What a great friends to lovers story this was.

Lexi and Matt have been friends for years. Everyone around them has hinted about them becoming a couple but they have always denied it. They both concluded that they want different things.

I liked the character of Lexi. As someone who can't cook I could relate to her on so many levels. I liked the friendship she had with Matt and how comfortable she was with him. I also really liked and admired her desire to put herself out there and start dating. I thought she was very understanding with her first date.

I also liked Matt. He was a man who didn't like commitments and had no plans of HEA. I especially liked reading about him coming to realize his feelings for Lexi. I also really liked Matt's grandma.

Ah! I came into this with the full expectation of angst, witty banter and friends to lovers excellence and that’s exactly what I got. I’m so happy I could fly, no kidding!

Matt and Lexi are by far one of my favourite couples - Lexi as a heroine is witty, hilarious and so so caring while Matt is sarcastic, just the right amount of cocky with that soft spot for our main girl. Oh and did I mention he’s a firefighter? Absolutely sold.

Even the secondary characters were great. I loved Elsie’s hilarious one liners, and the guys at the firehouse with their constant gaslighting deserve an honourable mention. I really do hope we get to hear more from Diego though - I already feel such a sense of protectiveness over him and he honestly deserves the world and more.

The one thing I have to mention however is the flow of the book. While I loved the pacing and found it was very well done, I feel like we were switching between Matt and Lexi’s POV a little too often - sometimes it was mid-scene, sometimes it skipped back to the beginning of the scene - and it got a bit confusing to read. In saying that though, it didn’t take much away from the story which ended up being terrific.

Can’t wait to hear more from Sarah Ballance!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Hot and steamy with a great chemistry between Lexi and Matt. My favourite character was definitely Elsie though. The perfect fluffy beach read!

Finding Mr. Right Next Door was a sweet, fun, friends to lover romance that once you started you didn't want to put down. Lexi and Matt are childhood friends, next door neighbors, work together and even share a dog. No wonder people think they are a couple. It's not until Lexi joins a dating site that gets Matt to sit up and take notice. They both have feelings for each other but are afraid to risk their friendship in order to have more. Lexi and Matt have wonderful chemistry in and out of the bedroom. This is my first book by Sarah Ballance and I have really enjoyed it. The storyline and characters were great!

Lexi and Matt have been friends for..ev..er.
Best buds who grew up together, hang out
and live next door to each other. Popping into each other's house at any time was nothing new... until Lexi burn down the kitchen. Moving in with Matt until her kitchen is rebuilt was his idea. When Lexi decides to sign up with a dating service and goes out on a date, Matt follows behind her. A hilarious, fun read with a sexy couple who were always meant for each other, but afraid to take that last step. Totally great rom-com.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This was the first book that I have read by this author, but it will not be my last!
Lexi Dean and Matt Freeman have been best friends since before Matt's parents were killed in a car crash. Lexi's parents helped Matt's grandmother raise him so they were always in each other's lives, it seemed. As adults, Lexi and Matt seemed joined at the hip....they lived next door to each other, shared a dog, and even worked at the same firehouse. She did his laundry and he cooked for her....which was good because Lexi was not good in the kitchen. She had a tendency to set her kitchen on fire which is how their predicament began...
After being forced to move in with Matt for a couple weeks after her latest kitchen mishap, things begin to change between the two. Even though they basically spent time with each other before the fire, their awareness of each other in even closer proximity grew to uncomfortable levels. Matt knows that Lexi wants a white picket fence, 2.5 kids, and a marriage for her HEA but he doesn't feel he can deliver that to her so he pushes back his newfound sexual feelings for her. Lexi, not wanting to lose her best friend, does the same. It seems the universe doesn't care what they want though, and they are thrown into situations which test their resolve. Humor, jealousy, and hot passion make this book a very fun read! 5 stars!

This was such a cute friends to lovers story. A book I couldn’t put down once I started reading it. The quick banter drew me in.

I love how Max sees Lexi. I’m not going to lie in the beginning I was kissed at their friend group for not realizing Lexi’s vulnerability and being a little bit of jerks, but I got over it.

Overall a cute read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lexi and Matt have been LexiandMatt since childhood. And while he sows more than his fair share of wild oats - Lexi has always been the quiet romantic of the two. But when she accidentally burns down her kitchen - she stays with Matt... Maybe all this togetherness isn’t such a great plan after all...

Well... this was definitely a romcom. Friends to lovers with a dash of forced proximity - complete with awkward, almost nudity and intimidation and irritation of each other’s dates. Overall, it was light and breezy. I just didn’t really buy their romance. They could have been together for a long time and the only reason they weren’t is because they were chicken. Matt sounds kind of like a jerk and Lexi seems a little too... boring. The story wasn’t poorly written but it was just not really my style.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really, really enjoyed Matt and Lexie's story. Matt's grandma is one of the best side characters I have met in a while, she is a hoot. (don't tell her she is a side character though). This story had some really great moments. Sarah did a great job of making the story way more realistic than most romances. There were "real" moments were you knew the characters were not prefect, i.e grungy clothes or smelly. Was it predictable? Yes, yes it was, but there is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes you want a predictable book that still takes you on a fun ride. I wish we would have gotten a little more of the silly, sexy moments like the dinner at the firehouse. My only real "complaint" was the inconsistency with their feelings in the past. At the beginning of the book both internal monologues indicate they NEVER thought of the other person in a romantic way before, however towards the end of the book both mention that they had feelings before but never acted on them. Did they, or did they not?
Still, even with that it was a really fun, sexy, wonderful read.

Friends to lovers is a hit or Miss trope for me. I wavered back and forth as I read this book. But overall , it was a win. I wish the fire had been the only inciting incident to bring them together without the addition of her starting to date. That brings up a possessiveness that I didnt like. What really clinched it was the end when they realized they'd had each other all along, all they were missing was the romance. That was an interesting take that really resonated. I really like both characters and the environment. Vividly depicted.

Finding Mr. Right Next Door
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Lexi and Matt have been best friends since childhood. As adults they live next door to each other, work in similar career fields and even share a dog! When a kitchen fire causes Lexi to need to move in with Matt, sparks begin to fly. But would a romantic relationship ruin their friendship??

I’m not too proud to say that this cover totally got me with the sexy fireman situation. And I adore a friends- lovers romance! At about halfway through this book really delivered on the steam and romance between Lexi and Matt - and I was definitely here for the steamy parts! 😍 I loved Grandma Elsie- what a hilarious character! I could read a whole book about this lady.
I struggled to get in a groove reading this book, especially the first half. Maybe it was the third person POV? I’m all for banter and sarcasm, but honestly it just felt a little mean with the constant making fun of Lexi about cooking and the kitchen fire.
Overall it was a fun, quick, steamy read!

4 Stars for this friends to lovers romance!

Lexi and Matt have been friends since they were in diapers ... the best of friends. When Lexi catches her kitchen on fire and she has to move out of her house, she moves in with her next door neighbour Matt ... that's right they're neighbours that even share a dog! But then they begin to notice each other ... I mean REALLY notice other, neither one wants to give in afraid that they will ruin their friendship forever.

This is a light fun read that will have you laughing. Lexi just cracked me up ... that nobody wanted her to cook ... EVER! And Matt ... who wouldn't want a hunky firefighter right next door or even closer ... no, really who? I enjoyed the banter between the characters and then there's Elise, the grandma ... what a hoot!

I received an early copy courtesy of Entangled Publishings through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

I am super upset I didn't like this book! The premise and the description sounded just up my alley, but unfortunate the execution was not there. The main characters, Lexi and Matt, were unlikeable, especially Matt I could not even handle his POV. The first to lovers and forced proximity tropes are both set-ups I enjoy. Unfortunately, the characters don't hold up the story. The development of their relationship seemed unbelievable to me and to be perfectly honest if anyone treated me the way Lexi's friends treated her I would never speak to these people again.

The one positive thing I can say is that I saw a ton of potential from the author. If it had been a different set of characters or a different plot I would have thoroughly enjoyed it.

3.5 stars
Cute story about riding love right in front if you the whole time. Lexi & Matt live next door to each other and have been friends forever. When she has a fire in her house (he is a fireman btw) things take a turn towards romance.

It was a cute story.

This book is everything you want in a beach read. I read it in one day because I couldn’t put it down. Matt and Lexi are lifelong best friends. Living right next door to each other, they share almost everything in life but have never taken that final step into a true relationship. Something happens to Lexi that has her having to stay with Matt and the story goes from there. These are two very likeable characters. Their story is fun, sexy and all the very best parts of a friends to lovers romance. I really liked the other characters in the book as well and look forward to reading more about them. The book is very well written and has put Ballance on my must-read authors list. 5 stars!!

Finding Mr Right Next Door by Sarah Ballance a five-star read that will warm your heart. I adore Lexi Dean, she reminded me so much of myself in some ways, she just warmed me and the fear that she has, I can totally get that, loosing Elsie alone would be enough to scare me away. This was sweet and funny, and had the best heart, it made me think twice and hold my breath several times. Overall, it’s just a nice sweet read with some steam to keep you hooked. I will be looking for more form this author as I really enjoyed the writing.

It's been a while since I've read a book by Sarah Ballance. I don't know why her books fell off my radar, but I'm happy I came across Finding Mr. Right Next Door. This romance was exactly the type I was looking for: fun, light, fast-paced, and sweet. I loved the whole best friends to lovers trope that was going on here. Matt and Lexi were just too cute for words.

There are only two things I can find fault with. One, this book was written in third person and it would have been even better in first. Two, I would have loved for it to be longer. It was really more a novella than a full length novel. Other than, it was darn near perfect.

I guess this was a second in a series of connected romances, but I didn't even notice that. I'm excited to go back and read the first book if it's as adorable as this one.

After a couple of books I unfortunately could not get into, I was happy to start and finish this book in just one day! Hence the 5 stars :-) Plus the fact I love friends-to-lovers books, but only when done right. And this one I really enjoyed.

Lexi and Matt have been friends since they were 5 years old and lived next door to each other. And they still live next door and also work for the Fire Department, Matt as a firefighter. And they share a dog! At the start of the book Lexi unfortunately starts a fire in her kitchen and Matt offers her a place to stay during the renovation. They are best friends, so why not?! Well, Lexi has created a profile on a dating app and Matt realizes he does not like it.. at all.

I know it looks like the standard friends-to-lovers. But in this case there is a warmth to the story I really liked. Lexi and Matt are comfortable with each other and when they realize they are feeling sparks they are both afraid for their lifelong friendship. I also liked the secondary characters including Matt's grandmother Elsie.

Loved it and I can recommend. Look forward to the next, hopefully about Diego but I am not picky. Would also love some future info on Lexi and Matt.

FINDING MR. RIGHT NEXT DOOR turned out to be the perfect blend of sweet, funny, and steamy! It was such a good read and included a lot of my favorite things: strong families, great friendships, and undeniable chemistry.

The author does an excellent job of writing characters who are flawed, but insanely likable. And the chemistry between Lexi and Matt was off the charts.

I will definitely be reading more from this author. The writing was excellent.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Lexi and Matt have been friends since forever and they're basically a couple without the sex.

This is a "character driven" book because what's keeping them apart are themselves. Both of them are too afraid of losing each other if their relationship doesn't work and because of that they prefer not to risk their relationship.

It's obvious for everybody except them that they're perfect for each other and there were times where I shaked my head while reading because Lexi and Matt were SO BLIND. They acted like a couple in all the ways that matters!.


Friends to lovers is my number one favorite trope and this book reminded me of the movie "Maid of Honor" (Patrick Dempsey is the Male lead😍), we have seen this story a thousands times before. They're friends, the guy is a commitment phobe, she has been in love with him since forever... decides to date and he suddenly realizes how much of an idiot he was and how much he's going to miss her if she leaves him.

What can I say? I GETS ME EVERYTIME, I'm a SUCKER for friends to lovers, SECRET PINNING and HIM being and idiot and thinking that he's not good enough for her (WHEN HE IS🤦‍♀️). I'll never get tired of reading friends to lovers romances and FINDING MR. RIGHT NEXT DOOR was a REALLY enjoyable one.

💙If you want to read a fun, light and sexy friends to lovers romance this book is for you. Really entertaining and I enjoyed it a lot!