This one was a big letdown. The overview sounded wonderful, but it just fell flat for me. It had all the makings/potential to be a good book, but it didn’t work for a couple of reasons—

•The female main character was incredibly immature. The male MC wasn’t too far behind her in that category, but he was slightly better. She was so easily offended, upset, and put off by the smallest things. It became annoying at times.

•Over and over, we’re told about Noah & Grace’s connection & chemistry. But that was the problem. We were *told,* but never SHOWN what made their relationship so special and believable. I didn’t buy into it, because I couldn’t see it. Don’t just tell me how the character felt, show me through their actions and descriptions.

•It needs some cleaning up. Several times as I was reading, it felt like a bunch of stray hairs that needed taming. There were a lot of unfinished thoughts, things that didn’t feel needed, or scenes that felt incomplete.

I’m sure this will be enjoyable for some, but unfortunately, it didn’t work for me.

Loved this more than Faking It. Grace and Noah had such a well developed story about hat really showed how the characters grew together. Sweet and romantic and heart warming, all the things a great romance book should do.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for this book!!!

I absolutely adored this book. Grace and Noah had the perfect meet cute, but that didn't throw them into insta-love. Instead what we got was a cute light take on enemies to lovers. 

Thinking neither would see the other again, imagine the surprise when they find out they were neighbors.  Grace, living in a house inherited from grandparents she never got to meet, so hopeful to make it a home.. and Noah struggling to get out from under his father's shadow, finally creating a life just his own. Grace and Noah were so similar in some ways, it felt natural the way they bonded and fell for each other.

This is an honest review courtesy of NetGalley for How to Love Your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan.

This book was super fun. You have Noah, a high end real estate agent who just broke off his business endeavors with his father. And Grace, a girl who just inherited a family home. The home happens to be right next door to Noah…and the one he’s trying to buy. Obviously he tries to buy and she says no and that’s how the story starts. I’ll leave it to you (readers) to read the rest.

3.5/5 stars.
The characters in this book are fantastic. Grace and Noah are adorable together. Their dynamic is amazing to read and it flows very well. And don’t get me started on Morty. The most loveable old man. I love how he acted as a guardian figure for Grace but not in an overbearing way.

The premise of this book was also super interesting. It was something I haven’t read before. However some of the issues I had (personally) were the plot pacing and the length of the book. I like quicker reads when it comes to romance and this one felt long to me for some reason. I think I would have loved it a lot more if things happened a little quicker. But this is just personal preference.

Other than the pacing, I have no bad words to say about this book. I cant wait for this to be in my hands physically. It will look gorgeous on my shelf.

This was a fun easy romance. I preferred her first book but enjoyed the cast of characters in this story. I love an enemies to lovers story so it a fun trope to read!

I was originally drawn to this book because of the super cute cover, which is fitting because I think the best way to describe this book is cute. If you are looking for a sweet and clean story, I do believe you will very much enjoy this! Personally, I like more steam in my romance reads, but I do believe it’s important to have cleaner options such as this out there for younger audiences and readers who just prefer that style of romance novel.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC and provide my honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It had a good story and was a light, easy read. There wasn’t anything overly exciting or particularly deep about it, but it was enjoyable. I did like the characters although I did feel that some of the character development was pretty surface and could have gone deeper. This was also a fade to black romance which didn’t bother me at all but something to keep in mind for those who enjoy a little more steam.

How to Love Your Neighbor follows the paths of both Grace (who I will now lovingly refer to as Gracie) and Noah. Grace is working a bunch of jobs to put herself through design school when she inherits a house on the beach from her grandparents. Noah has just left his families company in New York and wants to start over and build his own legacy. When these two realize their neighbors - let chaos commence (in the best way).

How to Love Your Neighbor is not your average rom com. This book did not follow the classic formula that usually accompanies romantic comedies and I absolutely loved it. While at times I did feel that the book was a bit long those extra moments are really what made this book stand out from all the others I've read. I truly felt like I got to know both Grace and Noah. They didn't just magically fall in love for no reason and their relationship was given depth that I haven't seen done in this style of book before. I will absolutely be reading more from Sophie Sullivan.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I personally prefer a slow burn from my enemies to lovers books, so while it's not a total dealbreaker, I do wish this one had gotten there a little bit more slowly. I also wish the character development had been a bit more solid. It kind of felt rushed and just a little bit simplistic. While I was definitely rooting for Grace and excited about her accomplishments, I kind of wished that she had felt a bit more fully realized.

I think solving the conflict so early really took away from the fact that we were looking forward to watching these characters fight it out. Before seeing anything in each other, and unfortunately we just didn't get that opportunity. It moved a little bit too fast for me, a lot too fast if I'm being honest.

I did however enjoy the witty banter and the dialogue. Very well written there.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for this ARC.

I was somewhat entertained reading How to Love Your Neighbor.

Some things that stood out to me throughout the book:

Characters:
-Grace was a very fun character, while also embodying a strong independent woman who can, at the same time, be vulnerable. This, in my opinion, makes her an even stronger character.

-Noah was a bit harder to like initially though. Like any rich spoiled brat, he acts very entitled throughout the first quarter of the book.

Plot:
The plot stayed consistent with the enemies to lovers trope for about a quarter of the book; if that much. Then, without much thought, Noah decided that instead, he cared for Grace so much so that he would try to make her happy. To me, this took away a lot from the book, and here's why:

- With the quick turnaround, the book no longer was an enemies-to-lovers storyline, it was just two neighbors who fell in love with each other. This made it so that it felt too long of a book, considering it was just a plain love story with not too many challenges.

- Solving one of the main conflicts in the book so early on did not allow for Noah to have the character growth and development he deserved, making him less believable.

- Different conflicts were introduced at several points, but not always solved, or just ignored. For example, what was the point of describing the one really angry teenager clashing with Noah if he wasn't going to be connected back to the story, or Noah's character development?

I can't say that I disliked the book because I didn't. There were times where I found myself laughing, as well as times when I was celebrating Grace and her accomplishments. The main thing for me though, are either a solid plot, or solid character growth, and I found this book to be a bit weak in both areas. This made me zone out a lot, so I would have to re-read some portions because my mind had wandered elsewhere.

I struggled a bit reading this one. But, after careful consideration, I've decided to give it 2 stars. I liked it, but I don't think I would read it again.

Man, I wish it wasn’t dual pov! I think I would have enjoyed it more. Regardless, this was still cute and romantic and sweet.

How to Love Your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan tells the story of Grace Travis and her new neighbor Noah Jansen. Grace is finishing interior design school while working odd jobs in between in order to gain some money while she is finishing her degree. Opportunity strikes when she is given the chance to renovate a little house on the beach, however her new neighbor next door is an inconvenience. Noah is a real estate developer that sees his opportunity in expanding his beach house only by taking the house next door, Grace’s house. They are bound to be each other’s enemies, but maybe so much banter will lead to something else?

I liked both characters enough to be interested in their developing relationship, but at the same time it is true that they stood for the typical female and male characters that cannot stand each other. Grace is set in doing things in her own way, while Noah is your typical arrogant that is not used to hearing the word ‘no’, so obviously their characters clash from the very beginning ehrn they meet.

Apart from that, I think this was an easy read that is sweet enough and delivers the enemies to lovers trope. I haven’t read anything by the author before, but I have to say that her writing style is easy to understand and follow. If you like a clean story with a little bit of witty banter in order to deliver some angst, this is the book for you.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Noah meets his match when he is introduced to Grace. He is attractive, well off and not used to the word no. Grace is stubborn and used to doing things her own way. He wants her property, she just wants him off it. They clash over everything from hedges, fences and more.

This is a well-written sweet read of enemies who become lovers. I enjoyed the overall plot, witty banter and the cover is absolutely adorable. I would suggest this book for anyone looking for a light clean story with drama peppered in for angst.

I want to thank NetGalley, Sophie Sullivan and St. Martin’s Press for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

I wanted to love this book, but I couldn't. It was full of clichés and quite honestly hard to believe story line. There were times while reading when I wasn't sure where the characters were. I had to go back several times and see if I missed something. The characters did not grow, if they would have, I might have given this a better rating. At best, these two are entering a codependent relationship. I don't understand what they saw in each other or when the characters went from hating each other to loving each other. If you're a fan of easy cheesy books then this is for you.
I want to thank Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Do you like watching HGTV? Home remodels your thing? Do you perk up just a little bit when you think about rearranging your furniture? If so, than this light hearted rom-com is for you.

Cliche girl moves in next door and rich guy who is in a crisis of the soul but still throwing off major her vibes keeps trying to buy her house. The pace of this novel was great. The humor was on point. The HGTV and magazine references made it relevant to the house flipping shows that we know and love.

This is the type of novel you’ll want to take with you as an easy beach read or when you’re traveling. It’s easy, fun, and lighthearted.

First, I have to begin by saying Sophie Sullivan is one of my favorite authors that I have interacted with on Instagram. She is warm, engaging, and playful. I found her account a few years ago and loved watching her sneak around and sign random copies of her books in stores. Eventually, she turned it into a bit of a scavenger hunt for her followers and would leave clues about where she may have been.

I read her novel, Ten Rules for Faking It and just loved it; so when I saw How to Love Your Neighbor be teased on her account, I immediately checked NetGalley and requested an ARC. A huge thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and of course, Sophie Sullivan for granting me access to read it ahead of time.

Following a bit of a reading slump, I knew I had to crack open Sophie's book. I just had this gut feeling it would yank me out of my reading funk and boy was I right! I started this book on a Tuesday at 8 PM and finished it on Wednesday at 3 AM. I couldn't put it down. I even reached out to Sullivan on Instagram to tell her how much I loved it, because gosh it was just SOOOO GUUUDD!!

Grace is going to school for interior design and is nearing the end of her program. Determined to jump start adulting, Grace is thrilled when a little slice of home lands in her lap. Grace unexpectedly learns that her grandparents left their house to her and although it's a fixer-upper, it's hers. To make ends meet, Grace works a series of odd jobs and has been caring for an elderly man who she's grown quite fond of. However, she lets him know she will finally be moving into her home and kicking off the renovations. Life seems to be going Grace's way when Noah, her grumpy, surly, and uber hot neighbor appears on the scene. Unclear about Noah's motivations and wooing to buy her out, Grace is immediately guarded and charmed by this man. Why does her heart flutter when she sees him? While the two engage in a neighbor feud, neither can fully shake the feeling that when they are around each other the intrigue and revulsion aren't all that far apart.

What happens when two adults are looking for home? What I enjoyed most about this book was how Sophie Sullivan explored the notion of home and what it means to find your home. I'm going to nerd out for a moment, but in Italian there really is no word for "home". There is the technical word for "house", but not a word that captures the abstract idea of what a home is. That's what Sophie Sullivan's characters explore amidst the pages of this captivating book. I also really enjoyed how many design elements were folded into this story. Thanks to my binge read, I've now reorganized two rooms in my home (see what I did there?!) and it feels cozier than ever.

I hope Sophie Sullivan has another novel starting to form in her mind. We all know I'll be keeping an eye out and jumping to get my hands on it!

I had the pleasure of being able to read How to Love Your Neighbor before it’s published in a few months. I’d like to start off by saying that I’m a sucker for sunshine + grump trope. Grace and Noah deliver just that. What I loved most about this book is that both of the characters have more in common than they think and it’s what brings them closer together. Literally so close that they can’t stay away from each other, despite them hating each other! I loved watching the characters evolve and finally come to terms with their feelings for each other. I honestly couldn’t put this one down!

Rating: 3.75/5
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fiction
Warnings: Parental Tensions + Abandonment
Steam: 1/5
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Frenemies to Lovers

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. How to Love Your Neighbor will be published on January 18th, 2022.

I first want to point out that this cover is a work of art and so freaking beautiful. I know there is controversy in the romance community about illustrated covers but I adore the art of it all.

Ten Rules for Faking It was one of the first books I read in 2021, it was a cute concept...overall a bit meh for me but I was so excited to see there would be a second book that included Chris's brother Noah. (BTW the characters from the first book make some appearances but you don't have to read the first to read the second). I loved the premise of two "enemy" neighbors working together on home improvements + design.

Things I loved: I did enjoy the characters evolving over time with each other, there was a good amount of personal growth needed with their personal issues. Loved the friend groups and trading places projects. Found family was a big message and I loved that!

Things I didn't like: Noah didn't directly ask Grace why she didn't want to sell her house and really, I think this would have solved some of the communication issues. Grace's mom really annoyed me but I know she needed to be there. This book was pretty slow paced for me + I didn't see their connection so it took me awhile to finish. A lot of showing not telling with the romance.

3.5/5 stars

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book nearly as much as I did! It was fun and easy to read and the romance felt exciting and cute.

I really loved the interior design/renovation setting and (of course) the enemies to lovers plot. This book is definitely worth the read!

I did think it end rather abruptly but I find that with most romance novels.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free e-galley of this book. Sophie Sullivan's book is a romance novel for those who love interior design and enemies to lovers. Gracie is sweet and determined. She wants to make her home the best it can be while also working a million jobs. Her neighbor Noah is a rich real estate developer who wants to buy Gracie's place from her. They end up annoying each other, literally breaking fences, and having painting contests. Their chemistry continues to grow until finally they decide to team up to decorate Noah's house. I'm not sure what Grace sees in Noah besides that she thinks he's good-looking. He messes up a lot and is constantly apologizing to her. The book has some sweet moments with funny peripheral characters, but the two main characters didn't seem like equals to me. I think Sullivan's writing has a lot of promise, and I would give another novel of hers a try.