The Neighbor Wager

by Crystal Kaswell

The science of attraction is getting seriously tested…

Meet River. He used to be the nerd next door…only now he’s all grown up, got a sleeve of tattoos, and women seem to like him. A lot.

Even Lexi, the girl of River’s teenaged dreams, all bubbly sweetness—never noticed him. Until now.

There’s only one problem. They’re not meant for each other.

Now it’s up to Deanna, the super pragmatic, algorithm-fueled brains behind the new dating app Meetcute to make sure they realize it.
River might be certain he knows true love when he sees it, but Deanna knows differently, and the future of her company is riding on it. All she has to do is prove to him that what he’s feeling for Lexi isn’t love. Not even close.

…even if it means making him fall for Deanna, instead.

Challenge accepted.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Adult, Rom Com, Fiction, Friends To Lovers, Chick Lit

352 pages, Paperback

Published February 20, 2024

About the author

Crystal Kaswell is the author of the Sinful Serenade series. She writes steamy new adult romance with flawed characters. She loves police procedurals, tea, and The Hunger Games series. She lives in Portland, OR with her husband.

http://www.crystalkaswell.com/
https://twitter.com/CrystalKaswell

Reviews

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Neighbor Wager by Crystal Kaswell
Contemporary romance, romantic comedy.
River used to live next door to Lexi and Deanna. He was a bit of a nerd and while he had a massive crush on the vivacious Lexi. Both Rover’s grandmother and Deanna have told River to move on. He has no chance with Lexi and he should forget her. He eventually moves to New York to grow up. He’s back in town now, all grown, with a sleeve of tattoos and a lot more confidence.
Lexi will talk to River now with some minor flirting but it’s Deanna that’s caught his interest. Deanna is running a startup business and app called MeetCute and is meeting with potential investors. She’s willing to prove to River that his feelings for Lexi is nothing more than a crush.

A fun transfer of interest as the grown up River has a bit of swagger and confidence himself now. An amusing profession of the grandmother is that she writes erotica so River is more than comfortable with the subject and proves it to Deanna. Of course, she is an adult and has not problems with it either, other than still living in the family apartments with her sister. A little sneaking around can add spice and Deanna has her mind on a few more games they can play.
Deanna is smart and River more than acknowledges it. He’s totally ok with her being taller than him when she’s wearing heels and proving her competency in business to others.

Entertaining, steamy and romantic. I will definitely recommend this romance to bookclubs.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.
4.5

[Priscilla Pontius · Rating 2 out of 5]

Personally, I am tired of reading stories about the cynical, I don't believe in love, woe is me because I'm a woman, story. At first, I liked Deanna's character but it quickly passed when her entire backstory and just everything about herself seemed to contradict itself. She doesn't believe in love, but created an app for people to meet, continuously talks about how she has casual sex but also doesn't. That was another thing I couldn't take anymore, in literally every chapter there are full conversations about how everyone and their freaking grandmother has casual sex all the time! We get it, you guys have sex with whomever you want, whenever you want. I don't care unless it's about the couple that I'm reading about. I lost interest at %56 and quit reading

[Casey Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided an ARC of this title for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Did you ever dream of being swept off your feet by the boy next door all grown up?

Growing up next door to each other, Deanna watched River fawn over her sister Lexi, with the flighty bombshell only ever sparing him a single fleeting glance.

But when the boy next door returns home all grown up into a tall, dark, tattooed and handsome man, Lexi’s gaze shifts entirely from her current boyfriend Jake, and it looks like River may just get his chance to live out the dream girl fantasy he’s always held in his mind.

Deanna, having created the app that matched Lexi to Jake, needs for Lexi’s relationship to work for reasons not purely sisterly. From there is where the wager takes form. River must convince Deanna that there’s more to love than an algorithm can predict, and no amount of data can replace the magic that exists when it’s with the right person. If he pulls it off, Deanna will step aside and let River have his shot at her sister; if not, River must then assist Deanna in keeping Lexi and Jake together.

This was a fun and fast read, that touches kind of gently on some heavy topics, despite its overall lightheartedness.

Thank you to Entangled and NetGalley for the early copy!

[Dona's Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author Crystal Kaswell, publishers Amara and Entangled Publishing, and NetGalley, for an advance digital copy of THE NEIGHBOR WAGER. All views are mine.

Opening Quote: It’s all there, in her blue eyes. That’s her gift, really. When she looks at you, you feel like the most important person in the world. How could anyone resist that feeling? Loc.612

Great romantic tension! I liked the main characters in this book, Lexi and Deanna, who are sisters. This also ended up making me disconnect, as I don't really like shared sister trope or sisters sharing a lover trope. I wasn't expecting this, and I kept trying to pick up the feeling of tge book again. But, it's okay, just wasn't for me!

Tropes:
– forced proximity
– second chances
– why choose?
– next-door neighbors
– taboo/forbidden
– sexy nerds

[Wendy | Wendy’s Inspired Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book wasn’t for me.
The concept of the dating app was kind of interesting but this really didn’t seem to make sense for the character Deanna to be leading it because she didn’t know much about relationships or really believe in it.
Lexi’s entire character was just cringy to me and I didn’t really like anything about her, especially when she dumps her boyfriend to date someone she finds attractive.
The way they talk about relationships in this book I feel is so shallow and lacks any depth. I prefer a slow burn book with real conflict that’s realistic for the characters to have, and a relationship that builds slowly based on a genuine and pure connection.
I wish the author all the best on their book release!

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[CiCi | bookameme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is love a magical force or biological release of chemicals and compatibility?


Quote:📖
Love makes us stupid in the best and worst ways.

Thoughts: 💡
Oh my god! I didn’t expect to love this book, but man did I fall for it hook line and sinker. Every part of it was amazing. Between the angst and pinning from the MCs and the steamy relationship they develop, to the complicated but heartfelt relationship within each MC’s family, I loved it all! And the banter and sass all the characters give each other while still being kind and respectful. 🤌🏻 There’s grief, longing, humor, and spice as well as equality, kindness, and a dirty minded sassy grandma. Gah! This book is perfect, just go read it.

What I Loved:
⚜️ A 2 for 1 Romance (The details given about Lexis’s romance that left me wishing for more of her story.)
⚜️ River is straight up swoony book boyfriend material
⚜️ Healthy, happy family relationships & friendships
⚜️ Deanna pulled on my heart strings, she sweet and broken and the way she’s constantly trying to quantify love and emotions speaks to me.

✨Standalone.

Stats:📊
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Characters: 💙💙💙💙💙
RomCom: The Other Sister, Girl Next Door, Opposites Attract, Steminist, Artist, Bet Against Love, Close Knit Family
First Person, Present Tense, Dual POV
⚠️: Parental Death (off screen), Cancer, Abandonment

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An emotional next door neighbor, childhood crush love story wrapped up with a dating app twist. Two sisters develop a new kind of dating app that claims to be able to predict people's compatibility. Things get tricky when one sister starts falling for their childhood neighbor who's returned to help his ailing grandmother and tries to see if he can finally make something happen with the other sister he's always been infatuated with.

This was an okay read for me, I didn't really buy into the romance but I did really enjoy the emotional family drama parts. Recommended for dating app romcom fans of books like The soulmate equation by Christina Lauren or The right swipe by Alisha Rai. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

CW: parent with addiction issues, cancer

[Andrea ☾ [is inconsistently consistant] · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ This was an almost DNF...
Thank you so much NetGalley for providing me with an eARC for this book!

I will admit that I enjoyed the last 45% of the book, but getting there was truly a struggle.

This story has two POVs, one for each of the main characters. The FMC, Deanna, and the MMC, River, have been neighbours for most of their lives. The problem is that, although they've known each other for years, River has always been in love, and frankly obsessed, with Deanna's little sister, Lexi. For the first 30% of the book, River only has eyes, compliments, thoughts and dreams of a future with Lexi. The FMC's sister takes one look at River -who after a few years living in New York and getting a few tattoos is no longer scrawny or completely invisible to her- and decides that she's going to leave her first-ever real boyfriend so she can f*ck and dump River, mainly for sh¡ts and giggles. The whole thing felt pretty gross to me, tbh.

It gets better after a while, sure, but the feeling of Lexi, Deanna and River being dismissive and weird towards both their feelings and each other was hard to get past. The writing also didn't work for me, to the point where I had to reread some paragraphs multiple times to see if I had skipped something, or a piece of dialogue because some of the conversations were so stilted and unnatural that they didn't make sense.

There are some interesting dynamics, and I think one of the only things that made me push through some of the awkwardness and uncomfortableness that the weird love triangle made me feel here, is the fact that there are open discussions about k¡nk and sexual exploration on page. It's not news that I love books with Dommes in them, and although I probably wouldn't consider this one to have a Domme, there are enough descriptions and conversations about it to make it worth it for me.

Overall, I liked the ending and the concept was nice, but I'm not sure I'd pick this book up again.

⭐️⭐️⭐️★★

[Marija · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the synopsis and I was happy to get into reading, but all in all, it was just an ok story for me. I will look into other author books because I believe that there are good stories to read.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spirited, enticing, and fun!

The Neighbor Wager is a lighthearted, engaging tale featuring the hardworking Deanna Huntington who, after working extremely hard to get her new dating app off the ground, is determined to do whatever it takes to prove her algorithms are correct, even if it means showing the boy next door who has always had a crush on her younger sister that she might actually be his better match after all.

The prose is amusing and sweet. The characters are intelligent, resolute, and confident. And the plot is a flirty, entertaining blend of life, love, friendship, chemistry, attraction, tricky situations, self-discovery, family, happiness, and romance.

Overall, The Neighbor Wager is a charming, humorous, sassy tale by Kaswell that is a contemporary twist on the classic “Sabrina” tale.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Angela Melamud for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Lissa Hawley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apologies to the author, but this book did not resonate with me. I've never watched the movie Sabrina, so I went in a bit blind. But the blurb called it a romantic comedy, so I had high hopes. (I've read and enjoyed a fair amount of Crystal Kaswell's self pubbed stuff in the past, but it has been awhile.)

Sadly, I found this book neither romantic nor comedic. I am not sure what parts were supposed to be humorous, but nothing got a chuckle out of me. As for the romance... Did you ever hang out with psych majors in college? They want to overanalyze everything all the time, and it comes off as super pretentious and quickly annoying? That is both of these main characters. Add in the fact that the entire cast things and talks about almost nothing but sex (but in a non-romantic, frequently crass way). Plus, all the analysis that made it feel a lot like telling instead of showing, and it is just a complete miss for me.

The one possibly good thing I can say about this book is that for some reason, it reminded me of the one Colleen Hoover book I've read. (I didn't like that one either, but it is ridiculously beloved.)

So maybe, if you like Colleen Hoover, you'll like this. Or if you're a psych major? Or if you liked the movie Sabrina (unsure on that one because I am not sure if it is actually similar?)

[Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was harder to get into than I was expecting. The cover and description made me think of a rom-com. But nothing made me laugh. The story begins with an odd dynamic. Two sisters love each other dearly. They are both smart in their own way but the younger one Lexi just naturally outshines Deanna. Lexi is a California blonde who loves to dress in pink and is sex positive to the max. But she has never been in a relationship till now. Deanna is driven and has started her own dating app and is courting a new investor. River grew up next door while he lived with his grandmother. He was obsessed with Lexi as a teen and returning from his life in NYC he still is drawn to her. River has matured well and has the sexy artist with tattoos going for him. Slowly he begins to share things with Deanna. She’s a relationship type person and has been closed off since her last breakup.

You know where this is going. But the beginning setup didn’t draw me in. It wasn’t icky but close to it. This is open door with steamy times and a little kink thrown in as well. River is more broody and serious than I expected. And some serious topics are covered like death of a parent and parental abandonment. But I was turned off at the idea that Lexi wanted to be on a break with her love so that she could hook up elsewhere. And Deanna was willing to step aside for the sake of her business venture. That doesn’t scream love and HEAs to me.

[Sofie Haller · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐
2 🌶️

As a teen River was absolutely in love with his next-door neighbor and blonde bombshell, Lexi. The problem is Lexi never gave him the time of day. When they all grew up, Lexi and her sister Deanna created a dating app together that has helped match Lexi with her boyfriend Jake. But when all-grown-up River comes back home to see his grandmother and reconnects with Lexi, she's now completely intrigued by him now that he's tall, dark, tattooed and handsome.

She's not the only one interested in River - Lexi's older sister Deanna is interested. In order to make sure Lexi doesn't make any mistakes and put their joint business in jeopardy, Deanna works to get close to River to keep his attention. Too bad she ends up making a wager with him and falling for him in the process.

This was such a fast, fun read. I enjoyed it, but it was almost all fluff. River and Deanna are so horny for each other. Seriously the first 50% is just them wanting to f*ck. I appreciate a steamy novel, but honestly I needed something else
I didn't feel connected to the romance, their background, any characters or anything really. I'm glad I listened to the audio because I sped that up to 2.5x.


💙 Boy Next Door
💙 Second Chance Romance
💙 Dual POV
💙 Emotional family drama
💙 Hot, charming nerds
💙 STEAMY

CW: Cancer, parents with addiction

Thank you to NetGalley & Entangled: Amara for an eARC of The Neighbor Wager by Crystal Kaswell.

[Vanessa (bookfairy95) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is difficult to describe, but up front: I loved it!

The Neighbor Wager is a romcom, with an artistic MMC who believes in the magic of love and a cynical FMC who strictly believes in logic and data and who believes that love simply isn't in the cards for her.
It is a romcom, with a boss babe FMC and slight enemies to lovers vibes. They're not strictly enemies to begin with and even though they've known each other since childhood they're quite far from being friends as well. What's clear though is that they're definitely working against each other in the beginning of the story.
The book is not a clean romance and even though it does have explicit scenes, I wouldn't describe it as a spicy romance either. It gives a vibe that I haven't experiences often in books so far. It's almost... sensual.
The way these two characters think about each other, the style in which certain scenes are written. It feels like a tease, definitely a slow burn energy that puts you at the edge of your seat, never tipping over, always wanting more of the chemistry that is between these two characters.
Even though The Neighbor Wager doesn't reinvent the wheel in the romcom world, it is this vibe that made the book special for me.

Can recommend!🥰

[Márcia Brilhante · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Neighbor Wager is my first book from this author, and I must admit I enjoy it. The writing was quite good and while the story was a bit slow, I felt connected with the characters and their felling throughout the book.

This book had a good plot and really sounded like it would be a rom com, which I always like, but I felt like it was missing something to it. The book has a dual POV, one for each of the main characters of the story and I felt it had a darker side since it touches a few topics that are portraited in a real-life perspective. I did, however, liked the fact that the author went a bit deeper than the regular romance stories.

Overall, it was a good read and I recommend it to anyone that enjoys the boy next door kind of romance, just keep in mind that this story is a slow burn with a proximity with reality.

Thank you, NetGalley & the publisher, for approving me to read this arc and write this review.

[Jen Heiser · Rating 1 out of 5]

This reads like very poorly written dirty talking gender-swapped Sabrina fanfic. Their inner monologues sound like they are talking at me, trying to convince me they are as deep as the ocean but they sound as shallow as a puddle. The characters are written as if they are brash truth-sayers because they speak so freely about sex and aren't confined by traditional relationships. I went against my gut when I didn't DNF by page 30. Their "wager" doesn't work throughout the story. It's just a lame initial reason to spend a little more time with each other and ask frank questions about each other's sex lives. Did an AI write this?

[LeaBeth | BookTime · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got 34% into this book. It just wasn’t for me. I found the characters lacked depth and the writing seemed almost childish. I just didn’t enjoy it and don’t wish to continue.

Best of luck!

[☽｡⋆ Shells (jlreads_) · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @34%

Premise is interesting, but I just can't with the characters. I don't know, I just find them unlikable, and this is something I don't like to read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Neighbor Wager
Crystal Kasswell
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Are you a fan of the classic film Sabrina, but are looking for a gender-bending twist? What about a book that explores kink in a well-informed way? What about a book with a neurodivergent FMC and an emotionally-mature MMC?

The Neighbor Wager by Crystal Kasswell is definitely the book for you!

I've never seen Sabrina, so I went into this book blind. This was my first Crystal Kasswell book and I'm glad I got the chance to read it. Our FMC, Deanna, is a programmer who created a dating app with her younger sister, Lexi. Lexi is known for keeping things casual, but she has found a long-term relationship through their app. After an investor insists on Lexi getting engaged to her boyfriend of six months, Lexi panics and turns her eye on the now-grown boy next door, River. A man who just so happens to have been in love with Lexi since they were teenagers.

Deanna and River make a wager, if he can prove to Deanna that there is magic to falling in love, she will step aside and let him have a chance with Lexi. If he can't, he has to help Deanna keep Lexi and her boyfriend together.

This book was surprisingly heavy for the lighthearted premise. Kasswell touches on topics such as the terminal illness of a family member, loss, and heartbreak in a very raw, real way. My heart absolutely broke for Deanna, as I have had some of the same experiences she has. Kasswell created a cast of characters that I truly wanted to root for, even when I wanted to rip my heart out because of them. The Neighbor Wager was a heartfelt, funny twist on the "boy next door" trope, and I enjoyed reading it.

The Neighbor Wager by Crystal Kasswell releases on February 20, 2024 and is available for preorder.

I received an arc of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are mine and do not reflect the opinions of Netgalley or Entangled Publishing.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was instantly drawn to this book from the title and the cover. Thank you to the publisher for providing me this ARC. Expected publication February 20, 2024!

This one is a tougher one for me to review. I'd give it around 3 stars. This book had a promising plot, perfect for a rom com, but execution fell short.

The tone/language of the writing just felt off. At the beginning River gives off very creepy vibes. His infatuation was questionable at times. As the story progresses, a love triangle dynamic is introduced. I'm not a big fan of that but was relieved to get past River's initial fixation. The switch of focus brought some relief and some cute moments, but the dialogue and writing still was off. The story dragged quite a bit and book was longer than I would have anticipated for this plot. I did not connect with the characters and did not find them very likeable.

This one is a pass for me but overall, an average book. Not bad, just not great.

[Emily higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely not what I was expecting. The romance between River and Lexi was definitely cute, but I wasn’t expecting the book to be this spicy. Several of the characters were pretty open about their sex lives and stuff so I shouldn’t have been that surprised, but I feel like the two main characters thought about sleeping together more than they had feelings for each other. It was still enjoyable and cute, but definitely a lot more focused on spice than I was expecting.

[LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions) · Rating 1 out of 5]

When they were kids, River lived next door to Lexi, the beautiful girl of his dreams, and her sister Deanna. He never really felt like he fit in. Lexi and Deanna basically lived in a mansion, and the only reason River's grandmother could afford to live in the same area was because she'd bought her house ages ago. Meanwhile, his mother was an addict who'd basically left him with his grandmother. Still, that didn't stop him from fantasizing that, one day, Lexi would realize that the two of them were meant to be.

Years later, Deanna and Lexi are in business together, trying to find investors for their dating app, Meetcute. Lexi is in her longest lasting relationship ever, 6 months with a guy she met through the app. Although she's happy, she isn't ready for a commitment, so she's horrified when one of their potential investors wants to make her, her boyfriend, and their future wedding (he hasn't proposed, and she doesn't want him to) the face of the app and the things it can accomplish for users.

Still, Deanna figures they can work with it somehow. Until River turns up again, and Lexi, who'd previously never paid much attention to him, is suddenly intrigued by his attractive looks and tattoos. Knowing that the future of Meetcute depends upon it, Deanna becomes determined to keep Lexi and River from spending much time with each other. As sparks start to fly between Deanna and River, everyone finds themselves having to figure out how they really feel.

There's also a drunken bet, Lexi taking a brief "break" from her boyfriend, River worrying over his grandmother's health issues, and everyone talking about romance and sex at some point or another, but you get the idea.

I had a really hard time trying to make myself care about these characters and their relationships. River, both when he was a teen and an adult, had a habit of getting fuzzy-brained around Lexi and mentally comparing her to the sun. Supposedly he was interested in more than just her looks, but it didn't really sound like he'd ever spent much time with Lexi, so I couldn't see how that could be true. Meanwhile, Lexi was comfortable with casual sex but terrified of more emotionally involved relationships, and Deanna insisted that she didn't believe in love. Everybody spent a lot of time talking about romance, but their visions of romance seemed to be inextricably tied to sex. Which they also thought about a lot.

When Lexi declared that she and her boyfriend were on a "break," I cringed and braced myself for Lexi and Deanna to fight over River. Thankfully, weirdly, that never really happened - River snapped out of his obsession with Lexi a lot more quickly than I expected, and Lexi put so little effort into chasing River that I thought for sure she was actually trying to set him and Deanna up (she wasn't).

All in all, this really wasn't for me. A book about Lexi and Deanna's sisterly relationship probably would have been more interesting than this romance between Deanna and River.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)

[Gabby (bookishandballgowns) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Neighbor Wager was an interesting read. It’s self described as a modern, gender-twist on the classic romantic comedy Sabrina. Although it’s blasphemous to admit, I’ve never seen Sabrina so I don’t know how well it does its inspiration justice but I liked it nonetheless.

It follows the story of River, who returns to his Grandmother’s home after many years away and falls right into the shenanigans of his family with their neighbors Deanna and Lexi. Time has treated both sisters well and he’s just along for the ride.

Even as the older sister, Deanna has always felt like she lives her sister’s shadow. Where Deanna is strong willed and overly logical, Lexi is bubbly and fun loving. In essence, Lexi is Deanna’s polar opposite, but that’s what makes the sisters so close. The two sisters create a dating app and are on the verge of a huge business deal but it all rides on the success of Lexi’s own relationship.

Unfortunately, Lexi is a commitmentphobe. Although she’s met a good man named Jake, they haven’t slept together so she’s feeling the itch to RUN. So she suggests a break that Jake reluctantly agrees to. When Lexi sets her sights on River, Deanna is does everything in her power to keep Lexi from making a big mistake. Including keeping River occupied...

This book was different than I expected. It’s quiet and slow, but held my attention. The way the characters all approached their feelings was really sensible. Even Lexi, who was struggling with her fears went straight to her boyfriend to communicate her needs. It’s rare to find characters that are all this communicative and mature. They spend so much time talking which made the storyline feel very deep and introspective. It made me stop to think of my own feelings towards love.

In general, The Neighbor Wager made me want to slow down my reading which was an interesting experience. By the halfway point I was yelling at River and Deanna to just give in to their desires, but I liked the tension of their slow burn and didn’t want to miss out on their conversations as they figured their relationship out.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. I want to thank Entangled Publishing for providing me with an eARC. It was my first book from Crystal Kaswell and I enjoyed adding a new author to my shelf.

[Aline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crystal Kaswell invites readers on a journey of love and discovery in "The Neighbor Wager," where the complexities of human attraction take center stage. As a devoted bookworm, I found myself drawn into the lives of River, Lexi, and Deanna, each navigating their own paths in the unpredictable landscape of romance.

Nostalgia and New Beginnings:
River's transformation from the nerdy boy next door to a tattooed heartthrob resonated deeply with my own memories of teenage crushes and the surprises of adulthood. Kaswell beautifully captures the bittersweet nostalgia of first love and the excitement of unexpected connections.

Friendship, Love, and Complications:
At the heart of the story lies a tangled web of emotions as River, Lexi, and Deanna navigate the complexities of friendship, attraction, and professional duty. As a fellow bookworm, I found myself rooting for each character as they grappled with their own desires and uncertainties.

The Science of Attraction:
Kaswell skillfully weaves together themes of love, compatibility, and self-discovery, inviting readers to ponder the intricacies of human relationships. Through the lens of Deanna's dating app experiment, we are reminded that love is not always straightforward and that true connections can be found in the most unexpected places.

A Heartfelt Exploration:
"The Neighbor Wager" is more than just a romance—it's a heartfelt exploration of the human heart and the journey to finding oneself amidst the complexities of love. As a bookworm who treasures stories that delve deep into the human experience, I found Kaswell's tale to be both relatable and thought-provoking.

In conclusion, "The Neighbor Wager" is a captivating read that celebrates the beauty of love in all its complexities. Crystal Kaswell's masterful storytelling and engaging characters make this book a must-read for any bookworm looking for a heartfelt romance with depth and substance. 📖💕

[Lauren | TransportedLFL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Entangled Amara for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

The Neighbor Wager features Deanna, an incredibly smart woman in tech who has created a new dating app that highlights a compatability algorithm. She hopes to showcase her sister Lexi as the model example of how well the algorithm works. But Lexi doesn't want to commit to her match and is now keen to get to know the newly returned next door neighbor. River is all grown up and has transitioned from the awkward ners to the tattoed bad boy.

I found the love triangle element with two sisters a bit overdone. And there was also too much backstory. We were more than 25% of the way through the book before River and Deanna started interacting in the contemporary timeline. And when they did, it all moved much faster than I found believable.

I also found it tough to relate to any of the characters. They all lived in multimillion dollar mansions in Orange County, CA. But they regularly complained about their money woes.

The sister, Lexi, was regularly annoyed that people treated her as nothing but a Barbie stereotype who always dressed in pink. But her character was also written as precisely that stereotype. Generally, I found the characters too one-dimensional and the plot couldn't keep me engaged with its irregular pacing.

2.5 stars rounded up

[Cheyenne Mcdonald · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks Entangled for giving me an ARC copy of this book to read and review. All comments are my own.

Honestly at this point I’m not sure what to say. I loved the idea of this book and thought it would be fun but there was just a lot wrong.

The whole plot of the book was a wager and the book literally mentioned the wager once and that was it. The book literally had nothing to do with the wager.

This book also was kind of icky. For Lexi to dump the guy she’s been with 6 months just to sleep with the hot neighbor was just gross in my opinion. Also Deena setting aside her sister’s feelings and try to make her be with someone all so her app will get invested was gross too. Don’t get me started on River. He was literally obsessed with Lexi and then all of a sudden sleeping with her sister???

Idk, I don’t think this book was for me. Maybe others will enjoy it.

[FS Meurinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a contemporary version of the classic "Sabrina". I was captivated by the story of Deanna, the mastermind behind a dating app that doesn't allow photos, and her unforeseen involvement with River, the nerdy boy next door who underwent a transformation. This story brilliantly contrasts technology-based compatibility with the unpredictable nature of human attraction. I was particularly intrigued by the relationship between Deanna and River, as their evolving bond challenges the fundamental basis of Deanna's app. The book expertly combines romance, personal growth, and the enduring question of whether love can be calculated. As someone who loves both romance and technology, this story resonated with me, providing both a heartwarming journey and a thought-provoking exploration of modern love.

[Lex fullybookedbabe]

This was a DNF for me.

I found the book way too slow and the love triangle and dismissal of characters’ feelings really rubbed me the wrong way.

Deanna made no sense. She has an app for love but is so flip floppy. I had to reread paragraphs to make sure I didn’t miss anything because some of it made very little sense/flow was off. Lexi was an archetype with very little depth.

Thanks to NetGalley for my arc in exchange for my honest thoughts.

[Ashley ♡ ❀ ♡ ❀ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for a copy of this book. This isn’t the first book I’ve read from this author. However, it was my least favorite. I found myself reading the book just to finish it. I did enjoy some parts of the book mainly when the 2 main characters get together but that was the only enjoyable moment for me. I also don’t think the title of the book matched the storyline of the book.

[Melli Reads Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

“There’s no one who fights harder to survive than a mom.”

I really loved this one. Something about the cover and the blurb immediately pulled me in. And I honestly couldn’t, and didn’t wait to read it.

While this story is fun, it also touches on some really important topics and real life circumstances.

Deanna is a strong FMC, who is confident, and wants to find someone who loves her for her. River is the former boy next door, turned hottie and has finally caught the attention of Deanna’s sister. River believes in true love and Deanna does not. In an effort to convince her they create a “wager”. And in return end up writing their own HEA together.

This is not one to miss and will definitely be appearing in my wraps for 2023 and 2024!

P.S. There is no cheating 😉😘