✨ 5 STARS ✨

chloe is randomly contacted by social services one day and finds out her birth mother, a recovering alcoholic, has suddenly given birth to a precious baby girl. in order for willow to not end up in foster care, chloe agrees to take custody of the baby to help give her a better life than she received herself. in order to get accepted, chloe is advised to participate in a pair up program which pairs her up with warren, a mechanic trying to get custody of his teenage brother.

this book is SO cute and honestly felt super refreshing to read. the dynamics between all of the characters were adorable and felt very real and natural and it wasn’t rushed. warren and chloe truly focused on willow and luke above everything else and their love was definitely a side effect of them being parents. i loved warren truly caring for willow and chloe truly caring for luke, they were a package rather than individuals which is super important in found family dynamics.

- roommates
- friends to lovers
- single pov
- deaf representation
- single parents
- mild spice 🌶️
- found family
- cute friendships
- great cover!!

also them creating their own last name at the end based on his nickname for her is so cute 🥺

4.75 🌟I loved this book and stayed up all night reading this! Would definelty recommend.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with these themes in and the complexity of the characters was so interesting.

I read Out on a Limb and fell in love with Hannah’s work. I knew when I saw this on Netgalley it was a straight request. Whilst I loved the idea of the story and with high expectations, I dove straight in.

This was such a lovely story of found family which I seem to be reading a lot about recently. How Chloe, Warren, Luke and Willow came together was so lovely. It was refreshing to see how well them fit together and loved each other.

My only downside is that I would have liked to see the romance be a bit more stretched out. By 50% they were professing their love for each other and I would have liked to see them develop more as a couple. The ending also felt slightly rushed but it wasn’t the worst. I enjoyed the epilogue from Warren’s point of view and I think I would have liked more from his side.

Either way, I’ll be reading more of Bonham-Young’s work.

If you're looking for a comforting romance book, you will definitely enjoy this one! Warren goes from not wanting to get close to anyone to really warming up to Chloe as she wears him down.
The progression between them both from roommates, to friends to lovers. It's such a feel good read!

A solid 3.5 - let me just say I absolutely love Hannah Bonam-Young writing style and her book 'out on a limb' was in my top 5 books of 2023

Next of kin was such an easy read and with being under 300 pages very quick, but I honestly feel it could have been an extra 100/150 pages more to really develop the relationship between Chloe and Warren. The romance developed so quickly and intensely that within a few pages they were completely in love and that is really what brought my score down.

Otherwise, the story line - great - I have never read a book with this sort of storyline and I devoured it because it was different - ASL/Deaf rep was amazing to see and done well. The banter between Chloe and Warren was *chefs kiss* and the prison break / you cant park here made me squeal!

single/foster parents - forced proximity/roommates - ASL deaf representation/use -grumpy/sunshine - found family - FMC POV/first person

TRIGGERS : substance abuse; foster care system; parental neglect & abandonment/death of parent; foetal alcohol syndrome/prem baby with health issues

Synopsis :When people-pleasing Chloe learns that her birth mother has unexpectedly had another baby, she doesn’t hesitate to become a next of kin guardian. But when she fails to pass Child Protective Services’ financial evaluation, she is faced with a choice: see her baby sister placed in foster care or participate in CPS’ new initiative, TeamUp.

Enter Warren, a surly mechanic’s apprentice attempting to get custody of his deaf fifteen-year-old brother after failing CPS’ housing evaluation. The two strangers immediately clash but agree to live together until Warren can find housing elsewhere and Chloe can further grow her freelance career.

As their lives intertwine, Chloe and Warren both realise that they’re far more similar than they could have imagined. What started as forced begins to feel natural—and far less lonely. Chemistry soon intensifies beyond what either of them can stand, but they must each decide if what burns between them is worth risking their arrangement and, ultimately, the well-being of their siblings.

With banter, heart, and steam that will have the reader blushing, Next of Kin is a true underdog story of two young adults redefining what family can look like!

Thank you to Hannah Bonam-Young and publishing team for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley, Bedford Square Publishers and Hannah Bonham-Young for an eARC of Next of Kin, releasing February 15th.

Chloe and Warren are thrown together as roommates as part of a child protective services initiative and have to live together for a set amount of time before they can be approved as their siblings legal guardians.

This book has a large focus on found family, for both Chloe and Warren, Luke being a deaf child in the social care system and the impact of drug use by parents who then have their children removed from their household for the safety of the child. I don’t know much about the care system and the vetting systems that go on behind the scenes and this gave me a small insight into the things that go into becoming a legal guardian.

I enjoyed reading this book and will be picking up the rest of the series when it is published.

Tropes:
- grumpy x sunshine
- found family
- roommates to lovers

A beautiful story of building a found family 🫶🏻
Chloe and Willow's story hit hard for me in the beginning as my daughter was premature too but Hannah's writing was fantastic and the subject was dealt with grace.
I absolutely loved this watching this little family come together to navigate life.
A perfect grump x sunshine book for those that was a quick read
Thank you for the arc, I can't wait to buy my copy 🤍

Hannah Bonam-Young continues to amaze me with her writing!

Chloe and Warren become unlikely roommates when they both fail social services final evaluations, which they need to pass if they want to become guardians to their younger siblings. They join an initiative that puts prospective guardians together to help them pass.

Chloe and Warren were both such wonderful characters, and I loved watching them grow together. If anything, I wish this book was longer because I could have read another 300 pages of Chloe & Warren together.

Next of Kin was so beautifully written and HBY is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me!

Also, the bonus chapter was just wonderful - Willow's first day of school had me holding back tears! I believe this is only available in the traditionally published copy, which I can't wait to get my hands on!

Tropes:
- Roommates-to-lovers
- Found Family
- Deaf Rep

I loved this book so much and this book was a super easy read that I got through very quickly.

The whole way that this book was written was lovely and I very much fell in love with the characters and the relationships between Luke and Warren.

I cannot wait to read the next book in this series

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this arc!

I loved this book so much, the concept of it was so different and it was a really refreshing read! The care side and also the incorporation of deafness was really good. I think showing it made me realise how different life is with different people in your life. A massive 4.75 stars from me! Highly recommend this to anyone who loves book, any reader will love it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Next of Kin by Hannah Bonam-Young
Re-release : 15 February

How have I not read this book until now? To say that this was a beautiful story is indeed an understatement. ♥️

Chloe and Warren’s story has so many layers and so many emotions,it will make you forget that you are reading.At least,that’s what it did to me.The story is raw and feels real and relatable with the real world.There’s pain,anxiety and trauma,but also happiness,love and so much warmth.With a touch of spice 😉

This is in my opinion a perfect story. From the writing to the characters and basically everything about it.

If you decide to read it,I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Synopsis : Two bickering strangers, Chloe and Warren, are partnered by Child Protective Services to qualify for next of kin fostering of their younger siblings. When people-pleasing Chloe learns that her birth mother has unexpectedly had another baby, she doesn't hesitate to become a next-of-kin guardian.

💚 Force proximity
💚 Roommates
💚 Grumpy/Sunshine

Thank you to @netgalley and @bedfordsq.publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

I loved Out on a Limb and was so excited to read more from Hannah Bonam-Young, and Next of Kin did not disappoint. A love story with so much heart, and depth, and serious conversations. Bonam-Young writes some incredible characters and I can't wait to read more from her

Very rarely do I devour a book this quickly. Chloe and Warren's story had me hooked from the very first page, right until the very last. The world-building and character development were incredible and Hannah's writing style was so effortless, making it a joy to read.

"You're it for me, dove. You're going to be my last everything. My body knows that as much as the rest of me does. I've been aching for you for so long."

I'm not a fan of giving away storylines in my reviews, but what I will say is this: If you are a fan of Forced Proximity/Roommates, Grumpy/Sunshine, slow burn, and strangers to lovers, then this book is most definitely for you. Chloe is the kind of heroine I adore because I just know that I would be friends with her in real life. She is such a pure and beautiful person but with a fierce side that comes out every so often. Warren, my poor broken boy. He is just so desperate to be loved and to have someone step up for him and stick around but it terribly afraid of being hurt. My heart ached for him and so many times I had to take a break because the tears streaming down my face were stopping me from reading.

He looks down to where my hands rest in my lap and moves quickly, pulling my wrists apart and holding them in his grasp. "Tell me to stay." Warren says.

There are so many other things I want to say, but I'm in danger of rambling, so my advice would be to READ IT. Honestly, you won't regret it. This book is full of chemistry, humour, pain, and heartache and I defy you not to fall in love with it as much as I have. Hannah Bonam-Young has found herself a new fan in me and she is definitely going to be one to watch in the future.

Tropes: forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine

Last year, like so many people I read Out on a Limb and loved it! So this year I'm making it my mission to pick up the other books by this author, starting with Next of Kin.

I felt the topics were handled with care, and I loved seeing the relationships between the hero/heroine and their siblings. Most importantly, I really enjoyed the relationship development between the two of them. The tension was 10/10.

I will say, there is an element of women's fiction here, so it isn't 100% true romance. The characters have other stuff going on. If you like Abby Jimenez or Emily Henry, I think you'll like this.

4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Bedford Square Publishers and Hannah Bonam-Young for the free e-arc. All opinions are my own.

This is my first book by Hannah Bonam-Young but I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more. It was such a cute, heartwarming read. I loved both Chloe and Warren and seeing them step up for their siblings. Luke was such a lovable character as well. Seeing them both fall in love with each other's siblings melted my heart and I adored how they all supported each other. Also loved the found family aspect.

I really enjoyed their chemistry building slowly but it soon slipped over to insta love vibes which isn’t my thing. However, they were cute enough together that I’ll let it slide. I just wish we’d had more of the same build up for the love as we did with them becoming friends. I was holding my breath prepping myself for the dreaded 3rd act conflict but it was actually really well done and added more to the story than just some drama.

It covers some heavy topics like the foster system, addiction, and children with health issues but it’s written sensitively.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

3.75 ⭐️
I loved the characters and the plot was actually deep and interesting.
Their relationship seemed to go from 0 to 100 so fast tho like they didn't like each other and then were suddenly raising each other's kids and going at it but they seemed like they actually liked each other, which is refreshing.
I can't wait to dive into more hannah bonam-young!!

I'm new to the works of Hannah Bonam-Young and I cannot wait to read more from this author! Grumpy/sunshine is a can-do-no-wrong trope in my opinion... which is further supported in Next of Kin. Add in the found family aspect and the forced proximity... I was hooked from the beginning. I absolutely adored the dynamic between Chloe and Warren. What started off as a clash of personalities slowly melts into a dual-recognition that the pair aren't as different as they initially thought. Chloe and Warren's chemistry was developed beautifully and almost intimately... and I cannot deny how lovely it was to read their about devout love and loyalty for their siblings.

Whilst the romance between Chloe and Warren took a complete 180 and gave off insta-love vibes, I still enjoyed this overall sweet and heartfelt story about two young people willing to do whatever it takes for their loved ones and for each other. This story contains heavy themes that may be upsetting for some readers, but with a guaranteed HEA this is not a book to be missed for fans of fast-paced romance books.

Wasn't for me but I think a lot of people will like this. The writing was just not it and I didn't like the characters.

chloe and warren are both looking to gain custody of their younger siblings and are teamed up to share a roof and financial responsibilities. chloe is sunshine and friendliness; warren is grumpy and closed off (but such a sweet good deep down). they start off as mere acquaintances, but soon feelings develop and sparks fly. they just need to let down their walls long enough to let each other in.

this was so much more than a romantic love story. it was about the love you can have for family but -also for found family too. hannah b-y can do no wrong ...

This book make me cry more than once, I can't lie! An utterly heartwrenching story about next of kin adoption, written with such heart and respect for the process. The romance was also fantastic, a surprise to both characters who had their mind set on a quick and platonic roommate situation with no complications.
Both of the characters were beautifully flawed, working through issues without a rose-colour glasses. The drama kept you on your toes, even knowing that there was a HEA to look forward to.