In Sunrise Bay brodelt die Gerüchteküche: Wer ist die schöne blonde Fremde, die neu in der Stadt ist? Cade Greene, der gemeinsam mit seinem Stiefbruder die örtliche Brauerei betreibt, kann kaum den Blick von Presley nehmen, als sie zum ersten Mal seine Bar betritt. Doch Presley hat einen Plan, der nicht jedem gefällt: Sie will direkt neben der Bar einen Buchladen aufmachen – dabei wollten die Greene-Brüder das Grundstück eigentlich selbst kaufen. Cade gerät zwischen die Fronten. Kann er die Frau lieben, die seinem Unternehmen im Weg steht?
Piper Rayne is a USA Today Bestselling author duo. Our goal is to bring you romance stories that have "Heartwarming Humor With a Side of Sizzle" (okay...you caught us, that's our tagline). A little about us... We both have kindle’s full of one-clickable books. We're both married to husbands who drive us to drink. We're both chauffeurs to our kids. Most of all, we love hot heroes and quirky heroines that make us laugh, and we hope you do, too.
R A T I N G: 3 stars to My Beautiful Neighbour ★ ★ ★
My Beautiful Neighbour is the first instalment of what I'm certain will be a family-angled saga for the Greene's of Sunrise Bay. I'm unfamiliar with Piper Rayne's Bailey series (ostensibly a reader favourite) but it's a pre-written series set in a neighbouring town that was a major inspiration for the big family vibe in The Greene Family series. As the opener to a tethered series, we’ve got the Greene clan who became an extended family after death devastated their lives. A new addition brought light and laughter back into their hearts but no less than four Greene sibling remains untouched by the tragedy, all still and somehow troubled by the loss that took from them, even more than a decade later, and My Beautiful Neighbour zeroes in on Cade Greene, eldest brother to his busybody siblings. Eldest and arguably the most unwilling to risk what could ruin him.
Sunrise Bay is Cade’s home. It's where he wants to be, where he needs to be, where he co-owns a bustling brewery with his step brother, and it's where his involved and tangled family fill the corners of their hometown. It's where his heart is and he wouldn't have it any other way. But gossip reaches a peak after the death of a townie brings Presley Knight away from her own home to the tighter community cluster of a small Alaskan town. She's high heels, big city and big money, but it's none of those things that draws the undivided attention of a man who's known for shielding his heart. The identity of the town newcomer stirs up the rumour mill Presley finds herself owner and inheritor of the neighbouring business to Cade's brewery, the same building that Cade's business partner (and step brother) had his heart set on for their own operational ambitions.
Piper Rayne build a wonderful quaint town in this family/community-centred romance. All the small town textures brand the setting. From overbearing family members who haven't mastered the art of minding their own business to a community of secretive and spirited senior retirees who may or may not enjoy a racy pastime and a collective of Greene's who are a small community within a small town community, the authors have created quite the open scene in Sunrise Bay. The style and aesthetic is equally very small town from the cobblestoned square to the requisite awnings. At first, I assumed this might engage the theme of an enemies to lovers, and when I quickly realised that really wasn't going to be the case, It mostly fits the pattern of one-sided suspicion when Presley believes that Cade's interest in her is underhanded.
PRESLEY: I really didn't know what to think of Piper Rayne's heroine when she stepped onto the page. She was neither here nor there for me as a leading lady. There wasn’t anything particularly interesting about her. I also didn't believe I'd progress to find anything interesting about her. But the more I became acquainted with her character, the more I did begin to admire the qualities in her. She's bold, unafraid, deals really well with the gossipmongering that coils through the town. She's completely new to the town but driven to find a life for herself in a place that's worlds apart from where she came from, and doesn't let anything derail her.
It's a new beginning for Presley, and one she accepts with little fuss. It really troubles me on a level of pure ownership when I read about an imbalanced hero/heroine dynamic, but I praise Presley's intent to hold down boundaries, maintaining her confidence and saying what needed to be said when it came down to it. I thought she handled the coming events, especially the drama with Cade really well. What did bother me was her quick forgiveness come the end. She accepted Cade's turnaround after just one explanation following the heartbreak he caused her. That style of swift resolution never sits well with me.
CADE: I'm very much in a hero-specific mood at the moment. I find myself wanting to read about charming, charismatic male leads with golden hearts coiled through with alpha ambition, and that's what Cade was. He's sweet, accommodating, very thoughtful and just a lovely man. He seemed almost reservedly smitten with Presley, always hoping for a chance with her despite her resistance (I love a hero who doesn't give up, who secretly wants more). So let it be known that I did not predict that he would be the runner in this romance. Here was my problem with Cade; I've read many adaptations of him. Many. The no-comittmant man, off-limits beyond the short-term, the emotionally unavailable bachelor with unresolved grief who only becomes available when the story finds its end. I can sympathise with a troubled hero but not when I’m patiently waiting for a change said lead has no desire to act upon. I await the day a male MC ceases to squander away the bounty of burgeoning love.
It's a rife and rampant motif but one that exasperates me without reasoning that feels worth the reluctance, and I soon started to become frustrated with the stages of his denial. I also echo Cade's sister because my first thought when the grand opening scene ended was 'you just humiliated her in front of an entire town (a town that included an ex-girlfriend who wanted him back). Cade takes so long to brave the jump, hurts Presley in the process and didn't care to work through his own pain, whereas, in the case of his heroine (who despite her own abandonment issues) doesn't let that quell her feelings enter the framework. Cade struggled to make the commitment before it was almost too late, and only acted when he thought she was leaving. Safe to say that throughout the book, his denial gradually wore on me, even though I liked his character in a general sense.
While the story spans an opportunistic opening to the series, it's actually the romance in My Beautiful Neighbour that fails to be the front burner. From the beginning I had a sneaky suspicion that parts of the story were going to be underdeveloped. The setting strikes a charm but the writing was perhaps too simplistic and plain to feel out every corner of the romance, and to add on, the protagonist's personalities verge more on the undiscovered side. The writing of a story should rattle and ring with intrigue; writing can imbibe a story with spelled leverage, and resultingly its characters become the life of what's being written, how they're being written. The truth of it is I never feel bewitched by Piper Rayne's writing style. I don't feel as involved in their stories. If Presley and Cade's romance was an earth-grown bloom, it would need supplemental watering because there's little more than the barest threads of emotional connection between them until Cade overcomes both his denial and dishonesty at the very end of the book. The romance is very slow burn, even the agreed upon friends with benefits arrangement is more akin to foreplay, and only does Cade wait until the not so grand finale to show an interest in being all in.
As a personal fancy, I don't relish a wait until the final pages of a book to observe a holistic union, lets say. I like to see the growth in a couple making their way towards that goal - and to see something more well-seasoned between them - so I was disappointed that I only felt the emotional resonance towards the end. Just to reiterate, Cade is a trusty and likeable leading man, and maybe I do drive a hard bargain but I'm easily worn down by a level of resistance that could have been nipped in the bud early on, and one that even started to seem untenable when the plot was commandeered by his utter inability to accept more. Presley and Cade never have that moment where they're emotionally connected or wanting to get to know each other bar a few mindful maybes, especially not vocally. It just wasn't enough for me, especially given the fact that I thought the community was going to assume the resisting force against the town newbie. Alas, it was Cade himself.
The authors do rescue the romance some by adding in an epilogue (which was needed, even if it doesn't reference Presley's own progress one year ahead) to what was a rushed reconciliation. I do credit the authors for managing some depth come the end, and I honestly didn't think I'd shed a tear, but I did. It was only then that I really felt some of the weight of what was going on. Perhaps a case of simple impatience or simple dissatisfaction but everything took too long to happen. There were also inconsistencies and plot points that were left unexplored, not abandoning character backstories such as how the impact of Reese's betrayal affected Cade; he doesn't want to get hurt but doesn't express how his ex did hurt him. He also doesn't talk about his mother, even though she's the epicenter of his distress.
With Presley, after the initial ambivalence towards her biological mother, there's no further on-page processing about her mom’s life or death. Which led me to think it was only a strategic reason to plant her in the town, overlooking the opportunity to discuss the troubling nature of being given up and adopted, and to explore the woman responsible. And as I touched on above, the author does use the term ‘abandonment’ (granted, only once from Presley’s perspective), but if she does have feelings pertaining to that, It’s not explored either. Ultimately there were some threads unfollowed, threads unplucked and threads left blunt but it was the romance itself that didn’t grace the novel with the strength I was looking for. It also wasn’t particularly romance-driven for me, when that’s the precisely why I eat the genre up with abandon.
The supporting characters such as Jed Adam, Xavier, Clara, Nicki and Chevelle are all given a place in the story to season what I’m sure will be their own coming stories. I did love the choice of opening up each chapter with a quote from that chapter - it helped to snowball the interest. I’ve read the first book in Piper Rayne’s Single Dads Club (which didn’t provoke the bookish fun I was looking for) and I’ve also read the opening instalment to their White Collar Brothers series (which was better than the former but still didn’t exact a fuller rating due to a lack of depth), so it is fair to say that I don’t have the best of a sparkling history with their books. As I still find myself coming back to them and their romances over and over again, I confide to watch this space because (in the best of incorrigible faith) it might just happen again as I rue the day I stop seeking the sparkle. Light, sweet and stubborn with the intimacy of familial tinkery.
Content Warning: Swearing, some smutty scenes and a past parental death.
E X T R A_T H O U G H T S:
1) The cover is a glorious thing so feel free to fawn over it as much as I did 😍
2) I know that romance authors have a habit of wanting their heroes and heroines to have sex at least once without protection (and honestly, It’s all good), but to have to do the deed the first time without a layer of protection (despite a professed ‘I’m clean’ or ‘I’m on the pill’) never really sits well with me. Surely that can wait until after a more solid bond is built.
3) Some parts of the story also made me frown from time to time. I’ll give an example: “Let her go if she wants.” I spread my arm out along the seat of my truck, my other hand on the steering wheel. “It’s just that she can’t control herself around me.” I laugh. Presley doesn’t. “That’s not it. Surely you have better things to do rather than take me around town.” Both grandmas peer through the window, waiting to make sure we pull out of here. “Actually, I have about an hour,” I say. “Can you handle an hour in my presence without jumping my bones?” She guffaws, and I want to clap myself on the back for earning that reaction. - So, my confusion here is really about why she laughs at his attempt at smug humour the second time and not the first. Feel free to tell me something I might be missing but these sort of instances just flew over my head.
I’ll give another example: ‘She laughs and I stop for a moment in the middle of the hall and stare at her. That might be the first time she’s laughed in my presence since the first time I met her at the wake.' - so, this isn’t actually true. I’m certain she ‘chuckled’ and even ‘guffawed’ once or twice before, and when those details are overlooked, it sort of nullifies what I know to be true.
There are a few times where Cade keeps using Presley’s name sentence after sentence when her pronoun would really be more fitting. Another example coming your way: ‘Presley’s laughing so hard, she slips, and I feel her falling to my right. Somehow, I catch Presley before her head hits the floor.'
Another inconsistency: 'We grab a coffee from The Grind first. Although I would’ve preferred a beer, I’m not sure I’m ready for another interaction with Cade.' - For someone who’s professedly not a beer person, I’m not sure why she does want one.
Blurb: Who’s the mystery woman who just walked into my brewery?
I’m not the only one from my Alaskan small town asking themselves that question. But I’m positive, I’m the only one in Sunrise Bay undressing the pretty blonde in my head. Everything about her, from her make-up to her high heels says she’s a fish out of water.
Whispers and speculations run rampant until the secret of who she is gets uncovered. Then the rumor mill goes into overdrive when she announces she’s staying to open a bookstore in the building next to mine—throwing a big wrench into my plans to buy that empty building.
I quickly find myself in a tug-of-war since my business partner/brother is upset she’s ruined the opportunity to expand our business. I try to keep my distance, but I’ve got one sister with a gossip column on the local radio station and two meddling grandmas setting me up as a tour director.
And now I kind of like the idea of our new neighbor staying. But small-town life isn’t for the weak—time will tell if she has what it takes to be one of us.
An Entertaining Sexy story, Start of An Ahh-Mazing Family Saga With Laughs, Determination, Surprises, Grandma Meddling, Fun Family, Feels, HEA & Damn Cliffy for the Next Couple. #My 1st By Piper Rayne, it was due time I read her books! I loved Cade, Presley & all the other Characters❤. The Dynamics are fun😉. DEVOURED this in 6hrs.
The Greene's were Devastated after the Death of their mother 18yrs ago, Emotional Scars are Mile deep. When their dad Fell in love again a few years back, they became a mixed family! There's no Shortage of Love, Support & Banters here.
Cade; Charismatic, Caring, Genuinely Good; Owns Truth & Date Brewery along with Jed. He's as far from His Playboy Step-bro Jed (I loved him!) As you can get, but he generally keeps Clear of Relationship after His mom's death. Presley; Take-no-shits, Fun, Fierce; has lived in Connecticut her whole life BUT she's in town due to a Will & death of a Biological Mom she never knew. Clara's her sis, the one they kept. Atleast Presley's Adoptive parents are great❤.
The Book starts with A Funeral, no one is left in the family apart from the sisters (I'm happy Clara has Xavier Greene, her bestie & his family!). Presley is the new girl in town, no one knows her so her Being here spreads like Wildfire. Cade & Presley meet a few times, Sparks Fly, He asks her on a date!
But then Things get complicated.. From the truth of Presley's identity, The Store Cade & Jed wanted for Expansion Given to Both Clara & Presley in Will, Presley wanting a fresh start & Taking the store, Growing Sisterly bond b/w Clara+Presley *Yay!*, Presley Kinda hating Cade for thinking he was using her to get the store (Which he wasn't), it's one-ordeal after the other!
Chemistry can't be denied... Being Next door Work-Neighbours, Presley & Cade can't exactly Hide. With Meddling Grandmas (Love'em!), Banters, Cade helping Pres with Shop ideas, Lots Of Fun, His Ex troubles, Siblings' Observations... With a Kiss Soon Cade+Pres start a Friends-with-Benefits set-up, but whenever they get to sex, something happens (So sexually Frustrated *Snicker*). This time though, let them grow closer & when they finally had Sex, it was more like Making Love.
But then Cade freaked out.. After they'd made love, Cade Ghosts her. Pres is hurt, Cad is miserable, The Greene's try to make Cade see How much he cares for Her (Love'em!). Through Away days, Shop Duo (Books & Beer!) night, Tourism Start, Public Confrontation, Sadness, Family Brunch...It's Jealousy & the threat of losing her Forever that Makes Cade act *Whew*. Cade finally breaks his walls & Opens up about his Late-mom! Cue Emotional Talks, Forgiveness, I love yous! *Swoon* The later scenes are all sweet, Cade will show her ALWAYS how much She means to him & that he was an idiot❤. Love Forever!
The epilogue's Gorgeous for Cade+Pres & their HEA, but a Cliffhanger for Adam+Lucy's story! Wtf just happened?! I'm so excited!! Plus, I'll soon be reading the Prequel! **ARC Received for a Honest Review.** FB Page | Instagram | Bookbub | FB group
Well, that was one surprise twist! I am a huge fan of Piper Rayne's and have been for a while. I am thrilled that we are staying in Alaska with this new series THE GREENE FAMILY and I love seeing cameos of Grandma Dori from THE BAILEYS SERIES since she is besties with Grandma Ethyl who is the matriarch of the Greene Family.
In this first novel we have the Eldest of the Greene's Cade finding his HEA.. This series is about a blended family, Cade's mother tragically died when he was twelve years old and his father remarried years later...you can read their story in My Twist of Fortune (The Greene Family) (which is currently free). Cade is now thirty years old and co-owns a Brewery with his step brother Jed.
Presley is in Sunrise Bay, Alaska for one reason and one reason only. She doesn't have plans on staying or getting to know the people around the town. But all that changes with one meeting.
Presley and Cade are great together, the sexual chemistry is so thick that everyone around them feels it. I found myself laughing as well as crying while reading this book.
There is a reason why I fell in love with Piper Rayne's books and if you haven't read any of them yet this is the time to jump in and see what I am talking about. Do you love series that revolve around large family's and small towns? Well then, this is the book for you.
If you’re a Piper Rayne fan then you’ve probably already read her Bailey family series set in Alaska. And, if like me you couldn’t get enough you were super excited when they introduced us to G’Ma Dori’s best friends, grandchildren and a whole new Alaskan family series. Picking up this book was like walking back into the pages of the Bailey family. And since they are from the neighbouring town we had a few crossovers of characters and settings that made that feel even more familiar.
From the first page it really felt like coming home. It was so warm and sweet and even though the characters were all new faces, I instantly felt like I had known them forever. Cade and Presley had both been through some really unique, difficult circumstances. And each of them came out in completely different ways.
I loved the chemistry between these two and the added tension from the small town contingent really added to the feels. Every time I thought I had a handle on how things were going to come out, things changed and I was off on another theory waiting to see if they were going to finally wake up to their own feelings.
Best of all this series has given us ten new siblings and all the tropes Piper Rayne can think of to run us through the feels as we watch them all fall victim to the machinations of the meddling retirees.
I am not really feeling My Beautiful Neighbor. I thought by reading the first book, I can enjoy more of this series. I read this series not in order.
I do like the chemistry between Cade and Payne. They both funny and sarcastic together. I like the banter. I also like the grandma.
What I do not like is too much characters at once. Even it is secondary characters. The half sibling, the step siblings. Miss Rayne is in hurry to introduce everyone and putting everyone on the story at once.
3 stars. This book wasn’t bad but the ending really felt rushed. The hero’s sudden turn around was like whiplash and just didn’t do anything to convince me of his feelings.
Safe; OW drama from hero’s ex
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
MY BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBOR was a good read, but I can't seem to connect with this author's writing after my much-loved reading of her series, "The Baileys".
This book is set in small town in Alaska and has all of the quirky characters and small-town gossip that you would expect. I like small-town romances for this reason. This book was a very emotional read. There are a lot of twists and turns and ALL THE FEELS. It's heartbreaking in parts, but funny in others.
Presley is a really good lead female. I like her thick skin, work ethic, and I really enjoyed that she wasn't quite sure where her passion lay. We get to see her coming into her own as she "starts over" in a new town with a new secret recently exposed. I like how strong and stubborn she was once she decided what she wanted.
Cade was a bit harder for me to like as a lead male. He's had heartbreak in the past and the theme of this story is entirely Cade not being willing to open himself up to love again. Honestly, I am not a fan of this conflict in romances. Yes, it's human nature to be gun-shy about loving again after heartbreak, but I never feel like it's quite enough to build an entire book around. To a certain extent this is every single person entering a relationship. There's nothing new about this idea that opening yourself to love is a risk. So, when I read it as the only conflict in a book it feels a bit ridiculous.
MY BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBOR also had a decent amount of steam, BUT the descriptions of that steam were oddly skimpy. For example, the build up to the first kiss between these characters is significant and when they FINALLY kiss there is no description of that kiss. As a romance reader I expect the play-by-play. We are aware that they are kissing, but that's it. No description of lips, feelings, internal monolog, nothing. It was really anticlimactic. This happened a few times in this book.
Overall, this book tackles some tough topics and pulls at the heartstrings, but it was a fairly mediocre read for me.
I was gifted an advanced copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.
As a series starter, this is very successful. As a romance, it's pretty lackluster. Introducing a complicated family, a new town, setting up several future relationships, AND developing a satisfying standalone romance is a lot to ask of a book, and this manages to do many of those things well. It's got a great small town vibe and this family has tons of potential. We've only seen glimpses of where this series will go, but I could already feel some of the future love stories coming together. However - and this is a big however - I can't say that I was a fan of THIS particular love story. It sort of got lost in the shuffle, and while I liked both characters, their romance was missing that something special.
The story follows Cade, the eldest son in a large, blended family. He loves his siblings, he loves his community, he loves his business - and that's enough for him. But when a sexy stranger comes to town, that all gets complicated. Presley becomes an important part of every relationship Cade has, so ignoring his attraction to her is impossible to do. Neither one is in the right headspace to start something real, but that's easier said than done as they spend more time together.
There's a lot that I liked about this, from just how genuinely NICE Cade is, to how close the Greene family is, to the small town feel. It's emotional at times but remains pretty light as a whole, and reads very quickly. Which also might explain why I felt like Cade and Presley's relationship was shortchanged. There are SO many characters and SO many family moments that their relationship was underdeveloped. It wasn't as noticeable in the beginning, because I enjoyed the book quite a bit in the first half. But by the time the final act came around, I really had trouble believing the love between them. Things definitely felt rushed towards the end. That being said, I liked it for the most part. Fans of the authors are likely to enjoy this quite a bit, and I do see a lot of potential in where this is headed. I received an early copy and am voluntarily leaving a review of this small town romance.
This book contains: → big family in a small-town → Alaska setting → meddling family
Cade is the eldest sibling in the Greene family. Even in the novella (My Twist of Fortune), I could already see he feels the most responsibility to care for his family even as a teenager. I loved seeing how he cares for his siblings and even their grandma in this book.
He runs a brewery with his stepbrother and they're looking to expand with the building next door, but the new girl in town has other plans for the building. Presley is the fish out of the water. She uprooted her life and came to Sunrise Bay to reconnecting with her sister while trying to set up a new business in town.
The romance aspect was okay. They started a friends with benefits arrangement initially but ofcourse that didn’t work out long since they developed feelings. I did feel like the relationship could have developed further. They're so cute but it was just a little lacking. Maybe it's because of the other things going on in the story like the plot and the supporting characters. Towards the end, I felt like I still wanted to see more of their relationship.
I do think this is a good start to a new series. It made me feel really excited about the rest of the books. I loveee the family dynamic! This is another series with a big family from Piper Rayne and I already can’t help but guess the tropes or who’s gonna end up with Cade’s other siblings especially since some are already hinted!! I love it when there are crumbs sprinkled out throughout the series to keep me anticipating the rest.
Auf den Spuren ihrer biologischen Familie kommt Presley nach Sunrise Bay und ihre Gefühle sind ganz schön durcheinander. In der Kleinstadt halten alle zusammen, doch sie ist eine Fremde und auch die Beziehung zu ihrer Familie ist kompliziert: Ihre Adoptivmutter macht ihr Druck und möchte, dass sie ihre Angelegenheiten regelt und nach Hause zurückkehrt, aber Presley hat hier eine Chance auf einen Neuanfang und kämpft darum, in der Stadt Fuß zu fassen und von den Bewohnern akzeptiert zu werden.
Kaum angekommen lernt sie auch Cade Greene kennen und sie fühlen sich sofort zueinander hingezogen, allerdings glaubt Presley schnell, dass Cade sie loswerden möchte, um das Geschäft zu übernehmen, dass sie zum Teil geerbt hat. Deswegen misstraut sie ihm, aber Cade hat aufrichtiges Interesse an ihr.
Ich hatte bei dem Titel etwas mehr Spannung und Drama zwischen den Protagonisten erwartet, aber ihr Kampf um das Geschäft bleibt mehr oder weniger ereignislos. Cade und sein Stiefbruder haben Interesse an der Fläche, da sie ihre Brauerei erweitern wollen, Presley hingegen möchte dort einen Buchladen eröffnen. Cade ist schon enttäuscht, weil seine Pläne ins Wasser fallen, aber sein Bruder gibt noch nicht auf und sorgt für etwas Trubel.
Die Familie Green ist eine Patchworkfamilie und ich blicke bei den vielen Familienmitgliedern noch nicht so richtig durch. Wer nach Familie Bailey noch nicht genug hatte, kann hier weiterlesen. Dori Bailey ist wieder mit von der Partie, und auch Großmutter Ethel mischt sich genauso gern in die Beziehungen der vielen Enkel ein, außerdem haben auch ein paar Baileys zwischendurch kleine Gastauftritte. Ich fand es schon schön, welche Rolle Familie und Zusammenhalt hier spielt, aber ich hatte etwas mehr von der Geschichte erwartet.
My Beautiful Neighbor was the first book in the Greene Family series by the authors Piper Rayne.
Cade Greene was the eldest Greene sibling. He was seventeen when we met him in the prequel, My Twist of Fortune, during his dad and step mom’s story. He was now thirty and a successful co-owner of Truth or Dare Brewery with his step brother, Jed. He was a favorite of mine then and My Beautiful Neighbor cemented it further.
Presley was the mystery woman and there was instant attraction between Cade and Presley. But of course, with every mystery comes secrets.
True to form, the authors wove a tale with humor. They also set the stage for the series through introducing us to the various personalities that will make up the series. There were nine siblings combined into the blended Greene family and they all prove to be noteworthy for their own intriguing story.
All in all, it was a quick and fun read. It ended with a teaser for Adam’s story next in My Almost Ex.
Hach ich liebe die Geschichten von Piper Rayne einfach. Cozy, sexy und süß. Eine Mischung die ich wirklich schätze und die einfach immer wieder funktioniert. Auch ganz ohne großes Drama.
5 Star Review My Beautiful Neighbor (The Greene Family #1) by Piper Rayne
Where do I start? Having read and loved The Bailey series by Piper Rayne I was a tad anxious starting a new family series, I have no idea why I was worried. I loved this book, from the first chapter to the last.
The characters are engaging and I love the Greene family who reside in Sunrise Bay, Alaska. They are all up in one another’s business and it was an entertaining read that left me with a smile on my face.
The fact that we get to see Dori Bailey and Ethel Greene meddling (aka Thelma and Louise) from the neighboring town of Lake Starlight just added to my enjoyment of this wonderful book.
The Greene’s are a blended family and I loved how much interaction there was between them all, regardless of whether they are full, half or step siblings this family has each others back. This is Cade Greene and Presley Knight’s story and what a fabulous introduction it was to this exciting new series.
There were times that I wanted to smack Cade up the back of his head with his behaviour as he buried his head in the sand when it came to his feelings for Presley. Presley I loved, despite all she has been through she was strong and determined to stand n her own. I also enjoyed watching her relationship develop with her new found sister.
Cade and Presley are instantly attracted to one another and the chemistry sizzles between them. When they embark on a friends with benefits relationship, you just know that things are going to get complicated. The obvious one is that they want to keep it a secret.
Since I absolutely adore The Bailey’s I knew that Piper Rayne would have to bring a lot for me to fall for this family as well. This book did not disappoint in any way and now I have a new family to love. The story was fast paced, witty and engaging and I cannot wait to read the next book after how this one ended.
My Beautiful Neighbor is the story of one of the oldest brothers, Cade. However, it is also a great introduction to the rest of the family (who I am already in love with), plus there are a few little pop ups and mentions of another large family in the neighboring town of Lake Starlight.
Cade co-owns a brewery with his stepbrother, Jeb. They are looking to expand their business when the shop next them becomes available, however, those plans are quickly changed when a beautiful stranger comes to town and now owns that building.
The moment Cade and Presley met there was a connection, these two were drawn to each other, even if neither one of them wanted to admit it. Cade had many walls up, which after hearing his story truly broke my heart. Presley was new to town and learning things about her past she didn’t really know. I loved the two of them together from the start. Of course, the entire Greene family also gets involved with Cade’s relationship.
I can’t wait to meet the rest of the family in future books.
If you’re looking for a small town romance with an amazing family dynamic this one is a must read!
Piper Rayne’s interconnected Bailey series was one of my favourites of 2020, so hearing the Greene family from the next town over were getting the same treatment had me so excited, especially after the hints we got in the last Bailey book. I was also so excited to see Dori and Ethel, the meddling Grandma’s matchmaking skills all over again!
Cade Greene is happily going through life as a bachelor in his tiny Alaskan town of Sunset Bay, surrounded by his siblings, especially Jed, his stepbrother with who he owns the Truth and Dare Brewery. They are hoping to expand their business into the shop next door, but when a mysterious woman appears in town, and causes a stir, their plans are thrown into chaos as it proves she has claim to the space next door. Presley has returned to a place she would’ve called home if things had played out differently and is keen to see if Sunset Bay will be the place she feels settled. Will Cade and Presley be amicable neighbours, or will the chemistry between them mean that they are so much more?
As the oldest of his siblings, Cade always felt responsibility for his siblings, especially after the loss of their mother at a young age. Because of that, he’s found it easy to put his romantic life on the back burner, not that he wanted to date anyone from the tiny town anyway. But when Presley shows up, he feels something for her he hasn’t felt in a long time but is still scared of the thought of committing to someone long-term and opening up to the chance of getting hurt. I thought his character was sweet, kind, and caring, as well as hot in the bedroom, but he was a guy who didn’t know what he wanted until the opportunity was almost out of his reach.
Presley was determined to see where her roots were, but never expected to put her own down after visiting Sunset Bay. She thought it would be a quick trip, but she felt at home in the small town, and realised this was a place she felt calm and somewhere she could escape the claustrophobia of her life in Connecticut. I felt for her because she was coming in to such a tight knit community, full of small-town gossip, drama, and rumours, but not once did she let it faze her. How she dealt with Cade’s meddling grandmother was impressive, and I loved how she integrated herself so quickly into the Greene family, almost giving Cade no choice but to accept her into his life. I admired how she knew that her feelings for Cade were changing and she was honest about it, not leading him on or hoping to convince him to feel the same. She knew that she deserved it and if he wanted to give it to her, then great, but at no point did she force it, which I loved about her character.
The introduction to this new Alaskan small-town romance series was everything I wanted and more. I will say it was well worth reading My Twist of Fortune, the short novella that tells the story of how the Greene’s family was formed before starting the Greene series, because it sets up the Greene family dynamic perfectly, introducing you to the blended family. I adored the cameos from some of the Lake Starlight Bailey crew, and how each of the Greene’s siblings’ personalities were glimpsed at, giving you hints at to what they are like and who they may end up with. I have even started making predictions about future couples from this series, and after the bombshell in the epilogue, I can’t wait for Adam’s book next. Such an incredible start to the new series from Piper Rayne, I already know it’s going to be another collection of characters I am going to fall in love with.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
Oh my! This was definitely an amazing start for the first full length book in Piper and Rayne new series, The Greene Family! Just as an FYI, I did read the novella about Marla and Hank beforehand, My Twist of Fortune, and I loved that it gave me a chance to get to know each of the Greenes before their stories all were told. You can definitely start with My Beautiful Neighbor, but I personally liked getting to know everybody a bit beforehand...it made it so much fun to see them all grown up!
As for My Beautiful Neighbor, I absolutely loved it! Right from the first moment, I loved the chemistry between Cade and Presley! It was amazing! Their banter had me smiling from page one, and I loved how their relationship evolved. I also loved seeing how Cade already fit into Sunrise Bay, and how Presley started to fit into the community, too...it was so sweet to see! I don't read a lot of small town romances, but every time I read one of Piper and Rayne's it makes me want to read a whole lot more of them...lucky for me, there are quite a few Greene kids left. ;)
Along with the romance, and the wonderful small town feel, I also loved all of the family dynamics, and I’m super excited for each of the Greene kids to get their own books!!! If you're a fan of Piper Rayne's The Baileys series, you'll also have a lot of fun spotting the Bailey Easter eggs...I know I did, and I'm really looking forward to seeing more of them later on...along with more of Grandma Dori and Grandma Ethel
Overall, I thought that My Beautiful Neighbor was a wonderful story! The romance was sweet and sexy, and I thought this was a fabulous start to The Green Family series! I'm super excited for Adam's book next! ;) I'd recommend this one if you like small-town romances, wonderful family dynamics, and romances that are sweet and sexy!
Piper Rayne has done it again! They've completely sucked me into their new series and I can already tell that the Greene family is going to be such a fun one to spend time with. My Beautiful Neighbor was funny, delicious, emotional and so sexy. I enjoyed Cade and Presley so much. It had a fantastic family dynamic and a heat level that could melt the buttons off your kindle. I loved the ever small-town feel and can't wait for more of the Greenes!
Cade and Presley’s story is a fun, charming, and addictively captivating read that had me swooning every step of their journey. I loved the dynamic between these two likable characters and enjoyed all the laughs they brought me, as well as the emotionally charged moments. I felt the connection between them immediately and hoped they would be able to see what was right in front of them.
Piper Rayne SLAYED it with this novel! I couldn't get enough of this book, and I absolutely adored the town of Sunrise Bay. With its quirky residents and the thirst for gossip, I am so freaking excited at the large amounts of stories that seemed to be planned for this series. Just like the Bailey family before them, The Greene family is filled with one fascinating character after another, and I am pretty much sitting here salivating for each and every one of their HEA's. Delightfully funny and entertaining as heck...this was a fantastic start to this new series and I simply can't wait to see what is in store for the Greene siblings.
There's 9 Greene siblings, Cade - his father's oldest - has been guarded ever since his mom died when he was 12 years old. He's fallen fast and hard before, only to be hurt in the process. Now, he co-owns a brewery with his step-brother Jed, they plan to expand into a neighbouring store. Their brother's best friend, Clara's mom has just passed, leaving her alone in this world with nothing but a home full of memories and a small sewing shop that her mother ran. Everything seems to be working out for Jed and Cade to expand, when a mysterious woman comes to town. She seems quite familiar but Cade can't seem to place her... or get her out of his mind.
Presley is about to get the shock of her life when the town lawyer announces that her and Clara have been given an equal share of their mother's sewing shop. Only problem? Clara had no idea Presley existed until her mother left her a letter in her will. Presley was given up for adoption after Clara's parents decided they were too young to give her the life she deserved. She grew up in Connecticut, got a degree in Business, but never felt like she belonged. Is this her chance to live her life the way she always wanted? Find love and a family that would never leave her behind? You'll just have to read this cozy - yet steamy - Alaskan romance.
**meddling grandmas, close family ties/found family, hot brothers galore!
Eine neue Familie zum Liebhaben – das denke ich hat das Autoren-Duo Piper Rayne mit dem ersten Band der Reihe schon ganz gut geschafft.
Den Einstieg in die Reihe machen Cade, der älteste Green-Sprössling und Presley, eine bislang Unbekannte in Sunrise Bay, die jedoch einiges dort aufwirbeln tut.
Beide waren mir eigentlich ganz sympathisch. Cade ist ein gutherziger, junger Mann, nur manchmal empfand ich sein Verhalten als etwas kindisch. Presley ist jedoch eine ganz liebe, die sich jedoch auch nicht kleinmachen und unterkriegen lässt, und für sich und das, was sie will einsteht.
Ich habe die Geschichte der Zwei gerne gelesen, obwohl es nicht die Beste der Autorinnen ist. Die Gefühle zwischen Cade und Presley waren mir etwas zu oberflächlich, und haben mich nicht immer erreichen können. Für zwischendurch fand ich die Geschichte der Zwei jedoch ganz süß. Sie punktet auch definitiv wieder mit Charme, Wohlbehagen, einer chaotischen, aber liebevollen Familie (wenn auch die vielen Namen noch etwas verwirrend sind) und einigen bekannten Gesichtern aus Lake Starlight.
Insgesamt eine ansprechende und gemütliche Geschichte, die definitiv Lust auf mehr von den Greene's macht! ;)
4 Sterne
Ich danke dem FOREVER Verlag für die Bereitstellung des Rezensionsexemplars via NetGalley!
A good kick off to a new series. Those were my first thoughts after finishing My Beautiful Neighbor. There were so many good things working in the story.
I loved the secret child twist. And having read the series prequel My Twist of Fortune, I really liked how that ending played into this story.
I'm a fan of small town romance, as well as big family series. And Piper Rayne is so good at both of those. I enjoyed the cameos from the Baileys and hope there are many more of those to come.
I also just loved Cade and Presley. I felt for her uprooting her life after getting surprising news. I admired her strength and really liked her character. Cade as well was likable as a nice guy, great big brother and oldest son, and I thought their pairing was a great fit. I also liked that Cade kicked off the Greene children finding love. I will be excitedly awaiting each new story in this series and highly recommend this one.
It was cute, sweet, quick and really enjoyable this series and the Greene family. (Also recommend the audios love the narrators!) I would definitely recommend starting with the parents book first it helps remember all 10 kids! Okay now off to the next one. ☺️
I was a massive fan of the Bailey clan, so I knew the Greene's had a lot to live up to and this first instalment did not disappoint. Across the pond from Lake Starlight is where the blended Greene family resides and our first instalment begins with the oldest sibling Cade. He runs the Truth or Dare Brewery in town alongside his step-brother Jed where they are hoping to expand their business. However when Presley comes to town and decides to open up a bookstore in their allocated space next door, things really get interesting.
This had the same fast paced, witty banter I have come to love, meddling siblings and my all times faves, grandma's Dori and her bestie Ethel. Nothing stays a secret for long and everyone knows each other's business in this small Alaskan town, I think this new series will be another massive success!
I truly believe I was meant to live in either Vermont or Alaska. Between Sarina Bowen's True North series and now the Greene Family series from Piper Rayne, I'm even more confused as to where I should relocate. It's probably a pipe dream to end up in either state, but a gal can dream.
I'm loving the Greene family and the small town feel of this series so far. I'm completely jealous of Presley having the chance to start her life over in such a darling little town. It took a lot of guts to do what she did, under the circumstances, but she never looked back. Cade is such a good guy. I liked him when we met him as a teen in his dad and stepmom's book My Twist of Fortune, and he's grown into a pretty awesome man. It's a wonder Presley was able to resist him as long as she did. I enjoyed the banter and back and forth between them. In a way their relationship was a slow burn, but it also moved pretty fast in a way. I loved the way the secondary characters play such an important part in this story, although, personally, I could do without the meddling grandmothers! (That's true in real life, too.)
While I really enjoyed My Beautiful Neighbor, there were just a couple things about it that kept it from being a 5* read for me. I'm not going to mention what, since I don't want to spoil things for anyone, it's more of a personal feeling than anything else. But this was a very entertaining read, I love the town and the characters and I can't wait for more of the Greenes!
I enjoyed a lot about this book, and I definitely enjoyed the relationship between Cade and Presley.
That said, as often happens in the first book when it's planned as a larger series about interconnected characters, a lot of time was spent getting to know everyone, and that pulled some of the time for Cade and Presley to really have their full story.
It did still work, and there was enough of them as a couple for me to believe in them, but it also left me wanting more of them, and more of them as a couple...so I think at least for this reader, the balance of the story was a little off.
I do still recommend this title, and I did enjoy it.
My Beautiful Neighbor is the first book in this new spinoff series from m Piper Rayne. If you read the Bailey's then you are aware that Dori's sidekick Ethel has many grandchildren whose life she plans on meddling in as well. This is Cade, the eldest Greene's, story, bit it is also a look into the loves of all the Greene children. I am so excited for this series.
Cade and his step-brother Jed own a bar in their small Alaskan town. When the owner of the store next to them passes, they hope to acquire the store so that they can expand. Until they find out that their friend Clara, whose mother passed, its the only new owner of the store. There's a new mystery woman in town and when Cade sees her, he cannot take her eyes off of her. Then he finds out who she really is and what that means for him and his business.
Presley is the new irl in this little town. She has secrets that will come out because, well this is a small town and they always do. But surprisingly the one person that she thought would run her out of town has actually been very kind to her. then there is Cade Greene, the guy she met on her first day in town. The guy that she should probably stay away from, but try telling her body that. She cannot help react to him when he is near. The attraction between the two of them is obvious. But what they both do about it is up to them. Cade isn't looking for a relationship and while Presley is here to stay, but her focus is on her store. Will the chemistry between them eventually die down? Probably not!! Will a friends with benefits relationship be an option for them? We all know how those work out, but who will end up with the broken heart?
I loved this book. It is filled with the fun and whimsical moments that we all love from Piper Rayne. There is humor, witt, and meddling but also the emotional side to this story as well. Cade has a huge wall up around his heart, and for understandable reasons. But breaking down that wall and getting him to open up proves to be very difficult. Presley is trying to guard her heart from being broken, but it seems that when it comes to not having feelings, these two completely fail.
This was the perfect start to this series. We get to meet all members of the Greene family. And I can tell that this series is going fun and quite interesting. Especially after the ending of this book. Piper Rayne has once again delivered. My Beautiful Neighbor is sweet, fun and witty, and filled with characters that you will fall in love with. You will feel like you are one of the family. I cannot wait for Adam's story next.