Member Reviews
Genre: Romance / Comedy
Release Date: Expected 22nd January 2021
Mia has just started a new life in Manchester, miles away from her loving family but more importantly miles away from Pete - the ex who seemed so nice, until he wasn't. You know the one.
Alone and trying to figure things out, her main source of entertainment is people watching. Through her window, there's the immaculate woman who always looked lke she'd just stepped out of a salon even at 9 in the morning, and the extremely hot guy right across who's a fan of exercising with the curtains wide open.
Enter Luke, who feels like he's very old for 34. Keeping himself busy trying to save his Bar from becoming obselete, there isn't much time for love. Not as though he'd want it after what happened last time. But when a Green-Haired woman in a tracksuit enters the bar one night, she catches his attention. She wasn't vying for his attention like the other reguars, she definitely appreciated classic BritRock and could hold a damn good conversation. And she's also the girl who was quite obviously staring at him through his window in the mornings.
It started with just a few notes left in a window and a plan to try and bring the Bar into the 21st century. But are Mia and Luke really right for each other? Or are they just right next door?
The wonderful Universe of Kathyrn Freeman is back and better than ever; with familiar faces and places that we've grown to love (you don't need to have read the series before to follow this book but it'll definitely help!) With the eclectic cast of loveable characters that all play their parts - one of my favourites being Stan, Mias new neighbour and self-proclaimed 'Grumpy, overweight old man' who slowly becomes her partner in crime.
With a fresh take on a 'will-they-won't-they' - full of engaging dramas and pitfalls that sound like they could be coming from your best friend during a gossip session. Mr Right Next Door was hilarious funny, steamy and so sweet you might get a cavity.
Freeman once again has led us back into her world and it was simply, magically adorable and such a pleasure to read. I devoured this in one sitting and if you're looking for a romance fix, I think you will too.
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to NetGalley and Kathryn Freeman for an ARC.
I would like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for providing me with an ARC in exchange fro an honest review.
What drew me in was the title and the plot because it reminded me of one of my favorite movies Rear Window. Mia moves to Manchester to get away from a controlling ex and meets Luke a who leaves a note in the window for her. From there their relationship begins to blossom. The chemistry between Mia and Luke was great and I found myself smiling in some parts of the book. My day was filled with me reading because I couldn't put this book down.
I am definitely going to read more books my Kathryn Freeman.
Oh ladies and gents this is a modern day love story for all the hopeless romantics out there.
Mia’s move to Manchester was supposed to be time to find herself, to become comfortable living on her own and to escape the mistakes of her past. She spends her days at her computer followed by her nights writing her first novel, barely leaving the house for anything other than coffee.
Mr across the road is the handsome bar owner Luke who like clockwork at 10 am everyday works out in his spare room which Mia had a direct line of site into. Luke’s life is another level of complicated however the day Mia walks into his bar and backchats him he knows it’s al over.
They start spending time together and the chemistry is undeniable. Everyone but Luke and Mia can see what’s happening. Mia’s guard slowly comes down and the pair know they can no longer just be friends. Holy moly, I regret starting this in the evening because once I started I couldn’t put it down.
Computer geek meets hot bar tender add in life’s complications and you have perfection with a couple of steamy AF scenes. I enjoyed this book so much and definitely need to check out more of Kathryn’s novels.
This book is a rom/com about Mia who moves to Manchester to start a new life and get away from a bad relationship (from someone who I believe was verbally abusive and stalker-like but it doesn’t really going into it much). Mia watches a man (Luke) working out every day at 10am from her window and ends up meeting him in his bar that he owns (and lives above).
I found this book an easy read but I did feel that there was a few pieces that were spoken about and then not really talked about again. It made the book a bit disjointed and not flow very well.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and thought it was super cute. The premise - two people meeting and communicating through notes in their windows was very unique. It was a very entertaining and sweet story about Mia and Luke who meet and end up falling in love. I found myself smiling the entire time I was reading this. I needed the levity at this crazy time in the world right now, so this book was a perfect escape. Highly recommend for anyone who loves rom-coms. I think this would even make a great movie!
I loved this romance. It spoke numbers to me. I loved especially how the romance developed slowly but was ultimately worth reading! An amazingly beautiful novel to read, especially for romance lovers!
Let me begin this by saying that if you know me or read my blog, you'll be able to see how much I love this genre and everything it is. So to discover a new author that is coming out with a great book is a great feeling!
To put it simply, I loved this book. It's everything I could have asked for in a friends-to-lovers rom com, considering it's not the trope I usually gravitate towards. It was cute and fun, a light read for ending your day off to witness two characters falling for each other. And let's not forget the witty banter! That's what make this book great for me.
From the get go, I loved the characters. I based this on only a few chapters as they had so much life and enthusiasm within them (and again the witty banter was just genius). The best part? The characters didn't seem like they were based in a rom com. I mean this in a way of saying that they knew their own self-worth and took precautions, tried hard to fix their mistakes, etc. I think that's always important to represent in stories such as this.
I am so happy that I was able to obtain a copy of this book from Netgalley and am beyond grateful to be introduced to a new author, Kathryn Freeman.
I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!
**Thank you to One More Chapter and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review**
What if Mr Right was just across the street.
For Mia her move to MAnchester was supposed to be about getting a new start and living the single life. And along came him, the hot guy in the apartment just across the street from her. though the more i read the street seems to be a courtyard of their buildings.
Cute concept and a very fun read. If you like the "meet cute" and "friends to lovers" trope you will likely enjoy this book. It does have some overly sweet moments, but it is a romance book that's gonna happen.
I loved that unlike the majority of romance novels I read Luke has a more normal job being a bartender/owner-but that's also me being excited seeing my profession be more than a side character.
Overall enjoyed the book 3.75/5
Ooh such a fun read. Rooting along all the way!!!
Loved this book. First for me from this author but won't be the last. She knows how to draw you in with a great storyline...I could not put this book down.
Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.
Mr Right Across the Street is a sweet romance about two neighbors who stumble into each others lives. They meet at Luke's bar and instant hit it off. Mia is new in town and unsure about starting a relationship but she is attracted to him. After a night of flirting, Mia thinks that she will never see him again. Until she realizes he lives right across the street and works out at 10 a.m. every day. He starts writing her notes, eventually they form a friendship. I love watching these two grow together. Their relationship was sweet and charming. I really enjoyed this book. Mia and Luke's chemistry was great.
Thanks to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and Kathryn Freeman for the ARC of Mr Right Across the Street.
Well this was a lovely bit of an escapism at a time when the world feels like a very scary place.
Mr Right Across the Street is about Mia - the moves to Manchester from Somerset for a fresh start, escaping memories of yet another disastrous relationship. - this time a controlling and stalling ex boyfriend named Pete. She always seems to fall for the wrong men, so felt it was time to mix things up a bit. She doesn't know anyone in Manchester but very quickly forms a friendship with her neighbour Stan - a 67 year old grumpy and overweight man with a heart of gold.
Other than that, the only people she sees whilst working from home are the Hot Guy opposite (who works out every day at 10 in his window) and Immaculate Woman, who sits at her desk every day looking absolutely perfect. Her sister reminds her that in order to meet new people, she actually has to step away from her desk.
She finally braves heading to the local pub and gets quite a shock when she sees the Hot Guy from opposite behind the bar. The manager of The Bar Beneath - Luke - finds Mia fascinating. Her not trying too hard, geeky and make up free persona is like no woman he's ever met before and he finds himself really drawn to her. Mia however very quickly learns that Luke is extremely popular with the ladies, seeming to have history with a fair few of the women that come to the bar. Mia's been hurt by bad choices before, so she declines his request for a date.
Then however, when Luke realises that Mia lives opposite and starts leaving notes for her in his window. Despite her attempts to push him away, Mia eventually agrees to go on a Non Date with Luke - after all she could certainly do with some more friends in a strange big city.
The characters are built up really well in Mr Right Across the Street, and I found myself really liking Mia and her intelligent, geeky, and stubborn ways (although I at times did want to slap her for some of the self sabotage and found myself willing her to take a risk!). I loved the adorable nature of her relationship with neighbour Stan, and the more I got to know about Luke the more I liked him, especially as some of his history and past was slowly revealed.
This book whilst a tad predictable in parts (again fairly standard for a rom com I feel), had a few unexpected reveals and challenges along the way and was well paced with lots of humour and smile inducing moments throughout,. The path to true love never did run smooth but that's what kept my attention.
As with any rom com, there is a fair bit of cheese and I am yet to meet a man in real life who would be so free with his emotions and speak quite like Luke however, that's what rom coms are all about. - a lighthearted, humorous and heart warming escape from breaking news and a great book to read before bed. If the reference to 'Moby' doesn't make you laugh, then nothing will. 4/5
I loved this book.
Mr. Right Across the Street is the story of Mia Abbott, a woman who has just moved away from the comfort of home and family to avoid her crappy ex, and Luke Doyle, a (on the surface) womanizing bartender who has no desire for anything in a relationship beyond no-strings sex. His attitude changes on the first night, his new neighbor, Mia, comes into his bar.
After trying and failing to get her phone number, he begins communicating by leaving notes for her in the window of his weight room, which faces her office window. From there on, their friendship and relationship develops, but not without a few hitches along the way.
This book was exactly what I needed right now. Yes, it was an adorable romance, but it was also realistically paced, and so sweet and unique- especially with Luke and Mia mainly communicating via window notes or in person, instead of with their phones, as so many people do now.
Mia was a likable character who I related to and fell in love with instantly. She isn’t one who gussies herself up or dresses up to impress other people. She’s smart, funny, and capable, and unapologetically herself. She’s been hurt in the past and so finds it hard to let Luke in.
Luke is also a top-notch character. At first he just seems to be a flirtatious bartender, scoping out the next woman he can take home after his shift, but he soon proves he’s much more than that. He also has his own insecurities from his past he’s dealing with, and once he realizes he has real feelings for Mia, he devotes himself to winning her over- but at her pace. He never rushes her, pressures her, or gives her ultimatums. He is patient and willing to wait, because for him, she’s it.
This book was such a joy to read, especially given current events in the US right now. It provided an escape and had me smiling often. This book managed to be funny, unique, and to tug at my heartstrings- in a good way!
I’m so looking forward to reading more from this author. If you’re a romance lover, you need to read this book- it’s just perfect.
Sweet factor: 5/5
Heat factor: 3/5
I really enjoyed this book! Mia Abbott, having recently moved to Manchester after relationship troubles, finds herself striking up a friendship with bar owner, Luke Doyle, who lives just across the street! Mia feels like she knows him pretty well already thanks to his window being right opposite hers, giving her ample opportunity to admire the 'view' whilst he's working out! Mia is however, not keen on giving out her contact details (thanks to the last ex!) so they have to resort to communicating by way of notes in their windows!
This was such a cute read!! I liked Mia's character and could relate to being so far away from home and not knowing anyone. I could also totally understand her reasons for not wanting to give her details out to just anyone, although did think how friendly she was with Luke she should have just done it anyway! I loved her style, with her different hair colours and applauded her for wearing clothes for comfort and not necessarily for style!! Her friendship with Luke was fun and flirty, and whilst I would have found it difficult to stay just friends with him based on how drop dead gorgeous Luke sounded, I did appreciate Mia's view that Luke was a bit of a 'womaniser', particularly with the amount of women he'd seen, was seeing or hung around him hoping to see him!! Luke was, however, charming, attentive and very attractive and made a great potential love interest!!
The storyline itself flowed very well, and whilst the 'I only want to be friends' idea carried on a bit longer than maybe necessary, I was completely hooked by early on in the book. I loved seeing the situation from both Luke and Mia's point of view and had my fingers crossed all the way in the hope that they had a happy ending! It was filled with some lovable characters, such as Mia's next door neighbour, Stan and some not so lovable characters like Freya! I thoroughly enjoyed the trips around Manchester and Luke left me wondering what cocktail he would design for me!!
Be warned however, this book does have some steamy sex scenes, but overall this was an easy to read, lighthearted, romantic story which ticked all the right boxes for me!! Would definitely recommend!!
They say the path of true love never runs smooth and that’s certainly the case for Mia Abbot. Mia has moved to Manchester for a new start and to get away from her turbulent love life. She throws herself into work but conscious she also needs to make friends she takes a trip the the bar under her block of flats. Not only does she meet a great group of girls but she also meets Luke, the rather gorgeous bar owner. They click but Mia would rather be friends, wouldn’t she?
I found this book to be very enjoyable especially the second half. I found the characters to be relatable and the plot flowed well.
Thank you to NetGalley, One More Chapter and the author for the chance to review.
Mia moves to get away from an obsessive ex-boyfriend. Her job is on the computer so she can work anyway. She meets hunky bar owner Luke, and the sparks fly. Overall it was an easy rom-com read, and I enjoyed it. Part way through though the characters change a bit, with her being overly jealous and he being overly insecure. Felt both were a little overdone on this aspect. Also, the ex-boyfriend, when he pops in, is there and gone like a non-issue. Didn't see why she felt the need to leave her family and friends over him, but then she wouldn't have met Luke. A fun easy read, but felt it would have been better if more consistent in voice through to the end. Would recommend if you like British romances.
Mia has moved to Manchester to get away from a controlling ex boyfriend. She notices a hot guy, Luke, who works out every day in the flat opposite, they start communicating by means of notes in their windows and eventually meet and become friends.
Unfortunately I'm more like Mia's neighbour Stan, an overweight 60 something grumpy man, than Luke. It was interesting seeing Mia's and Luke's relationship develop in fits and starts, she initially just looks on him as being a womaniser but starts to see the real man who has secrets that she discovers as time goes by. The story does show that you can't always judge a person by their outwards appearance and actions and is unashamedly a feel good way of spending a few hours during these long days of lockdown.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.
2.5/5 stars!
After a bad breakup, the heroine moves to a new flat with a view to the flat across from her. After a few months of eye candy, she finally meets the hero. It takes neighbors, family, friends, and messages stuck on the window for the hero and heroine to change their relationship from friends to more.
It's a nice story with a good premise. I liked the heroine more than the hero and wanted more details about her. I also felt that this is more the hero's journey towards becoming a better person and it didn't balance with the heroine's own evolution. I enjoyed the majority of the secondary characters, especially the heroine's family. Overall this is a nice romance book.
**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.**
Mr Right Across the Street is the fourth book I've read by Freeman and yet another one that I've enjoyed. The blurb, the attractive cover, and knowing that I enjoy Freeman's writing made me jump at the chance to read it ahead of publication.
I enjoyed this story, although it's a bit racier than my usual taste in romances. The characters are well drawn, and I could relate to Mia's insecurities shaping her decision-making.
Mr Right Across the Street is told in the third person, from the points of view of both the main characters, Mia and Luke, and with occasional insights into what they are thinking - which sometimes is not what they are actually saying. I found it very easy to like Mia but it took a little longer to feel comfortable with Luke.
Mia does not aspire to be a glamourous clotheshorse. She is what she is - a website designer, unconcerned with fashion, and a bit of a geek. She has moved from Somerset to Manchester to put distance between her an her ex, Pete.
From her window she can see an attractive man in the building opposite working out and is enthralled by what she sees. But to begin with, her only contact in this new city is her curmudgeonly next door neighbour, Stan.
The man she can see is Luke, the new owner of the bar across the street, called 'The Bar Beneath'. He is very personable but has had a string of gorgeous girlfriends, so Mia is understandably wary when he shows an unexpected interest in her. Luke also has business and personal issues which could impact their relationship.
Can two very different people really make it work together? How Mia pushes herself to make new friends and risk her heart again, is beautifully told in this engaging happy-ending story.
This was such a fun quick read!
Rom-coms can be so amazing to just get me out of my head AND a reading slump, and this one did the trick! I absolutely adored Luke and loved that we got to see the story from his point of view as well as Mia's. At times I felt that the first half of the book was a bit repetitive, you can only hear about someone thinking someone else is a player but attractive so many times. If the shitty ex-storyline and the things that made Luke look like that type would've been fleshed out a tiny bit more this would've felt less repetitive.
I loved that there were some small story-lines included, such as Stan and Naomi, and the Grace-Freya storyline was also very interesting.
This is one to pick up if you're looking for a fun light read, that will leave you feeling happy - but doesn't feel too predictable.
3.5 stars
Mia wants a fresh start when she moves away to Manchester. As a way to get out of her apartment and maybe meet some friends, Mia visits the bar down the street only to find the new owner to be her neighbor and object of her fantasies.
I really enjoyed the blossoming relationship between our main characters, sending notes to one another by way of the window. Mia and Luke's chemistry leaped from the page and was such a pleasure to read. A little cheesy, but this book was delightful.