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The Greene Sisters #1
The Neighbor Favor
In this heart-fluttering romance by Kristina Forest, a shy bookworm enlists her charming neighbor to help her score a date, not knowing he's the obscure author she's been corresponding with.
Shy, bookish, and admittedly awkward, Lily Greene has always felt inadequate compared to the rest of her accomplished family, who strive for Black excellence. She dreams of becoming an editor of children's books but has been frustratingly stuck in the nonfiction division for years without a promotion in sight. Lily finds escapism in her correspondences with her favorite fantasy author, and what begins as two lonely people connecting over e-mail turns into a tentative friendship and possibly something else Lily won't let herself entertain--until he ghosts her.
Months later, still crushed but determined to take charge of her life, Lily seeks a date to her sister's wedding. And the perfect person to help her is Nick Brown, her charming, attractive new neighbor, whom she feels drawn to for unexplainable reasons. Little does she know that Nick is an author--her favorite fantasy author.
Nick, who has his reasons for using a pen name and for pushing people away, soon realizes that the beautiful, quiet woman from down the hall is the same Lily he fell in love with over e-mail months ago. Unwilling to complicate things even more between them, he agrees to set her up with someone else, though this simple favor between two neighbors is anything but--not when he can't get her off his mind.
Shy, bookish, and admittedly awkward, Lily Greene has always felt inadequate compared to the rest of her accomplished family, who strive for Black excellence. She dreams of becoming an editor of children's books but has been frustratingly stuck in the nonfiction division for years without a promotion in sight. Lily finds escapism in her correspondences with her favorite fantasy author, and what begins as two lonely people connecting over e-mail turns into a tentative friendship and possibly something else Lily won't let herself entertain--until he ghosts her.
Months later, still crushed but determined to take charge of her life, Lily seeks a date to her sister's wedding. And the perfect person to help her is Nick Brown, her charming, attractive new neighbor, whom she feels drawn to for unexplainable reasons. Little does she know that Nick is an author--her favorite fantasy author.
Nick, who has his reasons for using a pen name and for pushing people away, soon realizes that the beautiful, quiet woman from down the hall is the same Lily he fell in love with over e-mail months ago. Unwilling to complicate things even more between them, he agrees to set her up with someone else, though this simple favor between two neighbors is anything but--not when he can't get her off his mind.
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First published February 28, 2023
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About the author
Kristina Forest
11 books2,749 followersKristina Forest is the USA Today bestselling author of romances for both teens and adults. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing at The New School and she can often be found rearranging her bookshelf.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,587 reviews
March 6, 2024
4 🌟
Man I really felt the chemistry in this book! Which I feel is rarely there most days in most books, but in this book I could feel it on the page. I really loved Nick and the layers to him as a character, match that with Lily's way of understanding and communicating with him as a person I really appreciated! I didn't even mind the miscommunication in this book and those always annoy me! also side note: need the sister's book! NOW
Man I really felt the chemistry in this book! Which I feel is rarely there most days in most books, but in this book I could feel it on the page. I really loved Nick and the layers to him as a character, match that with Lily's way of understanding and communicating with him as a person I really appreciated! I didn't even mind the miscommunication in this book and those always annoy me! also side note: need the sister's book! NOW
March 7, 2023
don't mind me, just constantly attempting to find a romance i truly love in the midst of being the worst and most critical and pickiest person alive <3
and constantly failing.
the beginning of this book is fun, but afterwards it just feels odd.
the pacing...what the characters want...the side characters...it all feels not only unrealistic, but kind of all over the place? this was really promising, but the way it unfolded didn't work for me.
in the shock of the century.
bottom line: what's the definition of insanity again?
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
and constantly failing.
the beginning of this book is fun, but afterwards it just feels odd.
the pacing...what the characters want...the side characters...it all feels not only unrealistic, but kind of all over the place? this was really promising, but the way it unfolded didn't work for me.
in the shock of the century.
bottom line: what's the definition of insanity again?
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
November 24, 2024
cute read
March 1, 2023
This book is soooo cuteeeee! Dear Kristina Forest, please keep on writing adult fictions! You did an excellent job.
Shy, kind, gold hearted bookworm Lily, caring, lonely, reserved, talented author Nick, running from his dark past are amazing characters. I loved their blooming love story. They slowly come out from their shelves, demolishing their own emotional barriers, becoming friends. The passionate chemistry between them is palpable. They barely resist each other.
Lily, in mid twenties, under pressure of her highly achieved big sisters and entire family who insist her to find a better job, a good man. She’s stuck in her assisting job in the nonfiction division while she is dreaming to edit children books. And her demanding, mean boss increases her work load to help her hating her job even more. Her sisters keep arranging her dates. Most of the men she’s lately dated are narcissists who only talk about themselves or already fell for one of her sisters.
When she starts communicating with her mysterious British fantasy author N. R. Strickland, she cannot believe in her luck. The mysterious author only wrote one novel when he was only 22 and he became travel journalist with no intention to write a sequel. Their correspondences become too personal. They decide to FaceTime to see each for first time but unfortunately Strick bails out, abruptly cutting their entire communication by saying he’s not who he is she thinks.
Heartbroken Lily tries to move on with her life. She realizes she has a crush on her neighbor next door. Her fine as hell neighbor is caring, social, flirting, kind. His name is Nick. They just share a kiss but when Nick quickly retorts, telling her he’s romantically unavailable, Lily makes an offer to him. She needs a date to her sister’s wedding. She bet with her sisters that she can find herself an appropriate man in short time. She needs his help to find a date.
Nick reluctantly accepts to help her. But there’s three things Lily does not know;
1. Nick is N. R. Strickland who moved to NYC with a seven digit book agreement, selling his book adaptation rights to HBO. He’s the man who ghosted her.
2. Nick has a dark past and he doesn’t think he’s good enough for Lily
3. Seeing Lily with other men makes Nick extra frustrated.
Attraction is undeniable. It’s obvious they want more than friendship. Lily has to learn being bold and Nick has to come clean about his past. Can they fight against the obstacles? Can they learn to trust each other?
I loved it so much! I highly recommend this sentimental, powerful, poignant romance book! It made me smile and warmed my heart!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
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Shy, kind, gold hearted bookworm Lily, caring, lonely, reserved, talented author Nick, running from his dark past are amazing characters. I loved their blooming love story. They slowly come out from their shelves, demolishing their own emotional barriers, becoming friends. The passionate chemistry between them is palpable. They barely resist each other.
Lily, in mid twenties, under pressure of her highly achieved big sisters and entire family who insist her to find a better job, a good man. She’s stuck in her assisting job in the nonfiction division while she is dreaming to edit children books. And her demanding, mean boss increases her work load to help her hating her job even more. Her sisters keep arranging her dates. Most of the men she’s lately dated are narcissists who only talk about themselves or already fell for one of her sisters.
When she starts communicating with her mysterious British fantasy author N. R. Strickland, she cannot believe in her luck. The mysterious author only wrote one novel when he was only 22 and he became travel journalist with no intention to write a sequel. Their correspondences become too personal. They decide to FaceTime to see each for first time but unfortunately Strick bails out, abruptly cutting their entire communication by saying he’s not who he is she thinks.
Heartbroken Lily tries to move on with her life. She realizes she has a crush on her neighbor next door. Her fine as hell neighbor is caring, social, flirting, kind. His name is Nick. They just share a kiss but when Nick quickly retorts, telling her he’s romantically unavailable, Lily makes an offer to him. She needs a date to her sister’s wedding. She bet with her sisters that she can find herself an appropriate man in short time. She needs his help to find a date.
Nick reluctantly accepts to help her. But there’s three things Lily does not know;
1. Nick is N. R. Strickland who moved to NYC with a seven digit book agreement, selling his book adaptation rights to HBO. He’s the man who ghosted her.
2. Nick has a dark past and he doesn’t think he’s good enough for Lily
3. Seeing Lily with other men makes Nick extra frustrated.
Attraction is undeniable. It’s obvious they want more than friendship. Lily has to learn being bold and Nick has to come clean about his past. Can they fight against the obstacles? Can they learn to trust each other?
I loved it so much! I highly recommend this sentimental, powerful, poignant romance book! It made me smile and warmed my heart!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
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March 24, 2023
this was pretty charming! i loved that these two were bookish and how that played into their relationship.
did i love the secret identity bit? not so much. but that is definitely my own hangup.
did i love the secret identity bit? not so much. but that is definitely my own hangup.
November 16, 2023
Cute, cute, fuckin cute! 🥹
This made my heart all kinds of fuzzy. Not only because of how sweet the romance was but also because it has an element included that I just adore: it’s a book about books. You can just never go wrong with that.
Add a romance on top of that, and it’s guaranteed win! 😍
“Nothing about me was particularly exceptional. But whenever I was reading, I didn’t think about that. The escapism saved me too.”
It’s the type of book that starts off quiet but gets more intense and gets you more invested the more you read. The more you get to know the characters and are exposed to their vulnerabilities, the more attached you find yourself becoming to their journey.
Well, that was the case for me.
I loved every moment of this story. I was never bored, I adored the journey the author took these characters on and how well we got to know them individually. I was rooting for their romance, despite the slight deceptive element. But the way the author decided to handle it, made me okay with it because it made sense for them..
The story as a whole felt comforting and warm and hopeful, despite there being a twinge of sadness present.
“His own self-perception wasn’t so positive yet, but he could work to improve it. He wanted to be better for Lily. He wanted to be better for himself. He couldn’t let this shit hold him back anymore.”
And I’m so glad we’re getting a book on Violet next. I loved the family element and I hope we get a book on their other sister, Iris, too!
Trigger warnings: parental neglect/abuse, cheating (side character).
This made my heart all kinds of fuzzy. Not only because of how sweet the romance was but also because it has an element included that I just adore: it’s a book about books. You can just never go wrong with that.
Add a romance on top of that, and it’s guaranteed win! 😍
“Nothing about me was particularly exceptional. But whenever I was reading, I didn’t think about that. The escapism saved me too.”
It’s the type of book that starts off quiet but gets more intense and gets you more invested the more you read. The more you get to know the characters and are exposed to their vulnerabilities, the more attached you find yourself becoming to their journey.
Well, that was the case for me.
I loved every moment of this story. I was never bored, I adored the journey the author took these characters on and how well we got to know them individually. I was rooting for their romance, despite the slight deceptive element. But the way the author decided to handle it, made me okay with it because it made sense for them..
The story as a whole felt comforting and warm and hopeful, despite there being a twinge of sadness present.
“His own self-perception wasn’t so positive yet, but he could work to improve it. He wanted to be better for Lily. He wanted to be better for himself. He couldn’t let this shit hold him back anymore.”
And I’m so glad we’re getting a book on Violet next. I loved the family element and I hope we get a book on their other sister, Iris, too!
Trigger warnings: parental neglect/abuse, cheating (side character).
April 22, 2024
4.25🤭 wasn’t expecting to live this so much but omg!!!!!!! so cute
March 6, 2023
This was ok, I guess. I liked the emails that Lily and Nick exchanged at the beginning of the story, but the rest of it dragged for me a bit.
Lily is sweet and kind, but she is also too much of a pushover, both when it comes to her family and her boss. It started to annoy me. I'm not sure how I feel about Nick. I understand his family issues but, as a love interest, he didn't wow me.
I've read another book by this author, I Wanna Be Where You Are, and I enjoyed it a lot more than this one.
Lily is sweet and kind, but she is also too much of a pushover, both when it comes to her family and her boss. It started to annoy me. I'm not sure how I feel about Nick. I understand his family issues but, as a love interest, he didn't wow me.
I've read another book by this author, I Wanna Be Where You Are, and I enjoyed it a lot more than this one.
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March 1, 2023Absolutely delightful you've-got-mail romance. Lily writes to her favourite author 'Strick' and their email relationship turns into a pen-pal love affair until he ghosts her. Months later, they are neighbours in an apartment block. Nick very quickly realises who Lily is, but she doesn't know he's Strick.
Nick's rationale is deep-seated insecurity and abandonment issues, and along with his ongoing deception, this could very easily have been a chuck-the-book-across-the-room setup. It is not and you will not. It is terrifically done, because once they meet in person, Nick never lets his insecurities be an excuse for behaving like a jerk. He has Lily in front and centre of his mind, he's supportive, he's doing his best to be a genuinely good friend even when he doesn't believe he can be a boyfriend. Plus, he actually tells her the truth, *before* she discovers it or takes an irrevocable step, and in general he behaves like a thoroughly decent adult, if one with a lot of romance hero problems. As a result, we're rooting for Lily to forgive him because we actually see how he got into this mess and can sympathise.
We've also got Lily, a highly relatable heroine who works wonders on her assertiveness throughout the book, and lovely families, found and bio, and an absolute love letter throughout the whole thing to the magic of books and especially of inclusion and seeing yourself in a book.
PLUS the depiction of publishing is ACTUALLY PLAUSIBLE. The last two romances I read with a publishing plot made the picture book publishing plot in Elf look like a documentary (to the point where I hated them both too much to review). This one is overworked underpaid editorial assistants who can't get promoted, tedious meetings, too much paper, and psychotic pocket dictators with their own imprints publishing shitty books nobody wants to read. I felt like I'd come home.
It's a hugely warm book, where a lot of things that could go catastrophically badly do not because people are trying to be decent, and that makes it emotionally eventful but enormously soothing. A delightful read; I enjoyed this immensely.
Nick's rationale is deep-seated insecurity and abandonment issues, and along with his ongoing deception, this could very easily have been a chuck-the-book-across-the-room setup. It is not and you will not. It is terrifically done, because once they meet in person, Nick never lets his insecurities be an excuse for behaving like a jerk. He has Lily in front and centre of his mind, he's supportive, he's doing his best to be a genuinely good friend even when he doesn't believe he can be a boyfriend. Plus, he actually tells her the truth, *before* she discovers it or takes an irrevocable step, and in general he behaves like a thoroughly decent adult, if one with a lot of romance hero problems. As a result, we're rooting for Lily to forgive him because we actually see how he got into this mess and can sympathise.
We've also got Lily, a highly relatable heroine who works wonders on her assertiveness throughout the book, and lovely families, found and bio, and an absolute love letter throughout the whole thing to the magic of books and especially of inclusion and seeing yourself in a book.
PLUS the depiction of publishing is ACTUALLY PLAUSIBLE. The last two romances I read with a publishing plot made the picture book publishing plot in Elf look like a documentary (to the point where I hated them both too much to review). This one is overworked underpaid editorial assistants who can't get promoted, tedious meetings, too much paper, and psychotic pocket dictators with their own imprints publishing shitty books nobody wants to read. I felt like I'd come home.
It's a hugely warm book, where a lot of things that could go catastrophically badly do not because people are trying to be decent, and that makes it emotionally eventful but enormously soothing. A delightful read; I enjoyed this immensely.
February 27, 2024
SO cute. Very excited for Violet’s book next!
May 24, 2023
This was such an adorable read! I was immediately drawn to how relatable Lily was, which allowed me to connect to her early on and want to finish the book. My favorite thing about this book was the character growth we see in her and Nick, even more than the romance. The romance, although I thought was cute, especially with how it started, didn't entrance me like I would like to be. I think honestly I just found Nick a bit annoying.
Family was also a big theme in this one. I liked getting to know the characters more through their relationship with their families. It was clear that their families were a huge influence on who they were as adults and the growth we see in them meaningfully explores this.
I would recommend it!
Family was also a big theme in this one. I liked getting to know the characters more through their relationship with their families. It was clear that their families were a huge influence on who they were as adults and the growth we see in them meaningfully explores this.
I would recommend it!
March 25, 2023
this book is like a warm hug and i loved it
February 20, 2024
✨Imagine getting to bang your hot neighbor who also happens to be your favorite author!!!✨
Reading The Neighbor Favor felt like having someone in your life who takes you to a bookstore and NOT ONLY buys you any books BUT ALSO knows which books you want.
Nick took Lily to Barnes and Noble, disappeared for a little while, and came back with a book he’d already purchased her. If that’s not peak romance I simply don’t know what is!!!
The Neighbor Favor was a charming love letter to all things bookish. Lily was an aspiring children’s book editor, Nick was a fantasy author, and the reader (me) was smitten. There wasn’t much happening in the plot to distract from the main couple, and it was pretty low angst, while still being engaging.
✨
The story started off in an epistolary fashion, when Lily emailed her favorite author’s inbox. Strickland aka Nick and her started emailing each other daily and got pretty serious…only for Strick/Nick to ghost her (for reasons). Fast forward to the neighbor part of the book…because DUN DUN DUN her incredibly sexy new neighbor wasn't such a stranger after all. Nick found out pretty early on, but Lily was none the wiser.
I actually really liked the placement of when Lily found out and how she reacted to it! I think it was both a mature reaction and an honest one. It happened with a good chunk of the novel left, so the pacing didn’t feel rushed. I know some people can get uncomfy with lying and probably the ghosting and catfishing, but I wasn’t too perturbed. The ghosting/lying wasn’t really necessary, but I didn’t mind it.
Before Lily finds out about Strick’s identity and after Nick denies his attraction to her because of said ghosting knowledge, they become friends! While the favor of this book was Nick helping Lily find a wedding date, it felt more like a sub plot. I was never really invested in the wedding date search because by that point, there was already extreme chemistry and attraction between Nick and Lily. But since Nick was hot and cold (for reasons we knew but Lily didn’t), it just didn’t make a lot of sense for the rest of the story.
✨
So while I wasn’t 100% invested in the plot, I was definitely in love with Nick and Lily together. Nick could bake, was a reluctant cat dad, and chose to buy a bookshelf before any other piece of furniture. Lily was such a lovely person and I think most readers will see a lot of ourselves in her.
I also LOVED the way we were introduced to Nick’s POV in the present. Him waking up at his neighbors house had me HOWLING. There’s also a point when Nick says “I’m really sorry, I gotta go to IKEA” and I could ONLY think of the iconic “see you in chemistry” line from Drake and Josh.
Overall, I found The Neighbor Favor to be a mid-2000s romcom in the purest, most delightful sense. I could see this being a movie that I’d finish and then immediately hit play on again. Plus, I just know the dynamic for book 2 is going to be pure gold. The sneak peek we got had me hunting down the release date.
✨
Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Audiobook Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5*/5
Steam Rating: 🌶️.75**/5
*My audiobook rating is 3.5⭐️/5 but I think the story itself warrants a full 5. The female narrator has a voice perfectly suited to YA because I definitely got confused a bit by the genre that I was hearing and the genre that I knew the book was. This wasn’t helped by the fact that the male narrator sounded super hot…until he made Lily sound about 15. Why does this always happen??? It was still a good audiobook, but I think I’d have preferred a single narrator. I did like how some emails/texts were read in a duet/alternating format so like a script read! That worked!!
**We got two open door scenes! They were both pretty short but felt in line with the vibe of the book. To get a sense of the scope, you’ll get hits when you search the word “nipple” but not “cock.”
I received an eARC via NetGalley from the publisher and an ALC from PRHaudio. All opinions are honest and my own.
Reading The Neighbor Favor felt like having someone in your life who takes you to a bookstore and NOT ONLY buys you any books BUT ALSO knows which books you want.
Nick took Lily to Barnes and Noble, disappeared for a little while, and came back with a book he’d already purchased her. If that’s not peak romance I simply don’t know what is!!!
The Neighbor Favor was a charming love letter to all things bookish. Lily was an aspiring children’s book editor, Nick was a fantasy author, and the reader (me) was smitten. There wasn’t much happening in the plot to distract from the main couple, and it was pretty low angst, while still being engaging.
✨
The story started off in an epistolary fashion, when Lily emailed her favorite author’s inbox. Strickland aka Nick and her started emailing each other daily and got pretty serious…only for Strick/Nick to ghost her (for reasons). Fast forward to the neighbor part of the book…because DUN DUN DUN her incredibly sexy new neighbor wasn't such a stranger after all. Nick found out pretty early on, but Lily was none the wiser.
I actually really liked the placement of when Lily found out and how she reacted to it! I think it was both a mature reaction and an honest one. It happened with a good chunk of the novel left, so the pacing didn’t feel rushed. I know some people can get uncomfy with lying and probably the ghosting and catfishing, but I wasn’t too perturbed. The ghosting/lying wasn’t really necessary, but I didn’t mind it.
Before Lily finds out about Strick’s identity and after Nick denies his attraction to her because of said ghosting knowledge, they become friends! While the favor of this book was Nick helping Lily find a wedding date, it felt more like a sub plot. I was never really invested in the wedding date search because by that point, there was already extreme chemistry and attraction between Nick and Lily. But since Nick was hot and cold (for reasons we knew but Lily didn’t), it just didn’t make a lot of sense for the rest of the story.
✨
So while I wasn’t 100% invested in the plot, I was definitely in love with Nick and Lily together. Nick could bake, was a reluctant cat dad, and chose to buy a bookshelf before any other piece of furniture. Lily was such a lovely person and I think most readers will see a lot of ourselves in her.
I also LOVED the way we were introduced to Nick’s POV in the present. Him waking up at his neighbors house had me HOWLING. There’s also a point when Nick says “I’m really sorry, I gotta go to IKEA” and I could ONLY think of the iconic “see you in chemistry” line from Drake and Josh.
Overall, I found The Neighbor Favor to be a mid-2000s romcom in the purest, most delightful sense. I could see this being a movie that I’d finish and then immediately hit play on again. Plus, I just know the dynamic for book 2 is going to be pure gold. The sneak peek we got had me hunting down the release date.
✨
Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Audiobook Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5*/5
Steam Rating: 🌶️.75**/5
*My audiobook rating is 3.5⭐️/5 but I think the story itself warrants a full 5. The female narrator has a voice perfectly suited to YA because I definitely got confused a bit by the genre that I was hearing and the genre that I knew the book was. This wasn’t helped by the fact that the male narrator sounded super hot…until he made Lily sound about 15. Why does this always happen??? It was still a good audiobook, but I think I’d have preferred a single narrator. I did like how some emails/texts were read in a duet/alternating format so like a script read! That worked!!
**We got two open door scenes! They were both pretty short but felt in line with the vibe of the book. To get a sense of the scope, you’ll get hits when you search the word “nipple” but not “cock.”
I received an eARC via NetGalley from the publisher and an ALC from PRHaudio. All opinions are honest and my own.
April 28, 2023
3.75 ⭐️ this was very cute and cozy but overall not my favorite.
the beginning really had me and i actually liked all the email exchanges, it felt like they got to know each other really well. but after that, it kind of fell flat for me.
i don’t love the way the “secret identity” type of thing was executed. i would’ve rather it be done differently. and this managed to somehow be insta love but also slowburn? idk how that’s possible but it is.
again, cute. and i enjoyed it. but definitely something i’ll forget later.
now this is all probably a ✨me issue✨ so do with the information what u will.
the beginning really had me and i actually liked all the email exchanges, it felt like they got to know each other really well. but after that, it kind of fell flat for me.
i don’t love the way the “secret identity” type of thing was executed. i would’ve rather it be done differently. and this managed to somehow be insta love but also slowburn? idk how that’s possible but it is.
again, cute. and i enjoyed it. but definitely something i’ll forget later.
now this is all probably a ✨me issue✨ so do with the information what u will.
May 7, 2023
I simply cannot take this book serious....
I've read two of Forest's other books, one I had a fun time with and one I thought was foolish.... and this was just pure foolishness.
I don't care if I'm in the minority of people, but I simply do not care to read about a woman trying to find romantic love when she has not a single solitary friend in her life... Like ma'am... I do think that the group of sisters were supposed to sub in for that, and sure Ms Lily lives with one, the family in this book feels like such a nonissue?
Let me back up here and do the thing I try not to do in reviews, and talk about the premise. Lily dreams of working in children's publishing, the complete opposite of her current position as an assistant to an editor in nonfiction publishing. For about sixish months she emails back and forth with her favorite author, N.R Strickland; over the course of their correspondence she falls head over heels for this man until he ghosts her. The main story picks up a few months after their correspondence has fallen off and Lily's sister is getting ready to be married. Tired of being set up on dates with horrible guys she makes a bet that she can secure her own date [ again, despite the fact that sis has no friends and doesn't do anything but go to work ] and if she is successful her sisters must stop setting her up.
Enter Nick, the hot neighbor in the building and unbeknownst to our heroine, said author that ghosted Lily all those months ago. It's he who she enlists to help her find a date because reasons~ and the story is off to the races...
If this were a movie, I might have had a fun time... But I just... There was something about Nick knowing the whole book that he'd done this thing to hurt Lily because reasons~ but also the idea that he was helping her find a date when they went to arguably one location where a date could have been found. Then to make matters worse when Lily does find a guy [ mind you this is a guy who is her coworker who asks her out all of five minutes into his first day, and she only says yes because the guy looks like what she imagined her little email buddy to look like even though the beginning of the book made it seem like if she ever saw Strick in person she would murder him on sight... ] the reasoning was so flimsy it wasn't cute at all it felt desperate.
You add in the fact that nothing in this book made me want to see anyone in the flower family find love, I was left with a lot of nothing? In a lot of romances I'm just indifferent to the main couple, but this one I found myself actively rooting against them and I don't think the narrative gave me any reasonable reason to root for them other than the genre I found myself reading.
I've read two of Forest's other books, one I had a fun time with and one I thought was foolish.... and this was just pure foolishness.
I don't care if I'm in the minority of people, but I simply do not care to read about a woman trying to find romantic love when she has not a single solitary friend in her life... Like ma'am... I do think that the group of sisters were supposed to sub in for that, and sure Ms Lily lives with one, the family in this book feels like such a nonissue?
Let me back up here and do the thing I try not to do in reviews, and talk about the premise. Lily dreams of working in children's publishing, the complete opposite of her current position as an assistant to an editor in nonfiction publishing. For about sixish months she emails back and forth with her favorite author, N.R Strickland; over the course of their correspondence she falls head over heels for this man until he ghosts her. The main story picks up a few months after their correspondence has fallen off and Lily's sister is getting ready to be married. Tired of being set up on dates with horrible guys she makes a bet that she can secure her own date [ again, despite the fact that sis has no friends and doesn't do anything but go to work ] and if she is successful her sisters must stop setting her up.
Enter Nick, the hot neighbor in the building and unbeknownst to our heroine, said author that ghosted Lily all those months ago. It's he who she enlists to help her find a date because reasons~ and the story is off to the races...
If this were a movie, I might have had a fun time... But I just... There was something about Nick knowing the whole book that he'd done this thing to hurt Lily because reasons~ but also the idea that he was helping her find a date when they went to arguably one location where a date could have been found. Then to make matters worse when Lily does find a guy [ mind you this is a guy who is her coworker who asks her out all of five minutes into his first day, and she only says yes because the guy looks like what she imagined her little email buddy to look like even though the beginning of the book made it seem like if she ever saw Strick in person she would murder him on sight... ] the reasoning was so flimsy it wasn't cute at all it felt desperate.
You add in the fact that nothing in this book made me want to see anyone in the flower family find love, I was left with a lot of nothing? In a lot of romances I'm just indifferent to the main couple, but this one I found myself actively rooting against them and I don't think the narrative gave me any reasonable reason to root for them other than the genre I found myself reading.
September 10, 2022
Such a delight!! I loved these characters.
February 17, 2023
✨DNF at 25%✨
I got this as a physical ARC from Berkley and I was so excited because the story seemed right up my alley. Unfortunately, I had to stop after 100 pages. Sadly it wasn't for me.
What I liked:
The premise of two book lovers falling in love. I mean, who doesn't want to read about a shy girl who falls for her hot neighbor who also happens to be the author of her favorite fantasy novel???
The emails. It's a cute idea to introduce the characters and develop their relationship. However, I wish they were woven into the story instead of given to us all at the same time.
What I didn’t like:
To my point above, that the emails were not woven throughout the story. It didn’t really allow the reader time to connect with Lily and Nick’s relationship and their growing feelings. So when it comes to an end, I just didn’t really care.
I didn’t connect with Lily at all. She’s an introvert who loves books so you’d think I would. But she’s such a pushover with her family that I couldn’t respect her or relate to her. (Continue to my next point).
I absolutely hated Lily’s dynamic with her family. They are just straight up jerks. Lily is a 26 year old who’s trying to break into publishing (which is difficult). Give the girl a freaking break! She doesn’t need to have the perfect career yet or to be in a serious relationship. Her family relentlessly pushes these topics, but it’s like they don’t even know Lily at all. And her sister, Violet, keeps setting her up with guys she so obviously wouldn’t ever be interested in. So I guess keeping all this in mind, I’m wondering, why she is close to them in the first place if they truly don’t know her or her heart's desires? I get this was done to create drama but the way it was done didn’t really do anything but make me feel angry with Lily and her family. Angry at Lily for not putting up boundaries, and angry at her family for thinking they have the right to guilt trip and 'guide' Lily.
It annoyed me that Lily’s dating life was the main point of conflict in this story. At least it was for the first 25% of the story and seemed like that was the direction it was going since she needs to find a date to her sister's wedding. Lily is constantly degrading herself internally whenever she meets a new guy. She says, “ he probably won’t like me” or “I’m not his type” or “he’s probably in love with Violet” (her sister). These types of thoughts are repeatedly mentioned during her inner dialogue and I just couldn’t handle it.
When Nick tells Lily in one of the emails the name of the column he writes, I thought, “she’s probably going to go and google that immediately.” But she didn’t!!! I guess if she did the story would have ended a lot sooner. But it was a huge plot hole.
I don’t know what it is about the prose, but I just didn’t click with it. I was also very aware this was written in the third person, which has never bothered me, but it did here.
Overall, The Neighbor Favor wasn't really for me, but it comes down to my dislike of Lily and her family, and my inability to connect with either Lily or Nick. I couldn't root for anyone and I didn't really want to. However, the things I had an issue with might not bother you, so maybe give this book a chance if it sounds interesting to you!
Thank you, Berkley, for providing a physical ARC in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.
I got this as a physical ARC from Berkley and I was so excited because the story seemed right up my alley. Unfortunately, I had to stop after 100 pages. Sadly it wasn't for me.
What I liked:
The premise of two book lovers falling in love. I mean, who doesn't want to read about a shy girl who falls for her hot neighbor who also happens to be the author of her favorite fantasy novel???
The emails. It's a cute idea to introduce the characters and develop their relationship. However, I wish they were woven into the story instead of given to us all at the same time.
What I didn’t like:
To my point above, that the emails were not woven throughout the story. It didn’t really allow the reader time to connect with Lily and Nick’s relationship and their growing feelings. So when it comes to an end, I just didn’t really care.
I didn’t connect with Lily at all. She’s an introvert who loves books so you’d think I would. But she’s such a pushover with her family that I couldn’t respect her or relate to her. (Continue to my next point).
I absolutely hated Lily’s dynamic with her family. They are just straight up jerks. Lily is a 26 year old who’s trying to break into publishing (which is difficult). Give the girl a freaking break! She doesn’t need to have the perfect career yet or to be in a serious relationship. Her family relentlessly pushes these topics, but it’s like they don’t even know Lily at all. And her sister, Violet, keeps setting her up with guys she so obviously wouldn’t ever be interested in. So I guess keeping all this in mind, I’m wondering, why she is close to them in the first place if they truly don’t know her or her heart's desires? I get this was done to create drama but the way it was done didn’t really do anything but make me feel angry with Lily and her family. Angry at Lily for not putting up boundaries, and angry at her family for thinking they have the right to guilt trip and 'guide' Lily.
It annoyed me that Lily’s dating life was the main point of conflict in this story. At least it was for the first 25% of the story and seemed like that was the direction it was going since she needs to find a date to her sister's wedding. Lily is constantly degrading herself internally whenever she meets a new guy. She says, “ he probably won’t like me” or “I’m not his type” or “he’s probably in love with Violet” (her sister). These types of thoughts are repeatedly mentioned during her inner dialogue and I just couldn’t handle it.
When Nick tells Lily in one of the emails the name of the column he writes, I thought, “she’s probably going to go and google that immediately.” But she didn’t!!! I guess if she did the story would have ended a lot sooner. But it was a huge plot hole.
I don’t know what it is about the prose, but I just didn’t click with it. I was also very aware this was written in the third person, which has never bothered me, but it did here.
Overall, The Neighbor Favor wasn't really for me, but it comes down to my dislike of Lily and her family, and my inability to connect with either Lily or Nick. I couldn't root for anyone and I didn't really want to. However, the things I had an issue with might not bother you, so maybe give this book a chance if it sounds interesting to you!
Thank you, Berkley, for providing a physical ARC in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.
February 28, 2023
Happy release day!
Thanks for a copy to review from Netgalley and Berkley. This title drops February 28th. Don't mind me hanging out in the Unpopular Opinion aisle on this one...
Ehhhhhh...I was excited to read this as an epistolary and penpal romance fan, but uh, Choices Were Made in writing this book that really impacted my reading of it. Let's get into it.
First, unlike the genius of, say, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy where we got letters woven in between plot occurrences, heightening the yearning and romance, this book.... Well, it unloaded everything, every email, in the first fifteen percent of the book. It was info dumpy, it did not read like organic interactions, it did not build a romance foundation for this reader. So the entire structure of the book was ghastly and nothing flowed. I think it would have added significant intrigue and "ooh" factor to show a dual timeline and not have Lily ghosted at the end of that big slew of emails.
The three sisters, one of whom is our protagonist, are named Lily, Iris, and Violet. Now, this could have been cute, I guess, but the way the prose worked or something just made it confusing. I saw more than one review calling our protagonist Iris rather than Lily because it's that easy to get confused.
The prose was...rough. The voice of the story was immature-sounding at the best of times.
Lastly, the male love interest? He doesn't like cats.
I will, however, praise the refreshing passages of the two main characters gushing about fantasy books, specifically enjoying Black characters in them. Take that, Tolkien fanboys.
Thanks for a copy to review from Netgalley and Berkley. This title drops February 28th. Don't mind me hanging out in the Unpopular Opinion aisle on this one...
Ehhhhhh...I was excited to read this as an epistolary and penpal romance fan, but uh, Choices Were Made in writing this book that really impacted my reading of it. Let's get into it.
First, unlike the genius of, say, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy where we got letters woven in between plot occurrences, heightening the yearning and romance, this book.... Well, it unloaded everything, every email, in the first fifteen percent of the book. It was info dumpy, it did not read like organic interactions, it did not build a romance foundation for this reader. So the entire structure of the book was ghastly and nothing flowed. I think it would have added significant intrigue and "ooh" factor to show a dual timeline and not have Lily ghosted at the end of that big slew of emails.
The three sisters, one of whom is our protagonist, are named Lily, Iris, and Violet. Now, this could have been cute, I guess, but the way the prose worked or something just made it confusing. I saw more than one review calling our protagonist Iris rather than Lily because it's that easy to get confused.
The prose was...rough. The voice of the story was immature-sounding at the best of times.
Lastly, the male love interest? He doesn't like cats.
I will, however, praise the refreshing passages of the two main characters gushing about fantasy books, specifically enjoying Black characters in them. Take that, Tolkien fanboys.
March 7, 2023
I was so excited to see Kristina Forest try her hand at an adult romance, especially such a bookish one! This book is Definitley written for book lovers and I loved it. Lily is very shy and doesn't feel like she lives up to the fabulous lives her sisters are living, though she loves them and is close to them. She is working as an editor's assistant, but she dreams of being a children's book editor. One day she decides to email the author of her favorite fantasy book. And he responds. Nick hasn't written anything since that book and is a travel journalist now, but he can't help but email Lily back and they start an email relationship. I really loved this part of the book and how they opened up to each other and started falling for each other. But Nick gets scared and ghosts Lily, so Lily moves on from her life and chalks it up to another embarrassing dating story. Until Nick moves in down the hall and neither of them know who the other really is. I loved how both Nick and Lily had a crush on each other after seeing each other in their apartment building and how they both had their own struggles to get through before they could fully go in a relationship with each other. And I loved Lily's family!! Nick visited Lily's family and I loved their dynamics so much. I do think Nick took a little too long to finally go after what he wanted, but this was such a cute romance!
July 28, 2023
I've been in a reading slump so I haven't read a book in almost a week. I would usually force myself to read but this time I just rewatched Grimm and waited to feel like reading again. While watching Grimm and swooning over a particular couple I decided that I wanted to read some Romance and thus far Black Romance has rarely let me down.
The Neighbor Favor has been on my radar for a minute now. People who love Romance enjoyed it and people who don't love Romance also enjoyed it. So I figured it was time to pick it up. I flew though this book. Often my problem with Romance is either the female lead is whiny and annoying or the male lead is trash but we are supposed to love him.
Thank God, Lily & Nick are just nice wholesome people. I didn't hate them or root for their downfall. And the cherry on top is that this book is about books. Nick is an author and Lily is in publishing and they talk about books all the time...it's great!
As with most things lately in publishing The Neighbor Favor is book one in a series, I won't reveal who book 2 is about because it's a spoiler but I will say that it's not who I would have picked.
If you like a light fun Romance book where the male lead is actually romantic and sweet than pick up The Neighbor Favor.
The Neighbor Favor has been on my radar for a minute now. People who love Romance enjoyed it and people who don't love Romance also enjoyed it. So I figured it was time to pick it up. I flew though this book. Often my problem with Romance is either the female lead is whiny and annoying or the male lead is trash but we are supposed to love him.
Thank God, Lily & Nick are just nice wholesome people. I didn't hate them or root for their downfall. And the cherry on top is that this book is about books. Nick is an author and Lily is in publishing and they talk about books all the time...it's great!
As with most things lately in publishing The Neighbor Favor is book one in a series, I won't reveal who book 2 is about because it's a spoiler but I will say that it's not who I would have picked.
If you like a light fun Romance book where the male lead is actually romantic and sweet than pick up The Neighbor Favor.
August 18, 2023
This is my favorite romance and i need everyone to read this book.
February 6, 2023
Good and entertaining story. Very traditional sequences. 3.5 stars
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When you’re looking for a romance and you get more of a friendship with a very slow burn sometimes it takes a while for you to get into the story.
I love the main characters and I connected with them quite well. This story has a huge focus on family which takes up much of the plot. Of course, the sister connection is all fine and dandy, but I really wanted more of the love story.
We have two aspects in this book- one as a pen pal/love story and the second as a falling for your neighbor love story.
The crush is there, the heat is building, and yet when all is said and done, they have a wonderful time, but there was no heat and fire.
Maybe it’s just me, but the passion is definitely lacking in this book. The author chose to write it in a very traditional method with the physical romance coming in at 80% of the story.
The story is very entertaining and very family oriented but don’t look for open-door romance because that is just not there. I really miss the heat and the spicy love connection that this story needed with all of the angst and mental buildup we went through. It would’ve taken this to a five-star read for me.
Overall, The Neighbor Favor is an entertaining, fun story, but I’m here for the romance - all of the romance.
* copy received for review consideration
* full review - https://amidlifewife.com/the-neighbor...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When you’re looking for a romance and you get more of a friendship with a very slow burn sometimes it takes a while for you to get into the story.
I love the main characters and I connected with them quite well. This story has a huge focus on family which takes up much of the plot. Of course, the sister connection is all fine and dandy, but I really wanted more of the love story.
We have two aspects in this book- one as a pen pal/love story and the second as a falling for your neighbor love story.
The crush is there, the heat is building, and yet when all is said and done, they have a wonderful time, but there was no heat and fire.
Maybe it’s just me, but the passion is definitely lacking in this book. The author chose to write it in a very traditional method with the physical romance coming in at 80% of the story.
The story is very entertaining and very family oriented but don’t look for open-door romance because that is just not there. I really miss the heat and the spicy love connection that this story needed with all of the angst and mental buildup we went through. It would’ve taken this to a five-star read for me.
Overall, The Neighbor Favor is an entertaining, fun story, but I’m here for the romance - all of the romance.
* copy received for review consideration
* full review - https://amidlifewife.com/the-neighbor...
February 27, 2023
4.5 stars rounded up!
I absolutely adored this book! I loved the epistolary style in the beginning with the emails and then the eventual meet cute between Lilly and Nick. I also loved Lilly's relationship with her sisters even though they really need to stop meddling in Lilly's love life. This book was full of swoon, angst, and even some steam!
I think Kristina knocked it out of the park with her adult debut and now I need more!
Thank you to Berkley & PRH Audio for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
I absolutely adored this book! I loved the epistolary style in the beginning with the emails and then the eventual meet cute between Lilly and Nick. I also loved Lilly's relationship with her sisters even though they really need to stop meddling in Lilly's love life. This book was full of swoon, angst, and even some steam!
I think Kristina knocked it out of the park with her adult debut and now I need more!
Thank you to Berkley & PRH Audio for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
January 6, 2025
he bought bookshelves because she told him to <3
February 26, 2023
the neighbor favor has all the elements to make the perfect fluffly romance. lily is a bookworm obsessed with a book written by an elusive author. on a whim, she looks him up online for the 100th time only to see he now has a website with an email address listed. so in the middle of fighting heatstroke she emails him and to her surprise he responds! thus begins months of email exchanges that change the course of their lives.
nick has my heart. i’m such a sucker for soft mmc. i like an alpha, obsessive man is cool but i love me a gentle man who is aware of his insecurities. the ones that are vulnerable when the time comes. the ones who are just as obsessive about their women but in a softer way. idk how else to describe it but i fall for it every time!
i love this book so much. i know for sure it will be a re-read for me. it’s truly the perfect book to read when you want to lay in bed kicking your feet at two people falling in love.
nick has my heart. i’m such a sucker for soft mmc. i like an alpha, obsessive man is cool but i love me a gentle man who is aware of his insecurities. the ones that are vulnerable when the time comes. the ones who are just as obsessive about their women but in a softer way. idk how else to describe it but i fall for it every time!
i love this book so much. i know for sure it will be a re-read for me. it’s truly the perfect book to read when you want to lay in bed kicking your feet at two people falling in love.
March 15, 2023
3.5/5 ⭐️
- This book had some of the cutest dates ever in it. The bookstore date literally made me swoon. There were so many deep elements like family struggles, relationship issues, and Stricks hidden secret that was a large part of the book! I loved reading about two characters that were so in love with books too!!
- I wasn’t obsessed with how little dialogue there is in the book. The pacing of the book felt a little off at times, but I really loved the emails between the two! I feel like I was able to learn a lot about them in a short time and they were fun to read
- Lily was so relatable and I loved how she slowly gained confidence in herself throughout the whole book. I also really loved how attentive Nick was yo Lily and how you could see how much he cared about her through the entire book.
- This book had some of the cutest dates ever in it. The bookstore date literally made me swoon. There were so many deep elements like family struggles, relationship issues, and Stricks hidden secret that was a large part of the book! I loved reading about two characters that were so in love with books too!!
- I wasn’t obsessed with how little dialogue there is in the book. The pacing of the book felt a little off at times, but I really loved the emails between the two! I feel like I was able to learn a lot about them in a short time and they were fun to read
- Lily was so relatable and I loved how she slowly gained confidence in herself throughout the whole book. I also really loved how attentive Nick was yo Lily and how you could see how much he cared about her through the entire book.
March 3, 2023
What a delightful romance! Lily is a big reader, and one day she sends an email to one of her favorite authors. To her surprise, he answers, and they begin a months-long flirtation. But Nick (who she knows under a pseudonym) breaks it off on the day they were planning on having their first video chat and they don't write again. Another few months later and he's living in NYC... in her building... on her floor. Lily is trying hard to boost her confidence after her catfishing experience, so she pursues Nick. But when he realizes she's the same woman he hurt, he knows he can't be with her. They strike a romance novel bargain: they'll be "just friends" while he helps teach her how to flirt so she can find a date for her sister's wedding. You can probably guess what happens from there - but of course, it's how the end up at the HEA that we love to read.
Kristina Forest's first adult romance isn't just a love story between two adults. It's also an homage to all of the BIPOC SFF authors out there who are finally getting their deserved places in the sun. Lily and Nick bond over their shared love of N.K. Jemisin, R.F. Kuang, Amal El-Mohtar, Tochi Onybuchi, and more. (In fact, they both love Elena Masterson so much that we went to our library and started looking up her Dragons of Blood series before we realized that she doesn't actually exist.) A defense of SFF in an adult romance? Yes, please!
The Neighbor Favor also avoids some common pitfalls of romance. There are a few minor spoilers to follow!
14-Word Summaries:
Meg: Lily wrote a heatstroke-induced email to her favorite author. Now, they’re romantic pen pals…
Laine: She's terrible at boundaries, he has too many, so this adult man gets THERAPY.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
Kristina Forest's first adult romance isn't just a love story between two adults. It's also an homage to all of the BIPOC SFF authors out there who are finally getting their deserved places in the sun. Lily and Nick bond over their shared love of N.K. Jemisin, R.F. Kuang, Amal El-Mohtar, Tochi Onybuchi, and more. (In fact, they both love Elena Masterson so much that we went to our library and started looking up her Dragons of Blood series before we realized that she doesn't actually exist.) A defense of SFF in an adult romance? Yes, please!
The Neighbor Favor also avoids some common pitfalls of romance. There are a few minor spoilers to follow!
14-Word Summaries:
Meg: Lily wrote a heatstroke-induced email to her favorite author. Now, they’re romantic pen pals…
Laine: She's terrible at boundaries, he has too many, so this adult man gets THERAPY.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
June 25, 2023
Lily is an assistant who works for a non-fiction publisher but she has big dreams of moving on to children's publishing and editing fantasy books with Black main characters. Nick is an author who goes by the pen name N.R. Strickland. He's created this persona as an anonymous British fantasy author whose book has recently been acquired by a major publisher in a big deal. He and Lily had been emailing back and forth months prior and we supposed to meet via video chat but he ghosted her. Now he's living in New York in the same apartment building and she has no idea that her hot neighbor is the hot author who broke her heart.
The email section were interesting I just wish they were incorporated in their day to day life vs being all in the beginning in their own separate section.
If you've read Kristina's YA books Lily and Nick are similar to the types of characters she usually writes just grown people doing grown folks things. So there's a little steam. And they're navigating careers and complicated family relationships. Lily can't stand her job or her boss who dumps all her work on her. And she's struggling to find a new position. It's a very slow burn story so it takes awhile for them to get together because Nick swears he's such a fuck up who is incapable of having a serious relationship. But they have a very easy chemistry.
Since they both work in publishing it's heavy on the behind the scenes dynamics and mentions of their favorite real life fantasy books. It was a little meta and lengthy for me at some parts but overall a cute read. And we're introduced to Lily's sisters in this story and get a preview of the next book.
The email section were interesting I just wish they were incorporated in their day to day life vs being all in the beginning in their own separate section.
If you've read Kristina's YA books Lily and Nick are similar to the types of characters she usually writes just grown people doing grown folks things. So there's a little steam. And they're navigating careers and complicated family relationships. Lily can't stand her job or her boss who dumps all her work on her. And she's struggling to find a new position. It's a very slow burn story so it takes awhile for them to get together because Nick swears he's such a fuck up who is incapable of having a serious relationship. But they have a very easy chemistry.
Since they both work in publishing it's heavy on the behind the scenes dynamics and mentions of their favorite real life fantasy books. It was a little meta and lengthy for me at some parts but overall a cute read. And we're introduced to Lily's sisters in this story and get a preview of the next book.
September 19, 2024
Sometimes I feel I'm too picky to really enjoy anything.
I love the first part of this because the email exchanges were soooo cute but then it ended and so did my interest in the book. If the emails had been continuous throughout the entire book then I might have loved this more but it just wasn't doing it for me.
This is definitely a me problem because I can see why it would be a hit for others!
I love the first part of this because the email exchanges were soooo cute but then it ended and so did my interest in the book. If the emails had been continuous throughout the entire book then I might have loved this more but it just wasn't doing it for me.
This is definitely a me problem because I can see why it would be a hit for others!
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