NEIGHBORS
by STYLO FANTÔME
1. Give you a cup of sugar
2. Let you borrow his lawnmower
3. Water your plants while you're on vacation
4. Make your eyes roll back in your head with his tongue
Katya Tocci has never paid much attention to who lives next door - her career always kept her too busy. She's a good girl, working her way to becoming the most sought after cake designer in all of San Francisco.
But even a good girl's gotta cut loose once in a while, right? So one fake dating profile later, and she's ready to tarnish her squeaky clean image. Little does she know, her fun time is closer to home than she ever imagined.
Throw in a neighbor who wants to corrupt her, and another who just wants to own her, and her entire world is flipped upside down.
Who knew neighbors could be so helpful?
REVIEW: On the Fence But Some Very Interesting Stars
I'm invested and I need to know what happens!! This was my first book by Stylo Fantôme and I was impressed with her storyline and the twists involved in this one....however, I am on the fence as to how to rate this. I went back and forth on this one. I will be honest and say that I almost quit this book three times. 13% and I was wondering what I was reading. I was nitpicking everything I read and I hate when I do that. But then I made it to 21% and figured I could give it a little more push...a fair shake, ya know? Next thing I knew, I was at 59% and the book was finally picking up and I was actually enjoying it. Far in, but I wasn't giving up after being invested that far into a book. I still nitpicked until the end, but the actual storyline really made me want to find out what happened.
Some of the good points that stuck out for me:
◆ The story showed a woman coming out of her shell, learning to grow and become a little more carefree.
◆ The story showed a guy that gave a girl a chance where he judged her based on how she dressed, not who she was on the inside.
◆ The story showed a guy that had walls around his heart learn to break free of them and learn that his heart is able to love.
◆ HOT. This book was hot and I did enjoy some parts of it.
◆ TRIANGLE....need I say more? I *love* triangles. Immediate read for me based on that alone.
◆ That EPIC cliffhanger. Why would I EVER admit that when I actually don't enjoy cliffies when the next book isn't out? Because it was just that good. The buildup to the end was really good in some areas.
Those are GREAT points....they really worked well for the story. Having said that, I need to explain why I am on the fence on how to rate this.
◆ I felt the chemistry between the characters felt EXTREMELY forced at some points. It actually ended up working really well for them in the end though, so the buildup was hard to follow, but the ending worked.
◆ The third person writing didn't really work for me. It was all over the place in some areas, so I had to reread a few parts to follow what was going on. I have read third many times, and while it isn't my favorite POV to read in, it can work when written well.
◆ Some of the actions done....did NOT speak to me. Like, at all.
◆ We were in Katya's head a lot. A LOT.
This is a triangle, and this was the biggest draw for me because I love triangles. That part, the emotions at the end, were ON POINT!!! That cliffhanger was one of the BEST cliffhangers I have ever read and actually smiled at. Seriously smiled at because I definitely can't wait to read the next book. I hope it comes soon....because that was epic.
Overall, I *will* read the conclusion to this story and I *will* read more by her because this just may be her style. A little different, a little quirky. Enough for me to come back for more.
~BEE
Some of the good points that stuck out for me:
◆ The story showed a woman coming out of her shell, learning to grow and become a little more carefree.
◆ The story showed a guy that gave a girl a chance where he judged her based on how she dressed, not who she was on the inside.
◆ The story showed a guy that had walls around his heart learn to break free of them and learn that his heart is able to love.
◆ HOT. This book was hot and I did enjoy some parts of it.
◆ TRIANGLE....need I say more? I *love* triangles. Immediate read for me based on that alone.
◆ That EPIC cliffhanger. Why would I EVER admit that when I actually don't enjoy cliffies when the next book isn't out? Because it was just that good. The buildup to the end was really good in some areas.
Those are GREAT points....they really worked well for the story. Having said that, I need to explain why I am on the fence on how to rate this.
◆ I felt the chemistry between the characters felt EXTREMELY forced at some points. It actually ended up working really well for them in the end though, so the buildup was hard to follow, but the ending worked.
◆ The third person writing didn't really work for me. It was all over the place in some areas, so I had to reread a few parts to follow what was going on. I have read third many times, and while it isn't my favorite POV to read in, it can work when written well.
◆ Some of the actions done....did NOT speak to me. Like, at all.
◆ We were in Katya's head a lot. A LOT.
This is a triangle, and this was the biggest draw for me because I love triangles. That part, the emotions at the end, were ON POINT!!! That cliffhanger was one of the BEST cliffhangers I have ever read and actually smiled at. Seriously smiled at because I definitely can't wait to read the next book. I hope it comes soon....because that was epic.
Overall, I *will* read the conclusion to this story and I *will* read more by her because this just may be her style. A little different, a little quirky. Enough for me to come back for more.
~BEE
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
EXCERPT
EXCERPT
It was no joke.
Liam had been waiting in the lobby for her at nine o'clock, sharp. Liam Edenhoff –
“but everyone calls me Eden” – he'd introduced himself again to her before guiding her out to a taxi he'd had waiting.
She felt a little nauseous. She'd chugged down another half bottle of wine, and some crème de menthe, before heading downstairs to meet him. She'd almost talked herself out of going, but she'd made the mistake of telling her roommate
Tori about the whole fiasco. Apparently, Katya owed it to women everywhere (and Tori in particular) to explore this opportunity to its fullest. She'd all but been shoved out the apartment, the door slammed and locked in her face.
“Nervous?” Liam Eden-whatever-his-name-was asked her as the cab slowed to a crawl.
“Nope,” Katya's voice sounded overly loud.
“Liar. Tonight is gonna be an interesting night, angel cake.”
“Stop calling me that.”
“What's your last name?”
“None of your business.”
“Okay then – when the gang bang starts, I'll tell them to call you Katya X.”
She couldn't stop the blush from happening that time. Liam burst out laughing, then soothed the sting by grabbing her hand.
Even when they got out of the cab, he didn't let go of her. Normally, she would've been uncomfortable with a stranger assuming such a familiarity with her, but this time, she was thankful for it. She held onto him tightly as they walked down a crowded street. Then they turned into an alley, and his gang bang joke didn't seem so funny. He led her to a plain door, above which a simple, small, neon sign spelled out “The Garden”. Outside were several small groups of people, chatting and smoking. Some of them called out greetings to him, all of them using his nickname, but a large and scary looking bouncer addressed him very properly.
“Hey, Mr. Edenhoff, wasn't expecting you in tonight. Any problems?”
“Nope, just bringing a friend to show her the place, let her see what I do for a living.”
All the blood was quickly rushing from Katya's limbs, pooling somewhere in her stomach. None of this was a joke. He really did own the place, that much was obvious.
As Liam led her through the door, though, Katya actually felt a surge of confidence. She was still nervous, still more than a little scared, but she was okay with it. Liam seemed like a nice guy, he wasn't going to take her into some dark room and insert foreign objects into her orifices. She could leave whenever she wanted to, whenever it got too uncomfortable. Everything was fine, and for once, she was doing something exciting. She'd even have something interesting to talk about at work the next day.
~MEET STYLO FANTÔME~
Crazy woman from a remote location in Alaska (where the need for a creative mind is a necessity!), I have been writing since ... forever? Yeah, that sounds about right. I have been told that I remind people of Lucille Ball - I also see shades of Jennifer Saunders, and Denis Leary. So basically, I laugh a lot, I'm clumsy a lot, and I say the F-word A LOT.
I like dogs more than I like most people, and I don't trust anyone who doesn't drink. No, I do not live in an igloo, and no, the sun does not set for six months out of the year, there's your Alaska lesson for the day. I have mermaid hair - both a curse and a blessing - and most of the time I talk so fast, even I can't understand me.
Yeah. I think that about sums me up.
~CONNECT WITH STYLO~
ARC REVIEW
LOVE triangles!! Great review! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks, H Dee!!!!
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