#BookReview | #TheNeighbours by @Nicola_J_Gill | #BlogTour with @AvonBooksUK

‘To get up from rock bottom, you’ve got to take the stairs…’
– The Neighbours

[ About the Book ]

Some women have it all….

Others are thirty-four, renting a tiny flat alone because they recently found their long-term boyfriend in bed with their boss. Unfortunately, the latter applies to Ginny Taylor. Single and jobless, Ginny is certain her life can’t get any worse. But then she encounters her downstairs neighbour for the very first time…
Cassie Frost is a woman who had it all – she was a once-loved actress, but a recent stint on reality TV has rocketed her to online infamy. She’s suddenly become a national hate figure – and she desperately needs a new publicist. And Ginny is a publicist who desperately needs a job… but can she be persuaded to work for the uber-difficult, excessively prickly woman that lives below her floorboards?

Because sometimes – just sometimes – bad neighbours become good friends…

[ My Review ]

I am delighted to be joining Nicola Gill on the final day of the fabulous blog tour for her debut novel, The Neighbours. Published with Avon Books on February 6th, it is described as ‘a funny, honest and moving exploration of life, love, friendship and navigating the emotional rollercoaster of your thirties… and beyond.’

The Neighbours is a warm and light-hearted tale about discovering who you really are and what it is that’s important to you. Ginny Taylor is in her thirties and in a relationship that has seen better days. She is in a job in PR that doesn’t fulfill and her best friend, Nancy, is moving Stateside, leaving Ginny without a housemate and a shoulder to cry on.

Ginny begins to look at others, folks with careers that have taken off and who are in happy relationships. Friends have babies, successful jobs, beautiful homes and loving partners, yet Ginny is standing still. Now at an age where her life-goals are changing, Ginny begins to feel overwhelmed and lost. When an unexpected situation results in Ginny losing her job, she comes to the realisation that she needs to make some dramatic changes in her life.

Ginny never really knew any of her neighbours. With a busy life, she passed in and out of her home without considering what lives were behind the doors of the other apartments in her complex. One day she comes into contact with one of her neighbours, Cassie Frost who has just completed a turn on a reality TV show. Cassie is an actress with a poisonous tongue and an attitude. Her career is in trouble as work dries up, leaving Cassie very bitter and very peeved off with her life and society at large. Cassie’s reputation is dirtied and now she is badly in need of a makeover. Ginny is a PR expert at a loose end with no immediate prospects. A match perhaps made in heaven?

Ginny and Cassie initially have a casual connection but after awhile they each begin to observe the other and a tentative friendship ensues. An unlikely pairing, they learn to support each other and help each other out in times of emotional crisis. Cassie and Ginny are at different stages in their lives, both professionally and with regard to relationships, giving them at times opposing views on life but something clicks and they begin to understand each other better.

Ginny and Cassie, while on different journeys, both have so much in common and so much to learn. The pain, the fear and the traumas of life impact us all no matter our age or our past. Ginny and Cassie together learn the importance of friendship. Both are faced with very serious scenarios, life-changing moments where doors open and close but through all of it they face these challenges together.

Nicola Gill raises some very prevalent and relevant societal themes throughout the chapters. Themes relating to mental health, relationships, friendships, family, and children are all handled with a sensitive pen. The characters are all very believable adding a very authentic feel to their lives and the circumstances they find themselves in.

The Neighbours is a charming and touching read about life and the choices we make. An entertaining and delightful debut, the perfect read for anyone looking for a cosy read.

[ Bio ]

Nicola Gill lives in London with her husband and two sons. At the age of five, when all of the other little girls wanted to be ballet dancers, she decided she wanted to be an author. Her ballet teacher was very relieved.

Twitter – @Nicola_J_Gill