I can't expres how much I enjoyed this toaster-oven sweet romance story.

Kim moves into her new apartment with her son and comes across her neighbour Riley. They hit it off and start a great friendship. Their lives interwine more and more and somehow there is some fake dating involved.

I actually really liked how they were both very likeable and so respectful of each others boundaries and thoughts. It's a slow burn but not once did I think it was going too slow. The pacing was just right.

An ARC was provided to me via Netgalley in return of an honest review.

This book was so engaging I finished it in one day. I loved everything about it, from the multi-faceted main characters with great chemistry, to Tyler and Cari who felt equally real, to the other supporting characters like Tina and Kim’s dad. It was a slow burn but the author managed to grab my attention and hold onto it. Whilst one of the main characters was straight, the author had avoided any unnecessary coming out drama which I appreciated.

Both sweet and spicy, this books is perfect for sitting in the shade and devouring Riley and Kim's story in one sitting.

Sommers is an expert at building the tension, while keeping things light and giving you plenty of characters to fall in love with.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book. I am a fan of Rachael Sommers books so i was already happy to read a new one. This is a light and breezy read. Not too much angst and i loved all the characters. Riley and Kim start out with a friendship first and then it develops. I like that Riley became friends with Tyler before anything developed with Kim. this was just a really good story. I just wished it was a little longer.

I received a free copy from Net Galley for an unbiased review.

This book had likable characters with a good story line. It was a very slow burn, but I still enjoyed it.

"Authentic Emotions. Riley's bond with Tyler feels sincere, adding a layer of honesty to this book. I also appreciated the genuine relationship between Riley and Kim. If you're looking for a pleasant story without excessive drama, I highly recommend this book."

The story revolves around Riley and Kim. Riley and her pup Cari, have moved next door to Kim and her son, Tyler. Tyler instantly falls in love with Cari, which in turns has Riley and Kim spending more time together. Kim and her family do not have a great relationship and to have them stop trying to set her up with eligible bachelors, Kim asked Riley to be her fake girlfriend. What is meant to have them back off backfires and her family slowly accepts the Riley. And the women find that they may be more than friends already.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've received an ARC from NetGalley and am writing this review voluntarily.

I like Rachael Sommers's book. My favorite book of hers is Never Say Never. She writes compelling stories with small twists but low angst. This book has little to no angst.

The story starts with Riley Foster shifting into the next-door apartment of Kim Jackson. She is a tattoo artist, footballer, dog mama, a lesbian, and later becomes a friend and lover of Kim's baking. Kim, who is a baker, has a son, straight, open to finding a suitable partner after finding her footing in her personal and professional life.

They met and formed a mutually dependent friendship thanks to her dog-cum skate-cum-football loving son. After a few mishaps here and there, all three of them along with Riley's sister, found their rhythm and helped each other out in navigating their everyday life.
The twist happened when they had to fake their relationship as a partner at Kim's parents' anniversary. The story progressed with a few hiccups from here onwards.

The characters in the book were good but the development of those characters is not there. The initial brief descriptions are there but later never touched upon. For example, Kim's doctor's elder sister. She flaunted her husband and job in front of her family and nagged Kim for her lack of career aspirations and family. The way the description is written, I thought there would be some development in her sister's life. The dates Kim linked with were really misogynistic to the point of blech.

The book is light and the story is straightforward. If you want some light reading, you can go ahead with this one.

This was a good read. The author take the time for the readers to get to know the characters. And it shows that you are trying to get the couple together quickly however it doesn't happen as fast. It still an enjoyable story.

Love Next Door is a slow-burn romance with a great cast of characters and a well-developed plot. Riley moves in next door to Kim, and they begin a tentative friendship when Tyler, Kim's son, falls in love with Cari, Riley's dog. Slowly, they begin to spend more and more time together and develop a close friendship. Both main characters are well-developed. We get to learn Kim's and Riley's individual histories and understand their motivations and personalities. Tyler is also great, Sommers has a real talent for writing children. The dog, Cari, gives us some sweet moments as well. The secondary characters are also interesting, well-developed, and provide funny moments in the story. While I knew this was going to be a slow-burn, it felt just a little bit too slow for me, even if it was done masterfully. There is no angst in the main plot, although some of Riley's history with her family isn't good, it's only briefly mentioned to explain her current situation. If you want a sweet, well written romance with the bonus of a smart kid and a cute dog that will lift your spirits, Love Next Door is the book for you.

Love Next Door was exactly the kind of novel I needed this week. It's a beautifully slow burn that perfectly develops its characters both individually and together. Their chemistry build-up is sweet and hot at the same time, making it worth the wait. The main characters, a hot tattoo artist and a baker, are sweet and well-matched, with Tyler adding an extra layer of sweetness to the story.

Rachael Sommers has crafted a delightful read with well-developed dialogue and characters. If you're in the mood for a slow burn romance, this will perfectly fit the bill.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Ylva Publishing for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Beware, this was a slowburn with S. If you are not into in you might be frustrated. Personally, I love them. Sommers took the time to develop both characters and their relationship. It made it realistic. They slowly settles in the others life, interacting with respective friends and family until they realize they are what each other was looking for. There self doubt of liking a woman for the first time was well dosed and I was invested. Side characters are mostly supportive and it really makes you feel like you are slowly taken into there world and bring sweetness to the story.
Overall if you are looking for extra steamy and passion this book is not what you are looking for. But if you like really sweet slow burn with really endearing characters and no unecessary drama it’s the perfect read.

One of my favorite authors and this book was excellent. The characters were likable and the writing flowed nicely

As the blurb says on the back this is simply a nice lesbian romance. Two single women, one with a nine year old son Tyler.
From their first meeting both Kim and Riley were drawn to each other. Mind you Kim had been married to a man, John, but had divorced long ago. John has found a nice lady who appeared to love Tyler as much as they did. Kim has been out a few times but there was always something wrong with her dates. At first when she met Riley she knew she liked her but….
The first time Riley met Kim she knew she was going to enjoy having both Kim and Tyler as neighbors. Tyler loved ‘Cari’, Rileys dog and was constantly asking to walk him. As feelings grew between them Riley wasn’t sure of Kim’s reaction to dating a woman.
Ms Sommers gave us what I’m always looking for. Don’t get me wrong I love a good mystery murder, what have you but at times all I want is a book like ‘Love Next Door’. Very, very enjoyable read.

sweet little lesbian romance about apartment neighbors going from friends to lovers, but so much built up tension for just okay dates and sex

Lovely romance between two characters you can't help but like. Coupled with a dog and a cute kid there's not much else to wish for. The budding friendship moving to a relationship felt genuine and moved at the perfect pace. You could argue the realization of suddenly being gay was a bit too smooth and easy but in all honesty, sometimes that is just that: easy. For me I kinda liked the not overly dramatic reactions from people other and the not having an existential crisis because of a lesbian crush. So, if you are looking for a uncomplicated, sweet romance between two adorable main characters then this is the book for you. But if you like your books full of angst then your enjoyment might be a little less than mine.

*** I left this review voluntarily after receiving an ARC ***

This was a sweet, slow burn romance. I enjoyed the slow development of the plot/relationship. Riley moves to a new apartment and befriends her neighbor Kim. Kim is focused on developing her business and raising her son. The friendship is immediate while it takes Kim time to acknowledge her feelings for Riley. I really enjoyed this story!

Thank you NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for the ARC.

Sweet, steamy sapphic romance. This one had a good storyline, and really interesting characters. I enjoyed the slow burn as much as the spicy scenes!

After having read several of Rachael Sommers’ books I’ve learned a few things, Number one, she does slow burns like nobody’s business (her last novel not withstanding). And two, if you’re looking for an author who you can count on to create believable chemistry and completely suck you into the story she won’t let you down. If you haven’t already, add this book to your TBR list immediately and Ms. Summers to your auto-buy authors!

PS - Also if you haven’t read Chemistry yet do yourself a favor and read it immediately. Or listen. Lori Prince does an incredible job with the narration as usual.

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and all opinions are my own.

This burn was wayyyyy too slow for me. If that’s your thing, this is a great choice, but the chemistry wasn’t there for me which made it a tough read. Until the last 25% and then I breezed through and enjoyed watching their love story bloom. Both characters are sweet and well-developed. They match each other well, and Tyler was a highlight.

Short summary: When Kim’s new neighbor moves in, Kim is mildly annoyed when her son is swept away by the woman’s dog. Soon they’re seeing more of each other and Kim begins to wonder if maybe she’d like to be swept away too…

Thanks to Netgalley and Ylva. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.