The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena- Book Review

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena was a book I forgot I had. It was my Book of the Month selection from last month and after getting it, I piled some other books on top of it. I should have known not to do this as Book of the Month picked another goodie to read. If you would like to read this book or any of the Book of the Month selections, feel free to use either link in this paragraph and the code "BOTM5" to try Book of the Month for just $5!   

 The premise of the book is about a couple who are drunk at a party next door. Their babysitter canceled on them at the last minute, so they decided to attend the party, but leave their newborn in the crib alone, since they are just next door. Every half hour they check on the child. When they get home very drunk at 1AM the next day, their baby has been kidnapped.   

 The story continues with the couple tying to get their baby girl back. They have to confront what they did, how drunk they got, and figure out what happened. As the police question, we find problems in at least one of their pasts with blackout violence. Did one of them kill the child and the other help cover up the murder?   

 The big question besides, where is their child? Is what role did the couple next door have in everything? How are they connected? We also see what the family dynamic is between husband and wife and extended family. How far does cover up go and for how long?   

 There are parts of this book that made me roll my eyes, there were a few plot loopholes too, and at times it took forever for a revelation to be revealed further, but I just didn't care as this was simply a fun book to read. I even ran home after a class I was teaching, so I could finish the book that night because I wanted to see how it ended so much. Sadly, the ending was one of those eye rolling moments, but as stated, I didn't care as it was worth the ride.   

 The book itself was a pretty simply read and a rollercoaster of a story. Just when you think something is figured out and you know what is about to happen, it flips itself over, and I love those types of books. At points you may be sure who did it, but I guarantee you don't or you will be instantly convinced someone else did it.  

 I was hoping for more interaction with the actual couple next door as they seemed to have quite a few key pieces of information, but we glance in on them only a few times here and there. One point was such a twist, my mouth hung open. Hint: It happens in Chapter 11.    

 As stated, this isn't the greatest book. I thought the final reveal was a bit out there, but it was a read meant for a beach, a plane, an afternoon, and wasn't looking for authenticity or deep plot. It was just there for entertainment and it was entertaining. If you are planning on reading it, just go for the ride and don't think about it too much.   

 I gave this one 3.5 stars.   

  Here is your Book of the Month link- The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena (use code BOTM5 for a $5 month!)   

 *Disclosure- I am a Book of the Month Club affiliate and must link to Book of the Month Club when it comes to reviewing their books. Subscribing gives me a portion of the sale, which helps me buy more books!