Is love a magical force or biological release of chemicals and compatibility?

Oh my god! I fell for this book hook line and sinker. Every part of it was amazing. Between the angst and pining from the MCs and the steamy relationship they develop, to the complicated but heartfelt relationship within each MC’s family, I loved it all! And the banter and sass all the characters give each other while still being kind and respectful. 🤌🏻 There’s grief, longing, humor, and spice as well as equality, kindness, and a dirty minded sassy grandma. Gah! This book is perfect, just go read it.

🌶️🌶️🌶️
Characters: 💙💙💙💙💙
RomCom: The Other Sister, Girl Next Door, Opposites Attract, Steminist, Artist, Bet Against Love, Close Knit Family
First Person, Present Tense, Dual POV
⚠️: Parental Death (off screen), Cancer, Abandonment

- 5 stars / 2 spice

- Slowburn
- Growing and maturing on love
- The sisterly connection was good to read, realistic sense of resentment yet love and understanding
- Lots of respectful love and delightful meddling by his family lol
- I can see this as a movie
- Childhood crush/infatuation on the classic Cali girl, or the idea of her. Came back home as an adult and was going to have an opportunity with her possibly but then falls in love with her sister.
- Absolutely no cheating. Open communication


***some reviews we’re talking about how can he switch from sisters like that etc.***

Before comments like that turn anyone off from reading this :

- he’s had childhood CRUSH on one of the sisters but he was never with her or ever physical with her either. He was obsessed with the idea of her.
- so it’s not unrealistic that actually getting to know the sisters he eventually falls for the one he is compatible with, the other sister than the one he spent years crushing on from a distance.

In Brief
A modern day gender twist on the classic movie Sabrina, The Neighbor Wager establishes itself early as a retelling before veering off course and offering a more generic romance novel experience. Deanna and Lexi grew up in the lap of luxury in California’s affluent Orange County, and River was the boy next door with a massive crush on Lexi. Now grown up, River is back in town, and Deanna and Lexi are working to get funding for their dating app that involves Lexi proving how happy she is with the man the app matched her with. River has no place in Deanna’s plan, so she does everything in her power to divert River’s attention by making a wager that might give him the chance to pursue Lexi. As Deanna and River spend increasing amounts of time with each other, sparks begin to fly and Lexi is almost all but forgotten. With sizzling sexual tension, a side story involving the health of River’s grandmother, and plenty of time spent enjoying the sunshine, The Neighbor Wager offers tantalizing glimpses into a classic movie. However, it quickly lost steam as Deanna and River found it harder to deny their sexual chemistry, resulting in this novel diverting into a decently steamy generic romance novel, complete with the third act break up. There is some charm and some funny moments, but it certainly doesn’t hold it’s own against Sabrina.

Extended Thoughts
I couldn’t say exactly why, but Audrey Hepburn’s version of Sabrina is one of my favorite movies, so, when I saw The Neighbor Wager is a gender twist on the story, I had to jump on it. Relocated to Orange County, California and featuring two sisters from a wealthy family working to get funding for their dating app, it has some fun nods to the film, but is also incredibly updated with more sexual tension and sex scenes than I felt comfortable with. This ended up leaving me disappointed and struggling a little to see the movie I so love on these pages.

All his life, River was always just the boy next door, the one who lived with his erotica author grandmother next door to a lavish estate belonging to the Huntington family, slipping into their backyard to hang out with the two daughters. Deanna is the older one, a pragmatic workaholic who has no time or interest in a relationship. Her younger sister Lexi is the complete opposite: bubbly and friendly, she can’t keep a relationship to save her life. Now that they’re adults, River is back home from New York City to care for his grandmother with his cousins, and it brings back all of his old feelings for Lexi, the girl he always loved. Deanna and Lexi, though, have started a new dating app and have tentatively secured funding, provided they can prove Lexi’s newest relationship, formed thanks to the app, can last. But Lexi gets cold feet and River’s reappearance throws a wrench in Deanna’s carefully laid plans, and she might be the only one who can keep things on track by diverting River’s attention to her.

Initially, I did enjoy this gender twist, even if River came off as mostly a lovesick puppy. I liked that it put women into a place of wealth and connections while also keeping the spirit of the story of Sabrina. It was fun to see the inspiration behind some of the scenes. I wasn’t as sure about River cast as the lovesick Sabrina as Sabrina’s more feminine and demure character didn’t translate as well into a modern male body, but he had his charms. The beginning of The Neighbor Wager charmed me and I had high hopes for this novel.

Things went a little sideways for me the longer I read. After a strong start that enthralled me, it started to feel like The Neighbor Wager was starting to lose its sight on the source material. Instead of feeling like a modern gender twist, it came off more as inspired by the spirit of the story of Sabrina and then went its own way for most of the middle. Other than the initial drive River felt to be close to Lexi and his desire to be with her, this novel very quickly set up River and Deanna, making me suspect it might have actually been Deanna River wanted all this time. Of course, there’s not really any proof of that, but their physical connection sizzles and I’d say both of them forgot all about Lexi for at least half the book. It ended making this book feel more like a generic romance, complete with the third act break up, than truly inspired by a classic film, if romance is based almost entirely on physicality and sexual tension. Because I really struggled to find any emotional investment on either side or any true form of them getting to know each other.

The thing that bothered me most was the wager itself. Deanna and River make a wager that essentially boils down to Deanna being able to protect her app and its tentative funding and potentially giving River the ability to pursue Lexi. At first, it seems like it might create some interesting situations and give both of them the chance to get what they want. But then the romance ramps up and the wager is never really discussed or even goes away once they start falling for each other, creating kind of an icky situation where River and Deanna engage in sex and the reader knows they have this wager that might give River the chance to be with Lexi. It’s uncomfortable, and might have been better dealt with if, once they discovered they actually liked each other, and maybe before they went to bed together the first time, they had done something about the wager. Instead, it’s casually tossed off, and perhaps the story hopes the reader will forget, but then it does rear its head towards the end, and there’s no denying the wager probably made things a little uncomfortable.

On the bright side, most of the characters were actually quite interesting. I adored River’s grandmother, and his cousins were fun additions. I could have gone without the side story regarding them as I didn’t feel it actually added much to the story, but they were a delightful trio, and I liked how open and casual his grandmother was about sex. I wish Deanna and Lexi’s father had been more of a presence, because, in the film, the father was a really fun character. Unfortunately, it just seems disappointing that the characters who were the most interesting could have actually just been cut.

And that brings me to Deanna, River, and Lexi. I was not a big fan of River. I didn’t like his characterization and he just seemed to lack any depth. He swings from being head over heels for one sister and then the other in what felt like the blink of an eye, and possibly because one is a true potential bed partner than the other. He does get some internal conflicts, but is otherwise not very interesting on his own despite a whole arm of tattoos and a day job that calls for his creativity. Deanna was the only interesting one to me. I liked how pragmatic and practical she is, but she does have her own interesting flairs that gave her depth and a backstory that made sense with her present characterization. I liked her, but wasn’t a huge fan of hers once she and River really started falling for each other. Lexi is the David character in the movie. Like David, she was a playboy, or girl in this sense. She’s fun and charming and there’s really not much else, unless you count her cold feet when it comes to the man she’s been dating for the past several months. Despite her conflicting feelings for River and Jake, her boyfriend, she really didn’t make many moves to be on her own with River, so there was no true conflict in this story beyond what Deanna and River created for themselves. As for Jake, he was completely lackluster and forgettable, there for the sake of the story but not adding much color, being completely uninteresting on his own. Though he was given a really interesting point that came off as more embarrassingly hilarious than anything else.

The one highlight I really enjoyed was the setting. Being a Southern California native, I love it when books are set in SoCal. This one is set in the affluent Orange County and, while I wish Disneyland had been mentioned, I did like it. The characters spend a good amount of time at the beach and out in Palm Springs, so it was nice to see them in this novel. I didn’t get a strong sense of setting, but I at least like the images that came to my mind since I’m familiar with both Orange County and Palm Springs.

As a gender twist on a classic film, I feel like The Neighbor Wager didn’t quite rise to the challenge. There was far too much sex and sexual tension throughout the book and Deanna and River just fell for each other too fast. It didn’t feel believable, and all the charm I liked in Sabrina was completely missing, instead being made up for in a grandmother with an interesting profession and a boyfriend with an interesting dilemma. I was also missing the classic ending to the movie I love so much, though this one tried to offer something just as remarkable with a modern twist. The Neighbor Wager was an amusing read, but it comes off mostly as a generic romance that can’t get out of the formula, though I did like the callbacks to the classic film it made now and then.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

⭐️rating: 3/5

The Neighbor Wager was a cute and quick read. I loved the premise, especially because it reminded me a little of The Soulmate Equation (which I’m obsessed with😩).

I think it had a lot of promise, though the execution lacked in my opinion. I was lost in the plot a bit. It didn’t fully make sense at times, so I occasionally had some trouble following what was happening and why.

I liked the characters, and it was fun to see the tension as they fought their attraction. Plus, I liked the ending. I was a little confused about the timing of the epilogue, but I did like it.

So while it was a cute story with a fun premise, it fell below my expectations. I also have a new pet peeve because instead of saying “algorithm”, the characters only ever referenced the “algo” and as someone in the tech industry myself I just couldn’t….it grated on me😬.

Overall, it was alright, though I personally wouldn’t re-read. But I’m sure others will enjoy this more than I did.

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Witty, steamy and poignant with a touching surprise

After a slow start this book becomes very entertaining once the wager is placed. The prologue sets the stage for River who is an 18yo nerdy artist who likes to make graphic novels and crushes on the pretty girl next door named Lexi. Unfortunately, River Beau isn’t even a blip on Lexi’s radar. But when he returns ten years later looking fine with a sleeve of tattoos, buff bod and a great job in NYC, Lexi takes notice. To what end?
Deanna is Lexi’s 28yo sister who took pity on the nerd River was back in the day. Now she and Lexi are co-owners of their own dating app business. In order to get funding, Deanna needs to keep Lexi and River away from each other. Why? River who never saw Deanna as anybody but Lexi’s sister, is now seeing beyond the obvious.
I loved the premise of this book. Even though it dragged in some places, I honestly cannot see it shortened for the reader to get the full impact. The narrative was witty, steamy and poignant where appropriate. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through Entangled and NetGalley.

The Neighbor Wager by Crystal Kaswell

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶️

A cute contemporary romance with strong female characters and their neighbor who returns to town tattooed and muscular! Enjoyed the character dynamic, wager and banter.
While this did take some time for the slow burn to finally hit, when it did there was a whole lot of spice!
If you enjoy a story with the feel of Sabrina with a gender switch then this one is for you!

I received an ARC copy of this book and am leaving an honest review.

This was an interesting reading, and getting to know Deanna and River. I can see why Deanna would like for her sister and her boyfriend to get together, since she was the one who got these two together. But River's idea that he knows true love, and it's adamant he's going after it, it was amazing to read.

This book has something that I absolutely love, that it's the dual POV, which allows us to see what the other character is thinking over an interaction.

I'll probably be reading more of Crystal Kaswell in the future.

Thank you Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title.

This is a contemporary version of the classic "Sabrina". I was captivated by the story of Deanna, the mastermind behind a dating app that doesn't allow photos, and her unforeseen involvement with River, the nerdy boy next door who underwent a transformation. This story brilliantly contrasts technology-based compatibility with the unpredictable nature of human attraction. I was particularly intrigued by the relationship between Deanna and River, as their evolving bond challenges the fundamental basis of Deanna's app. The book expertly combines romance, personal growth, and the enduring question of whether love can be calculated. As someone who loves both romance and technology, this story resonated with me, providing both a heartwarming journey and a thought-provoking exploration of modern love.

Don’t let this cutesy cover fool you, because what starts off quite innocent turns a bit 🌶️🌶️🌶️ by the end✨

⭐️THE NEIGHBOR WAGER, out TOMORROW (2/20)⭐️

3.25⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and @entangled_publishing for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

I got 34% into this book. It just wasn’t for me. I found the characters lacked depth and the writing seemed almost childish. I just didn’t enjoy it and don’t wish to continue.

Best of luck!

This book was so good. When I read the blurb I tought it was going to be about a 2nd chance relationship between the popular girl Lexi and River the guy next door who have always been in love with her. This book took another turn when years later Deanna the sister of Lexi needs to save her company, and when her hard work it's on the line she would do everything to save it, including sabotaging her sister and River. What she never expect was to create such a lovely conection between her and River.
I love how they became so close and how they helped eachother, it was kinda a slow burn but I love it.
Thank You Netgalley & Crystal Kaswell for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Thankyou NetGalley & Entangled Publishing for sending me an ARC of which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a fun rom-com to celebrate the month of love! The story started off with ‘Sabrina’ vibes, boy next door River pining over his unreachable neighbour Lexi as a teenager, then fast forward to everyone having grown up a bit & for our main MMC River to realise Lexi isn’t his ideal partner but her down to earth, sassy sister Deanna who he realises he has more in common with then once thought.

Even though this trope seems like the usual setting for a sweet rom-com, the actually twist in the story is that we get to explore the relationship blooming between River & Deanna without and jealousy or 3rd act breakup or (and I absolutely hate this trope) cheating that seems the standard with the ‘boy/girl next door-actually it was you the whole time’ settings.

The Neighbor Wager is the newest book by Crystal Kaswell. This book has a bright colored cover, which draws your attention right away. Even though Crystal Kaswell has written several books, I've never read one. What will she have in store with The Neighbor Wager?

She's calculated all the risks. Exept him.

This romance book is a slow burn story, which is easy to read. The story starts of in the past where River is a shy teenage boy who likes his comics and has a huge crush on Lexi, the girl next door. Soon after the story takes a step into the present time in which River moves back in with his grandma and next to Lexi and Deanna. He has grown up and even manages to drawn attention from Lexi. He needs the help from Deanna, the mastermind behind the sisters dating app Meetcute, to see what real love is like. But what if that means making him fall for her?

Crystal Kaswell has a nice writing style. She really manages to give each of the characters their own personality. Lexi is all bubbly but also finds it hard to really love someone. Deanna hasn't found her own match yet, but is dedicated to their dating app. River just wants to find out what his crush meant and what real love is. Each of them grows during the story, making the character development a central theme in this book.

I really enjoyed reading The Neighbor Wager and am curious about the other books by Crystal Kaswell. Everything was worked out really nice. In addition this book is a good fit for all readers who love their romance. Because of the nice writing style and plot I give The Neighbor Wager a 4,5 star rating.

Magic vs. Logic...

It all about the wagering and contract negotiations between neighbors, River and Deanna. River has been in love with Deanna's sister, Lexi forever, as a teen who lived next door and as a grown up who moved to NY. River is a dreamer, an artist, a former nerd who is now a graphic artist. But his crush on Lexi has ENDURED.
Everyone can see that Lexi and River do NOT belong together. Everyone except River. He believes in magic and love. I liked that the guy was the romantic. Props.

Deanna is logic and reason. She goes so far as to wager with River about love vs. magic. I really liked that Deanna was logic and app-based. She writes algo and doesn't put her faith in magic. She is pragmatic and dependable. She has know since they were kids that River and Lexi do not belong together. But she is surprised that she and River could be a match.

I really liked River. He was sweet, artistic, and believes in magic and graphic novels and Spiderman sheets.
Recommend.

The title and cover are what pulled me in. The description had me requesting the book. But the story had me invested until the very last page. A key plot point is that River makes a wager with Deanna that there is magic to love and that there is more to a good match than logic and a good algorithm. They make other bets and wagers throughout the story. This creates a fun dynamic between the leads.
The dual point of view had me caring about both River and Deanne. There were a few times where I found the inner dialogue of both of them a little repetitive, but I think it might be because they both had similar thought processes at times, so it only felt like I was getting the same thing. I am not saying that I couldn’t differentiate between the two characters, the author did a good job of changing POVs.
The male main character, River, was a good love interest, even though, at first, his obsession with Deanna’s sister was over the top. His character moves past it after the first third (it takes Dee a little longer to see that though), so I was able to enjoy the rest of the story as he and Deanna grow closer. The chemistry between them was good. I found that they both helped each other grow as individuals. The topic of sex is approached very openly in this book throughout the thoughts of the characters and the dialogue between the main and side characters.
Other than the romance between the two main characters, there are some deeper themes that are explored. Deanna struggles with the loss of her mother (years prior) and always felt like she lived in her sister’s shadow (note: she does not resent this, her and her sister have a good relationship). River is estranged from his mother, separated from him as a kid due to her drug addiction. He was raised by his grandmother and her health is on a decline. There are some entertaining family interactions throughout the book.
This was a quick and enjoyable read for me. I would recommend this story to rom-com lovers.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Entangled for a digital arc of the book. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

This book was an okay read. It reminded me of a few contemporary romances and I think if you are looking for a slow burn about young adults growing up this might be the book for you.

I found it hard to get into the story and connect with the characters. They all felt extreme. River is extremely obsessed with Lexi and Lexi is extremely against commitment. Everyone warns River to get over Lexi and I never could determine if Lexi was really that bad or if River was really that obsessive. This threw me because at first River’s crush seemed so cute and I was rooting for him and Lexi.

I did like seeing how River and Deanna came together on such a deep level. It did seem as though Deanna liked River since they were teenagers and she just couldn’t face her real feelings. This made her attempts to keep River and Lexi apart feel self-serving to me. All in all this is a good book, I just think that some of the characters were not what I expected, but the story is sweet and I did like the ending!

I’ve enjoyed the few Crystal Kaswell books I’ve read, and The Neighbor Wager is another sweet read. It’s the shy boy next door who’s had an unrequited crush on the girl who is popular and barely noticed him, and the older sister who warned him away.

When the boy comes back home 10 years later with a successful career, had a glow-up, and the sisters have created a very successful dating app, things kick into high gear! It’s a love triangle that never really becomes one when the older sister befriends him again, and the really interesting storyline truly begins.

It’s certainly a unique plot and without giving up the entire plot, the twists centered around the dating app and sisters who don’t like to commit to relationships and the boy next door in the middle is a really interesting read - one I think everyone will enjoy! Certainly a great twist on the boy next door, friends to lovers trope!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Entangled Amara, and this is my honest feedback.

The Neighbor Wager by Crystal Kaswell is a delightful rom com that I really ENJOYED!

I will admit, I normally don't like stories with love triangles, but this author pulls it off in such a wonderful way that I really liked.

THE NEIGHBOR WAGER is a retelling of Sabrina and perfectly executed.


I really like Deanna who is trying to get investments for her dating app. Lexi, Denna's sister is also a great character. In enters River, who used to be their neighbor and who used to be geeky neighbor, now much hotter than geeky.

This has hilarious consequence for the two sisters.

I really enjoyed the references to Sabrina but with such a fun twist. Great characters, wonderful romance, and lots of laughs.

I absolutely loved River, Deanna, Lexi and all the other beautifully funny and realistically written characters of the Neighbor Wager. The premise of Deanna fake dating to keep River from ultimately, unknowingly sabotaging funding for Lexi and Deanna's dating app Meetcute was a great one.
River, the nerd next door, only ever had eyes for next door neighbor Lexi, who never really gave him the time of day. Well, now he's all grown up and sporting a bit of a darker side that makes women pay attention in a whole new way. The wager that Deanna proposes to River in order to protect the funding for she and her sister's new dating app fueled heartfelt and funny moments throughout.
This was a hard one to put down.

The Neighbor Wager has really well-written sexual tension and steamy scenes. I enjoyed watching Deanna and River figure out they were attracted to each other.

I appreciated the contrast between Lexie and Deanna and how they each were judged in some circumstances for how they chose to present themselves. I liked Deanna's passion for her company and I thought the dating app sounded fun.

What didn't fully work for me was the romance. I could buy that River decided he was attracted to Deanna but how quickly the switch happened felt a little weird. I also felt the data app plot didn't fully work. I would have liked it to be more consistent.

🌶️🌶️🌶️ - This book includes several open-door steamy scenes as well as a lot of sexual tension and discussion of BDSM.