“She decided that he was, in fact, smirking, a smirk to match his stance, and also a smirk that went obnoxiously nicely with his still very attractive face: wind machine hair, thick and deep brown to complement dark eyebrows and lashes that would probably cost her at least a hundred and fifty bucks at Sephora, because there was no justice for women in this world.”
This was my first Kate Clayborn novel but I can guarantee you that it won’t be my last. A total romp from start to finish.
Just one year after her Nonna’s death, Nora is enjoying the apartment she inherited. It has always felt like home. Spending all her summers and holidays there had been the best times of Nora’s life and her neighbours there are like family. And now her downstairs neighbour had to ruin it by dying and leaving his own apartment to his estranged nephew, Will. Nevermind that Will is a good looking doctor, he plans to turn his unit into a rental. A rental! Doesn’t he know how special this place is? A rental will ruin everything. Meanwhile, Will is trying to work out why his uncle would leave him anything at all after the family drama so many years ago. And now, thanks to the will, he’s stuck with it for a year before he can sell. This place has nothing but bad memories for him. Well, all but that one time he saw Nora on the balcony and was awestruck. That was a lifetime ago when they were just teenagers. Now they are all grown up and at odds with each other. As Nora tries to change his mind and Will tries to charm the neighbours, their adversarial relationship turns into attraction. Will they find a solution that works for everyone?
Finally! A rom-com that is actually believable. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t usually mind suspending my disbelief to enjoy a typical romance novel but finding one where I don’t have to feels like winning the jackpot! It is refreshing to witness the romance between Nora and Will that actually develops at a reasonable pace. Both characters are well-developed and likeable. The story is told from both of their perspectives in alternating chapters. I love every character in this book. The whole apartment complex is full of wacky secondary characters you can’t help but love.
Highly recommended. This one will leave you cheering.
