Falling for the Guy Next Door: A small town enemies to lovers romance

by Laney Crowe

220 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 4, 2026

Reviews

[Cathy Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

New Beginnings 🌼

Tessa literally runs into her ex (or actually her ex's dog) on the day he's moving in next door. The same day her apartment ceiling collapses and she has nowhere to go. 

Emmy, Blake's young daughter, offers to have her move in with them. That's when things really turn because all of a sudden Tessa is fake dating Blake since work thinks she has a partner. And, of course, feelings start to turn into something real. And choices need to be made. Is it worth risking everything? 

This a quick and easy read with a great storyline and wonderful characters! I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good clean romance!

I received an ARC of the book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[De Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really sweet and well done read. I love me some second chance and enemies to lovers, so put them both in one book and I am there for it. Blake and Tessa were amazing together. The banter and sass worked so well with the connection and chemistry that’s obviously still there. And little Emmy is mischievous but adorable. She knew how to work them. The characters and the storyline grabbed me from the very and kept me interested until the end. And what a great ending it was. The build up of the tension and development of the relationship between Blake and Tessa was perfection. It felt real and genuine. I truly felt like I was living the book right alongside them. I loved these characters and I loved how the story went for them. Definitely recommend.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the characters, but this book was very inconsistent and confusing. Why was everyone obsessed with her love life? Even her boss and client were asking so many personal questions about it. What was her job? What happened to Emmy's mom? Why did Blake and Tessa break up to begin with? If Blake and Tessa have such feelings for each other, why are they fighting it?

[Michelle Shamy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really sweet second chance romance. Sometimes you have to part ways to find that actually being together was whether you belonged. I thought this was a great novella. These two were great together. They definitely being with one another.

[Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a sweet, second chance, enemies to lovers book. It was a fun read and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a great second chance story.