What do you think?
Rate this book
The Player Next Door
Bad boy Luke Dawson is stuck living with clumsy nobody Millie Ripley for the summer. When she ran over his most prized possession, her world changed. She had to pay him back for every dime of damages, and the favors he called in weren't just about money. She had to pay him back, and everyone knows how payback is a...
This is a love story. Hot boys like Luke Dawson never pay attention to nobodies like Millie. But here they were, two kids from opposite ends of the chain, set to turn the whole hierarchy upside down. Because no one can stop attraction. When opposites attract, the spontaneous reaction can be combustion or a downright explosion. With Luke, my money's on the explosion.
We're talking public humiliation, roller-coaster emotions, drama among cliques, prissy sisters, crazy mothers, and a whole lot of hotness from resident bad boy and neighbor, Luke Dawson.
This is a love story. Hot boys like Luke Dawson never pay attention to nobodies like Millie. But here they were, two kids from opposite ends of the chain, set to turn the whole hierarchy upside down. Because no one can stop attraction. When opposites attract, the spontaneous reaction can be combustion or a downright explosion. With Luke, my money's on the explosion.
We're talking public humiliation, roller-coaster emotions, drama among cliques, prissy sisters, crazy mothers, and a whole lot of hotness from resident bad boy and neighbor, Luke Dawson.
350 pages, ebook
Published January 1, 2019
31 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
May 10, 2022
Yes I read this. Yes it contained a whole lot of second-hand embarrassment. And yes it was addicting.
October 29, 2021
For this book I stayed up half the (school) night waiting for the chapter to be realised so that I could go to bed content.
I love how well we get to know them and that this story is realistic.
I cringe so many times for Miley and I love how Luke handle it.
Praise to Natalie
I love how well we get to know them and that this story is realistic.
I cringe so many times for Miley and I love how Luke handle it.
Praise to Natalie
November 8, 2022
5 stars!
Okay um- I fricken love this book. When I saw this on here? I went crazy- like I was flopping around in my bed like a bug. Well, overdramatic? You are gonna have to deal with it💀🤚🏼
I remember when I first read this on wattpad last year. This was one of my favourite wattpad books, still is? You bet!
Millie Ripley was the epitome of hilarious😭 Was she so called quirky? Yes. Yes she was. But it wasn’t in a way you would cringe and be like, stop. It was her. Like she was ‘quirky’ without her knowing it.
You are probably cringing, but I don’t know how else to explain it, okay?💀
Was there a lot of second hand embarrassment? Hell yea. But I still enjoyed it!
Like I have read this twice. Same with the sequel. And author- I’m still silently crying waiting on the third book-🫠
(I actually reread this earlier on this year so I am going to have to change the dates read for this one)
Like I am actually desperate 🥹
Now, Luke Dawson… jiebcjhecccfjhebhjvh, hey babes✨🙋🏼♀️🧎🏼♀️🤰🏼✨
So um- this man was one of my first book boyfriends- and uh- he will forever remain that way. He ain’t ever leaving that list.
When I tell you- I am in love with this man, I am telling the truth.
This dude- the lake scene? Fuckkkk meee 😫
I was never the same.
My innocence? Vanished. Gone.
I am still blushing thinking about him.
Like knowing every single bit that leads to that moment shows proof that I am gone for this man.
Okay aside from all this, I will recommend if you want a slightly clique but adorable, fun, witty book. Oh and we cannot forget- a hot bad boy🧎🏼♀️
Y’all I’ll leave😭🤚🏼
Bye🦝👋🏼
Okay um- I fricken love this book. When I saw this on here? I went crazy- like I was flopping around in my bed like a bug. Well, overdramatic? You are gonna have to deal with it💀🤚🏼
I remember when I first read this on wattpad last year. This was one of my favourite wattpad books, still is? You bet!
Millie Ripley was the epitome of hilarious😭 Was she so called quirky? Yes. Yes she was. But it wasn’t in a way you would cringe and be like, stop. It was her. Like she was ‘quirky’ without her knowing it.
You are probably cringing, but I don’t know how else to explain it, okay?💀
Was there a lot of second hand embarrassment? Hell yea. But I still enjoyed it!
Like I have read this twice. Same with the sequel. And author- I’m still silently crying waiting on the third book-🫠
(I actually reread this earlier on this year so I am going to have to change the dates read for this one)
Like I am actually desperate 🥹
Now, Luke Dawson… jiebcjhecccfjhebhjvh, hey babes✨🙋🏼♀️🧎🏼♀️🤰🏼✨
So um- this man was one of my first book boyfriends- and uh- he will forever remain that way. He ain’t ever leaving that list.
When I tell you- I am in love with this man, I am telling the truth.
This dude- the lake scene? Fuckkkk meee 😫
I was never the same.
My innocence? Vanished. Gone.
I am still blushing thinking about him.
Like knowing every single bit that leads to that moment shows proof that I am gone for this man.
Okay aside from all this, I will recommend if you want a slightly clique but adorable, fun, witty book. Oh and we cannot forget- a hot bad boy🧎🏼♀️
Y’all I’ll leave😭🤚🏼
Bye🦝👋🏼
January 13, 2025
impeccable
March 9, 2023
7/10
Now when I first clicked on this, I expected a shitty love story with terrible dialogue, a toxic love interest, stupid drama and a "I'm not like other girls" main character. You could say I judged the Wattpad book by its cover (I still think it looks terrible). But instead... I have mixed feelings. Because I can't tell if this is an overdramatic Wattpad story... or something more.
The thing is, this story had a lot of touching/tender moments that surprised me. Sure, it was dumb and had stupid drama at times, but during some scenes I actually really enjoyed the characters' interactions, especially the MC, Millie. She was the best character, and super funny. The love interest... was actually pretty good? He sucked at first, but he genuinely changed his ways for the better. He became a better man by himself for the MC without her having to "fix him" which I really liked. Also, his friend Austin was amazing. Overall, it was stupid but surprisingly fun to read. Also #AustinandMilliecarriedthisstory
Now when I first clicked on this, I expected a shitty love story with terrible dialogue, a toxic love interest, stupid drama and a "I'm not like other girls" main character. You could say I judged the Wattpad book by its cover (I still think it looks terrible). But instead... I have mixed feelings. Because I can't tell if this is an overdramatic Wattpad story... or something more.
The thing is, this story had a lot of touching/tender moments that surprised me. Sure, it was dumb and had stupid drama at times, but during some scenes I actually really enjoyed the characters' interactions, especially the MC, Millie. She was the best character, and super funny. The love interest... was actually pretty good? He sucked at first, but he genuinely changed his ways for the better. He became a better man by himself for the MC without her having to "fix him" which I really liked. Also, his friend Austin was amazing. Overall, it was stupid but surprisingly fun to read. Also #AustinandMilliecarriedthisstory
June 28, 2022
This book was nothing how I excepted it to be but, it surprised me and I LOVE IT SO MUCH. I was definitely team Jake until I understood the love Luke had for Millie, also, it was very PG-13, surprisingly but I liked that. I do have to say that some things Millie did/say were very cringe at the begging but I think that was just her personality, which gave a nice touch to the book. I do really recommend this book, it is a very rom com book but I absolutely loved it.
December 18, 2021
I found this book on a reading platform of mine. Let me just clarify, I dont usually read books like these. The title and cover were both screaming GO AWAY. YOU WONT LIKE ME and Im not usually attracted to popular bad boy and shy good girl type books so I don't know why i clicked on it. Its like my hands were disconnected from my mind. I couldn't control them. And before i knew it i was reading this book...and i actually liked it. I seriously don't know how it sucked me in but it freaking did.
I flipping binged this book.
It was fun. Like so fun i was laughing my butt off on multiple occasions in this book. It was drama filled and how the drama was more tastefully done than any teen based book i've ever read. Millie is such an amazing girl. She is so mature in ways and also needed to grow more in other ways. Just like any other teen girl. The book was fun half the time because of what came out of her mouth. And how she handled her circumstances. She is also really clueless at times, but its endurable with her.Millie is the type of girl who does really crazy stuff and ends up in really crazy situations. I mean not cool crazy, but I the reader am having an episode of second hand embarrassment on your behalf crazy. This was the first book i have ever read where i experience such high levels of second hand embarrassment. Its astonishing. Some of the embarrassing stuff she does and that happens is fine. I can live through this. Its even funny. And the other stuff....well made me wanna crawl in a hold and die. I had hard times making it to next chapters because of some of these situations.Sometimes i was like GIRL, where if your dignity! Millie doesnt do what others do. She has no sense of sense of societal norms and it was both amazing to read and mortifying. She just does her own thing. Which is both brave and stupid.
Luke, i actually liked him. He was of course a douche in the beginning, and i was like, dude go away if you are going to be this way. I seriously have hard times putting up with douche bag guys in books and that's why i don't typically read these kinds of books. But i pushed through and surprisingly i didnt have to push through much because in the BEGINNING he actually does show his soft side to Millie and its so cute. I lived for their banter. He is actually really nice when he can be himself. He is thoughtful, and caring and that's what i look for in worthy book dudes. He does have his dark side, but don't we all? I was able to put up with it because he was worth it. He is incredibly patient considering he likes Millie. And as a witness to her embarrassing moments, he surprisingly just goes with the flow of it and just shrugs it off. No big deal. He is confused at times by her, but he handles it so well. This skyrocketed my respect for him big time.
When there is a book that i love all the characters, except for the jerks of course, then its a book worth my good opinion. And its is. Natalie creates such fun amazing characters its hard not to love them all. This was a book where i was always anticipating what was going to happen next. How an event i knew was coming was going to play out. I loved it. Its funny, but even some characters i hated because of how they treated millie, showed a soft side to her, and i liked them a little more after that. Of course they would revert back to their doucheness, but it showed a complexity to the people around millie, that you don't tend to get with many books.
Now despite how much i really loved this book, it wasnt absolutely perfect. Mainly with Luke and Millies relationship. And this is why i wish i could've gotten some more of Lukes perspective than we did in the book. I loved them together, but something i couldn't quite understand was why all of a sudden luke was going all out for millie. I couldn't understand exactly why he liked her. I really talked about the embarrassment Millie can be and how incredibly patient he is with her through it all. With some things that happen, i was like how does this boy still like this girl. Why is he still around? Its nothing like i think she is to embarrassing for him. I really dont think that. More like she has done things that make me the reader hide my face in shame, and it was like how does he still like her after that? I wouldnt expect even a literary boy to stick around after that. And so when he did, and even reacted alot differently than i would expect, i was astonished. Like one instance in the book, she is chewing him out for something and he isnt even getting mad, he is only sad, then she is walking away and out of nowhere she gets injured out of no where in a way that is like only that would happen to you millie. And he races her home to fix her up. He shows nothing but concern. And considering the way she gets injured, i was greatly surprised he showed such tenderness and kindness towards her.
Despite this, i really loved the book and i dove into the next one. Honestly, i dont know which book was better. They were both really good.
I flipping binged this book.
It was fun. Like so fun i was laughing my butt off on multiple occasions in this book. It was drama filled and how the drama was more tastefully done than any teen based book i've ever read. Millie is such an amazing girl. She is so mature in ways and also needed to grow more in other ways. Just like any other teen girl. The book was fun half the time because of what came out of her mouth. And how she handled her circumstances. She is also really clueless at times, but its endurable with her.Millie is the type of girl who does really crazy stuff and ends up in really crazy situations. I mean not cool crazy, but I the reader am having an episode of second hand embarrassment on your behalf crazy. This was the first book i have ever read where i experience such high levels of second hand embarrassment. Its astonishing. Some of the embarrassing stuff she does and that happens is fine. I can live through this. Its even funny. And the other stuff....well made me wanna crawl in a hold and die. I had hard times making it to next chapters because of some of these situations.Sometimes i was like GIRL, where if your dignity! Millie doesnt do what others do. She has no sense of sense of societal norms and it was both amazing to read and mortifying. She just does her own thing. Which is both brave and stupid.
Luke, i actually liked him. He was of course a douche in the beginning, and i was like, dude go away if you are going to be this way. I seriously have hard times putting up with douche bag guys in books and that's why i don't typically read these kinds of books. But i pushed through and surprisingly i didnt have to push through much because in the BEGINNING he actually does show his soft side to Millie and its so cute. I lived for their banter. He is actually really nice when he can be himself. He is thoughtful, and caring and that's what i look for in worthy book dudes. He does have his dark side, but don't we all? I was able to put up with it because he was worth it. He is incredibly patient considering he likes Millie. And as a witness to her embarrassing moments, he surprisingly just goes with the flow of it and just shrugs it off. No big deal. He is confused at times by her, but he handles it so well. This skyrocketed my respect for him big time.
When there is a book that i love all the characters, except for the jerks of course, then its a book worth my good opinion. And its is. Natalie creates such fun amazing characters its hard not to love them all. This was a book where i was always anticipating what was going to happen next. How an event i knew was coming was going to play out. I loved it. Its funny, but even some characters i hated because of how they treated millie, showed a soft side to her, and i liked them a little more after that. Of course they would revert back to their doucheness, but it showed a complexity to the people around millie, that you don't tend to get with many books.
Now despite how much i really loved this book, it wasnt absolutely perfect. Mainly with Luke and Millies relationship. And this is why i wish i could've gotten some more of Lukes perspective than we did in the book. I loved them together, but something i couldn't quite understand was why all of a sudden luke was going all out for millie. I couldn't understand exactly why he liked her. I really talked about the embarrassment Millie can be and how incredibly patient he is with her through it all. With some things that happen, i was like how does this boy still like this girl. Why is he still around? Its nothing like i think she is to embarrassing for him. I really dont think that. More like she has done things that make me the reader hide my face in shame, and it was like how does he still like her after that? I wouldnt expect even a literary boy to stick around after that. And so when he did, and even reacted alot differently than i would expect, i was astonished. Like one instance in the book, she is chewing him out for something and he isnt even getting mad, he is only sad, then she is walking away and out of nowhere she gets injured out of no where in a way that is like only that would happen to you millie. And he races her home to fix her up. He shows nothing but concern. And considering the way she gets injured, i was greatly surprised he showed such tenderness and kindness towards her.
Despite this, i really loved the book and i dove into the next one. Honestly, i dont know which book was better. They were both really good.
July 16, 2025
This book was crazy addicting!!! It was sooo good! The second hand embarrassment was crazy, but it was such a cute plot!
March 7, 2021
Loved loved this book so much!! The story is extremely relatable and the writing is witty. I love that in this book, the lead female is not portrayed as an idealistic person, instead she is someone everyone can relate to and I love her quirkiness, clumsiness and her overall personality. Luke Dawson is shown as a typical bad boy and his transformation is amazing. Overall an amazing read full of laughs and aww moments!!
June 28, 2022
Best teenage romance novel ever! I stayed up ALL NIGHT just to finish it. Laughed so hard! It's incredible how the laughs and thrills never stop. I need to sleep. But the characters are so memorable, they live and talk and fight and love in my head. Unforgettable. This needs to become a real paperback so I can write on the pages all my comments. Then it needs to become a Netflix show so I can see Millie and Luke for real and melt into a puddle. I'll read and reread this book forever!
July 25, 2021
actually thank you for this book
i damn binged it.
this was such a fun story, i loved everything, and Millie, oh my gosh!
it could so easily have been a classic wattpad, but you made her genuine and strong. actually thank you
#NFTR
;)
i damn binged it.
this was such a fun story, i loved everything, and Millie, oh my gosh!
it could so easily have been a classic wattpad, but you made her genuine and strong. actually thank you
#NFTR
;)
January 28, 2022
So I'm currently on a reading break and decided to focus on my studies... But that never stops me from reviewing this masterpiece.
Of course it's on Goodreads, this book deserves to be a published story... Okay, I know it sounds like I'm just mindlessly fanboying it so let me explain why I loved this so much.
PND is an amazing story with a likeable main character. When I met Millie, I thought she was one of those cliché MC's who are "not like other girls" but when you get to know her, she's so much more entertaining and lovely.
I never see this talked about much and is down played but Millie actually suffers from abandonment issues after the disappearance of her dad, the only person that truly loved her.
She deals with the insecurity of having an "it girl" sister and a reckless mother which makes her super doubtful of bad boy, Luke Dawson.
All this room for growth and Millie had more than enough potential for development and that's just scratching the surface.
Everything from the setting in the summer camp to the dialogue felt realistic in an otherwise cliché bad boy good girl trope.
And let's not forget to mention that Natalie is the sweetest person to graze wattpad, just from her author's notes alone, you can see how much work, effort and dedication she's put into this story she doesn't even recieve a penny from.
There's so much more to gush about but I'll leave the rest to you to read.
And please, don't forget to vote (the star button) and comment, Natalie honestly deserves all the love in the world
Of course it's on Goodreads, this book deserves to be a published story... Okay, I know it sounds like I'm just mindlessly fanboying it so let me explain why I loved this so much.
PND is an amazing story with a likeable main character. When I met Millie, I thought she was one of those cliché MC's who are "not like other girls" but when you get to know her, she's so much more entertaining and lovely.
I never see this talked about much and is down played but Millie actually suffers from abandonment issues after the disappearance of her dad, the only person that truly loved her.
She deals with the insecurity of having an "it girl" sister and a reckless mother which makes her super doubtful of bad boy, Luke Dawson.
All this room for growth and Millie had more than enough potential for development and that's just scratching the surface.
Everything from the setting in the summer camp to the dialogue felt realistic in an otherwise cliché bad boy good girl trope.
And let's not forget to mention that Natalie is the sweetest person to graze wattpad, just from her author's notes alone, you can see how much work, effort and dedication she's put into this story she doesn't even recieve a penny from.
There's so much more to gush about but I'll leave the rest to you to read.
And please, don't forget to vote (the star button) and comment, Natalie honestly deserves all the love in the world
December 16, 2023
Holy god, if I had to pick a Roman empire this would be mine. I read this book about 1 year ago I still think about it till this day, the book was slow but the plot was amazing. The relationship was sweet with a twist at the end of this book. All and all it was an amazing book 10 out of 10 recommended.
This book had teen romance and fate written all over it, the boy next door vibes and all of that lovey dovey stuff all over it, haven't gotten to read the next book because I have this perfect image in my mind that they are perfect and content in the relationship and I don't want that to change. But if I had to recommend a book like I said it's this one.😁😁😁
This book had teen romance and fate written all over it, the boy next door vibes and all of that lovey dovey stuff all over it, haven't gotten to read the next book because I have this perfect image in my mind that they are perfect and content in the relationship and I don't want that to change. But if I had to recommend a book like I said it's this one.😁😁😁
December 10, 2025
Somehow I got sucked in a Time Machine and for the first time in years opened wattpad. I expected cringe romance like any other stories. HOWEVER this book, yes even though there were a lot of second-hand embarrassing moments where I literally had to put the book down and go do something else, exceed my expectations. I absolutely adore the writing style. It was also very PG which is great because I was on a very much needed break from all the spicy stuff. This book had me giggling and smiling. Would def recommend.
November 19, 2022
So good I finished it in under 2 days!! I love the tropes and the themes that came up in this story and I think that Millie is a unique character and I love her! I love how real and down-to-earth she is despite her society and social norms being based on superficial qualities (e.g. looks). Very well written :) 5 stars for me
January 11, 2025
I literally loved this book so much!! My favourite book ever, I’ve read and I love the other parts as well. I would stay up until 2am on school nights reading this when I had to be up at 7am. I cannot wait to re-read this book I’m so addicted to Luke and Millie. I haven’t completely finished the last book but I hope Austin and Cearra finally get together!
January 1, 2022
The birthday party was the turning point for this story. I wish more was resolved at the end but I do understand it was building up to the sequel. Just saying a little unrealistic two hot guys are after the weird quirky girl but maybe that’s just a little bit of jealousy speaking..
April 5, 2022
i read this july last year. im still very much waiting for the third book. i would say patiently but not so patiently. ive been waiting too long and mf natalie left us on a cliffhanger for what? i need the third book rn.
mildred❤️
mildred❤️
May 28, 2022
The player next door 3/10 (classic story about Millie who’s weird and has no friends becomes friends with popular look Dawson after summer in camp as counselors, back in school they become an unresolved love triangle with his brother Jake ) it’s has a sequel not going to read and 0 spicy.
December 23, 2022
Just want to know one damn thing...where and when will I get the third part? Trilogy!!!!
The author just disappeared... anyone has any contact? Hey author we miss you. Plzz bring the next book asap..
The author just disappeared... anyone has any contact? Hey author we miss you. Plzz bring the next book asap..
January 21, 2023
I really love this book and the second one Play no more, y'all should really read that but, I don't know what happened to the wroter Natalie. I've found my self dreaming about this book and coming up with scenarios inside my head....it's that good. Really great read.
January 23, 2023
I have gone head over heels for this couple. I do wish that Natalie would post the third of tge series. We don't know who "the blackmailer" is, we don't know so many things and she's been absent for too long!
April 7, 2023
I absolutely adore this book. I'm not going to try and drag this review but the book, plot, characters, and over all emotion of the story were all amazing. The same goes for the sequel. I'm waiting for the third book to come :)
November 27, 2023
this book took me on a whirlwind. i couldn’t help but get REALLY annoyed with millie because she was ALL over the place. but, i also couldn’t helped getting giddy & kicking my feet. i LOVED the story 🤭
July 24, 2024
When you go to wattpad you're not trying to find something intellectually stimulating, just a fun read, and this book went above and beyond. Hilarious dialogue, witty banter, funny and relatable characters. Loved it, great read for the summer! NFTR!
November 10, 2024
uhhmhmhmhmmhh ok fine. this is my second favourite wattpad story.
UAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
jake and literally die, along with all those jake supporters. milley needs to stop embarrasing herself before i actually kill myself. and i need to buy myself a kindle.
UAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
jake and literally die, along with all those jake supporters. milley needs to stop embarrasing herself before i actually kill myself. and i need to buy myself a kindle.
Read
July 5, 2021Wow
Good book
Good book
November 1, 2021
Millie was such a relatable and funny person throughout this story. Although I had some face-palm moments here and there, it entertained me in so many ways.
November 24, 2021
So sweet and a beautiful plot it's different from other player next door books especially with all the twists and turns in this book and the second book
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews