I enjoy Kevin Hearne's work and The Hermit Next Door while different from the other books I've read by him was just as delightful. This novella is a sweet, cozy sci-fi that can be devoured in an afternoon. We meet Winnie Mae and her son Pax who are escaping loss and grief by moving to a new house with a mysterious neighbor. We soon discover the neighbor's secret as Winnie Mae processes her grief and decides on how she wants to move on in her life. Winnie Mae's reflections on her life and grief were thoughtful and endearing. I enjoyed the characters, the world-building and the themes. I am a huge fan of Hearne's Iron Druid Chronicles and this novella proves to me that he can write any kind of story and I will be immersed. I'll definitely be reading his other books.

This is short but has a whole world in it. We first meet a grieving family who've moved across the country to get away from bad memories, which is probably part of how they were able to be so open minded when they met their unusual neighbor. This little book managed to be so satisfying because it really went for it -- you get a real resolution. And while the topics were serious, the tone was fun.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

From the synopsis and the first page, I thought it'd be beautiful but sad. I was so wrong! It was surprisingly delightful, hopeful, and fun! Loved everything about it :) This was my first book by this author, and I'll definitely be reading more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A delightful novella about a woman and her teenage son adjusting to life after the death of their husband/father. They end up moving across the country and meeting an other worldly neighbor. Can’t really say much more without giving away the story of this novella. Quirky and a lot of fun but what else would you expect from Kevin Hearne? Looking forward to more adventures with these characters! Happy reading!

I enjoyed the overall feel in this scifi element, it had everything that I was looking for and enjoyed going on this journey with them. The characters were everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the plot and how it worked with the genre. Kevin Hearne has a great writing style and glad I got to read this.

I received this ARC through NetGalley.

First and foremost let me say this is a delightful and magical novella.

The story starts with Winnie Mae & her son, Pax, moving from Tennessee to Oregon after the death of her husband. She soon finds out that her neighbor, Mr. Fisher, is a locally famous recluse who Pax ends up meeting. After learning that Mr. Fisher has been working for decades to get back to his home world Winnie Mae and Pax agree to help him.. Little do they know everything is about to change.

I really enjoyed delving into this story. It was a mixture of science fiction, fantasy, and a little mystery. This was a fun and easy read that definitely ended with me wanting more. I recommend this if you are a lover of fantasy and afraid to try sci-fi. This is a great bridge to cross the two genres.

This is a delightful fantasy, a fun read. Winnie Mae is newly widowed and has moved across country with her son from Tennessee to Oregon. She has bought a house along a river seeking peace and privacy to continue her Yoga video business in a quieter surrounding. Her son is not happy with the move. He is bullied on the first day of school for his Tennessee accent and the children's preconceived stereotype of someone from the South. Winnie tells him to go out by the river and relax. He comes in excited because he has met the mysterious next door neighbor that no-one has ever seen. This begins an adventure that is quite unusual.
This is an imaginative story by an author that is the best at imaginative stories!

Cute little novel about Mr. Fisher next door. I was kinda hoping for a little twist at the end but alas just a nice feel good story.

I received a digital ARC via Netgalley, though all thoughts are my own.

I loved this wild ride of a novella, and I'm so glad that the ending did not turn into a horror!

I am so curious to learn more about Mr. Fisher's world, and I love how his name matches who he is.

Though this book is just under one hundred pages, it's a very engaging story with a mix of mystery, humor, surprises, sci-fi and ends in a way that there could potentially be another story (which I hope there is!).

I highly recommend this quick read!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. You should read it!

This eARC was provided through Netgalley.com and I am giving an unbiased review.

Oddly enough, I found this little tale quite interesting. It is easy to read, and if you have an active imagination (I'm sure most of us readers do) you'll read through this tale fairly quickly. Not sure if this is going to turn into a possible series, or if it is just a stand-alone little story, but overall was enjoyable.

I really enjoyed this short book by Kevin Hearne. It had great characters, great story, and great pacing. Will definitely be reading more from Kevin Hearne. #TheHermitNextDoor #NetGalley

I highly recommend this fun, weird little novella! A perfect blend of scifi and eco-fiction, I read this in one sitting and will be reflecting on it for a while.

I would say to go into this one as blind as possible. Don’t even read the whole synopsis. It’s 96 pages of weird little twists - just trust my judgement on this one and preorder. I was blown away by the character development and world building packed into such a short book, and can’t wait to check out more from this author!

**Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for the eARC of this amazing title!**

I'm a big fan of the novella as a format. I think it provides the perfect blend of detail and forced brevity, such that it keeps an author on track to tell a crisp tale with enough characterization to keep me engaged but no room for meandering. Don't get me wrong, I love a big long epic story also - but I enjoy a novella every now and then as a palate cleanser, offering as it does a glimpse into a new world that doesn't require a massive commitment.

I enjoy the storytelling style of Kevin Hearne, and think that this story offers his trademark snark and humor in an encapsulated universe that allowed him to play with language and concepts in a way that was fun and funny and surprisingly insightful. Too often I think alien creature stories feel compelled to work very hard to point out shortcomings of humanity. The story is much more playful than that, while no less meaningful and it's underlying messaging.

I also like that it had a happy ending. All too often it seems as though authors feel compelled to keep tragedy upon tragedy onto their poor characters, as though serious messaging required death and destruction. It doesn't, and Hearne proves that here. There's a lot more going on below the surface in this little tale, much as there is in the eponymous house next door, and I found it a delightful read!

My first book by this author, but it won't be my last. This was a phenomenon novella. I absolutely loved the characters.

Loved this, loved this, loved this and I want more. The worldbuilding is great, as well as the characters. Whole story in a novella setting, but would love this in full novel form. Maybe a start to a new series. At any rate I believe I've read everything Kevin Hearne has written and this goes along with his usual expect the unexpected in his stories. Simply fun and imaginative. Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for this fantastic read!

I really enjoyed this novella. The characters were well developed which is hard to do in short form. The story was fun. I’d love to see a sequel.

Heartwarming and very, very unusual. I don't know exactly what I was expecting from this novella, but it wasn't this. Not that that's a bad thing – it's just a very different read from The Iron Druid Chronicles, which is my only other experience with Kevin Hearne's writing. This is much more whimsical and lighthearted and way less violent … although, sadly, there are no telepathic Irish Wolfhounds in this one.

But, yeah, Mr. Fisher is totally awesome and adorable and I want him as my neighbor, like, immediately.

I don't even know how to review this book properly without spoiling things, but it's everything you're thinking it is from the Goodreads (or NetGalley) blurb and yet so much more.

My only complaint is that I wish it were longer – I would have loved a full-length novel (or even a slightly longer novella) about Mr. Fisher and Winnie Mae and Pax. And also, Kevin Hearne, in the unlikely event you're reading this and ever plan to come out with a sequel, it could totally use an Irish Wolfhound or two.

4.55 stars, rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.