"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

A cute romcom especially for book lovers. Friends-to-lovers fans and readers who like secret pen pal “you got mail” type tropes. The characters were charming and it made for a fun read.

I had a hard time figuring out how to rate this. For the most part I really liked this book! I enjoyed the writing, I liked the characters, the premise is fun! But Nick knew who Lily was for waaay too long before he said something. And it made me uncomfy. Like, not a week or two but months?? Come on my dude.

So anyway, three stars. Would’ve given it more if he’d told her sooner. I’m excited to read the next one though!

I'm really enjoy black cozy romance novels, and this one hit all the right notes for me! Nick and Lilly's story is just adorable to me. Lily, an introverted editor stuck in nonfiction (yuk 😝), would like to work on children's books. She finds solace in emailing her favorite fantasy author until he disappears. Fast forward to Lily needing a date for her sister's wedding – she turns to her sweet new neighbor, Nick. Surprise, surprise – Nick is the mystery email author! The book has some classic miscommunication drama, but it's balanced with strong family themes. Kudos to Kristina Forest; this one gets an A+ from me. Thanks to Kristina Forest and NetGalley!

I saw a lot of chatter about this book and I’m so glad I was able to snag an ARC! This will be a great Valentine’s Day-ish release. The email format in the beginning had me hooked immediately and even more-so when the story took a turn. There were a few times that I felt as though there were too many side storylines/plots forming, but it wasn’t to the point where it was difficult to keep them straight - more the fact that I just wanted to get back to Nick and Lily and the key supporting characters in their stories. Though Nick’s past and excuses were frustrating, it added complexity and a layer of unpredictability to his character that I appreciated. Overall, I loved this bookish book!

I finished this book back and February, so late on this review! I was excited to read Kristina Forest's adult romance debut, "The Neighbor Favor" but unfortunately, it was just okay to me. I didn't really vibe with the writing style. The main character, Lily, felt like a YA protagonist to me and I couldn't believe she was a working professional. Nick was a perfectly fine love interest but I didn't really buy the secret identity bit of the story. Maybe that's not a premise that works well for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

This book was so cute! I really enjoyed the characters and I thought the story was original and adorable. I love reading the parts about Lily's family, and I felt like Nick's family drama felt real and believable (which sometimes isn't the case in romances). I really loved seeing Nick and Lily interact with their family and friends, it's nice when characters are dynamic outside of the main romance. I definitely recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this ARC!

Such a cute story! I was rooting for this couples happy ending from their first interaction.

Lily and Nick struggle to get past their weaknesses but find strength in each other to grow. It’s a story about different upbringings, setting boundaries with family and finding love.