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Right Next Door: The Courtship of Carol Sommars / Father's Day
The Courtship of Carol Sommars
Peter Sommars is fifteen, and what he needs is a little more independence. Which is why he'd like his mom, Carol, to start dating. He even knows the perfect man Alex Preston, his best friend's dad. As it turns out, Alex is interested, but Carol's doing everything she can to sidestep his pursuit. Which only makes Alex and the boys more determined!
Father's Day
Robin Masterson's ten-year-old son, Jeff, figures he needs a dog more than anything in the world. And there just happens to be one right next door! But the friendly black Lab belongs to Cole Camden, the unfriendliest man in the neighborhood. Still, Jeff persists…and soon his mom and Cole are looking at each other in a whole new way.
448 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
27 people are currently reading
1573 people want to read
About the author
Debbie Macomber
895 books20.6k followersDebbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. In her novels, Macomber brings to life compelling relationships that embrace family and enduring friendships, uplifting her readers with stories of connection and hope. Macomber’s novels have spent over 1,000 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Fifteen of these novels hit the number one spot.
In 2023, Macomber’s all-new hardcover publication includes Must Love Flowers (July). In addition to fiction, Macomber has also published three bestselling cookbooks, three adult coloring books, numerous inspirational and nonfiction works, and two acclaimed children’s books.
Celebrated as “the official storyteller of Christmas”, Macomber’s annual Christmas books are beloved and six have been crafted into original Hallmark Channel movies. Macomber is also the author of the bestselling Cedar Cove Series which the Hallmark Channel chose as the basis for its first dramatic scripted television series. Debuting in 2013, Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove was a ratings favorite for three seasons.
She serves on the Guideposts National Advisory Cabinet, is a YFC National Ambassador, and is World Vision’s international spokesperson for their Knit for Kids charity initiative. A devoted grandmother, Debbie and Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington, the town which inspired the Cedar Cove series.
In 2023, Macomber’s all-new hardcover publication includes Must Love Flowers (July). In addition to fiction, Macomber has also published three bestselling cookbooks, three adult coloring books, numerous inspirational and nonfiction works, and two acclaimed children’s books.
Celebrated as “the official storyteller of Christmas”, Macomber’s annual Christmas books are beloved and six have been crafted into original Hallmark Channel movies. Macomber is also the author of the bestselling Cedar Cove Series which the Hallmark Channel chose as the basis for its first dramatic scripted television series. Debuting in 2013, Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove was a ratings favorite for three seasons.
She serves on the Guideposts National Advisory Cabinet, is a YFC National Ambassador, and is World Vision’s international spokesperson for their Knit for Kids charity initiative. A devoted grandmother, Debbie and Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington, the town which inspired the Cedar Cove series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
January 7, 2015
Two stories in one book, Debbie Macomber does it again and I read this book in less than 24 hours.
I can understand why a lot of people would have issues with these stories, but keep in mind that they were originally published in early 90's and times have changed quite drastically since then. Keeping that in mind I went into these stories with an open mind.
Father's Day is about 10-year-old Jeff Masterson and his desire for a dog of his very own. Problem is, the dog that he has connected with already has an owner. Cole Camden is quite unfriendly the first time he meets Jeff and Jeff's mother, Robin, but his black Lab has bonded with the boy and soon Cole is finding himself interested in Robin. Robin has been alone since her husband died and she hasn't had an desire to find a new guy, but for some reason Cole has become more friendly, both to her and her son, and her heart is finding that it likes Cole too.
This story was very sweet. Cole starts off as a bit of a jerk, while trying to maintain himself with his new neighbors. Jeff is just a fun-loving 10-year-old with a love for animals. Robin is a young mother raising her son alone after her husband passed away. Blackie is a sweet black Lab that loves hanging out with Jeff. These four come together in such a sweet way that you can't help but like them.
While I find the story very sweet overall, my biggest issue is the love story between Cole and Robin. I find no reason why Cole is suddenly drawn to Robin. I completely understand why Robin is confused the entire time they are together and is questioning his motives. The romance came extremely fast. When Cole tells Robin when he realized he was falling for her, I found that it didn't make much sense because their interactions had been so minimal before then that to say he was falling for her at that point wouldn't have made any sense. It just seemed a bit rushed to me.
The Courtship of Carol Sommars introduces us to Peter Sommars, 15-years-old, who wants a little more guy stuff in his life. Problem is, his mother, Carol, isn't interested in dating and that makes it extremely hard to go camping or fishing like he would love to do. Peter's best friend, James, has a great, and single, father, Alex, who both boys think would work great for Carol. Alex is also taken with Carol as well, but Carol is doing everything she can to keep her wits about her and try to keep herself from falling for this seemingly wonderful man.
Another very sweet story. Carol is a character that we can relate to and still be interested in. Alex is a strong male character that has that sensitive side as well. Both boys, Peter and James, are insightful and noisy, just like typical teenage boys. Unlike the previous story, this one, I felt, had a romance that made sense. Was it still a little rushed? Yes, but I felt like both characters had more time to get to know each other and more time to really assess how they felt about the other. It was also good to get some of the perception from Alex's point of view, which was something that was lacking in the previous story.
While I enjoyed this story a bit more than the first, I still feel like it had it's issues here and there. While I loved both Peter and James, at times I felt like they were closer to 10 or 12 rather than 15. There are a few times when you can tell they are 15 by the way they act, but most of the time I had to remind myself that they were older because they felt so much younger.
Both stories were fun to read and I enjoyed them. I would definitely read this again.
I can understand why a lot of people would have issues with these stories, but keep in mind that they were originally published in early 90's and times have changed quite drastically since then. Keeping that in mind I went into these stories with an open mind.
Father's Day is about 10-year-old Jeff Masterson and his desire for a dog of his very own. Problem is, the dog that he has connected with already has an owner. Cole Camden is quite unfriendly the first time he meets Jeff and Jeff's mother, Robin, but his black Lab has bonded with the boy and soon Cole is finding himself interested in Robin. Robin has been alone since her husband died and she hasn't had an desire to find a new guy, but for some reason Cole has become more friendly, both to her and her son, and her heart is finding that it likes Cole too.
This story was very sweet. Cole starts off as a bit of a jerk, while trying to maintain himself with his new neighbors. Jeff is just a fun-loving 10-year-old with a love for animals. Robin is a young mother raising her son alone after her husband passed away. Blackie is a sweet black Lab that loves hanging out with Jeff. These four come together in such a sweet way that you can't help but like them.
While I find the story very sweet overall, my biggest issue is the love story between Cole and Robin. I find no reason why Cole is suddenly drawn to Robin. I completely understand why Robin is confused the entire time they are together and is questioning his motives. The romance came extremely fast. When Cole tells Robin when he realized he was falling for her, I found that it didn't make much sense because their interactions had been so minimal before then that to say he was falling for her at that point wouldn't have made any sense. It just seemed a bit rushed to me.
The Courtship of Carol Sommars introduces us to Peter Sommars, 15-years-old, who wants a little more guy stuff in his life. Problem is, his mother, Carol, isn't interested in dating and that makes it extremely hard to go camping or fishing like he would love to do. Peter's best friend, James, has a great, and single, father, Alex, who both boys think would work great for Carol. Alex is also taken with Carol as well, but Carol is doing everything she can to keep her wits about her and try to keep herself from falling for this seemingly wonderful man.
Another very sweet story. Carol is a character that we can relate to and still be interested in. Alex is a strong male character that has that sensitive side as well. Both boys, Peter and James, are insightful and noisy, just like typical teenage boys. Unlike the previous story, this one, I felt, had a romance that made sense. Was it still a little rushed? Yes, but I felt like both characters had more time to get to know each other and more time to really assess how they felt about the other. It was also good to get some of the perception from Alex's point of view, which was something that was lacking in the previous story.
While I enjoyed this story a bit more than the first, I still feel like it had it's issues here and there. While I loved both Peter and James, at times I felt like they were closer to 10 or 12 rather than 15. There are a few times when you can tell they are 15 by the way they act, but most of the time I had to remind myself that they were older because they felt so much younger.
Both stories were fun to read and I enjoyed them. I would definitely read this again.
August 18, 2018
See individual books for reviews.
March 7, 2020
I loved the first story, “Father’s Day”!
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July 30, 2009Really a big fat waste of time...but it is convincing me that perhaps I could write a book. After all, if THIS gets published...
Update: A TOTAL waste of time. The second short story in this book literally had me rolling my eyes. The SAME scene happened over and over again...really, truly annoying. But I'm one of those people who just HAS to finish something I start (unless it's my kids' scrapbooks), so I pushed forward. I'm so happy to be DONE with it. And I threw the book in the recycle bin when I finished because NO ONE else should waste time on this trash. Am I being clear?
Update: A TOTAL waste of time. The second short story in this book literally had me rolling my eyes. The SAME scene happened over and over again...really, truly annoying. But I'm one of those people who just HAS to finish something I start (unless it's my kids' scrapbooks), so I pushed forward. I'm so happy to be DONE with it. And I threw the book in the recycle bin when I finished because NO ONE else should waste time on this trash. Am I being clear?
October 9, 2010
I have know read a few of Debbie Macomber novels and I have noticed a strong theme in all of them. Most of them have to do with a widowed woman and a cantankerous man. All of which have a bad first meeting but then usually without exchanging much verbally they find themselves kissing. Usually there are some matchmaking children involved as well.
March 9, 2018
The second book in this book was hard to get into which is why I have the book a 4 star. The first book was fantastic and when it ended I was rather sad.
February 18, 2012
great stories
January 28, 2022
I own a copy of this book but not for much longer. I have only read one other book of Debbie Macomber, "The Man You'll Marry", and I rated it pretty high. This book doesn't hold up. One of my biggest "no's" is the fact that both women cry all the time and most of the men around them make fun of them. Romance is supposed to be an escape I don't want to be reminded that men ridicule women for expressing any emotion at all but particularly sadness and anger.
Now that that's out of the way we can talk about the other problems I had with this book. Bambi could have said anything to make us hate her and yet the author chose to trigger fat people and people with an eating disorder by having Bambi, a thin woman repeatedly call herself fat and talk about needing to be on a diet.
"How much longer until dinner? The natives are getting restless." (Pg. 291). Why not just say "kids"? Why have this Italian family make a stereotypical offensive Native American joke? There's a dozen other words they could have used.
Both Alex and Carol decided to wait until a couple months after marriage to try for children. Alex knows that Carol has trouble trusting and loving again after her first abusive relationship. So what does Alex do? Well, when they get married Carol is very happy with the sex considering her awful sex was with her ex-husband, Alex uses that as a distraction to not wear a condom. He gets her pregnant without her consent. How she views this huge boundary stomp as an okay thing I'll never know.
The author seems to frame their story as a happily ever after but I can see that she's just in another abusive marriage. Alex needs to have control over Carol at all times and he boundary stomps all over the place. He lets himself into her car, home, and workplace multiple times even though she's made it clear she doesn't want him there. The very first boundary that they both set up as a married couple he intentionally breaks 2 days in and has no apologies. This man cannot stand boundaries or Carol being out if his view/control. He is just as abusive as Bruce but in a different form. Disgusting.
TW: Fatphobia that could also be triggering to people with an ED. Relationship Abuse including physical.
Edit: After writing this review I went to add a quote I liked from the book and found it already existing but was credited to another book of Debbie's. So I went to google books and it confirmed that Debbie used the exact same quote at least twice. The quote is, "Years, ago someone had told her it took a hell of a man to replace no man." (Right Next Door, 1990). Listen to this, "Years, ago someone had told her it took a hell of a man to replace no man.". That's not from the same book. That's from "A Turn in the Road, 2017". A completely different book. She just copied and pasted the same quote not even rewriting it.
Now that that's out of the way we can talk about the other problems I had with this book. Bambi could have said anything to make us hate her and yet the author chose to trigger fat people and people with an eating disorder by having Bambi, a thin woman repeatedly call herself fat and talk about needing to be on a diet.
"How much longer until dinner? The natives are getting restless." (Pg. 291). Why not just say "kids"? Why have this Italian family make a stereotypical offensive Native American joke? There's a dozen other words they could have used.
Both Alex and Carol decided to wait until a couple months after marriage to try for children. Alex knows that Carol has trouble trusting and loving again after her first abusive relationship. So what does Alex do? Well, when they get married Carol is very happy with the sex considering her awful sex was with her ex-husband, Alex uses that as a distraction to not wear a condom. He gets her pregnant without her consent. How she views this huge boundary stomp as an okay thing I'll never know.
The author seems to frame their story as a happily ever after but I can see that she's just in another abusive marriage. Alex needs to have control over Carol at all times and he boundary stomps all over the place. He lets himself into her car, home, and workplace multiple times even though she's made it clear she doesn't want him there. The very first boundary that they both set up as a married couple he intentionally breaks 2 days in and has no apologies. This man cannot stand boundaries or Carol being out if his view/control. He is just as abusive as Bruce but in a different form. Disgusting.
TW: Fatphobia that could also be triggering to people with an ED. Relationship Abuse including physical.
Edit: After writing this review I went to add a quote I liked from the book and found it already existing but was credited to another book of Debbie's. So I went to google books and it confirmed that Debbie used the exact same quote at least twice. The quote is, "Years, ago someone had told her it took a hell of a man to replace no man." (Right Next Door, 1990). Listen to this, "Years, ago someone had told her it took a hell of a man to replace no man.". That's not from the same book. That's from "A Turn in the Road, 2017". A completely different book. She just copied and pasted the same quote not even rewriting it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2017
this book contains two stories.
Father's Day is about Robin and her son who move next door to Jeff. Both Robin and Jeff are still recovering from losses and have walls up but Robin's son and Jeff's dog Blackie continually keep them interacting and as they learn more about each other and their pasts they become friends but can they move forward to a deeper relationship?
The courtship of Carol Sommars is about 2 teenage boys who try to get their parents together, but lack of knowledge and understanding of what each other has gone through with their previous spouses causes many problems for them. When Alex asks Carol to marry him not knowing or understanding what she dealt with in her previous marriage she can't say yes and asks for time but just how long will Alex wait?
Father's Day is about Robin and her son who move next door to Jeff. Both Robin and Jeff are still recovering from losses and have walls up but Robin's son and Jeff's dog Blackie continually keep them interacting and as they learn more about each other and their pasts they become friends but can they move forward to a deeper relationship?
The courtship of Carol Sommars is about 2 teenage boys who try to get their parents together, but lack of knowledge and understanding of what each other has gone through with their previous spouses causes many problems for them. When Alex asks Carol to marry him not knowing or understanding what she dealt with in her previous marriage she can't say yes and asks for time but just how long will Alex wait?
March 12, 2020
Both The Courtship of Carol Sommars and Father's Day was excellent. I love that the book was very tasteful and put together. There wasn't any bad language or sexual parts other then when they kiss, but that was sweet. I love these types of books the most because I feel like the two main characters really care about one another and can show it without compromising their morals. It allows me to focus on the importance of the story line, and get a sense of what is important.
December 17, 2022
Usually in combo books there are two different ratings for each book and I average for a score but both were around 4 this time .. with the edge going to Father’s Day. the first story.
My copy is falling apart but will keep (due 2 the 4 star rating) vs. throwing away.
Debbie M.’s heroines are both widowed single moms.
Book one set in San Francisco .. Robin is an accountant with 10 yr old son, Jeff.
Book two is set in Oregon .. Carol is an OB nurse with 15 yr old son, Peter.
My copy is falling apart but will keep (due 2 the 4 star rating) vs. throwing away.
Debbie M.’s heroines are both widowed single moms.
Book one set in San Francisco .. Robin is an accountant with 10 yr old son, Jeff.
Book two is set in Oregon .. Carol is an OB nurse with 15 yr old son, Peter.
February 28, 2018
I adore books like these. Sweet, and just wonderful stories. This one has two separate stories, and I can't decide which one I like better. Debbie Macomber writes so well with great characters! I can't wait to read the next book of her's I find! I picked this one up at a local book store, and I will stop there Thursday for another!
March 31, 2018
No start or finish dates possible on these two books as I have them both on audio and have listened to them more times than I can remember. They are both delightful stories of love the second time around. The narrative on the CDs is wonderful with the same woman doing both stories. She has a great voice to listen to and really brings warmth to the characters. Highly recommended books!!
September 12, 2022
Debbie Macomber does a great job.Robin has a son that wants a dog after moving into a house with a neighbor that has a dog. Romance follows.
The second story had a mom getting over a bad marriage. 2 boys get to be friends in school and want theirs dad to Date their mom. But mom is not too sure about dating again.
The second story had a mom getting over a bad marriage. 2 boys get to be friends in school and want theirs dad to Date their mom. But mom is not too sure about dating again.
January 13, 2018
I love Debbie Macomber and have read many of her books. This one was a disappointment. I felt nothing for any of the characters or the story line. I actually checked to see if someone else had written this book. I will still continue to read her books but was glad when this one came to the end.
November 22, 2018
This book has two stories both along the same line. Girl meets boy, they like each other, something comes between them that keeps them apart, then they get together. Very formulaic romance stories but I enjoyed since I don't read this type of book very much.
March 16, 2025
OK. 1st story I enjoyed. The second one with Carol and Alex - I don't know, dragged out the relationship issues and didn't feel realistic overall. I have sympathy for what she went through, but after that many years?? Ended well.
August 1, 2017
Cute, simple read.
February 19, 2018
Loved the ending of Courtship of Carol Sommars!
April 25, 2018
Two sweet romances, although both story lines were very similar so perhaps they shouldn't have been combined into the same volume. A little too much repetition of plot details.
November 5, 2018
Meh. The first one was ok. The 2nd story was not very good.
January 4, 2019
This is actually a combination of two stories which I didn't realize at first. I read the first story very quickly and I think it could have been longer and the second one was an okay story.
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October 10, 2019These were good books. Not great - very predictable.
October 27, 2019
One of the two stories was pretty cute; the other one was a little less so.
January 25, 2020
Romance. Two shorter stories.
January 30, 2020
i personally enjoyed both these stories a lot. I would read them again and I would recommend them
March 23, 2020
This was a sweet read. Two books in one, very casual read.
April 23, 2020
This is the first book I finished in years..(was on a reading break I suppose lol). Definitely sunk into it a few times throughout both stories. Good quick read if you don’t wish to be too invested
May 3, 2020
I loved the first story - Fathers Day
June 11, 2020
Loved both of these stories. ☆☆♡♡☆☆
Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews