Alexa Martin (Better than Fiction; Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes) brings together an uptight real estate agent and a down-on-her-luck Hollywood screenwriter in the hilarious and charming Next-Door Nemesis. Collins Carter was a television writer until she went ballistic over her lying ex-boyfriend. The video of her meltdown went viral, and she lost her job.
Back in her childhood home in Ohio, Collins is horrified to discover that her high school nemesis, Nate Adams, is not only a successful real estate agent but he's also running for president of the HOA in her parents' neighborhood. When he issues a citation against a tree her beloved father planted, Collins decides she will use her unemployment period to also run for the HOA presidency--and put Nate in his place.
Next-Door Nemesis is a witty, lovely romance. As Collins, who is biracial, navigates being one of the only BIPOC people in the suburbs and faces down the boy who made her doubt herself, she realizes she's capable of far more than she thought. Martin accurately captures the woes of many people in their late 20s, who realize life isn't going to go quite the way they thought it would. And as Nate and Collins slowly become reacquainted and realize there is a lot of good in each other, readers will be rooting for them to work out their differences. Sexy and funny, Next-Door Nemesis is perfect for fans of Jasmine Guillory or Lynn Painter. --Jessica Howard, freelance book reviewer