River Beau has adored his neighbor Lexi Huntington for years, convinced that they are destined to be together. He’s a hopeless romantic. But he’s a teenager about to graduate high school and head to college in New York. And his grandmother Ida and even Lexi’s sister Deanna convince him to move on – knowing that Lexi isn’t the commitment type. Fast-forward ten years. The Huntington sisters are working to secure funding for their new dating app, based on a fail-proof algorithm that Deanna developed. And since Lexi has found a near-perfect match with her boyfriend Jake on the app, they’re hoping they can prove that the investment is worthwhile. But then River returns home. Only he’s not the shy, awkward teen who pined for Lexi – he’s now a handsome, tattooed dreamboat. And now Lexi can’t help but notice him. Problem for Deanna, since their company’s success depends on Lexi’s successful relationship. So Deanna and River make a deal. If River can convince Deanna that there’s more to love than an algorithm, she’ll let him pursue her sister. But if not, he has to back off. But what neither of them expected was for an undeniable attraction to grow between them. The Neighbor Wager by Crystal Kaswell is a gender-swapped take on an old classic romance in which Deanna must ensure the success of one relationship while navigating unfamiliar feelings of her own.
Book
Lexi has always been the more-desired Huntington sister. She’s the fun, bubbly, curvy blonde. Even Deanna’s love interests eventually preferred her sister over her. Even so, Deanna loves her sister and doesn’t hold it against her. She knows that Lexi doesn’t do commitments anyway – therefore, nothing comes of any of their pursuits. And besides, Deanna knows she is the more determined, career-focused and pragmatic one. So when Lexi and Jake are still together after nearly six months of dating, Deanna is hopeful that her app can actually deliver on real-life results. They just have to prove it to their potential investor to close the deal.
Only when River waltzes back into town, Lexi is wondering if commitment is the best idea at the moment. Especially since she is starved for intimacy, seeing as she and Jake have not consummated their relationship yet. So now Deanna has to work overtime and try to prevent Lexi and River from spending any alone time together. Which is extremely difficult, since River seemingly now has his chance at destiny. As a result, he and Deanna spend lots of time together, catching up on their careers, families, and yes, dating lives. And over time, River has Deanna considering that love is like the magic that he always believed it was.
Review
Kaswell is definitely a romance author. The Neighbor Wager is a slow-burn yet quite spicy romance novel. The growing attraction between Deanna and River felt authentic. And the characters were generally vocal about their inner turmoil (and quite open about sex). However, the pining and attraction was quite repetitive before anyone acted on their feelings. Also, Lexi was a bit problematic in her whole “I’m sex-deprived and there’s the hot boy from next door so I’m going to briefly leave my boyfriend who adores me to get laid real quick.” Even so, I could still see the appeal – she’s not a horrible person. She’s just scared and horny.
Besides that, some of the dialogue seemed unnatural and confusing. I had to reread some parts because I couldn’t tell who was saying what, or had a hard time following along. But I do give Kaswell points for adding depth to her characters and inserting more serious themes such as parental drug abuse and terminal illness. Overall, the book engaged me to the point where I couldn’t put it down. Plus, plenty of romance lovers out there are guaranteed to add River Beau to their “Book Boyfriend” lists (including yours truly).
Crystal Kaswell joins the Cantina Book Club Podcast to talk about her first time with traditional publishing and how she approaches the romance genre. Keep an ear out for the interview and preorder The Neighbor Wager, available February 20.
