Naughty Neighbor

This was one of the cheesiest romance novels I've ever read. I can do cheese (I love Twilight for God's sake!) but this was over the top even for me. In addition to the romance plot line there was also a mystery plot line that seemed implausible and I had trouble following. People say that Evanovich is really funny but that wasn't true of this book.

To be fair, this book was written pre-Stephanie Plum days and probably wouldn't have been rereleased if it wasn't for the success of the Stephanie Plum series. I've only read One for the Money and it was quite a bit better than this book.

I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator was not good. She had an overly theatrical voice that heightened the cheesiness level that much show more more. I may have liked this book better if I had read the paper version. show less

This was my first-ever Janet Evanovich book and I absolutely loved it! It was a short, quick read, packed tight with great one-liners that made me laugh out loud. Just ask my poor hubby, who had to stop what he was doing several times to listen to me read funny passages to him!

The best thing about this book was the absolute MALENESS of the "hero." Evanovich wrote his dialogue and inner thoughts just like a real guy, which completely tickled me.

My fave line:

Her: "Do you make love to women you don't love?"
Him: "Only in cases of emergency."

Awesome. This isn't a 5-star book because of extraodinary depth of characters, story or world-building. That's not what this book delivers. It's a 5-star book because it's a total crack-up and I saw show more myself in a lot of the neurotic behavior of the characters. Spot on! *grin* show less

A cute and unconventional love story that kept me on my toes. I read this as a challenge for my library. Yes, it is pretty dated for 2024 but still enjoyable. I recommend!

Another audiobook by Janet Evanovich, but this one is not in the Stephanie Plum series or the Between-the-Numbers series. Naughty Neighbor is one of Evanovich's earlier books, which have been dubbed "red-hot comedies."

Louisa Brannigan is a nose-to-the-grindstone press secretary for an up-and-coming senator, Nolan Bishop. Louisa and her neighbor, Pete Streeter, are at odds, particularly since he callously snags her morning paper and receives phone calls at all hours. Streeter is a Hollywood screenwriter who has raised some eyebrows in the political arena and men are out to destroy his car and teach him a lesson he won't soon forget. However, this web grows and soon Louisa becomes embroiled in Streeter's intrigue to find a missing pig. show more

Readers understand that the tension between these two attractive people will eventually lead to the bedroom, but what they won't predict is the internal struggles both of these characters have with commiting to a relationship. Some of my favorite points in the book are when Louisa is arguing with herself about her feelings for Streeter. At one point, she swears she has succumbed to "romantic dementia." Louisa is uptight and careful, while Streeter is relaxed and a risk taker. When these two get together, tension bursts into flames.

Another light read for pure entertainment value. I'd recommend this to those reading romance novels, but are interested in a more modern day tale with a touch of humor. show less

Louisa's upstairs neighbor is giving her fits. The worst thing is the day he steals her newspaper. She is up for a confrontation then only to see him and realize he's gorgeous. He likes her, too, but both try to deny their feelings because the other is the opposite of him/her. Pete, the upstairs neighbor, is a screenwriter and working on the mystery of a pig who went missing. He pulls Louisa into his investigation, only to become overprotective and realize he has come to love her. Can he keep her safe? Can he get her to marry him?

I enjoyed this story. It is madcap and crazy and fun. I like Louisa and Pete. I laughed as they got into some predicaments. Louisa's dream of her wedding is a hoot. Her Grandma Brannigan is also. The story is show more crazy so suspend belief but it is perfect for a summer day on the patio or beach. show less

Ugh, this book was annoyingly cute. It's one of those romance books where "I just met you, but I love you and want to marry you". Completely unrealistic even for fiction in my opinion. It's like an hour Lifetime TV special. Total romance cheese.
However, Evanovich writes very simply and her writings are easy to follow and get into. As much as I was annoyed by the story itself, I was still able to finish the book. I would recommend this book as a quick casual read to the romance/fiction reader.

Very Stephanie Plumish but less fleshed out and more to the point. Almost gave it a 3 stars for effort but overall, no.

It's cutesy and easy to read fast - the characters are well enough and the dialogue funny - but it didn't tickle my tickle bone enough to make up for how fluffy it was. It has another 'modern grandmother' at the end but she's barely in it. We also get sleazy politicians and a strange mystery side story about a pig. The mystery side story wasn't important after all, just a cute thing for the couple to do together and keep the story flowing.

It's readable but not enough substance, even for a romance humor novel, to gain a higher rating.