An empowering work of fiction!

As someone who lives with a homeowner’s association, typically referred to as an HOA, author Miriam Verheyden does a spot-on portrayal of it. The multitude of individuals that comprise the neighborhood, and the natural inclination to gossip, combines for a rather entertaining read, despite its ever-unpleasant nearness to reality.

Holly Kent, HOA president, has nothing but time on her hands to focus on upholding the neighborhood covenants. When she founded the HOA thirty years ago the neighborhood wasn’t nearly as well kept and highly desired as it is now. She prides herself on her meticulous and rigid standards and secretly has her own ranking system for the entire neighborhood, of which she herself obviously holds first place.

Recently widowed, Valerie is scared to leave the four walls of her house for fear of Holly. That is until Clementine comes over to introduce herself. With her upbeat attitude, body positivity, and bold outlook on life, Clementine is easy to befriend. And, while readers are sure to adore Clementine and even the elderly Marjorie, we also can’t help but feel a bit of empathy for Holly and relatability to Valerie’s anxious plight.

The Ho Hos, short for Holly and her husband Homer, make living in Pleasant Hill anything but pleasant. Unbearable in their pursuit of upholding the neighborhood covenants, they’ve taken to bullying residents into compliance. But bullies must be stopped, and the newest resident, free spirited Clementine Harrison is determined to give them a taste of their own medicine – while complying just within the covenants, of course.

As Verheyden’s HOA nightmare unfolds readers begin to understand each of these women are victims. Victims of their gender, their careers, their past, or their present. As the nasty and bitter neighborhood theatrics play out, these women forge ahead, together. “The Homeowner’s Association” certainly contains thrilling psychological fiction, but it also houses honesty, vulnerability, and often uniquely female experiences. I related wholeheartedly with Valerie, Marjorie, Clementine, and even Holly, and none of the relatability had to do with my own, relatively boring, homeowner’s association experiences.

Miriam Verheyden pens an empowering work of fiction. Wrapped in drama and fear, readers find friendship, forgiveness, and even a new way to embrace their lawns.

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