You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
mimi_throughthepages 's review for:
Love Next Door
by Helena Hunting
2.5 stars
Love Next Door is the first in Helena Hunting's new small-town, contemporary series. It's been categorized as General Adult Fiction-Romance. My original interest in this book was spurred on by the promise of an enemies to lovers, small town romance but the story itself focused less on the romantic relationship between the main characters and more on their familial relationships. Those relationships were dysfunctional and problematic, but did lead to some interesting character growth for the heroine. That aspect of the story definitely felt as though I was reading more of a women's fiction story than a romance. The various subplots got to be a bit too much for me. Honestly, I could care less who was cheating on who in the town. I just wanted more romance between Dillion and Van. Grandma Bee's influence in their relationship was sweet and charming, and one of the best aspects of the story. The towns' inhabitants were largely characterized in a stereotypical way, which I found to be unflattering, and the focus on their lives took away from the romance between the main characters. While the story was well-written and easy to follow, it did become predictable and a bit tiresome towards the end. I wasn't happy with how easily the plot points were wrapped up, but the story did deliver a happily-ever-after.
I definitely think that this book will be enjoyed most by fans of small-town women's fiction series like the Cedar Cove series.
Love Next Door is the first in Helena Hunting's new small-town, contemporary series. It's been categorized as General Adult Fiction-Romance. My original interest in this book was spurred on by the promise of an enemies to lovers, small town romance but the story itself focused less on the romantic relationship between the main characters and more on their familial relationships. Those relationships were dysfunctional and problematic, but did lead to some interesting character growth for the heroine. That aspect of the story definitely felt as though I was reading more of a women's fiction story than a romance. The various subplots got to be a bit too much for me. Honestly, I could care less who was cheating on who in the town. I just wanted more romance between Dillion and Van. Grandma Bee's influence in their relationship was sweet and charming, and one of the best aspects of the story. The towns' inhabitants were largely characterized in a stereotypical way, which I found to be unflattering, and the focus on their lives took away from the romance between the main characters. While the story was well-written and easy to follow, it did become predictable and a bit tiresome towards the end. I wasn't happy with how easily the plot points were wrapped up, but the story did deliver a happily-ever-after.
I definitely think that this book will be enjoyed most by fans of small-town women's fiction series like the Cedar Cove series.