Hmm this was an OK read. I didn't love it didn't hate it. It was really good in parts but for what I thought was an enemies to lovers type story there wasn't enough tension between the 2 mc it was a bit flat and a bit drawn out for me. Some parts really made me laugh and I really liked Grace and Noah. I just wanted a bit more grit between them

How to Love Your Neighbor features Noah, who is the brother of Chris, one of the main characters from Ten Rules for Faking It. While there is some crossover with the characters, it is not necessary to read the other to understand this story. This novel revolves around Grace Travis, a design student who works at a coffee shop and as a dog walker in California. When she is walking some dogs for her clients where she first runs into Noah Jansen, although their initial encounter is brief. Both Grace and Noah come from different backgrounds where she grew up poor and he came from a financially wealthy family.

Grace inherits her moth’s childhood home, where she wants to use her design background to renovate it. The house is a mixed blessing, as Grace does not have the best relationship with her mother as her mother blamed Grace for things that went wrong in her life. On the other side is Noah, who also has his own contentious relationship with his father, a controlling individual. Noah has moved into a beach house that happens to be next door to a rundown property. To increase his own property’s value, he is determined to buy it; however, that property happens to be owned by Grace. This begins a fun enemies-to-lovers story as the two butt heads while also fighting their initial chemistry. Both characters have something to prove as they search for a place to settle down and each wants to accomplish their goals on their own.

Overall, the moments between Grace and Noah were very cute and they had great chemistry. As this is an enemies-to-lovers story, I wish that there were more of a build-up before their relationship started moving towards the next step. It seemed that they were towards the lovers' side a lot quicker than I initially expected and then it moves to them just trying to make it work along with their own family tensions. The home renovation and design elements were very fun as they connected to the HGTV-lover side of me. Both characters are involved in this DIY-type world in some way, so it was nice to see their approaches to the subject and it weaving together with their budding romance. While I would have loved a little more with the romance, the two characters were very enjoyable and the home projects were very entertaining. All in all, this was a fun story that makes me want to read more from the author!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Thanks so much for the arc!

First off- this cover! So appealing- it captivated me right away! I love the crossing out of “hate”- it set the mood right away.

Grace and Noah are new next door neighbors. They come from very different backgrounds. They seem to have instant chemistry but of course resist each other. Until they just can’t any longer. They begin working together but both question the others intentions.

This book has everything a romance could want- a meet cute, enemies to lovers, charming friends, challenging families, and proximity. It was sweet and simple. Pick this up for a light, happy read. It did fall a little flat for me. It was predictable which is typical for a romance but maybe too easy. I would’ve liked a little more struggle to get them together. I love when the characters relationship really builds up. I actually really enjoyed the last bit of the book because there was a little drama and passion. I’d give it 3.5 stars!

How to Love Your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan is a sweet, heartfelt romantic comedy with characters that feel real - people you'd like to know, set in Harlow Beach, California. Grace Travis did not have an easy time growing up; she decided early on to push herself to have the life she wanted. Grace is a design student with big goals and a small bank account. She is working nonstop to be successful in school and to make ends meet. Inheriting a beach bungalow from grandparents she never met, her only dream is to move in and fix-it up. Noah is a real estate developer who is trying to break free from the image he gained while working with his dad. He moves into a fixer upper on the beach, right next door to Grace. Noah believes he should have no trouble buying her place, to expand his yard and add a pool; except he hadn’t met nor dealt with Grace before. A famous magazine wants to photograph and record his house makeover with one little catch; they want the irritating woman next door, who happens to be graduating soon from design school to be his designer on the project. If he refuses, the story is dead. All Noah has to do is convince Grace that doing it will benefit them both. While working on Noah’s house they forced each other out of their comfort zone, challenging to take a chance on some new task; learning lessons that affect both of their lives and resulting in some humorous moments.

Ms. Sullivan wrote a hilarious rom-com with magnetic attraction and off-the-charts chemistry sizzling between Grace and Noah, who try so hard to hate one another. This story does touch on some deeper subjects: toxic relationships with a parent, friendship of multiple types, social anxiety, giving back to the community, asking for help, and learning more about yourself through relationships with others. The secondary characters, especially liked Morty, Josh, and Rosie contributed something extra to the story without detracting from it. This is a story that should not be missed and I recommend How to Love Your Neighbor to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

An overall cute story about accidental neighbors who end up working together and falling for each other.

Some of the writing seemed a bit immature to me and not necessarily how the characters would naturally talk. The plot itself was a cute concept.

Had a weird comparison of sexual attraction and emotions compared to a late night downtown riot that just felt extremely offputting to me.

Overall a cute story with the expected happy ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

When Grace inherited a beach house she never thought she’d be going toe to toe with her next door neighbor Noah who is a real estate developer and is trying to buy her house. Unfortunately Grace is still a student with a small bank account and Noah is starting to playing dirty.

This was my first book by Sophie Sullivan and this sunshine meets grump story didn’t disappoint. If you are a fan of HGTV home renovations and family drama then this one's for you! I will admit this story was a little bit too slow for my liking but Grace and Noah's banter had me laughing out loud.

The narrator Chloe Dolandis who did a great job!

Thank you to McMillian Audio, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for gifting me an audiobook and eARC in exchange for my honest review.

*I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for this ARC!*

I am a big fan of romances, as well as interior design and HGTV, so when I heard about this book I was super excited! A cute, contemporary, enemies to lovers romance that revolves around two fixer upper houses – sign me up!

I really liked both Grace and Noah. They were each really fun characters to get to follow on their journey. I enjoy books with two points of view, especially romances, because I feel like you really get the full picture of what is happening. This can be a lot harder to do from just one perspective. Grace was fun, motivated, and a bit afraid of love or of showing weakness. Noah was funny, yet brooding, determined, and desperate to prove he could make it without his father’s help. They were both well rounded and had great chemistry.

I really liked the focus on interior design and real estate. The book was thorough in describing Grace’s design process, and I could really envision the interiors of both of these houses. I love when the setting so vividly jumps off the page without making the reader feel bogged down in details. This is a pretty thin line to tread, and I thought Sullivan did it well.

I really liked the side characters, especially Rosie (Grace’s best friend), Chris (Noah’s brother), and Morty (Grace’s pesudo-grandfather). My one real critique would have to be the sheer number of side characters, and the fact that they were introduced once and then mentioned again and again without reaffirming who they were in the context of the story. There were a couple of guys that were mentioned multiple times throughout, but sporadically. I had to go back in the book to figure out they were the contractors on the two houses. It was a little confusing. That could just be me not paying enough attention though 😝

All in all, I thought this was a really cute romance with a fun storyline and great side characters. If you enjoy interior design and romance, this is a great read for you!

My Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I gave How to Love Your Neighbor 4 Stars!

A new delightful romcom from Sophie Sullivan, the author of Ten Rules of Faking It.

I absolutely adore the enemies to lovers trope especially when it is as well-written as it is in this case.
The tension, the chemistry, the weird irresistible attraction which is a dead giveaway to what we the readers secretly know almost from the word Go- these 'enemies' are made for each other....Now if only they could see it themselves. But then we wouldn't have this lovely romcom...so fight away, Grace and Noah!
Grace has inherited her grandparents' old house on the beach which is a dream for a design student like her, someone who loves fixing things up. Unfortunately, Grace can't afford the necessary renovations straightaway, despite doing lots of odd jobs to make the ends meet. When she sees her new next door neigbor Noah for the first time, she can't help fancying him, but it turns out he is a property developer with an agenda of his own. Noah would love nothing better than to extend his own house by buying Grace's without knowing how much it really means to this 'stubborn' girl.
I loved the way Sophie Sullivan created sweet, flawed and relatable characters, both main and supporting ones (including Morty and Tilly). I thought this was a real strength of this entertaining and enjoyable romcom.
Lighthearted, cute, romantic, How To Love Your Neighbour offers a great escape from the problems of our daily life and the misery of January weather. Recommended to all contemporary romance readers who enjoy the enemies-to -lovers trope.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Griffin for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

I loved this book so much! I dont know if this is a book everyone will love since its a closed door romance but thats what I loved about it. There was so much focus on the story, plot and character development! Giving you just enough time to learn about both Grace and Noah individually and also together. I also loved the grumpy and sunshine trope! Plus all of the friends that they both have. I loved the home improvement/ HGTV vibe in the book as well not something you see often!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC to read/review!! This book is an enemies to lovers romance with some very relatable characters!! It’s dual POV so there are no real “secrets” to any of the plot. It was like an HGTV version of Beach Read which included lots of bets between the two main characters. There were also lots of relatable, cute, and funny moments throughout. The story follows two neighbors (grumpy/sunshine): She is an up-and-coming designer and he is a real estate agent who would stop at anything to buy her house that she just inherited. There is lots of family drama and some good character arcs! I loved that it had a nod/an interconnected story to her first novel. Overall, it was a cute story!!! 4/5

The book comes out on January 18th, 2022!!

“Art is not what you see, it's what you make others see.” -Degas

What a fun and uplifting book to read! Grace Travis is an interior designer, about to graduate while she juggles a lot of part-time jobs. Her new neighbor, wealthy real estate developed Noah Jansen is determined to purchase her house in order to extend his holdings, but he has met his match in Grace. The repartee and interaction between these two was thoroughly amusing and captivating, holding my attention for hours at a time as I mentally gave Grace advice on how to beat Noah at his own game. There were so many laugh aloud scenes, especially the one with the flower pots. I cannot ever remember enjoying a rom-com more and can only imagine this becoming a TV series. It would definitely be a good one! Told with wit and more than a little bit of understanding for emotional conflicts, this story is one to remember and read again whenever I need a laugh. The characters were realistic and quirky, strange in all of the good ways that made me smile at their antics. The plot rolled along at a good pace and although it was predictable, the surprises that were thrown in made the book thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

How do you feel about home improvement shows? Well, if you like your romance reads with a splash of HGTV, then I’ve got the book for you!

Grace Travis is a design student who unexpectedly inherits a family house on the beach. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity to flex her renovation skills, Grace gets to work at preparing to fix up her new home. There’s only one problem- her next door neighbor.

Noah Jansen is a rich, real estate developer who just found the perfect property. Well, almost perfect. If he can just acquire the house next door and put in a pool, he’d be all set. All he has to do is convince his neighbor to sell to him. I mean, everyone has their price, right? Well, everyone except Grace Travis that is.

What soon follows is a battle between the two that’s not so neighborly. But the more they knock down literal walls, figurative ones start falling, too. Before too long, both Noah and Grace find themselves housing all sorts of new emotions.

How To Love Your Neighbor is a sequel of sorts to Sullivan’s previous release, Ten Rules For Faking It. While reading the two in order, or even reading both at all isn’t required, it might be preferred by some readers who want to appreciate the reappearance of some side characters.

Touted as an enemies to lovers romance doesn’t completely sit right with me in this one. Sure, there’s an element of sparring that occurs initially, but it doesn’t really carry throughout the novel. Early on, the focus shifts to a rebuild and repair of a different kind- one that highlights relationships. This includes not only Grace and Noah’s feelings for each other, but their feelings for family members as well.

In a way this story reminded me a bit of Love At First Spite which just released, too. Unfortunately, it gives this one a bit of a lived in vibe. It will be interesting to see how other readers who read both feel about the comparison.

All in all, How to Love Your Neighbor is a romantic read that has good bones, but could use a newer coat of paint to really shine.

What a sweet story! How to Love Your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan is a new romantic comedy about an aspiring interior designer and her sullen new neighbor. Grace Travis thinks she has everything planned out: finish design school, move into her home, get a job in the field she loves. What she doesn’t plan for is her neighbor Noah Jansen. Noah moved to California to make a name for himself, one separate from his dad’s. He buys his dream home, but there is one small problem with it. The yard is too small and the house next door is tiny and falling apart. Maybe he can convince the neighbor to sell to him? A firm no sets the story in motion and pits Grace and Noah against each other at every turn.

I like Grace. Grace is determined to live her own life away from her mother’s influence. She’s driven, stubborn, and loyal to those who love her. Because of her upbringing, she has walls around her that are hard to breach. She lets very few people get close to her. I rooted for Grace. I wanted to see her succeed in her dreams and live a life of her choosing.

Noah is as much like Grace as he is her opposite. Noah is drifting, a little lost at the start of the book. Having left his father’s company on the east coast, he is trying to make a new name for himself in California. Known for being a bit of a playboy and hopping from one contract to the next, Noah wants to prove that he is reliable, can see a job through to the finish, and is able to commit. He wants to get his hands dirty, so to speak, by working on the jobs himself, not just overseeing them. Renovating his own home is his first big project, and he’s hoping a home magazine will pick it up and run the story giving him and the company he is starting with his brother a chance to establish themselves.

Overall, I really enjoyed How to Love Your Neighbor. This frenemies to lovers delivers! The trope can be hit or miss for me, but here it is believable. The dialogue between Grace and Noah is flirty and fun. The differences between them is evident in their misunderstandings and even the things they have in common. I loved seeing how they overcame these. If you enjoy a story that is as sweet as it is steamy and will have you laughing out loud, I highly recommend it.

I think this is a fun read, but I wished it was a fast-paced story. While I liked both of the characters, Grace and Noah (except when he was being a jerk), I wished that the author get them together earlier than it was. I get that she was trying to show the build-up and shift in their dynamic and relationship, but I didn't feel the chemistry between them. And I can't help but feel like something is missing too. This just didn’t do it for me.

How to Love Your Neighbor has a premise that I was super excited for, enemies-to-lovers and throw in some home renovations? Sold. This closed-door romance is one that can be read alone.

Unfortunately, this book fell a little flat for me. I think I expected more tension or more longing. The relationship felt like it progressed quickly and it felt weird that Noah was Grace's boss. It's a fine story, but it isn't one that made me want to keep reading.

CW: emotional abuse, toxic relationship with a parent

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

STATS:
OVERALL RATING - 3 / 5
CHARACTERS - 3 / 5
WRITING - 3 / 5
PLOT - 3.5 / 5

GENRE - Contemporary Romance
PAGE COUNT - 352
RELEASE DATE - 18th January, 2o22
PUBLISHER - St. Martin’s Griffith
FORMAT - Kindle Edition

PREMISE -
A frothy, effervescent romantic comedy from the author of Ten Rules for Faking It, Sophie Sullivan's How to Love Your Neighbor delivers another read that will have you delighted from start to finish.

Interior Design School? Check. Cute house to fix up? Check.

Sexy, grumpy neighbor who is going to get in the way of your plans? Check. Unfortunately.

Grace Travis has it all figured out. In between finishing school and working a million odd jobs, she’ll get her degree and her dream job. Most importantly, she’ll have a place to belong, something her harsh mother could never make. When an opportunity to fix up—and live in—a little house on the beach comes along, Grace is all in. Until her biggest roadblock moves in next door.

Noah Jansen knows how to make a deal. As a real estate developer, he knows when he's found something special. Something he could even call home. Provided he can expand by taking over the house next door--the house with the combative and beautiful woman living in it.

With the rules for being neighborly going out the window, Grace and Noah are in an all-out feud. But sometimes, your nemesis can show you that home is always where the heart is.

"You're adorable. I don't know how I ever thought I could fight what I feel for you."
- Noah Jensen, How to Love Your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan

An enemies to lovers romance that takes place with her neighbor; an intriguing concept with a crazy whirlwind romance. Noah Jensen is your average rich, arrogant but secretly a softy hero whereas Grace is the independent heroine we all strive to be. I rated this a 3 out of 5 stars because it didn't really strike me as a story that I'd remember but it did have an easy-going storyline. I would say that it had an interesting concept (because it's definitely compelling to read a romance with your neighbor who you hate) but I just don't think it was any different that your typical cute and cliche story.

However, I did love the chemistry between the two leads. I like how they were able to learn from each other to better the other and that their relationship is something that wasn't perfect right from the get-go. The thing I disliked though was how it all happened too quickly. One second they were hating each other and then the next they were all over one another.

For the concept and overall plot, I'd give it a 3 and would recommend this book to those who want an adorable and light-hearted read.

PROS: Intriguing plot idea
CONS: I felt that their romance was rushed and that there wasn't much depth to the characters. The beginning is also a bit too slow for my liking
FINAL THOUGHTS: A cute, fun and easy read perfect for romance enthusiasts!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

How to Love Your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan is an absolute delight. It’s an enemies-to-lovers romance that is packed with equal parts heart and humor, not to mention a healthy dose of interior design and home renovations.

Life is going pretty well for Grace Travis. She is currently finishing up her degree in interior design and she has just inherited a cute little house on the beach from her grandmother. Grace can’t wait to fix the house up so that she has a place of her own. There’s just one problem. Her neighbor Noah Jansen is a successful real estate developer and he wants to buy her house so he can tear it down and make his property larger. Noah is also a jerk, or at least Grace thinks so anyway, even though she has to admit that he’s a pretty cute jerk.

I was hooked from the moment Grace and Noah first encounter each other – a hilarious meet-cute on the beach involving a collision and two enormous and overenthusiastic dogs named Tequila and Lime. They didn’t know they were neighbors at this point and the chemistry between them was so undeniable. Then when they realized they were neighbors and started butting heads over whether or not Grace should sell her house to Noah, the sparks really started to fly. I loved Grace so much. She’s strong and independent, creative and resourceful, and she’s hilarious on top of it. When it came to Noah, at first I agreed with Grace, that he was a jerk used to always getting his way by throwing money at what he wanted. But the more we learn about him after he and Grace come to an understanding, the more I loved him. He’s a lot more vulnerable than he lets on, especially because he has a strained relationship with his father.

Watching Grace and Noah’s relationship grow was my favorite part of the story. Not only do they agree to a truce, but they even start helping each other with their home renovations. I really loved all the scenes involving interior design and painting, especially if they led to opportunities for flirting and sassy banter or if they involved the fabulous cast of secondary characters that are in the book, including Noah’s siblings and a grumpy but lovable elderly man named Morty who is like a dad to Grace. Aside from getting flirty with each other, Grace and Noah also learn a lot from each other, including how to support one another when dealing with dysfunctional parental relationships. I especially loved that aspect of their relationship and it had me flying through the pages hoping they would get a happy ending together.

If you’re in the mood for a light-hearted romantic read with a side of family drama, How to Love Your Neighbor is a great choice.

A Cute Romance
A young woman with multiple jobs is putting herself through design college and trying to fix up her inherited cottage. The last thing she needs is her gorgeous new neighbour trying to buy her new home from underneath her. Sparks fly between the two of them but circumstances find them thrown into working on a house project together and proximity to each other does the rest. A recommended read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Enemies to lovers? Check. Forced proximity? Check. HGTV vibes? Check. Right off the bat, the description for How to Love Your Neighbor snagged my attention - and checked so many of my boxes. When I was fortunate enough to receive an early copy, I dove straight in. 
 
My one gripe with this book was how Grace's family drama panned out. Beware, minor spoilers ahead in this paragraph. Throughout the book, it's established that Grace's family life has been toxic - mostly stemming from her mother. When her mother finally shows up, it was fairly late in the book. I had been dying for their final confrontation - to see how (more) emotionally mature Grace would interact with her mother. Unfortunately, the whole confrontation felt rushed and didn't give me much resolution. 
 
Grace and Noah were a great enemies to lovers couple. I really loved the back and forth between them - their antagonism in the beginning really segued nicely into sparky chemistry. And boy oh boy were they antagonistic to start with. Grace had just inherited her house and Noah was determined to buy it from her in order to expand his neighboring property. Through a series of twists, Grace ended up becoming Noah's interior designer, and from there their relationship began to evolve. I liked the slower pace their romance took - by the time they acknowledged their feelings, they had boatloads of tension and chemistry. Even though this was a closed-door romance, there was plenty of heat between them. Best of all - they helped each other grow and become better people.  
 
This book had two of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers and forced proximity. I particularly enjoyed the forced proximity - between them being neighbors and working together, they were stuck together often and it helped to build tension. The plot grabbed me quickly - this was a read in one setting kind of book. 
 
How to Love Your Neighbor was a great sophomore book from Sophie Sullivan. I loved how the enemies to lovers played out and the forced proximity. I can't wait to read whatever Sophie Sullivan writes next!

Let me start by saying that I loved the first book in this series because of the great anxiety representation and I have read it twice.

This book however was a disappointment. I absolutely could not stand Noah and I think that Grace deserved better.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy of this book.