Reviews

Good Neighbors: The Full Collection by Stephanie Burgis

ghosthermione's review

5.0

 

I’ve really enjoyed Scales and Sensibility previously, so I got this book knowing it was a historical romance, but not much else. I didn’t read the blurb or anything, just knew others whose opinion I trust loved it, so I went into it expecting a regular romance, and was pleasantly surprised to find out it had magic and necromancers and a heroine who’s a metalworker and wears pants (well, coveralls) most of the time! I’m a sucker for a woman with a job, especially in historical romance so this was a great start!

Now, technically this isn’t one novel, so much as a collection of short stories, all linked together. But it reads as one, or at any rate, like different acts of the same story.

I have to say, I love a good grumpy heroine as well. Mia just… doesn’t want to make friends! She doesn’t want to socialize! She’d rather stay in her workshop and drink her tea and never see anyone but her dad all year long! I can entirely relate, minus the workshop. Her grumpiness extends to telling her neighbours exactly what she thinks, and that includes the handsome necromancer who’s trying his best to invite her to tea (and get her to fix his minions). Which makes for hilarious and cute interactions.

As in any good romance, you can clearly see how the both of them are yearning for each other, and their flaws and insecurities complete each other so well and make for the best miscommunications! The last two stories were my favourites, as they take a little longer to develop and see our two heroes come together to make the world a better place, and look, I’m also a sucker for stories of found families and communities fighting against injustice. Also, “there’s only one bed” and fake dating tropes in the third story just made me very, very happy!

It’s also refreshing to read a historical romance where the main characters are like “propriety? I don’t know her” and like, share a carriage alone together. Or a room. No chaperones or anything like that, and nobody who matters really cares. It’s not exactly your regular historical romance. But it did remind me of other romance novels like Olivia Waite’s Feminine Pursuits series, if only for the working women and the community coming together. Also, while it’s a f/m story, there are background queer characters that are absolutely great, and I really hope the author gets around to the novella about some of them she mentions in the afterword.

Overall a great, light and short romance with some adorable (yet headstrong) characters in a historical-ish setting. With pet sea serpents and minions and skeletal dragons… and the idea that love – in all its forms – triumphs after all.

 

karenbultiauw's review

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

greyhound_lover's review against another edition

5.0

A lovely comforting read. Another book by Stephanie Burgis thoroughly enjoyed.

toblerowl's review

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

hornyforbooks's review

funny medium-paced

4.0

bookwyrmknits's review

hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This is a fun grumpy/sunshine pairing of a couple (spoiler: the necromancer isn't the grumpy one) which combines the best bits of friends to lovers with friendly monsters and just a dash of misunderstanding to create a magical fantasy romance romp. This was a super enjoyable read, and you can tell that the author had fun writing it. It just feels like reading happiness.

I would tend to place this as an adult book, though it's perfectly chaste. I wouldn't hesitate to give it to a teen if they were interested. The only possible issues that I saw in the book were memories of a fire (arson), emotionally abusive parents, and a town that was hateful of anyone "different"—but it was all handled so gently that I don't know that they would be triggers at all.

I highly recommend this book, whether you are a fan of fantasy, romance, or just happy stories. There is actually depth to the story, even though that's not what I focused on and you can mostly ignore everything deeper than the obvious plot points if you just want the fun bits. There is diversity, too; though I don't know for sure about skin color, the variety of "other" types of people in the magical community is plenty varied enough, and LGBTQ+ characters are accepted by (most of) the community for who they are. Burgis wrote in the end notes that she might write a companion piece to this set in the future, and I hope she does! I'll be first in line to buy it.

eightshot's review

4.0

this was very good and i would enjoy seeing a spinoff 

space_and_sorcery's review

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

4.0

 

I received this story collection from the author, in exchange for an honest review. 

 

It’s always a welcome surprise when Ms. Burgis so kindly asks me to read and review her new works, because I know that I will always discover delightful stories where a thread of magic is woven with one of romance that even this grumpy old curmudgeon cannot find fault with ;-)   (as a matter of fact, I quite enjoy these light-hearted forays into romantic territory…) 

 

Magic is indeed a focal theme in this collection of stories set on a parallel version of 19th Century England, one where this element is commonplace, as in Ms. Burgis’ equally engaging Harwood Spellbook series, but with the difference that here magic is not an integral part of society: anyone caught with such abilities or marked as “unnatural” is either ostracized or wiped out, depending on the mood of the neighborhood.  

 

Young Mia, the main character, is an inventor with a special knack for metal to which she can apply her peculiar kind of magic, but her skills have already exacted a heavy toll when her former fellow citizens discovered her true nature and turned against her and her father, burning their home to the ground and grievously wounding the man.  Now that the two of them have found a new place to live, Mia is firmly set in keeping her abilities well hidden, but she did not take into account the persistence of her next-door neighbor, necromancer Leander, whose misshapen undead minions she keeps finding on her doorstep… 

 

Given the shortness of the four stories that compose this collection (Good Neighbors, Deadly Courtesies, Fine Deceptions, Fierce Company) I don’t want to dwell any longer on the actual plot, which despite its light, humorous tone is also able to touch on some very serious themes like the fear of anything we perceive as different or the double standards of people in power.  I can however concentrate on the character of Mia who, like many of Stephanie Burgis’ heroines, presents a captivatingly grouchy disposition on the outside that hides a generous, selfless soul ready to help those in need - be they human or otherwise.  Previous events - and the consequences they visited on her father - made Mia quite wary of outside contact and a virtual recluse, which forces dashing Leander to launch a well-organized campaign to tear those barriers down and turn the two of them first into allies and then into… well, something else. And he has a lot of ground to cover because, in Mia’s own words: 

 

I was not some fluff-headed flibbertigibbet who could be flustered by a bit of close darkness and a handsome, teasing necromancer. 

 

While the first two stories, which are also the shorter ones in the collection, remain on the light side, the longer third and fourth deal with some quite dramatic issues concerning the frame of mind of the so-called “good citizens” of a nearby town (I always shudder whenever the word “purity” is used as it is in this instance) and Leander’s harrowing past. There is clearly a thematic progression here that moves from the introductory stories where the characters are presented, to the more complex, more layered study of the world they live in, a world in which “normal” people feel threatened by supernatural creatures for no other reason that they are different - and no matter how much fanciful humor is laced throughout the story, there are several thought-provoking issues here that belie the apparent lightness of the collection. 

 

These four short stories were previously presented on Stephanie Burgis’ Patreon between 2020 and 2021 and are now collected in a single volume that will be available from February 2nd, 2022. My hope, after reading them, is that the author will write some more to expand both on this intriguing world and on Mia and Leander’s story. I will look forward to them. 

 

rj921's review

5.0

This was such a fun read, and so tantalizing that if the next book had already been in stores I would've bought it in the next second. I appreciate what the author is doing, but unfortunately I am not (yet) in a earning enough to comfortably give away a portion of my income for books - I'm slowly working towards that! In the span of a few pages, Ms Burgis has sketched out characters who are vibrant and oh-so intriguing, and I'm definitely going to get my hands on the rest of the story someday.

barefootsong's review

4.0

This is a delightful little series of short stories and novellas! I love Mia (grumpy inventor with metal magic just looking for some peace) and Leander (the annoyingly hot necromancer next door)! Fun banter, sweet romance, found family — some of my favorite stuff!

I have early access to these stories through the author's Patreon. They will be published more widely in February 2022.