Member Reviews
Angie needs a visa, and quickly. She got bad legal advice and now faces having to leave Australia.
Jace is left with dog-sitting duties when his mother leaves on vacation.
And thus, The Aussie Next Door endeavors to solve both of these problems.
Angie and Jace are very likable. In the beginning the book was a bit slow for me but midway it picked up. Really got a feel for Jace's personality traits and I love stories with introverts in them that truly show their preferences for quiet and routine. The older ladies crew were hilarious. Jace's family were great to see and I would love to read some of their stories. Overall this was a fun, summer read.
It was a great romance with a lot of romantic tension, conflict, and character growth. It hit all the right points and had a happy ending.
I love that Stefanie takes us back to her native Australia for this angsty gem, it is such a delicious read that kept me turning those pages wondering how things were going to work out. Stefanie left me hanging until the very end. Thanks Stefanie!
Angie flees the States and heads to Australia to get away from her past. Tired of the press and the honestly horrible past which unfolds slowly throughout the book, she finds a wonderful home in a small town in Australia. For the first time she's just Angie. No one knows her past, she rents a small cottage behind Jace's house, rides her bike or walks around town. Has her job and friends. When the clock is winding down for her visitors visa, she gets bad news that her Visa won't be extended and she has to return to the US. That's a no go for her. This is her home, she's finally finding her way on her own, just being who she is. She hatches a plan to get to stay. She decides to date so she can marry someone so she can stay. Jace is a comic artist, has a highly successful strip that he writes in the quiet of his own home. He prefers solitude. When he gets roped into dog sitting for his mother's friend, this brings quite the turn of events along with Angie's news of her looming Visa deadline, a bad case of writers block and his attraction to Angie. Jace has a form of high functioning autism. It makes him good at what he does, but also unbending in some areas and watching him with the dogs in his carefully arranged home is nothing short of sheer pleasure. Seeing his battle with his feeling for Angie after getting burned in the past by an ex who refused to embrace his eccentricities was a little heartbreaking for me. I so wanted him to let go and let himself be known. As he and Angie spend more time together and her clock is winding down and months grow into weeks, what will happen with Angie and Jace? Will he finally step forward with Angie and take that risk? Or will he let her slip away along with his chance at happiness?
This story was so well written, I loved Angie and Jace along with the rest of the side characters in the book. I fell in love with that little town and the many people there. I held my breath there at the end feeling very unsure of how things would really end up for these two, muttering to myself several times, "oh the angst, the angst." "Egad, what is Stefanie trying to do to me?"
Loved this story so much. Clever girl! Thank you for taking us back home with you Stefanie, it was a joy to visit with you.
arc from NetGalley and Entangled for an honest review
Angie grew up in foster care and never had a home or family of her own. She starts to travel and ends up in Australia. She falls in love with Patterson’s Bluff, a quaint little town. She rents a little apartment from Jace. Her visa is up in two weeks and she doesn’t want to leave, so she’s determined to fall in love and get married. Jace writes a comic and likes to be alone and stick to a strict schedule. Then his mother ropes him into taking care of two dogs while the woman is away on a cruise. Can they both handle each other’s quirks and find their own happily ever after?
Awesome story with romance and sex. Funny with two people who have different ideas for the future. I cracked up at several scenes and needed a cold shower for others.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for NetGalley *
3.5 Stars
I’m on the fence with how to feel about this book. The slow pace as well as the tentative and lukewarm connection between the main characters in the beginning made the story lag, for me. However, the second part of this book brought about the angst and a crazy amount of feels. It definitely tugged hard at my heartstrings.
Both characters have been hurt in the past. This makes Angie yearn to please everyone in the hopes that she will find a permanent home where she will be loved. Whereas Jace pulls away from everyone in the hopes of never having to feel lacking, like he is not good enough or that he is disappointing those he loves.
Can Angie and Jace find love being who they truly are?
Overall, this book has its cute moments. It creates a deep and abiding love between the main characters. When the sparks fly, they EXPLODE and the story becomes good, so very good!
I received an ARC via NetGalley of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Another great read from this author. I love an Aussie and this one was hot, sexy and swoon worthy. I want a neighbor like this. The chemistry was hot as coffee. The characters made me laugh, red faced and fall in love.
A sweet fun contemporary romance set in Australia,its sexy,fun with a little problem with Angie and her status in Australia.Really like Jade and Angie.
A good fun easy read.
Voluntarily reviewed.
So much more. Yes it's a fun, sexy, small-town read. You also have Jade a man who is on the spectrum. Angie has a lot of insecurities due to her life in the foster system. Together with great supporting characters some furry friends you get a book that again is funny sexy and pulls at your heart. Hope to see more books set in this small town. I received a free copy of the book from netgallery and I am voluntarily leaving a review
Well written contemporary romance set in Australia. The characters are likeable and fit together. The author has done a good job setting the stage for the story and gives enough back story without overwhelming the reader with unneeded extra words. A quick read that is enjoyable.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review
The Aussie Next Door is a sweet contemporary romance that is focused on Jace, a man with high functioning autism, and Angie, a girl with a troublesome past.
The story is pleasant, slow-paced with a good plot and great characters. It has a humorous side, with the misbehaved dogs and the meddling family members. The romantic part had a slow build-up, they went from neighbors to friends and then they fell in love. I feel that their situation is quite relatable because on some level you'll find something you can connect with (or you have experienced).
The characters were both complicated but easy to love. Angie was like a traumatized kid who just wanted a home and someone to care for her. She had an adorable quirkiness and a love for helping everyone. Jace was the opposite. After what happened to him he chose to live as a hermit, focusing on his job trying to avoid any human contact.
In conclusion, it's an easy read that keeps your interest until the end. I fell in love with it and I will rate it with 4.5 stars.
This is the first book by Stefanie that I’ve read and I enjoyed very much! Being set in Australia was different for me and I enjoyed a change of scenery. Angie is an American who left to get away from her past. She ended up in a small town in Australia. She worked really hard to always put a smile on her face and to help others. But inside she was afraid. Afraid she wasn’t worthy or could be loved. Jace keeps to himself. He has to have a routine to even function; or so he thought. Jace has Autism and likes order and quiet. But between two adorable dogs and a beautiful woman that all started to change. Angie needed to stay in the country and Jace didn’t want her to leave. So they came up with a plan. But between both of their fears they almost blew it! Angie realized that she is worth it and can be loved. And Jace realized he didn’t want to be alone and would be ok with out order every once in awhile. The dogs in this book made me smile a lot! This is a great book that I definitely recommend.
A great read about finding a place in the world when your history is clouded, and acceptance of oneself in this wild and crazy world when you see things a little differently. Loved both lead characters in Angie and Jace - their make up and their growth. Wonderful multigenerational storyline and family incorporation.
Stefanie London’s writing style is fluid and a joy to get lost in.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Can’t wait for my preorder copy to arrive.
What a sweet and sincere love story. This was the first book I have read from this author, but it won't be my last. I definitely recommend this book and this author.
I absolutely loved this book. Refreshing yet held me captive. It had the humor, drama and romance but also kept the story incredibly real.
Can Jace learn to live outside his routine? Will Angie find her happy place? The backdrop was set. The writing was on point and the pacing of the book was excellent.
There’s nothing like a feel good book with a beautiful epilogue!
A truly fabulous read!
I really liked this story, it was refreshing and a fast read at least for me, this author was a new author to me, but now it will be the first book of many!.
I can't remember the last time I read this sweet of a romance book. I was so sad when it ended. I love all of Stefanie London's books.
I loved this book! It seemed as if it was going to be your typical romance novel, but it was so much more. I loved that Jace was autistic but still completely accepted by his family and community. He was shown as an adult that is living on his own and completely independent. I have seen so many people assume that being on the spectrum is bad thing and I love that this author shows it is not. I am happy to see more authors starting to do this. Angie was a delight. I loved her verbal diarrhea and her resilient attitude. Tilly and Truffle were a fun addition to this book. It was fun to see Angie and Jace deal the dogs' shenanigans.
I love how that book ended. I am so glad that the author added in a bit to give the relationship the strength that it needed.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC in exchange for a honest review.
3.5 stars. A quick, delightful, sweet read about two very likeable characters, Jace and Angie, who have some serious internal obstacles to overcome on their way to finding their HEA. I thought the book was very realistic and well written. The description of Angie's past in the foster care system is heartbreaking, and the struggles that we see Jace dealing with as a high-functioning autistic individual seemed so real. Despite these serious undertones, the book itself is a fun, uplifting read and a great way to spend an afternoon.
A sincere thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing an ARC for review.
This was such a sweet story. Angie has had a rough life growing up in the foster system and has been looking for a place to call home. Jace is an artist with high functioning autism and has a hard time expressing himself. The only way Angie can stay in Australia is to get married since her visa is expiring. She and Jace have had crushes on each other since they met, but have done nothing about it. She needs a husband and he’s against marriage.
I loved getting to know these two. They were very relatable with real problems. I teared up, laughed, and swooned throughout this story. Great read!
I received an arc from Netgalley for my honest review.