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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
The Aussie Next Door delivers romance and laughter! Witty and warm characters that welcome you into their crazy lives and families. Stefanie London brings the reader to tears from laughter, and will have your heart falling for a tremendous cast. This is definitely one tale of opposites attract that'll leave you with a smile!
This was.. This was a sweet one, I guess. It's also sexy and a bit fun and it gives you a bit more than surface entertainment. It's got cute dogs, two reluctant dog-lovers, a comic about a hermit and a big, tight family/community. I thought things went fast and I liked that the hero and heroine actually talked to each other, even though I felt like grabbing them and shaking them at times.
Angie is a totally fine heroine, just like Jace are a sweet and completely okay hero. I felt for them both at times, they had fine chemistry and everything was just fine. Not great, but fine.
What could have been better? I don't know. I just didn't find the characters all that believable, I guess. I know Jace is supposed to be on the Autism spectrum and I imagine that's hard to write, because I didn't really notice it. He was just blunt, at times.
Still, a solid three from me!
/ Denise
Angie is a totally fine heroine, just like Jace are a sweet and completely okay hero. I felt for them both at times, they had fine chemistry and everything was just fine. Not great, but fine.
What could have been better? I don't know. I just didn't find the characters all that believable, I guess. I know Jace is supposed to be on the Autism spectrum and I imagine that's hard to write, because I didn't really notice it. He was just blunt, at times.
Still, a solid three from me!
/ Denise
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The male and female leads in the story were interesting and the ending was believable and made sense for the characters. The story is told from both the perspectives of Angie and Jace. Angie is an American living in Australia whose visa is about to expire. Her best shot at getting it renewed is to get married to an Australian local. Jace is her landlord and a professional comic book artist. Jace and Angie are clearly attracted to each other, but Jace is socially awkward and doesn't openly express his feelings to Angie, and Angie doesn't seriously consider Jace as a love interest because she thinks he is indifferent. When Angie and Jace start spending more one-on-one time together he ends up helping her try to find a marriage partner. I appreciated that we got a glimpse into Angie's backstory and the reasons she moved in the first place. It helped give context to her insecurities and how her past influences her personality. We also get a backstory for Jace that does the same and explores his own insecurities about his autism and the aspects of his personality and life that are affected by this.
There is a focus on family relations as well. Jace has a large family and has always felt like the odd one out, but his family is warm and loving. By the end of the story, Jace becomes more accepting of himself and also in a way more accepting of how his family expresses their love for him. As Jace and Angie become closer, she is also welcomed by his family.
The romance between Jace and Angie occurs with a sort of time limit, but the problems they run into are realistic and handled well. Jace and Angie both become frustrated with each other because of the differences, but they learn to communicate about their insecurities and are able to overcome these issues. Overall, I liked the themes explored. It's not my favorite romance, but it was interesting to read.
There is a focus on family relations as well. Jace has a large family and has always felt like the odd one out, but his family is warm and loving. By the end of the story, Jace becomes more accepting of himself and also in a way more accepting of how his family expresses their love for him. As Jace and Angie become closer, she is also welcomed by his family.
The romance between Jace and Angie occurs with a sort of time limit, but the problems they run into are realistic and handled well. Jace and Angie both become frustrated with each other because of the differences, but they learn to communicate about their insecurities and are able to overcome these issues. Overall, I liked the themes explored. It's not my favorite romance, but it was interesting to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse
I seen this book as a give away from goodreads but did not win but the book sounded so funny that I went ahead and brought it. I liked the premise of the book and how the characters interacted. There was some surprises that I wasn't expecting. It had funny parts and some things that they characters had to deal with that was not funny. I liked how the author mixed it all together. There was a part or so where I felt it carried on a little more than needed in some of the interaction. I felt this was a little overdone so marked down a star for some of this area as it started to make me feel like slapping both characters. I actually was thinking at the time of reading not well done. It almost felt like the author was drawing it out so that there was more conflict. Overall the book was well done and with the characters, dogs and side characters I did enjoy the book. I would look for more books by this author.
THE AUSSIE NEXT DOOR by Stefanie London takes place in the fictitious Australian beach town of Patterson’s Bluff. Angie Donovan has run as far as possible from her previous life. She’s finally found a place she feels she can call home but with an expiring visa, Angie could see herself unwillingly heading back to the US. Jace Walters is Angie’s landlord. He likes order and routine, and prefers to keep himself to himself. They may be neighbours, but the bubbly Angie and the introverted Jace are outwardly not a likely pair.
Once Angie and Jace decide to give a relationship between them a go, I really enjoyed their journey. They both come with baggage that impacts the relationship. I liked that their issues are not a result of miscommunication, but rather a perceived need to act in a particular way to appease each other. This creates a friction that makes for interesting reading.
The hurdle for me is that the parts I liked best in this book happen towards the end. To get there I needed to read a story that I felt was too slow paced to hold my interest and I found myself putting this book down several times because of the protracted story telling.
I did enjoy meeting the secondary characters, and I assume some of them will get their own books in this series. As an Australian, I very much enjoyed reading a book set in the country I live in. I would be happy to come back and visit Patterson’s Bluff in later books.
Once Angie and Jace decide to give a relationship between them a go, I really enjoyed their journey. They both come with baggage that impacts the relationship. I liked that their issues are not a result of miscommunication, but rather a perceived need to act in a particular way to appease each other. This creates a friction that makes for interesting reading.
The hurdle for me is that the parts I liked best in this book happen towards the end. To get there I needed to read a story that I felt was too slow paced to hold my interest and I found myself putting this book down several times because of the protracted story telling.
I did enjoy meeting the secondary characters, and I assume some of them will get their own books in this series. As an Australian, I very much enjoyed reading a book set in the country I live in. I would be happy to come back and visit Patterson’s Bluff in later books.
After fleeing her messy life back in the states, Angie thought she found her "home" in the charming seaside town of Patterson's Bluff, but when her visa extension was denied, there was only one thing she could do - find a husband. Angie needed a marriage of convenience, but she wanted it based upon a real relationship. Her landlord and neighbor, Jace, offered to help her in her quest, but along the way, both realized they had found something worth exploring in each other, however, will their past rejections get in the way of their future together.
There were things, which motivated me to read this book.
1. I adored London's Bad Bachelor series, and was eager to read more of her books.
2. I am trash for the marriage of convenience trope.
3. I am always looking for books set outside the US to feed my wanderlust.
I must say, I made a great choice, because I had a fantastic time reading The Aussie Next Door
First and foremost, this book was a lot of fun. From the antics with the dogs to the family cookout to the card games at the retirement home, London made sure I had a good time and laughed a lot. I always appreciate a good injection of humor and merriment in my stories, but I also found this to be quite an emotional read.
Both Angie and Jace had been hurt in the past. Angie had been abandoned by her parents and spent the rest of her life trying to navigate the foster system. Let's just say it wasn't all ice cream and rainbows for her, and it left her yearning to find a place where she belonged and people, who would love her.
Though Jace came from a rather tight knit, loving, and supportive family (who I LOVED), he always felt a little on the outside of things due to being on the spectrum, and when his romantic relationship fell apart, he abandoned all hope, that he could find that "someone", who would be able to love him "as is".
Seeing these two find a "home" with each other simply filled me with joy. I think everyone can appreciate finding their "people", those who accept them, scars and all, and who don't try to change them.
Overall: This was a lovely story about finding the people, who will love you "as is", and finding the people, who are your home. It was fun, sexy, sweet, and heartwarming, and I am looking forward to returning to Patterson's Bluff.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
There were things, which motivated me to read this book.
1. I adored London's Bad Bachelor series, and was eager to read more of her books.
2. I am trash for the marriage of convenience trope.
3. I am always looking for books set outside the US to feed my wanderlust.
I must say, I made a great choice, because I had a fantastic time reading The Aussie Next Door
First and foremost, this book was a lot of fun. From the antics with the dogs to the family cookout to the card games at the retirement home, London made sure I had a good time and laughed a lot. I always appreciate a good injection of humor and merriment in my stories, but I also found this to be quite an emotional read.
Both Angie and Jace had been hurt in the past. Angie had been abandoned by her parents and spent the rest of her life trying to navigate the foster system. Let's just say it wasn't all ice cream and rainbows for her, and it left her yearning to find a place where she belonged and people, who would love her.
Though Jace came from a rather tight knit, loving, and supportive family (who I LOVED), he always felt a little on the outside of things due to being on the spectrum, and when his romantic relationship fell apart, he abandoned all hope, that he could find that "someone", who would be able to love him "as is".
Seeing these two find a "home" with each other simply filled me with joy. I think everyone can appreciate finding their "people", those who accept them, scars and all, and who don't try to change them.
Overall: This was a lovely story about finding the people, who will love you "as is", and finding the people, who are your home. It was fun, sexy, sweet, and heartwarming, and I am looking forward to returning to Patterson's Bluff.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
This was such a sweet story (even with the hot scenes).
Jace is part of a big family (I think they are next in the series) and has autism. So he likes routines and is a bit of a hermit. He draws a well know cartoon. His mother likes to shake things up for him sometimes, so he is stuck with babysitting two dogs for a couple of months. He has a bit of a crush on his American neighbor Angie, but when she needs his help to obtain an Australian visa he is afraid it will mess up his life and routine.
Angie is a very nice person with a tragic past. She ran of to Australia to escape said past and is devastated when her visa is not extended. Jace offers to help her. I liked the way the story was told. The way they learned to cope with their past and their own needs and sometimes limitations.
I really liked how this story was shaped and told!
I requested and received an ARC via Edelweiss. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Jace is part of a big family (I think they are next in the series) and has autism. So he likes routines and is a bit of a hermit. He draws a well know cartoon. His mother likes to shake things up for him sometimes, so he is stuck with babysitting two dogs for a couple of months. He has a bit of a crush on his American neighbor Angie, but when she needs his help to obtain an Australian visa he is afraid it will mess up his life and routine.
Angie is a very nice person with a tragic past. She ran of to Australia to escape said past and is devastated when her visa is not extended. Jace offers to help her. I liked the way the story was told. The way they learned to cope with their past and their own needs and sometimes limitations.
I really liked how this story was shaped and told!
I requested and received an ARC via Edelweiss. This is my honest and voluntary review.
This was a sweet book. I really enjoyed it. I would recommend this book! A true love story with many ups and downs.
**I received a copy of this book for review from Entangled Publishing. All thoughts are my own**
This book follows Angie, an American with a dark past who has been living in Australia for a couple months. Due to her life in the foster system, she has struggled to find somewhere to call home. Patterson's Bluff has become that home for her.
Jace likes to keep to himself and after being left by his ex-fiancee because of his need for routine and time alone because of his autism, he finds it hard to trust anyone. But when he finds out that his tenant is being forced to leave Australia, Jace finds himself spending more time with Angie.
This romance was so fun and swoon-worthy. These two characters were made for each other and that's able to be seen from the beginning.
My only issue was the bit near the end that was the main "conflict." I don't want to get too much into it for spoilers, but it felt kind of rushed and wasn't fleshed out as much as I would have liked. Not that it was a bad conflict, I just would have liked for more of a portion of the story to focus on it developing and being solved.
That being said, I still really loved this story and recommend it. It was interesting to see rep for an autistic love interest. And it wasn't pushed aside after being mentioned. It was a main focus of the story and I loved it! I feel like it was handled well, overall.
This book follows Angie, an American with a dark past who has been living in Australia for a couple months. Due to her life in the foster system, she has struggled to find somewhere to call home. Patterson's Bluff has become that home for her.
Jace likes to keep to himself and after being left by his ex-fiancee because of his need for routine and time alone because of his autism, he finds it hard to trust anyone. But when he finds out that his tenant is being forced to leave Australia, Jace finds himself spending more time with Angie.
This romance was so fun and swoon-worthy. These two characters were made for each other and that's able to be seen from the beginning.
My only issue was the bit near the end that was the main "conflict." I don't want to get too much into it for spoilers, but it felt kind of rushed and wasn't fleshed out as much as I would have liked. Not that it was a bad conflict, I just would have liked for more of a portion of the story to focus on it developing and being solved.
That being said, I still really loved this story and recommend it. It was interesting to see rep for an autistic love interest. And it wasn't pushed aside after being mentioned. It was a main focus of the story and I loved it! I feel like it was handled well, overall.
Received a copy for review from the publisher, this does not influence my thoughts on the book or this review.
I’ve read some of Stefanie London’s past books so when I heard about this one, I knew I had to read it! As always, London created a set of wonderful characters that I can’t wait to keep reading about.
American Angie ran away to Patterson’s Bluff, a lovely small town in Australia where everyone knows each other’s name, but her time there is running short. She only has two months left in Australia and an unlikely plan to find someone to fall in love with and marry. The wrench in this plan is Jace, her next-door neighbour who seems like he could be the one except for the fact that he prefers solitude and has no plans of getting married. As Angie and Jace grow closer, it becomes clear that maybe their worlds need a bit of changing, and that it could be for the better.
I really liked reading about Angie and Jace, two very different people, who end up deeply caring about each other. Angie really cares for the community in Patterson’s Bluff despite being someone who immigrated there. Jace is part of a big family and is finally happy to have his independence. I really liked both of these characters and I really appreciated their backstories. I also want to comment on the fact that Jace is on the Autism spectrum. I can not speak to this representation so I will be on the look out for reviewers who can and link their reviews here.
Overall, The chemistry between Angie and Jace was clear and I think that The Aussie Next Door was definitely a solid romance.
I’ve read some of Stefanie London’s past books so when I heard about this one, I knew I had to read it! As always, London created a set of wonderful characters that I can’t wait to keep reading about.
American Angie ran away to Patterson’s Bluff, a lovely small town in Australia where everyone knows each other’s name, but her time there is running short. She only has two months left in Australia and an unlikely plan to find someone to fall in love with and marry. The wrench in this plan is Jace, her next-door neighbour who seems like he could be the one except for the fact that he prefers solitude and has no plans of getting married. As Angie and Jace grow closer, it becomes clear that maybe their worlds need a bit of changing, and that it could be for the better.
I really liked reading about Angie and Jace, two very different people, who end up deeply caring about each other. Angie really cares for the community in Patterson’s Bluff despite being someone who immigrated there. Jace is part of a big family and is finally happy to have his independence. I really liked both of these characters and I really appreciated their backstories. I also want to comment on the fact that Jace is on the Autism spectrum. I can not speak to this representation so I will be on the look out for reviewers who can and link their reviews here.
Overall, The chemistry between Angie and Jace was clear and I think that The Aussie Next Door was definitely a solid romance.