Career woman Eve is on the brink of a major promotion. So what if her personal life is a disaster — her online dating app constantly matches her with the most awful dates. And her best friend’s chaotic love life is a constant drama she just doesn’t need. Anyway, she has everything she needs at work.

If only her neighbour from two doors down would stop his cat getting into her house!

Laid-back Adam has everything he needs. A dedicated tutor, he has a fulfilling work-life balance. A close-knit group of friends and a close bond with his brother who has cerebral palsy.

If only his neighbour from two doors up would stop her cat getting into his house!

When Eve tries to return Adam’s cat, it becomes clear they have been duped by the antics of a stray. And despite his endearing presence in both their houses, ‘Old Sausage’ should be returned to his true owner.

But when both Eve and Adam are betrayed by those closest to them, they find their lives are not as fulfilled as they believed. As they search for Old Sausage’s owner, whilst dealing with their own betrayals, they begin to realise they have more in common than they first thought.

And perhaps a new beginning was on their doorstep all along . . .

I really enjoyed this story. I thought it was unique and well written. Cannot wait to read more from the author.

Two Doors Down is a light hearted rom-com.... although I found the premise of the story intriguing, I found some aspects of it rather lacking and unfortunately wasn't able to lose myself within it as I expected.

Two Doors Down is a charming rom-com with an adorable setup, but it just misses the mark in a few spots. Eve’s a career-driven woman with a dating life best described as a disaster, and Adam’s the laid-back neighbor who just wants his cat to stay out of her apartment (or so he thinks). Thanks to a mischievous stray named "Old Sausage," these two end up bumping into each other and realizing they might have more in common than they thought.

The cat shenanigans are cute, and Eve and Adam’s chemistry has its moments, especially with the opposites-attract tension. But the story sometimes feels predictable, and their emotional connection doesn’t always hit as hard as it could. Eve’s driven, Adam’s mellow—it works, but it’s missing that extra spark to make it unforgettable.

Two Doors Down by Mary Hargreaves is a heartwarming and humorous exploration of modern-day neighborly relationships and the unexpected friendships that can form in the most unlikely places. Hargreaves masterfully captures the charm and chaos of living close to others, with quirky and relatable characters whose lives become intertwined in surprising ways. The novel is filled with wit, warmth, and moments of genuine emotion, as it delves into themes of community, personal growth, and the importance of human connection. Two Doors Down is a delightful and feel-good read that reminds us how the people next door can become an integral part of our lives, whether we expect it or not. It's perfect for fans of cozy neighborhood dramas and stories about unexpected friendships.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
DNF @ 40%
2 stars

This book isn't bad. A lot of people are saying this is more of a contemporary fiction piece than a rom-com, and reading it as that, I can see the ups of the novel. However, you have to be able to put up with a lot from Eve. What made me DNF is her receiving a formal complaint about a bad thing she did and laughing. I get that unlikeable characters who do bad things aren't a problem and can be a good focus for works like this. However, it's the fact this is romance that makes me not able to keep on going. I know that Eve and Adam will eventually meet, and there's even hints of how they're going to throughout the book. But I just don't want Adam to be with Eve. For her to become someone who doesn't suck in time to be part of any romance, either the romance or the redemption will be way too rushed, if not both. Their stories also don't really feed into each other's, so it feels like jumping back and forth between two VERY different stories. The characters on Eve's end also felt exaggerated, but perhaps that was an unreliable narrator aspect. I guess I'll never know xD

I like slow stories. I like personal stories. I just don't personally like the direction and execution of this one. Others obviously do, though, and it's very likely Eve's character type just isn't for me. So hey, if a 'redemption' for a work-a-holic paired with a sorta puppy-esque character appeals to you, definitely check it otu!

I didn't make it that far into this one as Eve grated on my nerves so much. I really did not like how she was written and I couldn't keep going so I dnf-ed it.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of this book.

I really wanted spice :( Aside that, it was okay. I can see why others would enjoy it but it just wasn't for me!

This is a light and quick read. However, I wish there was more depth to the story and that the romance aspect began to happen earlier in the story. The book overall is a mostly enjoyable read, but I just wanted more from the characters and the overall storyline. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc to review. All opinions are my own.

Such a fun read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

It wasn't.my favourite and I struggled through the book, I didn't like the FMC and it really wasn't a romance book like what the blurb suggests

I don't think this book was marketed properly and it definitely affected my experience with it. This book, from the blurb and the genre, should have been a light and fluffy rom-com. The two main characters, Adam and Eve, don't even meet in the first half of the book. The story goes back and forth between their POVs and their stories are completely disconnected from each other. Not exactly what I would expect from a rom-com novel.

I also had a hard time connecting with some of the characters. Eve was a bit mean-spirited and I just struggled to enjoy her character. I did like Adam's character though. He was caring and I loved his relationships with his brother and the student he tutored.

I loved the cover, which was what drew me to this book initially, and the writing style of the author, I just didn't enjoy the story. I probably would have enjoyed this more had there actually been more romance in the story.

Read If You Enjoy:
🩷 Dual POV
💜 Office Politics
🩵 A Mischievous Cat

Thank you to Mary, Joffe Books, and NetGalley for the gifted copy of Two Doors Down. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was not my cup of tea. Too contrived, and I do hate mean protagonists. I don't mind da4k, but just outright self centered prigs throw me off. And that's what Eve was, selfish, self centered and a prig. Adam had some redeeming qualities, good friends, a great brother, and his caring for Old Sausage and his students with learning differences.

Overall it was okay.

#netgalley #TwoDoorsDown

It's a sweet story although a bit slow at times. I enjoyed the overall concept, but it did lack some of the romance I was hoping for. The characters had great back stories, but it took us a while to get moving with the plot due to this.

Eve is an independent career-driven woman, with her eyes set on a serious promotion, but her world gets flipped upside down when her best friend applies for the position. Adam, a dedicated tutor, tries to assist his favourite student get into college while battling family and relationship issues. Both Adam and Eve's lives are trending downhill fast, but a little cat, Old Sausage, brings them together.

This was a very well written, lovely story about finding yourself, personal growth, and setting boundaries; but it is not at all what I expected. This was not a light romcom, as it is not a romance or a comedy, and is instead more of a contemporary romance/drama with heavy topics.
The characters were realistic: Adam was a sweet, naive pushover, Eve was a backstabbing, self-centered friend. Both had lots of room for growth. We learned a lot about the characters, including their friends, on their own without the relationship, which was refreshing.

However, if Old Sausage didn't exist this book would make little sense. There was nothing tieing Adam and Eve together and they are wildly different people. Different is NOT bad, but the relationship has to build so they can find common ground. For a romance that didn't begin until more than halfway through the book, I found there was very little time for the romance to grow, which hard for me to cheer for their relationship.

Overall, I would say this book was really well written and I feel really bad giving it 3 stars, because it probably deserves better. But the description of this book is what made me grab it and it is nothing like that. I would recommend it to people who like contemporary romances.

Didnt really enjoy the writing too much and there was not enough romance for me so I grew pretty bored quite quickly

I really enjoy the forced proximity trope and this author put a fun spin on it. I liked the dual POV and that the two MCs didn’t meet right away. The backstory of the MCs was the main portion of the book and I felt this really added to the connection once they met. Plus there’s a cat involved!

I enjoyed this book but would have preferred if the characters had met a little sooner, in saying that I did like that we did get to know who that characters were before they met and so I understood them so much better.

I wasn't sure what to make of Eve to begin with as she was so driven, i definitely softened to her as the story progressed. Loved Adam from the start!

This is not a romance. There is romance, but mostly the main characters have very little interaction until the last 15%-ish of the book.

If you take it as "not a romance," and not a rom-com as it's billed, it's an enjoyable read. There are parts that are frustrating (like the bit about Eve's strategies to get her promotion). There are bits that are likable, like Adam's undying love and commitment to Hugh.

If you enjoy books that don't follow the norm as far as plot, have just a smattering of romance and focus heavily on the characters individual lives instead of their budding relationship, you may enjoy this book

The story is about a work centered women named Eve and her more laidback apartment neighbor, Adam. The two are brought together by Adams cat who keeps roaming into Eves apartment. The book centers on mostly the life and drama of the two main characters rather than a romance created.

Eve and Adam don’t meet for half the book, so you get a more in-depth personality of the characters. The two life stories kind of created a divide in the cohesion of the book for me. When Adam and Eve met I didn’t really get a deep connection or anything to root for them. The main characters in my opinion aren’t very likable.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading Two Doors Down by Mary Hargreaves. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!