The Other Guy: A Textdoor Neighbor Romance

I couldn’t finish this book, Jack is 33 years old, a bored business owner and is responding to texts from women who’ve been given his number by a one night stand. (Atext door neighbor- a new term for me) Sierra is a whacky 27 year old free spirit in a dead end relationship that she quits on about a third of the way thru the book. The couple have a meet cute and a surprise/coincidence that seem too far fetched to me and I’m a romance reader! The writing is great, and the author does a great job with dialogue and character building but this one fell flat for me.

5 Stars
Review by Elizabeth
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night with Books Blog

Omg! Best. Jennifer. Book. EVER!

Sierra is hands down the most hilarious character I have read in a long while. She is down to earth and deserves way better than what she has right now. When her path intercepts with Jack’s her life is going to change drastically and she has no idea.

Jack is content with his life and when starts receiving text messages from women he has never met, he starts to wonder what is happening. Eventually, he puts two and two together and does his best to let the women down gently. However, some of the ladies do not see it that way.

Jack and Sierra are so different that it makes them the perfect couple. Their chemistry is off the charts but that does not mean everything. I would call this book a Friends to Lovers romance with a dash of Rom-Com. Jennifer has created another wonderful book to go with all the ones she has already. Being able to connect with characters is something that makes the book for me. Aside from that, the book is an amazing read and one that I will most definitely be rereading many times in the future.

Fans will remember Jack from A Better Place and I remember him and loved who he was when he was younger so I’m was so excited to see him get a book and it was worth the wait. It was funny and Jack was sweet. Just like I knew he would be. Sierra was very outgoing and I loved it. She kept Jack on his toes and I laughed a big portion of this book because of her and her antics. She had her own issues to deal with in this book but I really loved her personality. The plot was addictive, light in drama and kept me hooked from the start. I won’t give spoilers but I really liked this book. 4 stars #2OCCJD

Jen did it again!! This book was a lighthearted, feel good book. I love how it is intertwined with her other books. James is my new favorite man. If you want something quick and fun to read pick this book up…you won’t be disappointed,

I freaking loved this book so much! Jack and Sierra were perfect for each other, complimenting each others personality and giving us a wonderful story. The chemistry between them is unmistakable. Sierra is so sassy, sarcastic, beautiful and hilariously funny. Jack is sweet, sexy, funny and even though he let being the “textdoor neighbor ” go a bit too long, he was an all around great guy. Their friendship turns to romance with humor, plenty of steam, love, and an HEA.

Jack is content to have one night stands until he meets his next door neighbor Sierra. Sierra has a boyfriend so she’s friends with Jack at first. Once the boyfriend is gone, the two become closer and so much more than friends. Jack is finding out he may be ready to settle down thanks to Sierra. A cute, sweet read.

New from Jennifer Van Wyk!

I’m The Other Guy.

No, it’s not what you’re thinking so calm down. And yes, I just dared to say the words “calm down”.

He’s the guy your mama warned you about.

I just so happened to be his number neighbor.

Yeah, you read that right.

I’m the Textdoor Neighbor to the guy having one night stands with seemingly the entire town.

And I’m the lucky one who gets to “break up” with his not so lucky conquests.

Turns out, breaking up with most of them wasn’t as hard as I’d expected it to be.

Until she came along.

I was content living my boring life, running a boxing gym and going home to an empty house.

She made me realize that maybe being content isn’t enough.

I’m Jack Cole.

And this is the story about how I became… the other guy.

Another sweet, heartfelt, fun and functional romance from Jennifer Van Wyk! This author is my happy place – I love her stories, I love her writing, and damn, but I love her heroes! I can always be guaranteed an angst-free love story that will leave me with a smile on my face and that’s exactly what I got with this book. I loved it!

This is Jack’s story. Fans of JVW will remember Jack as the son of Carly from A Better Place – an absolute sweetheart as a teenager, and now we get to see him all grown up and melting hearts as an adult. This book can be read as a standalone but beware that it ties in to ALL of JVW’s other standalones and there is character crossover. As a long-time fan, I loved seeing everybody again and enjoyed some fantastic developments and twists in the stories of previous characters. Newbies will most likely be lost trying to figure out how everybody fits together, but the full cast of extended family have little impact on the overall story, so you’ll be fine.

Anyway, this is Jack’s story. Jack is now in his 30s, running his own boxing gym and living a happy life. He doesn’t have much of a social life outside of his family, but he has recently been the recipient of dozens of texts from random women. It seems that Jack’s ‘textdoor neighbor’ (the person with one digit difference in phone numbers) is giving out Jack’s number as his own in an attempt to brush off his one night stands. And, frustratingly, it’s up to Jack to break the news to the these scorned women… occasionally after some entertaining banter and flirting himself.

(Going into this book, I didn’t even realise that ‘Number Neighbors’ were a thing, but apparently it’s a social thing where you make contact with the person with one number up and down from you, as they are your ‘number neighbor’. Consider me educated!)

Things in Jack’s life take a turn when he meets Sierra who, in all of her wild quirkiness, blows into his life like a storm.

“Is there a way to be endearingly insane? Apparently so, because she is. In the way that makes people want to be around her. Want to be a little crazy as well. She brings a certain something to life that only people truly confident in themselves can bring. And unless you’re lucky enough to be around her, spend time with her, you’ll never realize it – she – was missing in your own life.”

I love Sierra! Smart, sassy and independent, she is a fantastically unique character who says it like it is and who holds nothing back. She’s brave and bold, but she has some vulnerabilities, and she’s an absolute delight in this story from start to finish.

A fast friendship forms which very quickly turns into attraction. There’s the usual longing, flirting and teasing, and it’s all so much fun. Sierra is going through some stuff, so it takes them a little bit to get to a point where they can get romantic, but in builds fantastic sexual tension and chemistry as we watch them dance around each other, and once they get there, holy hot damn, these two are on fire! Sexy and playful, these two are so much fun together, and so much more than just mad lust, and they form a deep connection which is explored really well.

They get to know each other intimately, they have a strong influence on each other’s lives, and they really do complement each other. It’s beautiful to watch, and I loved the lack of game playing and angst as they laid it all out and just followed their hearts.

“This feels…different. And it scares me. I’ve never had this before and I don’t know what it means. But it’s terrifying how–”
“Right it feels?” I answer for her, interrupting her. She nods in agreement.
“Yeah.”

It’s not all smooth sailing, and they have issues they need to address, but they deal and they keep moving forward, and I loved that so much!

As I said, there is quite a bit of character crossover with JVW’s previous books, and I particularly loved James’ involvement. I fell in love with Jack’s step-dad when he was the hero of his own book, and I loved seeing how strong his relationship is with Jack. Family plays a big part in JVW’s books, and she writes it so well. The dynamics are fantastic, and it was gorgeous seeing Sierra with her own family, as well as bring brought into the fold.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s sweet, fun and sexy, and an easy read that left me feeling all fluffy.

4 stars.

Wow, Wow, Wow. I have been waiting for someone to write a book like this for a long time and Jennifer did not disappoint. I loved the engaging storyline, the relatable characters and the off the charts chemistry in this book. Sierra is one of those characters who you wish you could be best friends with in real life. I loved how she was unapologetic about who she was and how she was such a free spirit. Jack for his part was such a gentleman and so down to earth. He really proved that nice guys finish first sometimes. Plus I loved getting to catch up with all of my favourite characters from past Jennifer’s past books. This book can be read as a standalone and is one of my favourite books of the year!

Do you remember Jack from JVW’s book, A Better Place? Now we get to see him all grown up, and wow, what a man he has become! I love how Jennifer’s books are interconnected and I get to see more of the characters I’ve come to know and love.

Jack is getting someone else’s text messages, and not by accident! When some guy is giving out his number to women after one night stands, Jack ends up dealing with the aftermath.

When he meets Sierra, they bond over his text messaging fiasco, and he initially finds her to be like an annoying sister, but then he starts to notice how beautiful, how fun, and how sexy she is.

Jack and Sierra are a very hot, yet goofy and fun couple…they’re perfect for each other! There’s quite the unexpected and entertaining twist, plus the banter and the antics, which made this book laugh out loud funny and an incredibly enjoyable escape.