Thank you to Helena Hunting, her team, and the Montlake Romance team for the advance reader copy of Love Next Door, the first Lakeside story. This story releases on July 27th!
It is always very exciting to get a traditionally published romantic comedy-style book from Helena Hunting. I have worked with Montlake Romance in the past but Helena has never written with them. Happy to see two of my faves working together.
I am a member of Helena Hunting’s review team, but I stand by my reviews remaining honest and true.
Check out the Goodreads synopsis…
“When Dillion Stitch left her hometown, she had no intention of going back. But when her brother gets into trouble, Dillion reluctantly agrees to return home to take her place at the family business.
Being back in Pearl Lake after all these years feels familiar, but also brings a few surprises. She’s quick to notice that someone new has shown up at the cottage next door. Dillion gets more than an eyeful when she goes to check out the newcomer and meets Donovan “Van” Firestone—her beloved neighbor’s grandson—in all his unclothed glory.
Having gotten off to a rocky start, it’s not long before they begin bickering with each other all over town. All that back and forth inevitably sparks an undeniable attraction. But Dillion’s family has issues, Van’s family resents him, and neither Dillion nor Van feels truly at ease in the small town. For these Pearl Lake exiles, home isn’t just where the heart is—it’s where things get complicated.”
Check out my more detailed thoughts below…
- Characters: Dillion and Van are the main characters of this romance. Dillion grew up in Pearl Lake and when she had the opportunity to move to the big city she was up and off. Now post-break up and out of a job she is back to help her family out and to have a place to land for a bit. I really loved Dillion’s character as she is that fun mix of strongwilled and stubborn. She was a great heroine and Van was a great hero. Van ends up being Dillion’s neighbour as he inherits the house next door from his late grandmother and returns to pack it up. Van spent some summers there as a kid, but by no means is he a true local. Van matches Dillion in hardheadedness, but also an immense sense of determination. All around two A+ characters. There were so many interesting side characters so I am excited to see whom the next Lakeside story would be about.
- Setting: The story is set in Pearl Lake. Helena has discussed how the setting is directly inspired by Cottage Country, Ontario, Canada. I have never been because I am a bad Canadian who has never been to Ontario. Cottage Country is very special to my boyfriend and if the pandemic had not happened. We did have plans to go to one of his friend’s place but naturally, it was not safe to go. The setting was great for this story, as it was two older people returning home to a place they both loved in their youth. I loved the dichotomy of the tourist side and the locals side. I cannot wait to read more about the town’s dynamics in future installments.
- Pacing: I really enjoyed the pace that this story took. Nothing felt too rushed, either learning about each character and the romance itself. I read this book pretty fast and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a vacation read for this summer.
- Romance: This romance was great. Dillion and Van have a major roadblock in front of them, whether or not they will both stay in Pearl Lake. It is a classic burden put in front of many romance characters. I loved how much they struggled to stay away from each other. There were so many great scenes, that I for sure do not want to spoil. So I beg you pick up Dillion and Van’s romance and get whisked away to Pearl Lake.
Love Next Door receives five out of five stars.
You can pick up the story below…
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3oFVab6
Amazon Worldwide: https://geni.us/LoveNextDoorHH
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Thank you again to Helena and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!
