Trouble with the Guy Next Door – Holly Renee

I needed a light read that I knew would end on a good note. In my quest for such a book I looked up some books that I knew would fit the bill. I clicked the trusty Contemporary Romance tag on Goodreads and found one I hadn’t read. That’s how I stumbled on The Trouble with the Guy Next Door by Holly Renee. Just a note, this book was previously published under a different title: Bottom’s Up, let me tell you, renaming was a good call. I don’t know that I would have read this with that title, lol.

Guys and Dolls, this was a damn gem. Since we are still getting to know each other, the biggest way a book can be a hit for me is honest to goodness character progression. Not every author can accomplish it but when they do, it’s a win. It is not an easy feat for a young adult/contemporary romance, sometimes things are so rushed to put a bow on the end that there isn’t much to the book. 

You can tell from the title the general direction the book is going to go. Kennedy and Tucker are new neighbors, there is some insta-lust by both characters and the story develops into a fairly well rounded and quick witted romance. There are great supporting characters and some pretty steamy moments in the last third of the book. Tucker was a solid lead character and I appreciated that he wasn’t wishy washy and wasn’t a total alpha. I really like Kennedy’s interactions with her family and I think the author did a great job of translating the emotions that Kennedy experienced in her scenes with them. But, what I liked most about this, is that Kennedy messed up, pretty badly. 

Many light romances are chock full of the male lead committing some terrible act that needs to be forgiven. In this case, Kennedy makes a mistake and then has to address it. It isn’t easy or pretty and all isn’t forgiven within minutes and I really liked that. However, the great blunder occurs when Kennedy thinks she sees something she doesn’t. The scene where she sees something off is a bit odd and didn’t work for me that well. I know, that’s vague, if you read it, you’ll get it. All in all, a win. It was a quick read for me, ended on a good note and wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows but handles emotions well. 

Click here to purchase or read on KU

For more from Holly Renee, click here.