Next-Door Nemesis

September 1, 2023
Former best friends turned rivals butt heads and a lot more over their homeowner association's election. Collins Carter never imagined she'd be back in her hometown again, much less shacking up with her parents--but after a filmed breakup moment between her and her ex goes viral, her aspiring screenwriting career is left in shambles and she has nowhere else to go. At least she can spend some quality time with her now-retired dad by pitching in with the landscaping, but running into her high school best friend-turned-nemesis at the only coffee shop in town wasn't part of her reset journey. Nathanial Adams appears to have everything: a nice house, a well-manicured lawn, a leading position as part of the local homeowner's association, and the respect of just about everyone in the neighborhood. It's enough to get Collins fired up, but the combative energy they have with one another is obviously covering up a different kind of tension altogether. From Nathanial's perspective, Collins is a whirlwind in his otherwise neat life, and the sooner she leaves town, the better--but when Collins finds out about the upcoming election for HOA president, she decides she's going to run against him. A move that starts as one made entirely to spite a rival turns into a battle of wills, but the more these two run into each other, the closer they get to excavating all the long-buried feelings they've had the entire time. Martin's latest is a witty, humorous rom-com that doesn't skimp on the comedy; Collins and Nate's conversational clashes are as engaging as their vulnerability, even if the plot loses a bit of power once they start making nice. The scenes where they're still willing to indulge their familiarly fiery energy are made even more potent when paired with the book's welcome embrace of heat. A riotous rom-com that puts an HEA spin on the HOA.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 11, 2023
Unresolved baggage between ex–best friends leads to a battle of wits in this steamy but inconsistent rom-com from Martin (Better Than Fiction). Scriptwriter Collins Carter’s ex-boyfriend, Peter, betrayed her by stealing her idea for his own gain—and now a video of Collins acting out in the aftermath of their breakup has gone viral. Humiliated, she flees L.A. and moves back in with her parents in Ohio. The move puts her back in the orbit of her “archenemy,” Nathaniel Adams, a childhood friend turned bitter teen rival who is now the vice president of the neighborhood home owners’ association. After Nathaniel attempts to coerce Collins into leaving town with the threat of HOA fines, Collins decides to retaliate by running against him for the newly vacant position of HOA president. Their competitive campaigning leads to some snappy one-line roasts that belie their lingering chemistry, and readers will be eager to learn what soured this duo’s once happy relationship. Martin builds anticipation for this reveal through memories of their past friendship, but the lackluster explanation of how it fell apart is a letdown. Many climactic moments feel similarly unearned, including the first sex scene, which, while hot, is oddly abrupt. This doesn’t quite sell its enemies-to-lovers premise. Agent: Jessica Watterson, Sandra Dijkstra Literary.

Starred review from September 1, 2023

Living with her parents at almost 30 years old is not how Collins pictured her life. As a TV writer in Los Angeles, she's been working her way up in the industry--until she has a major meltdown that goes viral. Mortified, she flees to her parents' home in suburban Ohio, where she runs into Nate, her nemesis who was once her best friend in the world. He's now running for president of the neighborhood housing association, and Collins decides to run against him out of spite. Through their campaigning activities, Collins and Nate have plenty of opportunities to reconnect and figure out what happened in the past, allowing them to revisit their dormant childhood affection and find that it has transformed into full-fledged love. But now Hollywood is calling Collins back, and she has to decide whether to go back to LA for a chance at a successful career or stay in the sleepy suburbs with the love of her life. VERDICT Martin's (Better Than Fiction) sexy friends-to-lovers rom-com is full of endearing characters and emotional plotlines, set against a whimsical Midwestern backdrop. Will appeal to readers of feel-good contemporary romances.--Migdalia Jimenez

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2023
Martin's (Better Than Fiction, 2022) enemies-to-lovers rom-com will captivate readers from the first page as two former friends battle it out for their neighborhood's homeowner association (HOA) presidency. Collins Carter can't believe she's back in Ohio, living with her parents. Following a very public breakdown, Collins leaves Los Angeles and her career as a screenwriter in the rearview mirror. After months of wallowing, her fiery personality is finally ignited when she learns that Nate, her archnemesis from high school, not only lives in their neighborhood but is also the HOA's golden boy, whom everyone adores. Nate and Collins quickly pick up where they left off, with a relationship filled with reciprocal loathing, thorny zingers, and palpable tension. Collins decides she can't let Nate rule the HOA, so she runs against him for the presidency. Smear campaigns ensue, but so does a creeping feeling that maybe the root of their hatred is misguided and that a flicker of their friendship remains. Readers will laugh their way through Martin's wild-ride story of redemption and finding one's place.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.