This was a quick and racy read. It's only about 19,000 words give or take so it really goes by fast but it was good. I love the couple and their chemistry. I typically don't read novellas but I was intrigued by this one because of the interracial romance factor. I feel like this is something that should be covered more often. Well written but I found myself thinking it was maybe just a little too fast for my liking.

I liked this couple but I don't like novellas unless they are part of a series with characters that are developed well.
Jess Watson and Ryan Branson were sexy together. They seemed to have a healthy respect for the other's boundaries and they communicated well. The story would have more of an impact if there was more of a development of who Jess and Ryan are. Clearly they enjoyed a physical relationship but we didn't get to feel an emotional and mental connection either. There really wasn't much other than the sex and I wanted more.

Do you like your neighbors? This one will have you wondering, who exactly is living next to me? I loved This story of two neighbors who never had an idea of a relationship. They have their own lives and neither wants to include anyone else. That is....until they meet each other! Now they can't get enough of each other.

I would recommend this book.

Full RTC

A few highlights from the book:
- we get a thick heroine presented who's PoC
- hero is her sexy construction worker neighbor who doesn't mind being oggled 😏
- mutual agreement this is just a loose friendship/"neighborly duty" with benefits
- he's taking care she's feeling safe
- the epilogue is the most sweetest thing & I loved how Ryan was displayed over the whole book. Jess is an amazing heroine. 💗

I know the premise might be grey-area for some but the way it was executed in this book was the consent I've needed & I liked their non-verbal communication before their relationship actually went physical +his assurance that she always feels okay, even when he invades her space.

5 out of 5 stars. 😊

I liked this one a lot. It was fun for erotica, I liked that everything (with the exception of the very first scene) was consensual. I liked the nicknames he gave her. I liked how it ended. It was a fun read.

After reading this, I don't think micro romances are my thing. Everything happened much too quickly for my liking between the two characters. They felt pretty flat and one dimensional -- all they wanted was the sex. Yes, while that seems to be the main idea behind this story, it just seemed rushed.

4 <b> Can I borrow some sugar neighbor</b> Stars
This was a hot little quicky! This story starts of with Jess who’s AC doesn’t work and is constantly running around in skimpy clothes with all the windows open to cool down. Jess innocently enough is airing out her hot skin in front of her window when lo and behold her hot neighbor Ryan appears to be masturbating in front of his window. The decent thing to do would be to turn away right? Not if you are Jess who cant seem to look away from all that he is. They have some cute run ins where Jess introduces herself as “masturbating” which made me chuckle. What starts off as voyeurism turns into so much more. I think it’s a fun light steamy read. Didn’t really fall in love with the MC’s and when it was over I was fine with saying goodbye to them. But if you are in the mood for steam this is cute and hot.

Voyeurism has never been one of my personal kinks—of which there are many, I’ll admit! 🤣—but this Dirty Bits novella from Carina Press, written by the fantabulous Meka James, may have introduced me to a new fetish. 😁 Being Neighborly is a smoldering erotic romance with a contemporary interracial pairing that’ll have you fanning yourself from page one. Literally.


Our leading lady Jess catches her across-the-courtyard neighbor Ryan pleasuring himself when she escapes the heat of her broken AC by lounging on her patio. And this is only where the story begins, folks. It gets hotter, and yet somehow, also sweeter as the plot unfolds.


Simple by necessity, as the Dirty Bits line are all meant to be short, bite-sized steamy romances, Ms. James still manages to intrigue and build characters with depth and realism. While a good chunk of the words are dedicated to sexy times—do you hear me or anyone who loves erotic romance complaining? I think not—the bits dedicated to character development are strong and well-written, leaving the reader fulfilled and satisfied.


I would highly recommend this smexy novella to anyone who likes a little heat—read: smokin’ hot 🔥—and might be hunting a quick, enjoyable read.

A quick, hot read! Really, who doesn't love a good voyeurism scene? Especially when their first "meeting" is her watching him jerk it next door.

Fun and sexy and incredibly hot. Sometimes you just need a hot romance between neighbors. A little short but that’s the curse of the novella I guess.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
I really enjoy these novellas with heat absolutely guaranteed, and the promise of a happily ever after in the air. In this case, the heat is literal as Jess's A/C has failed, and as she watches her neighbour pleasure himself, she gets no relief from the heat at all!

Even though her behaviour may be out of character, she most definitely buys into the intense passion that Ryan offers her, and all is going well until an unexpected visitor. Once that is sorted out, we can enjoy them having another uplift in their status – I really enjoyed that and the rest of the banter between the two of them.

Perfect reading for an evening in, thank you, Meka James.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Erotic short story

Jess and Ryan are neighbors. While Jess is new to the area, she knows that she needs to get out and find new friends. However, she just hasn't found the time. When Jess sees her neighbor through her sliding glass door, she can't help but stare.

Ryan has never really seen his new neighbor. In fact, he's so busy that he rarely sees his neighbors. But when the urge hits him, he takes it upon himself to relieve his stress by taking himself in hand. What he doesn't expect is to see his neighbor watching in.

Ryan and Jess have great chemistry and they have a whirlwind relationship. But when the chips are down and feelings come into play, both have to be willing to step up and take that chance. Will Ryan trust Jess and can Jess see past a miscommunication?

It's a quick read with an even quicker build up to a relationship. But it was enjoyable.

This. Was. Hot!!

Must read if your into hot sex, voyeuristic tendencies and just want a happy ending between neighbors.

I received this ebook copy from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

This was hot and fun and sweet. If you're at all into voyeurism, this is a must-read. It's also sold me on Meka James and I'm looking forward to her future releases!

Short and sexy read by Meka James. No big cliffhanger here but have your fan ready. It's very HOT.
Thanks the publisher and netgalley for this book. The thoughts here are all mine.

Jess spies on her neighbor Ryan when he's having a private moment. When they meet, Jess makes a bit of a fool of herself and Ryan guesses she's seen him in action, so to speak. There's a bit of voyeurism going on before they meet again and embark on a friends-with-benefits relation.

The word count for these category romances aren't long, so I understand there isn't all that much room for character development, but to me personally, this story fell short. Especially Ryan; he claims to have never wanted a relationship before but assuming he's late twenties, early thirties, this would've had me worried if I'd been Jess. Especially since there really isn't any reason why he's been such a commitment phobic until Jess? Apparently, when women know who he really is (heir to a construction company and well-off financially) all they see are dollar signs, but again, he never appeared to have been hurt by it. So why is this even a deal? I can imagine it might be if he'd been hurt by a woman in the past, but there's no mention of this. He just generally seems incapable of feeling for no apparent reason until Jess steps into his life, and off course, everything changes magically when that happens and there are feelings everywhere. There's a slight hiccup that felt somewhat forced, but then they're firmly on their way to their HEA.

To me, it all just fell flat. I wish the author would've spent a bit more time fleshing out these characters and give them a proper motivation for their actions. Especially towards the end, I found myself skipping paragraphs to get to the end, which is never a good sign.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated are my own.

Being Neighborly is a short, but enjoyable story by Meka James. Yes there is insta-lust/love and the events of this book take place in 1 or 2 weeks, but I liked the story. For one I knew what to expect since I am familiar with the Dirty Bits collection and two there was something about this story that just makes me happy when I think of the book. The flow and the pace of the story were good and the main characters had great chemistry. I believe that the author did a great job with this book and Being Neighborly is a great way to take off your mind from reality for an hour or half. The story is short and sexy.

I love these quick reads. I can get them read at lunch and not feel like I'm dying waiting to finish my story. Cute story. Hot and sexy for sure.

Quick steamy read

Meka James’ Being Neighborly is a perfect example of what the Dirty Bits line is all about.
Well written, Ryan and Jess have incendiary chemistry. The fun epilogue was a great way to wrap the story up.
I received an advance reader copy via Netgalley.

***I received this ARC from Netgallery in exchange for an honest review***

A very steamy novella. I tend to avoid novellas as a rule because you don't really have the time to connect with the characters. I didn't have that problem with this one, maybe it was the sex scenes that distracted me but I enjoyed it.

Ever have a fantasy about a hot neighbor and all the "trouble" you could get into? Well this story is exactly that for the reader. This short story is sweet and funny and most if all derailed and hot! This us my first story from this author, but not my last. I loved the passion and how real it felt. The ending was another high point. This is the perfect read for when you want a hot story but don't have a lot of time. Just beware of where you read it and make sure you have a fan near by! I received an ARC via NetGallery and I am leaving an honest review.
#BeingNeighborly #NetGalley