A nice heartwarming story. Riley moves into an apartment next door to Kim and her nine year old son. Starting as friends they both realise they want more.
Riley is a strong character who has a lot of love to give & she is great with Tyler Kims son. Kim is however not out thankfully they work it out. A lovely read thank you for advanced copy.

"Love Next Door" by Rachael Sommers is a delightful exploration of unexpected love and the blurred lines between friendship and romance. Set against the backdrop of a cozy neighborhood, reserved tattoo artist Riley Foster finds herself drawn to her vivacious neighbor, single mom Kim Jackson. What begins as a simple friendship evolves into something more complex as Riley navigates her feelings while grappling with the fear of falling for a straight woman. The story's charm lies in its authentic portrayal of the characters' internal struggles and the tender moments they share. As Riley and Kim embark on a journey filled with fake relationships and undeniable chemistry, readers are left pondering whether true love might indeed be closer than they think. Sommers beautifully captures the nuances of relationships and self-discovery, making "Love Next Door" a heartwarming read that will leave you rooting for love in unexpected places.

I got to read two books from this author back to back. I enjoyed the first a lot (Chemistry Aug 2022), I loved this one even more. Kim Jackson owns her own bakery and is raising her sweet nine year old son Tyler. Riley Foster is a tattoo artist and moves in across the hall. Riley is friendly and Tyler is smitten with her dog Cari. The two neighbors soon fall into an easy friendship and I love moments that include son Tyler. He feels like an extremely well behaved real kid.

This book is a slow burn as well with the main characters not really getting together for a long time. But I like that Riley is willing to pose as Kim’s new girlfriend with Kim planning to shock her family a bit. It’s funnier that she wins them over. This is a toaster oven romance with Kim having never thought she was anything but straight. Riley is very patient and understanding and when they do get together I like that there is some heat behind it. Also I appreciate that this book does a nice job of showing good co-parenting. Very enjoyable. Now that I’ve read the latest from the author I may need to find some earlier works. (4.5 Stars)

Literal 'girl (woman) next door' romance (4.5 stars)
If you want low angst and high fluff, an adorable kid and dog, likable main characters with cool jobs, and strong secondary characters this fits the bill. There's plenty of sweetness and heat, passion and goodness to go around along with a few tropes.
I always enjoy stories by Rachael Sommers and look forward to reading more of them when they're published in the future.

This is a sweet toaster-oven, straight to gay sapphic romance.
Riley is out and proud, a tattoo artist and moves in next door to Kim, a single mom with ann an adorable 9 year old son and baker that own her own bakery. They form a pretty instant friendship and Rlley ends up agreeing to be in a fake relationship with Kim to get her family off her back. Riley has already started developing feelings for Kim and struggles with keeping her feelings in check and settling for their close friendship.
The story develops sweetly, might be slow for some. I really enjoyed the relationship Riley develops with the 9 year old and how close and comfy she and Kim are.
Kim married young and had her son before realizing she and her husband outgrew each other. They maintain a good co parenting relationship, free of drama which was nice to see in this book. She has not thought about being with a woman and slowly begins to notice how much she enjoys Riley’s company, the way she loves and interacts with her son and that she feels jealous when Riley is out on dates. She is also dating, but not clicking with the men she meets. Will she be able to open up to the possibility that Riley is who she has been looking for?
I found it to be an enjoy read.

I always given this ARC by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The burn was so slow but oh so worth it in the end. All that built up tension being released was written to perfection. I absolutely loved both of the MCs and Tyler and Cari made the story that much sweeter. If you’re in the mood for a sloooow burn, toaster oven story with a hot tattoo artist and a baker that’ll leave you drooling for some pastries, pick this one up immediately.

Really becoming quite the fan of Rachael Sommers! This is the third book of hers that I’ve read and probably my favorite, friends to lovers, what can I say? Such a great storyline, loved the chemistry between these two. I was hooked on this book and finished it quickly. I will be happy to continue reading works by this author!

This was a very good novel, in a pure comfort food kind of way, which sometimes is exactly what you need. It was a simple and straightforward, low-angst, slow-burn, fake-dating, toaster oven, good time. There was a cute kid, a bakery owner and a tattoo artist, some family drama, and many inspiring or heartwarming moments. The writing was excellent, the characters were delightful and fun, and I had a good time reading it from start to finish. There were zero tropes or scenes that I disliked.

This was one of those novels that I thoroughly enjoyed reading and I would recommend to anyone and everyone. Its also one of those novels that I likely wont think back on too much, and that’s fine. There is a need for novels like this, which are very enjoyable and a lot of fun even if they aren’t groundbreaking or life changing. Its comfort food in a book. Sometimes you want to finish a novel and walk away with a warm and fuzzy, calm happiness, and this book delivered.

I liked the two main characters. They were well developed and had satisfying backstories. I was absolutely rooting for both of them, on their own and together. Their dynamic was great, and they were sweet together. Solid chemistry, even before they realized it. I loved all of the scenes where they were interacting with the one characters son, as it gave ample opportunity for everyone to be adorable, fun, and have heartwarming moments. The timeline wasn’t rushed, and the relationship was allowed to develop organically in a way that was believable. There was also a great cast of side characters that added a lot to the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love Next Door is a nice sweet love story with very little angst. Single mother Kim and bakery owner falls unexpectedly for her new neighbour, Riley a tattoo artist and a woman. Add a cute kid and adorable dog, it makes ann easy read. I enjoyed the story.

New neighbors form an instant friendship and develop a delicious slow burn romance.

I received an advance copy from Netgalley for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Kim and her son Tyler come home one day only to stumble across moving boxes in front of their appartement. Apparently the empty apartment next door has a new tenant. When the cutest dog ever runs out of the new neighbor’s house, Tyler is instantly smitten. Cari’s owner Riley is a striking woman covered in tattoos and Kim instantly likes her. I mean, who wouldn’t if someone lets your kid play with their dog anytime they want. Divorced for five years, Kim has been busy building her own bakery business. She has been on a few disastrous dates but soon she finds out she wants to spent her time with Riley and Tyler anyway. Then the kid comes home with the most ludicrous idea: Kim should take Riley to a family party as her fake girlfriend. It would be nice to see the shock on her awful mother’s face, but why does pretending to date Riley feel so good?

Riley can’t believe her luck. She just moved into her new apartment, the first one she’s ever lived in alone. Meeting her gorgeous new neighbor Kim and her charming son Tyler on the first day must have been fate. They get along like a house on fire. If only Riley could ignore her growing feelings for Kim. Straight Kim. So maybe it wasn’t the best idea to agree to be her pretend girlfriend. Apparently, Riley is a glutton for punishment. She just has to remind herself that it’s fake. It is fake, right?

If you like a nice slow burn, straight-to-gay story, this is a good one. It might have moved a little too slow for my taste, but otherwise it was very enjoyable. The connection that is building between Kim and Riley, helped along by adorable Tyler, is so clear, it’s jumping off the page! I might have wanted to nudge oblivious Kim into Riley’s arms a time or two. But! When they finally do figure it out, it’s as sweet as can be.

It was truly lovely to see Riley bond with Tyler over soccer and videogames. It was like she fell in love with him and family life at the same time she fell hard for Kim. And Kim couldn’t dream of anyone better to complete her family. The two women both have family issues but it’s great to see they never let those painful experiences come between them. There is space to process it all and it’s always heartwarming to see a couple that can properly communicate.

A very big part of the story is Riley’s struggle with her unrequited feelings. Kim does take her sweet time to figure out that everything she has ever dreamed of in a partner is something she has already built with Riley. When she does realize her feelings for Riley are not platonic, things happen fairly quickly. It’s great to see Kim not making a very big deal out of dating a woman while she assumed she was straight her whole life.

Another thing I liked is that Riley won over Kim’s dad instantly and even her toxic mother came around pretty fast. I love reading about women finding their own way in life despite not getting the support they deserve from their families and Kim and Riley are both good examples for that.

All in all this is a very sweet, toaster oven story!

3.5. Riley, a tattoo artist, moves next door a single mother, Kim. “Love Next Door”, is a superrrrr sweet friends to lovers romance with little to no drama. Slow burn with a cute dog, sweet kid and characters that learn they have a lot in common. I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A cute friends to lovers, toaster oven, slow burn. I enjoyed this sweet romance very much, a low drama between tattoo artist Riley and single mom Kim who become neighbours, then friends and, after a very slow burn, lovers.
Free ARC via NetGalley.

This book is an ultra slow burn, low angst, toaster oven, friends to lovers romance with spice. If those things all sound up your alley, then I can't suggest it enough. Slow burn isn't always my favorite trope, but Rachael Sommer's writing kept me engaged all the way to the very end and the reward was well worth the wait.

One thing I really appreciated about this book was just how believably chill it was. Sommers' managed to make the story low angst, without being totally out of left field. I think that speaks to how well the characters were developed, you get enough of their back story for the purpose of the storyline, no surprises, but no fluff either. So when monumental life changing decisions are made, and the characters are RELATIVELY calm about it, it's believable.

Overall 4.5/5, well worth a read.

**I was lucky enough to be given a ARC of this book through NetGalley**

Review posted to my Good Reads account

I didn't think that I would love this book as much as I did, it was light, cheerful. It filled me with happiness and had me cheering for all four characters (yes I do count any animal as a character).

If you like a cheerful read, filled with loveable characters and a slow burn romance then most certainly grab this - if you don't you should still grab it, you will be surprised.

Love Next Door is a friends to lovers story that takes place after Kim meets her new neighbor Riley. Kim had dated men so this was new to her but quickly realized what she wanted.
The family believed they were already dated so they pretended to do so and from there the sparks sparkled even brighter.
This is a sweet romance that you’ll enjoy.

Thank you #NetGalley #YLVVAPublishing #LoveNextDoor for this ARC

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley.

Baker and single mom Kim gets to know her new neighbor Riley that is a tattoo artist. Initially they are just friends and Rile is fantastic as a friend to both mother and son. Riley realizes that she has feelings for Kim but since she is straight she thinks she has no chance. However, with time Kim realized she also has feelings for Riley and must get a grip on this new reality. Of course with time they get their shit together and their relationship evolves to something fantastic and all is supported by Kim's son and family.

This was a lovely, feel-good, toaster-oven, very slow-burn romance about Riley, a tattoo artist and Kim, part owner of Bake My Day, a very popular baking company. Riley moved into the apartment next door to Kim and their bonding began immediately when Kim’s nine year old son, Tyler, became smitten with Riley’s dog, Cari. The relationship grew as they learned how much they had in common as well as the many similar life challenges they had faced. Life had not been easy for either of them.

Kim, divorced, always thought she was straight, and began to question her sexuality as her attraction to Riley grew. I love toaster-oven relationships and watching the awakening realizations. Rachael Sommers did a great job of presenting the situation and creating the story of how it evolved into passion.

I really enjoyed this book and my thanks go to NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Single Mom Kim meets her attractive new neighbor Riley, a local tattoo artist. Kim is a baker at Cake My Day. Riley's sister was kicked out when she came out, so Riley took her in. Now Riley is living on her own, again, but is quickly befriended by Kim and her son, Tyler.

Very slow burn, with Riley realizing she likes Kim but Kim being clueless until she figures out she'd rather be with Riley than dating a guy. There's also a fun subplot with them fake dating to get Kim's Mom to stop matchmaking.

Also really liked how well developed the supporting cast is. Lots of characters, but each distinct and well written. Overall a very good read.

This was such a sweet story, I could barely put it down.

Riley is a tattoo artist who, while moving into her new apartment, meets her neighbours, Tayler and his gorgeous mom Kim. As it's a sapphic romance I'm sure it's easy to guess where the story goes next.

I loved Riley and Kim as characters, they were very easy to like immediately. And so was the whole cast of characters in this story. But I have to say Tayler had a special soft spot in my heart.

This book had almost all my favourite tropes: single mom, fake dating, pining and slow burn. Honestly I couldn't wish for a better fit, and I practically sped through this book. It was such an enjoyable read it was exactly what I needed. If you're looking for a sweet romance this is the book for you. My only complaint is it was too short, I could spend way more time with these characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ylva Publishing for providing me with the arc.

Very sweet and tender sapphic romance.
I loved Kim and Riley’s relationship, how they went from lovely friends to a loving couple.
It was a bit of a slow burn, I wish i had more of them together.
Still, a heart-warming romance.