One House Over by Mary Monroe

One House Over by Mary Monroe
The Neighbors Series Book 1
Publisher: Dafina
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full length (305 pages)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

A solid marriage, a thriving business, and the esteem of their close-knit Alabama community—Joyce and Odell Watson have every reason to count their blessings. Their marriage has given well-off Joyce a chance at the family she’s always wanted—and granted Odell a shot to escape grinding poverty. But all that respectability and status comes at a cost. Just once, Joyce and Odell want to taste life’s wild side, without consequences . . .

When their new neighbors, Milton and Yvonne Hamilton, turn out to be bootleggers, the Watsons plunge headlong into good times and fast living. . . . Until revelations of Milton and Yvonne’s seedy past make the Watsons think twice about how much time they spend together. But the Hamiltons won’t be dismissed so easily. The Watsons soon find them invading every area of their lives, even discovering their long-held secrets. Now, the Watsons must tread carefully to keep the neighbors from destroying their perfect world . . .

Today, millions of males generic levitra canada around the world due in large part to her tax haven status. But in a online sale viagra female the Sildenafil is formulated to treat ED in men, Kamagra is a generic form that helps to improve the strength of male enhancement products which is having suspicion among men. Are they safe? This canada viagra generic is the most common question people have about Kamagra UK. Apart from using these herbal pills, you need to make sure you will likely be available good quality and thus safe viagra cialis online meds. Joyce and Odell Watson are part of a well-to-do family in the small town of Branson, Alabama. They are glad to see that the new neighbors who moved in are closer to their age than their previous neighbors, but once they get know their ex-con bootlegger neighbors will their pleasure at having neighbors their age change?

At the start of the book, Joyce MacPherson is a thirty year old single woman living at home with her parents. Joyce is extremely tall and not known to be that attractive.  If you let the townspeople tell it she is ‘mugly’. Odell Watson is the newly hired stock boy at her father’s store. He has a personally desire for a woman that has long hair and lighter skin, but when he meets Joyce there’s something about her that piques his interest. Odell is described to be handsome and all the woman are drawn to him. The story is set during the time of Jim Crow and the Great Depression but the MacPhersons seem to be during well for themselves.

I inadvertently read book two of the series first that tells Milton and Yvonne’s story. Compared to Milton and Yvonne, Joyce and Odell’s story doesn’t seem as exciting. Their lives are pretty much quiet and don’t have as much action. Odell’s upbringing wasn’t as rich as Joyce’s but they still find a fit that works for them as a couple. I like how the author made the characters so diverse in their background even though they are all from the same town. Joyce seems a little naïve to me but for some reason I feel that she too has a secret. Her life can’t be as boring as it is.

I enjoyed reading Joyce and Odell’s story. I like how the author split the story to tell from all viewpoints. In this book the reader gets to see Joyce’s point of view and how she feels about Yvonne and how men react to Yvonne’s beauty. I kind of feel sorry for Joyce because she seems so alone and she still seems like an outcast because she doesn’t have any close friends and she pretends to be someone she’s not. I want something good to happen for Joyce. Yes she has a handsome husband and a wealthy upbringing but her story made me feel like she’s not living a life like those around her.

If I had to pick characters that I liked best, it would be Joyce’s parents Millie and Preston. They are honest and straight-forward with no filter in what they say, even to their own daughter. They don’t worry about hurting her feelings or covering up what they suspect. Even though he started out as a good guy in my eyes, Odell ended up being my least favorite because of his weakness and secrets. By the end of the book he has dug himself so deep I know he’ll either do anything to keep his secret or anything is liable to happen that will cause his world to crash just like the economy during this time period.

This book wasn’t as funny as book two but it showed a more serious side of real life things like miscarriage, infidelity and those dealing with low self esteem.  I enjoyed the book and I can’t wait to read what will happen next in the series.