Honestly, I thought this was a great book. I had a really good time reading it. I really liked the set up for this book, and I quite liked the relationship developement. It came a little bit out of nowhere, but they stil had some really adorable moments. I also really loved all the different movie refferences and film making aspects to this novel. Especially, the soap opera they had going on at their school's film club. I really loved the group of friends there, and hearing about the different absolutely ridiculous plots they came up with for the show. I also really liked the personal journey our main character went through in this book. However, despite enjoying all that and truly not really finding anything wrong with this book, I just felt a bit underwhelmed by it. This book isn't neccecarily predictable but also did nothing I didn't expect from it. Overall, it's nothing standout or special. Nothing about really struck home with me. So yeah, this was an incredibly fine book. I have nothing against it, but I also wouldn't super recommend it.

Such a cute coming of age story! The characters were all so cute and the acceptance and celebration of queer folks was so wonderful to see.

The Girl Next Door is a queer YA rom com, with bisexual MCs, and the fake dating trope with a dash of miscommunication, which I'm not a fan of, but it kind of works in this one. The book starts out with our two MCs getting dumped by their partners and decide to fake date each other to get back at their cheating exes. Yup, that's right. Marianne and Cleos partners cheated with each other.

So Cleo and Marianne start fake dating, and throughout the course of their fake relationship, feelings start to become real, and they start falling for each other. Their relationship is so sweet, and they have great chemistry, I was rooting for them from the start, but its not all smooth sailing when they also might still have feelings for the cheating exes.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the way it dealt with friendships and how they change over time. It was a fast read that sucked me right in. My only complaint is with the way each chapter ends in a cliffhanger, with the next chapter opening in the near future, so we are told not shown what happens. It's pretty jarring and took me out of the story several times. But other than that, I'd recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for eARC!
3.5 rounded up

I'll be honest here, the fake dating trope is not one of my favorites. And I typically don't read a whole lot of romance novels (I'm a cynic, sorry!). So I didn't really expect to love this one. I honestly didn't even really expect to like it all that much. But boy was I wrong. I started reading while waiting for a friend to come over, and then I DIDN'T WANT TO STOP READING. I was so annoyed when life got in the way of me devouring this.

Meet Cleo Ferrara, horror film extraordinaire, who has recently been dumped by the boy she planned the rest of her young adulthood around. Follow along as Cleo navigates this break up, hatches a plan to win Daniel back, and realizes maybe what she's always wanted is not what she still wants.

Meet Marianne Lacerda, anxious swim team superstar, who has also recently been dumped by the girl she planned the rest of her young adulthood around. Follow along as Marianne finds who she is outside of swimming, fake dates her way back into Kiki's arms (she hopes), and learns how to go after what she really wants.

Follow along as Marianne and Cleo learn what it means to be brave, together.

I don't promise you won't cry, but I do promise you will laugh and smile and find yourself rooting for Cleo and Marianne. You might even find yourself rooting for Daniel and Kiki.

Thank you NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

This was a fun YA sapphic romance.

Cleo and Marianne encapsulated the perfect “Girl Next Door”

The addition of Cleo being a horror buff was a unique take on a classic theater kid trope. Along with the countless other tropes the main characters participated in.

This was a quick and digestible read that had me smiling throughout the story.

Thank you to HarperCollins Childrens Book’s and NetGalley for this digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really like The Girl Next Door. I think what makes it work is the longstanding relationship that Cleo and Marianne have. Cecilia Vinesse gives us a fake dating trope, but with a huge back story built in because both characters have known each other all of their lives. They know each other’s secrets already. They formed all of those earlier bonds so falling in love seems natural.

Because of their history it enables Vinesse to create credible humorous moments for Cleo and Marianne. The author had also included a friendship distancing where they grew in different directions so when they come back together they are the same and yet different. They get to rediscover each other anew.

The struggle for where to go in the future is real and Vinesse has all of the characters deal with this topic. They all move forward in different ways and means. I think this great for readers to see and identify with.

Let me also say kudos to the safe sex talk! Love it.

The Girl Next Door was a quick read for me. The words went down easy and the romance flew by. Sometimes you just need that quick jolt of romantic happiness.

This ARC was provided to me by NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books and Quill Tree Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this blog post are my own.

The Girl Next Door is a coming-of-age story of neighbors Cleo and Marianne, long-time friends who drifted apart over the years. Cleo is a film lover who loves the idea of getting into NYU film school to persue a career in film, particularly horror films; and Marianne is a full-time swimmer whose whole focus is the water. Both are forced to simultaneously deal with both of their partners cheating with each other which causes them to get closer. They’re both heartbroken, but they find comfort in each other and rekindle their friendship. But that leads to something more, a spark of an idea to pretend to date to see if their exes will get jealous and want to get back together with them, respectively.

But we all know fake-dating is never just “fake-dating” which this trope will always be so predictable to me, although it was cute, just really over-done to me. At a high school level to me their actions were just really petty, especially when it came to potentially hurting each other in the end, which happened and I saw coming.

Overall, it was cute and I appreciated the authors inclusion of bisexual characters without other characters telling them “you have to pick a side.” There was even a character, Austin, who I’m assuming was nonbinary who used they/them pronouns throughout the book. All of the characters’ sexual orientations were praised and there was a “no questions asked” type of vibe to this book that made me like it overall.

I originally gave this five stars immediately after finishing it, but now that I’m looking back at it, I can’t justify that rating considering how I felt about it. I would say probably 3.5 stars, maybe pushing 4. It was cute, but it didn’t live up to my original expectations.

I like that the characters felt like realistic teenagers. The plot was average and by around sixty percent into it, I was ready for it to be over.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems like the people in this book drop and pick up friends like nobody’s business.

So, let’s get this straight real quick… no spoilers, just getting my bearings…

Cleo and Marianne used to be besties. Cleo later makes friends with the film students, like Daniel. Marianne drops Cleo and becomes besties with Kiki… Cleo and Daniel fall into a friendship easily, becoming inseparable. They start dating, and so do Marianne and Kiki… but throughout all of this, Chris, Marianne’s cousin is also Cleo’s best friend? And then, Daniel cheats with Kiki and the two of them get together, leaving Cleo and Marianne to pick up the pieces.

I’m confused… but that aside, let’s get into the review.

I did enjoy this book. I thought it was cute. Aside from the cheating, which is gross, I liked Daniel and Cleo the most in this book because they had the best chemistry, but unfortunately, cheating is unforgivable. I wish that I felt that same connection with Cleo and Marianne, who decide to pretend to date one another in order to protect their little teenage hearts.

This is a fun coming of age, slice of life read. I wish that the characters were more dimensional. This book just felt very safe… it doesn’t do anything that other ya hate to love, fake date to make your ex jealous books do. I would recommend it though. It’s cute.

Emotionally true and intricate, written with skill, this trip through senior year grabbed me from the start. With a first-person viewpoint (Cleo's), we still see things that Cleo doesn't, like Marianne's care for her. The film club reminds me of my backstage work in high school, my real tribe where classes often felt like a distraction from what was really important.

I'll be reading more from this author.

I do wish this had a less generic title.

This book was wonderfully constructed. It had gray characters a great plot, the flow kept you very entertained. I like the authors writing style and it’s a wonderfully done book.

Cleo Ferrara and next door neighbor Marianne Lacerda use to be best friends but have drifted apart. As they are starting their senior year of high school in North Carolina and their hearts are a bit broken. Cleo’s boyfriend and fellow film nerd dumps her for Kiki, who also dumps Marianne to be with him. With their ex’s together Marianne is missing the friendship she had with Kiki. And thinks by being involved with someone else that will let them be friends again. And just like that a fake dating scenario is born. Hanging out together brings back their old friendship and memories of their childhood antics.

This is a sweet book with lots of feelings. Cleo is obsessed with horror films and wants to go to film school. There are a lot referenced in the book. Cleo’s mother also died shortly after her birth and she is raised by a single father. Her feelings about that are tender and deep. Cleo has her own issues with anxiety that she is managing and the general changes of growing up and getting ready to move toward adult hood.

I really like the characters are all really nice (okay Daniel is a bit full of himself). But there is no homophobia, parents and school are supportive. These are teens finding love and a path to their futures. The time frame covering the entire senior year is perfect for a YA & teens romance. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books, Quill Tree Books for the ARC and I’m leaving a voluntary review. (4.5 Stars)

Disclaimer: I received a gifted copy of this book via netgalley and I'm reviewing it voluntarily. All opinions are my own.
Everyone knows sapphic books are the way to my heart at this point, and this book was so good 😫
This book is cute. There's the funny moments with Cleo and her friend group, and the yearning for love with Marianne just tugs at my heart strings. I will say it does take a bit longer than normal for things to pick up between them, and that's really my only complaint. But when it does pick up, it doesn't hesitate to reel me in.
Cleo and Marianne -- Clerianne? Mario? (bro why did I think of mario 😭)
The heartache when they fight and Cleo is faced with the fact that it's not as fake as she thought--that hurt. But it's all worth it in the end. I adored this.

Thank you to Cecilia Vinesse & netgalley for the opportunity to read this.

A sweet and vivid romance!

Cinephile Cleo was recently dumped by her boyfriend for another girl. That girl's ex-girlfriend is Marianne, Cleo's next-door neighbor and former best friend. The two jilted exes band together for a fake dating scheme to win back their respective previous partners. Except Cleo doesn't want her ex back now that she can't stop thinking about the girl next door.

I really like Cleo and her makeshift family, and Marianne is really great. I only got about half the film references, but, to be fair, I read way more than I watch movies. Also, Cleo's mom had the same name as me, so that was neat.

I don't think I quite believe Marianne and Cleo as a couple, but I like to hope they make it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review!

The premise of the book is my favorite - fake dating where the pair do fall for each other.
That is what happens with the main characters, Cleo and Marianne. Daniel breaks up with Cleo for the head cheerleaders, Kiki. While Kiki breaks up with Marianne for Daniel.
Cleo and Marianne used to be close growing up next door to each other, but through the years, they have grown apart. When they both lose their girlfriend and boyfriend, they devise a plan to get back at them by pretending they are dating. What happens is beyond what they thought and they wonder have they gotten over their heads with this plan.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was the perfect mix of fun and "tropey" while also discussing some serious topics. Cleo was such an interesting character's head to be in, with her vulnerable feelings, but desire to not typically show them. I loved the development of her relationship with Marianne, especially that they had been best friends as children who had drifted apart and fell back together in what felt like a close friendship again first.

I loved this book! By far the best queer YA Rom Com I’ve read. The writing was well thought out, witty, and genuinely made me laugh out loud at times. The characters were multi dimensional yet relatable. I love how this story didn’t center around coming out or make queerness the only characteristics of any of the queer characters. I believe those stories are important and need representation but it’s nice to be able to read about queer people just existing. I also loved this book as a horror slasher fan with all of the references to how and why the final girl trope was turned on its head. A must read for anyone who enjoys wlw YA Rom Coms!

I loved this story and I want only the best for Cleo and Marianne forever. The characters and the plot delivered way more than I had expected. There were some of the normal romance tropes like fake dating and falling in love with a childhood best friend, but they were done really well and I loved seeing everything from Cleo’s POV because Cleo’s film knowledge helped to frame all these scenarios in unique ways.

The side characters were all amazing too. I love Chris so much, and Marianne’s little brother Zé is the best. I don’t know why Marianne’s family had to be Brazilian, but as a Brazilian I was super excited to see some Brazilian characters and a little bit of Portuguese and some mentions of brigadeiro! Though I do find it unrealistic that Marianne and Cleo didn’t spend their whole childhood eating pão de queijo.

I really appreciated that there were no villains. Even though Daniel and Kiki were “the exes” in Cleo and Marianne’s love story, they were still portrayed as well rounded characters with good and bad moments. I thought I would hate them, but in the end I didn’t hate them at all.

There were some heavier topics- mainly parental death and anxiety. Cleo’s relationship with her dad was really beautiful to see. Their flashbacks and then their conversations throughout the story made me feel many feelings. At the end of the story, I can’t decide if I’m more in love with Marianne or Cleo’s dad.

I loved this book! In fact, this book made me a fan of the childhood friends to lovers trope. The tension and connection between the main characters was magnetic and kept me turning the pages. Highly recommend for fans of romance!

A dreamy romance about two high school ex friends who have secretly always carried a torch for one another. Grumpy meets sunshine in a ex-friends to lovers high school fake dating extravaganza. Both of these characters were dreamy and relatable. Books like this really do remind me of being in high school as a dramatic and frightened gay teen. I loved the humor in this one, Cleo was a gem!