How to Love Your Neighbor

by Sophie Sullivan

• ISBN10: 1250624185
• ISBN13: 9781250624185
• Publish Date: 18 January 2022
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: St. Martin's Griffin
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[The Romantic Comedy Book Club]

Off the cusp of finishing a steamy book by Lauren Blakely, Sophie Sullivan takes me to the opposite end of the spectrum with a wholesome, fun, heartwarming enemies to lovers (with a splash of grumpy vs sunshine) tale about two neighbors so much alike, they can’t help but fall in love.

How to Love Your Neighbor follows the life of Grace Travis, an interior design student/dog walker/barista/impromptu home health care aid (think Jennifer Lopez in Monster-in Law) that has inherited her grandparents’ home. A natural people pleasure, Grace has put off moving into her new house until she finally decides Morty (her surrogate grandfather) will be just fine on his own. The problem is, Grace have left the house unattended for so long that her neighbor Noah Jansen believes it is abandoned. Having eyed the uninhabited lot next to him, he has envisioned expanding his property and building a pool, reclaiming some of this favorite memories from his childhood.

Trouble arises when Noah, who is used to getting his way as a shark-type real estate developer and negotiator, is faced with someone who believes in the sentimental value rather than dollar signs. Not wanting to take “no” for an answer, Noah is determined to persuade Grace to sell her property, not realizing he has finally found a worthy adversary. Noah is in over his head as nothing is life has prepared him for what’s about to happen when he goes toe to toe with Grace.

This is truly a slow-burn romance. I felt as if the book moved at the exact pace of the relationship. For this reason, it did feel a little drawn out, losing my attention at moments but quickly bringing it back with a witty comment or an “aww”-type heart clinching sentiment. Sophie does an phenomenal job providing the reader with a full glimpse into the minds of the main characters; however, I did feel like some storylines were introduced but then abandoned or haphazardly concluded.

While the story between Grace and Noah was lighthearted and gave the reader the “warm and fuzzies”, the deeper, character developing arcs that may have been created to give the characters more range and emotional growth, were a little shortchanged – creating a void of what-ifs, what happened, and what could have been instead of resolutions and conclusions.

This book is perfect for someone who doesn’t want the gut wrenching suspense or heart splaying, emotional drain of some romantic comedies or the steamy/lust field scenes of others. How to Love Your Neighbor is great for anyway who wants to keep it light and just needs a reminder that anything is possible, there is someone for everyone, and friendship is what makes the world go round.

[Inkslinger]

'How to Love Your Neighbor' by Sophie Sullivan is a pretty straight-forward grumpy sunshine romance.  

 

Still in interior design school, Grace inheirits a house from the grandparents she never knew. Estranged from her mom, she sees the little beach house as a perfect opportunity to find a way to connect with her familial roots.  

 

Intending to move in and fix it up, her plans become complicated when the hot guy from the dogwalking incident turns out to be her wealthy neighbor. A pushy real estate developer who's used to getting what he wants, this time he wants her property. With the idea anything can be had for the right price and determined to expand his own place.. netting him coverage in a big magazine and the fresh start he craves, she's the only thing standing in his way.

 

While they're obviously attracted to each other, the two neighbors clash constantly. They have extremely different backgrounds and approaches to life, even if there are hidden commonalities under all that.  

 

As much as Noah comes across sometimes like an all out jerk, very similar things are motivating them both. Despite the fact he can be a bit unaware of those around him, deep down.. he's actually kind of lovely. Not to mention hot and charismatic.

 

Grace.. herself.. is relatable and down to earth. Her struggles are reasonable, he frustrations are understandable, and ultimately she's a warm person who sort of blossoms around Noah.

 

The banter between them is great and often feels very realistic. I've had some of the same types of conversations I witnessed between them and I love that genuine, easy dialogue. Since my opinion is that dialogue is the hardest part to write well in any form of media, I applaud Sullivan for getting it so right.

 

Though I read romance only occasionally, I can't wait to see more work from this author. It's a light, fun read.. that still manages to have substance.

 

(I received this title as an ARC. All opinions are mine and freely given.)

[chymerra]

I was a little iffy about reading and reviewing How to Love Your Neighbor. I had been getting away from contemporary romances. No real reason; I just hadn’t been reading them as much as I had been. Then, I got the invite for How to Love Your Neighbor, and the blurb called to me. I thought it would be an enemy to lover’s romance, but it wasn’t. There was so much more to this book than what the blurb let on, and I am pretty happy that I read it.

How to Love Your Neighbors had a funny and engaging plotline. Grace is a fledgling interior designer who decided to move into her grandparents’ house. Noah is a big-shot real estate investor who moved from NYC to CA to get out from under his father’s thumb. They unofficially meet when the dogs from Grace’s side gig of dog walking bowl Noah over on the beach. They officially meet when Grace moves into her grandparent’s house, and Noah asks her to sell it to him to build a pool. But, when a prestigious home decor magazine takes notice of both Noah’s house and Grace’s talent, they are forced to work together. The more their feelings for each other grow, the more they are determined to fight it. But what happens when they don’t? Can they have a relationship and a good working relationship? Or will everything go back to what it was once the home rehab and magazine spread is done?

I loved Grace in How to Love Your Neighbor. She came from a rough upbringing (not knowing her father and a mother who could care less about her), and she was on track to realizing her dream. Inheriting her grandparent’s house, a space she could call her own, was a dream come true. So, I didn’t blame her when she acted the way she did when Noah came over and asked to buy the house. I also understood why she deliberately let Noah think that she couldn’t do the things that men “traditionally” do, and I loved it when she showed him up. But, there was also another side of Grace that made me sad. She wanted a relationship with her mother, and her mother (one of the most selfish characters I have ever read) took advantage of that. Unfortunately, it is a struggle that many adults with toxic parents deal with, and I liked how Grace ended up resolving it.

I loved Noah also. I will admit that I did get the wrong impression of him during the book’s first few chapters. He did come across as a pretty crappy guy. But, as the author went into his character’s background, I grew to love him. He was dealing with so much from his father, and he was also trying to find his way in CA. He spent a good part of the book feeling like he wasn’t amounting to anything and not getting anywhere. It wasn’t until almost the end that things started to come together for him.

The romance angle of the book was so sweet. I loved watching Grace and Noah fall in love. They both fought it, making it so much more precious to read.

There are a couple of nongraphic sex scenes in How to Love Your Neighbor. Now, I don’t mind explicit sex scenes, but nongraphic was the way to go in a book like this.

The end of How to Love Your Neighbor was your typical HEA. But what I loved was the epilogue (even if it wasn’t called that). It made me unbelievably happy, and looking forward to reading book 2.

I would recommend How to Love You Neighbor to anyone over 16. There are mild language and non-explicit sex scenes.