Two neighbors—strangers—with one thing in common—they share a fence.But is that the only thing they share?Nathan Fraser lives a solitary life, never letting anyone get too close. It’s safer that way.Kourtney Whyte hides from the world and behind her work, too afraid to really live her life to the fullest. Rejection is what she knows best.But one night, the sound of her soft voice and the … her soft voice and the tantalizing aroma of her evening meal, prove too enticing for Nathan to ignore.
So begins their unconventional relationship—talking, learning, texting, and gradually opening up to one another, all over the fence.
That is, until the day Nathan braves the high fence to protect Kourtney from her past, and changes everything forever.
Can they move forward together, without the buffer of the fence?
Or will their pasts prove to be too much of a barrier?
more
All Nathan and Kourtney needed was love and each other. She never felt an ounce of love until she let Nathan in. He needed to feel love because of his past. Together they found love and the need for each other. At times I was frustrated with Nathan for not telling Kourtney of his past, but it got to the point where he had no choice but to tell her. Together they are what entails love, true love and without each other they would be lost and floundering and feeling loveless.
New Review:
Head over heels for Over the Fence
I read this book on the recommendation of a friend.
WOW! I owe her a bottle of wine and some flowers!
This story starts out like a sweet slow burner, told first person from the Hero’s perspective.
Sweet, funny, and flirty.
Then Bam, like a string of firecrackers with a long fuse, it takes a minute for the action to start, but when it does, it is explosive and keeps right on popping until the end
I highly recommend this book to everyone.
So how this delightful story by Melanie Moreland somehow slipped through my fingers until now, I’ll never know, but thank goodness it has been rectified and I now know and love it wholeheartedly!
Nathan and Kourtney were sheer perfection. This story takes you on one HECK of an emotional rollercoaster ride of a journey and it was SO worth it!
Both half living, both with heavy burdens, both deserving of so much, of everything really, both with so much love to give.
I am SWOONING over Nathan and his demeanor, his antics, his compassion, his love, his passion, his dedication, everything about him really!
I am head over heels in love with Kourtney and her charm, her sweetness, her mad cooking skills, her compassion, her strength, everything about her really!
And together? Combustible. Their CHEMISTRY is FIRE and so so so so so unbelievably SHMEKSHAY. I’m still a little hot under the collar from it, especially because it was so clear that it all came from love, making it all the more beautiful and even more so, all the more special.
If you’re looking for a story that is going to gut punch you in the FEELS and then give you the biggest and most comforting bear hug, look no further than Over the Fence! I promise, it’ll be the best decision you make today!
Superb!
Nat and Kourtney are such an interesting couple, with the best meet-cute ever written! Top-notch writing and narration!
6 stars! Such a sweet story of two broken people coming together to heal each other!
I listened to the audio book. A lot of this book has Nathan and ChefGirl texting after becoming more familiar with each other. It came across very well in audio. I thought both the female and male narrators did an excellent job.
Normally, any character with the type of lack of confidence Kourtney had would be irritating. As Kourtney’s past is slowly revealed, it is a wonder she can crawl out of bed every day. I really felt for her. Especially after the whole leap across the fence incident.
I also had a lot of admiration for Nathan. Once he realized that he felt something more serious for Kourtney, he never strayed from his course. He was extremely patient. When Nathan finally revealed all of his baggage, I felt his pain as well.
I thought this book was full of emotion. I’m not sure how I would have felt reading it, but the audio book kept me full engaged. I thought their banter was witty. I was glad when Nathan and Kourtney reached their HEA. It was great when Nathan could put some of his demons to rest. I was also really surprised by the epilogue. I appreciated it but was surprised.
I would recommend the audio version of this book. A definite 4.5 star listen.
Really sweet.
Another one of my favorites. I loved that the two neighbors didn’t see each other but talked to each other between their fence. To me it was a unique story. Instant keeper.
This is the second book by this Author that I have read, when I read the first one I went looking for more by her and this is the one I chose. What a beautiful story. Nathan Fraser lives a solitary life one night he is out on his deck when he smells a really good smell of a BBQ cooking the food his new neighbor is preparing, he is trying to chock down a rotten meat and stale bread sandwich he lets out a groan and asks what is being cooked. Nat and Kourtney Whyte/Chefgirl start talking and she puts a plate on the top of the fence for him so he can have supper also, thus starts the fence friendship of the two of them and her always feeding him. They have not meet face to face but he has held her hand as she hands him his supper one night. Nat buys a ladder to be able to see her better when he is getting the supper she sends over. But before he can do that he hears something he does not like coming from her home and he rushes to Chefgirl’s side, only to find out the man attacking her is her brother. Nat will not let her stay alone that night. Thus begins their romance. But Nat is hiding something from her will she still want him when she finds out about it. I read this book through KU and I am voluntarily reviewing. I recommend this book.
Here is my review of the amazing story of two souls that finally get their chance at love.
YouTube link- https://youtu.be/O8o9wfIVjCs
I really enjoyed this book. I loved that Kourtney and Nat established a relationship before they even met face to face. There were some slow parts but all in all a great read.
OVER THE FENCE
by Melanie Moreland
3.5
Available now
Over the fence is a slow-burn, friends to lovers romance.
Nathan and Kourtney are neighbours that share a fence. Both with demons from thier past they find friendship through food, laughter and friendly banter. Though for more than half the book they have yet to meet face to face.
“This fence kind of symbolizes a lot of us…it’s a part of our history.”
Nat and Kourtney find themselves falling for each other before any physical contact is made. I loved that their initial attraction wasn’t based on how one looked but the personality.
“I knew you’d be beautiful when you laughed. But I didn’t know how beautiful.”
It was sweet and real. It was like watching someone you know, the relationship progressing at a realistic speed.
This is definitely a feel-good, sweet, very realistic type of story. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. Thanks Melanie for providing me a copy to review for the cover re-release.
I love a different approach to romance, and this book has that. Nat and Kourtney do not meet cute as much as they meet unique, over a shared fence. Because they get to know each other without getting caught up in appearances, they obtain true understanding of each other, which leads to recognition of kindred spirits. There is just enough conflict to make the plot interesting without being overly-dramatic (although I would have liked a more satisfying resolution with Kourtney’s family). But the story between the two grows slowly, allowing the reader to share the growth of feelings. Bonus points for the clever Epilogue that puts the finishing touches on the story. This was definitely a 5-star read, and I know I will be re-reading it in the future. I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I always wanted to read this story. I took the time and I was far from being disappointed. This 5 star had me addicted from the beginning.
Nat is sitting alone in his backyard when he smells his neighbors cooking. He groans and she offers him some food. So what started like a transaction of food over the fence, developed into something more. They get to know each other without seeing each other.
I found this storyline quite unique and highly intriguing. I have never read quite anything like that. I was hooked from the first page read to the last one. I basically devoured this story. I was impatient to know how all this would play itself out.
Beautifully written with a seamless plot that flowed well. A storyline very well executed with characters that I enjoyed immensely. Bottomline is this is a must read.
Standalone told primarily in Nate’s POV. It does have a promised HEA. I strongly recommend this story.
This book was so beautiful. I’m so glad I got to read it because I so loved it.
Loved everything about this book. The banter between Nathan and Kourtney was what I most loved about this book.
The story was so emotional about 2 people that went through so much in their young life. They just wanted to be loved.
Nathan and Kourtney are neighbors who only meet at each side of their fence. They never met but start a friendship and slowly they get interested in each other.
Poor Kourtney omg I wanted to hug her. She went through so much her whole life and she was so strong and sweet.
And Nathan, love him. His humor and how he slowly made Kourtney come out of her shell. Loved it.
And the epilogue was so good and unique.
5 stars
Ms Moreland is fast becoming a go to author for me and Over the Fence is an example of why.
Told primarily from the male POV (a refreshing change) this is a sweet story about two wounded people coming together in an unexpected way.
Nathan and Kourtney are neighbors who share a fence too tall to see over. It was fun watching them get to know each other through brief interactions that gradually turned into a friendship and then more. I loved that both of them had the natural instincts to take care of the other even when they didn’t really know each other.
Over the Fence also touches on a couple of sensitive subjects and the aftermath of them. I appreciated how Nathan helped Kourtney peel back the layers and help to heal live long wounds and how she returned the favor by giving him the confidence to embrace his life again.
There is a relatively small secondary cast, but they do help us understand both Nathan and Kourtney a little better. Another very cute and unique aspect of this book was the “epilogue.” Instead of a true written piece is was a series of text messages between Nathan and Kourtney that showcased their life after the end of the story. Given the role technology played in their relationship, this was a clever way to wrap up their happily ever after.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.
This review is part review of the book and part Thank You to author Melanie Moreland. I’ll start with the book, Over The Fence is absolutely beautiful. The story is sweet, romantic, heartbraking at times, funny, witty and well written. This book Touch my life in a way I cannot put into words, Over The Fence is now one of my favorite books, and it will stay with me for a long time. In a society of body shaming, selfies and judging each other on the surface, it’s so good to read a book where the story is based on the characters of the hero and heroine and not by their appearances.
Although Over The Fence by Melanie Moreland has been out for a while, this is the first time I’ve read it, and I wasn’t surprised by how good it was. I haven’t read anything I didn’t like by this author. Melanie has a way with words, even when they are hard, and hurtful, she takes them and moulds them into something wonderful.
For a story that started as simply as this did, it had a lot more angst than I would have expected. Kourtney had a horrible childhood which has followed her into adulthood and has blinkered her in a way.
But, when she moves into a new neighborhood, she makes friends with the man living next door.
Nathan has been on his own for a while, not really caring about life or himself until he steps outside into his backyard one day and catches the tasty aromas emanating from his next door neighbor’s house. But, Kourtney is so shy thanks to her childhood trauma she refuses to let him see her.
Gradually as time progresses, Nathan draws Kourtney out of her protective shell and into the light of his admiration and attraction. Watching these two characters grow from strength to strength within each other’s arms was a pleasure and a delight to read. It’s a lovely, warm and tender story that will make you smile as much as you cry.
Rating 4.5 Stars
Over the Fence is my very first book by Melanie Moreland. Right here in the beginning of this review, though, I can honestly say that it won’t be my last.
Do you think you could fall for someone just by hearing their voice? Not ever seeing what they look like? Nathan Fraser, self proclaimed best IT guy ever, lived a very solitary life. He kept it that way, it was easier. Nathan had secrets, a darkness in his past he preferred to keep to himself. He lived his life with no strings, no attachments. That way he couldn’t get hurt. He existed pretty much on frozen dinners or take out, and beer, lots of beer.
Nathan knew his previous neighbor had sold the townhouse and moved but it didn’t affect him since he barely had ever even spoken to him. He was vaguely aware that someone new had moved in but he had no idea who it was. Then, while he was sitting outside one evening, feeling a bit lower than usual, he heard someone next door and smelled the most mouth watering aromas he could ever remember. But he couldn’t see since there was a tall privacy fence separating the yards. Then he heard her voice, a beautiful, soft, melodic voice that woke something in him that had long been asleep. After they began speaking through the fence, she did something shocking, she placed a plate of food for Nathan on the top of the fence! She shared her meal with him, the first home cooking he had tasted in years. And a friendship was born.
Kourtney Whyte is a medical researcher with a PHD in front of her name. Kourtney is painfully shy, seeing herself as she was told that she was all her life, as fat, as unattractive, as worthless, as nothing. Her life was filled with emptiness. She kept herself separate from her co-workers, never socializing. On the night that her neighbor began talking to her through the fence, it was difficult for her to even speak with him, even though she knew he couldn’t see her. But she sensed something in him that they shared, loneliness. He was also obviously hungry. That was something she could easily do something about, so she shared her meal with him.
“I like that.”
“Like what?”
“Your laugh.”
“My laugh?”
“It’s like unexpected sunshine on a dark cloudy day, Kourtney.”
A friendship was quickly formed, a bond, through food and laughter. Nathan found himself rushing home so he could go to his back yard to see if she was outside yet. She fed him every night and he found himself drinking less and less beer. He didn’t seem to need it as much to quiet his loud thoughts. She did that.
“I wanted more. She made me want so much more and if I was being honest, I already felt so much more. But would she allow it to change?”
Their friendship progressed from through the fence, to texts. But still, they had not seen each other, until Kourtney’s past came back to haunt her, and Nathan came to the rescue. Now that they were face to face, would Kourtney allow him to stay, or would she reject him?
“Kourtney – she entered my life so quietly, yet had such a profound impact on it, that she had become as necessary to me as breathing.”
I enjoyed this so much. I found myself thinking about them in between the times I was reading, going about my day. They would just pop into my head. Both had secrets, painful pasts. They were like the missing parts to each other. Nathan was the strength she needed to see herself as he saw her, as a beautiful, strong woman. Kourtney was the healing balm Nathan needed to finally forgive himself and move on. She did so much more than feed him, she nourished his heart and soul, he felt peaceful with her. This is one of those books that stays with you. Could you fall in love just by hearing someone’s voice, by getting to know their heart before you ever saw their face? I will definitely be reading more of this author’s books. I can’t wait to see what comes next for her.
Over a The Fence by Melanie Moreland is one of those storylines that sneaks up and grabs you!
I loved the banter and the chemistry between Nat and Kourtney (aka Chefgirl).
And I love that Nat wouldn’t give up, and helped Kourtney face her own fears, while growing as a person on his own as well.
This is definitely a book that will have you cuddling into the couch and diving in!
5 Stars