Love Next Door is my first Helena Hunting novel and I think it is safe to say it won’t be my last! This small-town romance between two next door neighbors who get off on the wrong foot kicks off her new Lakeside series. Bad circumstances and a family accident force Dillon back to her small town just as Donovan arrives to fix up his grandmother’s house. Preconceived notions and past ghosts prevent these two from getting along, but they may have more in common than they think! This book is laugh out loud funny and makes me want to go away on a lake vacation! The perfect beach read that will keep you engaged and smiling the whole time. I am really looking forward to reading more of Helena Hunting’s works!

Everything Helena Hunting writes is magic. This was no exception. I fell in love with her characters and the world she built. I love that they had flaws and drama and that this book had an air of mystery to it. There were shady characters and people I loved to hate.

I loved the underlying theme of "the grass isn't always greener on the other side" as Dylan always wanted to get away from the small town life and head for the big city - and yet coming home showed her exactly how much she truly loved it!

Thank you for allowing me to read it and give my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this enemies to lovers, small town romance. Normally, I love Helena Hunting's books for the antics, witty banter, and overall humor. Those things weren't lacking here, but I do feel like this one was closer to contemporary romance or even "chick-lit" than the rom-coms I typically expect from this author, but that isn't a bad thing. There were several sub plots going on beyond the romance, and that's where the real emotion in this story comes in.

I knocked this down just a smidge because the pacing was a little off to me, which is very unlike Hunting's normal style. It was slow to get moving for me, then several big story lines wrapped up almost too quickly and easily in the end. It wasn't a big hit to my overall enjoyment of the story, just unexpected. I'm excited to see what comes of future books in this series - hopefully Aaron and Teagan are next :)

4.9 Stars

Dillion + Donovan

Dillion escaped her family and her little lake-side hometown as soon as she finished highschool. But now she's out of a job, out of a boyfriend and out of a place to live. So off she goes back home to help her family with their construction company. Her idiot brother broke his leg - so he's no help at the moment.

Donovan - Van - is in town to check out his late grandma's house - which he inherited. And he kinda is out of a job too, because someone is framing him for stelaing three million dollars from his own charity foundation!
Looks like he'll stay a while to do some renovations and to bicker with his new neighbor.

LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN ... 😍

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Adorable!

This was such a cute small-town romance. Of course it's not all cute and funny and sparky and sexy - even though it is all that too. But we have some very serious and mysterious moments too - who is trying to frame Van? What's wrong with Billy? What happens when Dillion and Van or only one of them have to go back to their real lives?
I really enjoyed reading this. I love these gossipy small-town vibes! Everybody knows everbody's business. Adorable!
I wish we could've met Van's grandma - she seems like the greatest person!

Can't wait to read the next book in this series!

Oh .. one tiny little thing. Dillion and her brother never met Van when he visited his grandma for two months every summer! His whole life basically. How is that even possible? I just don't understand. If a new kid shows up in the neighborhood - especially the house next door - you're all over that! You'll hang out, play, swim in the lake, ride your bikes around town and by the end of the summer you're all sad but also excited for him to come back next year, right? So weird!

► LOVE NEXT DOOR was an adorable + funny + sparky + sexy + mysterious + just beautiful small town love story! I loved it! Run to your nearest amazon for your own Van - he'll be sold out in no time!

Dillion and Van are both in Pearl Lake for family reasons. She left town years ago, thinking she'd never go back but she's needed. Van was a summer visitor and he's back to settle his grandmother's estate. They meet cute but neither one of them think so. This is very much an enemies to lovers novel in a small town setting but it's also addresses some serious issues (no spoilers). These two bond over some surprises and well, they both must make a decision about their future. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Coming home to help her family leaves Dillion in a very unhappy scenario, but it becomes so much worse when her beloved next door neighbor's grandson moves in next door. What starts off with loathe between Dillion and Van turns into so much more when hearts are open and truths are revealed. But will Dillion stay or move back to Chicago? And can Van overcome his families secrets to find his HEA? With a storyline that had me laughing out loud this was a great read. Helena Hunting has a special way of making her characters seem like ordinary people living next door while at the same time making them so lovable you just can't put the book down until the end.

Small town romances are honestly some of my comfort books so Love Next Door is a book I’ve really been anticipating!! Overall it was an enjoyable read.

Dillion and Van have great chemistry and I enjoyed the moments between them. At first they get off on the wrong foot but as their story progresses it becomes something more meaningful and exciting. I genuinely liked both characters and their personalities. Dillion is fierce and caring about her family, just like Van. They both have a strong connection that always seems to build up.

Love Next Door is an interesting story with great characters and an intriguing plot line!! The family aspect in this book is one of my favorite things and I loved the way Helena Hunting wrote those relationships. Whether they were broken or not. I’m not absolutely sure if this will become a series but I enjoyed the secondary characters as well so I’m hoping they get books too!!

Love next door is a slow burn, small town romance!

Van and Dillion did not have the best start and well things only got worse! When chance encounters finally lead to them dropping their walls they discover there is more to the other and the small town they are both back in!

I loved Dillion’s commitment to her family! At times I wanted to scream at them but she was steadfast in her love for them and did what she could to help out! She found her place being back but she also found something she wasn’t looking for!

Van is hiding out in the cottage he has just inherited! I was a little hesitant at first with his character but over time he won me over just like he did the townsfolk and his beautiful new neighbor!

When I think of romance, I think of books just like this one, that gives all the feels and satisfies every romance junkies' heart. This is a perfect books to snuggle up with on any day.

Dillion Stitch is back in Pearl Lake. Not really where she'd like to be, but after a series of circumstances all happen at once, she's needed back home to help her family with their business. Dillion couldn't wait to get out of the small town life and severed a lot of connections on her way out of Pearl Lake. Will she be able to handle small town life again where everyone is up in each other's business?

Donovan Firestone has his own reasons for escaping to Pearl Lake. At first he was only coming to manage his grandmother's estate. But soon he's planning on staying a while. He doesn't realize that Dillion and his grandma were close and that she has been keeping up with the estate when his beloved grandmother passed. These two don't exactly hit it off, but soon they're in each others spaces more and more often. Will they eventually act on their passion?

I really enjoyed Love Next Door. Having grown up in a small town myself, I remember thinking that I couldn't wait to leave. I didn't end up going very far and still visit often and am so grateful for small town living! I also really related to Dillion as being the eldest sibling and really having to take charge of situations sometimes. Family life can be hectic and lovely at the same time and I love how Helena showcased those circumstances.

Van and Dillion had such great chemistry and I loved their sparks right from the beginning. Yes they both make mistakes, but their open and honest communication really added to their relationship. They truly were there for one another and I adored them.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series - hopefully it's Teagan's story.

I think small town romance may be one of my favourite genres, and Love Next Door, is definitely up there as one of my favourite small town reads this year. A total beach read, a completely enjoyable story to get lost in. Such wonderful characters, two strangers brought together through the death of one of their favourite people, Grammy Bee. Dillion Stitch’s neighbour and friend, Bee, names her as the executor to her will, and when she arrives home to help her family business she’s surprised to find Bee’s grandson, Donovan ‘Van’ Firestone has arrived and is attempting to renovate his grandmother’s cottage. Herein starts a love hate relationship that soon turns into so much more, there’s a definite spark between these two, I loved them both as a couple, and as feuding neighbours. However it seems as though there is more afoot in the sleepy town of Pearl Lake. where everyone knows everyone else’s business. The question is, will Dillion and Van get to the bottom of the mystery? I love all the nosy neighbours, and the small town gossip (reading about it, not sure if I’d like living it so much). A fun, entertaining read. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.

I love Helena Hunting books so when I saw she was doing small town romance, I was excited. This is such a cute and comforting read. I love the protagonist and love interest. I liked the element of hate to love, thinking she was someone else and when they finally meet face to face, they arent that thrilled with each other but overtime, they find comfort in each other and realize they both have alot of common and really lean on each other for the things going around them, her with family and brother and him with his family troubles and his brother, i thought the conflict was interesting and im glad it didnt get dragged out, i felt warm and happy feels right after reading this, i think thats what i love about small town romance books, they just feel comforting although i felt like the ending was a little rushed but im glad it got a happy ending for them.

After high school, Dillion left small-town Pearl Lake to move to "the city." She planned to never live in her hometown ever again. Now, her family has called her home to help out. Chicago native Van spent his childhood summers in Pearl Lake. He returns to the small town to settle his grandmother's estate. Dillion and Van end up being neighbors, and the sparks fly from their first meeting. Fate has brought Dillion and Van to Pearl Lake at the same time. Will fate stop there?

Love Next Door isn't a typical romance; it has more of a women's fiction feel. In addition to the heartwarming and steamy romance, Love Next Door is the story of two families in crisis, dealing with significant issues. There's even an element of suspense related to their family drama. While dealing with these challenges, Dillion and Van become each other's lifelines.

I loved Van's Grammy Bee. Through her, Dillion and Van find their way to each other. Their rocky start and banter as they rile each other up in subsequent encounters will have you laughing out loud. Ultimately, they realize that a simpler life in Grammy Bee's quaint, old cottage filled with love and memories is better than their former lives in "the city."

Fans of Helena Hunting's All In series will enjoy references to the hockey players across the lake. Can we hope for some hockey player cameos (or more!) in future books?

With its focus on family and opening your heart to love, Love Next Door is an excellent start to this new series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for an early copy of this book to read and enjoy.

What a great and solid start to a new series. I'm used to Helena's laugh out loud romcoms, but I've read everything she's ever written, and Love Next Door was a mixture of all the styles.

It was heartfelt and full of banter, angsty yet funny and so chockfull of amazing chemistry between Van and Dillion. Their banter killed me and they were so sweet and sincere towards the other. I loved how both of them were basically forced to this small town but grew to love it.

This story was a slow burn but so easy to read and I have a feeling we're going to have an amazing journey ahead of us with all these characters. Can't wait to return to the Lakeside world.

P.S I loved loved loved the details in this books. Pay attention, and I'm sure you won't miss it.

If you’ve read any Helena Hunting books, you know you’re going to get a lot of humor and a lot of steam and this book did not disappoint with those. I mean when Dillion and Donovan (Van) first run into each other, he’s nekkid.

They both get off on the wrong foot, which leads to them being “enemies”. They love to push each other’s buttons, which leads to some fun banter between the two of them. Once they understand each other a bit more, they give in to the chemistry. They have a connection through Dillion’s neighbor, Bee, who is Van’s grandmother. Bee has passed and Van has inherited her cottage.

I enjoy romance books that don’t completely focus on the relationship between the main MCs. Both Dillion and Van are dealing with issues outside of their relationship and I like that we get to learn about them through their families and that they become each other’s confidants.

I also like that this book touched on mental health and how you never know what someone is dealing with. Sometimes signs are easy to miss, but once realized, being as supportive as you can is the key to helping.

The Easter eggy name drop or two of some famous hockey players from other series of hers was fun. I wonder if there will be any kind of crossover down the line.

I really enjoyed this book and the reasons I didn’t give it 5 stars was I thought the transition from enemies to lovers happened a bit too quickly. I also feel the ending was lacking a bit. It didn’t feel like a complete HEA to me. It is the first book in a series, so maybe we’ll get more from it over the span of the books. I feel like there were a couple, small, continuity issues as well.

4 Stars

I was provided an ARC for an honest review

Wow. I always love a book with a kick-ass grandma, and while we don’t meet her in real-time, there’s no doubt Van’s grandma was absolutely spectacular. As is his romance with Dillon. I loved this book so much, and can’t wait for more stories in this world!

Helena’s writing is like scotch…it gets better each time 😘 #iykyk

Love Next Door is a sweet summer read based in Pearl Lake. It’s a small nostalgic place that brings Dillion & Van together. Their (original) meet cute is definitely unique🤣 And their chemistry is off the charts🔥

Van is in town to settle his Grammy’s estate (but she has other plans for him🥰). I absolutely love all the little ways Grammy Bee has things hidden in plain sight for her loved ones. The last thing he finds from her is so sweet:) It is truly a breath of fresh air that Van wants to follow in her path and help restore her beloved community unlike other people but no spillers🙄😉

OMG! The Pucked Easter eggs were awesome:) and yep I laughed out loud with the deck spider story 🤪

I’m excited to read all of the other Lakeside stories💓

WOAH what a kiss🥵
‘I’ve been kissed plenty of times in my life—some of them have been amazing, while others have been lackluster—but this takes me right back to that kiss on the beach all those years ago. This is lust combustion. I don’t know if it’s pure, unfiltered chemistry or the fact that we’ve shared so much of ourselves tonight, but I find myself sinking into this kiss, desperate for it not to end.’

***Brad can choke on a bag of rocks👎🏻

This was a very quick, simple romance. Slightly too predictable in many areas but it didn't ruin the overall vibe of the book. I found some of the novel a little confusing regarding Donovan and Dillion's past. They knew each other but didn't, they crushed on each other but didn't know each other. Were next door to each other and loved the neighbour/nanna so much that they didn't know of each other. That kept confusing the timelines. I was fairly bored by the whole Donovan storyline and was more interested in Dillion and her family. The storyline with her brother is almost there as an aside despite its very important issues.. Not bad for when there's nothing to read,but not one I'd likelypick up again.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Another wonderful small town romance to add to my favorites. I could not get enough off this book once I started reading it. Dillion and Van are amazing characters! They both have this longing and need for something loving and special in their lives and they both had the same person show them the way but didn’t know it!

Dillion is this strong, independent woman who thought moving away from her small town would fix her problems! But all it did was create a riff with the people in said small town. Van is a big city man who loves the small town but isn’t sure that’s where he wants to be. They both go through a little heartache and some backstabbing to figure out what and who is important to them!

I hope that this is series because there are a lot of characters in this first book I would love to know more about! This was the first time I was picked for an ARC from Helena Hunting and I couldn’t be more grateful! Cheers, and I can’t wait for more!

I usually love Helena's book.....this was not my favorite. I liked Dillon and felt her story arc made sense, but Donovan's story seemed kind of out there and not all together thought out. Don't get me wrong i didn't struggle with reading it, it just wasn't my favorite.