This was a fun romance!

Deanna grew up in the shadow of her beautiful, bombshell sister, Lexi, despite having so much going for herself.

When the boy next door, River, returns home all handsome and tattooed, Lexi is interested, despite having a boyfriend. A boyfriend who, according to the dating app created by Deanna, is her perfect match. Lexi and Jake are the apps poster couple.

River and Deanna end up making a wager - if he can convince her that there is more to romance than an algorithm, she will give him the green light to have a shot at Lexi. If not, he will help her convince Lexi she belongs with Jake.

Along the way, River and Deanna start to catch feelings. Is he a match for her according the the algorithm? Does it matter? Is there more to love than an algorithm match?

Many thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have been provided with a review copy of The Neighbor Wager from NetGalley for an impartial review. I just really enjoyed this story and I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

Crystal Kaswell's "The Neighbor Wager" is a delightful romantic rollercoaster that had me hooked from start to finish. The characters are richly developed, and their chemistry leaps off the pages. I found myself eagerly flipping through the story, drawn in by the tension and passion between the two main characters.

While the prologue was a bit challenging to get into initially, once I pushed through the first few chapters, the narrative truly found its stride. From there on, I was completely engrossed in the story, unable to put it down.

Kaswell's writing style is engaging and immersive, making it easy to lose yourself in the world she has crafted. I appreciated the depth of emotion and the authenticity she brought to the characters' experiences.

Overall, "The Neighbor Wager" is a captivating read that I would highly recommend to fans of romance. Kaswell's ability to weave together compelling characters, a captivating storyline, and palpable tension makes this book a standout in the genre.

I was pulled into this book with the amazing cover and promising synopsis but it fell a little short for me. The writing style is a bit choppy in the dialogue and doesn't flow easily. I think if I were listening to this it would have translated better than reading because the dialogue is written like actual conversations and it was hard to follow who was speaking. The story itself was cute and spicy, it did lack a spark I was hoping to feel.

The flow of the story felt like it took Deanna and River all over the place and the progression of their relationship didn’t make sense, especially at the end. I did feel the chemistry between these two characters, I just wish their story was executed better.

I would recommend trying out this book if it sounds interesting to you, but the writing style did not match up with what I tend to enjoy. Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled: Amara for the ARC

Quick Summary: A science of attraction versus a love is found romance

My Review: The Neighbor Wager by Crystal Kaswell is a modern day glow up romance. It is presented as a reverse take on the comedy-drama film, Sabrina.

About the Book: The road to finding your person - the special love meant just for you - can be challenging. When two people enter into a wager of sorts to direct attention away from major crush energy, they find more than they bargained for.

My Final Say: While this novel did give off Sabrina vibes, it was not true to the original formula. Perhaps, it was too contemporary, as well as racy. With that said, I liked the whole ugly duckling to handsome swan angle. I also appreciated the HEA with the write your own ending to the future approach. It was a non-traditional stance that somehow worked.

Other: Readers who want a bit of spice with an alternative retelling of a classic will get this story. It may not appeal to Sabrina purists or enthusiasts.

Rating: 3/5
Recommend: +/-
Audience: A
Status/Level: ⚖️

Appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Entangled Publishing, LLC, Entangled:Amara), and to NetGalley. Thank you for granting access to this title. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to review this work. The words I have voluntarily shared are my own.

Beneath its charming cover, this book unravels a narrative dominated by two affluent sisters who venture into creating a dating app. The storyline revolves around predictable dynamics: one sister embodies the epitome of perfection, while the other exudes sharpness and a penchant for programming and being nerdy. The plot takes a foreseeable turn when their neighbor, once nerdy and now adorned with tattoos, develops a crush on the seemingly perfect sister but engages in a wager, leading to interactions with the brunette sibling.Regrettably, the narrative primarily unfolds as a tale of two desire-driven individuals, with an overwhelming focus on their physical attraction, accounting for the majority of the book. The portrayal of privileged characters effortlessly obtaining their desires without substantial effort diminishes the depth of the overall narrative. Despite the shared experience of losing their mothers, the characters' emotional depth remains largely unexplored.While the cover promises an adorable story, the content fails to live up to expectations, resulting in a narrative that, despite its potential, falls flat. My rating is of 2.75 stars, the book's lack of depth and reliance on predictable tropes contribute to a sense of missed opportunities for a more enriching reading experience.

At first, I was enjoying the premise of a gender-flipped take on Sabrina--a buttoned-up older sibling must distract their promiscuous younger sibling from the suddenly-hot neighbor who's always carried a torch for them. But this one lost steam fast. The characters got together so easily, and then just had so much sex, the plot kind of went by the wayside. I'm not a person who minds spiciness, but it started getting boring. Also, it's hard to write BDSM in a way that doesn't seem kind of goofy or cringey. Anyway.

Another issue is that the characters are supposed to be 26 and 28, apparently in the present-day (driving Teslas and building apps), but they seem to have GenX/Millennial tastes and traits. In high school, Deanna dated goth guys and wore combat boots. Lexi's seduction music is Sade. Their mother loved Fleetwood Mac and 70s singer-songwriters. It all sounds like people born in the early 80s, not late 90s.

And finally, for some reason, River's specialty is "Eggs Benedict" (with both words capitalized), which he whips up spontaneously, and which he and Deanna eat "slices" of. Does the author mean an omelet? Because eggs Benedict requires such ingredients as: English muffins, Canadian bacon, lemon juice, and probably a thermometer for poaching the eggs. Would someone who microwaves oatmeal every morning have all that?

Maybe it's somebody's cup of tea, but I was skimming by the middle of the book. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

I have not read anything by this author before, but I will definitely be looking out for their work in the future. I loved seeing the story unfold and seeing the characters grow.

The Neighbor Wager is a book about two people; one who believes in love, and one who believes in science. River and Deanna believe fundamentally different things when it comes to relationships and they wager on it. The catch? He's had his sights set on her sister for over a decade.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*


I have a lot of different feelings about this book. Kaswell wrote compelling characters in River and Deanna, and I truly didn't know how they were going to overcome the obstacle of his infatuation with her sister, Lexi. It gets resolved towards the end and I really appreciated the thoughtfulness that went into River's description of the idea of a what-if or an out-of-reach person, but I wish it was a conversation the characters would have had earlier in the book or he would have had an internal monologue about earlier. While the characters didn't really acknowledge the elephant in the room - that they'd made this wager so he could date her sister - it made me uncomfortable during the growth of their relationship. With such a constrained timeline (2-3 weeks!), it felt a little rushed and if you don't like insta-lust, prepare yourself. The "wager" doesn't feel fully explored either - what has he done to prove there's magic other than to make her fall in love with him, which wasn't even his intention?

This book came so close to being fantastic for me, but there are a couple big misses for me: the timeline, not acknowledging the reason for the wager, and the resolution of the third-act breakup fell flat. I was left with a few more questions than answers. That said, it was hilarious and the characters really do have a bond that I was rooting for and loved to see brought to life.

Crystal Kaswell invites readers on a journey of love and discovery in "The Neighbor Wager," where the complexities of human attraction take center stage. As a devoted bookworm, I found myself drawn into the lives of River, Lexi, and Deanna, each navigating their own paths in the unpredictable landscape of romance.

Nostalgia and New Beginnings:
River's transformation from the nerdy boy next door to a tattooed heartthrob resonated deeply with my own memories of teenage crushes and the surprises of adulthood. Kaswell beautifully captures the bittersweet nostalgia of first love and the excitement of unexpected connections.

Friendship, Love, and Complications:
At the heart of the story lies a tangled web of emotions as River, Lexi, and Deanna navigate the complexities of friendship, attraction, and professional duty. As a fellow bookworm, I found myself rooting for each character as they grappled with their own desires and uncertainties.

The Science of Attraction:
Kaswell skillfully weaves together themes of love, compatibility, and self-discovery, inviting readers to ponder the intricacies of human relationships. Through the lens of Deanna's dating app experiment, we are reminded that love is not always straightforward and that true connections can be found in the most unexpected places.

A Heartfelt Exploration:
"The Neighbor Wager" is more than just a romance—it's a heartfelt exploration of the human heart and the journey to finding oneself amidst the complexities of love. As a bookworm who treasures stories that delve deep into the human experience, I found Kaswell's tale to be both relatable and thought-provoking.

In conclusion, "The Neighbor Wager" is a captivating read that celebrates the beauty of love in all its complexities. Crystal Kaswell's masterful storytelling and engaging characters make this book a must-read for any bookworm looking for a heartfelt romance with depth and substance. 📖💕

This book has an adorable cover. The content inside that adorable cover is another story. The book can be summarized as two rich California sisters make a dating app. One is pretty and blonde and the perfect woman and the other is sharp, severe, and loves programming and combat boots. Their formerly-nerdy-now-hot-with-tattoos neighbor has a crush on the perfect blonde one but makes a wager and hangs out with the brunette one. Take a wild guess to see what happens next. It’s two horny people hanging out and thinking about sex for 80% of the book and it just came off as spoiled rich people getting everything without much effort. There just wasn’t much depth even though both main characters had loss of their moms in their lives. I had much higher hopes but this fell flat. 1.5⭐️, 3🌶

Thanks to NetGalley for this copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
This is my first Crystal Kaswell book and I really enjoyed it!
River and Deanna are awesome and have great chemistry. I became a bit bored at times of the internal monologue, but overall it was a fun, quick read. I really loved all the places and the characterisation of the Southern California society. Also, the spice was very nice and well written.

I enjoyed the Harrison Ford version of Sabrina so I assumed I would enjoy this gender-bending retelling as well. And I did. It was fun, it was spicy. It did have some cringey moments (ahem*Jake*ahem) and the plot all but disappeared in the middle of the story in favor of the spice.
But overall it was a quick, fun update to the original story that I binged in a single day. I will read more from this author.

3.75 stars

2.5 out of 5 stars

I wish I had enjoyed this book more than I did. I believe this book looked super promising but it ended up falling flat for me. I did thoroughly enjoy River’s character. I did have a bit of a hard time with some of the emotionally heavy parts of the book. It wasn’t something that I expected. I appreciated the motives each character presented to the table even if they didn’t make sense to me. I am hopeful that I enjoy other books by this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for a copy of this book. This isn’t the first book I’ve read from this author. However, it was my least favorite. I found myself reading the book just to finish it. I did enjoy some parts of the book mainly when the 2 main characters get together but that was the only enjoyable moment for me. I also don’t think the title of the book matched the storyline of the book.

This writing style in this book is intense and deeply emotional. It doesn’t have the light-hearted sensibility I expected from the cover.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for this book.

Fell in love with the characters River! He tweaked my interest from the start. Deanna and Lexi were interesting ad well.

I enjoyed the story, but fount in progressed a bit slowly and would have enjoyed a bit more action and controversy

Overall a good book.

This is a totally generic rom-com — not that there’s anything wrong with that. It is absolutely marketed as a gender bent Sabrina and I can see it. The sisters having each dated the MMC comes off a little weird to me and maybe it’s just that it is not my cup of tea, but it made me lose interest a little bit.

With the sisters, Deanna and Lexi, producing a dating app. While the proof is well showcased through Lexi’s relationship with Jake, we all find out that sometimes the thing you need is not what you expected as she decides to play the field.

I did enjoy the whole wager to prove that love is not logarithmic in nature, and the banter was on point. The chemistry is there between them and the forced proximity had me delighted. The ending was still satisfying and well deserved!


Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Crystal Kaswell for the eARC!

Overall, this was a cute read, and I enjoyed the overall premise. While I loved the relationships we were able to see begin, grow, or develop deeper between Lexi and Jake, Lexi and Deanna, and River and Deanna, I somehow found it hard to connect to the characters individually. While I found myself rooting for our sisters to understand each other more, and Deanna to stop thinking so logically, I wasn't personally invested in their HEA as individuals as much as I was in their partnerships.

I found the exploration and discovery of what love truly is and how it can look different for each person to be beautiful and think it provided an opportunity for readers whether they are in happy and fulfilling relationships or still looking for their person to connect. Deanna and River's time spent exploring and discovering each other was also, on point. ;)

I found myself really bored with this book. It just seemed like a very generic romance book that wasn't well thought out. Did not seem very original. I found myself not caring about the characters.