"He wondered if he could ever look at Lily and not feel like he'd been struck by lightning."

The Neighbor Favor was SO CUTE!!! The novel starts out with a very swoony epistolary section as our main girl Lily, begins emailing back and forth with her favorite author. That is until he ghosts her...

Flashforward to our main guy Nick's big move to NYC after his first novel has been bought by a major publishing company. He can't stop thinking about his neighbor Lily, a girl who has a lot of similarities to the fan who he struck up a flirty email exchange with a few months ago.

Nick is a character who desperately needed to go to therapy, but his feelings for Lily are so so sweet. I highly recommend this romance to fans of Book Lovers and You've Got Mail!

“In this heart-fluttering romance by Kristina Forest, a shy bookworm enlists her charming neighbor to help her score a date, not knowing he’s the obscure author she’s been corresponding with.“

Awe. This book was adorable.

I loved the layers of the story. The beginning, where each character reveals themselves slowly over email, was sweet and genuine. The rest, Enemies (?) to Friends to Lovers was a fantastic slow burn.

The secondary familial characters, both biological and found- added so much to the story, and I’m hoping to meet many of them in books to come.

I thought Nick’s inner turmoil about “messing everything up, just like [his] dad” got a little tired by the end, but I like that, while it wasn’t completely resolved, he was taking steps (therapy FTW) towards health.

The only thing I found lacking was the sex scene. There was one, but it wasn’t super-titillating.

I loved the 100% Enthusiastic Consent, but as to the rest: very little foreplay, Mild Discomfort, and everyone has a happy (synchronous) ending. Has the author written YA in the past? Those are the vibes.

Thank goodness sex isn’t everything. Maybe by the time they get around to Iris and Violet’s stories, there will be Heart- but also Front Bottom-Flutters for all.

Honestly, though, I’m here for the sequels, regardless.

7/10

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publish Group for this charming ARC.

I absolutely adored The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest. Is there an actual trope for bookish characters and bookish settings? Because, if not, there really should be!

Lily Greene is a lifelong book lover who works in publishing. She’s not quite where she wants to be, which is to work as a children’s book editor, but she’s trying to get there. One day she decides to email her favorite fantasy author, N.R. Strickland, and they begin a months’ long correspondence that becomes the highlight of Lily’s days. They have wonderful conversations and really open up to one another, to the extent that it has Lily imagining what life could be like if she were to meet him in person, a new friendship or possibly more? That is until he abruptly ghosts her and deletes his email account with no explanation. Shocked and a bit heartbroken, Lily moves on with her life.

I loved Lily. She of course scored points with me immediately by virtue of being a book lover, but I also just really admired her determination to keep going after her dream job, as well as her perseverance when it came to taking control of her love life. Up until N.R. Strickland (or Strick as she called him) ghosted her, Lily had been caving in to her sisters’ endless attempts to set her up her dates that went nowhere, but after getting burned by Strick, she decides it’s time to bring her sisters’ meddlesome matchmaking efforts to a halt. I also very much related to her social awkwardness and loved that this awkwardness is what actually ends up driving the plot of the story because in order to find a date, she turns to her new neighbor, the sexy and charming Nick Brown. He’s not looking to date anyone but is happy to help Lily find someone and get her sisters out of her hair. Unbeknownst to Lily, her new neighbor is actually N.R. Strickland.

I honestly wanted to hate Nick for ghosting Lily, but the more we get to know him, he has very real reasons for doing what he did even if he went about it the wrong way. I went from wanting to hate him to very much wanting him and Lily to see that they were perfect for each other. I also enjoyed getting the glimpses into Nick’s journey as a reclusive author trying to complete a sequel to his best-selling fantasy novel, which also happens to be Lily’s all time favorite book.

The chemistry between Nick and Lily is wonderful and I enjoyed all of their scenes, from fun and silly ones trying to buy Nick furniture at IKEA to more poignant and heartfelt ones as Lily tries to help Nick deal with some long-standing issues he has with his father. And don’t even get me started on the adorable bookish dates they go on. Be still my book loving heart!

This was my first time reading a novel from Kristina Forest and I very much look forward to reading more from her because The Neighbor Favor was just a pure delight!

4.5 stars! Kristina Forest has become one of my favorite authors and continues to impress with her adult romance debut! I loved to see both Lily and Nick's growth throughout the story. I could totally see this as a Hallmark movie. Can't wait to read Violet's story next!

Shy and bookish Lily dreams of becoming a children's book editor. Writer Nick is used to hiding behind his pen name to keep people at a distance. When Nick moves to New York to revive his black fantasy series, he soon realizes his new neighbor is the girl he fell in love with over email. Great for lovers of You Got Mail!

The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest was a fantastic read! The perfect amount of sweet and spice. I loved the section of emails that Lily and Nick shared in this book and the awkward realization/reunion scene in this one. Our staff loved this one and ended up making it one of our monthly book club picks!

I have been waiting to read this book as soon as Kristina Forest announced it last year on Instagram. I always love reading about book lovers, especially in romance books. It touches close to home. Plus, it’s a diverse romance book as well!

The Neighbor Favor brings Lily more out of her self as she recovers from being a catfish at the beginning of the book. What she does not know is that the same person she was talking to was not cat fishing, just holding a few truths from her; and they are closer to her ever aka her neighbor aka Nick.

Nick cannot believe his luck when he runs into Lily, who is the same Lily that he was talking to a few months ago. He may think it’s the worst luck as ever, but life can be unexpected when it’s meant to be. Yes, he may have hidden a few truths from her, but once you read about his family and his childhood, then you will understand why he lied. I can’t imagine what he has gone through and achieved what he could. But what I do believe is his true love for Lily. He may struggle with it, but he always loved her from her first email and seeing her again. He was even willing to help her find someone else since he believed he was undeserving of her.

Lily deserves the whole world. I truly love her even when I get a bit frustrated with her at times. She truly does her best in believing in herself even though she is struggling in her work and personal life. At work, she may not feel appreciated as she should be, but it pushes her to find something more for herself. It may struggle at first, but things go her way when she reaches her breaking point. For her personal life, she may need to gain more confidence about being herself if she wants her person. It may not be what her sisters expect, but she will need to be the one to tell them off (which she will). And thankfully, she finds it with Nick.

I will warn you that their romance is a more slow burn than ever. They genuine form a true friendship even though they faced the truth in the middle. Keep that in mind as you read this book. I don’t want to disappoint you if you are expecting a steamy romance from the start.

Included as a top pick in bimonthly February New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: toxic relationship with parents, sick pet (gets better)

This was a soft and sweet romance. I really loved how their enjoyment of books really brought them together.

Steam: 3

I found there were more pop-culture references than I was hoping for, but overall a really sweet romance to root for!

The Neighbor Favor begins with an email exchange between a awkward, insecure author and a fan who praises the book he wrote five-years ago. I honestly struggled through the emails as it felt as if Lily was much younger than she was portrayed throughout the book. I also felt they would've been better served shared throughout the book rather than a big dump in the beginning.

The characters love of books and the world of publishing were the most interesting bits of the story. This romance is the quintessential story we often read in this genre, and highly predictable.

I'd welcome future reads as it appears this book is prepping us for romances featuring LIly's two sisters.

Thank you Berkley Publishing for the complimentary copy.

I thought that this was we written and the characters were well developed. I struggled with him catfishing her and for letting their relationship progress as much as it did before he told her that he was who she’d been talking to. I wanted a little more development of their relationship outside of the email exchanges.

I’m excited to see who’s story is next!

Ahhhh this was such a cute romance! I enjoyed all the bookish parts as well as the relationship between the sisters. I thought the relationship between Nick & Ivy was super cute and was so glad for the minimal 3rd act angst. I am looking forward to reading more books from this author!

This was a cute story about a young woman who works in publishing and an author. They have this You Got Mail situation where they were emailing back and forth and started catching feelings. Then the author(Nick) ghosted her(Lily). Months later Nick has moved to New York and finds out he and Lily live in the same building after they start talking. He decides not to tell her he's the author she was emailing with and instead deciding to tell her, he keeps it quiet and tries to help her move on by finding her a date.

I thought they had really sweet chemistry and I liked reading about them becoming friends and then lovers. The email section in the beginning though a little lengthy got me hooked. I needed to know what happened next!

I wish she would've dialed back just a little bit on the publishing industry stuff and discussions of their favorite books and sped up the pace in the romance. There's slowburn and then there's this glacial thing where it no longer makes sense for the two characters push each other away. Plus Nick has family drama going on throughout that felt like it wrapped up very quickly and smooth even though it was years of feelings of neglect. If the book would've been shorter I would've loved it more.

Another gem from Kristina Forest. Looking forward to Violet's book!

This was SO CUTE!

Lily works in publishing as an assistant and has dreams of one day being a children's book editor. One day, right before she passes out on a hot train, she randomly sends her favorite author and email, he answers back and they start a friendship. Then right before they are to meet...he ghosts her .

Fast forward, Nick( our author) has moved to New York and keeps thinking about Lily while noticing that his new neighbor is cute. Nick figures out that his new neighbor is his Lily but of course, in the way of romance novels he doesn't tell her. She asks Nick to help her find a date for her sister's wedding and let the story begin.

I loved it. It was a good steady pace and a good read and such a cute love story. Perfect for a quick weekend read.

Thank you to net Galley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book came recommended by a fellow book club friend and I'm SO HAPPY I read it. Told in part email correspondence, the story follows Nick and Lily, who communicate through each other from Nick's author email trail. Lily just thinks she's emailing one of her favorite authors, N.R. Strickland, and unbeknownst to her, Nick comes knocking on her door. They quickly become friends, as he's enlisted as her helper to find a date for her sister's wedding. When he puts the puzzle pieces together on who Lily is, Nick determines if he should spill the secret or enjoy what they have.
I loved this story. It was so heartwarming, so captivating, so easily just to immerse myself in the character's stories, that I wanted to keep reading it until something finally happened. I thought the pacing was well done and it was a great testament to friendship, love, and self-worth. I can't wait to tell others my feelings about it as well.

I am a sucker for any book where the story has anything to do with books.  In The Neighbor Favor by @kristinaforest_ we get just that!  Our female main character, Lily works in publishing as an assistant and has dreams of one day being a children's book editor.  She randomly one day sends an email to her favorite author and the two strike up a friendship and then tragedy strikes and he ghosts her.
Lily is devastated but moves on with her life and then she meets her super hot neighbor, Nick.  But if you've ever read a romance, you know that of course the hot neighbor is also the favorite author.  We knows this, Nick knows this but poor Lily does not.  She asks Nick to help her find a date for her sister's wedding and the rest is history.
I really loved Lily a lot.  I thought she was absolutely relatable and I found myself routing for her every step of the way.  Her love for books, her cat (Tomcat) and her family was unparalleled and she's just an amazing character.  Now Nick.  Oh Nick.  I don't hate Nick.  He has so much baggage and trauma and I understand why he didn't tell Lily who he was but man did I spend a lot of time giving him the side eye as a result. 

Overall, I found this one charming and I wish I had a notebook with me to write down all the great books mentioned along the way.

I have to preface this review by saying that I am extremely discerning when it comes to Romance. It's not a section I read regularly and I don't want to be wasting my time when it comes to reading from this section of the bookstore. So when I say that this book checked every. single. box. I need my romance books to have, that means that this is a run don't walk to the bookstore kind of book. A rom-com with real, relatable characters who happen to live within the literary world? Sign me up. I read this book wondering how it was possible that Kristina Forest knew exactly what. I was looking for in a book. The writing had a smooth flow to it, all the characters, primary and secondary, were lovable and amazing. And Lily and Nick oozed an understated sexiness that smouldered throughout the book.
I picked up this book after seeing sooooo many people on GoodReads reading it and highly rating it. Normally, I don't take a chance on Romance that everyone and their mom are raving about but I'm so glad I did this time. Hi Kristina, I'm your new best friend.

Lily Greene is a shy, awkward, sci-fi book-nerd with ambitions of being a children's book publisher. As the youngest of her three sisters and "least accomplished" she is constantly pressured to date (sisters) or switch careers to something more lucrative (parents). When she begins an email relationship with her favorite author, but is then abruptly ghosted, she is reluctant to date in the wake of his silence. That is, until she strikes a bet to find her own date to her sister's upcoming wedding and she has her eyes set on Hot Neighbor Nick. But can she get out of her own head to actually have a conversation with him? Nick is hiding his own secrets under the pen-name and fake bio for the book he authored and as the book gains popularity (a TV deal and advance for a sequel), he feels pressure to reveal who he is to the world. Though at first he doesn't realize that Lily Greene is THE Lily, he quickly (and guiltily) shifts into the wing-man who will help her win the bet rather than romantic interest.
Told from the POV of both Lily and Nick, this was a super cute book and a fun read with BIPOC MCs and building romantic tension between the two. I have a strong dislike, however, for plot-points where the conflict could have been avoided with an upfront conversation, but Nick's motives for secrecy are understandable due to the tenuous relationship with his own family. I enjoyed reading the email exchanges between the two, though I think the passage of time could have been better demonstrated through events of the MCs outside of the email exchanges. I also love Lily's character growth in regards to her family's passive aggressive pressured expectations (though they come from a place of love, which is very clear in the narrative). I was also very intrigued by Lily's sisters Iris and Violet as Kristina Forest is able to create flawed characters who are also relatable. Looking forward to reading more about the Greene sisters! Overall, a solid 4 stars.

A sparkling romance that will make you smile. Folx that enjoy their stories more on the sweet than spicy side should enjoy this celebration of Black love.

🌇 Book Review 🌇

Thanks to @berkleyromance for early access to this book on @netgalley. This book publishes on Feb 28!

✔️ Secret Identity
✔️ Teach Me How to Date
✔️ Epistolary
✔️ "You've Got Mail" trope

The Neighbor Favor was a heartwarming read. I loved the setup: shy bookworm is attracted to her neighbor but is still getting over the heartbreak of her favorite author stopping their email correspondence suddenly. I love the You Got Mail trope - people falling in love in two separate ways - loved You Got Mail but Jem and the Holograms was also formative for me 😂

I loved how both characters' family experiences fueled how they act and how they see the world and that they had to learn to break away: Lily with a very loving but overbearing family is such a people pleaser - sometimes at the expense of her own happiness and well-being. And Nick, growing up with unreliable parents, doesn't want to make promises and doesn't believe that people ultimately want to stick with him so he pulls away first - those things are also making him unhappy. This is why I love romance - that lightbulb in characters' heads when they finally figure out how to choose happiness even though it's scary.

I loved the New York backdrop. Though not a small town romance, this book made the big city feel intimate. If you live in the same apartment building, you do see the same people and they do know you and your habits like a small town would. Loved the other neighbors in the apartment building and Lily's sisters too, popping in and pushing both main characters.

The chemistry between Lily and Nick worked well, even at the very beginning through their emails. It's a good thing Nick's vulnerability was established early or I would have been annoyed at all the times his fear pulled him away from Lily, leaving her bewildered. In the end, I feel like they complemented each other well.

Overall, a solid romance 4.5⭐️.

Steam 🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕💕💕