Her Big City Neighbor

Note: This ebook is free on Amazon right now (2/17/22). I don't know if that's temporary or permanent, but if this book appeals to you, you should grab it!This is the second book I've read by Jackie Lau. I read [b:Bidding for the Bachelor 58541323 Bidding for the Bachelor (Fong Brothers, #2) Jackie Lau https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1626081401l/58541323.SY75.jpg 91975903] a few months ago, which was her first m/m book and a light and breezy read. So I expected something similar here, but I'd call this one, which is m/f, much weightier. Still, it does have a very uplifting tone overall. The characters feel real, although the lives they lead seem like fantasies to me. But that can be a fun aspect of reading romance, and I enjoyed it a lot here. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Emily Woo Zeller. She's done many audiobooks but this was my first time listening to one of her narrations, and I really liked her. She performs distinct voices for all the characters. Victor and Amy's romance really captured me, and I totally believed in their happy ending. This is a grumpy + sunshine pairing, and it has everything I like about that sort of romance. Amy and Victor are both remarkably empathetic towards each other, and really, towards everyone in their lives. This is definitely unrealistic, but I liked this trait in romantic leads. They're always respectful of one another.Amy is from a small town and inherits a house in downtown Toronto. She decides to go to grad school and live there. She's very excited about the change in her circumstances. She's an extremely enthusiastic person. If that is not your preference in romance reading, steer clear of this book! I can imagine her relentless cheer becoming annoying to some readers; I might've felt that way too if I'd approached this in a different state of mind. Instead, she really charmed me. I liked traveling along with her as she explored Toronto. There are so many wonderful and detailed food descriptions, often from Amy's perspective, and she's so happy about all the new food, especially the desserts.Amy's family have always relied on her to do a lot of unpaid work, so her main challenge in this book is overcoming the guilt she feels (and that they encourage her to feel) about moving away to the city. Without spoiling anything, I loved the way this plot thread was resolved, as well as how it informed the choices she made throughout the book. I don't have much personal experience of being in this kind of situation, but I have known many people, especially women, who struggle with it. This aspect of the book was really satisfying to me.Victor is just as well-drawn, although it felt at first like his PoV chapters were shorter than Amy's. That evened out as the book continued. His perspective had more relevance to me personally than Amy's. He is dealing with grief (his brother died five years ago) and has closed himself off to close relationships. This is a commonplace character arc for a romance lead, but I thought it was done exceptionally well here. Because of the excellent writing, I felt his loss and how it had shaped his whole life, and I also related to a lot of his lingering issues. I did think he should seek out therapy (therapy is not mentioned in the book), but it was believable that he was able to face his problems, with support from family and friends.To me, this has a medium-to-high heat level. There are a decent amount of sex scenes. Some are unusual, and they're almost all emotionally intense. I really enjoyed this book, and I'm very happy that Jackie Lau has a few audiobooks available now. Looking forward to continuing to enjoy her work.

3.5 stars rounded up. This was cute but did include a third act break up and was a bit slow at parts.

I really really enjoyed the family aspects here on both sides and the lessons Amy was learning.

I like my romance novels to have SOMETHING going on besides the romance. And Victor and Amy are cute but they kind of come together quickly, enjoy it, do the last-minute-panic- and- break -up thing and then get back together in a super cute way that would fit comfortably in a movie.
BUT that is not why I loved this story. First, I almost never read stories in which a small town girl finally escapes to the big city and doesn't have something horrible happen to her. It's as if every story like this must serve as a warning for people to stay where they are, learn to love it, don't wish for something bigger or you will die!
This could be a travelogue of Toronto. If it wasn't already really high on my list of places to visit, it would be on there now. I mean, Amy embraces this change with both arms and nothing bad happens to her. She is also comfortable in her body and with her personality. Can I express how refreshing this was to read? Big exhale. Yay! A woman who loves her new life! And herself! This is amazing because she comes from one of the least supportive families ever.
I also loved Sierra and I may jump ahead and read her book next.