Oak Drive just your average suburban street ? We look behind the doors and see what’s really going on and the lives the inhabitants lead . The writing is excellent with wit , poignancy and plenty of eye rolling to be had . This book makes the mundane familiar and funny and kept me turning the pages late into the night . A book which is slow moving with dry humour and charm making a satisfying read ! Looking forward to Tom Allen’s next novel! Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton .

This is a humorous, light hearted look inside the lives of residents of Oak Drive, one of London’s suburbs. Character driven, Don bullies Fannie his long suffering wife in many small ways, insisting that he knows best. Miranda is an older resident who has so many plans she is determined to explore. When Vince and Nathan his gay partner, move into the street others become fascinated as they knock out walls, and re-design their property. Characters are so well described that you feel you know them. Tom Allen’s wicked sense of humour vividly describes fiercely independent Miranda, and her allies Alice and Fanny, who enjoy hilarious adventures. And when the local council decide to redevelop the area, all join up to protest. With its diverse set of characters and twists and turns, this book is a joy to read. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read, the viewpoint is my own. #CommonDecency #NetGalley

Location: a short row of four attractive terraced houses, though not all retain their original features. Close by is a small park, a community centre and a large oak which gives the road its name. It’s quiet but it’s not possible to describe it as entirely peaceful, as this is a place where everything is observed and not necessarily approved of, especially about the bins and the state of the garden at number three. They’re a disparate bunch but when the council threatens to develop the park and fell the aged Oak, then maybe they can come together to fight it. One thing becomes very clear though, beneath the veneer of respectability some of these characters are harbourIng secrets. I like Tom Allen and enjoy his dry, witty barbs and so I’m keen to see if he can write novels. So, what’s the verdict? Well, absolutely yes, he can! This is a delicious slice of suburbia with a little bit of everything from laughter to sadness, to intrigue and secrets and battles lost and won. I enjoy it very much and could easily picture the characters and their interactions. It’s as witty as the author, it’s a bit quirky but it’s presented with an affectionate examination of a small neighbourhood whose differing personalities are very well portrayed, giving a strong sense of what it means to be part of a community. The cover sums up the novel and its contents to perfection. There are some very creative, lively and dramatic scenes some of which made me chuckle or cringe with everything in between.It’s fair to say there isn’t a huge amount of plot as it’s more about the personalities, their lives and lifestyles but it’s very entertaining. I like the “never judge a book by its cover” presentation of some of the inhabitants and I think we all may know a jobsworth like Donald! I enjoy how it ends as it leaves me with a smile so it’s a case of a job well done and I’ll happily read anything. Tom Allen writes in the future.

At first I found this book a bit hard to get into but after a few chapters I began to really enjoy it and was hooked. There was a great bunch of characters in this book who all live in the same neighbourhood and I found them quite relatable . I could really picture them all as I think we all know similar people. The ending was unexpected but a good ending and I would recommend this book.