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Right Next Door by AJ Pryor
Release Date: June 30th 2015
Pages: 276
Genres: Romance, Contemporary
My fiancé is officially a married man. The only problem is that he isn’t married to me. . .
Addison Peacock has been stuck in the same seaside town her entire life. When her college boyfriend proposes the night before graduation, she can finally see the future she’d always dreamt about. But the sudden illness of her father causes her to put that future on hold, and her soon-to-be husband leaves, with nothing but a promise that one day he’ll return.
Now, five years later, he’s kept that promise. There’s only one problem . . . he’s already married. Crushed twice by the same man, Addison needs a distraction, someone to get her back on her feet and mend her broken heart. As luck would have it, Damian Walker has just moved in next door.
Having rebuilt his own life after a drunk driver stole his career, his heart . . . everything, Damian knows what it’s going to take to get Addison’s life back on track. But he’s not going to be anyone’s rebound. His life is complicated . . . there’s no room for one-night stands. Until Addison knows what she’s looking for, neighbors are all they’ll ever be.
One shared wall, two sun-kissed balconies, and a chance at love...a twist of fate. Could the possibility of a future be right next door?
My Review:
This was such an amazing book, it was realistic and romantic. It's an overall swoon worthy read that will leave you wanting for more.
Addison Peacock has had a rough life, after the death of her father she worked hard to get herself into law school and as a lawyer she has seen her fair share of infidelity cases. Yet after he finace left her only to come back five years later ready to give them another shot, she is overwhelmed and doesn't know what to do. She is still enchanted by his looks and of what they had before that she gets blindsided by the very man she used to love. But that all soon changes the minute she stumbles upon a handsome stranger whose smile and flirtatious side seem to be the only thing that can keep her from thinking of her ex. Addison knows that she can't make the same mistake again, and to get back on her feet her friends urge her to give her relationship with Damian, her next door neighbor, a go after a series of heated moments between them. Now she has to deal with her ex, who seems to be everywhere she is, and her relationship with Damian. As she struggles to make the right decisions, she finds out secrets that both man in her life have been hiding from her that could jeopardize the only relationship that she wants.
Damian's life for the past couple of years have been a nightmare, not only was he in an accident that almost leave him dead, but his soccer career ending abruptly leaving him heartbroken without knowing what to do. Now after recovering from his accident, he has managed to build a successful business with his best friend, Reed, that has made him a very wealthy man. Not caring for what his money could buy, he suddenly finds himself renting an apartment near the beach, yet what took him by surprised was his beautiful neighbor whose sense of humor for strange looking mugs and obsession with the Ninja Warriors TV show is the only thing that it takes for him to be head over heals in love with her. Not only are they neighbors, which makes them really close right off the bat, but the more they start to share their lives with each other, the more he is attracted to her. His need to protect and claim her grows fast that he finds himself wanting more from her than just being sex partners. But his bigger fear that could potentially harm his relationship with Addison are the secrets that he hides of his past and the one holding him back now. In essence, he needs to figure out a way to keep Addison in his life without letting his old life get in the way of their relationship.
It's evident that both characters have a complicated past, yet as the two of them start to share more of themselves, the more tied they are to one another. I really enjoyed reading how their chemistry progressed throughout the book, right from the start they lust one another, and being neighbors makes it somewhat worse since they see each other everyday. Yet Damian's attraction towards Addison grows and it only seems to get better. I personally liked Damian's character, he is sweet and caring, yet at times he can be a bit overbearing/overprotective borderline jealous and that's what ends up getting in the way of what they have. They both hold secrets that they are not ready to share right away, and it takes them time to see that they are truly meant for each other. Addison on the other hand, has a nice personality, but she doesn't know how to say no her ex. She gets caught up in his lies so quickly that it was a bit frustrating to read. The story itself was great though, the characters had to go through a series of obstacles in order to see the meaning of their lives and their future together. The author does a good job giving us alternative points of view between Damian and Addison that it's easy to get why they made the choices that they made in the story. Overall, I enjoyed reading their romantic scenes, and the very ending which tied everything together very well. I highly recommend it. :)
***ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.***
My Rating:
{EXCERPT}
Barreling out of her apartment in black leggings and a white tank that accentuates those perfect breasts I’m thinking this run, may be the death of me. I already want to trail my hands along the smooth curves of her hips and take those tight black pants right off her body. My breath gets shallow as I near her, my body reacting to what she does to me.
She seems tense, worried about something as I approach. Her top lip is securely hidden under her straight white bottom teeth and she’s eyeing me as I walk toward her.
“Loosen up, Addison. I’m not going to bite.” Running my hand along her ponytail, I give it a slight tug before heading down the stairs, assuming she’ll follow. “Unless of course you ask me to.”
I’m at the bottom of the staircase stretching, and she’s still waiting up top. Where’s the playful girl from ten minutes ago?
“You coming?”
Whatever had been bothering her seems to vanish as she puts her smile back on and bounces down to me. “Not yet,” she mumbles as she descends the stairs. It’s clear she was talking to herself, not realizing that her double meaning was loud and echoing in my own ears. I instantly get a semi erection at the image of those intense eyes glossing over in ecstasy, her lips parted and my name falling off her tongue.
Standing close, she places a hand on my shoulder for support as she grabs her foot to stretch. Her head is right under my chin, her soft scent surrounding me. Gently I hold onto her arms and keep her steady as she changes legs. The urge to lean down and kiss her overwhelms me as I hold her delicate shoulders, her bottom lip secure under her front teeth.
She’s stunning; her long dark hair is pulled back, her eyes deep in concentration on what she’s doing. I want to tell her how beautiful she is, caught up in this moment with her. The words are on the tip of my tongue when she steps back and pats my ass, taking off at a slow jog. I smile to myself and watch her from behind. Next time she touches my ass, I’m kissing her, no questions asked.
She’s keeping up with me stride for stride as we take off down the beach path. Her breath is coming in gasps, and a sheen of sweat has begun beading on her forehead. I’m barely breaking a sweat, but I’ll get my workout in tomorrow morning at the track, or if I’m lucky, maybe tonight between my sheets. Looking down at her from the corner of my eye, I’m happy to see that she’s now more relaxed.
“How’s the girlfriend search?”
I almost trip on that damn tree root.
“In progress.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.” She’s having a hard time talking, winded from our pace and I think I should speed us up further so she can’t talk at all.
“I’m working on a few prospects at the moment. If any of them pan out I’ll let you know.”
She rolls her eyes and I want to throw her in the sand and kiss her, make her forget she asked me a question in the first place.
“Do you always run at night?” she asks between labored breaths. What’s with the twenty questions?
“No. I’m a morning person.”
Her eyes dart in my direction, as a curious look crosses her face.
“You have a dirty mind, Green Eyes.”
Bumping into me, she argues the topic, barely getting her words out she’s straining so hard. “How do you know,” she takes in a big breath, “what was on my mind?”
“Everything you think is written all over your face. And for your information, yes, I love the mornings.”
She stops mid-stride and bends over in laughter, her arms across her midsection as she tries to catch her breath. Suddenly she’s in the sand not even trying to get a handle on the giggles erupting from the depth of her gut. Sand is in her hair and sticks to the sweat that’s covering her skin. Her cheeks were already a rosy color and now they’re turning bright red.
I sit down beside her, my arms propped up on my knees waiting for her to calm down.
When she finally gets a handle on herself, she lies flat on her back and stares up at the sky, her eyes suddenly far away, looking like they’re searching for answers to some unasked question. “My ex was a morning person too. I loved it. It’s quiet outside, and still dark in the bedroom. It’s like a secret time where you feel like you’re the only two people on the planet awake and you’re sharing a piece of yourself with each other. A silent communication that only the two of you can understand.”
Unexpected sadness washes over me listening to Addison long for a situation that clearly doesn’t exist in her life anymore. Whoever her ex is must be a real asshole.
She deserves better than an asshole.
She deserves me.
She seems tense, worried about something as I approach. Her top lip is securely hidden under her straight white bottom teeth and she’s eyeing me as I walk toward her.
“Loosen up, Addison. I’m not going to bite.” Running my hand along her ponytail, I give it a slight tug before heading down the stairs, assuming she’ll follow. “Unless of course you ask me to.”
I’m at the bottom of the staircase stretching, and she’s still waiting up top. Where’s the playful girl from ten minutes ago?
“You coming?”
Whatever had been bothering her seems to vanish as she puts her smile back on and bounces down to me. “Not yet,” she mumbles as she descends the stairs. It’s clear she was talking to herself, not realizing that her double meaning was loud and echoing in my own ears. I instantly get a semi erection at the image of those intense eyes glossing over in ecstasy, her lips parted and my name falling off her tongue.
Standing close, she places a hand on my shoulder for support as she grabs her foot to stretch. Her head is right under my chin, her soft scent surrounding me. Gently I hold onto her arms and keep her steady as she changes legs. The urge to lean down and kiss her overwhelms me as I hold her delicate shoulders, her bottom lip secure under her front teeth.
She’s stunning; her long dark hair is pulled back, her eyes deep in concentration on what she’s doing. I want to tell her how beautiful she is, caught up in this moment with her. The words are on the tip of my tongue when she steps back and pats my ass, taking off at a slow jog. I smile to myself and watch her from behind. Next time she touches my ass, I’m kissing her, no questions asked.
She’s keeping up with me stride for stride as we take off down the beach path. Her breath is coming in gasps, and a sheen of sweat has begun beading on her forehead. I’m barely breaking a sweat, but I’ll get my workout in tomorrow morning at the track, or if I’m lucky, maybe tonight between my sheets. Looking down at her from the corner of my eye, I’m happy to see that she’s now more relaxed.
“How’s the girlfriend search?”
I almost trip on that damn tree root.
“In progress.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.” She’s having a hard time talking, winded from our pace and I think I should speed us up further so she can’t talk at all.
“I’m working on a few prospects at the moment. If any of them pan out I’ll let you know.”
She rolls her eyes and I want to throw her in the sand and kiss her, make her forget she asked me a question in the first place.
“Do you always run at night?” she asks between labored breaths. What’s with the twenty questions?
“No. I’m a morning person.”
Her eyes dart in my direction, as a curious look crosses her face.
“You have a dirty mind, Green Eyes.”
Bumping into me, she argues the topic, barely getting her words out she’s straining so hard. “How do you know,” she takes in a big breath, “what was on my mind?”
“Everything you think is written all over your face. And for your information, yes, I love the mornings.”
She stops mid-stride and bends over in laughter, her arms across her midsection as she tries to catch her breath. Suddenly she’s in the sand not even trying to get a handle on the giggles erupting from the depth of her gut. Sand is in her hair and sticks to the sweat that’s covering her skin. Her cheeks were already a rosy color and now they’re turning bright red.
I sit down beside her, my arms propped up on my knees waiting for her to calm down.
When she finally gets a handle on herself, she lies flat on her back and stares up at the sky, her eyes suddenly far away, looking like they’re searching for answers to some unasked question. “My ex was a morning person too. I loved it. It’s quiet outside, and still dark in the bedroom. It’s like a secret time where you feel like you’re the only two people on the planet awake and you’re sharing a piece of yourself with each other. A silent communication that only the two of you can understand.”
Unexpected sadness washes over me listening to Addison long for a situation that clearly doesn’t exist in her life anymore. Whoever her ex is must be a real asshole.
She deserves better than an asshole.
She deserves me.
AJ Pryor Bio:A.J. Pryor lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two daughters. If not home writing, you can find her at the beach, the yoga studio or the soccer field with her girls. An avid reader of contemporary romance, new adult and young adult novels, her Kindle is always within reach. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
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