A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler
This story takes place in suburban North Carolina. Brad Whitman, a local white celebrity who owns a successful HVAC business, moves his family into a brand new mega mansion. The next door neighbors are black forestry professor, Valerie Alston-Holt, and her son, Xavier. The neighbors get off to a rough start—Brad is condescending and obnoxious, the construction of the Whitmans’ monstrous home has damaged the health of Valerie’s beloved old oak tree and racial tensions lurk just beneath the surface. Despite their families’ differences, Juniper Whitman and Xavier Alston-Holt develop an instant infatuation which leads to more.
When Valerie decides to sue Brad Whitman for the damage to her beautiful tree, the story takes off at breakneck speed and doesn’t let up until the crash ending. Fowler asks important questions about race, privilege, our broken criminal justice system, all within a well-told and deliciously readable story. I highly recommend this wonderful novel.
Ask Again Yes by Mary Beth Keane
This riveting read also pits two suburban families against one another. Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope are fellow NYPD officers who move in next door to each other in suburban New Jersey. Kate Gleeson and Peter Stanhope become close friends which turns to romance as they grow. Meanwhile, Brian’s wife, Anne, falls deeper into clinical depression until a tragic event changes the course of all of their lives forever. Will Kate and Peter find a path through the darkness and to each other again?
Read this book, YES! There’s nothing I love more than a complex family drama and this one delivered on so many levels. The characters are so well developed, the story unique and multilayered and the ending realistic, but hopeful. The romance between Peter and Kate feels so true to life as well as the challenges they faced along the way. I rooted for every member of their extended family to find their path in the world. Don’t miss this one. The characters will stay with you for a long, long time.