There is a lot going on here but it was a fairly fast paced psychological thriller that had me turning the pages.  Definitely enjoyed the one.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

This wasn't excately what i thought it was going to be it was listed as a thriller but felt more like domestic drama. Even though i want expecting that it was still a well written story about obession, lust and deception.

3 ¾ ⭐️

I forgot to review this book right away so I’ll do my best to remember my thoughts on the book.

To be honest the cover art is what really drew me to this book but in the end the plot did draw me in also and it was an enjoyable read.

The story begins with the main couple Benedict and Esme having dinner, during which Benedict goes out to get more wine and in backing out if his driveway, runs over their neighbour. Their neighbour subsequently dies. This sets in motion a police investigation into the accident that is now deemed a potential murder.

The book tells the story of the residents of Raven Lane, jumping back and forth between past and present to reveal just how tightly knit their little community is, perhaps even a bit incestuous, maybe even more so than its residents realize.

The premise of the story was good and the resolution was satisfying. I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I would’ve liked mostly because I came to strongly dislike a couple of the characters in the book. But I suppose that also plays into the dynamic of their community.

I did like the book enough to give the author another chance should a title pique my interest.

Thank-you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced reader copy!

My Rating : 2.5🌟
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Kindle/ Netgalley/ April2020
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Thank you Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.
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Okay, I don't know how to explain this story in a way that will make sense. Husband kills a neighbour, get's arrested, wife makes other people's life miserable and neighbours who just can't keep their opinions to themselves. 
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I had so much hope for this book. It starts with a death scene and just proceeds to get weirder. There are topics of past trauma discussed, but not in a healthy way. The characters use it as a way to make other people pay. And what is with everyone wanting to sleep with everyone? There were so many instances that just made me stop reading, but being the curious cat I am, I decided to finish it. The only thing I loved was Tom and I didn't feel anything for any other characters. 
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Overall, even though it was a mystery, there was no mystery element in it. The writing was okay but the flow was very distracting. I am not a huge fan of the characters. This book definitely was not my cup of tea.

What's better than a juicy, dramatic domestic thriller a la Big Little Lies? NOTHING! 

Raven Lane by Amber Cowie was a scandalous ride of unlikeable characters but a fast paced plot that kept me flipping the pages.

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. After hearing so much about the author's first novel, I was excited about the chance at reading Raven Lane. Much to my surprise, I had a really hard time getting into it. It just didn’t hold my interest so I would read a little and set it down. Because of this, it took me forever to finish it. I’m not saying it’s a bad book, maybe I’m just in a reading slump or maybe it just wasn’t the right book for me. It centered around a group of people who lived on a cul-de-sac and hung together as friends like they were the only people on the planet. Never was it mentioned that they really socialized with any outsiders. It was all based on marital infidelities. Maybe that was what deterred me from liking it more but I really don’t think so. It just didn’t hold my interest and I was glad when I finished reading it.

I love books that a full of characters you just love to hate and this one has that! It makes it so interesting. So many of them are hiding dark secrets. If you like a quiet style of suspense, this one is for you.

A fairly easy read, probably the sort of book I would buy to read on a plane or at the beach. Well written and engaging.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters were well developed.  It had an interesting plot. I would be interested in reading more

Raven Lane is a medium-intriguing book. I found myself interested in the details, but not how they played out in the story.

Well-to-do celebrities and wealthy artists live on Raven Lane. It's a tight-knit, socially snobbish kind of street, but most everyone gets along well there with each other. Some of them get on too well with each other, if you know what I mean. Esme and Benedict are one of the couples living on Raven Lane. One day, as he is backing out of his driveway, Benedict accidentally hits a bike-riding neighbor, Torn, who subsequently dies. Torn is married to Tom (who wound up being the only character I really liked). Torn was also fooling around with Esme. What a mess.

The book was kind of fun, but there wasn't a lot of thriller/mystery to it. Everyone and everything was a little...off. Or maybe I'm just jaded because they're all wealthy and I'm not. ;)

Anyway, it's worth a read if you're looking for something different.

I tried really hard to get into it. But I just couldn't. It didn't grab me like her previous book had.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own. 

This whole book was a hot mess. To start off, a couple is driving home from a party when the husband runs over one of the neighbors who is riding his bike. He is subsequently arrested, and the rest of the book alternates between how the couple got to that point and what happens to the husband after his arrest. I don't even want to touch the story within a story aspect because honestly it was so boring and kind of irrelevant that I skipped it. #sorrynotsorry

Honestly, everyone in this book sucked. None of them were likable characters. The victim used the wife in order to get a story for his next book, the wife was miserable due to trauma she couldn't talk about and so she made everyone else around her miserable, the husband was an addict who CLEARLY needed help, and everyone was trying to sleep with everyone else. I just kept waiting for there to be a point, and even after the *shocking* death toward the end, there still wasn't. It just abruptly ended. 

What even was this?

Interesting-Do we really know our neighbours? This book is well-written but a little slow in places. However, it is complex and intriguing so stick with it-right till the end. Recommended.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for the early copy.

I did not connect with the main plot/writing style. I decided to put it down.

Domestic draaaaaaaaaaama!  This close cul-de-sac of Raven Lane has quite the characters.  When one of them, Torn, dies in an accident, Benedict is now on trial for hitting him with his car.  Once it's realized he wasn't entirely sober, this accident becomes a torrid insight to the lives of everyone on Raven Lane.

This starts off strong and then towards the middle, I began to lost a little bit of interest.  Nothing too exciting was happening.  The book within a book (which sometimes works for me and sometimes doesn't) wasn't doing anything for me... until towards the end.  And now I kinda want to read that book!  The last few chapters starts to get more exciting and boy oh boy... these people need some HELP!  But I love to hate characters and some of these were FUN to hate on.  I'm not *quite* sure what I even think about that ending though. HUH?  I'm not particularly confused as I just didn't think it made a whole lot of sense.  And what happened about *this* and *that*?  I don't mind being left wanting a bit but certain things I feel needed to be addressed and they never were. 

As domestic dramas go, this was a fun one to be a part of.  While some things might not have worked completely for me, I was eagerly awaiting for more secrets to come to light.  And remember y'all - we all have monsters inside of us - one way or the other.  *wink*

Side note: I couldn't read Torn's name without having Natalie Imbruglia's song ping off in my head. So now that's my sound track for the day.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. It grabbed my attention and held it. I liked the characters and enjoyed the plot twists. While it may have been slightly predictable,  it didn't take away from me enjoying the path it was taking.

I really recommend this book despite its mixed reviews elsewhere. I really enjoyed the characters and where the story went. While the ending was a little rushed and the middle perhaps a little long, the book kept my interest until the end. There were a lot of revelations about the neighbours that I didn't expect, some of which added to the story and some of which fleshed out the characters. Give it a go. You might like it!

This book centers around Esme and her husband, who live on a small cul de sac with their child.

One night Esme's husband, Benedict, reverses out of their drive and knocks over one of their neighbour's children.

Benedict is arrested and the neighbours start turning against the couple

I was so looking forward to reading this book. I love books like this.  It was very a very strong start, but i found that i lost interest in it some parts of the book. 

I did enjoy it overall, but it was a little bit farfetched.

I so wanted to love this book - it had all the elements of a domestic thriller that I would really enjoy. However, by the middle to end of the book, I was feeling largely uninterested in the characters and story line, and reading for a feeling of completion rather than a need to know how it ended. I appreciate the opportunity to review an advance copy!