The Neighbor Favor | 
so-so4🌟 I did enjoy this adult romance, though didn‘t stand out among my other reads. These two are adorable, with a lot going on between them. Mainly due to side characters. Love their careers being in books, though I admit the romance felt odd. He hid, so much of his side, that it just dragged on. Slow burn, yet longer; as I started having trouble starting committed the more it dragged on. Wish Nick got more screen time with his family trauma.
pickI'm behind on reviews so time to catch up! It was the sheer amount of positive reviews on here that convinced me to take a chance with this, and I'm glad I did! Romance is not my fave genre, but after reading Get a Life Chloe Brown last year, I'm trying to branch out and read a bit more, especially the ones written by black authors with black characters. I loved how relatable the characters were and that the steamy scenes weren't over the top 🎧
pickI enjoyed reading this one with the #littensloveromance crew. I liked how Lily and Nick both have issues with self-esteem and setting boundaries with family, but each handles it differently and it was nice to see them work through it all while developing their friendship/relationship. I would also love to read Nick's book that he wrote, The Elves of Ceradon, it sounds so good lol
#SeriesLove2024 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView
pick#LittensLoveRomance Review: overall a good love story with likeable characters that grow a lot in the span of the story. I don‘t know that I‘m interested in Violet enough to continue with the series though. I didn‘t really care for her character in this book. But I liked Lily and am glad she got her HEA.
panThe book is a comm. issue that'd be solved in five minutes. Both characters needed some gumption well before the 80% mark. The last 5% of the book felt very much like “well, I‘ve wasted 95% of the book with slow pacing and a bunch of filler, time to quickly wrap up the loose ends”. Hallmark writes better love stories. Save yourself ten hours of listening and go watch a Hallmark movie. You‘ll have more fun and you‘ll be done in 10% of the time.
pan2/5 ⭐️ I think I'm in the minority here, but I did not care for this book. I don't like when the majority of the book could have been solved if the characters just had an honest conversation. #littensloveromance
so-soI had to finish this one. #LitsyLoveRomance Sorry guys. I had to read the last chapter
This book for me was just Meh. Maybe because I listened to it instead of reading. I found the female MC so annoying at times when she was Lily's sisters. And a male MC doing a sex scene was just awkward. It was way too long, just get things done already. Thanks to @StayCurious for hosting. I managed some readathons #Jumpstart2024 #ReadAway2024 @Lizpixie 👇
#LittensLoveRomance ch.26&27: Good for Nick (coming out so to speak to his public) and good for Lily (standing up to her boss and her family finally)! These two have definitely changed and grown throughout this book. I loved their declarations - very sweet. We‘ll finish up tomorrow!
pickRead this one with the #LittensLoveRomance group. I really enjoyed the story and seeing the main characters come into their own.
#Sharreadathon
#BookSpinBingo #LittensLoveRomance #readyourTBR #Roll100 #ReadAway2024
#LittensLoveRomance Ch.22-25:Sorry for the late post! So…Nick has made some progress in these chapters. At first, when his parents resurfaced, I was sure he was going to back-pedal and ruin things with Lily - and he almost proved me right. But I think he‘s on track now. And - thank the lord - he started writing! Deadlines always stress me out haha, especially because he was given a huge advance.
“He‘d definitely popped up in her dreams dressed as an old school sexy elevator operator…” is HYSTERICAL to me for some reason 😂
#LittensLoveRomance Lily and Nick are very sweet together and he‘s more open with her than he is with everyone (except Marcus). But he‘s still worried about his dad showing up. Who is the unknown caller? His mom, maybe? Now that he‘s with Lily, I‘m sure he‘s going to want to spend all his time with her. I sure hope he remembers to write his book! ⬇️
pickReally enjoyed this one! I don‘t want to say too much because I read it with the #LittensLoveRomance group. But nice character growth where the two MCs complemented each other so well!
#bookspinbingo - used a free space & got a 2nd bingo!
#LittensLoveRomance Ch.18-19: I like that Lily is going to give it a try with Nick because she obviously is crazy about him. I‘m glad that her date with Oliver was drama free. Every time I think there‘s gonna be drama and angst in this book I am pleasantly surprised. I mean, Nick has his share of angst but Lily is mostly grounded. I think she‘ll be good for him. ⬇️
pickCute and a good reminder that just because a guy has issues in his past, it doesn‘t mean he has to be a jerk!
#LittensLoveRomance Ch.16-17: So Lily gets an interview (not a job offer) but decides to tell a bunch of coworkers and go celebrate. Considering the luck she‘s had so far with interviews, she‘s being a bit too hopeful I think. Wouldn‘t it be embarrassing to not get the job and have to tell everyone? God, what if Edith found out? Yikes! ⬇️
pick4✨ Lily is an amazing character that I absolutely adored. She on a whim emails an author of a book she really enjoyed, and gets a reply back! They message each other back and forth for months and really start to like each other and then he stops communication without a decent explanation. I liked almost everything about this story! I personally don‘t like details to the spice of the couple, but this was relatively mild. #Pemberlittens
#LittensLoveRomance Ch.14-15: Good for Lily for agreeing to go out with Oliver. Too bad her cat emergency caused her to cancel! At least she had Nick‘s help - which just again proves that Nick is a good guy. But he‘s still pining for her and there‘s no way these two can be just friends. I‘m curious to see what will happen with Edith‘s imprint. Maybe she‘ll be ousted and Lily will work with someone who actually can help her with her career goals.
#LittensLoveRomance Ch.12-13: Nick is such a goner for Lily, but his past is so heartbreaking that it‘s definitely holding him back in a big way. I was surprised he shared so much with her. When she finds out he‘s Strick she‘s going to be devastated.
#LittensloveRomance Ch.10-11: Lily and Nick are spending more time together and, because of her sister‘s meddling, he ends up going to her family bbq. So far he‘s making a good impression on everyone including Lily who, despite herself is falling even more, though she tries to deny it. I hope that Nick‘s discomfort around families doesn‘t cause him to spiral after this event. ⬇️
January 20 #NewYearNewBooks SetInYrFaveSeason I don't really have a favorite season for reading, but this is what I'm reading now, and they are all set in summer. I also seem to gravitate to books set in snow lol. @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
#LittensLoveRomance Ch.8-9: we get to know more about Nick‘s difficult past and I do feel very sorry for him. Some parents shouldn‘t be parents. I like seeing his feelings for Lily spread across the page. It‘s sweet and sad at the same time. But he needs to get writing. His lack of progress on his book is making me nervous!
#LittensLoveRomance Ch. 6-7: okay, now I‘m starting to feel sorry for Nick. He‘s obviously crazy about Lily and he thinks he can‘t have her. He really needs a self esteem boost - funny that on the outside people see him as confident when inside he‘s a mess. And good for Lily going to that party and getting dressed up - I‘m sure that‘s a big step for her. If she were to actually meet someone else, would Nick step up?
#LittensLoveRomance Ch.4-5: Good for Lily for engaging in conversation with Nick and dropping some of her guardedness. Good for Lily for inviting him in and kissing him! That‘s a huge step for her! But the Nick started realizing that she is Lily G of email fame and started bugging out. It was almost like something you‘d see in a 90s romcom…⬇️
#LittensLoveRomance Ch.2-3: I know Lily‘s family means well, but I hate the pressure they put on her, both about her job and about guys. Poor thing. And Nick‘s certainly got a lot going on that would contribute to writer‘s block. He feels guilty about ghosting Lily, he feels like a fraud in his new success, he feels afraid that he‘s become like his father, he‘s afraid his father will find him…⬇️
#LittensLoveRomance Prologue: is there anything worse than public transpo during a heat wave? Poor Lilly. How scary to faint in public like that. Not sure I like Nick yet. He seems very glass half empty. But perhaps he has good reason. I am Intrigued by his travelling job though. What a dream.
Ch.1: what an interesting way to meet these characters! Very You‘ve Got Mail - which just so happens to be my favourite movie. ⬇️
Started this bad boy this morning… so far it seems super fun! #littensloveromance @StayCurious
#LittensLoveRomance Just a reminder that tomorrow we start our January buddy read with the prologue and Ch.1: the Emails. Looking forward to starting the New Year off with this one!
so-soI enjoyed this one, pretty good on #audio though it felt quite a bit like a dozen others I‘ve read. My favorite parts were the publishing industry elements and Nick‘s book. #BookspinBingo #littensloveromance @TheAromaofBooks
bailed#LitsyLovesRomance I thought this sounded like a fun rom com. I think I just may be too old for rom coms about twentysomethings. I enjoyed it at first because I lived and worked in NYC for eight and a half years and it was somewhat nostalgic. But I couldn‘t wrap myself around the idea of being that age anymore. I don‘t think this is a book without merit, it just isn‘t for me anymore.
Repost for @StayCurious
#LittensLoveRomance Our January read is scheduled for mid-month! This one looks fun - here‘s hoping we‘ll start off the year with a good one. Please let me know if you‘d like to be tagged in my daily posts. All are welcome to join in!
#LittensLoveRomance Our January read is scheduled for mid-month! This one looks fun - here‘s hoping we‘ll start off the year with a good one. Please let me know if you‘d like to be tagged in my daily posts. All are welcome to join in!
pickOnly a 70% rating on here? Please. I give “ The Neighbor Favor” a 100%! This is one of the best romantic comedies I‘ve ever read. The sweet yet sizzling chemistry between Lily and Nick is undeniable and I just enjoyed them so much! I also loved the bond that Lily and her sisters share. Those who have a good relationship with their sister will find this relatable. Looking forward to Iris‘s story! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Not sure what is going on this month but I‘ve bailed on 6 books!!
The tagged - I was kind of just bored (nothing wrong with the book but wasn‘t in the mood for a straight romance, wanted more magic, there is none 🤣)
🐺Too gruesome
🧛🏼Too much sex, not enough story
🐙Just so weird and boring
🧙🏻♀️Did not care for the characters and was not interested in what I was reading, was literally skimming half the book
🧛♀️ posted about this one
pickThis was super cute. Both are slightly damaged adults who figure out their shit by actually having conversations....y'know, eventually. Miscommunication and blatant lying are part of the growing phase, but they did end up actually talking about their issues, which is always a relief.
Can't wait to read Lily's sisters' stories.
#romance
May 2023 Wrap Up
- The Neighbor Favor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- All Systems Red ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Artificial Condition ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Not So Perfect Strangers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- The Writing Retreat ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Rogue Protocol ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Akata Witch ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Exit Strategy ⭐️⭐️⭐️
so-so⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a cute romance novel with a couple endearing, book-loving main characters. It‘s probably not one I‘ll remember the details of for long & I probably won‘t seek the author out again, but it‘s a quick, fun read.
pickI loved this! Nick and Lily both felt realistic as characters, and I loved the concept behind how they first met. They also made each other better, which is something I love to see in romance. Can't wait for Violet's book! #contemporaryromance
pickA love story with bookish Black characters working on themselves and building a relationship? Yes, please!
