So I thought I gave my review on this last year - oops! I liked this introduction to the sisters and really enjoyed this read. It has fun insight into the publishing industry and I'm a sucker for any sort of letter (or email) romance. It'll get me real quick! I do think it didn't quite meet my expectations, so overall it's a mid read for me.

3.7 Stars

The Neighbor Favor is a slow-burn, heartwarming romance that blends hidden identities and second chances. The story follows Lily and Nick, who first connect through email when Lily writes to her favorite fantasy author, N. R. Strickland. She falls for him, only for him to ghost her.

Months later, they meet again as neighbors, unaware of each other’s past connection. Nick soon realizes that Lily is the same woman he had corresponded with and when Lily asks Nick to be her date for her sister’s wedding, he declines due to his personal issues and commitment fears. Instead, he offers to help her find a date. As they spend more time together, their feelings for each other become harder to ignore.

It was interesting to see when Lily will uncover Nick’s true identity and Nick find the courage to confront his fears and embrace the possibility of happiness.

The beginning of The Neighbor Favor is captivating, particularly their unique meet-cute as neighbors, but the pace does slow down a bit as the story progresses. The writing is engaging, particularly with the exploration of the characters’ pasts and their complex family dynamics.

Both Lily and Nick carry emotional baggage, struggle with self-esteem, and face life’s challenges, which adds depth to the story. I appreciated the themes of sisterhood, boundary-setting, and taking control of one’s happiness that unfold throughout the book.

Lily is a shy, awkward book lover who has always felt overshadowed by her successful sisters. She’s worked as an assistant, unable to land her dream job as a children’s book editor, which has significantly impacted her confidence. I enjoyed seeing Lily grow, particularly when she found the strength to stand up to her family and assert control over her career and dating life.

However, I felt this moment of self-realization came a bit late in the story and was somewhat overshadowed by Nick’s larger family issues. While Nick’s struggles were a focal point, I wished Lily’s personal growth had received a bit more attention.

Nick, an introvert like Lily, shares her love for books, but his low self-esteem and troubled past make him hesitant to believe anything good can last in his life. His childhood was rough, and ever since graduation, he’s avoided his family and any chance at happiness. His journey toward healing is touching, and his evolving relationship with Lily provides him with much-needed hope.

I appreciated how Lily supported him, knowing when to offer comfort and when to give him space. While Nick’s ultimate confrontation with his parents and his realization of his love for Lily didn’t feel as magical as I’d hoped, his declaration of love at the end was deeply moving and showed how much he had grown.

The romance is slow-burn, with plenty of sweet, intimate moments between Lily and Nick. I especially loved their email exchanges, their bookstore date, and the scene with taking sick cat to ER. But the highlight of the book for me was the time spent with Lily’s family. I adored her sisters and can’t wait to read their stories in future books in the series.

Overall, The Neighbor Favor is a heartwarming, slow burn second chance romance with amazing characters and their personal growth and family dynamics.

4.5 stars. I greatly enjoyed this book. One of my favorite things about this book was how “book centered “ it was! I loved when the two main characters would discuss their favorite books and authors. I also think they are an adorable couple and a great match for each other.

I always love a story where two pen pals meet in real life, but I don't like the miscommunication trope - or in this case, Nick keeping pertinent information from Lily. However, I did love their story. I love a story where both main characters experience major character growth, and overcome their obstacles, and this book did provide that. Nick and Lily both work to overcome issues, Lily her issues of people walking all over here, and Nick with his issues with his parents and wanting to remain an anonymous author while still wanting the reader interactions with the fans of his books.

The way the story is split between the emails at the beginning and the story where both characters are in New York is so fun, and it is a very creative way of giving the reader a backstory without it feeling like the reader is catching a "perviously on..." segment of a TV show. It allows us to meet Nick, Lily, and other characters such as Iris and Violet without it feeling rushed, which was nice.

All in all, this book was a fun read, and a great beginning to the stories of the Greene sisters

I loved this book! It was my first time reading this author and I will definitely be checking out her other books. The plot, the characters, the writing are all so amazing to me. I give this one 5 stars!

This book is a captivating and immersive read that hooks you from the first page. The writing is beautifully crafted, with vivid descriptions and strong character development that makes the story come alive. The plot is well-paced, balancing moments of tension with quieter, reflective scenes that allow the characters to grow. The themes explored are deep and thought-provoking, resonating long after the final page. Whether it's the emotional depth, the twists and turns of the plot, or the unforgettable characters, this book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys rich, engaging stories. Highly recommended

Thank you to @netgalley @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @prhaudio for a free download of the audiobook.

A Charming and Heartwarming Romance

The Neighbor Favor is a delightful and heartwarming romance that captures the essence of love and friendship. The author's engaging storytelling and well-developed characters create a captivating reading experience.

Lily and Nick's relationship is both relatable and inspiring. Their journey of self-discovery and personal growth is heartwarming, and their chemistry is undeniable. The author's ability to balance humor, romance, and emotional depth makes for a truly enjoyable read.

The supporting characters are equally charming and contribute to the overall appeal of the story. The author's attention to detail and ability to create a believable world add to the immersion.

The narration for The Neighbor Favor could have been improved. The narrators' inconsistent tone and the lack of distinction between characters' voices sometimes detracted from the listening experience. It would have been beneficial to have clearer differentiation between the characters, especially when multiple characters were speaking in a single scene.

Overall, this book is a must-read for fans of romantic comedies. It's a perfect blend of humor, heart, and happily ever after
4 stars

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"But he'd still choose Lily. He'd choose her over anyone."

One literally overheated editor's assistant, Lily, dreams of making the jump to editing children's books rather than reading about depressing nonfiction every day at work. On the subway, feeling woozy and dehydrated, she discovers that her favorite, reclusive author now has a website with a contact form. In an attempt to keep herself alert, she sends charming, rambling fan mail and then passes out. N.M. Strickland, aka Nick, gave up on his career as an author five years ago when a series of unfortunate events compounded on unfair barriers to getting his fantasy novel about Black elves *gasp* published. While that first book just barely made it out into the world, he left things on a cliffhanger and never wrote again. Or at least, he didn't write any books. Now working as a travel writer for a magazine, he lives a lonely life circling the globe, never staying in one spot for long. Lily's unexpected message starts a chain of correspondence between two people who, frankly, really need a pen pal.

Just before the two are set to video chat for the first time, Nick gets news that sets them on a new path. He fails to show up to their (virtual) date and responds to her worried inquiries by telling her something suitably vague a la "I'm not who you think I am," before deleting his email account. Lily reasonably interprets this ominous statement as evidence she's been catfished, and both leave their digital relationship behind, heartbroken. So begins phase two of their story when Nick and Lily are thrown together as neighbors. Nick's book is to be given new life at a big U.S. publisher with sequels and a TV series to follow, and he's permanently relocated to New York.

As neighbors, Nick panics upon figuring out who Lily is and (literally) runs away from her by exclaiming that he has to go to IKEA. Like right that minute, apparently. It made me truly cackle, and I only became more amused when Lily chases him down and invites herself along. A perfect escape it is not. What follows is a classic rom-com case of asking someone to be your wingperson even though you're mutually attracted and it's a terrible idea. Any attempts to help find Lily a date to her sister's wedding are really just opportunities for the two to fall harder for each other and uncover a million more reasons why Lily shouldn't date anyone else, even for one measly event.

You know it's a perfectly calibrated bookish romance because one of the more romantic overtures is when Nick lends Lily a copy of one of his favorite books. The TRUST is unparalleled. I am also a sucker for pet-related plot lines, so when Lily calls Nick in a panic because her cat isn't feeling well, and he carries said cat in his literal arms all the way to the pet ER even though he is DEATHLY AFRAID OF CATS I swooned and was only resuscitated to make sure I didn't miss what happened next. I also like that the romance doesn't truly kick off until late in the book AFTER the moment that would have been a final act breakup. It's a slight but meaningful shift that had a huge, positive impact on my reading experience.

Both protagonists are on parallel but disparate journeys with their incredibly low self-esteem, but not in the classic, annoying way where a feminine protagonist worries about her looks all the time. Both worry about their careers, Lily worries about being lonely while Nick pretends he's not, and Nick assumes he'll never have good fortune in life while Lily expects to never be as put together as her older sisters. They learn and grow together, especially once they meet in person, but they also take space to figure things out alone. Nick's journey has an especially complex flavor because it has to do with the neglect he experienced as a child and the way he fears walking in his father's duplicitous footsteps one day himself.

I also want to take a moment to shout out the side characters. Nick's best friend Marcus watches his back in a really kind way, not in the aggressive form so many rom-com best friends seem to be cast in. Meanwhile, Lily's sisters are Too Much™, so I'm obviously delighted each is getting her own book. Even when they step on Lily's toes and get wrapped up in their own lives, a night where they figure out she's going through something and needs their unconditional support stands out as one of my favorite scenes.

This romance has big romantic moments, bookish delights, and two adorably introverted protagonists who discover their self-confidence along with their perfect life partner. I would happily recommend it to anyone. Thanks to Berkley for my copy to read and review!

While I can appreciate the plot and story, unfortunately this book was not for me. The writing style was too heavy handed and the character's interactions felt forced. DNF @ 50%.

I loved this! The premise pulled me in but the writing, the characters and the story kept me turning the pages. Lily and Nick are a perfect pair and I really enjoyed watching them find figure that out.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC!

As a librarian and a book lover, I love reading stories that highlight careers I'm curious about like publishing. Also the idea of chatting with an author I adore sounds like the dream so I was instantly pulled into the story. But grrr, Nick's character made me so upset with the hidden identity trope and I was shocked that Liz forgave him so quickly. I just feel like he should've told her immediately and ripped off that band aid quicker but I guess the few months of them hemming and hawing worked for both of their personal growth.

Which brings me to what saved the story during the hidden identity trope-- I was so invested in Liz going for a better career for herself, solely through her own hands. For a second I thought Nick would have a role in helping her land a job, but I'm so glad that she was able to not only recognize that she deserved better, but to also get fed up enough to make that "better" happen. I just wish it occurred sooner in the story, maybe around the 60% mark so we could see her living in her truth.

Overall this was a cute read that felt very familiar due to the characters careers and familial relations. I will for sure pick up the next book in the series (although I wish it was Iris' story first). Solid 3.25 for me (would've been a 4 but I am tired of adults not communicating better).

Sadly this was a DNG for me ages later. I tried reading it multiple times and just could never reach the end. That has nothing to do with the writing itself, but more with me. I think I just didn't jive with the characters sadly.

I loved everything about this book - the emotional vulnerability of both hero and heroine was fantastic. A well populated world of side characters I care about but that don’t take away from the main storyline.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

give me a romance with a character that works in book publishing anytime! i related to this character and liked the premise of the story quite a lot. i am excited to read the rest of the books in the series!

I loved this book. I was completely unsure of what to expect from it when it first started but it really pulled me in. I loved that it didn’t go too quickly and there was perfect character development that made me curious about each of the sisters.

I regret that I took so long to read this! This story and the characters had so many touches that I really enjoyed, and Lily was easy to relate to (and not just because I too was an English major who was raised in New Jersey). I felt for Nick, and the way his backstory shaped him—but the secret identity thing wasn’t my favorite. What I do always love, though, is NYC-set books where I can picture the setting (even the crowded subway, ugh!). All in all, this was a cute read, perfect for book lovers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Cute, fuzzy, girly love 🤗🥰 LOVED the secret identity because purr who doesn’t love a little mystery WITHIN the love. I love how soft our MFC is. She is me. In addition to her/their love of books and reading. My heart couldn’t be lighter and happier. Super fun read. Cute gave my like high school early college love feels. Thank you so much for this ARC and the chance to read in turn for my honest review! I would absolutely recommend if your looking for something light, fun, cute!

THE NEIGHBOR FAVOR was a delightful book that made me smile as I turned the pages.

Any book lover will have a soft spot for this book, especially Lily, who I could relate to, being shy and bookish. The book starts with email exchanges between Lily and Strick, and this was my favorite part of the book. Their chemistry was undeniable, and I loved seeing both slowly open up to each other and connect.

Despite working in a field she loves, publishing, she’s not had luck with working in her desired department, nor does she have much luck with love. Especially when Strick suddenly ghosts her. We read about both Lily and Strick’s past/ insecurities and see them overcome their personal challenges and self-doubt. So, I also enjoyed the kind of coming-of-age theme of the book!

The pacing was a bit off, especially since the book quickly wraps up with a series of events unfolding/ resolving within the occur final chapter or two of the book. Additionally, too many coincidences force the two to be close in proximity (and I roll my eyes because some of these would not happen in real life).

Even though this cute and heartwarming book and some cliched moments, I enjoyed it for all its bookish charm and characters overco