A very emotional story about rediscovering ourselves after going through trauma. Also about starting over fresh and how new starts can bring us what we never thought we'd have.

The authors' voice was very clear and it was like you were next to her listening to a journey, of someone as if you'd call them your friend.

I enjoyed reading Unlikely Neighbors so much! I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. I couldn't put my kindle down until I was finishing reading. This book gave me all that I need in romance and some light hearted moments.

This was a quaint read.

I liked how it felt like a small town read, even though it was based in NY. Maybe it's becuase she's from a small town in the south, but it still felt a lot closer knit than some other novels based in NY. I think that Holly's character got there in the end. At the beginning there was a lot of telling as to what was happening, and I wanted her to have more of a reaction, but her character got there in the end. I also wanted Noble's reaction to him loosing his position to be a bit more impactful.

Otherwise it was a cute romance. Audiobook was good, narrators did a good job.

Thank you to Harlequin Audio, Harlequin Romance and Netgalley for an early copy.

DNF at 31%. I like the ideas here, but I just wasn’t grabbed by the characters. I didn’t feel a spark between them that compelled me to continue.

This is a heartfelt and steamy romance that blends emotional depth with undeniable chemistry. When Holland Davenport unexpectedly inherits a run-down Brooklyn brownstone, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery while clashing—and connecting—with her polished and magnetic neighbor, Noble Washington. Their attraction is instant yet layered with personal challenges, making their romance both passionate and meaningful. The vibrant Brooklyn setting enhances the story, creating a rich backdrop for Holland’s fresh start. With its perfect mix of tension, tenderness, and self-growth, this novel is a captivating read that stays with you long after the last page.

This was my first read by the author and I am looking forward to reading more. I really enjoyed the MMC and FMC, I think their chemistry jumps off the pages and I was so impressed that I am going to purchase the hard copy once it's available in stores.

3.5 🌟
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.
This book took me longer than expected to get through. While I enjoyed it, I was also left wanting more.

Holland is a small town Southern girl, adopted at a young age she sets out to find her biological family. They find her but in the form of an inheritance, she travels to NYC to settle her great aunts estate and hopefully learn more about her family and figure out who she is.
In NYC she meets Noble her handsome and charming next door neighbor. Recently unemployed after starting a company from the ground up, he has his own family things to work on but Holland helps him find that their is more to life than work and makes him want to live life for enjoyment.
While going through her aunt’s belongings and journals she discovers pieces of her past coming together, feeling connected in a way she never has but what she discovers seems like its too much and might break apart all that she’s known.
With Noble’s help she finds herself, and chooses to stay in NYC, which leads her to whole new discoveries about her past.

I loved the idea of the story but was left wanting more, especially from her Aunt’s journals, did she find out where Holland was before she passed or did the lawyers find her after she passed as part of her will.
I wanted a bit more about her Dad while that wasn’t the focus of the story I am glad that she got that piece of the puzzle too.

It was enjoyable but just not enough humph for me.

Also for those that question the spice content, it was there, not closed door but definitely not fully explicit detail either, it was done nicely that you wouldn’t have to skip if you didn’t like spice.

Final rating: 3.75

Cute romance centering 2 people going through big life transformations and trying to figure everything out.

I love how supportive Noble was to Holland and, frankly, how down bad he was over her. He didn't pretend to be too cool to pursue her.

My only issue here is that the whole storyline with Holland's birth mom/family brought a lot of extra stuff into the story overall and overshadowed the romance and it all wrapped up a bit too neatly & too quickly in my opinion.

I think just focusing on two adults trying to navigate career changes and balance life would have been enough.

I couldn't get into Unlikely Neighbors. There were a few things that led to my DNF. I wasn't enthralled by Holland and Noble. I just didn't feel connected to their characters or relationship. Holland and Noble had a lot going on and it felt like the author was throwing too much at us. I think this book would have more depth if there were less things happening. I wasn't drawn into Holland and Noble's relationship. I didn't really feel the chemistry between them. Overall, I just couldn't get into this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin for the ARC.

City boy meets small town girl. Love next door. Family secrets. I thought this book was going to be all cutesy and romcomy, and it was, but it also had depth. Holland and Noble are both facing life changing challenges when they meet, and they find comfort in each other. I think we all know where it heads. What you don't see coming is the family secrets Holland discovers. I appreciated the author giving both Holland and Noble space to grow independently. The character growth was exactly what it needed to be. The story overall is lighthearted and warming, well written, and was a fun read.

Holland & Noble….what an intense connection from the very minute that they laid eyes on each other!! What a great book, a fantastic story it was hard to put it down & I didn’t want it to end!!! Thank you Renee Daniel Flagler for such an amazing read!

3.5 out of 5 stars for me!

I mean this is the most loving way, but I definitely thought it was going to be spicier. I was expecting it to be mostly sex with a sprinkle of a plot, but this book is not that! There's definitely a pretty good plot filled with young adults finding themselves, family drama, found family, and more! This was just an ok read for me, nothing was too exciting, and I was not overly invested in either Holland's or Noble's family (or work) drama. Their romance was sweet enough for me to want to keep reading. There's a lot crammed into the last like 35% of the book, which I felt like could've been really nicely flushed out, without feeling rushed.

My one sentence summary: Noble and Holland both are set on a path of finding themselves as they navigate separate challenging situations, and somehow, someway those paths lead right into each other (and each other's beds).

I would recommend this book to someone who likes a book with a decent spice to plot ratio, who loves some family drama! Sub tropes include he falls first, guy next door, & insta-love. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy - it was cute!

Amazing sexy romance with the right amount of spice and emotional damage to my heart.

Loved it!!

Thanks netgalley for the ARC

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and it only took a few days to read. I think this is going to be a good book club option for several clubs. I plan recommending to my book friends and I look forward to reading more by this author.

Unlikely Neighbors presents itself as a thoughtful piece of literary fiction infused with romantic elements. While the romance is present, it seems to take a back seat to the exploration of the personal challenges faced by both Holland and Noble, which adds depth to the narrative.

Holland:
Her journey of discovering her biological family after unexpectedly inheriting a brownstone from her great-aunt is quite compelling. I found her ability to be forgiving toward her adoptive to be admirable especially given her mother's attitude. It raises interesting questions about family dynamics, acceptance and forgiveness.

Noble:
He struggles with unemployment and seeks to rebuild his relationship with his estranged father, all while dealing with feelings of being unwanted and undervalued. Throughout much of the story, I found myself questioning his mentor, Tim. A clearer explanation of Noble's ousting from his own company would have strengthened the plot, as it seemed like a throwaway element that was added without sufficient context.

The inclusion of both characters’ perspectives is a strong element of the story. Holland and Noble’s connection seemed rooted in more than just mutual attraction; there’s a shared sense of need and belonging that brings them together. Their romance progresses quickly, providing an initial distraction that feels natural within the narrative.

The steady pacing of the story effectively supports the swift development of their relationship, and the author maintains reader engagement with ongoing drama. Overall, this was an enjoyable and thought-provoking read that successfully weaves together personal growth and romance.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

While this was a quick read, this is not a light and fluffy romance. They were a lot grief and some drama in there as well but I also felt like something was missing at the same time.
Holland (fmc) inherits her great aunt brown stone and is finding more about herself and discovering some family secrets a long the way.

Noble (mmc) is pushed out of is ceo position from a company he has started from scratched and is in search for who he is afterwards. He is also Holland's new neighbor.

3.25 stars

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy. All thoughts are my own.

This book was so much more than a typical romance. I wasn't expecting it to deal with so many heavy and emotional topics. At it's heart it was a love story, but the romance almost took a backseat to all of the other events that happened.

I loved that the book was told from dual POV. I always enjoy getting both perspectives, and it worked especially well for this book since both Noble and Holland had so much going on in their personal and professional lives.

Holland had to deal with so much upheaval. First, moving away from her adoptive family, discovering secrets about her biological family, inheriting a beautiful old brownstone, and falling for her new neighbor. I felt like the author did a wonderful job letting us see how challenging it was for Holland to grapple with all of those things happening at once.

Noble, who was a prominent CEO for the company he started from scratch, all of a sudden was dealing with unemployment and feeling lost. When Holland showed up, she was the perfect distraction for him. But he still struggled to figure out who he was and his place in the world without his company. On top of that, his estranged father was dealing with significant health issues and Noble had to decide whether or not to let him back in his life.

With all of the things that were thrown their way, it seemed that building a relationship wasn't necessarily top priority for Holland and Noble. But I liked seeing how the author weaved their lives together as they worked separately to deal with all of the other aspects of their life.

At times it almost felt like there was too much going on in the book, but it was never confusing and the writing style flowed well. While I wouldn't consider it a grand romance that made me swoon and kick my feet, it was definitely realistic and I recommend it for anyone who likes more depth with their love stories.

✨ Unlikely Neighbors by Renee Daniel Flagler ✨

Despite being incredibly busy this week, I somehow managed to finish this book in less than 48 hours—a true testament to how good it is.

When Holland unexpectedly inherits a Brooklyn brownstone from a relative she didn’t even know existed, she puts things on hold and travels to New York, intending to stay only long enough to clean out the house and put it on the market. Instead, she’s greeted with a treasure trove of family secrets and a very, VERY attractive neighbor named Noble. Noble and Holland are each individually going through major life upheavals, but in the end, they learn that life is easier to navigate together.

Thank you Harlequin for this DELIGHTFUL advance read! Unlikely Neighbors is out on April 1.

Increasingly niche things I love in this book:
🤫Family secrets
🥘Extremely good cooking
🛍️Shopping spree!!
🚗Car playlists
🎨Murals

I picked this up on a whim and sadly didn't love it. There was a lot of insta love, some heavy family drama (a dying father, adopted family vs biological parent mystery), grief, loss and starting over. It was steamy and emotional but yet still felt a bit too surface level for me? I don't know what it was exactly but it was a quick listen, the narrators did a good job too but this one just didn't grab me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio and digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Oh this was a cute and quick read. The main characters are brownstone neighbors that meet while the fmc is grieving and trying to find out more about her birth parents. The fmc is adopted and found letters by her grandmother and is trying to piece together more about them after a cancer scare. The mmc is her neighbor and he is a smart CEO that is just ousted by the board which leads him to trying to figure out his next move. There is instant attraction between the main characters thought they don’t get together immediately. As they get to know each other they later get together and it’s steamy 🔥. I really liked the romance and the other plots regarding grief, career change, reconciliation and family. Definitely recommend, thanks to harlequin for this arc for an honest review.

Read for:
- Black Romance
- Opposites attracts
- Steamy scenes
-Family and belonging themes
- CEO mmc