I might combust from butterflies each time he opens his thoughtful mouth - and it keeps getting better and better! Her voice wasn't very strong in my head while I was reading and that made me lack invested emotions in the book. With three-dimensional characters with their own quirks, a sweet, gentle romance and a great story line with a shocking twist that causes the characters to really re-evaluate the choices they have made in their life.

And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them … until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs the trellis to sit by her and changes everything. As the British spring weather is incredibly temperamental, it’s lovely to dip into a bit of American sunshine with this book. I think the author’s intention was for this novel to be an expose about how a girl who seems to have everything together really doesn’t. You could see that he saw that he was going down the wrong path and he knew that and wanted to improve his way of living.In addition to the Garretts though, another family that played a huge part in this novel was Sam’s best friend Nan and her brother Tim. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. The ones that never mow their lawn, have way too many kids, never pick up the toys and breast feed in public. With one of the funnest contemporary casts of all time, an extremely sweet and beautiful romance, and a twist that will be a surprise, My Life Next Door is undoubtedly one of the best contemporaries of all time — and one of my all-time favourites as well!

It was a simple romance story between two teenage next-door-neighbours who are, in some sort of way, star-crossed lovers. Huntley Fitzpatrick has created some of the most lovable and hateable characters I’ve ever come across.Even by the end of the novel, Sam’s mother felt like the same Crappy Mom of the Decade since she was being a selfish pig. If you haven’t already figured out so far, Samantha has some serious issues – not only in her life, but with her personality as well. Looking back, I don’t even feel that invested in Sam and Jase’s relationship since Jase was so perfect and Sam was so unworthy of him and any problems they had weren’t even dealt with in a realistic and proper manner.

Jase has three sisters, one who is nearly my age, as well as one that is slightly older and one that is a baby. Due to her mother's commitment to her career, Samantha and her sister Tracy are often pressured to be perfect. My Life Next Door is one of those super adorable contemporary novels you'd read if you want to pass the time. Samantha was an interesting protagonist, one who was suffering underneath her perfect disguise, yet she never let that get in the way of her interactions with others. Jase's parents and their seven other children – Joel, Alice, Andy (Andrea), Duff, Harry, George and Patsy – welcome Samantha into their home.

Samantha is rich and beautiful, and viewed as the girl who has it all, yet her life isn't as perfect as it seems. It has nothing to do with how things look from far away and everything to do with the how they are up close. But they are also a happy, loving family, and Samantha cannot help becoming drawn to their unique lifestyle.

Fitzpatrick recognized that some aspects of her characters in My Life Next Door come from the people around her, although no characters were based on any specific person, especially not her sister. It hurt me to see him go through these bad stages when he struggled with his drug and alcohol addiction and I was cheering him on as he slowly battled his addictions and became a better person.Jase and Sam take their time with this life-changing event, and the author injected some humor to lighten the mood. Sam and Jase are SUCH great characters and I really enjoyed seeing them fall in love (even if it was a little bit of insta love). She thinks they’re too big and she despises that since her own unreliable husband came from a family just like theirs.