I loved this book! I thought that some of it only Mormons would get, but other than that it was an awesome book. Since I am Mormon I understood what FHE was. I did not think that it was explained very well. Great love story and I am hoping there will be another about them. There was no epilogue and that was disappointing. ( )

review tk ( )

Leigh is ready to move on with her life. Having been declared in remission for cancer, she can't wait for things to get back to normal. When Leigh goes back to school, things don't run as smoothly as she plans. As frustrating as this can be, Leigh gets some small amount of comfort from her "next door boys," the boys living in the house next door to her house. Leigh's brother and his roommate are amazing guys who help her out even when she doesn't want them to. As Leigh experiences the ups and downs of college life, her next door boys help her see things in a whole new way.

I really enjoyed this book. There are a couple interesting aspects to this story, making it stand out from your typical romance-type book. The first involves Leigh's healing process, both physical and mental. This puts her in a unique position in a couple ways. She doesn't want people to know about her run-in with cancer, because she doesn't want them to see her as frail or weak. Of course, this is an issue with her family as well. On the other hand, she actually does have to take it easy as she is still healing. Trying to find a balance between what she wants and what her body can take is hard for Leigh, and I found this very interesting to read. I also enjoyed Leigh's gradual friendship with her neighbor. Watching her learn to be supportive and supported by others was great.

Overall I enjoyed this book a lot. I thought it was sweet and romantic without being overly cheesy. It was also interesting to see Leigh's perspective as a slightly "older" student at BYU. I thought this book was very fun. It didn't really surprise me plot-wise; you'll basically know where this is going from the start. That doesn't make it any less interesting. The journey to the end is where all the enjoyment is. Leigh is one of those characters that helps to pull you into her story and make you care all of those around her too.

Galley provided for review. ( )

[cross posted at my blog here] First of all, thanks to Netgalley and Cedar Fort for sending me this e-book to review. I was really excited to start it because The Next Door Boys has such pretty cover and I'm that kind of person who judges a book by its cover. And though I've been disappointed by my judgement many times, I haven't yet learned, and that's also the way it is with this book.I really wish I had liked it better. At first I gave it 3 stars and then I spent the night thinking about it, and decided that 3 stars was too generous. Therefore, 2 stars. And I feel really weird because most of the readers seemed to have liked this book. At first I decided not to review it, because it didn't really make me feel anything, and I didn't think I had anything worth saying. But then I changed my mind and am now giving it a try.Leigh Tressman is a cancer survivor. She had to take a year off to be in the hospital because of ovarian cancer, and when she was released from the hospital, she couldn't wait to live independently. She starts college, and moves away from her parents to live in the basement of a house next to where her protective brother, Jaron, lives. That's where our boy next door, Brian, lives too. Leigh has two roommates, Kim and Megan.The story started off so slowly, and continued to progress really slowly, that I lost my patience a lot of times. I think it's also partly because it's an e-book. I have much less tolerance with e-books unless they are really good. And sadly that's where this book falls short. I don't feel anything about Leigh at all. I know that she's a cancer survivor, that she has a good personality, and that she should make me feel sympathetic and all, but no, I didn't feel any of that. I didn't feel anything at all. And that's also the way it was with every character. I really don't know if it's because of the writing or because of myself that I didn't like this book. I also had no idea how it can be improved to become better. I just didn't feel very connected to it. And then there's Brian. I can't really say that I like this character, because as I said, I didn't feel anything. Brian is a much older guy who's been there and done that. He's divorced and already has a 5-year-old son. He has tattoos and they represent where he has been in his life, and he works at night in a bar to earn extra money. Jaron admires Brian so much and talks about him in a really affectionate way. And at first I thought Jaron was in love with Brian, so it really took me by surprise when Jaron starts dating a girl.Despite the blank feeling towards every character, I did feel something about the writing. I didn't like it much. The story jumps from scene to scene too often. It's like it stays in the same scene for a couple of pages, and then jumps. It was really frustrating because just as when I got into that scene, it suddenly moved on, and I didn't get to feel anything. This is what I thought the problem was that caused my apathy, it didn't allow me to sink into the story enough to feel. Another thing I didn't like is Leigh's cluelessness about the boys liking her. Someone has to point it out to her, and she would be all no no no. I found it a bit annoying.I guess that's all I have to say about this book. As I said earlier, I didn't think I have anything worth saying. When you don't feel very connected to the main character(s) or the story, it's hard to find something to say. However, I'm glad I'm telling you why. I don't feel so guilty about not liking it very much anymore. Still, I wish I could've liked it better.[cross posted at my blog here] ( )

This was an excellent book from start to finish in which I received from netGalley and the publisher. I jumped right into the book and didn't even realize that it was a Christian book right away.

This book has good Christian and family values and touches on those moments very frequently throughout the novel. As for myself, coming from a Christian background, I could relate quite easily with some of the family closeness and traditions. This book made me want to pull out my Bible again and start reading it.

The author did some amazing research into ovarian cancer, touching some of the feelings Leigh was going through and what she had to go through with the cancer and the challenges she could still face.

I loved Leigh. Her self struggles to overcome what she went through and to get to where she was. Her stubbornness and independence very likeable, even the little knowledge she had for guys, made this leading character amazing.

Leigh's brother, Jaron, was simply one of the best brothers someone could ask for. Very understanding and a rock for his little sister, but also very protective.

The story dealt with a lot of social situations from dating to love, marriage and children. It had touched on many good points. Some of the situations had brought me to tears, not at all bawling like a baby tears, just slight tears because of either experiences I went through myself or the sympathy I felt for the character.

This is again, a very excellent book. Even if you aren't a Christian, I still recommend the book. I recommend this book to any young adult 16 and over, Christians and non-Christians alike. I had to give this book 5 of 5 stars for the great writing, research and how this story comes to life with the great emotion put into this wonderful story. ( )