This probably would check all the boxes for another reader but it was hard to get into for myself and I felt like I had to push through to then end despite it being an easy read.

Best friends to lovers
Multi POV

This was a pleasant, inoffensive read. The storyline was a bit basic and predictable, but it was still enjoyable.

I enjoyed the book even though at times, it could have been a bit more exciting.

A great storyline, easy to pick up and put down.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

An easy and fun rom com read, perfect for the beach or whilst relaxing in the garden on a sunny Sunday. I loved it and look forward to reading more from Rachel Dove in the future. This was my first by her but certainly won’t be my last. I love that this book is set close to where I live and has veery relatable characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
This was a great book and I'll be purchasing it for the library.
This was a really wonderful romcom!

“Human adults, they had to be the dumbest species when it came to finding a mate.” Does that mean nice guys have to finish last? Looking for a win in love, Rory decided that maybe it did, and maybe he needed to change. “‘Treat them mean to keep them keen.’” Not so keen on his plan was his best friend, single mom Sarah. The romance was great. There was plenty of emotion, fun, and self-discovery on the way. “She had been there under his nose the whole time, and he hadn’t even realised. She wasn’t his dream girl; she was the very real girl next door. Better than any dream.” There was also a cute secondary later-in-life romance in the book. The characters were fun and engaging. There were so many entertaining interactions. Operation Notebook was so cute. The comeuppance was hilarious. I have become accustomed to novels, even in the third person or omniscient author style, focusing perspective on only a few main characters. This book shares the perspectives of several characters. That’s not a bad thing, as the reader gets to experience many different layers to the story and it helps engage with different subplots and romances. I do wish there had been a more clear delineation when the perspective switched between characters. I personally find it a bit jolting to be in one character’s perspective in one paragraph and then switch to another perspective in the next paragraph with no break or pause. This is a fade-to-black story with frequent strong innuendo and a moderate amount of strong harsh language throughout.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

"Mr. Right Next Door" by Rachel Dove is a heart-warming romance that reminds us that love might be closer than we think.

Rory Gallant is determined to honour his mother's dying wish by being a good man, but his quest for love seems to be an elusive one. With the advice of his father, Doug, a notorious ladies' man, Rory decides to embrace his inner cad in the hopes of finding romance. However, his neighbour and best friend Sarah sees him differently and believes he's perfect just the way he is.

Dove's storytelling shines as she explores themes of self-discovery, friendship, and the search for love. Rory's journey from trying to fit into society's expectations to embracing his true self is both relatable and endearing. The dynamic between Rory and Sarah is filled with warmth and chemistry, making their evolving relationship a joy to witness.

"Mr. Right Next Door" is a delightful romance that proves sometimes love is right under our noses. Dove's charming narrative and engaging characters make this book a heart-warming read that will leave readers with a smile on their faces.

This was a friends-to-lovers story about best friends Rory and Sarah, who decide to take their friendship to the next level. I wanted to love the book, but unfortunately I just never connected to the characters, and found them unlikeable at times.

*many thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review.

Unfortunately it took me a couple of months to finish this book. The pros? It was a straight forward read. But for some reason I was struggling with the characters. At times the story was predictable but in a good way. The relationship between Rory & Sarah felt surface level. I did enjoy the scenes and conversation. However, I feel like there could’ve been more developments with the romance. Overall, I did enjoy the book and it was an average read to me.

a fun and exciting read that is full of laughter and sweet moments. I really did enjoy this book. I really enjoy Rachel Dove's writing style.

Such an adorable romance. I truly enjoyed these characters and their story. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

A good storyline. Lots if different characters with some difficult ways of life. You never realise what is in front of you until you analyse feelings. A good read

I liked this book. Is a funny rom-com with a hint of emotional roller-coaster 🤣
It's really nice could read something light and have a good time.

This book had potential, like this author does have a style of writing I like and although I did not like Rory and his "good guys finish last" attitude (I hate men who are like that) I really did like his relationship with Sarah and their dynamic and I didn't even mind the single mum trope which I usually dislike but why why oh why did the author have to make this focus on like 8 characters POV?? Like who is Dinah and the other dude and bunny the grandma being referred to as either grandma or bunny and then Rory's dad, then Sarah's ex then Sasha who is Rory's crush and we couldnt have given her another name. Like I do not know these characters nor care. I wish this author just stuck to Sarah and Rory and their story because there was too many POV, too many men who are like yeah nice guys finish last girls want bad boys like I honestly give up on this author give me a leading man who is likeable and not there for the just the girl! I do believe this author has potential but god these men are bad.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I just couldn’t get into this
I found the characters very superficial and I just couldn’t root for them. 2.5 stars.
Thanks to netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book
All thoughts are my own.

sadly i struggled to read this, i tried a couple of times but felt the plot was a bit wishy washy and i couldn’t contact with the characters

Rory and Sarah, lifelong best friends, support each other through thick and thin, with Rory serving as a steadfast presence for Sarah and her daughter, Annabel. Feeling lonely, Rory decides to shed his "nice guy" persona and adopt a more confident approach to win over Sasha at the club. Sarah reluctantly supports his transformation but wishes he would recognize his worth without changing. While the premise is charming, the story unfolds at a slow pace, with the central romance developing only in the final pages. Despite the endearing characters, lack of chemistry between the main couple and numerous editorial oversights detract from the reading experience. Additionally, the abundance of British colloquialisms may alienate non-British readers. Overall, while the story has its moments, it lacks the captivating allure to hold the reader's interest, often resulting in a lackluster reading experience.

This book was good, but I wanted a little more. I didn’t really feel the connection between the main characters until almost halfway through. The second half was much better and I loved how Greg got his comeuppance. I just wanted more chemistry to jump off the page.

I had just read a very heavy book when I decided to follow it up with this light read with the friends to lovers trope and the nice guys finish last cliche.

Positives:
A light-hearted, sweet romance
A quick read
A feel-good book

Negatives:
The characters were all pretty cliche
There were too many characters perspectives and characters to be honest
It took too long for the main characters to realize they were meant to be together.

You get exactly what you would expect from this one, and I would definitely read another from the same author.