Full review appeared at Reader's Edyn on 05/17/20

Lexie isn’t known for her cooking prowess. A disaster in the kitchen she might be, but she is determined to bake a successful version of Matt’s grandmother’s tart. Big mistake. All she is left with is a flaming kitchen, a ruined family heirloom tart pan, and all of her co-workers on her front porch dousing the inferno. The most sensible plan is to move next door with her best friend, Matt, during the renovations. After a bit of hesitation, she concedes. But the forced proximity to her best friend since childhood stirs up all kinds of emotions and feelings they have never allowed themselves to explore for fear of ruining their perfect friendship. But chemistry and attraction under the same roof are difficult to extinguish and before too long, Lexi and Matt are creating a blaze of their own. But where do you go once the line has been crossed?

Matt has wanted Lexi since forever, but once they settled into their comfortable friendship, the risk involved if they didn’t work out became too much to gamble against. So when Lexi needs a place to crash, offering her a place to stay is automatic. What he didn’t count on was the fierce protectiveness that would consume him. And the fact that she’s just started dating – and a cop (his biggest rival as a firefighter) – isn’t helping one bit. So when they finally give in to their overwhelming passion, neither knows how to proceed, terrified that everything will change. And boy does it. Now something big is simmering and the outcome will determine if their relationship is ruined or has simply moved up the ladder to the next rung.

You guys! If you want a super fun, super cute, ridiculously hot, crazy sexy read … look no further. I was giggling and fanning myself in equal amounts throughout this entire book. I loved the friends to lovers' idea of this book. Matt and Lexi had amazing chemistry and watching them try to deny it was a pleasure to watch unfold. One of the best scenes is when they have already indulged once. Not knowing the best course of action and scared of voicing their true feelings, they decide to ignore the whole thing ever happened. But neither can stop thinking about the other. Eventually, they end up trying to tempt each other. Matt mows the lawn shirtless, Lexi does yoga in the front window, and that’s just the footnote of the scene. I mean who would be able to resist? These two tempt and torment each other relentlessly, and it’s brilliant. The one thing I became annoyed with was the incessant bagging on Lexi and her cooking skills. Heck, skills in the kitchen, period. Forget only the cooking ability. Or inability as it were. At first, it was just a bit of ribbing between friends given the debacle in her kitchen. Understandable. But Lexi has a horrific reputation in this respect and they never let her forget it. After a while I just wanted them to shut up and leave her alone. It almost bordered on unfriendly banter, so if I had a complaint, it’s definitely the unrelenting teasing.

Several secondary
characters add a lot to this story. I especially found Matt’s grandmother entertaining. She’s like the cool kid that never got the memo that she’s older. Living just as carefree as a teenager, but wise with her years of experience, this lady damn near steals the book. Bordering on inappropriate, she’s the grandma everyone wants to have. Lexi’s parents were also introduced. They didn’t have a very big role to play within these pages, but I appreciated their supportive nature and love for the main characters. On the more serious side is a fellow firefighter, Diego. Recently divorced, his wife cheated on him, yet he still maintains his belief in love and ends up playing a pivotal role in bringing one of the characters round to seeing the truth of their relationship. If I wanted to see anyone’s story following this book, it’s definitely Diego. A guy as great as he is with the crap deal he got doesn’t deserve to remain unhappy. He must have his own HEA at some point. I’m not sure if there is another book within this series yet. I assume there is one for Shane and Caitlin, but I could be wrong. This book is listed at part of the series, FIREFIGHTERS OF STATION 1, but it has no number associated with it. As a result, I am unsure if it is the first book in the series, or not. Regardless of its order within the series, it is a truly entertaining read that just might have you blushing as you read through a few particular pages. The passion between Matt and Lexi is crazy hot and the games they play with one another are exciting if a little annoying. I only say annoying because at one point I was screaming at them to just drop the façade and get it on. The fact they truly know each other inside and out allows them to play on a whole different level than your typical neighbors to lovers book. This best friends to lovers aspect definitely kicked things up a notch. And with them living next door, temporarily together, and working together, there isn’t much time to play the avoidance game they are set on enacting. Or maybe there is more than enough time, depending on how you look at it. As a first read with Ms. Ballance, this book was fantastic. I enjoyed every minute spent with this cast of quirky characters and eagerly await my next experience with these hot firefighters and the women who set them ablaze.

Kindle version provided by NetGalley/Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

This was an easy read romance. One to be accompanied by a comfy chair and drink. It was funny and sexy. Easily read in an afternoon.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley

Finding Mr. Right Next Door by Sarah Ballance is a fun romance, and my first book by this author. Lexi Dean has agreed to stay with her best friend Matt Freeman, while her kitchen gets repaired. Neither Lexi or Matt want to mess up their friendship, by getting romantic, but can they stop themselves?
This book was easy to read and perfect for an escape from cold weather or the pandemic. I will be reading more books by this author, I highly recommend this book if you enjoy romances.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was cute and sweet with good banter between the characters but the writing style was not my style so I had a hard time staying engaged with the story. I probably won't read this author again.

I received a free ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts are my own.

Finding Mr. Right Next Door is an adult contemporary romance by Sarah Ballance. This book was the perfect feel good read. It is a standalone that is part of entangled’s Lovestruck imprint line. I love that Entangled has so many different romance imprints, because there is sure to be something for every reader and every mood. The lovestruck imprint is one of their romantic comedy lines, which is right up my alley. According to the engtangled website, their Lovestruck books typically have a “memorable, oftentimes hilarious “meet-cutes” between strangers, a strong romantic connection, sizzling sexual tension, and satisfying endings that leave readers smitten.” This is so spot on for Finding Mr. right Next Door, but there was also a really heartfelt connection between our two main characters in this case, which I really loved.

In Finding Mr. Right Next Door we meet Lexi and Matt, who are lifelong best friends. Lexi’s parents were neighbors with Matt’s Grandmother, who raised Matt. Because of this, they all grew up really close. I loved how close Lexi was with Matt’s grandma. It warmed my heart, plus she is a hilarious young at heart grandma. Lexi is a notoriously bad cook, so when she sets fire to her kitchen, she moves in with her firefighter next door neighbor/best friend Matt. What happens next is straight out of a romantic comedy movie. I can see this as a netflix original right now actually. If you are a fan of suppressed feelings, and moments of adorable jealousy, then this is the book for you. It is a super quick read, coming in at about 150 pages, so you can read this book in just a couple short hours. Great for an afternoon by the pool, or a rainy night.

In the summer, I always find myself reaching for shorter standalone romances and romantic comedies to read as a quick breather to the longer more involved fantasy series that I also love. And this is the perfect book for a quick and fun romantic romp between two friends that you will be rooting for. The town setup that Sarah Ballance created screams for more books. With the firefighters and the police as fun rivals, there are plenty of romance leads that I would love to see a story on. I am certainly keeping my fingers crossed for more.

Note/Update: I did find out that my wish has been granted. This is the first book in the Firefighters of Station 1 series. Yay! I can’t wait for more!

Finding Mr. Right Next Door is the second book in Sarah Ballance’s Firefighters of Station 1 series and tells a breath-taking story of friends to lovers and the events that unfold as they finally realise that the comfortable and uncomplicated relationship they have continued to build, is actually the forever kind of love that all their friends covet. This is a delightful telling of opening one’s eyes to see what has been right in front of you all along and the events that follow as you navigate a move from friendship to intimacy. Captivating characters, a great storyline and a wonderful support cast made this an easy to read story and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I look forward to meeting more of the cast and crew of Station 1.

Okay, so maybe the previous read books have an impact on my reviewing but contrary to many other negative reviews on Goodreads, I actually liked the book. Maybe it’s because the previous books I’ve read didn’t suck me in the story enough and that one did.

It’s a friends to lovers story which is not at all my favourite trope but this one is done well. It makes me actually think that maybe I should read more books with this trope…

Lexi is a clumsy woman who after one unfortunate incident finds herself in the next-door apartment with his friend, Matt. Even though they are always together they never felt more than friendship for each other…

They both work at the fire station, they share a dog and their life is entwined since childhood.

Matt starts to see her as more than a friend once he thinks he has a chance to lose her…

One thing that maybe bothered me a little was that (at least that’s how I saw it) Matt was portrayed as someone who is constantly on dates and sleeping with women a lot while Lexi is not like that at all. Only when she suddenly decides to start an online dating, Matt starts to see her in a whole other way.

I probably should mention that once they do get together, their chemistry is hot and sizzling. The side characters bring another charm to the story, especially Matt’s grandma. She’s hilarious!

4.5 stars.

I love, love, love best friends to lovers to happy ever after stories. And this one was perfectly sweet! Lexi and Matt were not only best friends, but next door neighbors with no middle fence sharing a dog. They were way too cute together, with the way they looked out for each other and picked on one another. But they finally realized what everyone already knew, that they belonged together. I was a little saddened when they were on the outs, but loved their confessions to each other. And leave it to Elsie, Matt's grandmother, steal the show. She was way too funny, feisty, and shocking in her speech.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher through Netgalley.

Cute story! Lexi and Matt have been friends Since they were kids, They have a great friendship . The friendship changes after they are thrust into loving together.

This is my first book by Sarah ballance . It was a enjoyable story. Thank you netgalley

Cute but I really wanted more. It's a short read that you can knock out quickly, it made me laugh and smile and it's a fun story to pull you out of the troubles of every day life.

Will be on my blog tomorrow: 5/14/2020

A fast paced and entertaining read!

Lexi and Matt have been best friends since they were young children, and now they live next door to each other and co-own a dog. When Lexi sets her house on fire and needs a place to stay, she moves in to Matt's spare room, and then things start to change between them.
Lexi is starting internet dating, and this makes Matt realise he could lose his best friend. But he doesn't want the white picket fence and a family like Lexi does, so what will he do about it?

I liked how it is told from each of their points of view.

Looking forward to reading the rest of this series

This book was okay. There wasn't anything I didn't see coming and the conflict felt too contrived and something a simple conversation could have ended (in chapter 2). But putting the very weak stakes aside, it was a cute read. Some of the friends were a little extra and overdramatized. Some of the jokes went on and on and on. But there were enough cute moments to pull me through. Also, the hero wasn't a hero. And the whole "I can make life or death decisions but I can't make a decision with her" didn't ring true. It would have been better if they had the conversation or if there was something that made them think the stakes were real (the actual stakes were all contrived in their head, like there was nothing in the physical world of the book that even remotely threatened them. Everyone was on board with them being a couple). It isn't a book I would read again, but kind of like one of those Netflix shows you watch because they are simple enough, and cute enough, to pass the time but not something you would invest into the world. Pacing was good and the flow was good.

This story evolves around firefighters so get ready because it's about to get hot in here...

Saying that Lexi isn't a great cook is an understatement. She burned down her kitchen when she tries to make a pie. Fortunately for her, Matt, neighbor, best friend, co-worker and firefighter (Yes, he is all that!), arrives in time to get her away from the immediate danger.

Unable to return to her apartment, Matt offers her to stay at his place. After all, they're best friends, work at the same place, share a dog, and love each other's family. What could go wrong? Well, Lexi wants more than friendship in her life and Matt is against ties... but as she starts dating, her new roommate might decide it's time for a new arrangement.

I had high expectations for this book when I started reading it, and let me say this: IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. This book was everything I didn't know I wanted. The two characters aren't perfect and they know it. The group they work with are entertaining. I adored the banter, the humor, and the teasing, and damn, this was a sexy read.

The author made me swoon and laugh out loud. The temperature in the room climbed a few times. This rom com is definitely a perfect feel good book. I highly recommend this one.

Finding Mr. Right Next Door is really opening-my-eyes-and-really-seeing-my-BFF-who lives-next-door. I think my version doesn't quite have the same flow. This adorable mix of terrible cooking, accidents waiting to happen, a grandma whose first name (not middle) is inappropriate, and heat are a fun combination. Just don't sit on Elsie's couch, I can't promise it's safe. (Shudders thinking about all the octogenarian butt that may have rubbed up on that. )

Best friends fighting their attraction because they seem to want different things...yeah. No one believes these two can hold out. It certainly is fun to watch them try though!

Lexi and Matt are childhood best friends who are practically a couple except for in the biblical sense. They have thought about it repeatedly but never done anything about it. All that is about to change once they start living under one roof.
This is a very cute and sweet friends to lovers romance. Hot chemistry, and some laugh out loud funny scenes make Finding Mr right next door a very enjoyable read. Look forward to seeing who the author has lined up next in the series.

Such an enjoyable book to read! Funny, and once I started reading it, I could not stop. So glad I decided to read this book as I have never read anything by this author before.

A friends-to-lovers story that isn’t very friendly

Publish date: May 11, 2020

Sarah Ballance’s Finding Mr. Right Next Door involves Lexi and Matt who have been friends for years. They both work at the firehouse and there’s an ongoing “joke” from Matt about Lexi not being able to cook. Unfortunately, Matt’s jokes come across as really mean-spirited and he pretty much brings her to tears several times. Not a great friend in my opinion. Because of this I had a hard time buying into the romance between Lexi and Matt. He just didn’t redeem himself in my eyes for his bad behaviour. It was well written and I loved Grandma Elsie. I look forward to more from Sarah Ballance but I just couldn’t stomach the put downs from Matt to Lexi. I love friends-to=lovers and I'm so sad that I couldn't love this book more.

WRITING STYLE: 4/5
PLOT: 2/5
WORLD-BUILDING: 4/5
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 2/5
ROMANCE: 2/5
HEAT: 3/5

Description:
For Lexi Dean, burning down her kitchen was disaster enough. Agreeing to move in next door with her totally off-limits best friend, Matt Freeman, until her house is livable again?

Utter madness.

They’ve always been close, but this is ridiculous. If she’s not bumping into him at the refrigerator, he’s at the front door giving her date the third degree. And slipping between his borrowed sheets? That’s about as distracting as listening to his shower run, because suddenly all she can think about is rivulets of water cascading down his spectacular body—the one he seems to be going out of his way to make sure she notices.
Not that it matters. He can flaunt his firefighter abs around her all he wants. They already share everything—their jobs, their friends, their backyard, even their dog—and that means only one thing: Lexi is not going to risk losing any of it by dipping a single toe in the temptation that is Matt Freeman.
Lexi may not know how to handle a fire extinguisher, but this is one fire that just might burn them both if they’re not careful...

Many thanks to NetGalley, Entangled and Sarah Ballance for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review of “Finding Mr. Right Next Door”. My thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy.

There are a lot of things that Lexi is good at, but cooking isn’t one of them. She was trying to surprise her best friend Matt by cooking his favorite recipe from his Grandma Elsie but all she has to show for her efforts is a fire in her kitchen and needing a place to stay for three weeks while it gets renovated.

Matt has been Lexi’s best friend for years so when she is talking about moving in with her parents who live an hour away he is more than happy to offer her the use of his guest room. Every aspect of their lives are joined, but when they find themselves living together things are about to get complicated as they may just have to face the fact that the feelings they have for each other extend far beyond friendship.

I really enjoyed the book as not only are Matt and Lexi fun characters there was a great cast of secondary characters as well. Everyone in their lives knew that they were a couple and it was just a matter of them realizing it as well.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Finding mr right next door was fun book. Lexi and Matt have grown up together literally since Matt's grandmother was too sick to take care of him, ever since Matt was a toddler he grew up with Lexi. Now they are neighbors and work at the same firehouse. When lexi sets her kitchen on fire, she moves in with Matt but that awakes feelings in them both that could ruin their friendship. This book is definitely steamy. Lexi and Matt's relationship is cute as is the ending. Enjoyable light read.

Friends to lovers is one of my favourite romance novel themes. In this story, not only are Lexi and Matt best friends, but they also happen to live next door to one another. They've been friends since they were small children and this is one of the reasons that they've never taken their relationship down a romantic path, they're already like a married couple and they seem to be the only ones that can't see that they really should be together. It isn't until Lexi starts to look elsewhere for a bit of romance in her life that they both realise what they stand to lose.
This is quite a sweet romance. There is quite a bit of heat between our hero and heroine, although they don't fully realise what it is straight away. There are some interesting secondary characters in this book, particularly Matt's grandmother who is growing old disgracefully and having a lot of fun in the process.
This is the second in a series and although I haven't read the first, that didn't really matter. I assume that there may be stories to come for the unattached firefighters in this book. I'd certainly be keen to read more about them.
Overall this was a good romance with a good dose of humour and fun. I really enjoyed it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.