Alexa Martin has done it again with wit and charm in Next-Door Nemesis. Creating characters that readers can easily connect to, she allows us to peak inside their lives as they face many challenges.

When Collins is forced to return home, life is looking pretty miserable for her - moving back into her childhood home, drinking her mom's hazelnut coffee (only if she can't avoid it) and becoming her dad's gardening assistant. Well that doesn't sound too bad, until she runs into Nate - her childhood best friend for years, until he became her nemesis in high school. And of all things, he fines her for planting a tree!! And that's when things get interesting!!

The humor, the friendships, the hate and the lust, are all there!! You will laugh, you will feel for the characters, and you will fall in love....and you will fall in lust. A must read and definitely deserving of 5 stars!

Collins Carter, the heroine of Alexa Martin’s NEXT-DOOR NEMESIS (Berkley, 368 pp., paperback, $17), has always had a temper, and thanks to that viral video, now everybody knows it. With her Hollywood writing career in ruins, she flees back to her parents’ home in Ohio to find her former-best-friend-turned-nemesis running for president of the H.O.A. How dare Nathaniel Adams still be hot after the way he treated her in high school? Impulsively, Collins announces she’s running against him — but the sparks from their collision ignite more than just her competitive streak.

Martin’s prose is a live wire: There are little shocks of pleasure on every page. It’s incredible how epic this contest feels, even though the stakes are extremely local. Like Jodie Slaughter and Helena Greer, Martin has a knack for layering vast emotional geographies onto cozy physical spaces.

This was a fun read. I enjoy Alexa Martin's writing style, but these characters didn't engage me like some of those in her previous books. I felt the love interest, Nate, went from enemy to friend real quick in an unbelievable way. I also just didn't find him all that interesting. We know basically nothing about him other than he likes khakis...

But I did like the setting and 'conflict'. This is good for a quick, fun read.

Collin’s Carter goes OTT on everything! An over the top attack on her ex’s car sends her career into a spiral and an over the top reaction to her former high school nemesis, Nate Adams, sends her into an over the top campaign to become HOA president. I’m not saying any of this is a bad thing… it all kept me engaged and turning pages to see what else Collins could get herself into.

“I try to put words to the chaos running through my mind at any given moment.
“Tons of bright colors and half-formed sentences interspersed with flashing pictures of food, your butt, and Little Mix songs playing all the time.”
“My butt?”
“You have a fantastic ass.” I pop a piece of funnel cake in my mouth. “It lives rent-free in my mind.”

It took me a while to get on board with Nate. But once I was able to understand what was in his sweater-vest loving mind, I was swooning like the rest of Horizon Creek!

“I’m certain I’m the only person in the entire world who might be developing an HOA kink, but I won’t be shamed for it.”

Next-Door Nemesis was an adorable fun read!
-4 Stars-

"Two rival candidates for a homeowner’s association presidency are about to find out how dirty suburbanites fight in this steamy new romantic comedy from Alexa Martin."


Think Hallmark meets enemies to lovers meets HGTV. Listen, I think everyone can feel the pain that is the HOA LOL. I really liked the way Alexa Martin handled the enemies to lovers trope in this one. Recently, I feel like it's harder and harder to do it well and this was a pleasant surprise. The Banter really stole the show for me to.

My main issue is, I was bored throughout a lot of it and kept wanting to skim to the end. I needed a "teeny tiny* more tension and engaged plot. But, overall I did have a great time and would highly recommend.


Thanks NetGalley & Berkley for the ARC!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Next-Door Nemesis by Alexa Martin is an enemies-to-lovers rom-com that will make you think about the one who got away. The story revolves around Collins and Nate, who are both running to be president of their local homeowners' association. But Collins and Nate aren't strangers. They were high school rivals and have a not-so-pleasant history. Will the two of them put aside their differences and change their hate into love?

Here is a humorous excerpt from Chapter 1:

"I know my mom means well, but my phone's almost out of storage thanks to the abundance of uplifting memes and Bible verses she won't stop sending me. Maybe I'd appreciate her unrelenting positivity if I was still in LA, enjoying my oat milk latte from the adorable cafe I wrote in almost every day. But for some reason, the never-ending text stream hits a little different when I'm fifteen feet away, sitting in my childhood room, and notifications keep interrupting the shame spiral I've been living in for the last two months."

Overall, Next-Door Nemesis is a rom-com for anyone who has ever wondered about the one who got away. One highlight of this book is how the two main characters knew each other from childhood, which built for an interesting dynamic. Another highlight of this book is the enemies-to-lovers trope. One final highlight of this book is how the main female character is a person of color. If I'm not mistaken, she is half Black. I really appreciate and support racial diversity in rom-coms. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of rom-coms in general, I recommend that you check out this book, which is available now.

This book is utterly entertaining! The back and forth between the main characters, Collins and Nate, is hilarious and her running for HOA president against him out of spite is a fun storyline. I love a good enemies to lovers/small town romance and throw in the viral video drama from her breakup and the fact that she's a writer and I was all in. I like that the whole story is more nuanced than simply rivals to lovers. It talks about race and gender and the lack of representation in filmmaking. I also like the background of the two main characters and how involved Collins's family and friends are in her life and happiness. The side characters are all so different but supportive and funny; they really add to the story and I'd love to see them return again in another book if the author decides to write one for Ruby. I definitely recommend this one if you like humor, rivals to lovers, forced proximity, best friends who become enemies who become lovers, banter, hilarious best friends and over-the-top juvenile revenge plans. It's a little silly but a whole lot of fun!

The book/ebook/eaudio are out now so definitely check them out if you're looking for a quick, fun romance.

Collins is back home after her boyfriend betrayed her, and she has gone viral for ruining his vehicle. She's a pariah in the film community, so she's returned home to the community from which she ran away. Nathaniel was Coliin's best friend before he ghosted her when they were in high school - and they have been enemies since then. The silly antics these two cook up are fun to read, but love and understanding start to develop.

I loved listening to Collins's dialogue in her head and outside of it. Her friends and family were chefs and kissed as well.

I enjoyed reading this book, and I hope they do a second book about the Collins friend - I would love to read that gem.

The ending of this book was very satisfactory as well.

Collins and Nate are former best friends turned enemies. When Collins returns to her parents' house in Ohio, she never expected Nate to live in the same neighborhood. Nate is on the HOA board and when he learns Collins is running for a spot on the board, he is out to make Collins life a living hell. That is until a night their hate turns into sparks and things get steamy as they remember feelings they had years ago.

The banter in this book was hilarious. I love the hate they had that turned into lust then into love. Rivalry is one of my favorite tropes and I feel the author definitely depicted it well. I have never read a book by this author. It won't be my last.

#NextDoorNemesis:⁣
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Thank you @prhaudio and @berkleyromance for my gifted copies.⁣
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I love Alexa Martin. Fumbled is my favorite sports romance series, ever. It makes me sad to say this, but Next Door Nemesis was such a miss for me. I DNF’d it, picked it back up determined to finish, and I did. ⁣
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Honestly, I thought Collins was a little too immature for my taste. She got to the annoying part of immauture. I get she’s been publicly embarrassed and had to go home, but this chip on her shoulder made her not a likable character. Also, Nate was a douche. Like girl, I’d want to take him down too, but more ruthlessly. ⁣
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What I did like was the fun banter regarding the HOA. I am team anti-HOA, and the gripes and grumbles had me cackling. It’s 100% realistic. ⁣
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The audio was wonderful. I did switch from reading to audio listening and found Jade Wheeler’s narration to be really good. They definitely made the book worthwhile. I am always gonna love enemies to lovers, but this is almost like a second chance friends to lovers as well, so that was wonderful. ⁣
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Overall, a miss for me. But, all in all, eff the HOA. 😂 Out Now!

This was overall a fun enemies to lovers (also kinda second chance romance?) story set in the Midwest. The HOA antics felt a little cheesy and over the top at times (all of this to be HOA President...ok) but the writing was fun and I enjoyed the side characters. I think if you feel passionately about HOAs or your neighbor's hedges being too tall, then this is the book for you!

Many thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for the ARC.

I have to say that I am very pleasantly surprised that I liked this book so much, usually the enemies to lovers troppe doesn't do much for me, but in this case it worked perfectly because the voice of Collins Carter is hilarious. I laughed out loud while reading the book to the point that I had to watch myself when reading it in a public place.
Who would have thought that a book about HOA could be so funny and interesting, the banter between Collins and Nate masquerading their sexual attraction is right on point and makes you want to keep reading to see what happens between them.
The writing is very good making you feel you are in the story with the characters and living with them during their fights and their oh so good loving.

Collins and Nathaniel are a hilarious enemies to lovers duo. So much fun, silly and sexy moments in this book. A lovely read!

Alexa Martin's "Next-Door Nemesis" is a captivating romantic comedy that sizzles with wit and charm. The narrative unfolds with delightful banter and a refreshing take on enemies-to-lovers, as protagonists navigate the complexities of love and rivalry. Martin crafts characters with depth and humor, injecting a perfect dose of modern realism into the romance genre. The pacing is impeccable, keeping readers hooked from the first page to the last. With a winning combination of humor, chemistry, and relatable moments, "Next-Door Nemesis" stands out as a delightful and engaging read, showcasing Martin's talent for crafting irresistible love stories.

NEXT-DOOR NEMESIS is a steamy ex-best-friends to rivals AND lovers rom-com, surrounding the presidential campaign of an HOA association. Collins Carter is a delightful narrator, full stop. Her humor and charm made the whole thing a joy, and her confidence and self-awareness in her own decisions was so refreshing. I also did not expect to adore the MLM-obsessed neighbor, but I certainly did. The whole cast made for a lovely story and a great book.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for providing an Advanced Review Copy.

Happy #PubDay to this adorable, laugh-out-loud romcom that was just what I needed to help bust my reading slump!

📖𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁-𝗗𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀
✍️Alexa Martin
🗓️11.14.23
💘Romance

💭𝗠𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦
I have enjoyed Alexa’s books and was so excited for this High School enemies-to-lovers story. I didn’t expect to laugh so much, and loved every bit of the neighborhood shenanigans.

Collins Carter and Nathaniel Adams are former childhood friends-turned rivals. Chasing her dreams, Collins moves away, but after a public breakdown, she finds herself back in her hometown in Ohio, only to find her nemesis, Nathaniel, is her next door neighbor and HOA President now.

🎧This was such a delight to read, and I loved the audiobook narration by Jade Wheeler. The witty banter was done so well, and not only brought the laughs, but all the emotions too.

*many thanks to Berkley Romance, PRH Audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

this was very fun! collins was hilarious; nate was a cutie but i wanted a bit more from
their relationship!

This is an entertaining enemies to lovers romance. After a relationship and career setback that resulted in a viral video, Collins goes back in the burbs to live with her parents. She’s shocked when they get a notice about the lawn from the homeowners association (HOA) and goes to their next meeting.
She’s even more shocked when she sees that the HOA president is her old friend Nate, now a prominent local realtor and her new next door neighbor. He was her best friend growing up until he abandoned her for new friends in high school.
Collins decides she’s going to run for HOA president against Nate, and the campaigns get more and more ridiculous. Along the way Collins and Nate let their chemistry take over.
This is an enjoyable and funny book, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

This book wasn't for me. The characters were immature and vindictive. There is so much bickering that I almost DNF'd it. The characters are adults that acted more like 13 year olds. With all the petty fighting I couldn't believe the romance.

4.5 stars

Next-Door Nemesis was my first Alexa Martin read, but it definitely won't be my last.

Collins was a relatable and fun heroine who is trying to figure out her next steps after a break up, viral video, and potentially lost career. It was sweet seeing her with her parents, and I liked her friendships, too. My favorite thing, though, was seeing her and Nate together. Their bickering and banter and the very obvious sparks between them were so much fun to read. I loved watching the two of them figure out their feelings for one another, and was so curious why their friendship ended years ago.

Alexa did a really nice job balancing the humor and light moments with some real emotion and character growth. The story and relationship development were well paced and I really enjoyed reading this book so much.