Since Carli Lancaster’s divorce, she’s worked hard to keep life as normal as possible for her daughters. When she lands a job as cohost of a local morning show, it looks like a fresh start. So does the arrival of a handsome new neighbor, who has more in common with Carli than just a property line.
Ben Chase is also new to single parenthood. And like Carli, he’s focused on the future.
From navigating neighborhood gossip to decorating for holidays to reaching out in times of trouble, they quickly learn to rely on each other. Just like a couple but without the complications of coupling! Sure, there’s attraction. They’re only human. But they’re also friends, and who wants to ruin a perfect relationship with romance?
They’re both thinking about adding some perks, though, and even if their new normal isn’t perfect, it’s definitely somewhere in the neighborhood.
Release Date: Jun 9, 2020
Heat Level: Hot
Publisher: Amazon Publishing
Imprint: Montlake
Price: $5.99
Divorced single mother, Carli, is trying to adjust to her new normal with her teenage daughters. She takes a new job which should be a great new beginning for her. Her new neighbor, Ben, is also seeking a new beginning. He is also a newly divorced single father.
I’m always on the hunt for romances with older characters instead of the usual twenty something year old. So I was happy to know that Carli is in her forties. It is sort a second chance at romance and life.
I don’t mind clean romances but I do enjoy a buildup. This one took so long for the build up to occur which smothers out the romantic fizzle I get whenever I read romance novels. Definitely would box it in under contemporary women’s fiction because the story focuses heavily on Carli and her rediscovery process. The romance is very minor.
There is no sex in this story. The kiss happens towards the end which further makes it hard to connect with this as a romance. I guess that is to be expected since Ben and Carli take us through a long friendship journey. He is even involved with someone else at one point during the story. If the author would have taken the time to devolve the romance more it would have been higher rated.
Overall, this is a mediocre story which is pretty forgettable once it is over.
~ Samantha