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Two Doors Down
Sometimes love is closer than you think.
Career woman Eve is on the brink of a major promotion. So what if her personal life is a disaster — her online dating app constantly matches her with the most awful dates. And her best friend’s chaotic love life is a constant drama she just doesn’t need. Anyway, she has everything she needs at work.
If only her neighbour from two doors down would stop his cat getting into her house!
Laid-back Adam has everything he needs. A dedicated tutor, he has a fulfilling work-life balance. A close-knit group of friends and a close bond with his brother who has cerebral palsy.
If only his neighbour from two doors up would stop her cat getting into his house!
When Eve tries to return Adam’s cat, it becomes clear they have been duped by the antics of a stray. And despite his endearing presence in both their houses, ‘Old Sausage’ should be returned to his true owner.
But when both Eve and Adam are betrayed by those closest to them, they find their lives are not as fulfilled as they believed. As they search for Old Sausage’s owner, whilst dealing with their own betrayals, they begin to realise they have more in common than they first thought.
And perhaps a new beginning was on their doorstep all along . . .
Career woman Eve is on the brink of a major promotion. So what if her personal life is a disaster — her online dating app constantly matches her with the most awful dates. And her best friend’s chaotic love life is a constant drama she just doesn’t need. Anyway, she has everything she needs at work.
If only her neighbour from two doors down would stop his cat getting into her house!
Laid-back Adam has everything he needs. A dedicated tutor, he has a fulfilling work-life balance. A close-knit group of friends and a close bond with his brother who has cerebral palsy.
If only his neighbour from two doors up would stop her cat getting into his house!
When Eve tries to return Adam’s cat, it becomes clear they have been duped by the antics of a stray. And despite his endearing presence in both their houses, ‘Old Sausage’ should be returned to his true owner.
But when both Eve and Adam are betrayed by those closest to them, they find their lives are not as fulfilled as they believed. As they search for Old Sausage’s owner, whilst dealing with their own betrayals, they begin to realise they have more in common than they first thought.
And perhaps a new beginning was on their doorstep all along . . .
- GenresRomanceAdultContemporary
306 pages, Paperback
First published August 21, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
August 28, 2024
In a Nutshell: Don’t trust the blurb at all! This is NOT a romcom but a contemporary drama with realistic flawed characters. Works pretty well as a drama, but if you are looking for a light romance storyline (or any kind of romance plot), this isn’t for you.
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Plot Preview:
Whoever wrote the blurb for this novel did it a huge disservice. I wonder if they even read the book, or if they just wrote it based on what would sell the book. Here’s the thing: if a reader goes into a book expecting one kind of story and the book turns out to be something else altogether, they leave bad ratings/reviews! It is always better to stick to the right label, even if it isn’t the hottest-selling tag in the market.
Let’s evaluate the claims in the blurb, which declares this book to be an “opposites-attract, forced proximity, heartwarming rom-com of finding love when you least expect it.”
Luckily for the book, I enjoy contemporary drama far better than romances or romcoms. (I had grabbed this more for the cat than for the potential romance.) I also enjoy unlikeable characters when written realistically. So my reading experience wasn’t a complete disaster.
The main characters aren’t particularly likeable, but they are definitely true to life. Adam is a pushover kind of guy who is happy to take a backseat and let the woman in his life take all the decisions. His character needs a spine, which he grows by the end of the book. Eve is the kind of woman who doesn’t think twice about anything except when it concerns her own success. I don’t think I have ever read a “romcom” FMC being so self-centred, unethical. judgemental, and insensitive. (I guess she’s more like a thriller FMC!) Her character needs a moral compass and a heart, which she gets by the end of the book. The novel thus works better as a contemporary drama with several learning opportunities for its main leads.
Using ‘Adam’ and ‘Eve’ as the names for the main pair could go either way. While it is somewhat cheesy, it is also funny. I liked the combination. It also led to one interesting scene in the book, so no complaints. However, I do have a minor complaint about there being a Kirsty and a Katie in important roles. Please, dear authors! Use distinct-sounding names!
The secondary characters fare better, even though they have relatively limited appearances. Be it Adam’s brother, his friends, Eve’s friends and colleagues, or the strange cat, each has a role to play in the story, and they fulfil their obligation well, even though some of them can be annoying at times. Hardly any of the secondary cast feels frivolous. The only exception to this is “Chloe”, who is there only in name for most of the book. After all the suspense surrounding her, the actual reveal falls quite flat.
The first half has minor arcs connected to Adam’s brother (very interesting, sweet and sensitive), the office politics at Eve’s workplace (mostly realistic barring a couple of OTT scenes), and the personal issues in Adam’s love life (decent, not enthralling.) Though the blurb makes the cat out to be a prominent part of the plot, it makes only sporadic appearances until about the 30% mark. The actual “Let’s look for the cat’s owner’ segment doesn’t begin until much into the second half.
Surprisingly, *almost* all the women in the book are toxic and *almost* all the men are good-natured and helpful. This is a first for me! I've usually seen it happen the other way around. (I was half-convinced that the book was written by an aggrieved man coming out of a messy breakup! I finally understand how men might feel while reading domestic thrillers.) I don’t mind women being portrayed in negative roles (We aren’t all angels!), but if we consider this genre, it is more women than men who read dramatic or romantic plots. So it would be better to have a more balanced portrayal regardless of gender.
More importantly, if the book is targeted towards romance readers, the main couple should make us wish for them to come together. It is very tough to root for Eve considering her appalling behaviour for a major chunk of the plot. There is zilch chemistry between Adam and Eve, and the sudden turnaround of their feelings is more weird than wow. There’s also too much reliance on the miscommunication trope in the final quarter. One scene in particular annoyed me as it just didn’t make sense for a competitive go-getter such as Eve to stay silent after such a major incident. The story thus doesn’t offer anything to romance lovers.
Most of the plot kept my rating firmly at 3.75 stars. Though the final quarter, with the OTT office scenes, the abrupt romantic turnaround, and the miscommunication mishaps, reduced my satisfaction a little, I was still fairly happy with the ending.
All in all, I did enjoy this book a lot, but that is mainly because I like reading contemporary drama. The dramatic moments in the book come fairly regularly, and this, combined with the complex characters and the multiple subplots that were woven together without feeling cluttered, ensured that I was invested enough till the end. The fast pace also helped.
Recommended to readers of contemporary drama who don’t mind unlikeable characters and enjoy a complex story of self-growth and of course, a cat. This is absolutely not a romance or romcom, so if that’s what you assumed from the pastel cover and the blurb, pick something else.
3.75 stars.
My thanks to Joffe Books for a complimentary copy of “Two Doors Down”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
The digital version of this book is currently available free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Eve is a career-oriented thirty-three-year old who doesn’t allow anyone and anything to come in the way of her professional success. She does have some wonderful friends, but they are not high on her priority list. Her dating life is restricted to the matches sent to her by an online dating app, and she has no complaints as her physical needs are being met. Or so she thinks.
Adam is an overly laidback tutor having a close-knit bond with his brother (who has cerebral palsy) and his four friends. He is also in a loving long-term relationship. Or so he thinks.
When a mysterious cat starts making an appearance in Eve’s and Adam’s houses, each thinks that the cat belongs to the other, thanks to the houses being two doors away.
The plot focusses on the professional and personal turmoil of the two characters’ lives, and the strange cat who is the common factor between them.
The story comes to us in the first-person perspectives of Eve and Adam.
Whoever wrote the blurb for this novel did it a huge disservice. I wonder if they even read the book, or if they just wrote it based on what would sell the book. Here’s the thing: if a reader goes into a book expecting one kind of story and the book turns out to be something else altogether, they leave bad ratings/reviews! It is always better to stick to the right label, even if it isn’t the hottest-selling tag in the market.
Let’s evaluate the claims in the blurb, which declares this book to be an “opposites-attract, forced proximity, heartwarming rom-com of finding love when you least expect it.”
📌 ‘Opposites-attract’: Eve and Adam are opposites, agreed. However, they don’t even meet for half the book, and when they do, there’s no instant or delayed attraction.
📌 ‘Forced Proximity’: Only one scene in the final quarter. Single bed trope but not tackled the typical way.
📌 ‘Heartwarming’: There are some sweet scenes. But almost all of these are connected to Adam’s scenes with his autistic student, his interactions with his brother and his friends, a couple of Eve’s chats with her friends, and of course, the scenes with the cat.
📌 ‘Rom-com’: This is neither a rom nor a com. A major chunk of the book has no romance. Almost all of the book has no comedy, unless you count the fun quotient in the heartwarming scenes.
📌 The worst of it is that the blurb reveals almost 80% of the cat-connected plot, and drops everything not related to the cat. However, a major part of the book isn’t even about the cat, but about Adam’s and Eve’s individual journeys of self-awareness.
📌 The title also tells us that Adam and Eve are two doors away from each other, much before this revelation even comes up in the book.
Basically, zero marks to the blurb.
Luckily for the book, I enjoy contemporary drama far better than romances or romcoms. (I had grabbed this more for the cat than for the potential romance.) I also enjoy unlikeable characters when written realistically. So my reading experience wasn’t a complete disaster.
The main characters aren’t particularly likeable, but they are definitely true to life. Adam is a pushover kind of guy who is happy to take a backseat and let the woman in his life take all the decisions. His character needs a spine, which he grows by the end of the book. Eve is the kind of woman who doesn’t think twice about anything except when it concerns her own success. I don’t think I have ever read a “romcom” FMC being so self-centred, unethical. judgemental, and insensitive. (I guess she’s more like a thriller FMC!) Her character needs a moral compass and a heart, which she gets by the end of the book. The novel thus works better as a contemporary drama with several learning opportunities for its main leads.
Using ‘Adam’ and ‘Eve’ as the names for the main pair could go either way. While it is somewhat cheesy, it is also funny. I liked the combination. It also led to one interesting scene in the book, so no complaints. However, I do have a minor complaint about there being a Kirsty and a Katie in important roles. Please, dear authors! Use distinct-sounding names!
The secondary characters fare better, even though they have relatively limited appearances. Be it Adam’s brother, his friends, Eve’s friends and colleagues, or the strange cat, each has a role to play in the story, and they fulfil their obligation well, even though some of them can be annoying at times. Hardly any of the secondary cast feels frivolous. The only exception to this is “Chloe”, who is there only in name for most of the book. After all the suspense surrounding her, the actual reveal falls quite flat.
The first half has minor arcs connected to Adam’s brother (very interesting, sweet and sensitive), the office politics at Eve’s workplace (mostly realistic barring a couple of OTT scenes), and the personal issues in Adam’s love life (decent, not enthralling.) Though the blurb makes the cat out to be a prominent part of the plot, it makes only sporadic appearances until about the 30% mark. The actual “Let’s look for the cat’s owner’ segment doesn’t begin until much into the second half.
Surprisingly, *almost* all the women in the book are toxic and *almost* all the men are good-natured and helpful. This is a first for me! I've usually seen it happen the other way around. (I was half-convinced that the book was written by an aggrieved man coming out of a messy breakup! I finally understand how men might feel while reading domestic thrillers.) I don’t mind women being portrayed in negative roles (We aren’t all angels!), but if we consider this genre, it is more women than men who read dramatic or romantic plots. So it would be better to have a more balanced portrayal regardless of gender.
More importantly, if the book is targeted towards romance readers, the main couple should make us wish for them to come together. It is very tough to root for Eve considering her appalling behaviour for a major chunk of the plot. There is zilch chemistry between Adam and Eve, and the sudden turnaround of their feelings is more weird than wow. There’s also too much reliance on the miscommunication trope in the final quarter. One scene in particular annoyed me as it just didn’t make sense for a competitive go-getter such as Eve to stay silent after such a major incident. The story thus doesn’t offer anything to romance lovers.
Most of the plot kept my rating firmly at 3.75 stars. Though the final quarter, with the OTT office scenes, the abrupt romantic turnaround, and the miscommunication mishaps, reduced my satisfaction a little, I was still fairly happy with the ending.
All in all, I did enjoy this book a lot, but that is mainly because I like reading contemporary drama. The dramatic moments in the book come fairly regularly, and this, combined with the complex characters and the multiple subplots that were woven together without feeling cluttered, ensured that I was invested enough till the end. The fast pace also helped.
Recommended to readers of contemporary drama who don’t mind unlikeable characters and enjoy a complex story of self-growth and of course, a cat. This is absolutely not a romance or romcom, so if that’s what you assumed from the pastel cover and the blurb, pick something else.
3.75 stars.
My thanks to Joffe Books for a complimentary copy of “Two Doors Down”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
The digital version of this book is currently available free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
July 22, 2025
One Liner: Please don't trust the blurb and go into this book. This is not a light romance. Works well as a mildly serious drama
Synopsis: Eve is a career obsessed woman who also doubles up as a problem solver. Even though Jess and Will are her good friends, Eve mostly thinks of her career graph and nothing else. She never lets anything or anyone come in the way of her career. Adam on the other hand is a easy going tutor and extremely close to his brother with cerebral palsy and his four pals. He is in a relationship with Katie. In all this, a mysterious skinny cat starts appearing in Adam and Eve's houses once in a while and each of them thinks that it belongs to the other since their houses are 2 doors down. The book focuses on the personal and professional lives of the MC(s) and the turmoil they face. The story comes written in first person pov of Adam and Eve
My thoughts:
I really did not like Eve a lot. She seemed self obsessed and devoid of emotions (there is a reason for that in the book). Adam on the other hand felt too laid back and a pushover. The author has really shaped both the MCs very well. The career oriented part comes out so well in Eve's picturization. Small things like Adam biking everywhere is just a sample to show his laid back and unpretentious side. The secondary characters (Adam's 4 friends, the nurse caring for Adam's brother, Will and Jess) are written quite well. They have not been sidelined and do have something to offer in the story. The office politics and the fight for the open position seemed really OTT. It was quite unbelievable. The miscommunication/assumption between the MCs seems to be lifted directly from movies (lol). Its quite a hallmark of romantic movies. That I felt was not needed. There is not too much of romance in the book as such (contrary to the blurb). One more thing kind of annoying to me (personally) was same information being shared in both POVs. I understand its from 2 different perspectives but while reading it felt little repetitive. Aside from these small nagging things, this was a good and a quick read
My rating 3.5* rounded to 4
Synopsis: Eve is a career obsessed woman who also doubles up as a problem solver. Even though Jess and Will are her good friends, Eve mostly thinks of her career graph and nothing else. She never lets anything or anyone come in the way of her career. Adam on the other hand is a easy going tutor and extremely close to his brother with cerebral palsy and his four pals. He is in a relationship with Katie. In all this, a mysterious skinny cat starts appearing in Adam and Eve's houses once in a while and each of them thinks that it belongs to the other since their houses are 2 doors down. The book focuses on the personal and professional lives of the MC(s) and the turmoil they face. The story comes written in first person pov of Adam and Eve
My thoughts:
I really did not like Eve a lot. She seemed self obsessed and devoid of emotions (there is a reason for that in the book). Adam on the other hand felt too laid back and a pushover. The author has really shaped both the MCs very well. The career oriented part comes out so well in Eve's picturization. Small things like Adam biking everywhere is just a sample to show his laid back and unpretentious side. The secondary characters (Adam's 4 friends, the nurse caring for Adam's brother, Will and Jess) are written quite well. They have not been sidelined and do have something to offer in the story. The office politics and the fight for the open position seemed really OTT. It was quite unbelievable. The miscommunication/assumption between the MCs seems to be lifted directly from movies (lol). Its quite a hallmark of romantic movies. That I felt was not needed. There is not too much of romance in the book as such (contrary to the blurb). One more thing kind of annoying to me (personally) was same information being shared in both POVs. I understand its from 2 different perspectives but while reading it felt little repetitive. Aside from these small nagging things, this was a good and a quick read
My rating 3.5* rounded to 4
August 15, 2024
I enjoyed this cute neighbors to lovers book. The book starts out with the two main characters having their own story. It was nice to read about their day to day life before they suddenly merge into the same timeline and crossing paths with each other. It was a bit refreshing!
The tortoise shell cat, Old Sausage brought these two main characters together.
Eve - what can I say… she was a very selfish person and would do anything to anyone to get her way. FINALLY, towards the end…she is given the hard words needed from friends to self reflect and grow.
Adam - one of the nicest most sincerest male characters! I LOVED how would move mountains for his brother Hugh, whom has cerebral palsy 💞
A laughed a bit at the witty characters. I did feel that the characters were a bit “younger” acting and kept portraying them in the 20’s instead of the stated ages of the 30’s.
The tortoise shell cat, Old Sausage brought these two main characters together.
Eve - what can I say… she was a very selfish person and would do anything to anyone to get her way. FINALLY, towards the end…she is given the hard words needed from friends to self reflect and grow.
Adam - one of the nicest most sincerest male characters! I LOVED how would move mountains for his brother Hugh, whom has cerebral palsy 💞
A laughed a bit at the witty characters. I did feel that the characters were a bit “younger” acting and kept portraying them in the 20’s instead of the stated ages of the 30’s.
January 24, 2025
The kind of book you don’t want to stop reading because you enjoy it so much.
August 27, 2024
...as if he knew exactly where to go all along.
A book where the protagonists meet because of a wayward cat? I have never been so in.
Two Doors Down is a dual POV romance focused on Eve and Adam. Eve is a business woman. She knows what she wants and she goes for it. Right now she wants the promotion on offer as her boss goes on paternity leave, and he's all but officialy announced her as his replacement. So when her supposed best friend throws her hat in the ring, it throws her off and into an all out war. Adam is loving his life. He's got great friends, he loves his job, he loves his girlfriend, so when she betrays him in the worst way possible, he's left reeling. The only company he has is a scrawny looking cat, who comes and goes as she pleases, until one day he watches her disappear two doors down.
I really liked how this romance had a bit of a twist to the kind of romance I have come to expect. The fact that the characters didn't meet until halfway through the book was something that I found really different, but it worked really well. It meant that there was a chance to really get to know the characters and who they are as characters before they're together. However the amount of near misses they had was equal parts entertaining, and frustrating. It was refreshing that they both had their own lives that exsisted out of the other characters knowledge. Though their lives ran parallel to each other, the amount of times they nearly met, or their days went so similar to each other made it entertaining.
I also thought it was interesting how it was almost mirrored when they finally admit to themselevs that they have feelings for each other. Whereas before it was almost as though they were being thrown together, once they actually admitted that they want each other to themsleves, it's as though everything is conspiring to keep them apart. Usually I'm really not a fan of the miscommunication trope, however in this book it's more entertaining than just happening for the sake of it, that I could look past it.
You really get a feel for who the characters are very early on, which as someone who really loves character driven books, was fantastic. It's so well done, that although both characters get betrayed pretty early on, you still feel for them. Eve is one of my favourite characters. She is very unapologetically herself, even if she isn't the sort of female main character you would expect in a romance. I like that it's never seen as a bad thing that shes so career-focused, and that she does what she feels like she has to. Whether that means taking the high road, or being okay with taking advantage of people to help her own agenda. She's not a perfect character by any means, and when she is called out, it is well deserved, but I really like the way she subverts what you would expect. It made her a really interesting character to read.
Adam on the other hand took me alittle while to warm up to. I still felt for him when he was betrayed, but I think he althogether became a better characetr once Old Sausage was involved. I'm not sure what it was but I didnt connect with his character the way I was with Eve. He did eventrually grow on me, but it was more towards the end, once they had tried to take Old Sausage back to her owner. That was when it felt as though he really came into his own character, took charge a little bit more. It felt as though he felt a little less sorry for himself and once he was less 'poor me' he became more likeable as a character.
I couldn't get over how they were towards Old Sausage. The way they both went from where has this cat come from, this is the last hting I need right now to needing her for emotional support was a very realistic approach to a cat coming into your life. It was done very sneakily, in the way that they talked about cat treats they had just picked up to very overtly saying they were holding her to them for support, as someone who has had cats for most of her life, it felt very realistic. Old Sausage really is the star of this book. Through her, you can really see how much Eve and Adam changed. She was one of the main reasons I wanted to read this book, as I thought the idea of a cat bringing them together was so unique and interesting and I'm really glad that it paid of so well.
Now I read mostly romance books, but I like that the romance kind of took a backseat, and the characters got a chance to shine and fuel the story. It is really strong in the way that you can tell they are falling for each other, but it doesn't consume them. Even when Adam was saying that talking about Eve was addictive, (which, haven't we all felt like that when we're falling for someone), it's still not over bearing. There's so many times where a characters internal monologue is just pages of them going back and forth about whether they should be falling someone, and theres a lot of time when that's something I enjoy, but it wouldn't have been right with who Eve and Adam are. I liked that here it was more of a 'whoa that's weird that I want this person, but right now I have this to do.' It was really interesting to have a more realistic point of view, and it fit their characters more.
I really enjoyed this book, and I definitley need more feline based romances in the future. Easy 4 stars for me.
ARC provided by Joffe Books through NetGalley, thank you for the opportunity to read this early copy, all thoughts are my own.
A book where the protagonists meet because of a wayward cat? I have never been so in.
Two Doors Down is a dual POV romance focused on Eve and Adam. Eve is a business woman. She knows what she wants and she goes for it. Right now she wants the promotion on offer as her boss goes on paternity leave, and he's all but officialy announced her as his replacement. So when her supposed best friend throws her hat in the ring, it throws her off and into an all out war. Adam is loving his life. He's got great friends, he loves his job, he loves his girlfriend, so when she betrays him in the worst way possible, he's left reeling. The only company he has is a scrawny looking cat, who comes and goes as she pleases, until one day he watches her disappear two doors down.
I really liked how this romance had a bit of a twist to the kind of romance I have come to expect. The fact that the characters didn't meet until halfway through the book was something that I found really different, but it worked really well. It meant that there was a chance to really get to know the characters and who they are as characters before they're together. However the amount of near misses they had was equal parts entertaining, and frustrating. It was refreshing that they both had their own lives that exsisted out of the other characters knowledge. Though their lives ran parallel to each other, the amount of times they nearly met, or their days went so similar to each other made it entertaining.
I also thought it was interesting how it was almost mirrored when they finally admit to themselevs that they have feelings for each other. Whereas before it was almost as though they were being thrown together, once they actually admitted that they want each other to themsleves, it's as though everything is conspiring to keep them apart. Usually I'm really not a fan of the miscommunication trope, however in this book it's more entertaining than just happening for the sake of it, that I could look past it.
You really get a feel for who the characters are very early on, which as someone who really loves character driven books, was fantastic. It's so well done, that although both characters get betrayed pretty early on, you still feel for them. Eve is one of my favourite characters. She is very unapologetically herself, even if she isn't the sort of female main character you would expect in a romance. I like that it's never seen as a bad thing that shes so career-focused, and that she does what she feels like she has to. Whether that means taking the high road, or being okay with taking advantage of people to help her own agenda. She's not a perfect character by any means, and when she is called out, it is well deserved, but I really like the way she subverts what you would expect. It made her a really interesting character to read.
Adam on the other hand took me alittle while to warm up to. I still felt for him when he was betrayed, but I think he althogether became a better characetr once Old Sausage was involved. I'm not sure what it was but I didnt connect with his character the way I was with Eve. He did eventrually grow on me, but it was more towards the end, once they had tried to take Old Sausage back to her owner. That was when it felt as though he really came into his own character, took charge a little bit more. It felt as though he felt a little less sorry for himself and once he was less 'poor me' he became more likeable as a character.
I couldn't get over how they were towards Old Sausage. The way they both went from where has this cat come from, this is the last hting I need right now to needing her for emotional support was a very realistic approach to a cat coming into your life. It was done very sneakily, in the way that they talked about cat treats they had just picked up to very overtly saying they were holding her to them for support, as someone who has had cats for most of her life, it felt very realistic. Old Sausage really is the star of this book. Through her, you can really see how much Eve and Adam changed. She was one of the main reasons I wanted to read this book, as I thought the idea of a cat bringing them together was so unique and interesting and I'm really glad that it paid of so well.
Now I read mostly romance books, but I like that the romance kind of took a backseat, and the characters got a chance to shine and fuel the story. It is really strong in the way that you can tell they are falling for each other, but it doesn't consume them. Even when Adam was saying that talking about Eve was addictive, (which, haven't we all felt like that when we're falling for someone), it's still not over bearing. There's so many times where a characters internal monologue is just pages of them going back and forth about whether they should be falling someone, and theres a lot of time when that's something I enjoy, but it wouldn't have been right with who Eve and Adam are. I liked that here it was more of a 'whoa that's weird that I want this person, but right now I have this to do.' It was really interesting to have a more realistic point of view, and it fit their characters more.
I really enjoyed this book, and I definitley need more feline based romances in the future. Easy 4 stars for me.
ARC provided by Joffe Books through NetGalley, thank you for the opportunity to read this early copy, all thoughts are my own.
August 10, 2024
Before requesting this, I had a quick nosey at some early reviews who mentioned this wasn’t very ‘romance focused’, I love a good cat yarn so I thought I’d give it a whirl. While the cat was sweet, the writing style didn’t work for me, the plot was unexciting, and the characters were so immature and ridiculous, I really struggled with this overall.
What worked for me:
👍 Tabitha the cat
👍 I didn’t mind Adam as a character (although his pals calling him “Ad” was weird as heck). Adam was the one character who felt multidimensional and the most human. I loved Adam and Hugh’s relationship and Adam’s friend group had a really great dynamic - I love seeing healthy male relationships in fiction and felt that these were a well-rounded, supportive, and good group of friends
👍 Glossary of British terms at the back of the book - can every British book have this pls?!
What I wasn’t so keen on:
👎 The writing style felt very simplistic and paint-by-numbers: there was no subtlety, no nuance, no depth, no beautiful prose… It felt very juvenile stylistically.
👎 The plot was boring: everything was telegraphed miles in advance, it followed a well-trod path, and it was full of many overused tropes (including refusal to communicate as ‘drama’). I was disappointed this book didn’t offer anything new or unique.
👎 Adam and Eve (don’t get me started on those names! Ugh!) took ages bringing Tabitha to the vet to get her microchip checked. They kept commenting on how unwell she looked and she obviously needed help. It was absurd that the vet would just give these clowns Tabitha’s owner’s home address and let them return her. Not only is this a serious breach of GDPR, Tabitha needed medical attention by the sounds of things!
👎 I could not stand Eve. She behaved like a teenager but had a toxic and harmful obsession with the job. She was a user and bully with significant arrested development. I felt like the attempts to redeem her came far too late and weren’t convincing. She’d caused a lot of harm and hurt a lot of people and I would have liked to see more self-awareness and atonement - I didn’t like how easily she got off the hook. (Will telling Eve he doesn’t have headspace for all her “scheming and self-centredness and emotionless drive” was a truly beautiful moment.)
👎 Eve’s job environment nearly triggered a trauma response in me because it was so toxic: the hyper-capitalist culture, the cut-throat employees, the obsessive vibe… it was horrible being trapped in that fictional space - this was compounded by Eve’s toxic relationship with the job.
👎 Eve’s parents were awful: they migrated to Spain and were constantly complaining that the humans and food are "too Spanish" and "not fair for English people". Big yikes. Sadly, this exceptionalism and entitlement is a real attitude and I was just as annoyed by it in fiction as I am IRL.
👎 Many of the women characters were frustratingly immature: Why was Jess shrieking like a toddler all the time? Why couldn’t Kirsty and Eve just have an adult conversation? Why was Katie’s only characterization ‘villain’? These folks are around my age and I just didn’t find it plausible that they’d be behaving like this. Eve’s circle reads like teenagers (except Will/Nina) whereas Adam’s read closer to 30+ year olds.
👎 The romance was unconvincing and the match felt forced. I was sensing more of a connection with Adam/Becky (although Adam needs time and space to heal) and I think Eve needs to learn to be on her own for a while and get her act together.
👎 So much product placement in this, it felt like advertising
I honestly think this would read better as New/Young Adult fiction. By dropping the age to early 20s (still a stretch in some cases), it might be more plausible. The writing style, plot, and characterization might fit a YA audience better than an adult one.
I was privileged to have my request to read this book accepted through NetGalley. Thanks for letting me give this a whirl, Joffe Books.
What worked for me:
👍 Tabitha the cat
👍 I didn’t mind Adam as a character (although his pals calling him “Ad” was weird as heck). Adam was the one character who felt multidimensional and the most human. I loved Adam and Hugh’s relationship and Adam’s friend group had a really great dynamic - I love seeing healthy male relationships in fiction and felt that these were a well-rounded, supportive, and good group of friends
👍 Glossary of British terms at the back of the book - can every British book have this pls?!
What I wasn’t so keen on:
👎 The writing style felt very simplistic and paint-by-numbers: there was no subtlety, no nuance, no depth, no beautiful prose… It felt very juvenile stylistically.
👎 The plot was boring: everything was telegraphed miles in advance, it followed a well-trod path, and it was full of many overused tropes (including refusal to communicate as ‘drama’). I was disappointed this book didn’t offer anything new or unique.
👎 Adam and Eve (don’t get me started on those names! Ugh!) took ages bringing Tabitha to the vet to get her microchip checked. They kept commenting on how unwell she looked and she obviously needed help. It was absurd that the vet would just give these clowns Tabitha’s owner’s home address and let them return her. Not only is this a serious breach of GDPR, Tabitha needed medical attention by the sounds of things!
👎 I could not stand Eve. She behaved like a teenager but had a toxic and harmful obsession with the job. She was a user and bully with significant arrested development. I felt like the attempts to redeem her came far too late and weren’t convincing. She’d caused a lot of harm and hurt a lot of people and I would have liked to see more self-awareness and atonement - I didn’t like how easily she got off the hook. (Will telling Eve he doesn’t have headspace for all her “scheming and self-centredness and emotionless drive” was a truly beautiful moment.)
👎 Eve’s job environment nearly triggered a trauma response in me because it was so toxic: the hyper-capitalist culture, the cut-throat employees, the obsessive vibe… it was horrible being trapped in that fictional space - this was compounded by Eve’s toxic relationship with the job.
👎 Eve’s parents were awful: they migrated to Spain and were constantly complaining that the humans and food are "too Spanish" and "not fair for English people". Big yikes. Sadly, this exceptionalism and entitlement is a real attitude and I was just as annoyed by it in fiction as I am IRL.
👎 Many of the women characters were frustratingly immature: Why was Jess shrieking like a toddler all the time? Why couldn’t Kirsty and Eve just have an adult conversation? Why was Katie’s only characterization ‘villain’? These folks are around my age and I just didn’t find it plausible that they’d be behaving like this. Eve’s circle reads like teenagers (except Will/Nina) whereas Adam’s read closer to 30+ year olds.
👎 The romance was unconvincing and the match felt forced. I was sensing more of a connection with Adam/Becky (although Adam needs time and space to heal) and I think Eve needs to learn to be on her own for a while and get her act together.
👎 So much product placement in this, it felt like advertising
I honestly think this would read better as New/Young Adult fiction. By dropping the age to early 20s (still a stretch in some cases), it might be more plausible. The writing style, plot, and characterization might fit a YA audience better than an adult one.
I was privileged to have my request to read this book accepted through NetGalley. Thanks for letting me give this a whirl, Joffe Books.
October 15, 2024
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
DNF @ 40%
2 stars
This book isn't bad. A lot of people are saying this is more of a contemporary fiction piece than a rom-com, and reading it as that, I can see the ups of the novel. However, you have to be able to put up with a lot from Eve. What made me DNF is her receiving a formal complaint about a bad thing she did and laughing. I get that unlikeable characters who do bad things aren't a problem and can be a good focus for works like this. However, it's the fact this is romance that makes me not able to keep on going. I know that Eve and Adam will eventually meet, and there's even hints of how they're going to throughout the book. But I just don't want Adam to be with Eve. For her to become someone who doesn't suck in time to be part of any romance, either the romance or the redemption will be way too rushed, if not both. Their stories also don't really feed into each other's, so it feels like jumping back and forth between two VERY different stories. The characters on Eve's end also felt exaggerated, but perhaps that was an unreliable narrator aspect. I guess I'll never know xD
I like slow stories. I like personal stories. I just don't personally like the direction and execution of this one. Others obviously do, though, and it's very likely Eve's character type just isn't for me. So hey, if a 'redemption' for a work-a-holic paired with a sorta puppy-esque character appeals to you, definitely check it otu!
DNF @ 40%
2 stars
This book isn't bad. A lot of people are saying this is more of a contemporary fiction piece than a rom-com, and reading it as that, I can see the ups of the novel. However, you have to be able to put up with a lot from Eve. What made me DNF is her receiving a formal complaint about a bad thing she did and laughing. I get that unlikeable characters who do bad things aren't a problem and can be a good focus for works like this. However, it's the fact this is romance that makes me not able to keep on going. I know that Eve and Adam will eventually meet, and there's even hints of how they're going to throughout the book. But I just don't want Adam to be with Eve. For her to become someone who doesn't suck in time to be part of any romance, either the romance or the redemption will be way too rushed, if not both. Their stories also don't really feed into each other's, so it feels like jumping back and forth between two VERY different stories. The characters on Eve's end also felt exaggerated, but perhaps that was an unreliable narrator aspect. I guess I'll never know xD
I like slow stories. I like personal stories. I just don't personally like the direction and execution of this one. Others obviously do, though, and it's very likely Eve's character type just isn't for me. So hey, if a 'redemption' for a work-a-holic paired with a sorta puppy-esque character appeals to you, definitely check it otu!
September 2, 2024
Oh....this book had so much promise - I absolutely loved the premise and super cute looking front cover - I couldn't wait to get stuck in!
I just would have so loved this more, had I not taken such a dislike to Eve from the start.
I'm normally not too bothered by grey characters, even dislikable ones - as I know that they will be able to have a really great development by the end of the book - but for some reason, I just couldn't get behind Eve at all.
Maybe this was because Adam was such a great guy and I just wasn't keen on them getting together at first!
Having said this, I did love the storyline and writing and just had to try and switch off my initial judgement as I read.
And of course this contrast is what made this opposites attract romance work so well.
And to be honest, the addition of the cheekiest cat ever definitely made up for everything!
The writing style was really easy to read and was full of fun and humour throughout - as well as the lovely developing friendship, then romance.
The dual pov chapters helped us really get to know the characters' lives and this always has me racing through the book and squeezing just one more chapter in...
This was a great quick read to squeeze into my summer tbr and I'm just sad that I couldn't connect more with Eve.
This absolutely won't put me off reading more from this author in the future though and I look forward to seeing what comes next....
I just would have so loved this more, had I not taken such a dislike to Eve from the start.
I'm normally not too bothered by grey characters, even dislikable ones - as I know that they will be able to have a really great development by the end of the book - but for some reason, I just couldn't get behind Eve at all.
Maybe this was because Adam was such a great guy and I just wasn't keen on them getting together at first!
Having said this, I did love the storyline and writing and just had to try and switch off my initial judgement as I read.
And of course this contrast is what made this opposites attract romance work so well.
And to be honest, the addition of the cheekiest cat ever definitely made up for everything!
The writing style was really easy to read and was full of fun and humour throughout - as well as the lovely developing friendship, then romance.
The dual pov chapters helped us really get to know the characters' lives and this always has me racing through the book and squeezing just one more chapter in...
This was a great quick read to squeeze into my summer tbr and I'm just sad that I couldn't connect more with Eve.
This absolutely won't put me off reading more from this author in the future though and I look forward to seeing what comes next....
August 26, 2024
I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange of an honest review. And I also wanna thank the author for this copy of the book:
Honestly, I didn't like it very much.
For one, the characters only oficially meet after the 50% mark. That's too much. For another, all their problems could have been solved if they just talked to each other. And third, I didn't like the FMC very much.
Eve wasn't a bad person but some decisions and things she made weren't very good. Sometimes, it was too much.
I liked Adam, he was really sweet, I liked seeing him coming out of his shell a bit, having more confidence in himself, not being such a doormat all the time.
I actually liked them together but at the ending, I would have liked if Eve was the one that went after him and not the other way around. He deserved that kind of dedication
Honestly, I didn't like it very much.
For one, the characters only oficially meet after the 50% mark. That's too much. For another, all their problems could have been solved if they just talked to each other. And third, I didn't like the FMC very much.
Eve wasn't a bad person but some decisions and things she made weren't very good. Sometimes, it was too much.
I liked Adam, he was really sweet, I liked seeing him coming out of his shell a bit, having more confidence in himself, not being such a doormat all the time.
I actually liked them together but at the ending, I would have liked if Eve was the one that went after him and not the other way around. He deserved that kind of dedication
August 22, 2024
This book wasn’t a terrible book but for me it was definitely a slow burner. The main characters have a lot going on in their lives and finding each other is kind of cute. I prefer a little more spice. Although there was some grammar errors within the book that bugged me a little and parts where the book lost me and got confusing but overall it was on okay book.
August 29, 2024
Eve is a total career woman, she is so single mindedly focused she has little time for anything else except scheming and office politics in her climb to the top, friends are falling by the wayside and love is far off her horizon.
Hence all she has time for is meaningless online dating hook ups.
The only blot on her landscape is the peaky cat from two doors down who keeps infiltrating her personal space.
Adam, a tutor has a good life, he has his close circle of friends and his brother Hugh who has cerebral palsy, he is happy and content with his beloved girlfriend Katie.
Then one peek inside her personal drawer blows their lives apart.
But his neighbour's cat keeps getting into his house.
Old sausage the cat is the CATalyst for them to meet and the wary Eve and heartbroken Adam could maybe be something more than neighbours or even friends.
If they could only open up their hearts and let each other in.
This was such a sweet, modern romcom.
I adored the characters and as an animal lover it was a lovely touch having Old sausage as a main part of their story.
Never read this author before but would definitely read more of her work.
Hence all she has time for is meaningless online dating hook ups.
The only blot on her landscape is the peaky cat from two doors down who keeps infiltrating her personal space.
Adam, a tutor has a good life, he has his close circle of friends and his brother Hugh who has cerebral palsy, he is happy and content with his beloved girlfriend Katie.
Then one peek inside her personal drawer blows their lives apart.
But his neighbour's cat keeps getting into his house.
Old sausage the cat is the CATalyst for them to meet and the wary Eve and heartbroken Adam could maybe be something more than neighbours or even friends.
If they could only open up their hearts and let each other in.
This was such a sweet, modern romcom.
I adored the characters and as an animal lover it was a lovely touch having Old sausage as a main part of their story.
Never read this author before but would definitely read more of her work.
August 13, 2024
Here we have the neighbors-to-lovers trope, but subverted in a lot of clever ways. Really, this book is much more about self-exploration and discovery that just happens to coincide with a bit of romance between neighbors. Adam is definitely one of the nicest MMC characters I’ve read in awhile and it shows that in a lot of ways…for about 2/3rds of the book, I was quietly rooting for him to find someone better than Eve.
Eve. What to say. For about the first 2/3rds of the book, she is in so many ways an awful person. She does some truly terrible things in her efforts to “have it all” and she was a struggle to root for. Oh, Kirsty isn’t any better, but Eve’s behavior is awful, unethical and borderline psychotic. She is a truly “type A” personality and while that doesn’t bother me, the lengths she goes to to attempt to get a temporary promotion are mind boggling. She is a self-centered narcissist who does not see what she is doing is awful. Adam deserved better than that version of Eve and there IS a change to her as the book gets deeper.
Something to note…I was fascinated by the fact that for a solid majority of this novel, there are two separate (but nearby) stories being told. Typically, most rom-coms introduce the main characters to one another in the first 10% of the book or so – either rivals, friends, frenemies, neighbors with beef, coworkers, etc. But not here. Here the characters dance around each other’s orbits for the first half of the novel, only really “meeting” one another at exactly the midpoint of the novel. The longer it went on, the more fascinated I was by this. I’m not sure if the author was trying to explore the hidden depths of the lives of people who are only a few doors away from us – but that was definitely the vibe I was getting. Indeed…it might have been an interesting idea to have them never meet, though I suppose that would have defeated the idea of it being a “rom-com.”
But there is a fundamental truth the author is going for in this novel. We have the power over ourselves and our situations by the decisions we make (or don’t make). Sh*t will happen to you whether you choose to be ruthless or not. Doesn’t it make more sense to be good to one another instead? Grab onto the people we choose and hold on tight.
The comedy in this was better than Casket Case and I did find myself loving Hugh (how can you not!) and Old Sausage – as the cat-dad of a tortoise shell cat, I’m familiar with their peculiarities and laughed frequently. Did I love this book? I don’t know. But I definitely liked it. A lot. And the ending was just wonderful. I’m notoriously a hard grader but…here I am saying… 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the ARC.
Eve. What to say. For about the first 2/3rds of the book, she is in so many ways an awful person. She does some truly terrible things in her efforts to “have it all” and she was a struggle to root for. Oh, Kirsty isn’t any better, but Eve’s behavior is awful, unethical and borderline psychotic. She is a truly “type A” personality and while that doesn’t bother me, the lengths she goes to to attempt to get a temporary promotion are mind boggling. She is a self-centered narcissist who does not see what she is doing is awful. Adam deserved better than that version of Eve and there IS a change to her as the book gets deeper.
Something to note…I was fascinated by the fact that for a solid majority of this novel, there are two separate (but nearby) stories being told. Typically, most rom-coms introduce the main characters to one another in the first 10% of the book or so – either rivals, friends, frenemies, neighbors with beef, coworkers, etc. But not here. Here the characters dance around each other’s orbits for the first half of the novel, only really “meeting” one another at exactly the midpoint of the novel. The longer it went on, the more fascinated I was by this. I’m not sure if the author was trying to explore the hidden depths of the lives of people who are only a few doors away from us – but that was definitely the vibe I was getting. Indeed…it might have been an interesting idea to have them never meet, though I suppose that would have defeated the idea of it being a “rom-com.”
But there is a fundamental truth the author is going for in this novel. We have the power over ourselves and our situations by the decisions we make (or don’t make). Sh*t will happen to you whether you choose to be ruthless or not. Doesn’t it make more sense to be good to one another instead? Grab onto the people we choose and hold on tight.
The comedy in this was better than Casket Case and I did find myself loving Hugh (how can you not!) and Old Sausage – as the cat-dad of a tortoise shell cat, I’m familiar with their peculiarities and laughed frequently. Did I love this book? I don’t know. But I definitely liked it. A lot. And the ending was just wonderful. I’m notoriously a hard grader but…here I am saying… 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the ARC.
September 3, 2024
Eve is an independent career-driven woman, with her eyes set on a serious promotion, but her world gets flipped upside down when her best friend applies for the position.
Adam, a dedicated tutor, tries to assist his favourite student get into college while battling family and relationship issues.
Both Adam and Eve's lives are trending downhill fast, but a little cat, Old Sausage, brings them together.
What to expect:
➥ Neighbours to lovers, opposites attract, career woman
➥ Dual first person POV: Adam and Eve
➥ Low spice
➥ No cliffhanger, standalone
➥ CW: infidelity, medical trauma
This was a very well written, lovely story about finding yourself, personal growth, and setting boundaries; but it is not at all what I expected. This was not a light romcom, as it is not a romance or a comedy, and is instead more of a contemporary romance/drama with heavy topics.
I liked how realistic the characters were, for the most part. Adam was a sweet, naive pushover. Eve was a backstabbing, self-centered friend. Both had lots of room for improvement and we saw that. The friends called them out when they were too much, which I found highly realistic.
I also enjoyed getting to know the characters on their own (without the relationship).
My biggest gripe with this book is that if Old Sausage didn't exist this book would make zero sense. Adam and Eve have no similar interests, no friends, etc. They are brought together by this cat but not until late in the book. For a romance, I found there was very little time for the romance to build, not in a slow burn way, but because the characters hadn't even met! This made it very hard for me to cheer for their relationship.
Overall, I would say this book was really well written and I feel really bad giving it 3 stars, because it probably deserves better. But the description of this book is what made me grab it and it is nothing like that. I would recommend it to people who like contemporary romances.
{Thank you Joffe Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.}
Adam, a dedicated tutor, tries to assist his favourite student get into college while battling family and relationship issues.
Both Adam and Eve's lives are trending downhill fast, but a little cat, Old Sausage, brings them together.
What to expect:
➥ Neighbours to lovers, opposites attract, career woman
➥ Dual first person POV: Adam and Eve
➥ Low spice
➥ No cliffhanger, standalone
➥ CW: infidelity, medical trauma
This was a very well written, lovely story about finding yourself, personal growth, and setting boundaries; but it is not at all what I expected. This was not a light romcom, as it is not a romance or a comedy, and is instead more of a contemporary romance/drama with heavy topics.
I liked how realistic the characters were, for the most part. Adam was a sweet, naive pushover. Eve was a backstabbing, self-centered friend. Both had lots of room for improvement and we saw that. The friends called them out when they were too much, which I found highly realistic.
I also enjoyed getting to know the characters on their own (without the relationship).
My biggest gripe with this book is that if Old Sausage didn't exist this book would make zero sense. Adam and Eve have no similar interests, no friends, etc. They are brought together by this cat but not until late in the book. For a romance, I found there was very little time for the romance to build, not in a slow burn way, but because the characters hadn't even met! This made it very hard for me to cheer for their relationship.
Overall, I would say this book was really well written and I feel really bad giving it 3 stars, because it probably deserves better. But the description of this book is what made me grab it and it is nothing like that. I would recommend it to people who like contemporary romances.
{Thank you Joffe Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.}
August 5, 2024
This was a cute neighbor romance with a lot of self-growth and improvement.
Eve is very career minded and as her work life becomes shambles, she is even more frustrated by her neighbor's cat that keeps showing up at her door.
Adam is loyal to a fault and as his love life falls apart, he is surprised by a cat that keeps showing up. He tracks it to his neighbor.
These two finally meet only to discover that it is not either of their cat. The decide to work together to find the owner.
This is a cute book. I thought the "Adam and Eve" jokes were a cute addition. I did not like Eve at all during most of this book. I always love an author that can make me dislike a character but still root for a redemption. This author delivered perfectly. Eve did some really not nice things, however in the end she owned up to everything pulled up her proverbial big girl panties and got that redemption she deserved.
I loved Adam through the entire book. I was rooting for him to get his HEA. He was such a sweet guy who did not deserve the things that happened to him.
The only thing I did not like was how quick this book ended. I would have loved to see more of them together.
Thank you NetGalley and Joffe books for this title. This is my very honest review.
Eve is very career minded and as her work life becomes shambles, she is even more frustrated by her neighbor's cat that keeps showing up at her door.
Adam is loyal to a fault and as his love life falls apart, he is surprised by a cat that keeps showing up. He tracks it to his neighbor.
These two finally meet only to discover that it is not either of their cat. The decide to work together to find the owner.
This is a cute book. I thought the "Adam and Eve" jokes were a cute addition. I did not like Eve at all during most of this book. I always love an author that can make me dislike a character but still root for a redemption. This author delivered perfectly. Eve did some really not nice things, however in the end she owned up to everything pulled up her proverbial big girl panties and got that redemption she deserved.
I loved Adam through the entire book. I was rooting for him to get his HEA. He was such a sweet guy who did not deserve the things that happened to him.
The only thing I did not like was how quick this book ended. I would have loved to see more of them together.
Thank you NetGalley and Joffe books for this title. This is my very honest review.
July 31, 2024
2.75⭐️
No hay romance, nada, cero. Trata sobre las consecuencias de tus actos y el de seguir adelante ante las adversidades.
Eve trabaja en una empresa de marketing y está por recibir un ascenso o eso es lo que cree hasta que se entera que su mejor amiga sin decirle se postuló como candidata y lo que es peor, le mintió a su jefe diciendo que Eve estaba de acuerdo.
Con la competencia por el ascenso, tanto Eve como Kristen y sacan su peor lado, no les importa hacerse daño.
Adam es profesor, está en una relación de seis años, pero descubre que su novia le es infiel. El pobre tendrá que ver como seguir adelante y conseguir dinero para comprarle la mitad de la su departamento a su ex.
Honestamente no tengo idea porque me gustó, tiene muchas cosas que no me agradan, sin embargo, se me hizo entretenido y quería saber como acabaría lo de Eve y Kristen.
Spoilers ⚠️ ⚠️
- Eve y Adam se conocen hasta la mitad del libro y después de eso sus interacciones son mínimas. Se vuelven novios en el último capítulo y no hay ni un beso.
- Ambos están con otras personas.
-No hay epílogo.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
No hay romance, nada, cero. Trata sobre las consecuencias de tus actos y el de seguir adelante ante las adversidades.
Eve trabaja en una empresa de marketing y está por recibir un ascenso o eso es lo que cree hasta que se entera que su mejor amiga sin decirle se postuló como candidata y lo que es peor, le mintió a su jefe diciendo que Eve estaba de acuerdo.
Con la competencia por el ascenso, tanto Eve como Kristen y sacan su peor lado, no les importa hacerse daño.
Adam es profesor, está en una relación de seis años, pero descubre que su novia le es infiel. El pobre tendrá que ver como seguir adelante y conseguir dinero para comprarle la mitad de la su departamento a su ex.
Honestamente no tengo idea porque me gustó, tiene muchas cosas que no me agradan, sin embargo, se me hizo entretenido y quería saber como acabaría lo de Eve y Kristen.
Spoilers ⚠️ ⚠️
- Eve y Adam se conocen hasta la mitad del libro y después de eso sus interacciones son mínimas. Se vuelven novios en el último capítulo y no hay ni un beso.
- Ambos están con otras personas.
-No hay epílogo.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 28, 2024
The cover of the book is amazing, but the description doesn't match.
I thought I am going to read a light easy rom com. Instead, I recieved something different. I could not understand what I was reading about for the first half of the book.
Adam and Eve- they both had their completly different stories. It felt like two different books. Each with their own, kind of heavy problems.
It really was't light or easy or rom com.
I really like the addition of characters with autism, and cerebral palsy. We should talk about them more, really. It just felt heavy. Eve was a very interesting person, not very likeable, in my opinion, though. Adam was a really nice guy, a good person, good friend. His friend group is great, too, super supportive.
The ending of the book felt rushed. It got a little romantic, without spice, and cute, but maybe only for about 50 pages.
I don't know how I feel about it, to be honest.
I would definitelly enjoy it much more, if it was presented differently. I would even change the rating. It was well written, that's a fact.
Thank you to Net Gallery shelf for eARC.
I thought I am going to read a light easy rom com. Instead, I recieved something different. I could not understand what I was reading about for the first half of the book.
Adam and Eve- they both had their completly different stories. It felt like two different books. Each with their own, kind of heavy problems.
It really was't light or easy or rom com.
I really like the addition of characters with autism, and cerebral palsy. We should talk about them more, really. It just felt heavy. Eve was a very interesting person, not very likeable, in my opinion, though. Adam was a really nice guy, a good person, good friend. His friend group is great, too, super supportive.
The ending of the book felt rushed. It got a little romantic, without spice, and cute, but maybe only for about 50 pages.
I don't know how I feel about it, to be honest.
I would definitelly enjoy it much more, if it was presented differently. I would even change the rating. It was well written, that's a fact.
Thank you to Net Gallery shelf for eARC.
August 31, 2024
It was my job to organise the tour for this wonderful book, but after reading the book blurb the premise sounded wonderful and I already had a smile on my face, so I just knew I needed to be part of the tour too.
The first thing that impressed me with this read, is how the cleverly the author had the characters crossing paths on numerous occasions without them having a clue, it really got me excited for the big meet!
It did take me a while to warm to the character Eve, I found her to be very self-centred at first and she did get under my skin, but the character development for her was fantastic, it was lovely to see the character go on a real journey. I loved Adam and his brother from the get go though, their relationship warmed my heart and I was praying all along nothing sinister would happen to Hugh.
I loved the light heartedness of this read, there were some fun moments that really did have me grinning. I liked that there was also thought provoking moments too, I found myself reflecting on myself at times. This really was a lovely, simple read that brought a breath of fresh air.
The first thing that impressed me with this read, is how the cleverly the author had the characters crossing paths on numerous occasions without them having a clue, it really got me excited for the big meet!
It did take me a while to warm to the character Eve, I found her to be very self-centred at first and she did get under my skin, but the character development for her was fantastic, it was lovely to see the character go on a real journey. I loved Adam and his brother from the get go though, their relationship warmed my heart and I was praying all along nothing sinister would happen to Hugh.
I loved the light heartedness of this read, there were some fun moments that really did have me grinning. I liked that there was also thought provoking moments too, I found myself reflecting on myself at times. This really was a lovely, simple read that brought a breath of fresh air.
September 8, 2024
I don't think this book was marketed properly and it definitely affected my experience with it. This book, from the blurb and the genre, should have been a light and fluffy rom-com. The two main characters, Adam and Eve, don't even meet in the first half of the book. The story goes back and forth between their POVs and their stories are completely disconnected from each other. Not exactly what I would expect from a rom-com novel.
I also had a hard time connecting with some of the characters. Eve was a bit mean-spirited and I just struggled to enjoy her character. I did like Adam's character though. He was caring and I loved his relationships with his brother and the student he tutored.
I loved the cover, which was what drew me to this book initially, and the writing style of the author, I just didn't enjoy the story. I probably would have enjoyed this more had there actually been more romance in the story.
Read If You Enjoy:
🩷 Dual POV
💜 Office Politics
🩵 A Mischievous Cat
Thank you to Mary, Joffe Books, and NetGalley for the gifted copy of Two Doors Down. All opinions expressed are my own.
I also had a hard time connecting with some of the characters. Eve was a bit mean-spirited and I just struggled to enjoy her character. I did like Adam's character though. He was caring and I loved his relationships with his brother and the student he tutored.
I loved the cover, which was what drew me to this book initially, and the writing style of the author, I just didn't enjoy the story. I probably would have enjoyed this more had there actually been more romance in the story.
Read If You Enjoy:
🩷 Dual POV
💜 Office Politics
🩵 A Mischievous Cat
Thank you to Mary, Joffe Books, and NetGalley for the gifted copy of Two Doors Down. All opinions expressed are my own.
August 7, 2024
I thought this book was going to be a normal romance but I was wrong. Personally, I felt like there were two stories happening simultaneously for most of the book as the love interests didn’t start interacting until almost 2/3's of the way into the book. There was a lot more about self improvement and personal growth than romance in this book. Eve and Adam were mostly living their lives separately even though they were neighbours and there were a few moments when they would almost meet but they didn’t. I think that the author wrote the characters really well I felt exactly how I should’ve felt about the characters and I think that they are good for each other. I did not love Eve for the majority of the book I just really wanted her to slow down and think for a second and I think that's what the author intended to do with the character which is why I think this book was written well. Plus Adam is just a nice guy who cares about people's feelings and is a good balance to Eve's problem solving personality.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book!!!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book!!!
August 12, 2024
Spoilers included:
As a romance lover, this really did not hit the spot for me. Yes, it could be classed as a verrryy slow burn but it didn't really feel like it was building up. In all honesty, it felt closer to a female fiction book focusing on a character's journey to self improvement. The FMC did not feel relatable as she was so arrogant, work centric and self-absorbed that I really didn't like her. I understand that may be the point of the whole novel, to show her change, but I just really couldn't get behind her as a character because of it. That being said, the MMC being wholesome and charming did pull it back a little bit as he was sweet. Not to mention the fact that the element that tied them together was a stray cat who had chosen them (cat distribution system working overtime). Generally, an okay book but lots of things in here that irritated me or left me close to DNFing the book unfortunately.
Thank you to Joffe Books and netgalley for providing me with the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
As a romance lover, this really did not hit the spot for me. Yes, it could be classed as a verrryy slow burn but it didn't really feel like it was building up. In all honesty, it felt closer to a female fiction book focusing on a character's journey to self improvement. The FMC did not feel relatable as she was so arrogant, work centric and self-absorbed that I really didn't like her. I understand that may be the point of the whole novel, to show her change, but I just really couldn't get behind her as a character because of it. That being said, the MMC being wholesome and charming did pull it back a little bit as he was sweet. Not to mention the fact that the element that tied them together was a stray cat who had chosen them (cat distribution system working overtime). Generally, an okay book but lots of things in here that irritated me or left me close to DNFing the book unfortunately.
Thank you to Joffe Books and netgalley for providing me with the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 3, 2024
I loved the premise of this book, with the stray cat visiting both Adam and Eve and bringing them together. You can never go wrong with a cat!
Adam was great, so kind and caring and a generally lovely person. I absolutely loved reading his chapters and seeing how nice he was to everyone and going above and beyond to help people. I have to admit though I was really not a fan of Eve. She was a truly terrible friend and I know that was intentional because then she could improve later in the book but it did kind of put me off her. I was impressed with how she handled some of the promotion war at work though which pleasantly surprised me after some of the earlier things that had happened, and her texts with Adam especially at the end.
I loved lots of the rep included too! You've got cerebral palsy, autism, a little bit of postnatal depression in there and a throuple too. Although that particular relationship doesn't work out it's still helping to normalise that kind of relationship which I liked. I also really liked the opposite gender best friends because it's not something you see often and especially not without some amount of jealousy or weirdness around it.
While I wasn't keen on Eve I did really enjoy the story and the writing style so I'll definitely keep an eye out for more of Mary's books in the future!
Adam was great, so kind and caring and a generally lovely person. I absolutely loved reading his chapters and seeing how nice he was to everyone and going above and beyond to help people. I have to admit though I was really not a fan of Eve. She was a truly terrible friend and I know that was intentional because then she could improve later in the book but it did kind of put me off her. I was impressed with how she handled some of the promotion war at work though which pleasantly surprised me after some of the earlier things that had happened, and her texts with Adam especially at the end.
I loved lots of the rep included too! You've got cerebral palsy, autism, a little bit of postnatal depression in there and a throuple too. Although that particular relationship doesn't work out it's still helping to normalise that kind of relationship which I liked. I also really liked the opposite gender best friends because it's not something you see often and especially not without some amount of jealousy or weirdness around it.
While I wasn't keen on Eve I did really enjoy the story and the writing style so I'll definitely keep an eye out for more of Mary's books in the future!
September 2, 2024
I'm reviewing this as part of a tour with Hygge Book Tours.
I thought this sounded like a fun read, and I was drawn to it, partly due to the cat mentioned in the description.
The book alternates between the perspective of two characters - Eve and Adam. Those two character names made me chuckle a little bit. I appreciated both characters in different ways. I enjoyed Eve’s humour, and was amused by some of the exchanges between Eve and her friends. Initially, I felt that I connected with Adam on a deeper level, and I think that was because I found him a little bit enigmatic in some ways, and he seemed like someone that I might be drawn to in real life.
As the story progressed, I found that I connected with Eve on a deeper level too. I think this book was a little different from what I initially expected, but it did make me smile.
Thank you to Hygge Book Tours, and to the author and publisher, for the opportunity to read and review this.
I thought this sounded like a fun read, and I was drawn to it, partly due to the cat mentioned in the description.
The book alternates between the perspective of two characters - Eve and Adam. Those two character names made me chuckle a little bit. I appreciated both characters in different ways. I enjoyed Eve’s humour, and was amused by some of the exchanges between Eve and her friends. Initially, I felt that I connected with Adam on a deeper level, and I think that was because I found him a little bit enigmatic in some ways, and he seemed like someone that I might be drawn to in real life.
As the story progressed, I found that I connected with Eve on a deeper level too. I think this book was a little different from what I initially expected, but it did make me smile.
Thank you to Hygge Book Tours, and to the author and publisher, for the opportunity to read and review this.
August 18, 2024
Two Doors Down is a sweet, unique romcom with a lot of heart. I was surprised when the main characters hadn’t met each other until half way through the book, but I actually found that made it more interesting because I was essentially reading two parallel stories until they finally converged.
I found the characters interesting and complex and felt their personal struggles and triumphs really helped move the story along. There is a lot of miscommunication, in case that isn’t your thing. This is also a closed-door romance where with no spice, but I hardly noticed because the tension was definitely there.
All in all, I felt this book was a well-rounded satisfying rom-com that I would confidently recommend to others!
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I found the characters interesting and complex and felt their personal struggles and triumphs really helped move the story along. There is a lot of miscommunication, in case that isn’t your thing. This is also a closed-door romance where with no spice, but I hardly noticed because the tension was definitely there.
All in all, I felt this book was a well-rounded satisfying rom-com that I would confidently recommend to others!
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 1, 2024
I was drawn to TWO DOORS DOWN by the cover and the delightful blurb, however what was advertised as "romcom" was sadly anything but.
I would class this as women's fiction. The couple don't even meet until halfway through the book, with the romance taking place over the last quarter (if that).
I loved Adam. His relationship with his disabled brother was loving and supportive, and a good sibling relationship tends to be rare in romance, so the book did have that going for it.
I also liked his friends and how supportive they were.
But I hated Eve. At thirty-something, she acted half that age - shallow, petty and conniving. Her one redeeming quality was her determination to find the cat's owner.
I really wanted to love TWO DOORS DOWN. It sounded so fun! Unfortunately, I struggled through it and had I not committed to reviewing, I would have DNFed.
I would class this as women's fiction. The couple don't even meet until halfway through the book, with the romance taking place over the last quarter (if that).
I loved Adam. His relationship with his disabled brother was loving and supportive, and a good sibling relationship tends to be rare in romance, so the book did have that going for it.
I also liked his friends and how supportive they were.
But I hated Eve. At thirty-something, she acted half that age - shallow, petty and conniving. Her one redeeming quality was her determination to find the cat's owner.
I really wanted to love TWO DOORS DOWN. It sounded so fun! Unfortunately, I struggled through it and had I not committed to reviewing, I would have DNFed.
August 14, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this arc,
2.5 stars
The parts I liked about this book were Adam, Hugh and their relationship. The way this is showed in the book is really wonderful and also how Adams friends are all actively supporting both of them and each other was really wonderful. On the back of that I really loved Okie and the additional representation of how autism can affect so many things in life.
I not sure if it was intentional but I absolutely did not like Eve, and did not find the redemption in the last 10% of the book believable. I struggled to understand how someone is so out of touch and so self involved that they miss what’s happening around them.
2.5 stars
The parts I liked about this book were Adam, Hugh and their relationship. The way this is showed in the book is really wonderful and also how Adams friends are all actively supporting both of them and each other was really wonderful. On the back of that I really loved Okie and the additional representation of how autism can affect so many things in life.
I not sure if it was intentional but I absolutely did not like Eve, and did not find the redemption in the last 10% of the book believable. I struggled to understand how someone is so out of touch and so self involved that they miss what’s happening around them.
August 22, 2024
A Good Read
Eve is totally committed to her job, everything and everyone else comes second, even her best friends. She is expecting to be promoted, but at the last minute she finds out her friend and colleague has also unexpectedly put herself forward for the job. They both resort to underhand methods to win, which become very nasty. Eve has another problem. A cat keeps coming into her house, and she believes it belongs two doors down. Eve tries to return the cat but finds out that it does not belong at the house she thought it did and Eve and Adam decide to join forces to see if they can find the cat’s real home. This was a good read, I would give it 4.5 stars as I found Eve a bit irritating for most of the book although she did improve towards the end.
Eve is totally committed to her job, everything and everyone else comes second, even her best friends. She is expecting to be promoted, but at the last minute she finds out her friend and colleague has also unexpectedly put herself forward for the job. They both resort to underhand methods to win, which become very nasty. Eve has another problem. A cat keeps coming into her house, and she believes it belongs two doors down. Eve tries to return the cat but finds out that it does not belong at the house she thought it did and Eve and Adam decide to join forces to see if they can find the cat’s real home. This was a good read, I would give it 4.5 stars as I found Eve a bit irritating for most of the book although she did improve towards the end.
August 25, 2024
Probably more of a 2.5/5 for me as some plot points stretched the bounds of what seems realistic to me. I did like some of the personal struggles that both Adam and Eve brought to the story as they were not your everyday romance novel issues.
•••
One thing that I really appreciated about this book was the author gave us the opportunity to get to know the two main characters on their own before we got to know them together. In doing this, it helped the reader understand a little bit more about Adam and Eve and what makes them tick and what different things they’ve been through.
Do I think the romance moved a little fast in the book? Yes, I do; however, it did feel kind of natural for the two of them.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy.
•••
One thing that I really appreciated about this book was the author gave us the opportunity to get to know the two main characters on their own before we got to know them together. In doing this, it helped the reader understand a little bit more about Adam and Eve and what makes them tick and what different things they’ve been through.
Do I think the romance moved a little fast in the book? Yes, I do; however, it did feel kind of natural for the two of them.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy.
August 29, 2024
The story is about a work centered women named Eve and her more laidback apartment neighbor, Adam. The two are brought together by Adams cat who keeps roaming into Eves apartment. The book centers on mostly the life and drama of the two main characters rather than a romance created.
Eve and Adam don’t meet for half the book, so you get a more in-depth personality of the characters. The two life stories kind of created a divide in the cohesion of the book for me. When Adam and Eve met I didn’t really get a deep connection or anything to root for them. The main characters in my opinion aren’t very likable.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Eve and Adam don’t meet for half the book, so you get a more in-depth personality of the characters. The two life stories kind of created a divide in the cohesion of the book for me. When Adam and Eve met I didn’t really get a deep connection or anything to root for them. The main characters in my opinion aren’t very likable.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc in return for my honest review!
3.5 ⭐️ So what truly intrigued me about this book was the brother of the MMC having Cerebral Palsy, it was really nice to see representation in mainstream books. My sister actually has the same condition as a result of the same way.
Onto my review now, it was a very cute book, dorky loveable, naive friend, stubborn, overworked perfectionist FMC, and adorable sweet kind hearted MMC who can do no wrong! I enjoyed the story, it was a nice easy read, so British and reminded me of so many things back home. I do wonder how non Brits will cope with some of the terms/ wording, but overall cute.
3.5 ⭐️ So what truly intrigued me about this book was the brother of the MMC having Cerebral Palsy, it was really nice to see representation in mainstream books. My sister actually has the same condition as a result of the same way.
Onto my review now, it was a very cute book, dorky loveable, naive friend, stubborn, overworked perfectionist FMC, and adorable sweet kind hearted MMC who can do no wrong! I enjoyed the story, it was a nice easy read, so British and reminded me of so many things back home. I do wonder how non Brits will cope with some of the terms/ wording, but overall cute.
August 29, 2024
This is not a romance. There is romance, but mostly the main characters have very little interaction until the last 15%-ish of the book.
If you take it as "not a romance," and not a rom-com as it's billed, it's an enjoyable read. There are parts that are frustrating (like the bit about Eve's strategies to get her promotion). There are bits that are likable, like Adam's undying love and commitment to Hugh.
If you enjoy books that don't follow the norm as far as plot, have just a smattering of romance and focus heavily on the characters individual lives instead of their budding relationship, you may enjoy this book.
If you take it as "not a romance," and not a rom-com as it's billed, it's an enjoyable read. There are parts that are frustrating (like the bit about Eve's strategies to get her promotion). There are bits that are likable, like Adam's undying love and commitment to Hugh.
If you enjoy books that don't follow the norm as far as plot, have just a smattering of romance and focus heavily on the characters individual lives instead of their budding relationship, you may enjoy this book.
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