Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for the advanced reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

Collins returns to her Ohio home after going viral for losing her temper on her horrible ex. And she learns that the former childhood best friend, Nate, who ghosted her when they started high school lives just down the street.

They clash from the beginning, and he issues her a warning from the HOA. So she decides to run against him for HOA president. There are all sorts of comedic antics with everything from googly eyes to patriotic flamingos. But they also both know where and how to hurt each other with insults given their close pasts.

At times, it felt like their fights (especially her side) went a bit too far. I would have preferred this as a dual perspective where we were able to understand his viewpoint as well. I always think dual perspectives are especially helpful in any form of enemies-to-lovers trope. But I loved the way her town, her friends, and her family were depicted.

Jade Wheeler did a great job narrating the complete audiobook. It was a quick read at just over 10 hours long.

I absolutely adored this book! This is everything I love about rom-coms, with such a unique storyline. I love that the conflict escalated to running for HOA president - as part of my own HOA the drama was so on point, as ridiculous as it seems. This book had me laughing out loud over and over between the FMCs internal snarky dialogue, and her tendency to escalate things quickly. The cast of characters was excellent - with the LA friend meeting the Ohio suburbian friend and both providing the best support system. The MMC was a great mix of snark and passion. Their relationship had a great arc throughout the storyline.

This was just the escape I needed and I really enjoyed the chance to get to meet all of these characters in such a unique and funny way. Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

4.25 stars

What happens when your lowest moment goes viral and you have to tuck your tail and run back to your hometown? Next-Door Nemesis provides a fresh take on this trope, whilst throwing in some rivals-to-lovers vibes for good measure.

Collins Carter thought she’d finally gotten her big break until the ultimate betrayal sends her back to the hometown she swore she’d forever leave in her rearview mirror. What’s worse is the fact that her former friend turned nemesis, Nate Adams, is her parents’ new neighbor. What happens when an attempt at one-upmanship turns into a campaign for HOA president? Sparks are going to fly. And old wounds just might be reopened and then healed.

One of the elements I enjoyed most about this story is how author Alexa Martin sketched out the backstory between Collins and Nate. However, I will say that Nate’s explanation for why he did the things he did back then didn’t quite resonate with me. But I liked the fact that Collins knew Nate well enough to understand where he was coming from. (I just love me a good grovel.)

This novel is refreshing because the characters are so human. Mature in a lot of ways and immature in others. The fact that these two were old friends also gives some second-chance romance energy, which I always love in a romance.

It’s a story I enjoyed and could see be adapted for the screen.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for generously providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was sent to me as an E-Arc

I did finished reading but I have mixed feelings.
First off the Friends to Enemies to Loves sounded fun and i was excited to read it.
But the more I read the book the more i was disappointed ... I did not like the idea of gown people (both are in their late twenties early thirties) acting like children ... I get this is a fiction but jeopardizing someone's job because the person hurt you in HS is just silly. And the reason for Nate to ghost Collins was not even something to get mad over ... I just did not liked it and push myself to finish.
what i did like was the side characters, especially Ruby and Ash. Both so different and both likeable. Plus Collins parents were awesome.

Overall not a good read to me, but I do want to check other books by the author. 2.5 stars but rounded to 3

**Two rival candidates for a homeowner’s association presidency are about to find out how dirty suburbanites fight in this steamy new romantic comedy from Alexa Martin. **

Alexa Martin can do no wrong. I am so glad I was able to receive this ARC from goodgirls.pr and Alexa before the release date. I have loved expanding my romance shelf, and this story will be a staple.

A suburban setting, and HOA presidential battle, a female main character with her new found friends and reconnection with her family made the reading experience so good. I ate it up right away, and was instantly hooked into the story.

Collin Carter is such a strong FMC and catches the readers attention and heart. I felt connected and invested throughout the whole entire story. Her and Nate's story is such a great example of friends to enemies to lovers, and close proximity romance. It made me smile and giggle and thats exactly what I want from a romance story. I cannot wait to pick up more of Alexa's work.

Thanks again to goodgirls.pr and Alexa Martin for the ARC, and get Next-Door Nemesis when it releases on 11/14/23!

I have loved all of Alexa Martin's books and this one might be my favorite! I was laughing out loud the whole time, and yet, the heart of this book hit so true. The characters and their conflict were so realistic and relatable. I found their whole love story to be the perfect mix of steam, sweetness, and humor! I can't wait to read this one again!

Title: Next-Door Nemesis
Author: Alexa Martin (@alexambooks)
Release Date: November 14, 2023
Ratings: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌶️🌶️

"Next-Door Nemesis" is a delightful contemporary rom-com that explores the journey from childhood friends to rivals to lovers. Set in a small town, it features angsty banter, close proximity, and the 'it's always been you' trope.

The story revolves around Collins Carter and Nathaniel Adams, two rival candidates for the homeowner's association presidency. Alexa Martin tells a story that's funny, has great banter, and surprises you with romance. It's like she gets exactly what you enjoy in a book! From secret board meetings to smear campaigns, the characters sink to unprecedented levels, making the suburban setting come alive.

The story sucks you in, and Alexa Martin's writing is clever and effortlessly pulls you along. It's the kind of book that's smart and just easy to dive into. I couldn't stop laughing while reading, and it was the perfect antidote for my reading slump. I breezed through it in one sitting—it's that captivating. With a rating of five out of five stars and a spice level of two out of five, "Next-Door Nemesis" is a lighthearted must-read that promises a good time.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Good Girls PR for providing the eARC, and I look forward to more from Alexa Martin. If you're in need of a feel-good read, this one comes highly recommended! <3

Get the book here --> https://tr.ee/zhezV8KGUt
And don't forget to add it to your TBR! --> https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122932139

This is a really funny rom-com and I really enjoyed it. I wasn’t expecting to like this one quite as much as I did and I rounded up from 4.5 stars because it was so funny. Collins left for LA as soon as she could from her small Ohio town, but after her sleezy boyfriend stole her script and her neighbor filmed her freaking out on him she returned home without any other choices. While this is far less than ideal she is prepared until she bumps into her former friend and high school nemesis Nate Adams. Clearly unsettled by her presence he uses his position on the HOA board to blackmail her into her leaving, but Collins isn’t one to back down so of course it becomes an election for HOA president and full of sexual tension and hilarity.

This book was SO so good like Nate said about Collin’s script; “It’s so good, I don’t even feel worthy enough to read it. Ya so good that I don’t even know how to put into words” yup. You and me brother

This is my most annotated ARC. I’d like to get the paperback one day! I added all her books to my TBR only halfway through chapter 1. Then when I got to chapter 2 I just knew it was going to be a 5 star read so I immediately started recommending it to my besties

It was hilarious. Idk who’s funnier than who! Literally all the characters have a different kind of charm and they’re all just so funny and sarcastic and they got wit! Don’t get me started on Collin’s parents. They may or may not be my favorites

It literally has most of the tropes I love. I genuinely don’t know what else to say other than it was great. By far one of the best books I’ve read this year.. or ever

Live love and read all of Martin’s books 💜

This is just more proof that Alexa Martin can do no wrong. And it just proves I will continue to keep reading all of Alexa’s books forever and ever!! I loved this book so much. It was the perfect combination of all the best things - childhood friends to enemies to lovers, so much banter, going back to the place you ran from just find home all over again.

I loved Collins’ story. While a lot of it was about her career journey and her trying and succeeding to find her stride there again. It was also about her finally feeling settled, feeling at home, feeling good enough. And I loved that she was able to find all of that in the one place she never thought to look.

And freaking Nate Adams!!!! I LOVED HIM SO MUCH. He was just a sad boy who also didn’t feel like he was ever going to be enough. And I loved how easily he was thrown when Collins came back into town. I didn’t really notice that he was stressing until a little bit later, because we were obviously supposed to think they actually did hate each other!! It was just written so well and flowed so easily! AND he was the sweetest most supportive man 😭 he was the perfect guy for Collins.

Thank you so so much to Good Girls PR and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Enemies to lovers is my favorite trope, so I knew I was going to enjoy this. Add in it being a second chance between ex-best friends and it was even better!

Collins Carter is a screenwriter who left Los Angeles after an incident with her went viral on video. She's back living with her parents in small town Ohio. She spends her days helping her father with the yard work when she's not trying to write and figure out her next move. She literally runs into her ex-best friend, Nate Adams, at the coffee shop, and the bantering begins.

When she is given an HOA violation from Nate, who is on the board, for a tree just planted in her parents' front yard, she decides to run against him for the now vacant HOA president position. At first, it is just to spite him, but then she finds the idea more appealing.

There is a history between Nate and Collins that hasn't been resolved. There is also amazing chemistry. I was not expecting this to be an open-door romance but was pleasantly surprised when it was. That first scene between them was definitely steamy and intense.

Another added bonus...the secondary characters were all so wonderful. Collins parents and her two friends, Ashleigh and Ruby. Each had their own quirks and personalities.

Thank you to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Definitely the enemies to lovers, she comes back home, bickering shenanigans rom com I was hoping for!

Collins and Nathaniel make just as cute of a couple as they do opponents in a heating election for HOA president. After Nathaniel tries to use his position on the HOA board to make Collins move away again, he’s surprise to hear her announce her candidacy against him for the position of president. Then all gloves are off as the two of them use anything to one up the other - flamingos and Benjamin Franklin not excluded.

Collins is such an interesting character. Having come back home after things didn’t work out the way she hoped in LA, she has a lot of inner work to do to figure out what she wants in life. While the wrap up and resolution was a little too convenient for her to get what she ultimately wanted, one can’t deny that she deserved her HEA.

Nathaniel is the type of guy who has made mistakes and knows it. He’s also the type that wants the settling down and the white picket fence, something that’s often teased about, but not here. No one says anything disparaging about his aspirations of settling down in the town he calls home and he’s just a really cute husband material type guy.

Overall, this book was a quick and easy read that hit just the right spot. If you like rom com level banter, tension from being pushed together, and friends to enemies to lovers, Next Door Nemesis is for you.

Thoughts on Next-Door Nemesis
Not gonna lie, it took me two or three chapters to get into the plot, because I’ve read a lot of books lately where an MC ends up living back at home with their parents for some reason. But the connection I off the bat felt with the characters had me still invested - and once the plot started to develop more, I was sold.

There were SO many times I connected with the characters. I’m in an interracial relationship and so I instantly connected to Collins mom and dad - “While my mom has been married to a Black man for thirty-six years, it has not deterred her from adding raisins to her potato salad,” this had me dying 🤣 I am the white woman, however, I know better. There was also so much more I connected with Collins over but I don’t want to give too much away.

I also felt Collins emotions - Alexa did a fantastic job of writing the real emotions in the words she used. I felt Collins’ hurt, confusion, embarrassment, anger, sadness, and love. I even was able to feel Nate’s emotions as well and this isn’t a dual POV book - the two times I teared up while reading came from mostly feeling Nate’s emotions 🥺

But! I laughed, I cried, I sighed, I giggled, I blushed a bit, and I put my hand on my chest at times because I truly felt the pain - this was a good book ✨

What to expect when it releases November 14th:
🎡 small town
🦩 friends to enemies to lovers
🎡 second chance
🦩 HOA rivals
🎡 interracial/multicultural

What a very fun read. Collins and Nate were childhood besties, then life got in the way. Sometimes the line between love and hate is slim, and the chemistry sizzled from the beginning. It took awhile but Collins and Nate found their way to a super fabulous HEA with an adorable grand gesture.

First and foremost thank you Alexa Martin and GoodGirl PR for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange of my honest review.

This was such an original story, I would have never thought of HOA Love story with enemies to lover. I found that it had good banter between the characters and my favorite parts was the friendships Collins make/has throughout the book. I enjoyed the smart remarks and silly games she plays through the story.

I did however feel like it dragged on in some parts, and I think that maybe just my own opinion so please read it for yourself to judge that!!

Overall I feel this book was a solid 3.75/5 stars, I do feel it be a great quick read for most people and a great summer book as well!

Release date is November 14th!

Thanks to Berkley for the NetGalley ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Last weekend my best friend was in town. He’s in the process of buying a house and was complaining about the lawlessness of homeowners associations (HOAs) and made me watch a hilarious John Oliver bit about how awful they can be: for example, a fine for a tree being “not tree shaped enough” to an HOA buying houses for pennies on the dollar and then evicting the former owners. When I started reading this book, I texted him that he would love this one - if I could only get him to read romance! Although this book’s drama is nowhere near as bad as that clip!!
Anyway, I’m enjoying the Puerto Rico sun this weekend along with some solid reading on the beach in the AM 🏖️ and by the hotel pool in the afternoon after a short break for snacks and wine - kind of perfect. And this book was an awesome complement - it’s an enemies-to-lovers romance with two 30-year-olds who were best friends in school before becoming enemies. Collins is back in suburban Ohio after her relationship and career have gone up in flames due to a viral video, where she runs into her nemesis who is on the board of the Big Brother-esque HOA. When the president up and moves to FL, Collins challenges her nemesis, named the interim president, in an election for HOA president. There's a bit of referenced Housewives drama if you've read Alexa’s books before 😍
Alexa Martin knows how to write a contemporary romance - if you haven’t read her Playbook series (inspirations have included Travis Kelce!), you should do that right away. And then get this one when it comes out on Tuesday 🎉And if you haven’t seen the John Oliver skit I referenced, please google it!

"As soon as I saw you outside of Cool Beans, I knew I wasn’t over you.”

I really enjoyed this book! I love the enemies to lovers trope mixed in with the neighbors to lovers. And add a prank war into the mix? The best!!! Collins goes back home to her parents after her life crumbles apart in LA. There she finds out that Nate, her ex childhood friend, is her neighbor and part of the community’s HOA. I loved how collins decides to run for president of the HOA against Nate. It was fun reading all the bickering between Nate and Collins. I especially loved all the scenes Collin’s would prank Nate. I really liked how slowly they evolve from bantering, and not getting along to wanting to be together. The two of them have amazing chemistry! I was not expecting this book to be an open door romance, and we get some steamy scenes in this book! So hot!
I hope we get more books from Alexa Martin soon!

Read if you like:
Heroine’s POV
Ex-childhood best friends
Neighbors to lovers
Enemies to lovers
Open door romance
Running for HOA
Prank Wars

"Next-Door Nemesis" by Alexa Martin is a delightful and unique contemporary romance that I thoroughly enjoyed, rating it a solid 4 stars. I'd like to extend my gratitude to Berkley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

The story centers around Collins Carter, a screenwriter dealing with the aftermath of a betrayal that leads to her getting blacklisted from her screenwriting community. She returns to suburban Ohio and finds herself in a clash with her former best friend turned nemesis, Nate, over an HOA-restricted tree in her parents' backyard. What follows is an entertaining and humorous war for the presidency of their HOA, all while Collins grapples with unresolved feelings about the end of their friendship.

The premise of this book is truly unique and engaging. The idea of an enemies-to-lovers romance set against the backdrop of a homeowners association is creative and refreshing. Alexa Martin brings humor and wit to the story, and I found myself laughing out loud at times.

The sexual tension between Collins and Nate is palpable from the beginning, and it's the driving force behind the delicious rivals-to-lovers storyline. Their banter and chemistry make for an enjoyable and entertaining read.

"Next-Door Nemesis" is a fun and unique contemporary romance that stands out with its original setting and engaging characters. Despite the rapid transition, the story still manages to deliver a heartwarming and enjoyable romance that I believe many readers will appreciate. It's a perfect choice for those looking for a lighthearted enemies-to-lovers story with a twist.

Thank you Berkley for my review copy of Next-Door Nemesis.

I love a good enemies to lovers romance, but this was unfortunately a miss for me. But it might not be for you!

Next-Door Nemesis is for people who love kind of a Wednesday Adams lead - Collins describes herself this way. She’s sassy and sarcastic and a lot of people love that. And she finds her Enid to her Wednesday.

The thing is, I’m an Enid. So I don’t find Collins as relatable as many readers do. However, I absolutely could have loved her. My BIG problem was with the love interest. He was SO MEAN. Like, calling her out for her hardest, most embarrassing challenges. I don’t do mean. I especially don’t do mean men.

I did talk to a friend who loved it and she says that his meanness is explained and the book is spicy and fun.

I’m calling this a soft DNF. I might come back to it, but for now I need to take a break and find something else. I will absolutely come back and update this review if I make more progress!

I am literally the WORST secret keeper.

I get way too excited and just can’t help myself, I need to share my news. Even if it’s not my news (per se) I still can’t hold it in or I’ll just about burst.

So, when I see the little reminders that tell me I’m not allowed to post until 30 days before, I nearly lose control of my bladder.

Well, I tried my best and I made it! This little blabber mouth, did not ruin the surprise for all of you.

I absolutely fell head over heels in love with Collins and Nate! The complexity and diversity that lays within these characters characters will have you rooting for them the entire way. I wouldn’t call them flawed but more or less multi layered. Getting to know these two opened my eyes to a whole new world and I enjoyed every bit of it.

Check out this teaser :

Two rival candidates for a homeowner’s association presidency are about to find out how dirty suburbanites fight in this steamy new romantic comedy from Alexa Martin.

After years of hustling, Collins Carter has finally made it...back to her parents’ house. Between tending to the compost with her newly retired dad and running into her high school nemesis at the only decent coffee shop in town, Collins realizes this subdivision from hell she swore she’d never return to is her rock bottom.

Then the homeowner’s association complaint arrived.

Nathaniel Adams always dreamed of a nice, quiet life in his suburban hometown. Or at least that’s what he thought until Collins moved back and sent his quaint, organized life into a tailspin. He thought Collins was infuriating ten years ago, but when she announces she’s running against him for HOA president, all bets are off.

From secret board meetings to vicious smear campaigns whispered over backyard fences, Collins and Nate sink to levels their sleepy suburb has never seen before. But as hate turns into lust, these two enemies are forced to reckon with the feelings they’ve ignored for years. If only there were bylaws for real life.