Fake Dating my Grumpy Neighbor: A Brother’s Best Friend Forced Proximity Romance

by Lily Ashford

117 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 11, 2026

Reviews

[Barbara Hackel]

Small town drama!
When librarian Mara is hired to organize a long ignored archival collection, she intends to stay and do the job, then return to a larger library. In order to hide the plan from the Library board in charge of her current position, she lies and tells them she is in a committed relationship with the owner of the local coffee shop. Not only is he currently her neighbor, but he was her brother's best friend when she was in grade school. Fortunately he steps up after her announcement and confirms the relationship. All of a sudden her position is not being challenged.
At this point I almost stopped reading. The author's plot is insulting to women in any position.
Then adding insult was an overprotective brother trying to dictate his 28 year old sister's love life.
I finished the book, however I won't be recommending it to others!

[Kris]

Eli and Mara

Brothers best friend
Forced proximity
Small town

Honestly, I was a little underwhelmed with Eli and Mara’s story.

This has the standard small town drama.
She takes on a job in town, planning to stay 6 months before taking a promotion.
Yet. the small town busybodies judge her for doing her job, and claim that she needs to appear settled to be taken seriously…
So of course, fake date your brother’s best friend and pray that nothing goes wrong.

I found myself frustrated. it felt like it was repetitious in a way and some of the characters didn’t truly make sense to me… Oh well, some may enjoy this, but not for me…

[The Book Ssirren]

This was a pretty cute fake dating story. Mara having moved to the town for six months while she waits for a promotion, ends up being neighbors with her brothers friend Eli, who also happens to be pretty grumpy. The only thing that really didn’t make sense to me, was why did the town feel like she needed to be in a relationship in order to do her job and be taken seriously? I feel like this just pushed women back 50 years. So I thought this was pretty unrealistic. I didn’t want to read more into that so I just continued forward. They actually worked well together and their time spent with one another was really sweet. But the brother finding out…grow up. You’re a grown man, act like it.

[De Smith]

This book had my attention before I even opened it due to the tropes it marries. We get brother’s best friend, fake dating, forced proximity, and small town. It has a little bit for everyone. Mara and Eli were cute and funny together. I couldn’t get enough of their interactions. To he chemistry and connection between them was heated and fraught with tension. I loved it. They complemented each other well and gave us some hilarious and heated moments. The ending was exactly what I wanted for them from the start so it left me with a smile on my face.

[Debdutch]

“Fake Dating My Grumpy Neighbor” by Lily Ashford

-Mara takes a temporary job in a small town and ends up fake dating her brother’s best friend, Eli, to fit in with the community. I received a free copy and am voluntarily sharing my honest thoughts. The story features brother’s best friend, forced proximity, and fake dating tropes. I question why a temporary employee would be pressured to appear to fit in.

It’s a sweet, closed-door romance in a small-town setting. An enjoyable read.

[T.Albada]

Best friends sister romance
Fake dating becomes real
A story about a girl who takes a job for 6 months in a small town.
Her neighbor is her brothers best friend.
He helps her to settle in the small town.
What happens then you can read for yourself

[Jayne Tracy]

I really liked Eli and Mara as a couple getting to know each other as adults but the town's people were weird.

[Jasmine]

It's nice but kind of like every no spice, brother's best friend story. Nothing really special or unique about it. It didn't make any sense why a committee would force a temporary worker to get involved with the community or pretend to have roots. Why is it anyone's business what a private citizen does as long as they do their job right. And he wasn't grumpy. Just a first bad impression on her part. Ending was a bit disappointing. But it looks like we're promised more books in a possible series? Maybe we will see a HEA for them in the future.