Neighbors to Lovers
A whole new angle of forced proximity!
Neighbors to lovers is an underrated trope, in my opinion, though I do wish fewer of these books ended with one of the couple becoming a landlord. It’s a weirdly common ending to neighbor romances? The person who moves in with the other one in the epilogue rents out their old house/apartment instead of selling it. I don’t love that. But I DO love the following three books, so strap in!
Also, in honor of Chick Magnet, scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for pictures of baby Bri with her pet chickens.
Chick Magnet by Emma Barry. She’s a chicken influencer who just moved to her grandmother’s hometown, he’s the struggling small town vet post-COVID pandemic next door. Nicole Jones was recently publicly dumped by her fellow social media influencer boyfriend and fled to a small town where no one knows her with her beloved chickens and the hopes of a fresh start. Will Lund’s private vet practice hasn’t recovered from the pandemic, and he’s concerned it never will, so he’s got fewer clucks to give (eyyy) than usual when his quirky new neighbor invades his peace. He’s especially got no patience for what he assumes is a woman who keeps animals for clout and nothing else, but he soon realizes he read her wrong, and Nicole knows what she’s talking about when it comes to chickens.
Plus, it turns out that beyond their initial vitriol they’re both struggling with doing what’s right, living up to other people’s expectations, and needing a person who loves them unconditionally.
I continue to appreciate Emma Barry not pulling punches about the reality of the worlds within her books (see my review of one of her political romances here with similar thoughts), and Will’s conclusion, while not exactly what I go to romance for, was refreshing in its pragmatism.
Rating: 4/5
How hot? 🔥🔥🔥
Flirting With Forever by Claire Kingsley. The fourth in Claire Kingsley’s most recent series follows sex and lifestyle columnist Nora, who in previous books was happy to cast herself as the (affectionate) slutty sidekick to her close group of girlfriends falling in love one by one. They’re all getting older, though, and while she has no plans to settle down with a family like her friends, she’s not immune to wanting something more than a cramped apartment in the city. So she moves to the Seattle suburbs to spread out. But things feel cramped anyways, because her next door neighbor, the swoony tattoo-artist single dad Dex, is immediately living in her head rent free.
Dex is having the same problem with Nora, but they’re fundamentally incompatible so he vows to keep his distance. Which is difficult since his daughter seems to hang on Nora’s every word, and Nora’s surprisingly good with the precocious preteen despite a few speedbumps as a result of Dex’s mistrust of…. Well, anyone. Nora doesn’t want to commit, Dex can’t settle for less, so what are two hot neighbors to do but fall in love?
I loved this whole series, and while I’m not usually one for single parent stories, this one was exactly what I was looking for. I love Nora and her refusal to be anything other than exactly who she is, I love Dex for his fierce protectiveness that often leads to hurtful words that he has to grovel big time for, and I love their love.
Rating: 4.5/5
How hot? 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Wait For It by Mariana Zapata. This book is classic Mariana Zapata, and if you’ve read her before, you’ll know exactly what I mean from this queen of slow burns.
We’ve got a heroine with a dark and dramatic past, Diana, raising her two nephews after the sudden death of her beloved older brother. We’ve got a broody secret good-guy hero, Dallas, who’s not only her new neighbor but also her oldest nephew’s baseball coach. We’ve got lots of miscommunications between two deeply untrusting but ultimately good people, a heroine who will fight everyone (even the hero) tooth and nail for justice for those she loves, gut-punching emotional reveals, and complicated family dynamics. We’ve also got sports as a primary plot point.
Again- classic Mariana Zapata. This isn’t my favorite of hers (I think that honor goes to Kulti, which will absolutely be recommended in full at some point), but it’s also one that I haven’t stopped thinking about since I first read it. If you’re looking for darker twists, cute if troubled kids and their struggling caregiver, and a slow burn, definitely check this one out!
Rating: 4/5
How hot? 🔥🔥
Next week, I’ll be recommending books where the heroes suffer from panic attacks! Hashtag mental health representation.
What should I be reading next? Let me know in the comments!
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When you said panic attacks, I immediately thought of Suzanne Enoch's "England's Perfect Hero". Check it out!
I didn’t appreciate the art of the slow burn until I read Mariana Zapata!