After years of hustling, Collins Carter has finally made it…back to her parents’ house. Between tending to the compost with her newly retired dad and running into her high school nemesis at the only decent coffee shop in town, Collins realizes this subdivision from hell she swore she’d never return to is her rock bottom.
Then the homeowner’s association complaint arrived.
Nathaniel Adams always dreamed of a nice, quiet life in his suburban hometown. Or at least that’s what he thought until Collins moved back and sent his quaint, organized life into a tailspin. He thought Collins was infuriating ten years ago, but when she announces she’s running against him for HOA president, all bets are off.
From secret board meetings to vicious smear campaigns whispered over backyard fences, Collins and Nate sink to levels their sleepy suburb has never seen before. But as hate turns into lust, these two enemies are forced to reckon with the feelings they’ve ignored for years. If only there were bylaws for real life.
Release Date: Nov 14, 2023
Heat Level: Hot
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley
Price: $9.99
Collins Carter has officially moved back home after a bad breakup and a string of bad luck. She is fine with trying to bounce back into her childhood home until she runs into her former archnemesis, Nathaniel Adams. The hate goes way back for them, and it doesn’t seem to fade as they both decide to run for HOA.
Collins and Nathaniel used to be best friends years ago when they were in high school. He ghosted her and started to hang out with the more popular kids, which hurt Collins. They have become on the opposing side ever since then. Now that Nathaniel is back, he still presents himself as the cool person in town, the hotshot real estate agent.
One thing for certain, Mr. Martin knows how to write an entertaining story. She has perfected the craft of believable, well-written, and humorous romances. Next-Door Nemesis is no different from the other winners by Ms. Martin.
I love the frenemies-to-lovers vibe, as usual. However, Collins acted a bit premature for the majority of the book. If the writing style and the overall story arc had not been entertaining, it would have been a huge deterrent for me. She reminded me of someone nearly a decade younger than she actually was.
Nate, on the other hand, is very cold throughout the book. I thought he was full of himself, which made it hard to relate. It would have been nice to have dual POVs so the romantic bond would have been stronger.
I love the friendships and relationships that the main characters developed with the secondary characters. Collins definitely showed her more mature side whenever she was with her girlfriends.
Overall, this is a sweet contemporary romance for fans who like a little bit of rivalry and bickering with their heat.
~ Samantha
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