It’s gay and it slaps! My penchant for queer romance has led me to read a lot of just okay books, but every so often I hit a gem. Girl Next Door is one of those gems. The premise is fantastic: M.C. 's best friend Joe, a culture writer, discovers that the anonymously-published bestselling book “Girl Next Door” is essentially a direct retelling of their high school years with M.C. 's analog starring as the love interest opposite her real-life neighbor Nora. The kicker? Nora and M.C. never dated. According to M.C., they were barely acquaintances. Joe, desperately looking for the big story that will save his career, begs M.C. to return to their small town and get the scoop on Nora so that he can reveal her identity for clicks. This reconnaissance mission goes awry when M.C. finds herself catching real feelings for Nora.

All of the characters in Girl Next Door felt incredibly real. Our main love interests and the supporting cast all had history and the relationships between them were complicated and messy. Girl Next Door doesn’t just explore a burgeoning romance – it also explores the complexity of sibling relationships and the lack of direction that comes from being in your mid-twenties.