The Ex Next Door: An utterly charming and funny romance

The characters were believable and likable. Wonderful book to immerse yourself in after a stressful day.

This was really two books. First we have to live through Esme’s internal monologues as she struggles with having her ex and his new girlfriend move in next door. Her ex, Elliot, doesn’t want to tell his present girlfriend who Esme is. So she’s stuck feeling like she’s lying to the girlfriend who is really a very nice woman who just wants to be friends with her neighbor. As the book goes along, Esme also has to struggle with her growing feelings for David, her business partner with whom she owns an art gallery and her jealousy of an obnoxious artist who keeps throwing herself at David. As the book dwells more on the business of the gallery and its neighborhood, I enjoyed it more. There are some fun side characters whom I really liked, especially Esme’s best friend who was a real kick as well as the neighboring butcher who comes to Esme for love advice. And the shy sculptor was also a great character.It’s very clear to the reader which guy is the one she should end up with, but Esme has to work through a lot of feelings before she can figure it out.I got a bit tired of Esme having to play a role of lying to people and wanted her to wake up and see who her real soulmate is.I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

The storyEsme lives in Bristol, and co-owns a gallery with her business partner David. When her flat is flood damaged, she moves to an Airbnb outside town. Her new neighbours have moved in, and it turns out it’s her ex from four years ago and his new girlfriend. Elliot doesn’t tell Morgan that he already knows Esme, and keeps making contact with her. Esme broke up with him as she suspected he was seeing someone else, and now he’s playing the same games again, and sucking Esme into his world.My thoughtsI was fascinated by the dynamics of the relationships in this story. On the surface, Esme and Morgan would probably become friends, but Elliot’s deception prevents this. He’s a smooth but unlikeable character, and I hated how Esme was sucked in to his lies, and kept letting him control her. There are a few awesome side characters caring for Esme, and the potential relationships kept me guessing how the story would end.Read an eARC copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher

This was a great story! It started a bit slow for me but once it picked up, I was addicted! It came full circle for me and I really enjoyed it!

Second chance or new romance? Esme is suprised when Elliot, her ex, moves in next door with his girlfriend Morgan. They decide not to tell Morgan about their past (not a good move) but soon, well, you know how these things go. But wait- Esme's business partner David has always been a stalwart but will he, should he, be more? No spoilers from me but I suspect other readers will figure this one out as I did. That said, Platt has a nice storytelling style and I found myself turning the pages. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This book didn’t go the route I thought it would, and I’m very delighted by that! The ending was perhaps a little abrupt—I think an epilogue or a little more time with the couple would have benefited the story. Great characters and an unexpected turn made this, my first book by Jo Platt, a pretty entertaining read!

What an enjoyable and charmingly romantic book! I really liked the protagonist, Esme Green, and the story was filled with surprises. I highly recommend this engaging book to other romance readers. I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley, and the opinion expressed is strictly my own.

This was an ok read. It had some funny moments and the characters weren't to bad. They had their moments. This was a slower read for me. This is my opinion so it doesn't mean that you won't like it so I would still say if it sounds good to you give it a try.Thanks NetGalley and Canelo for allowing me to read this ARC.

I hate giving less than glowing reviews of books, and especially one by an author that I’d expected to love. I really enjoyed her first two novels, but the more recent ones just haven’t lived up to my expectations- and of course this is just my opinion and I hope others love this book. For me it felt claustrophobic with very few characters and lots of introspection. Jo Platt writes so well, but the storyline felt very weak and rather tedious, with none of the quirky humour I’d previously enjoyed, and although Esme’s character was quite appealing on the whole, it didn’t sit well with her and Elliot’s deception of Morgan. These are just my thoughts as I prefer books with more background and fun characters … friends and family … but there was no mention of any real background figures in the lives of Esme, David & co other than ex-partners and one or two locals. Such a shame …

Enjoyed this as much as her other books. Full of relatable and creditable characters and with a lot of humour amongst the romantic tale.

This was an enjoyable romantic story with twists and turns, I didn't want to put it down. I definitely recommend.

What a wonderful book! It might be classified as ChickLit, but it's much more: profound, touching and even gripping to the last page.Jo Platt has never let me down - I'm really looking forward to the next book!

Just finished reading The Ex Next Door - Esme was likable, albeit flawed; she seemed quite insecure and cagey around her business partner David; it came off as stilted and awkward; artist Jasmine was awful and artist Douglas was clearly troubled. Elliot is someone I definitely hated - gaslighting both Esme & Morgan, and running off like a coward. Towards the end, it was a little difficult to read between the lines & I made my own assumptions, whether or not the author intended for that to happen. It was good, but just not quite enough.