whitneydaniell

by: Kristina Forest
genre: Romance, Contemporary
published: February 27, 2024
416 pages, E-Book
GoodReads | Amazon

Book #1 The Neighbor Favor (Lily & Nick)

Synopsis

Violet Greene has always believed that fashion tells the world who you are. It was her escape, her way out of the small New Jersey town that never quite fit, and the people who made her world feel even smaller. But on the first day of sophomore year, the new boy in school, Xavier Wright, changed everything. Suddenly, her future didn’t just belong to the fashion world—it belonged to him, too.

Years later, Violet has built the life she dreamed of. As a sought-after celebrity stylist, she travels the world, curating iconic looks and living out her wildest ambitions. But after a very public breakup with her ex-fiancé, her personal life is in ruins. The last thing she expects is to run into Xavier—the boy she once thought she’d marry—on a birthday trip to Vegas. And she definitely doesn’t expect to wake up the next morning with rings on their fingers.

Their impulsive Vegas wedding might be a mistake—or it might be the perfect solution. Xavier’s reputation as a beloved high school teacher and coach could use a boost, and Violet could use a distraction from the media frenzy surrounding her love life. Playing the part of a happy couple is easy. But when old feelings resurface and the chemistry between them is undeniable, Violet and Xavier have to decide: is this just a temporary arrangement, or is it the second chance they never saw coming?

My Final Thoughts

This book definitely kept me engaged—I finished it in one sitting. The pacing was solid, making it easy to keep turning the pages. Even though I knew exactly where this love story was headed, I still wanted to see how we got there.

Kristina Forest, much like Jasmine Guillory, leans into familiar romance tropes: boy and girl meet by chance, boy and girl circle each other until it’s almost too late, boy and girl have an easily avoidable but frustratingly simple conflict, and then boy and girl make up and live happily ever after. And honestly? I’m not mad at it. The formula works. It makes for a fun, easygoing read—even if some of the plot points stretch beyond the bounds of human behavior. A little fantasy is cute sometimes.

Violet Greene is, by her own account, perfect. Her career is perfect, her life is exactly the way she wants it to be. She jet-sets across the world, sits front row at fashion’s biggest shows, and styles the hottest up-and-coming talent. She’s also the creative force behind the signature look of her best friend, hip-hop’s biggest artist, Karamel Kitty. But while Violet’s career is thriving, her love life is… not. Her last relationship ended in disaster when she found out her fiancé, Eddy, had been unfaithful right before their wedding. And before that? There was Xavier Wright—her high school sweetheart, the boy she once thought she’d marry—who broke her heart in college. Now, Violet has zero interest in entertaining romance.

Honestly, I’m married to my career, and I’m not ashamed to say that.

But then comes Vegas. And after a few too many Remy & Cokes, Violet and Xavier find themselves at a wedding chapel, sealing their high school promise to marry when the time was right. Only this time, it’s a fake marriage, and by morning, Violet is on a plane back to New York while Xavier returns to his job as a teacher and basketball coach in their old New Jersey hometown.

Xavier’s life, unlike Violet’s, didn’t go according to plan. Once a promising high school basketball star recruited by the University of Kentucky, he ended up riding the bench freshman year. Then, a torn Achilles in his sophomore year led to a transfer to a local college, and the dreams he had for himself never quite materialized. Now, he spends his days coaching kids with dreams just like his, watching Violet from a distance through Instagram, and wondering what could’ve been. He can’t shake the feeling that he’s stuck in a life he didn’t choose.

Now, while I liked that Violet worked hard for her success, I did not like that she straight-up lied in that interview about their marriage. Even if she had her reasons. Even if she assumed no one would care. Girl, it’s a publication for Beyoncé’s sake—the internet is forever! That was my first gripe with the story. I would’ve much preferred a scenario where someone spotted them at the chapel, or photos from their wild Vegas night surfaced, forcing them into the lie. A published, bold-faced, wide-spread lie? Didn’t love it.

Another thing I don’t care for? The successful Black woman who is completely consumed by her job and has no life outside of work trope. Where are our hobbies? Where are our close friends who don’t work for us? Where are our supportive families and our platonic friendships with men? I love reading about ambitious Black women, but I also want to see them as full, well-rounded people. (Which is why I enjoy Kennedy Ryan’s writing—she gets this!) In this book, the only friends Violet has are Karina and Alex, who both work with her. Her sisters exist, but aside from a single text exchange early on, they don’t really play a role in her life. She has no hobbies outside of fashion. No real interests beyond work. I wanted more for her.

As for Xavier, I needed him to address his insecurities sooner because, whew, they were grating on my nerves. He’s so caught up in who he could’ve been that he doesn’t appreciate who he is. And honestly? I’m not even sure he fully figures it out by the end. Also, while we’re here—how was he sneaking out and sleeping over at Violet’s in high school? Where did his mama think he was?!

Tim Vogel? A HR manager’s worst nightmare. Disgusting. And speaking of gross, every time Eddy showed up in the book, I immediately pictured Ikechi from the most recent season of Married at First Sight. If you know, you know. He gave me the heebie-jeebies.

All in all, this was a cute read. I wanted something light, fun, and fresh to kick off April—I didn’t want to start the month with murder. I actually tried to start with Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen, but two pages in, I knew it wasn’t for me. (I won’t even count it as a DNF.)

If you liked The Neighbor Favor or any of Guillory’s books, you’ll probably enjoy this one. But if you prefer romance with a little more depth and characters with stronger identities, maybe pick up something else.