The Homeowners Association

by Blair Daniels

Genres: Horror

196 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 22, 2026

Reviews

[Alex | | findingmontauk1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION by Blair Daniels, and it was such a fun, quick ride! HOAs are notorious for being absurd and annoying, so the title and synopsis immediately piqued my interest.

Once I dove in, the liminal suburbia and rule based horror vibes completely hooked me. Daniels masterfully twisted the everyday anxiety of buying a house and dealing with endless HOA rules into real nightmare fuel. I was so entertained that I read it in one sitting, feverishly turning the pages to find out what was happening to the residents of Pelican Peak. And there may or may not be a little monster horror in it as well, but you'll have to find that out for yourself!

The entire time I was reading, I couldn't stop humming the theme song to the TV show Weeds: "Little boxes on the hillside / Little boxes made of ticky-tacky / Little boxes on the hillside / Little boxes all the same..."

I love when a book can pull me in like this. I highly recommend this one and cannot wait to check out more of Blair Daniels' work.

[Emily Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting read.

Omg. I picked this up because we recently moved into an HOA lol and Blair Daniel’s always delivers a good read!

What an interesting story lol it reminded me of the movie tremors lol 😂

[§am I Am · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving into a gated community should be ok right? But the rules set out by the HOA are to be followed to a T or bad things will happen. Will piper and her family be able to abide by these rules and who makes it out alive?

[Praveen (பிரவீண்) KR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Check out the review @ https://kalaikoodam.blogspot.com/2026...

The name 'Blair Daniels' always invokes a sense of curiosity in me. This is mainly due to the quirky story plots and super creepy book covers. So, when I saw the notification on this book, I went for it with some basic expectations. Let's see if the book fulfils them!
Piper and her family move from the big city to a villa in a town, which is part of a gated community. Once they move in, she finds the community odd. There are seldom people moving outside, everything looks too perfect. More importantly, there is a large binder of really strange rules that are set by the HOA. No lights after 9 PM, garbage out by the previous night, any vacations should be approved by the HOA, and no noise in the house, etc. Really strange, right! Failure to comply can result in some bad reprimands. Soon, the family realises not everything is fine as it seems. Is there something deeper in the gated community? Will they be safe? forms the rest of the story.
First of all, an interesting premise! There were some interesting characters, and the language was fairly simple and engaging. The settings had good potential for an exciting, urban horror story. However, I felt that the potential was cut short by a rushed second half. Towards the end, the story picks up too much pace, and the ending felt forced. The story could have been explored more. It was like expecting a novel, but getting a novella. The unravelling and the small backstory happened towards the end. While it had the potential to be developed into something interesting, the abrupt way the story shifted was a big letdown for me.
In short, a potentially good read let down by a rushed ending. I did enjoy the way things were played out until it reached that part.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Milt Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the author's creepypasta stories expanded to the length of a novelette, and it carries all the familiar features of the genre: first-person POV (though there are two alternate characters narrating in this case), massive twists, minimal characterization, and fast-paced action. The theme is the sinister HOA and its strange rules making no sense at all at first sight. It's really well-done, though by the last third of the book I felt the premise had exhausted itself, and several instances of well-worn family drama were brought in to drive the plot forward. That said, the story is an easy read, great fun, with plenty of creepy moments and weirdness.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[B Scottsdale]

A father, mother and their child move into a too-good-to-be-true housing development. Pristine lawns, spacious new houses, secure neighborhood. She's surprised that the Homeowner's Association has more rules than what seems reasonable. Of course, she didn't read them before signing off. She was too excited, too... naive...

It's a trap. They are fighting an evil monster, and... time is running out!


Overall, I liked it. It was entertaining and kept me interested. The subplots about the wife's Anorexia and the husband's flirtatious behavior were undeveloped so a tad distracting, but it's a novella so that's understandable.

I would read more from this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty interesting, Stepford wives / Lovecraft-y story. The rules and desolate neighborhood gave a closed in feel and helped with the tension the characters were feeling. Its a short book so the tension starts quickly and builds up all the way to the end. I would have loved more lore about the housing development but the lack of information did help with the mystique and helps the reader feel as confused as our main character. I'm a bit confused on the point of the MC's eating disorder. It was only touched on randomly and not much. I guess it was used as motivation for her to go on a run outside on her own but another reason could have been used. It just didn't ass anything to the story.

[Amanda Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

It’s no secret that Blair Daniels has been one of my favorite horror writers for the last couple of years or so. I haven’t found anyone that can write the eerie sense of dread like she can and HOA was no different.

From the very beginning of the book, you can tell something is extremely wrong and it only gets worse as the story progresses. It was fast paced and eerie throughout the whole thing. My only complaint that kept it from being 5 stars, I wish it was longer and there was more in depth explanations for everything that happened. I would love to see a second part.

Thank you Booksprout and the author for an Advanced Reader’s copy in exchange for a HONEST review!

[Danielle Hennessy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blair Daniels is queen of creepy and modern horror stories as well as of liminal space horrors. This book was liminal space with a twist and I loved it!

From the start she set the tone that something isn't right, using obvious prompts to subtler ones that you might accidentally overlooked. The premise of the story was clever and the pacing generally superb without any lags. If I had any complaint, its that I would have liked a more in depth explanation revealed.

Overall, quick and enjoyable read!

[JP18267 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say I was excited for this book. There's nothing like that sinking feeling when you get a violation notice from the HOA. Instantly I was curious about what was off about this fenced in neighborhood and why it was so deserted. The rules of this HOA are absolutely insane, even telling you what colors to wear. The combination of those strict mandates, mysterious figures, and building tension within the central family kept me on the edge of my seat. I was left guessing till the very end!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Dan Mckeithan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An HOA that has you on your toes! Blair introduces us to Piper and her family as they move into this new area and are living under an HOA. Simple rules that seem a little strange, but then we've all heard of the HOA's taking more power than they should. Then the strangeness goes from creepy to horror. Blair does a great job on the building suspense and terror as the story moves forward. The characters are great and the plot is riveting. It's a quick read at 194 pgs and feels like you want more by the end. Can't wait to see what else Blair has next.

[Alanna Metz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. Very fast paced and intriguing. I read this in two sittings because I couldn’t put it down! The book is about a family who moves to a housing development. Once they arrive, they notice the HOA rules are very… odd to say the least. Following them to the letter could be a matter of life and death. This book makes you think… what would you be willing to do to protect your family?.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[George L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read many of Blair Daniels' short stories after Amazon recommended her. This is her first long work I have read. It was an excellent read, very creepy and good plot twists. I think it would make an excellent episode of the classic Outer Limits TV show from the 60s, or maybe the Twilight Zone. I liked that the characters all have their flaws, which makes them more real.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mary Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Homeowner Association was a gripping read from beginning to end, and further reinforces my goal to never, EVER move somewhere with an HOA. The slow burn suspense and delightfully creepy horror interludes weave together to create a story that you just can't put down. The main characters were well written and believable - I felt truly invested in their fates and wanted them all to make it out alive...

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Glenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 (closer to a 3 than a 4 for me).

I love seeing stuff from Reddit turned into full-blown novels, and I liked the concept here a lot. I just disliked the characters, and it felt like there could've been more closure at the end. It's a short enough read that it's worth taking a chance on to see if it clicks for you, though.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Homeowners Association by Blair Daniels was a quick, fun read that was perfect for a break between longer books. I enjoyed the fast pace and the easy-to-follow story. If you’re looking for something entertaining to cleanse your palette before diving into your next big read, this is a great little pick!

[Paige Malter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blair strikes again!

I’m never disappointed by her stories. Really enjoyed this, more of a slow-burn mystery! I am only sad that I have no more of her books to enjoy, as I have read them all. Looking forward to whatever comes next!

[martha s. williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOA

Oh, wow. Genuinely scary and different. Can honestly say I've never read that plot before. I begin to think the author has something against men named Ethan. Hmmmm. Anyway, really enjoyed this, it would be nice to see what's next for Piper and Orson.

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good horror blair never disappoints

Reminded me of the association by bentley little though i think this was shorter and sweeter. Like the twists of posession that was tied into the story.

[LORRIE · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent edge of your seat thriller with the Perfect pending

[Erin Eaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needs editing. The continuity issues were distracting. That said, I loved the concept and really enjoyed this.

[Mario Bouchard · Rating 2 out of 5]

hmmm. not to my expectations

Quite a bit disappointed about the whole book…. Even more so of the end.
Could have been so much better and complete!

[Taylor Troncin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in one day! One sitting really …
Sort of open ended - I have questions that are far more unsettling to have unanswered….
And SLIGHT spoiler - no animals are harmed!

[Dana Rowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!

It was a really good book. It pulled me in fast and ended too quickly. Will definitely be following this author.

[Dakota Gryffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bev really was the worst

[Dixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The rules were crazy!! And the park only open dusk to dawn was creepy! And finding out every 7 years they raze the houses was spooky! Definitely a good read!

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Christina Lowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started out good, but then went downhill. It’s also a short story and lack character development

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have lost many hours over the years scrolling through the r/nosleep subreddit. The Homeowners Association reads like one of those stories that would draw me in and have me surfacing hours later.
It was a quick, engaging read that made me wish I had the time to finish it all in one sitting. I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.