I read this book because it looked and sounded cute, which it was, and I thought it would be funny, which it kind of was. However, this book simply failed to grab or WOW me. I will say that I didn't think it was a bad book, in fact I liked it well enough in general. Sadly though, for me personally it lacked the zing and sparks I was anticipating and that made it very hard for me to connect with and become invested in.

3 1/2 stars for me.

This was a bit of a slow start, I think that was more me than the book, and I'm glad I kept at it and finished it.

Grace inherits her grandparents cottage on the beach and instantly develops a love/hate relationship with her neighbor Noah. Shenanigans ensue including Grace designing his interior, Noah learning how to apologize properly, and love, of course there's love.

If you are a fan of a light romance, some HGTV, and enjoy cranky old men, this book is for you!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

What a heartwarming love story!!!! I couldn't put it down.

How To Love Your Neighbor is my very first book from this author, and I'm sure it's won't be the last one. I really enjoyed this story, and how author lead it thru the pages.

From the beginning Grace and Noah made me feel, like I needed exactly their story, written in this exactly way, just to make my heart very warm...and just to bring a smile on my face. Noah and Grace made me feel like I live with them into their world and I didn't want to leave.

They had totally opposite characters, but from the first moment I could feel that they're made for each other. I love to see how their relationship evolved into smth deeper. It was really captivating.

I highly recommend this book for every reader, even this ones, who doesn't read romances daily. When You'll read the book.... just will feel good. Grab it!

Thank you to Netgalley, Sophie, and St. Martin’s Griffin for an advance copy of How to Love Your Neighbor.

Grace has a plan. It involves finishing design school, finding her dream job allowing her to stop the bizarre string of odd jobs she currently juggles, and most recently, move out of her elderly friend’s house and into her grandparents old beach house and give it a proper makeover. Her plan does not include grumpy investor neighbors trying to buy her new property with his cocky attitude. It does not include begrudgingly taking a deal to help fix up said grumpy (and hot) neighbors house in exchange for publicity she could only dream of. And it most certainly does not include relationships that could derail all of her carefully laid plans.

I’ve never been a big romance reader, although I have started to include them into my semi-regular rotation over the last year or so. RomCom has really taken off in the lit world lately, and I have to say I’m here for it. I am a total sucker for enemies to lovers in any and every genre, and that particular trope always makes for a great romcom.

I love the concept for this book. The whole HGTV Fixer Upper aspect is an immediate draw. I don’t know a single person who hasn’t wasted hours in front of the TV lost to renovation shows, so this is a no-brainer concept which until now sat undeveloped. Props to Sophie for bringing it to life.

The characters. I have some mixed thoughts about the characters and how they were written. Firstly, I just don’t care for the ‘a relationship cannot mess with my plans’ trope. I don’t like it in real life, I don’t like it in my entertainment. I think it’s an awful way to view life, personally, and I am always turned off by a character having that view, especially as vehemently as Grace does. I also don’t really care for the ‘I need to avoid relationships because I’m a fuck up’ trope, which is what Noah brings to the story. Also an awful outlook to have. And my third criticism comes in with the maturity of both of our main characters. Both Noah and Grace are in the mid to late-twenties, I cannot remember their exact ages, but I want to say Grace is about 25 and Noah is closer to 30. For their ages, they were wildly immature characters. I felt like I was reading YA for the majority of the book. They were both whiny, self-absorbed, and seemingly clueless in how to act in adult life. All that negativity aside, I did root for them both professionally and personally. I wanted both of them to get their parental issues resolved. I wanted them to both benefit from the deal they struck. I wanted them to get past their bullshit and realize that they are worth the risk. I wanted them to find love for themselves, because they both seemed to be lacking in self-confidence. So clearly despite some of my big gripes, Sophie still found a way to get me to root for them. The secondary characters made up for the flaws I found with the main characters.

Overall, the concept was great but this was not one of my favorite romcoms. I would recommend it based on the plot, but character-wise I was left wanting more from our two MCs.

Grace is finishing school, working odd jobs, and has a fixer upper home, eager to have a place to belong. Noah Jansen lives next door and wants to expand by buying the cottage next door. She won't sell, and the two engage in an all out feud.

Clearly, this is an enemies-to-lovers kind of novel, and Sophie Sullivan knows how to bring on the humor. Grace's life is hectic as she moves from one job to the next and interacts with all the grandfather figures in her life. Her mother isn't in her life much, and the house was left to her by her grandmother. Noah is determined to buy her house and use the land to recreate the home life he had as a child when his family was all together and happy. We automatically see the conflict between them, and they keep going back and forth, irritating each other during home repairs and renovations on both homes. Grace is doing much of it herself, using her interior design knowledge and practical life skills, and Noah is used to hiring on people.

As a romance, we get to see different sides of Grace and Noah. Admittedly, I like Noah a lot more when he's around other people and not Grace. The two needle each other so much in the first third, mostly because Noah insists on pushing her to sell her home and won't take no for an answer. Once he starts realizing how he comes across to others and softens his approach to people in his life, he becomes far more likable. As renovations continue, Grace and Noah continue to orbit each other, getting to know each other and their families, their likes and dislikes, and what matters most to them.

The friends-to-lovers aspect was gradually and realistically done as they worked together for the sake of a magazine spread that would have given both of them positive exposure. I gradually liked Noah as the book went on, and could see what Grace saw in him. Some of their friends served as foils to their relationship, showing what they could be if only they let go of their preconceived notions. It was a fun read, and makes fixing up houses sound easy even when I know it isn't!

A feisty and endearing enemies to lovers romance that’s like a mashup of “The Hating Game” and an HGTV sitcom. Imagine forcing a college interior designer and a grumpy millionaire next door to each other and you’ve got “How to Love Your Neighbor.” A book that is as fun and raucous as it is tender and heartfelt. An incredibly cute book with a couple you’ll want to befriend and hug!

Grace Travis is almost done with interior design school and decides to move into the house she inherited from her grandparents. Grace immediately finds out she’s living next door to the sexy and infuriating surfer named Noah, who also happens to want her property. The two end up being forced to work together and quickly learn that those flames of frustration also lead to flames of desire.

There are so many things I loved about this book: the interior design focus, all the old characters from the last book, the competing, and, most importantly, the open communication that happens between Grace and Noah. These two were always super honest with each other and I felt like I could see Noah and Grace developing a healthy relationship. The author shows sexual chemistry without going into detail and describes a relationship that is refreshing and truthful. It was a breathe of fresh air to read about two characters who actually communicated how they felt. I adore this world and I can’t wait for the next book!

It’s funny how sometimes you meet someone and can think how hunky they are and then find out the person is your next door neighbor and a big pain. You can’t help but love Grace and how she has worked so hard, getting her design degree, and helping others. Her mother was the most heartless and selfish person there was. It was amazing that Grace was such a good person as she sure didn’t have a good role model. Noah’s world was the opposite as Grace as he was raised with loads of money, two brothers, a sister, and unfortunately the one think they have in common a horrible father that wants to crush his son. I loved watching Noah learn how to love, help others, and find the difference between a house and a home. The two had a long road to learn about each other, especially when they were thrown together by a design magazine writer. The other characters in the book just enhanced the story and Grace and Noah’s life. This is a super interesting book and I encourage you to read it. I was given a copy and voluntarily wrote a review.

Let the rivalry begin!
Sophie & Noah banter is off the charts. A nice clean romance, characters have great chemistry but would have enjoyed it more if it were dual POV.

It’s a good enemies-to-lovers, fun story.

My first from Sophie Sullivan but it definitely won't be my last! How to Love Your Neighbor is adorable and charming and is a truly wonderful rom-com. Noah and Grace as enemies, deliver delightful banter as they find themselves, new neighbors, to one another but also can't shake that attraction that is oh so clear to both of them and this reader.

Sullivan's style is easy to read and she doesn't get too wordy or redundant, which is something I look for in a new-to-me author. A truly perfect beach read or one to devour in front of a fire on a long winter's night, I really enjoyed all that Noah and Grace and great secondary characters offered in this book.

I will not hesitate to go back and read 10 Rules since everyone seems to have enjoyed that one as well. As I understand it, though, this is a complete standalone and I never felt as if I was missing something because I didn't read 10 Rules first.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for allowing me the opportunity to read this gem.

4 huge stars!!

As a fellow DIY enthusiast, I loved the element of making a house a home. While Grace is finishing up design school she finally moves into the house left to her by grandparents she didn’t really know. With a strained relationship with her mother this seems like a tie to family she always wanted.

What she wasn’t expecting was the guy next door offering to buy her house every chance he gets.

Noah is trying to find his way after moving from NY to Cali after his father refused to let him make business decisions. He buys a house hoping to renovate it and make a name for himself.

While he wasn’t expecting the feisty girl next door, she is exactly what he needs when a magazine wants to feature his home but only if Grace designs it. Cataloging their chemistry along the way.

This has some great banter, with the enemies to lovers tension I love, and some fun design challenges. This was a very slow burn though it lagged at parts but still a 4 star read for me.

I received an arc from the publisher via NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own and given freely.

How to Love Your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan
Grace and Noah have just become neighbors. He covets her property because he wants to add value to his as well as a swimming pool! Grace has no intention of selling. While it seems like this is the perfect hate to love setup, both characters are smitten almost right away. When they are paired together to renovate Noah's house for a well-known design magazine, it doesn't take long for them to give in to their attraction.

I truly did like the characters of Noah and Grace and could believe in them as a couple. I didn't mind their back stories and enjoyed their banter. The side characters were interesting and from more than just their own age group which I liked. It is a tad bit too long in my opinion, but still a solid 4 stars for me and I will recommend. I also plan to read her previous book in this series so I can learn more about Everly and Chris.

My sincere thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and give my unbiased opinion of it.

"How to Love Your Neighbor" by Sophie Sullivan was a great weekend read. Grace inherits a house from her grandparents that she never knew. Her neighbor, Noah, would like to buy the property to expand his yard. This leads to them having a relationship, both work and personal. I really enjoyed this book!

A meet cute on the beach as our gorgeous guy comes off the surf and is immediately overrun by the sexy dog-walker’s band of pups. Grace is a quirky design college student who just inherited a fixer upper on the beach which just happens to be next door to the good-looking corporate real estate guru Noah. AKA hot guy from the beach. She can not wait to dive into the renovations on her new house, but he wants to buy her home to mow it down and put in a pool. Sparks fly initially as Noah keeps trying to persuade her to sell at any price and all Grace wants to do is keep the home for a connection to the family she never knew.

This of course sets us up for some entertaining “enemies to lovers” shenanigans. They end up working together on an HGTV reality type renovation on-line magazine spread. Grace gets the design job of a lifetime – even as she is only just graduating from design school. The forced proximity of working together finds Noah increasingly drawn to her, even as she frustrates the hell of him. To his surprise, she does do some brilliant design work on his house.

They both have parental “issues”. Noah has escaped to California from New York to get out from under his Dad’s questionable business thumb and Grace’s mom was an absent parent continually looking for the next boyfriend. In fact, her mom kept Grace from ever meeting the grandparents that left her the house. Mom is mad about that inheritance and shows up to stir the pot and guilt Grace into giving her a cut of the house. This creates some mini-drama between Noah and Grace resulting in a mini-misunderstanding.

The supporting characters are all adorable, too. Morty is Grace’s grumpy old landlord/roommate/grandfather figure. He has the best “old man” lines, but ultimately supports her moving out to the new house. Not without a few guilty “you are abandoning me” quips on her way out. Grace’s bestie Rosie and Noah’s assistant Josh have an insta-love connection that also pushes our Grace and Noah together.

“How to Love Your Neighbor” is a super cute, light-hearted renovation romance. Our authoress, Sophie Sullivan has written a thoughtful and engaging cast of characters that all have some wonderful additions to the story. This book is a follow up to Sullivan’s “Ten Rules for Faking It” which involves Noah’s brother Chris and Everly. That couple shows up throughout this book and will be a delightful cameo for those have read the first book. Grace and Noah’s romance is totally readable as a standalone. Their reluctant chemistry, bets and design challenges are worth checking out this clever and charmingly easy read.

I was given an e-ARC from NetGalley and St. Martins Press in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a sweet romance perfect for a beach read or if snuggled up with a blanket and a cup of tea or cocoa. After a meet-cute, Grace moves into her inherited grandparent’s house just when Noah believes the absent owner next door should sell so he can raze the house, leaving the perfect lot for his new pool to go with his dream house. This is the beginning of an enemies to lovers trope, but even though both of them have issues to deal with thanks to some very nasty parents they learn to be friends. Their relationship has many ups and downs but there is an HEA at the end. A very cute and satisfying book. Thanks to NetGalley for providing this book to me for an honest review.

Reading about home renovations while living in a home currently being renovated isn't quite as much fun as I expected... this is definitely fiction with the timelines presented here as being totally implausible with the shortages so prevalent today... so my own frustrations with the book may stem in part from that!

In this follow-up to TEN RULES FOR FAKING IT, Chris' older brother Noah plays the romantic lead. He found his beach home and has moved in, but desperately wants to turn the seemingly unoccupied home next door into his pool. But Grace is only now moving in while balancing multiple jobs and finishing her degree in interior design. She has no time for the shenanigans of the guy next door... or does she? They both have their own parental issues to deal with and overcome here. Grace wants to get her own interior design business going while renovating the small home that she unexpectedly inherited. Noah wants to prove to himself and his family that he isn't the flighty guy that can't finish anything. It seems like they can both help each other - which inevitably leads to sparks between them.

It was nice to see Everly and Chris show up in a few scenes, but I have to admit that neither Noah or Grace share the same depth of character. For their ages, it seems unlikely that they would both be this inexperienced with relationships... plus, the main conflict is easy to predict and then isn't really adequately resolved. I didn't love Sullivan's first novel, but hoped that I would enjoy her second more... In some ways, this is a fun read. But I never found myself laughing at the banter and didn't connect with the characters enough to really care if they made it work or not. Tying in a print magazine into a reality show idea also seemed unbelievable... though it was a cute idea if it was set in a much earlier year. Hopefully, the next book (about the eldest brother) is a more believable set-up.

Grace is a hard worker who doesn't need to rely on anyone. She inherits a cute fixer upper on the beach, with big plans to make it her own as an aspiring interior designer.

Noah is a big time real estate broker not used to hearing the word "no". He's just breaking out of the corporate world, with lots to prove to his family, and himself.

This was a fun one, with enemies to lovers and grumpy to sunshine tropes, and an HGTV spin. I really enjoyed Grace showing Noah who's boss, and sticking to her guns.

There were parts where I found myself rolling my eyes at the characters intermittently bearing their souls to one another with such clarity that it came off as more telling than showing. BUT it held my interest throughout and I definitely had to know how it ended.

I also really liked the themes of breaking away from familial expectations and found family. The secondary characters balanced the story very well.

Pick this one up if you like a well rounded, clean romance, and HGTV shows.

Honestly, this book was everything I didn’t know I needed.

Grace and Noah brought everything I loved in characters.

Grace is independent, strong and fierce. After a hard life and doing everything for herself she’s toughened and learned to work through all the hard stuff. Watching her grow and shine throughout this book has been a real treat, the author truly did wonders with her.

Noah is learning how to be independent. After being surrounded by money all of his life he wants to be more hands on and absolutely nothing like his dad. This man is kind and caring and although confused when it comes to relationships in general he throws his all into them and makes it work the best he can. His development throughout has kept a huge smile on my face, it was so beautiful watching him be the man he wants to be.

Their story is fascinating, it’s one I couldn’t keep away from. It had me addicted from the get go. The push and pull, the chemistry, the banter just everything had me captivated.

Even the secondary characters have a place in my heart now, they’re all incredible and necessary for their story and I’m so SO glad Noah and Grace are surrounded by such wonderful people.

This is my first read from this author but won’t be my last. This author truly knows how to write her characters and bring them to life and make you feel like you’re a part of their story, I’m in absolute awe of her writing and I can’t wait to read more of her work.

How to Love Your Neighbour is a fun, cute romantic comedy. With a dash of enemies to lovers / the girl next door vibes. It’s heartfelt and sweet and will 100% have you falling for the main characters.

Frothy, fun enemies-to-lovers romance, as Grace inherits a tumbledown house that she wants to fix up. But next door neighbor Noah wants to buy the place, tear it down, and build a pool. And he's got the dough to do it, whereas Grace is pinching pennies, and her house renovation begins with her own right arm. Luckily she knows her way around a saw.

The back and forth was fun, with just the right pacing as attraction starts to erode the annoyance. All that is balanced with Morty, a crotchety old guy who, in his own way, looks out for Grace. Really, Morty was the icing on a fun and fluffy cake.

Just the kind of insomnia-night-during-the-pandemic read I wanted.

This was a cute and funny, clean romance story with some drama and funny parts. There were parts of the story that I liked and disliked and then there were parts that I thought were a little slow at times, but this was an okay read.

Fun and enjoyable story! I always prefer a female character who doesn’t back down and holds her own against men of a similar nature. I admit that I read several of the reviews today prior to drafting my own and I have to say that younger readers (based on their profile pics) seem to think that they have the right to tell the author what to do. If the style is not yours, move on. That said, this was a fun back and forth, friends to enemies situation between the main characters and I love that each scene is not predictable. Enjoyed it from cover to cover!