Covet thy Neighbor

Covet thy Neighbor
by Denise Carbo

This book is a nice light romantic romp. It contains all the requisite parts - the divorced mother of two; the ex-husband;; the mysterious neighbor and a cast of friends and family. While the story is what I would call a "beach read", it was entertaining and had some interesting lesser characters and enough side intrigue to let the reader know that this book is one of a series.

I would recommend the book to anyone who is coming off of some deep reads and needs a breath of fresh air.

Divorce is hard. Divorce with kids is harder.

Single mom, Olivia Banner, is trying to make ends meet by taking on more hours at her job, going back to school, and taking care of her twin boys. But when a mysterious new neighbor moves in next door, she can’t help but be intrigued.

Covet Thy Neighbor takes on a lot of the struggles you will find in divorce, such as sharing the responsibilities of kids, moving on and finding love, and even doubting your self-worth. The author did a great job at showing the realities and difficulties of two households rather than one, and keeping a strong family unit despite the divorce.

Being a single mom to her twin sons keeps Olivia Banner on her toes. Add in her ex-husband, her ex-mother-in-law, her parents, going back to school for her marketing degree while working, the last thing on her mind is love. But her sexy as sin neighbor, Luke, oozes mystery and intrigue. Her imagination takes over and she can’t quite help herself in thinking Luke might be a serial killer. They clash, which only makes her more protective of her sons. But as time goes by, they develop a sort of friendship. He remains aloof while her attraction only grows. Does he like her or is she reading too much in his signals? When her ex-husband drops a bombshell, Olivia must choose between the past and the future. Love can be rocky, especially when you covet thy neighbor.


Covet thy Neighbor is a contemporary romance I thoroughly enjoyed. From the beginning until the very end, we travel the rocky road of romance with all the drama and emotion that goes along with it. I connected with Olivia and I loved the fact that she’s a single mom yet tries to figure out dating and doing what’s best for her family. Her struggles are portrayed honestly which added to my enjoyment of the story. Olivia is such a caring woman and I kept rooting for her to go after what she wanted. The plot moves at a nice easy pace with a full cast of characters. The characters themselves are so well written, they became a part of me. The dramatic tension between Olivia and Luke was very realistic and I found myself yelling at my e-reader. There’re some good life lessons here, while understated, which gave me something to think about. If you love romantic fiction, you’ll love Covet thy Neighbor. Brilliant written, Denise Carbo is a must-read for romance and women’s fiction readers. If you love women’s fiction, you’ll want to read Covet thy Neighbor. If you like reading single mom romance, you’ll fall in love with Covet thy Neighbor. Highly recommend!


My Rating: 5 stars

This was a great little romance. I really enjoyed it. It just flowed so easily and kept you engaged the whole way through.