else this immensely talented author pens.

Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion. show less

I actually loved this book...until the end. This was my Kindle First (or is it Amazon First Reads now?) pick for February, and looked like the most interesting of the bunch, and I was in the mood for a good thriller.

This book grabs you from the very first chapter, and never lets go, until the (too quick, IMO) conclusion. Pacing is well-done, and you get a good sense of all the characters, even if there's a lot of names to remember. Everything starts off fine and dandy, then it slowly starts show more devolving, and the residents' secrets are revealed, piece by piece. I definitely related to the protagonist, Kat, on a few levels, and understood her insecurity and harboring a secret that she couldn't tell anyone for fear of losing her "perfect" marriage and life. The story also had a fun Stepford Wives feel to it.

Written primarily in Kat's POV in first person, with a sprinkling of the antagonist's POV here and there.

My only quips were that constantly being in Kat's head and listening to ALL her thoughts got irritating at times, and when everything is revealed toward the end, all the issues are resolved way too quickly and easily, IMO, without giving away any spoilers. It almost felt as if the author wanted to wrap up the story as quickly and neatly as she could.

Recommended for anyone looking for a quick, thrilling read that will keep you turning the pages, wanting to find out what happens next. Lesson learned here? If things (and people) seem too good to be true, they usually are. show less

Severe TRIGGER WARNING for this book. This book contains sexual trauma involving minors and "swinging" among semi-consenting adults. If you are sensitive to things containing trauma or sexual exploitation, please do not read this book or my review.

Love thy neighbor...

Kat and Doug are over-the-moon when they move into their dream neighborhood. It has all of the bells and whistles they think they want and need to provide their young daughter with everything she needs to succeed in life. We show more quickly meet the neighbors and get to know their quirks... and their secrets.

Neighborly was written by practicing therapist Ellie Monago. She has authored two novels and is a busy wife and mother.

This book is filled with quite interesting characters, and we are quickly introduced to them as the novel takes off. Our main character and narrator, Kat, starts off seeming very insecure and standoffish. Her husband, Doug, seems extremely delightful and charming and quite the doting husband and father. They have a four-month-old daughter, Sadie, and have just bought their first home. This neighborhood is like a character all its own, holding secrets, twists, turns, and a deadly revelation. There are some heavy topics within this book. And I would have greatly appreciated Ellie Monago placing a trigger warning disclaimer in the book's introduction. The story is actually really good, and I genuinely enjoyed reading this book. The twists were well placed, and the overall writing is very smart. Monago is a practicing therapist, as she can describe emotions and feelings extremely well. She makes you really feel uncomfortable with certain instances, which work within the writing but leave you shocked as a reader. Be prepared to have your breath taken away, several times, not necessarily in a good way. Please read this book with caution; as I mentioned at the beginning of this review, this book contains several trigger warnings. Overall, I did enjoy the book. I was taken back by how certain plot points were just dropped in my lap, but I think the "shock" factor was intentional. I would be willing to read a novel by Ellie Monago again, but this time I will go into it with a more prepared frame of mind. show less