In general I don’t like books with super stiff and formal characters, so I’m taking that into mind while reviewing this because I knew that’s what I’d be getting with a Natasha Anders book. The romance was sweet and I did feel the sexual tension and wanted them to get together. There were some surprising funny bits with the dialogue and I wish there was more of that and the characters loosened up more. Sometimes I felt like it was a really quick transition from formal and tense to joking and flirting. In general I find the writing style a little too flowery for my personal tastes and overall it was all just a little “much” for me but not an un-enjoyable read.

I have mixed feelings about this book. The actual writing is excellent, but my problem is with the slow moving story. I'm not a fan of excess inner monologue in a romance and this one has it in spades. Especially the first two chapters - I zoned out. Charity has been the housekeeper at this holiday home somewhere in South Africa for 3 years and Miles (the owner) decides to go there in winter (from an English summer) to recover after a long illness. She's around the age of 30 and the family thinks she's near 50. Take down your hair and wear casual clothes and your real age is revealed. Miles is instantly taken with Charity, but she is still recovering from an abusive marriage (which he doesn't know about) and while her body is interested in him, she doesn't want to be. Miles finds a puppy, so there's lots of scenes involving the dog that are quite entertaining.

I enjoyed the H/h's dialogue/banter when it appeared and I think if there had been a lot of culling of additional information, I would have enjoyed this book a lot more. It would have been shorter, but hey, nothing really happened, so that would have been fine with me. Also, I did not like the pages of description about the synopsis of Miles's si-fi audio book. Unnecessary information. Also, there is lots of background blurb surrounding side characters who pop into the story briefly. What they're doing, who they are, what they look like, etc.

The romance was slow burn, but I just wasn't convinced about it. Lots of push and pull and denial and inner monologue on both sides. Lots of telling, rather than showing. Unfortunately, this is not my type of story, although lots of other readers loved it. I have several of this author's books on my kindle and I do intend to read them. My thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me the e-ARC in return for my honest opinion. 2.5 stars.

The Next Best Thing From Natasha Anders is a second chance romance.

It was an enjoyable story. It did drag at some places but I got past those parts.

There could of been a little bit more chemistry between the characters but that's only a small thing so didn't really take me away from the story.

Charity and Miles kept me interested in the story with their banter.

Its a good story if you like second chance romances.

Juggling a meaty topic such as physical abuse and the recovery from a relationship defined by that with a romance can be a bit of a challenge. That's exactly what Natasha Anders does in The Best Next Thing and she manages to pull it off incredibly well.
Charity has been hiding away from the world since the death of her physically abusive husband. (Although it would be more than fair to say that he was sexually and mentally abusive as well.) For the last three years she has been working as a housekeeper for Miles Hollingsworth, without them ever really seeing one another. She has become adept at blending into the background and giving the impression that she's much older than she really is. When Miles comes to spend time recuperating at the house, it isn't long before the barriers between them begin to crumble.
I really loved Miles, he was sweet and caring without being wet or pathetic. He and Charity work really well together and there was clearly much more there than the initial chemistry that we often see in romance novels. I loved the way that Charity was shown as such a strong character, despite what she had faced. Like many things, dealing with abuse and recovering from it is something that will never be a quick fix or overnight solution and this story didn't try and hide that.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable read. I loved reading about Mile's and Charity's relationship and couldn't help but cheer them on from the sidelines.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you NetGalley, Author Collective 20 and Natasha Anders for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
This was my first Natasha Anders novel, though I’ve had her Alpha Male series on my TBR list for a while! I was instantly interested in The Best Next Thing after reading the blurb. I don’t think i’ve ever read a housekeeper/house owner POV and I love a good forbidden romance/opposites attract romance!
Unfortunately, this book fell pretty flat for me. I think the general idea was there, I just didn’t feel any connection between the two main characters. There really was no spark there for me personally!

Wow! What a powerful and intense story! Ms. Anders brings a wide range of emotions in Miles and Charity's story. You have heartbreak, immense pain, shame, vulnerability, friendship, healing, and love. This book had a few parts that were hard to read at times just from the sheer pain that Charity went through. But to see her emerge stronger, more confident was beautiful. And Miles there for her, helping her work through it, makes their connection even more beautiful and loving. I totally loved this story from beginning to end and would have loved even more of their future. The appearance of the McGregor sisters, Sam and Grayson from other books was perfect.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher through Netgalley.

Oh this book gave me all the feels! Reminded me a lot of the older Natasha Anders books. So much angst and emotion! I didn’t want to put it down!

You've got to love a good second chance romance novel.

In this book we follow a housekeeper, Charity, hiding out at her boss', Miles, house from life. She didn't have the best marriage and it has left her with a lot of trauma and issues that she chose to ignore and avoid until now. Three years later he boss comes to his vacation house sick and needing to recover. Little did he know that he not only needed sleep and good food but he also needed Charity. These two characters both have wounds they need to heal and ways to better themselves in order to be together effectively. One of the best aspects for me about this book was that it takes place in South Africa! I loved this book and will hopefully find some more good reads from this author soon!

I've been missing some Natasha Anders in my life! WOAH!

This story starts off with Charity who is the live in housekeeper for Mr. Miles Hollingsworth. His name happens to be the most snooty thing in this world so I was expecting a rude and entitled rich boy. He was not that at all--he was sweet, caring, gentle, patient AND SUCH AN ADORABLE NERD! All the qualities that Charity needed in a partner. Charity's strength with what she experienced was a sight to read about.

This book should have come with a trigger warning because of the past situation of Charity and all she faced with her ex, it was so brutal and heartbreaking. She locked herself from the world, unwilling to let her self love and be loved for 3 years.

Reading about her journey to recovery was a tough one but so well done. It's very apparent Anders did a lot of research in terms of the repercussions of abuse and how one moves on from life after facing that brutality. I honestly commend the author in the process of which Charity underwent to achieve her happily ever after.

The writing once again, is just amazing and full of wonderful prose. I think it's very telling of the author's writing when they have the ability to make their characters real and relatable. While, I never experienced these situations, I was still able to connect with these characters and feel their emotions.

I will say however, the beginning was a bit slow and it took me a little bit to get into the story but once I did, I was hooked--I stayed up until the early hours of the morning glued to my reader because I fell in love with these characters and their story. They deserved to find happiness.

I really enjoyed this read and I look forward to more awesome books by Natasha Anders!

The Next Best Thing by Natasha Anders is a story about second chances. Miles needs to rest and recover, so why not go to one of his properties. But Charity was not what he expected. Charity loves the solitude of taking care of the house she lives in. But when her boss comes to stay, her life is turned upside down. He seems grumpy and a workaholic, but as they spend time together, walls come down. Their journey was not easy. Overall a touching read.

Happy reading!

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

3-3.5 stars. Charity Cole has locked herself away in a house where she can work and live without being around people. After she escapes her abusive marriage by way of her husband’s suicide, she doesn’t trust the world around her. As the housekeeper for a vacation home that’s rarely visited by her employer, she was happy. But when Miles arrives to recover from a serious illness, she has to deal with him being around and present. Together they learn to heal and be what each other needs.

Pretty typical summer beach read. Not that it wasn’t enjoyable (it had the requisite steamy sections) but you knew how the book would end. Nice quick read that you don’t have to think too much about.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and am providing an honest review.

It took me about the first 20-25% of the book to get into the story. I really didn't like Miles at first but I don't think I was meant to. Miles was so off-putting. He treated everyone like they were his servants but treated the stray dog like royalty. He couldn't seem to check his privilege (e.g., entitling himself to Charity’s food, using generator power to dry the dog). He insisted on getting rid of formalities and using first names but also thought Charity's name was Chastity. And I was super confused on how he mistook a 30-year-old woman for 50.

Miles did eventually grow on me. His vulnerability with Charity was refreshing and his interactions with Stormy were precious. I also enjoyed Charity, whether she was putting her guard up as the stern Mrs. Cole or overcoming her past while falling for Miles.

What made this story just okay for me was that it felt longer than it needed to be. I often found myself simultaneously anxious to find out where the story was going, while also incredibly bored. For instance, I was on the edge of my seat when it seemed like Charity was about to reveal her past to Miles but it felt like it took forever and I found my mind drifting. That happened quite a bit throughout the story.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and laughed out loud in several places. I just wish the pacing was different.

Really enjoyed this book. Reclusive widow overcomes her feelings to find love with her employer, reunites with her family and puts the message out that there is life after abuse. Really well written and tactfully handled subject matter.

Charity’s journey of healing from abuse!

Charity Cole is hiding out trying to put her life back together after the death of her minister husband by working for Miles Hollingsworth as the housekeeper of vacation home in South Africa when her boss shows up unexpectedly to recover after being seriously ill without letting her know in advance.

Natasha Anders has written a book has a slow start with finding out bits and pieces about Charity and the abuse by her husband and finding her inner strength and not keeping it secret anymore from anyone especially her family with a little interference from Miles.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5

"I don't need you to make things easier for me. I just... need you."

This book isn't about the hero protecting the heroine from the bad guy; this is about the heroine fighting her own battles and learning to move on... with a little help from the hero. It had me sad crying, proud crying, squealing and laughing. Oh, did I mention there's a dog?

I don't usually read books where the hero and heroine are cooped up together because it just seemed boring, and honestly for the first part of the book it was kind of boring. Not enough to make me want to DNF but enough to make me wonder 'So... where are we going with this?'. It soon picked up for me, though, and it became a story that I love It helped that there was the cutest little dog hehe.

Miles and Charity start off as companions, turn into friends and then eventually find themselves falling for each other. I really liked this progression of their relationship; it didn't feel rushed, and I also appreciated that the book touched on the fact that they're employer/employee. Miles and Charity cared about each other and had so much fun in each other's company and I found myself very invested in the relationship. It's the small things... like how Charity finds it so adorable whenever Miles talks about his fantasy novels or how they talk about whatever cute thing Stormy's done recently. These two were just so. cute.

Miles was an amazing hero. He's presented as a workaholic, but we later find out that a lot of what he does stems from the fact that he wants to take care of those he loves. He wasn't perfect- he did and said some dumb things- but he recognised his mistakes and owned up to them. Also despite his first impression, he was so open to emotions and especially love. I really adored that so much. His interactions with Stormy were one of the best parts of the book- Oh Charity, you never stood a chance.

I don't have as much to say about Charity but I did like her! She'll be the first to admit that she's still hiding but no one can ever say she's not strong. I also liked how aware? she was- e.g. when she would question whether she's falling into the same patterns with Miles.

Stormy deserves a whole paragraph to herself. The interactions between her and the other characters were gold. She had her own personality and it always put a smile on my face.

Honestly, when I look back at the book I can't tell you exactly what made me say 'WOWOWOW' upon finishing it. I just know that this book made me feel. A lot.

Miles Hollingsworth doesn't know what downtime is, he works hard to provide the life for his family. This has paid off for him in many ways with success and money. However, after an illness that landed him in hospital, he is forced to slow down and recuperate. Heading to his holiday home in South Africa he arrives with forewarning his housekeeper Mrs Cole.

Charity Cole has been Miles' live-in housekeeper for three years. Keeping herself to herself she is efficient and second-guesses everything that the Hollingsworth family needs during their stays at the house. With everything prepared for arrivals etc. until Mr Hollingsworth arrives one evening without notice.

Catching her out of her usual Mrs Cole facade Miles is shocked to discover his housekeeper looking very different to the person who has been at his beck and call during his stays. Something about her long legs that he can't quite forget. They both have secrets that they hiding from each other, but in a house together there is only so much time that they can avoid each other and keep their interactions professional.

** Tigger warning - descriptive domestic abuse discussed within the story **

A touching, heartbreaking yet funny novel. Tissues at the ready for some difficult moments.

This book was enjoyable to read. I liked the unique setting, not often in a book do I read about baboons sneaking in a kitchen! Miles' character unfolded nicely drawing you in to be one of his supporters and the rescue of the dog really added to his charm and likability. Some of the flashback scenes of Charity's were hard to read but I think it is important to bring awareness to the issue of domestic abuse because it doesn't always look like what we think. Overall, a great book thank you!

It's okay.
Brooding Hero.
Heroine has a secret.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.
Pushing away from heroine.
HEA.