The Neighbor Favor is a meet-cute story that beautifully captures how we often find love in the least expected of places.

It’s one of the hottest days of the year, the subway is crowded, and its many passengers are cranky. Just another summer evening in New York but definitely a difficult one for Lily Greene, who is dehydrated and exhausted from work, a morning and afternoon so busy she had no time to eat, drink, or even fill her water bottle. Then, much to everyone’s annoyance, the train stops. On the edge of fainting, a nasty side effect she has whenever heat, stress, and dehydration combine, Lily decides to distract herself with her phone. One of her main searches on the web is for author N. R. Strickland, the elusive writer of her favorite fantasy novel, who has no social media presence whatsoever. Until now. Suddenly, her persistence pays off and there is a website with an email option. Punchy from exhaustion, Lily deliriously types out a gushy note – but faints halfway through. As she is falling, her thumb slides to that just right spot, and her epistle is sent.

Nick Brown has been on the run from his past for well over a decade. His work as a travel writer has aided him in escaping, allowing him to live in a different city on a frequent basis and develop no ties to the people around him. He doesn’t even commit electronically, keeping a low social media profile. But it seems a mistake from his youth may just yank him into the spotlight. He had penned The Elves of Ceradon under the name N. R. Strickland during a more hopeful period of his life, but whatever dreams he had for the tale were quickly crushed when the small press that published it quickly went under and the volume pretty much faded into obscurity. But now, his oldest and dearest friend has become a lead editor at a big company and decides to bring the book back from the near dead. First step, set up a website, which leads to Nick receiving his first ever piece of fan (e)mail. He is delighted by the cleverness of the missive and surprised that it cuts off midway through a sentence. Intrigued, he quickly responds.

Thus begins a relationship between the shy Lily and the elusive Nick, aka Strick, as he calls himself in their conversations. Everything is going swimmingly and the two form a strong bond until it comes time for them to meet. Their tentative romance is destroyed when Nick ghosts Lily.

Of course, he has his (utterly ridiculous) reasons. His friend has managed to get him a lucrative publishing contract for the reissue of The Elves of Ceradon and its sequels, which requires Nick to actually write said sequels. Plus, there is a TV show now in the works and there is no way Nick can participate in any of the publicity because it will allow his deadbeat dad to know he is alive and well and exactly where to find him. That, naturally, is a point of contention between all parties concerned and a major stressor for Nick. Although why that means he has to ghost Lily is something I never quite understood – but I digress. Nick is currently in an upscale NYC apartment, courtesy of his newfound wealth, experiencing writer’s block with some pretty serious looming deadlines and wondering just where he is supposed to find inspiration. Maybe from his pretty neighbor, a sweet girl who is painfully shy but who gives him all the feels. Is it a surprise to any reader to learn she is Lily, and the major conflict of the story will be Nick/Strick explaining himself to her?

Some stories are happy just being what they are and in this case, The Neighbor Favor is nothing more – nor less – than a sweet, light-hearted contemporary romance. It doesn’t go out of its way to be slap-sticky or silly, nor does it delve too deeply into serious issues which would give the novel a more somber note. It’s funny but not cheesily so, and the issues it deals with are handled in a deft, mature manner that emphasizes triumph over trauma.

Part of what makes the story so enjoyable is that both Nick and Lily are relatable, likable bibliophiles. Nick does have a difficult past he is trying to outrun, but when he meets Lily he is at a point where he is just realizing that running might not be the best solution to his problem. I appreciated that ‘twu wuv’ doesn’t resolve his issues, and that he has been coming to an awareness that he needs to find a new coping mechanism for a while and that he has other people in his life who are encouraging him and supporting him on that journey. I also appreciated that Nick isn’t a surly, embittered loner but a guy who functions very well socially, makes acquaintances easily, and is an affable, attractive human being most people would be thankful to have in their lives. Nick keeps people at a distance but he isn’t obnoxious about it. Like many in the current age, he simply has a plethora of superficial connections but is still figuring out how to have deeper, more meaningful attachments in a world where everything, including people, is disposable.

Lily is lovely. At the start of the story, her kindness makes her a bit of a doormat, but she isn’t so much letting people take advantage of her because she is weak as she is placing relationships above pride/self. Like Nick, she is working her way out of that habit when they meet. Lily has strong ties to her family, especially her sisters (sequels coming), and makes friends easily. I really admired that she is someone who is open to taking risks even after being rejected or hurt. She is open to dating after striking out with Strick and keeps applying to better jobs even though many interviews have ended in failure.

As a couple these two are great. They build a strong friendship both over the emails they initially share and later, in real life. Their relationship progresses naturally from mutual attraction and compatibility to romance. I liked their slow, sweet pace and how strongly they connect through reading. The author does a great job of convincing me that these two sincerely care about each other and since they get along so well, it was a pleasure to spend time with them. I also appreciated that Nick was the one who initiated being honest with Lily, and that they take some (brief) time apart for her to process how she feels about his deceptions/ghosting. Her reaction isn’t over the top but is perfectly in keeping with how we respond when someone important to us has lied but has the decency to own up, explain, apologize, and make amends.

The Neighbor Favor isn’t perfect -it wraps things up a tad too neatly and is a touch predictable – but it is a lovely story that is a great choice for a quick, cheery read. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet summer romance.