by Sophie Sullivan
Grace is a design student in her mid-twenties who has finally decided to renovate the California beach bungalow she inherited from her grandparents. Though she had a rough childhood, Grace has a positive attitude and makes friends wherever she goes, and while she struggles to make ends meet, she is not afraid to work hard to achieve her goals. And, no one should ever doubt her ability to do things herself – this woman has serious power tool skills.
Noah is a real estate developer from New York, newly relocated to Southern California and desperate to shed his “silver spoon” image and distance himself from his tycoon father’s questionable business practices. Noah moves into the fixer-upper next door to Grace, looking for contractors to whip the place into shape for him. When they first meet, Noah tries to charm his new neighbor into selling her house to give him room to build a pool. Grace is staying put and thinks Noah is spoiled – handsome, but spoiled. A less-than-friendly competition is struck to see which of the two are more handy (it’s Grace!), and soon they themselves helping one another with household repairs. That’s just being neighborly, right?
When a famous magazine asks Noah for permission to record his house makeover, he thinks it is the break that will put him on the West coast map. There is one little catch – they want the neighbor, Grace, to be his designer on the project. Could working together for mutual benefit build a solid foundation for a new relationship?
How to Love Your Neighbor is a chaste, funny, lighthearted and heartwarming romantic comedy. If you are looking for a sweet read this summer, and you love a home renovation show, this book will keep you turning its pages to see if a couple of opposites can fall in love on their way to making a house a home.
-Carol
Read it or Weep 