The perfect rom com between two complete opposites
I adore boy falls first kinda books and this one did not disappoint. He's adorable, charming and if I walked past him in the hallway, I wouldn't say no.
Clare is sweet, nerdy and totally relateable. I loved the strong female relationships that take place, it added to the story without taking over.
My only issue was the third act breakup lasted too long for me, but even the makeup was adorablely them.
Thankyou Headline and NetGalley for the ARC

3.75/5

Clare and Logan are complete opposites. Logan is a player and doesn’t do relationships. Clare can never do casual one night stands.

After both being told separately by their work, that they, in Logan’s case, needs to settle down and, in Clare’s case, needs to live a little. They decide to look for the opposite of what they usually go for. So what happens after they get stuck in the elevator?

Things I liked;
- the whole ‘how to lose a guy in ten days” feel this book had
- strong female friendships <3
- good relationship development from one night stand to friends to lovers
- he painted her toenails when she was in hospital recovering from appendicitis
- guy falls first will always be my favourite, the pining was just too good
- it has the perfect amount of medium slow burn (we all know I’m an insta love HATER)
- they had phone sex while watching each other from their neighbouring windows hehehehhehehhehe giggling 🤭


Things I disliked;
- bit of a slow start compared to I Love You, I Hated You (written by the same author) which drew me in immediately
- the third act breakup went on for a bit too long and had no satisfying resolution to their break up; ie no grovelling from either main character?
- sexist and misogynistic AF work boss; I don’t like reading about toxic workplaces

This book was an okay read. I loved the premise and was really looking forward to reading, however it just felt very flat. I struggled to develop any connection to the characters and storyline. Clare spent too much time on internal monologues and Logan's character kept feeling really incomplete.

Overall, I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would.

Thank you to the publisher for kindly providing me with an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

As soon as I read the book description, I was intrigued. Not only did it sound like my type of book, I loved how original the premise was, and I was not disappointed.

Logan and Clare’s apartments face each other so they’ve seen each other around but it isn’t until they get stuck in the elevator together that sparks start to fly. Not only that, they quickly realise they’ve just found the perfect solution for their problems: Clare needs to prove to her (very creepy) boss she is capable of having a one-night stand in order for him to consider one of her ideas, and Logan needs to show his boss that isn’t just a playboy and can be serious and mature. After spending the night together they put their plans in motion but Logan quickly becomes confused when he finds his flirting isn’t working and Clare can’t understand why Logan seems to want something serious with her. As they start spending more time together, feelings start to grow but they both know that they cannot go much further without coming clean and it seems to get a little bit harder everyday.

Clare was amazing and very relatable. She was sure of herself, creative and so very sweet. I loved how passionate she was about her work and while she definitely struggled at her workplace (which was male-dominated), seeing her fight and find her voice was inspiring. Then we have Logan, who had been through a lot and understandably had been using a sort of mask to hide his true self and protect his feelings for a while; he was incredibly charming, caring and just overall a very nice guy.

They might have though they weren’t a good match; in fact, in the beginning of the book, Clare couldn’t imagine someone like Logan wanting to be with someone like her, but I think that while their lifestyles and hobbies/tastes weren’t that similar, deep down they were much more alike than either of them thought. When they were together, they were the best versions of themselves and I loved seeing that. Logan constantly encouraged Clare to fight for what she wanted and be her true self; similarly, the way Clare treated and cared for him made him feel comfortable enough to be his true self. I think both Logan and Clare had a wrong perception of who they were and being together allowed them to challenge those labels and become more authentic.

I loved seeing their relationship evolve from a simple one-night stand, to friendship, to dating. Their chemistry couldn’t have been clearer, their banter was phenomenal, and the flirting was top-tier. I loved their dynamic from the very first page and I really appreciated the way they dealt with the conflict later on.

Overall, this is was a very well-paced, enjoyable read with great characters and heartwarming scenes that won’t fail to put a smile on your face.

A big thank you to Netgalley and Headline for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

★ 4.5/5 Stars ★

Logan and Clare are a great pair of characters. I loved that they both had their own insecurities but fell for each other despite neither of them expecting it. To them, they seemed like an unlikely couple, feeling undeserving of the other, but it was clear to see that they’re a great match! They had a lot of flirty banter, and sparks were flying from their first meeting. It was good to see their relationship changing and being redefined throughout the book - it was never straightforward, and they were both keeping secrets and had hidden agendas at the outset, but neither had expected to fall for the other.

There was a lot of sweetness and tenderness mixed in with the spice and humour, and Logan definitely pulled at my heartstrings a little with his hidden depths. I enjoyed that these two spent time in each other’s lives, with their friends, and got to know each other as it made the romance feel more realistic and gave us insight into them both and how they changed for the better together.

Logan doesn’t do relationships, and Clare doesn’t do casual; what could possibly bring them together? Work, that’s what. Clare is a tabletop game designer, and Logan works in finance. So how did work bring them together when they don’t even work together?

Logan is a player. He likes sex; he’s hot and can flirt, and by gosh, the man will use his talents to get what he wants. Only his ‘friends’ bragged about their escapades to someone from an opposing firm who started to whisper in one of Logan’s client's ears that he’s an irresponsible man whore. With his biggest client getting twitchy, Logan gets called into a meeting with his boss, who tells him he needs to gain and keep the trust of his clients to stop having such a high turnover rate. What logan takes away from this meeting is that he needs to get a girlfriend to look responsible.

On the other hand, Clare gets told by her creepy boss that to write a character who has casual sex, she needs to get some herself. At this point in the story, Clare thinks her boss is trying to help her reach her full potential. He isn’t. With Clare looking to get some experience and Logan wanting to put his client's mind at ease that he's a responsible family man, the two are pointed directly at each other. When they happen to get stuck together in the elevator to their apparent budling, well, Clare jumps at the chance in front of her.

There was a lot of slut shaming in this book which I didn’t like. Logan is getting treated like he's not responsible or shallow because he likes having casual sex. I don’t see the problem, but it's mentioned a few times, so much that Logan doubts that any woman would want to be with him for anything other than sex.

The relationship development between Clare and Logan was enjoyable. Their one night turned friendship turned dating was a great way of getting the characters to get to know each other and dig into their thought and feelings. There is a third act break up, and as much as I hate them because they can always be solved by talking, it did bruise my heart and give me the feels. I was happy to see both Clare and Logan get their HEA.

Absolutely loved this. It was a quick and easy read. The characters felt relatable and it flowed so effortlessly.

The chemistry and the banter between the two MCs had me swooning. I'm not ashamed to say that if I bumped into Logan in the corridor I wouldn't say no!

I would definitely recommend this to a friend.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such great read!It's a quick, heartwarming, sweet story.Logan and Clare were great together I loved the way they met and how thigs turned out for them.

They might be different from each other yet, they have a great conection.I loved them they were funny and flirty plus they have some steamy moments.

The Player Next Door was captivating, fast paced and sweet.

Fake dating, if it ever really was that is a tried and tested formula for a good romance and these two were hilarious in the using them to get what they want but ultimately wanting each other. Logan and Clare are very different and I couldn't buy into any long term longevity of their relationship but even the work related reasons of why they considered each other were a little far reaching.
I enjoyed the book in that I like the genre, the writing style was quick and easy to read but the characters were just not doing it for me

The Player next door was a nice read about 2 people who come together for different reasons and find out that maybe opposites do attract.

I enjoyed the secondary story of the kind of difficulties that women can come up against when working in a male environment at work

It was a romantic read and I liked both of the main characters.

4.5/5

He’s a player and she’s a relationship girl. Logan needs to prove to his boss that he can be in a committed relationship, and Clare needs to prove to hers that she can handle a one-night stand. A moment in an elevator makes them realise they can get exactly what they need from the other, only they both need different things.

I loved this! The chemistry between Logan and Clare had me hooked, and I will admit that even as a reader I fell for Logan’s charm. I loved the interaction between Clare, Logan and the side characters. This was an easy read, and just what I needed. This book had cute lines, all the feels and just enough drama. 100% recommend.

A sweet, quick and easy read - read in one sitting and gave me exactly what I needed.

Clare and Logan live in the same building but couldn't be any more different; they know this because they can see in to each other's apartments. Both need to prove something to their boss, Clare that she can handle a one night stand and Logan that he is mature enough for a relationship, one day they get stuck in a lift together and the story continues from there.

As with most books of this kind, it is quite insta-lovey but there were some good and honest conversations had between the two and with the side characters that I appreciated.

Logan and Clare live opposite one another, and are opposites in every way. She is slightly nerdy and prefers stable relationships. He is charming and attractive with a revolving door of hook ups. But somehow, as they start to spend time together ... they somehow work?

This is a fun and sexy read, perfect for a lazy afternoon with a bit of angst and a fantastic ending. Definitely worth picking up!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.