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wordsofclover 's review for:
My Life Next Door
by Huntley Fitzpatrick
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publishers/author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Samantha Reed has spent almost her entire life watching the family next door and can’t help but want to know what they’re like despite her mother’s snobbish objections. When Sam finally meets Jase, her next door neighbour it’s not long before love blossoms.
UGH THIS WAS SO CUTE AND JUST EVERYTHING I DIDN’T KNOW I NEEDED!
This is a wonderful summer contemporary that you can curl up with anywhere (the couch, bed, sun lounger, the pool) and get sucked into. I loved this little world of the Garrett household and easily it was for Sam to be accepted and made one of the family - I feel like everyone knows a family like that, and I definitely saw the one I know in the Garretts. They were almost Weasley-like in nature and what’s not to like about that.
The romance in this is just so organic, it was refreshing. The chemistry between the characters was so naturally done, it was sweet as hell, and their dialogue and dating scenes were written perfectly. Nothing seemed rushed or written for the sake of it and there were times they really felt like real people to me.
One of the things that made me happiest in this book was the approach to safe sex and consensual sex. It was fantastic. Sam and Jade have a conversation about their first time together a while before it happens, and they even go to a pharmacy together to pick out condoms. Something so normal and not stigmatised is great to see in a book that could be read by teenagers in the same way - and a healthy, happy approach to safe sex is a must and I really commend Huntley Fitzpatrick for this. Thank you!
There is the YA trope of neglectful parent in this one as Sam’s mom is really something. Very much the invisible parent until Sam does one thing wrong and she’s grounded for life. Her mom was not really a nice person and, for me, didn’t really get a redeeming arc either. The storyline with Sam’s friend Nan also felt a bit unresolved and we didn’t get closure there but I appreciated the storyline with Nan’s brother Tim who had addiction issues.
Samantha Reed has spent almost her entire life watching the family next door and can’t help but want to know what they’re like despite her mother’s snobbish objections. When Sam finally meets Jase, her next door neighbour it’s not long before love blossoms.
UGH THIS WAS SO CUTE AND JUST EVERYTHING I DIDN’T KNOW I NEEDED!
This is a wonderful summer contemporary that you can curl up with anywhere (the couch, bed, sun lounger, the pool) and get sucked into. I loved this little world of the Garrett household and easily it was for Sam to be accepted and made one of the family - I feel like everyone knows a family like that, and I definitely saw the one I know in the Garretts. They were almost Weasley-like in nature and what’s not to like about that.
The romance in this is just so organic, it was refreshing. The chemistry between the characters was so naturally done, it was sweet as hell, and their dialogue and dating scenes were written perfectly. Nothing seemed rushed or written for the sake of it and there were times they really felt like real people to me.
One of the things that made me happiest in this book was the approach to safe sex and consensual sex. It was fantastic. Sam and Jade have a conversation about their first time together a while before it happens, and they even go to a pharmacy together to pick out condoms. Something so normal and not stigmatised is great to see in a book that could be read by teenagers in the same way - and a healthy, happy approach to safe sex is a must and I really commend Huntley Fitzpatrick for this. Thank you!
There is the YA trope of neglectful parent in this one as Sam’s mom is really something. Very much the invisible parent until Sam does one thing wrong and she’s grounded for life. Her mom was not really a nice person and, for me, didn’t really get a redeeming arc either. The storyline with Sam’s friend Nan also felt a bit unresolved and we didn’t get closure there but I appreciated the storyline with Nan’s brother Tim who had addiction issues.