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That Woman Next Door
Sometimes what you're running from is exactly what you need
Olivia Chevalier is perfectly happy living a quiet life of solitude with her two cats in the tempestuous countryside of Brittany.
Olivia’s peace is disrupted when heartbreaker extraordinaire Marie Dievart moves in to the holiday home next door after an event at work makes her flee her everyday life.
Olivia hates having a neighbour and Marie is put off by Olivia’s cranky ways.
But maybe these two women have more in common than they first believe.
Best-selling lesbian romance author Harper Bliss brings you a slow-burn opposites-attract story about the power of connection and opening yourself up to the possibility of love.
Olivia Chevalier is perfectly happy living a quiet life of solitude with her two cats in the tempestuous countryside of Brittany.
Olivia’s peace is disrupted when heartbreaker extraordinaire Marie Dievart moves in to the holiday home next door after an event at work makes her flee her everyday life.
Olivia hates having a neighbour and Marie is put off by Olivia’s cranky ways.
But maybe these two women have more in common than they first believe.
Best-selling lesbian romance author Harper Bliss brings you a slow-burn opposites-attract story about the power of connection and opening yourself up to the possibility of love.
Audiobook
Published December 1, 2021
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About the author
Harper Bliss
138 books2,359 followersHarper Bliss is a best-selling lesbian romance author. Among her most-loved books are the highly dramatic French Kissing and the often thought-provoking Pink Bean series. She is the co-founder of My LesFic, a weekly newsletter offering discount deals on lesbian fiction.
Harper lived in Hong Kong for 7 years, travelled the world for a bit, and has now settled in Brussels (Belgium) with her wife and photogenic cat, Dolly Purrton.
Together with her wife, she hosts a weekly podcast called Harper Bliss & Her Mrs.
Harper lived in Hong Kong for 7 years, travelled the world for a bit, and has now settled in Brussels (Belgium) with her wife and photogenic cat, Dolly Purrton.
Together with her wife, she hosts a weekly podcast called Harper Bliss & Her Mrs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
September 29, 2021
You think my reviews say a lot about me? Wait till you’ve read this one. And my apologies to Harper Bliss who deserves better.
As I’ve written before, I don’t often read Harper Bliss’s books. They don’t work for me. They either leave me cold or annoy me. As I’ve been told repeatedly in recent months, it’s okay, books aren’t pizza. We don’t all love the same ones and we don’t all love them or don’t love them for the same reasons. When it comes to Harper Bliss, I find myself in the minority more often than not. That’s the first reason that makes me try again every once in a while: I want to understand why so many readers love them, what I’m missing. I can appreciate the way Harper Bliss writes, I admire the discipline and dedication it takes to release so many books each year, books that do not feel like they were written off-handedly, but they do not touch me, or when they do, it’s not in any enjoyable way.
The second reason is that a couple of my friends say some of the characters remind them of me. See, that’s interesting because my main problem with Bliss’s books is that I don’t like her characters. Worse, I often actively dislike the people Bliss writes about. For a character-driven reader, it’s a real issue. And now these characters I don’t like are reminiscent of me? Damn.
That’s what happened with this one, my friend was texting me as she was reading because of Olivia. So. Here I am. My stubborn brain decided at first to focus on every way Olivia isn’t like me. She runs when I have no idea how to breathe most of the time. She writes poetry, one of two genres – with nonfiction – I won’t willingly read. She lives alone, I’ve lived with my wife for twenty-seven years. She drives. She warms milk in the microwave. I love being outside. Oh, and we have a very different approach to sex. We’re very different, really. Pretty different. Okay, maybe not so much and I can see the resemblance. It’s in the little things. Details. The geography of the book adds to the sensation since Olivia used to live about twenty-five kilometers from where I now am.
Another thing is that Bliss’s books often make me uncomfortable. Now I wonder, do they make me uncomfortable because they are or because I’m me? This one didn’t, however, and maybe it’s because it’s more personal for the author too, as she explains at the end. Maybe that’s why it feels more genuine to me, for the most part.
Olivia lives on her own, with her two cats, in a small village in Brittany and that’s how she wants things. Most of her interactions with people are through emails. She translates books from English to French, mostly mystery and romance novels. She’s an introvert and she more than embraces that reality. Marie is a Belgian surgeon who, after losing a patient, feels the need to atone and decides the family house in Brittany is the place to repent. She’s loud and intrusive, arrogant and overconfident, the kind of person Olivia would usually run away from, but not this time.
It’s the perfect opposites attract situation, with a side of age gap (the MCs are forty-four and fifty-six). Bliss knows what she’s doing and delivers an effective romance, with plenty of character growth on both sides, as two women who closed their hearts off find themselves unexpectedly catching feelings for the most unlikely person.
The story is told in first person POV in alternate chapters, and I have to admit I kept mistaking the characters for the other. Even though they’re very different, which is clear from their actions and the way they are, their voices aren’t distinct. There was also an adjustment needed from me, as a French-speaking reader, to remember that the characters are supposed to be speaking French even though they’re written in English, especially when Marie says she’ll wait till the French translation is done to read the book Olivia is working on. This is where I’d add an Inception gif if I was in the habit of adding gifs to my reviews, which I’m trying very hard to resist. Anyway, I guess if French is a foreign language to you, none of that will matter.
As a side note, I wish sapphics around the world would stop idealizing Catherine Deneuve. She doesn’t deserve your love. There are all kinds of out queer women in entertainment that I wish we loved as much.
So, in the end, this was an uncomfortable but objectively – or as objectively as I can manage – good book. And I’ll probably have to read the Two Hearts Trilogy at some point too now.
As I’ve written before, I don’t often read Harper Bliss’s books. They don’t work for me. They either leave me cold or annoy me. As I’ve been told repeatedly in recent months, it’s okay, books aren’t pizza. We don’t all love the same ones and we don’t all love them or don’t love them for the same reasons. When it comes to Harper Bliss, I find myself in the minority more often than not. That’s the first reason that makes me try again every once in a while: I want to understand why so many readers love them, what I’m missing. I can appreciate the way Harper Bliss writes, I admire the discipline and dedication it takes to release so many books each year, books that do not feel like they were written off-handedly, but they do not touch me, or when they do, it’s not in any enjoyable way.
The second reason is that a couple of my friends say some of the characters remind them of me. See, that’s interesting because my main problem with Bliss’s books is that I don’t like her characters. Worse, I often actively dislike the people Bliss writes about. For a character-driven reader, it’s a real issue. And now these characters I don’t like are reminiscent of me? Damn.
That’s what happened with this one, my friend was texting me as she was reading because of Olivia. So. Here I am. My stubborn brain decided at first to focus on every way Olivia isn’t like me. She runs when I have no idea how to breathe most of the time. She writes poetry, one of two genres – with nonfiction – I won’t willingly read. She lives alone, I’ve lived with my wife for twenty-seven years. She drives. She warms milk in the microwave. I love being outside. Oh, and we have a very different approach to sex. We’re very different, really. Pretty different. Okay, maybe not so much and I can see the resemblance. It’s in the little things. Details. The geography of the book adds to the sensation since Olivia used to live about twenty-five kilometers from where I now am.
Another thing is that Bliss’s books often make me uncomfortable. Now I wonder, do they make me uncomfortable because they are or because I’m me? This one didn’t, however, and maybe it’s because it’s more personal for the author too, as she explains at the end. Maybe that’s why it feels more genuine to me, for the most part.
Olivia lives on her own, with her two cats, in a small village in Brittany and that’s how she wants things. Most of her interactions with people are through emails. She translates books from English to French, mostly mystery and romance novels. She’s an introvert and she more than embraces that reality. Marie is a Belgian surgeon who, after losing a patient, feels the need to atone and decides the family house in Brittany is the place to repent. She’s loud and intrusive, arrogant and overconfident, the kind of person Olivia would usually run away from, but not this time.
It’s the perfect opposites attract situation, with a side of age gap (the MCs are forty-four and fifty-six). Bliss knows what she’s doing and delivers an effective romance, with plenty of character growth on both sides, as two women who closed their hearts off find themselves unexpectedly catching feelings for the most unlikely person.
The story is told in first person POV in alternate chapters, and I have to admit I kept mistaking the characters for the other. Even though they’re very different, which is clear from their actions and the way they are, their voices aren’t distinct. There was also an adjustment needed from me, as a French-speaking reader, to remember that the characters are supposed to be speaking French even though they’re written in English, especially when Marie says she’ll wait till the French translation is done to read the book Olivia is working on. This is where I’d add an Inception gif if I was in the habit of adding gifs to my reviews, which I’m trying very hard to resist. Anyway, I guess if French is a foreign language to you, none of that will matter.
As a side note, I wish sapphics around the world would stop idealizing Catherine Deneuve. She doesn’t deserve your love. There are all kinds of out queer women in entertainment that I wish we loved as much.
So, in the end, this was an uncomfortable but objectively – or as objectively as I can manage – good book. And I’ll probably have to read the Two Hearts Trilogy at some point too now.
September 25, 2021
I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book but it was definitely not this. Maybe the title, the cover, and the blurb of That Woman Next Door suggest a levity that this book doesn't have. This is no Hallmark love story (though it's still a romance) and I say this in the best of ways because I was pleasantly surprised by how realistic it felt. When I reached the end and read the acknowledgments I realised why. More of this later.
Olivia Chevalier lives alone and isolated in a rural area in Brittany, France. She follows a strict routine and avoids human interaction as much as possible. That is until Marie Dievart moves to the next-door house and disrupts her life with her unexpected visits, her questions and her overall gorgeous self. As Marie starts breaking down Olivia's walls, Olivia realises that she's not the only one hiding from the rest of the world...
Who doesn't like an author pouring their soul out on a book? Many times readers ask themselves how much of an author's personality is present in a given character. Very rarely do they get this answer:
"I might as well have hung my soul out to dry, for all the world to see, that’s how much of myself is portrayed in the character of Olivia." (Acknowledgements)
This isn't the first time Ms. Bliss used her writing as a cathartic exercise. Her Two Hearts Trilogy is a testament to her diagnosis with autism and, previously, At the Water's Edge, her struggle with depression. Her candor is admirable and brave but above all, the reasons behind it are extremely important: representation and visibility. This is the reason why I read lesfic, I love seeing myself in lots of very different characters, I love the agency, the empowerment, the possibilities that I couldn't see when I came out in the late 1980s when the women loving women stories were scarce and depressing. I'm sure that these books will give voice and hope to many people who read them. For all of that, Ms. Bliss has my respect and praise.
This is an age gap romance, the most common trope in Ms. Bliss's work. But beyond the romance and the age gap, this is a story about the characters' journey to acceptance and redemption. It's about hiding but also revealing, it's about guilt but also compassion, it's about isolation but also connection. Ms. Bliss says in the acknowledgments that the working title was Difficult Women... difficult indeed. I loved the complexity of the characters, their going one step forward and then two backward. Frustrating, yes, but also realistic. I'm glad that the original title was discarded as I possibly wouldn't have read it.
I loved the choice of the setting of Brittany in the dead of winter. The cold, rainy weather and the barren small town make the perfect background for this story. Additionally, fans of Ms. Bliss's That woman series will be happy to see another side of villain Marie Dievart.
If you are looking for romance with substance and characters who feel human and credible, then this is for you. 4.5 stars.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Olivia Chevalier lives alone and isolated in a rural area in Brittany, France. She follows a strict routine and avoids human interaction as much as possible. That is until Marie Dievart moves to the next-door house and disrupts her life with her unexpected visits, her questions and her overall gorgeous self. As Marie starts breaking down Olivia's walls, Olivia realises that she's not the only one hiding from the rest of the world...
Who doesn't like an author pouring their soul out on a book? Many times readers ask themselves how much of an author's personality is present in a given character. Very rarely do they get this answer:
"I might as well have hung my soul out to dry, for all the world to see, that’s how much of myself is portrayed in the character of Olivia." (Acknowledgements)
This isn't the first time Ms. Bliss used her writing as a cathartic exercise. Her Two Hearts Trilogy is a testament to her diagnosis with autism and, previously, At the Water's Edge, her struggle with depression. Her candor is admirable and brave but above all, the reasons behind it are extremely important: representation and visibility. This is the reason why I read lesfic, I love seeing myself in lots of very different characters, I love the agency, the empowerment, the possibilities that I couldn't see when I came out in the late 1980s when the women loving women stories were scarce and depressing. I'm sure that these books will give voice and hope to many people who read them. For all of that, Ms. Bliss has my respect and praise.
This is an age gap romance, the most common trope in Ms. Bliss's work. But beyond the romance and the age gap, this is a story about the characters' journey to acceptance and redemption. It's about hiding but also revealing, it's about guilt but also compassion, it's about isolation but also connection. Ms. Bliss says in the acknowledgments that the working title was Difficult Women... difficult indeed. I loved the complexity of the characters, their going one step forward and then two backward. Frustrating, yes, but also realistic. I'm glad that the original title was discarded as I possibly wouldn't have read it.
I loved the choice of the setting of Brittany in the dead of winter. The cold, rainy weather and the barren small town make the perfect background for this story. Additionally, fans of Ms. Bliss's That woman series will be happy to see another side of villain Marie Dievart.
If you are looking for romance with substance and characters who feel human and credible, then this is for you. 4.5 stars.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
November 16, 2021
My first Harper Bliss read, finally.
I started reading this book because Jude in the Stars’ review genuinely touched me. I wanted to go in and be angry on her behalf. But instead, I spent a lot of the story recognizing my own awkward self.
A fantastic story that quietly settled itself inside of me much like the snowy winter that the author uses as the story’s background. Marie is a neurosurgeon who is on a countryside break after a devastating turn of events. Ordinarily she is extravert extraordinaire but she needs to find peace or she won’t be able to return to her hectic life in Brussels. Olivia lives in solitude down the way from Marie’s summer home. She is content, having found her own way to joyful moments in structure, her cats, her music, and her words. They connect, of course, because this is a romance. I suppose and they suppose that if they met elsewhere then they might not have gotten together. But maybe, it’s the perfect example of what happens when people stop looking past each other in every day life, past superficialities and just take the time to get to know each other.
What I liked best was how organic the story felt. Two real, adult women finding companionship then deepening their affection for each other, the way real relationships build. The author had me hook, line, and sinker. I was genuinely upset and refusing to finish the book until people told me how it ended. No spoilers here but I was able to continue. And yes, it had me laughing in parts because if you can’t laugh at your own quirks, life’s too hard. The heat index was high. The writing crisp and clean. Very enjoyable book that makes me want to read more Bliss.
I started reading this book because Jude in the Stars’ review genuinely touched me. I wanted to go in and be angry on her behalf. But instead, I spent a lot of the story recognizing my own awkward self.
A fantastic story that quietly settled itself inside of me much like the snowy winter that the author uses as the story’s background. Marie is a neurosurgeon who is on a countryside break after a devastating turn of events. Ordinarily she is extravert extraordinaire but she needs to find peace or she won’t be able to return to her hectic life in Brussels. Olivia lives in solitude down the way from Marie’s summer home. She is content, having found her own way to joyful moments in structure, her cats, her music, and her words. They connect, of course, because this is a romance. I suppose and they suppose that if they met elsewhere then they might not have gotten together. But maybe, it’s the perfect example of what happens when people stop looking past each other in every day life, past superficialities and just take the time to get to know each other.
What I liked best was how organic the story felt. Two real, adult women finding companionship then deepening their affection for each other, the way real relationships build. The author had me hook, line, and sinker. I was genuinely upset and refusing to finish the book until people told me how it ended. No spoilers here but I was able to continue. And yes, it had me laughing in parts because if you can’t laugh at your own quirks, life’s too hard. The heat index was high. The writing crisp and clean. Very enjoyable book that makes me want to read more Bliss.
September 7, 2022
4.25 stars. I enjoyed this book a lot, the characters are so different, and some of the character traits of the recluse writer were actually very familiar to me (I don’t know what that says about me:). So, there is the grumpy, distant, recluse and the surgeon who is used to be the center of attention, but who has fled to the countryside to deal with some issues from her demanding job. I like their interactions and how Bliss manages to turn their dislike for each other around and makes their personalities match.
Once again excellently narrated by Abby Craden.
Once again excellently narrated by Abby Craden.
December 15, 2021
I. LOVED. THIS. AUDIOBOOK. Loved. Harper Bliss never ceases to amaze me. When she digs deep to create a character, the result is incredible.
What a treasure to have a character like Olivia Chevalier in lesfic! Or anywhere, really. She is an introvert and almost reclusive. Not entirely - she can go out, but much prefers staying close to home. And when she does go out or has people in, she needs considerable alone time to replenish. She lets very few people into her heart and personal space. She's not a bad person - it's just who she is and she's refreshingly unapologetic about that.
When extroverted, vivacious Marie Dievart comes knocking from her family's holiday home next door, Olivia is not happy. Marie needed time away from her work as a successful neurosurgeon and plans to stay for an extended period. When Olivia discovers the woman is a lesbian, she still refuses to allow the refined, successful, hot as hell woman into her very ordered world. But Marie can't stand being alone even though Olivia doesn't seem to want her around. She's used to picking up women for sex and nothing more. She rarely sleeps with anyone more than once and has no time for a commitment. So why won't that infuriating woman just blow off some steam with her? Surely she must be lonely.
I really appreciate how this story evolves. Full disclosure - I haven't read the French Kissing books where Marie is introduced and didn't need to because this is a stand-alone. Harper gives enough detail about her that you know what her patterns have been in the past.
This is way up there as one of my favorites of Harper's and that's saying a lot, considering how much wonderful work she's produced through the years. There's so much I could and would love to say about it but I don't want to spoil anyone's journey. This would be a great book for discussion!
For me, Abby Craden was the perfect voice actor to do this book. When you need vulnerability and longing, you just can't do better than her. It's important to note, however, that she doesn't attempt their accents. When they speak French, she uses the proper pronunciation (to my non-native ears) but otherwise she speaks in American English using tones she created for the characters. I think it's wiser to go that route rather than butcher them. But she beautifully captures their essence. I don't know how native speakers feel about that, though, and would love to hear your thoughts. *ahem - Jude in the Stars*
Harper is doing some of her best, most moving work in these last few years and I am absolutely here for it!
What a treasure to have a character like Olivia Chevalier in lesfic! Or anywhere, really. She is an introvert and almost reclusive. Not entirely - she can go out, but much prefers staying close to home. And when she does go out or has people in, she needs considerable alone time to replenish. She lets very few people into her heart and personal space. She's not a bad person - it's just who she is and she's refreshingly unapologetic about that.
When extroverted, vivacious Marie Dievart comes knocking from her family's holiday home next door, Olivia is not happy. Marie needed time away from her work as a successful neurosurgeon and plans to stay for an extended period. When Olivia discovers the woman is a lesbian, she still refuses to allow the refined, successful, hot as hell woman into her very ordered world. But Marie can't stand being alone even though Olivia doesn't seem to want her around. She's used to picking up women for sex and nothing more. She rarely sleeps with anyone more than once and has no time for a commitment. So why won't that infuriating woman just blow off some steam with her? Surely she must be lonely.
I really appreciate how this story evolves. Full disclosure - I haven't read the French Kissing books where Marie is introduced and didn't need to because this is a stand-alone. Harper gives enough detail about her that you know what her patterns have been in the past.
This is way up there as one of my favorites of Harper's and that's saying a lot, considering how much wonderful work she's produced through the years. There's so much I could and would love to say about it but I don't want to spoil anyone's journey. This would be a great book for discussion!
For me, Abby Craden was the perfect voice actor to do this book. When you need vulnerability and longing, you just can't do better than her. It's important to note, however, that she doesn't attempt their accents. When they speak French, she uses the proper pronunciation (to my non-native ears) but otherwise she speaks in American English using tones she created for the characters. I think it's wiser to go that route rather than butcher them. But she beautifully captures their essence. I don't know how native speakers feel about that, though, and would love to hear your thoughts. *ahem - Jude in the Stars*
Harper is doing some of her best, most moving work in these last few years and I am absolutely here for it!
April 10, 2022
That Woman Next Door by Harper Bliss is a slow-burn opposites-attract story about the power of connection and opening yourself up to the possibility of love.
We follow top neurosurgeon and heartbreaker extraordinaire Marie Dievart (you might remember her from the French Kissing series) as she temporarily exchanges her high stress life in Brussels for the slow pace of coastal Brittany. Olivia Chevalier is perfectly happy living a quiet life of solitude with her two cats. Her peace is disrupted when Marie moves in to the holiday home next door. She hates having a neighbor and Marie is put off by Olivia’s cranky ways.
Another book where Bliss puts a lot of herself in it (she basically is Olivia). It’s a brave thing to put yourself out there like that. She follows her favorite age-gap trope, a Bliss trademark. I may not be the greatest fan of her more introspective books because it always feels like a real exercise to get through them. But still, a good book.
f/f explicit
4 Stars
We follow top neurosurgeon and heartbreaker extraordinaire Marie Dievart (you might remember her from the French Kissing series) as she temporarily exchanges her high stress life in Brussels for the slow pace of coastal Brittany. Olivia Chevalier is perfectly happy living a quiet life of solitude with her two cats. Her peace is disrupted when Marie moves in to the holiday home next door. She hates having a neighbor and Marie is put off by Olivia’s cranky ways.
Another book where Bliss puts a lot of herself in it (she basically is Olivia). It’s a brave thing to put yourself out there like that. She follows her favorite age-gap trope, a Bliss trademark. I may not be the greatest fan of her more introspective books because it always feels like a real exercise to get through them. But still, a good book.
f/f explicit
4 Stars
November 21, 2021
Listened to this one. Narrated by Craden, also the narrator of French kissing. Very much helped me place Marie. This would have been an easy 5 stars if I have bought into the relationship. Yes, there is character growth, but still found them to be an unlikely match. Or perhaps Marie to not be likable enough. And I’m in an opposite attracts relationship too.
December 28, 2021
I realized that Bliss' books fall in 3 categories to me:
1. The ones that make me a little bit uncomfortable. Though worth reflecting about them and finally enjoy them.
2. The ones that make me extremely uncomfortable and I could get sometimes to the point of Not Finish them
3. The ones I absolutely love, where Bliss writes some of her magic and build extraordinary and sensitive stories about life.
This book fell definitely in #3.
4.4 *
1. The ones that make me a little bit uncomfortable. Though worth reflecting about them and finally enjoy them.
2. The ones that make me extremely uncomfortable and I could get sometimes to the point of Not Finish them
3. The ones I absolutely love, where Bliss writes some of her magic and build extraordinary and sensitive stories about life.
This book fell definitely in #3.
4.4 *
September 23, 2021
4 stars
Enjoyable and different. This slow building romance was written from the perspective of the two mans. Very different women who come to sprechstimme each other more and more. There were a lot of thoughts in this book, more than usual, but those thoughts build up the characters and made me get to know them.
Enjoyable and different. This slow building romance was written from the perspective of the two mans. Very different women who come to sprechstimme each other more and more. There were a lot of thoughts in this book, more than usual, but those thoughts build up the characters and made me get to know them.
October 10, 2021
What do I say, I have just finished the book and it has left me sort of speechless, but not in a bad way!
Normally one knows to expect certain things in a lesbian romance novel, it sometimes seems that there is a kind of norm: fatal attraction through the roof, a certain back and forth then a stupid breaking up and finally a reunion and a happy end. After a while one knows most of the plot devices.
Imagine my surprise, when here from the start I felt like a neighbour watching a love affair unfold from a little distance, after all I, too, do live in Brittany and my best friend lives even more remotely than Olivia. What normally are plot devices is written here as things happening as they do in real life. Nothing even gives a hint of being contrived and the character development feels absolutely authentic.
But that is not surprising, once you read Harper’s afterword. Like in all of the best books you find, the author has left a piece of her soul here for you to find, a part of her heart, like the poems that Olivia left on Instagram. You close the book with a smile on your face and a couple of tears in your eyes for the beauty of it as well. From my point of view (not having read many of her books yet) it still feels, that this must be Harper’s best yet. Five stars are not enough!
Normally one knows to expect certain things in a lesbian romance novel, it sometimes seems that there is a kind of norm: fatal attraction through the roof, a certain back and forth then a stupid breaking up and finally a reunion and a happy end. After a while one knows most of the plot devices.
Imagine my surprise, when here from the start I felt like a neighbour watching a love affair unfold from a little distance, after all I, too, do live in Brittany and my best friend lives even more remotely than Olivia. What normally are plot devices is written here as things happening as they do in real life. Nothing even gives a hint of being contrived and the character development feels absolutely authentic.
But that is not surprising, once you read Harper’s afterword. Like in all of the best books you find, the author has left a piece of her soul here for you to find, a part of her heart, like the poems that Olivia left on Instagram. You close the book with a smile on your face and a couple of tears in your eyes for the beauty of it as well. From my point of view (not having read many of her books yet) it still feels, that this must be Harper’s best yet. Five stars are not enough!
September 20, 2021
If you follow Harper on social media you know this book has ‘Difficult Women’ as a working title and I think I would have much preferred this title to the rather bland title it has now.
Ik true Bliss style there is a an age cap between our mains, it’s about 12 years. Marie is a 56 year old neurosurgeon from Brussels who is fleeing her life to her family’s summer home in Brittany. Olivia is a 44 year old book translator who lives in the house next door and doesn’t go outside if she doesn’t have to. Liv doesn’t interact with people and is on the slightly grumpy side, Marie is the opposite her hobby is “women” (what an awful thing to say by the way). You could know Marie from French Kissing actually, I forgot all about her to be honest. Oliva is close to Harper’s heart and I can tell she is written with more care and love than Marie. It’s in the small things, but for me it is noticeable.
I enjoyed this, I think, but I’m just not 100% sure. Aside from A Breathless Place, which was stunning, I feel like I just can’t connect with Harper’s books the way I used to. It’s still an enjoyable read and it’s pretty well written, I just think there is that special something that is missing for me.
3.5 stars.
*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*
Ik true Bliss style there is a an age cap between our mains, it’s about 12 years. Marie is a 56 year old neurosurgeon from Brussels who is fleeing her life to her family’s summer home in Brittany. Olivia is a 44 year old book translator who lives in the house next door and doesn’t go outside if she doesn’t have to. Liv doesn’t interact with people and is on the slightly grumpy side, Marie is the opposite her hobby is “women” (what an awful thing to say by the way). You could know Marie from French Kissing actually, I forgot all about her to be honest. Oliva is close to Harper’s heart and I can tell she is written with more care and love than Marie. It’s in the small things, but for me it is noticeable.
I enjoyed this, I think, but I’m just not 100% sure. Aside from A Breathless Place, which was stunning, I feel like I just can’t connect with Harper’s books the way I used to. It’s still an enjoyable read and it’s pretty well written, I just think there is that special something that is missing for me.
3.5 stars.
*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*
October 9, 2021
"That Woman Next Door" is an opposites attract, age gap romance set in Britanny.
I always love when a book is written in the first person of both main characters, so you can experience the story from both sides.
I didn't like Marie too much at the beginning because she was so full of herself, but she changed throughout the book. Olivia was likable, complex and interesting and I liked her character development a lot, too.
I enjoyed reading about their journey and how the two very different women somehow made each other better.
In the acknowledgements Harper Bliss writes that this was a difficult book to write, but I'm really glad she did. ("I might as well have hung my soul out to dry, for all the world to see, that’s how much of myself is portrayed in the character of Olivia.").
I always love when a book is written in the first person of both main characters, so you can experience the story from both sides.
I didn't like Marie too much at the beginning because she was so full of herself, but she changed throughout the book. Olivia was likable, complex and interesting and I liked her character development a lot, too.
I enjoyed reading about their journey and how the two very different women somehow made each other better.
In the acknowledgements Harper Bliss writes that this was a difficult book to write, but I'm really glad she did. ("I might as well have hung my soul out to dry, for all the world to see, that’s how much of myself is portrayed in the character of Olivia.").
March 29, 2023
The need to read this book ASAP so I could get Marie Dievart's love story (AKA French Kissing's villain du jour) was so strong and it was so different to what I expected. Marie falling for an introverted recluse was definitely mind bending, but I thought Harper Bliss did a great job at building the connection between them.
Olivia is an interesting character and one that I'm not sure I particularly liked. She's aloof to start with, and then becomes exceptionally clingy and although I understood it, I'm not sure if I particularly liked her for Marie. Regardless though, it's a great romance and I enjoyed reading it.
Abby Craden does an exceptional job at narrating this novel, with clear voices for the two characters to aid in the dual point of view.
Olivia is an interesting character and one that I'm not sure I particularly liked. She's aloof to start with, and then becomes exceptionally clingy and although I understood it, I'm not sure if I particularly liked her for Marie. Regardless though, it's a great romance and I enjoyed reading it.
Abby Craden does an exceptional job at narrating this novel, with clear voices for the two characters to aid in the dual point of view.
January 8, 2023
3 stars
Explanation: I prefer books written form the third (singular) point of view, not the first one, because if I'm not identifying with the MC enough it feels disjointed. The "I" simply feels weird. It's even worse when the book switches between two MCs when I can't identify with neither of them (don't get me wrong, they are good MCs, but neither of them resembles me in the slightest). That's what happened here. So Ich-form was not the best pick in my opinion.
Other than that it was a very decently written romance, with reasonable and mostly realistic conflict.
Explanation: I prefer books written form the third (singular) point of view, not the first one, because if I'm not identifying with the MC enough it feels disjointed. The "I" simply feels weird. It's even worse when the book switches between two MCs when I can't identify with neither of them (don't get me wrong, they are good MCs, but neither of them resembles me in the slightest). That's what happened here. So Ich-form was not the best pick in my opinion.
Other than that it was a very decently written romance, with reasonable and mostly realistic conflict.
Read
November 28, 2021DNF. Couldn't deal with the predatory Marie. I'm sure it gets better but too many books, too little time to wait for that to happen.
December 20, 2021
I have an awful lot of DNFs this year and I hate to admit this is one of them. Despite Abby Craden!
Belgian neuro surgeon and womanizer Marie needs a break and takes a timeout in Brittany, France. The only neighbour for miles is Olivia, a book interpretor and lesbian loner who feels deeply and loves her routines. It's not often we see an introvert in fiction (and I am one myself though not as das on the spectrum).
I listed until chapter 26 of 45, and I couldn't really get to like the characters or find their relationship believable. They both made me uncomfortable. It starts as lusting and as an affair, but still. It didn't help that the main character has the same name as I, this was a little weird, especially with Abby's pronunciation.
I really loved that this takes place in Europe.
All in all not a bad book at all, just not for me.
Belgian neuro surgeon and womanizer Marie needs a break and takes a timeout in Brittany, France. The only neighbour for miles is Olivia, a book interpretor and lesbian loner who feels deeply and loves her routines. It's not often we see an introvert in fiction (and I am one myself though not as das on the spectrum).
I listed until chapter 26 of 45, and I couldn't really get to like the characters or find their relationship believable. They both made me uncomfortable. It starts as lusting and as an affair, but still. It didn't help that the main character has the same name as I, this was a little weird, especially with Abby's pronunciation.
I really loved that this takes place in Europe.
All in all not a bad book at all, just not for me.
March 19, 2022
Great story.
June 20, 2022
Absolutely love this! When I got to 'March' I was laughing so hard I took pauses too many times to count.
The art in which this was written is admirable. We have two persons being presented to us here and they are drastically opposites. There differences are so well articulated, i found myself predicting what each one might do in my imaginative side thoughts. Then comes the hilarity of the characters that really cements this as one of the best books I have read of late.
The art in which this was written is admirable. We have two persons being presented to us here and they are drastically opposites. There differences are so well articulated, i found myself predicting what each one might do in my imaginative side thoughts. Then comes the hilarity of the characters that really cements this as one of the best books I have read of late.
June 2, 2022
A runner is exactly what I did. And then I ran straight back.
3.5 stars. For a long time during my reading of this book, I could have fallen on either side of the fence. It's as competently written as most of Bliss' romances are, but I couldn't really get on board with the romance/chemistry/attraction between the leads. But when it got me... whew. I fell hard.
Marie, an arrogant, hotshot Belgian brain surgeon, moves to the countryside in Brittany after a fatal mistake in the operating room shakes her. Olivia is her neighbour, a cranky, reclusive translator who values alone time and routines. I was familiar with Marie from my time with the French Kissing series, though I'm not caught up, and if I ever had any hard feelings towards her for her part as the villain of that series, I've forgotten them. This seemed like just the kind of opposites attract romance that I could really like, what with Marie's arrogance and womanising ways, juxtaposed with Liv's quiet but stubborn personality. I was a little disappointed at first by the pace, and how soon Olivia seems to thaw, but my disappointments in that regard were somewhat assuaged. It definitely wasn't an easy road to them understanding each other. Something about it did feel a little off-kilter; I feel like we weren't always shown the important moments, and I didn't like how some scenes would end semi-abruptly and then we'd get a time skip. The process of falling in love is something that I really love to see on page, and I didn't feel like we got that.
BUT some parts of this book in the latter half are just so swoony and romantic and gut-wrenching, and it made me really really fall in love with the characters and their romance. Some of the dialogue just completely pulled at my heartstrings, and there's a subtle kind of angst that I just really enjoy. They melded so well together. I really like reading about older women! (And by the by, I love the fact that Marie's botox injections are treated so casually, rather than as a point of shame.) I also really enjoyed the fact that this didn't slip into any tired romance conventions for the sake of conflict. The fact that they're mature women really helped. The portrayal of Olivia's anxiety/neuroses/need for order and quiet really resonated with me, and I feel like Marie ended up being her perfect counterpoint.
Also, the cat moments? SO CUTE. I love bonding through pets.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Abby Craden, who brought tears to my eyes at some of the emotional parts. So, a winner as always! Good to know I can still count on Bliss for a solid read, even though not everything about this was perfect.
July 19, 2023
There’s an author’s note at the end saying thanks for taking a chance on the book. To be honest, the cover, the title and the having the author’s name on the book sold it for me without even reading the synopsis.
That Woman Next Door has very distinct main characters. Both characters were the exact opposite of the other and the difference between this book’s MCs and other books with “opposites attract” theme was the undeniable uniqueness of Olivia. In my opinion, Olivia’s distinct personality may be characteristics of someone having autism, coupled with the most self assured woman I’ve read, Marie, they make quite a pair.
The whole book was a journey. Both characters needing the place and time to heal from whatever hurts they’ve accumulated from their pasts. It was a nice journey to accompany the characters through. It’s nice to read a glimpse of the author’s person in the persona of Olivia.
That Woman Next Door has very distinct main characters. Both characters were the exact opposite of the other and the difference between this book’s MCs and other books with “opposites attract” theme was the undeniable uniqueness of Olivia. In my opinion, Olivia’s distinct personality may be characteristics of someone having autism, coupled with the most self assured woman I’ve read, Marie, they make quite a pair.
The whole book was a journey. Both characters needing the place and time to heal from whatever hurts they’ve accumulated from their pasts. It was a nice journey to accompany the characters through. It’s nice to read a glimpse of the author’s person in the persona of Olivia.
March 19, 2022
3 stars. I really enjoy Bliss’s writing style but there was just something about this story and these characters that I couldn’t connect with. It’s not a terrible book in the slightest. I was never bored while reading it but I also wasn’t invested and I couldn’t get into the romance. Marie and Olivia are polar opposites. Marie is very brash and confident and in your face. She’s a take charge personality whereas Olivia is socially awkward, an introvert, and doesn’t know how to speak her mind without being filled with anxiety. I liked the scene where they met for the first time but there was something about the romance that was lacking for me. I loved the setting and found that to be extremely cozy but overall this was just fine.
July 23, 2024
Marie is a vivacious, enthusiastic, confident neruo surgeon who hoes to the family vacation home in Brittany to take stock in herself after a mistake causes a patient her life. But it's so quiet there. She sees smoke coming out of the chimney of the cottage next door, so she goes over to introduce herself to her neighbor. Olivia likes being alone with her 2 cats and isn't very hospitable. But she feels bad and a couple of days later she goes over and apologizes to Marie.
This is an opposites attract/slow burn/age gap love story. 5 stars!
This is an opposites attract/slow burn/age gap love story. 5 stars!
February 20, 2022
I wrote a review of Joan Collins diary: you have to like the person. Well, Marie, in my eyes, is not a good person. Indeed, the ideal character for Joan Collins to play. I skip read to the end and still need to wash my mouth out.
September 19, 2022
I really liked this one because of the mc Olivia. She’s super special.
August 7, 2022
A beautifully written, intriguing and engaging, emotionally complex read; I thought it reminiscent of a French/European foreign film translated to English. Neurosurgeon and self-proclaimed heartbreaker/wooer of women, Marie Dievart (it took me a LONG while to find a liking to her as character), subjects herself to exile at her family's summer home during the frigid winter months when something goes awry at work and inadvertently invades the solitude of translator Olivia Chevalier and her uber adorable cats. A tentative friendship/friends with benefits/romance develops, after a hilariously rocky start...they grow to complement each other SO beautifully, with the initially unlikable/arrogant/sharp-edged/used to near-instantly getting what she wants Marie softening into a woman wanting SO much more than a successful career/one-night stands and emotionally reticent/loner by design Olivia opening herself/her heart to love once more.
June 4, 2025
bueno bueno… im back on traaaack con este pequeño romance coqueto. soy Olivia, Olivia soy yo y si Olivia ha encontrado el amor, yo tamb vale?
September 21, 2021
Sometimes a book just draws me in, and this is one of those. I resonated so strongly with Olivia’s personality and many of her traits that I wasn’t sure how the story would end or if I even wanted an HEA. This is easily one of my favorite Harper Bliss novels, and I’ve read all of them.
Olivia is an introvert who lives alone in the country, with her own routines, habits, and preferences. She doesn’t socialize easily or really even at all. Marie is the opposite, a super-confident woman who has a high opinion of herself, not just as a surgeon but as a desirable woman. She can’t believe that Olivia rebuffs her so many times. Marie is in Bonneau to take stock of her life and needs to be away from the city, her job, and other people after an incident at the hospital for which she blames herself. Since she’s not used to being so alone, she attempts to become friends with her only neighbor, Olivia.
Despite them both being so different, they slowly begin to talk. It’s deep, personal talk, too, not just chat about the weather. Somehow, they draw each other out. It’s a deeply personal story of both women, going back and forth and hesitating over whether they can be with or love the other woman.
I enjoyed how Harper told their story, from each woman's perspective, and through the months. Marie could have been perceived as shallow but being able to see her introspection definitely humanized her. Seeing the change in Olivia was equally satisfying. And although not what I thought I wanted originally, the ending was really gratifying.
Olivia is an introvert who lives alone in the country, with her own routines, habits, and preferences. She doesn’t socialize easily or really even at all. Marie is the opposite, a super-confident woman who has a high opinion of herself, not just as a surgeon but as a desirable woman. She can’t believe that Olivia rebuffs her so many times. Marie is in Bonneau to take stock of her life and needs to be away from the city, her job, and other people after an incident at the hospital for which she blames herself. Since she’s not used to being so alone, she attempts to become friends with her only neighbor, Olivia.
Despite them both being so different, they slowly begin to talk. It’s deep, personal talk, too, not just chat about the weather. Somehow, they draw each other out. It’s a deeply personal story of both women, going back and forth and hesitating over whether they can be with or love the other woman.
I enjoyed how Harper told their story, from each woman's perspective, and through the months. Marie could have been perceived as shallow but being able to see her introspection definitely humanized her. Seeing the change in Olivia was equally satisfying. And although not what I thought I wanted originally, the ending was really gratifying.
December 9, 2021
Audio book - Abby Craden narrator. Overall I enjoyed listening to this romance. It was by far a perfect romance to me and I was baffled in the beginning at how Olivia fell for Marie. I just knew she was going to put up more of a fight because she seemed to be royally irritated by Marie and then suddenly she changes her mind. That threw me off and was really unexpected. The chemistry just didn't seem to be there in the beginning but by the time I was half way through the romance I was able to get with the Olivia and Marie being together. As side note I didn't realize that Marie was in another one of Harper's book - French Kissing and I had to go back and figure out what book she was in. BTW French Kissing was a good series. If I had read this book I am pretty sure I would not have given it 4 stars, but since Abby Craden read this one I have to give it 4.
September 23, 2021
4 1/2 stars I enjoyed this read. I had always wondered what had motivated Marie Dievart and I finally found out. If you haven’t read Harper’s French Kissing series which is fabulous by the way, Marie is a character from there, so go check that out.
I’d describe this story as two very different woman sorting out their headspace but they end up on the same journey of finding something they didn’t think they needed but of course they did, love.
Marie the extravert with battered confidence moving to Brittany and interrupting the serenity of Olivia the introvert, hiding from the world.
It is interesting how Harper Bliss can peel away the layers of a woman’s psyche and we delve deep into the MC’s feelings and motivations and witness them coming out the other side.
I’d describe this story as two very different woman sorting out their headspace but they end up on the same journey of finding something they didn’t think they needed but of course they did, love.
Marie the extravert with battered confidence moving to Brittany and interrupting the serenity of Olivia the introvert, hiding from the world.
It is interesting how Harper Bliss can peel away the layers of a woman’s psyche and we delve deep into the MC’s feelings and motivations and witness them coming out the other side.
June 27, 2023
Harper Bliss ha crafted another great tale. In this one, we have Olivia, a loaner who lived in the middle of nowhere with her two cats. All she wanted was to be left alone. (Un)fortunately for Olivia, Marie, came to stay in her family’s vacation house for an extended time. Olivia had never met anyone quite like Marie in her life and at first wanted nothing to do with her. As the story unfolded, our two mains spent more and more time together while using their solo time to do a lot of soul searching. It was nice to watch these two ladies learn about themselves and each other. This was a low drama/low angst novel and will keep you company on a chilly fall evening.
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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