whitneydaniell

by: Kristina Forest
published: Feb 28, 2023
genre: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction
403 Pages, Paperback
GoodReads Link | Story Graph Link

Cute story. A very heartwarming, love story

I. Characters

Lily Greene is at a crossroads with her career and personal life. With the assistance of her two older sisters, Iris and Violet, she goes out with men they have chosen for her, but the dates never go anywhere. Lily has all but given up on her quest for a relationship. At work, she is not striking out either—with a demanding boss, never-ending workload, and not making enough money to do the things she wants, Lily feels stuck in a holding pattern, too afraid to move in any direction.

It doesn’t make her life any easier when Violet announces that she’s getting married, and instead of the Greene family being overjoyed for Violet, they spend way too much time asking Lily when she will settle down. Her mother, Dahlia, strongly suggests to Lily more than once that law school should be her next step or anything other than what she is currently doing despite the fact that Lily loves her industry. Lily works as an editorial assistant under an imprint that mainly focuses on nonfiction books, but Lily’s passion is to work under an imprint that edits children’s books. She has a penchant for fantasy novels, and that’s what brings her into Nick Brown’s inbox.

Nick Brown is unsure of himself at every turn. Is he an author or just a writer? Should he move to New York, or should he stay ping-ponging across oceans? You would think that Nick would have all the confidence in the world as he traveled the world writing for a travel publication. However, we learn that he is running from something, and the idea of being in one place for too long unnerves him. By all accounts, Nick is handsome, but handsome nerds rarely get the girls—or so he tells himself.

This was the first book that I’ve read in a while where I liked all the characters. No one was awful. Marcus was the voice of reason that Nick needed, and Iris was the voice of reason that Lily needed. I might have “liked” all the characters, but I LOVED Iris. She was a straight shooter, no chaser. I want love for her. This should be a series, and the next one should be about Iris!

II. The Story / Plot

Cute story. Predictable and easy. Nothing about this love story stood out to me; nothing was extraordinary. As a reader, I saw it coming.

I have to admit, I’ve said it before with Jasmine Guillory’s books, but I hate when the “secret” or “infraction” is held onto for far longer than it would in a real-life situation. Then, it’s always slight, yet the argument is overblown and far worse than the actual infraction. This is how I felt once the other shoe dropped in The Neighbor Favor.

The infraction wasn’t that terrible. Should it have come out earlier? Absolutely, but two months in is still early in a friendship/relationship to feel out things and how you’re feeling about a person. And while it wasn’t the right place, I didn’t think the timing was bad. I mean, two months in, and Lily didn’t even know Nick’s last name, so there was a lot he was still holding on to. I’m not sure why this one thing was what she wanted to be upset over. But I get it, you need a conflict to have a resolution, and everyone wants to read the resolution (i.e., sex).

III. The Writing

The book was a quick read and easy too. The writing and dialogue were on par with what twenty-somethings would say in 2023. The writing was also concise and contextualized for the content. The book was well-written.

IV. My Final Thoughts

This is a cute, quick read if you’re on a plane, train, or bus; sitting on a beach; or if you just want a little escape. It was fluffy and sweet. Not too hot and heavy, either, and perfect for young adults all the way to seasoned folks. This was a really cute story from start to finish.