*I received a free copy of The Girl Next Door from Carina Adores via ARC Publisher. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *
Warning: This book includes mature content such as: sexual content, and/or drug and/or alcohol use, and/or violence.
Published by Carina Adores on 26 May 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBT, Romance
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: ARC Publisher
The opposites-attract, sweet-and-sexy small-town romance you’ve been waiting for.
Iris Turner hightailed it out of Salty Cove, Maine, without so much as a backward glance. Which is why finding herself back in her hometown—in her childhood bedroom, no less—has the normally upbeat Iris feeling a bit down and out. Her spirits get a much-needed lift, though, at the sight of the sexy girl next door.
No one knows why Jude Wicks is back in Salty Cove, and that’s just how she likes it. Jude never imagined she’d be once again living in her parents’ house, never mind hauling lobster like a local. But the solitude is just what she needs—until Iris tempts her to open up.
A no-strings summer fling seems like the perfect distraction for both women. Jude rides a motorcycle, kisses hard and gives Iris the perfect distraction from her tangled mess of a life. But come September, Iris is still determined to get out of this zero-stoplight town.
That is, unless Jude can give her a reason to stay…
The Girl Next Door is a beautifully written romance, in which the two women are more than a little hesitant at first.
I haven’t read many f/f romances, and I’m really happy I got my hands on The Girl Next Door! As with all of Ms. Cameron’s novels, the characters hold the story and keeps it moving forward. Both Iris and Jude were great characters. They had emotionally suffered in the past, and were a little careful with their heart, but there was still a lot of hope in the novel.
The Girl Next Door starts with Iris moving back home after some trouble, and losing her job. She never wanted to come back to her little town in Maine again, but feeling like she had no choice, she packed a few belongings and went back to her parents’ house. The very first night, she saw Jude arriving home on her motorcycle – and she remembered how much she admired Jude in the past.
There was a definite attraction from the beginning of The Girl Next Door, but the two women took the time to get to know each other – and to try to figure out if they dared believing in anything more than friendship ever again.
Iris’ parents were the best. Exactly the way I love my fictional parents to act in every way. They were supportive of Iris, and they wanted Jude to smile again, too. The Girl Next Door is both cute and profound, because dealing with hurt that has installed itself on the inside is never easy. And because they had both had to deal with narrow-minded people, being in a small town where everybody knows each other didn’t make things easier for either of them.
The Girl Next Door is a beautiful romance, and if you enjoy stories that make your heart happy, where the characters truly make you want to meet them – pick this one up!
About the Author:
Chelsea M. Cameron is a New York Times, USA Today and internationally bestselling author from Maine who now lives and works in Boston. She’s a red velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, vegetarian, former cheerleader, and world’s worst video gamer. When not writing, she enjoys watching infomercials, tweeting, and playing fetch with her cat, Sassenach. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Maine, Orono that she promptly abandoned to write about the people in her own head. More often than not, these people turn out to be just as weird as she is. Visit her at www.chelseamcameron.com.
Connect with Chelsea M. Cameron
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2020 COYER all year long
- 2020 New Release Challenge
I’ve been wanting to try more in this genre and I’d love to read this book:)
You should get a copy, Laura, it’s really good, and I loved the character development, as well as the way especially Jude resisted her attraction 🙂
I’m even more excited about reading this book now. Thanks for sharing your review 🙂
YAY! I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!