Love Next Door is the brand new release by Helena Hunting! We are taking a break from the world of hockey, and we are headed to Pearl Lake. This small town romance is sure to capture your attention, and you just might see a few familiar names pop up.
If you’re wondering about the tropes for Love Next Door, well the main one is enemies to lovers, with opposite sides of the track as a good secondary (rich vs well, not). However, it could also be viewed as a slight second chance, or maybe more of a missed connection. When you read the book, come back and tell me your thoughts about it that one.
Dillon recently had her relationship end, and she is also out of a job when a sudden phone call has her returning to the one place she’d rather not go...home. Pearl Lake is your typical small town where everyone knows what is going on with everyone, and that is a huge part of why Dillon has stayed away. When Bee died, Dillon was also named the executor of the estate. Bee was her next door neighbor growing up, and she was like family. Bee helped to take care of Dillon, so it only seems natural that Dillon is now helping out with this. So returning home to help family is also the perfect chance to check in on the property. Donovan (Van) is Bee’s grandson, and he used to love spending time in Pearl Lake during the summers. It was a chance to escape from the city, and have a lot of fun all while spending time with Grammy Bee. Shortly after arriving to Pearl Lake, Van finds out some news from back home. Someone had taken $3 million dollars from his mother’s charity. And whoever took that money, has framed Van. Everyone thinks it’s best that Van stay in Pearl Lake until all this blows over. Oh, and in addition to all this, Van was fired from his job. So why not spend the summer in Pearl Lake, and work on fixing up Grammy Bee’s house. You can see where this is going, right? These two are destined to bump into each other. Did I mention that Van and Dillon have been talking through email? They have, and Van is under the assumption that Dillon is a guy. He’s in for quite the surprise. And Dillon, well she thinks she’s talked to Van on the phone before, and let's just say she isn’t fond of him based on what he’s been saying. Classic enemies to lovers!
It is no secret that I LOVE the books that Helena Hunting writes. I love her characters, the setting, and all of it. I think I’ve read just about all of her back titles with the exception of a few books from the Pucked series, and the books she has co-written. Yeah, I’m a bit obsessed. Sorry not sorry. I say that to say, this wasn’t my favorite. I mean it was still good, but I didn’t feel the connection to the characters or the setting. The world building wasn’t there for me, and that bummed me out. BUT, the story was good. The characters intrigued me on their own. I am really curious about Dillon’s brother, as that storyline captured my attention. I wanted to know what was going on, and how that all played out for him. Yes there were aspects of Dillon and Van’s story that had me curious, but not enough. I was curious who was framing Van. I was curious who Dillon had been speaking to regarding Bee’s property. I was curious about the summer kiss, from years prior, that Dillon spoke about. But that’s where it ended. Their actual relationship, well I didn’t feel it. It didn’t seem like the characters fit. Maybe it was me, and maybe I didn’t read this story at the right time.
Let’s talk about the rating. If you follow me on Goodreads, then you’ll know that it is listed as 3 stars, but in my review I say 3.5. And that’s where I feel it fits. It was a decent story, and the characters/romance had potential. It just fell a bit flat. So that’s that. Since this is listed as Lakeside #1, I will definitely be back to read the additional books in the series. Just because I didn’t feel it between Van and Dillon doesn’t mean that I won’t connect with future characters/storylines. Plus if Helena is writing it, I’m reading it.
Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts,
Laura
