A fun and steamy read.
I don’t usually ream romcoms, in fact I’ve only read 2 others but I really liked this one. The characters are really well written with their own voices and development and the story is surprising and enjoyable. I loved the humour and chemistry between the characters and would recommend this book.

Why not 5 stars?
Honestly I’m not sure I’d reread this book but I don’t knowing that’s because it’s not a genre I usually read or if it’s something about the book so don’t let that stop you.

The Neighbor Wager is a quick read and a charming story about two sisters who truly adore each other and the boy-next-door who has returned home to take care of his grandmother.

I enjoyed the relationship between the two sisters, Deanna and Lexi, who are always looking out for one another, and even go into business together. When River, the neighbor, comes back into their lives, he is a kind, handsome and mysterious figure, who draws both of them in.

Crystal Kaswell does a wonderful job developing a sweet and steamy relationship between Deanna and River. They do face some obstacles (Lexi is River’s dream girl from high school, they’ve kept this relationship a secret from Lexi, Deanna is a California girl who has no plans to move, and River’s a New Yorker who will return there once his grandmother is better), but I was rooting for them to make it work the whole time and was pleased with the outcome.

I received this ARC for free for an honest review.
This was a cute book and a quick read!
There was a perfect amount of spice here, nothing over the top!

River has had an infatuation with his neighbor Lexi since he was young. She is the perfect California girl, she is his sun…

Lexi and her sister Deanna build a dating app for compatibility, where Lexi ends up meeting her perfect match!

River, an artist in NYC, ends up going back to his hometown, and catches Lexi’s eye now that he is grown up and sexy AF. However, River doesn’t want to be the other man, and Deanna needs her sister to continue to prove the app works by staying with her perfect match!.

River is such a perfect guy! I loved his character and that he loves romance and believes in magic! I also loved Deanna, she is the other perspective in this book, and she is a strong, smart, witty FMC.

Deanna and River end up making a wager, proving that their is magic to falling in love vs. Deanna’s theory of love is logic.

Overall, this is such a good read and I couldn’t put it down! This book releases February 2024.

Thank you Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for the early copy!

I found this book to be completely charming. I absolutely loved the way he made a PowerPoint presentation for her at the end. I liked that it didn’t follow the typical outline of a romance novel.

4.5

I LOVE when a book is a little bit different and has the man be more emotionally ready for things than the FMC. This book was such a refreshing read. I was a little concerned in the beginning as River really did have a thing for Lexi the sister.

River was an absolute DREAM of a man in this book. He is an artist and has had a long standing crush on Lexi, the girl next door. She's the epitome of California (blonde hair, blue eyes) and her sister Deanna is the opposite of that. Deanna and her sister are trying to launch a dating app together and they need to prove to investors that the app truly does work. Lexi has been seeing a guy she met on the app for the last 6 months. She does not typically do any relationships and whatever she has with people lasts very short times. They plan on using the relationship she's in to pitch how good the app is.

Deanna is the FMC in this book and honestly, I loved her. She was a little bit neurotic and uptight but she really did want her app to succeed. She has such a love of her sister that she's always willing to give into her for whatever she wants to do. Including River, who has only gotten hotter as they've gotten older. The journey that everyone goes on is so amazing. And this man MAKES A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION at the end. ugh. I have a lot of things to say about how much I loved River.

Overall, this was such a wonderful read and it was nice to get out of my own head for a while and delve into this world.

was provided an ARC of this title for free and am leaving this review Dinh rarity. A thoughts and opinions are my own.

Have you ever dreamt of being swept off your feet by the boy next door all grown up?

Growing up next door to each other, Deanna watched River fawn over her sister Lexi, with the flighty bombshell only ever sparing him a single fleeting glance.

But when the boy next door returns home all grown up into a tall, dark, tattooed and handsome man, Lexi’s gaze shifts entirely from her current boyfriend Jake, and it looks like River may just get his chance to live out the dream girl fantasy he’s always held in his mind.

Deanna, having created the app that matched Lexi to Jake, needs for Lexi’s relationship to work for reasons not purely sisterly. From there is where the wager takes form. River must convince Deanna that there’s more to love than an algorithm can predict, and no amount of data can replace the magic that exists when it’s with the right person. If he pulls it off, Deanna will step aside and let River have his shot at her sister; if not, River must then assist Deanna in keeping Lexi and Jake together.

This was a fun and fast read, that touches kind of gently on some heavy topics, despite its overall lightheartedness.

Thank you to Entangled Insiders and NetGalley for the early copy!

The Neighbor Wager
Crystal Kasswell
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Are you a fan of the classic film Sabrina, but are looking for a gender-bending twist? What about a book that explores kink in a well-informed way? What about a book with a neurodivergent FMC and an emotionally-mature MMC?

The Neighbor Wager by Crystal Kasswell is definitely the book for you!

I've never seen Sabrina, so I went into this book blind. This was my first Crystal Kasswell book and I'm glad I got the chance to read it. Our FMC, Deanna, is a programmer who created a dating app with her younger sister, Lexi. Lexi is known for keeping things casual, but she has found a long-term relationship through their app. After an investor insists on Lexi getting engaged to her boyfriend of six months, Lexi panics and turns her eye on the now-grown boy next door, River. A man who just so happens to have been in love with Lexi since they were teenagers.

Deanna and River make a wager, if he can prove to Deanna that there is magic to falling in love, she will step aside and let him have a chance with Lexi. If he can't, he has to help Deanna keep Lexi and her boyfriend together.

This book was surprisingly heavy for the lighthearted premise. Kasswell touches on topics such as the terminal illness of a family member, loss, and heartbreak in a very raw, real way. My heart absolutely broke for Deanna, as I have had some of the same experiences she has. Kasswell created a cast of characters that I truly wanted to root for, even when I wanted to rip my heart out because of them. The Neighbor Wager was a heartfelt, funny twist on the "boy next door" trope, and I enjoyed reading it.

The Neighbor Wager by Crystal Kasswell releases on February 20, 2024 and is available for preorder.

I received an arc of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are mine and do not reflect the opinions of Netgalley or Entangled Publishing.