Unlikely Neighbors was such a super cute, quick read! The writing was good, and I found myself completely drawn in by the witty banter between the main male and female characters. Their dynamic felt natural and engaging, adding a lot of charm to the story.

The plot was well-developed, and I especially loved the background story of the female main character. It felt unique and refreshing, not the "textbook" romance setup you often come across. Every detail served a purpose, with no unnecessary context dragging things down and out.

If you're looking for a romance that’s both heartwarming and well-written, I’d definitely recommend Unlikely Neighbors!

Unlikely Neighbors by Renee Daniel Flagler strikes the perfect balance between emotional depth and irresistible chemistry. Holland Davenport’s journey from her quiet Southern roots to the chaos and charm of Brooklyn captivated me from the start. The premise—a surprise inheritance that brings her to a dilapidated brownstone and an intriguing next-door neighbour—sets the stage for a heartfelt and spicy romance.
Holland is the kind of protagonist you can’t help but root for. Her determination to renovate her new home and her understanding of her family’s history is inspiring. She’s fiery, vulnerable, and refreshingly honest. And then there’s Noble Washington—polished, driven, and impossibly magnetic. Their chemistry is undeniable, sparking from their first meeting and building to passionate and deeply emotional moments.
The backdrop of Brooklyn adds so much character to the story, almost like another cast member. The community vibe, the challenges of city life, and Holland’s navigation of this new environment are beautifully woven into the narrative. Noble’s struggle to maintain boundaries while his life intertwines with Holland’s feels authentic and relatable, and their dynamic is equal parts tension and tenderness.
What stood out most was how the book balances romance with self-discovery. Holland and Noble are on personal journeys that make their connection more meaningful. The obstacles they face—both external and internal—are written with such nuance that I found myself fully invested in their growth, individually and as a couple.
This is one of those romances that lingers long after the last page, leaving you with a smile and a whole heart. Flagler delivers a story that’s as sizzling as it is soulful, making it impossible to put down.

Noble and Holland
This is a very slow burn. Noble and Hollands love story was formed in a very unlikely way. Holland travels to New York to inherit her great aunts house and discovered everything that she didn’t know she needed. They both healed each other from broken hearts left by parents and life circumstances. I’m glad that Holland got all the answers to her questions and Noble got to experience real love in a relationship.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley to review. I loved this book so much. Holland was preparing to start over after a health scare. She receives a letter to claim an inheritance from her late great aunt that she knew nothing about because she is adopted. Once she gets to New York, she finds out information about her biological family. While in New York, she meets and falls for her next-door neighbor Noble. Noble is struggling to find his purpose after being forced out of the company he started. Reading these two fall for each other was beautiful. The way Noble was there for Holland during all of her discoveries about her family was everything. The major secret about Holland's adoptive mother was shocking. I wasn't expecting that at all. I loved watching the growth of these two throughout the book. Holland and Nobke deserved all the happiness they received.

This book was a fun read. The banter between the characters had me cracking up out loud. I love a romance where the spice isn't the center of the story, and both Holland and Noble had so much going on in their personal lives I found myself more invested in them as individuals than as a couple. This isn't to say that I didn't enjoy their love story, I just could be more locked into their individual plots because I knew they would be together in the end. I would have wanted a little more on what was happening with the disease that killed 4 mentioned characters because it felt like an afterthought in the plot. I would have also liked more consequences for Ma instead of rapid forgiveness, and I still don't trust Tim but overall I enjoyed the read and looked forward to diving in.

I really like the bones of the story. I always love an unconventional romance AND i love a black love story.

Something i struggled with was understanding what Holland looked like…i feel like Noble didn’t describe her looks or the essence of her without a huge sexy undertone until near the end of the story.

So i enjoyed the end more than the beginning because i really appreciate a descriptively illustrated love. Getting in people’s heads and understanding their feelings about each other.

This couple fell together through grief and also avoided talking about serious things regarding what they wanted from each other for 75% of the story.

I also felt that Patience was forgiven very easily. I’m surprised that wasn’t a more traumatic realization. Especially given that she had a cancer before moving to NYC & knowing her family history could have prevented all of that. Her childhood was also severely limited as Patience tried to hide her from her past. It’s pretty messed up and one way that trauma gets passed down through generations. I wish some of these topics were acknowledged with a bit more depth. I also understand that’s not really the goal for this romance.

Holland moves to New York after inheriting a home from a late relative. She quickly meets the cute neighbor next door (Noble) and sparks fly.

Noble has recently been released from his position as CEO. He feels lost without his title and realizes outside of his career he lacked a social life. Enter Holland who shakes things up for him.

This story started off cute enough for me. However I found myself wondering when we would get to a certain part of the book that was mentioned in the synopsis . It happens 80% into the book. At that point I knew we are entering 3rd act breakup territory and nothing is more annoying for me in a romance.

Both characters were dealing with their own drama. Holland was trying to find herself while discovering her biological family. Noble was trying to find out who he was outside of his career. They were both dealing with parental drama. There was also a cancer scare that could have been better addressed or more fleshed out.

I feel like we spent a lot of time repeating Nobles insecurities in his pov chapters and then crammed a lot of information into the last 20% of the book. I did enjoy the writing style but wasn’t a huge fan of the pace. 🥴

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. This was a cute read. Strangers to lovers is starting to become one of my favorite tropes. I love when the MMC falls hard.

I just finished reading an ARC of Unlikely Neighbors by Renee Daniel Flagler, and it’s a heartfelt opposites-attract romance that shows, as is often the case, how our differences aren’t always as significant to our deeper commonalities. Noble and Holland are relatable, especially as their overlapping interests, struggles, and passions emerge over time. The story unfolds naturally given the city, and specifically, the Brooklyn backdrop, which as a born and bred Brooklynite, reads like a plausible meet-cute, despite the characters socioeconomic differences.
The story begins with both characters facing significant life changes, which force them to embark on journeys of self-discovery, family dynamics, and a love story. As the novel goes on, we see how Noble and Holland manage these challenges and how they find comfort in one another.
Though clearly fictional, the story is written with enough realism to make the premise entirely plausible. There are a few minor plot holes, but they don’t detract from the overall enjoyment or emotional impact of the book. The spice level is also worth mentioning. It’s paced well, and there is instant, which remains consistent throughout. Let’s say medium-burn romance with a worthwhile buildup.
Unlikely Neighbors is a cute read for fans of contemporary romance in general and Black contemporary romance specifically.

Holland goes to NY to renovate/sell her estranged biological great aunts home after being notified of her passing. She meets her handsome neighbor Nobel who is looking for a new start. Instant chemistry and sparks….but they both have so many issues they need to resolve within themselves.

Hollands story was crazy!! Without any spoilers I’ll say this…she is a better person than me because there would be no forgiveness! It drove me nuts that it took her so long to get straight answers from her mother. Can we say narcissist?

Nobel!! That man is perfection. Patient, understanding and loving.

I ate this story up. I pushed it off for a few weeks because I had read a review saying it has “cutesy hallmark vibes”. That was incorrect. Although the love story has cute moments, this story dives deeper into family trauma, heartache and forgiveness.


Thank you Harlequin Romance for this Advance Readers Copy ebook in exchange for my honest review

Unlikely Neighbors is where the chemistry is undeniable, the attraction is unmistakable, and the secrets are just as soul-stirring. This book will leave you questioning whether love can truly conquer all.

The FMC (Holland) is finally ready to soar into her independence when an unexpected letter arrives in the mail. This sets her on a new path. It will lead her to self-discovery, found family, and hidden secrets. Oh! And a very cute neighbor.

The MMC (Noble) is a man who has given up his entire life for his career, and when an unexpected situation occurs at his business, he finds himself with lots of time on his hands. He’s trying to figure out what he wants to do while trying to deal with the real world.

When Holland and Noble meet for the first time, attraction is in the air. What would seem like an unlikely pair just seems to work. However, secrets are revealed that could tear them apart or bring them together.

Do I recommend? Yes

This book was just okay. It honestly felt clunky at parts and the characters felt older then what they actually were and sounded very immature at the same time which made the dialogue weird and cliched. It just didn't feel believable, honestly. This combination of things, tropes, etc can weight down a story and make it a chore to get through in a sense. Just the standard romance, no muss no fuss.

Thank you for the advance copy. The cover is what drew me to the book. This was a cute quick readThe main characters Holland and Noble were likable. The story line had some depth which I could appreciate. My favorite part of the story was Noble discovering himself after being removed as CEO from his company. Holland’s back story seemed a little all over the place. The romance portion of the book seemed a little rushed. I loved Holland being a country girl falling for the city boy and wished more time was spent on their relationship.

adorable and spicy, as expected from afterglow, they always deliver fun & fresh romances 😌✨🫶 i absolutely adored holland, noble & their story. a lot of romances talk about grief recently, so it’s important to make sure that a book brings something new to the table while not letting the grief overwhelm the romance— i think renee daniel flagler does an excellent job of toeing and maintaining that difficult balance. i will definitely be waiting to read more from this author!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Little slow for me, and not as much chemistry as I thought there needed to be.

Unlikely Neighbors by Renee Daniel Flagler is a delightful and spicy romance that weaves together themes of love, conflict, and personal growth, all set against the backdrop of a seemingly improbable connection. The novel delivers an engaging and often humorous story, exploring the opposites-attract trope in a refreshingly authentic way.

I really enjoyed reading this romance book, it had that element that I was hoping for. It was realistic and enjoyed how they felt in this story. The characters had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall concept going on. Renee Daniel Flagler has a strong writing style and was glad everything worked overall.

-This book was so cute! Holland & Noble were like a breath of fresh air. I enjoyed how they both had their own story lines but they somehow intertwined. This author did an amazing job with presenting griet & anxiety without making it too heavy for the reader. The strangers to lovers trope will always be a favorite of mine. Holland seemed to 90 through so much within such a short amount of time & noble was nothing but patient with her even with all of his issues. I've never heard of this author but I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style and will be looking forward to reading more of her work.
If you enjoy a funny, Lighthearted, spicy romance novel...
I suggest you get this book!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

What a great book!! It had me hooked from page one! I couldn’t put this down. I finished it in one sitting. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. This was a first for me by this author but it will not be my last!!

Renee Daniel Flagler ....YES MA'AM!!
I binged this real easy! The dual storyline, the strangers to lovers and found family tropes mixed with just enough spice to buck your eyes but not give you the ICK feeling. The turn Holland's life took after the death of her aunt had my mouth unhinged! This was a 5 star read for me! I will be keeping an eye out for this author!!