New apartment. New sexy neighbor. What could go wrong?I’ve just signed a two-year lease on an apartment I can barely afford.My job hit a brick wall so I need the place to be perfect to help me get my life back on track. But the first night in, and I already know my neighbor isn’t going to make it easy on me.Tall, sexy, irresistible (and did I mention the British accent?), Shane Logan likes his … accent?), Shane Logan likes his loud activities…a lot. I can hear everything through the paper-thin walls. I’m about to tell him that in not-so-friendly terms when I realize he isn’t just sexy, he’s also friendly and eager to be of help.
His offer to do me a favor turns into two and three. Before I know it, he’s forced his way into my life with the tenacity of a whirlwind.
Soon it becomes clear Shane Logan has secrets. Plunged into the suspicions surrounding my neighbor, suddenly the only thing I can be sure of is that Shane is fiercely determined to hide the truth about himself.
Remember when I said the lease should have come with a warning?
Well, mine should also have come with a big, red, flashing signal.
Author Note: New apartment. New sexy neighbor. What could go wrong? Christian prodigal daughter meets sexy new neighbor. If you want to spend a little time away from reality, grab this one up! Full-length standalone! Rom-com with twists. Funny summer read! A feel good book! A hilarious and relatable summer read that will make you laugh out loud.
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Full review appeared at Reader’s Edyn on 6/21/20
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Shane … he’s difficult to explain because he isn’t exactly what he seems. He’s definitely guarding secrets and up until the end, they could be the worst sort imaginable. There is no way to tell if he’s mixed up in some evil plot or simply the nice guy he seems, unwillingly drawn into something he wanted no part of. It could literally be anything! His tendency to elude certain questions don’t help to stack up his redeeming character traits. The only thing you can really count of with Shane is what you can take at face value – and maybe not even that. What he appears to be is a super nice guy who just happens to be gorgeous and have a fantastic British accent. And he might have a rather rambunctious sex life. At least that’s how it sounds. But for some reason he seems to show up everywhere Samantha is. Literally. Everywhere. And only Shane knows why. It’s almost a bit creepy when you think about it. Rather than straight out asking him – which she wouldn’t anyway – Samantha conjures up all sorts of scenarios and writes them into her book. Her feelings are all over the place and his seem to be as well. One minute he’s the attentive neighbor offering assistance and the next he’s closed off and guarded. Does he even like Sam or is it an act of some sort to cover up whatever is really going on in that apartment? And what’s with the blonde who keeps showing up even though he’s adamant that he doesn’t have a girlfriend? One thing is for sure. Don’t count on discovering the truth until Shane is ready to reveal all.
The first thing I would like to draw attention to is the fact that this is a Christian romance. It’s sweet, it’s clean, it’s a little nutty, it’s only slightly preachy, it’s even got a miniscule amount of suspense tossed in. But it is a Christian romance no matter what way you slice it. If I am being honest, I am a bit miffed that this fact wasn’t disclosed up front. I like to know what I am reading prior to getting into it because there is nothing worse than reading a book and wondering what happened to the book you thought you were going to be reading. And you guys! I can’t tell you how many times I have seen a reviewer give books a 1-star review simply because it was inspirational and not classified as such. They didn’t even rate the book on its own merits, just that one piece of information. So, it is a mistake in my opinion for this book not to come out full disclosure. It’s going to tick some readers off for sure. Not that I don’t understand. With that label, it could also keep others from enjoying it that steered clear due only to the Christian tag. But a book is what it is. The pages don’t lie. If you choose to incorporate certain elements, then you’ve got to label it as such. My opinion. As far as the rating, I am all over the place. As a lover of smut, this book didn’t even come close to fulfilling my inner slut – maybe a 2 if I’m feeling generous. As a clean romance, and little to no heat, I would give it a solid 3 because it met the criteria for such. But as a Christian romance, I’d have to give it a 4. It wasn’t over the top, it was quirky, the characters were likeable, but it absolutely lacked the passionate element I crave. Why can’t you have passion and clean romance in a book? You can. This one just didn’t. Then I had to ask myself how I go about rating it. Do I rate it based on my own preferences? No. I would never do that to a book. I may have my preferences, but I read across several genres, so I tend to rate based on where I am reading at. Do I rate based on what this book claims to be even though it is not entirely accurate? Again, I would have to say no because I do not feel that is what this book truly is. Therefore, I am left with rating this book based on what it is in actuality. A Christian Romcom. So that is where my 4-wing rating comes from.
Despite my difficulty mentioned in the above paragraph, I ended up enjoying this book quite a lot. I did not know what the heck was going on and with the endless quirks of Samantha and her parents, I was unsure what would happen next. Samantha is a bit high strung, is an obsessive pet owner, and has an unhealthy addiction with Starbucks. To the point her dog recognizes the name when it is called out. Her parents are always seeking out that perfect guy for her and trying to play matchmaker – so imagine their glee when Shane enters the picture. And her mother cannot text to save her ever-loving life. Not even joking! One autocorrect mishap after another, with the woman none the wiser of her continual mistakes. It is rather hilarious. Yet at some point one must wonder why she never looks at her phone before hitting send. Honestly. As far as Shane’s secretive life, at one point I had conjured all sorts of possible Shane scenarios much like Samantha did throughout the book. Even their Pastor makes a few appearances, which seemed a bit off even after the explanations are given. There is just a lot going on and not much going on. If that even makes any sense. Probably the oddest detail is that Shane isn’t the slightest bit thrown by Samantha’s parents. He thinks they’re great. Although that probably should have been a red flag from the very beginning. She does finally get her book written but it doesn’t turn out as I had expected it would. The ending and epilogue are just a bit far-fetched as far as likelihood and everyone already on board for the direction headed while Samantha remains clueless … until she isn’t. But either way it works out like I knew it would with the HEA delivered with a cute bow. There are a few moments of heavy in the “come to Jesus” department, but it is done in a way that isn’t over the top. Rather, it’s more from a place of love and concern because her parents and Pastor recognize that she is lost so they try to nudge her in the right direction without being forceful. Her relationship with God, after all, is one she must make for herself. A bit contradictory given the meddling habits of her mother, but appropriate for these characters.
Overall, this book was not what I was expecting, but it ended up entertaining me. My biggest complaint, appropriate labels aside, was the fact that Shane is British and Samantha uses British terms on and off. Sure, her mother is British and she is likely used to some of them, but she is very much American without even a hint of her mother’s accent. I would have preferred that Shane stick to the terminology and Samantha’s character refrained from it. It threw me off at times because it would confuse me as to who was speaking when a word such as “bin” was tossed in. Yes, I know what was meant, but I seemed off when Samantha reverted to the vernacular and I only expected it from Shane. I was most engrossed with Samantha’s raging ability to come up with some of the most off the wall scenarios regarding Shane and his intentions toward her dog. The intensity is ramped up when it appears that her dog likes Shane even more than her. But some of the things she comes up with are borderline looney while still quite funny. With writing comes imagination and I find myself wondering if Ms. Davis had a particular inspiration for Samantha’s character. She reminds me of my friend with hypochondriac tendencies except Samantha is all about her own personal disasters. If it could happen, it would happen and if she can think it up then it is a very real possibility. And her parents? Let’s just say I have a bit of experience with some traits they possessed. *wink* If you are the kind of reader who enjoys clean romance and isn’t a huge fan of passionate moments, then this book will be your cup of tea. And as stated several times, this book contains a strong underlying current of religion. If that is not your style, then do this book a favor and steer clear because it is definitely a fair portion of the content. I wish there could have been a bit more passion because it wouldn’t have hurt the book at all. Initially it looked as though there could be, but it disappeared as quickly as it surfaced. For me, I did not mind the break from the smoking hot attraction I am more commonly accustomed to. But for those of you who seek it out and prefer it, you won’t find that here. Not even a little. Not that I am putting this story down in any way … I just want to be perfectly clear so that readers can make a fair assessment as to if this book would be a good fit for their reading pleasure. Having never experienced Ms. Davis’ work before, I am unable to say if this book is typical of her writing style. But the next time I need a break from the hot and heavy, you can bet she’s one I will go to. I also feel that I have a new author I can recommend in Ms. Davis to my friends and family who tend to be of the more delicate reading constitutions. Let’s just say that “smut” is nowhere in their vocabulary. I am glad to have discovered Ms. Davis. While she may not be for everyone, she will be for me on occasion, and several people I am acquainted with.
Kindle version provided by Author in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
This is the first time I have read a book by Kate Davis. I hadn’t realized this was a Christian heavy book. It didn’t make it bad but it definitely felt preachy to me at times and of course there was definitely a parable there. That’s not to say I disliked this story. Overall, the story was good.
Samantha is struggling in her journey. She is one of the sheep who has lost her flock. And her annoyingly handsome, new neighbor Shane isn’t helping matters. Shane ends up helping Samantha along the way but Shane is hiding something. Their attraction seems to be there but the timing is wrong when Shane has to head back to England.
Like i said, overall this story is good. You watch as Samantha slowly finds her way back into the fold. What happens between her and Shane? Well, you have to one-click to find out.
Neighbors and Favors is the first book by JC Reed’s pen name, Kate Davis. This is the first book I have read by this author and I sure it won’t be my last. The synopsis is awesome so I will make this fast.
Samantha is finding her way. She just moved out of her parents’ house and living in New York City in her very own apartment with her sassy dog, Sammy. Samantha is writing her first book and has a tight deadline, two weeks to turn in her rough draft. A rough draft of a book she has barely started. What isn’t helping is the banging from coming next door. Loud and annoying banging with some grunts mixed in. She isn’t the type to sit around and deal with it so she goes over to meet her neighbor. Turns out he is a sexy Brit who her dog wants to lick. Traitor.
Shane is new to the building as well and ever since he met Sam he wanted to get to know her. She is funny, feisty, and witty. She also has a cute little dog who needs to get out of the apartment so she can work so he offers to do it for her. For some reason she is hot and cold with him. Can he show her that she can trust him?
I enjoyed Shane and Samantha’s story. It’s funny, mysterious, and cute. If you are looking for a story that is sinful and sexy then this isn’t for you but if you want something light and fun you would like it. Like the author said, it has Christian beliefs. Part of Samantha’s journey is finding her faith again.
Quotes:
“Please don’t feign innocence because it comes across as stupidity.”
“Nonsense. Every trend can be broken and replaced with a new one. It’s a matter of creating demand for a product. You only have to believe in it.”