Rory Gilmore Summer? My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick: Book Review

My Review: 2.5 Stars

Small town vibes of Gilmore Girls meets the theatrics of Endless Love.

I fell into the clickbait trap, ok. When you Google "books like Gilmore Girls" this is one that repeatedly comes up. But I beg to differ. Yes there are a lot of similarities on the surface:

- Set in a small town in Connecticut

- Mother/Daughter dilemmas

- Socioeconomic themes

- Mention of the D.A.R.

But this story definitely lacks the charm and appeal of Gilmore Girls.

The premise for My Life Next Door is strong. Quiet, suppressed Samantha falls for the son of her loud and reckless neighbors. It's a total coming-of-age story about questioning what you've been taught your whole life. Plus, it's set during the summer so you get all the beachside vibes. But this fell sooo flat.

Our main character Samantha has quite frankly zero personality and what the connection between her and Jase is based off of, I do not know. All the characters felt pretty one-dimensional, other than Tim, who I was rooting for. There's very little humor in the book, and even the sad scenes didn't elicit any emotion from me.

But still, I'm holding in. Enjoying the summer vibes, waiting for the conflict to blow up in everyone's faces. But the big climactic issue was so unbelievably random (and heavy) and seemed so out of left field for a story like this. Not to mention the insanely fast conclusion. The story was already too long and drawn out, and to conclude the super problematic climax in the last 30-40 pages seemed too abrupt.

To be fair, however, I could see other people liking this. It is an immersive book with lots of descriptions. So if you like the storyline, you'll probably enjoy staying at the Garretts' house, working summer jobs with Sam, and falling for Jase. But it just wasn't for me.

Overall: If you enjoy dramatized teen love stories with extreme twists like Endless Love, you'll probably like this book. But for those of us who enjoy more light, up-beat romances like To All The Boys I've Loved Before, I would say skip out on this one.

Synopsis:

“One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.” The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself? A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over.

Purchase My Life Next Door here:

Amazon: https://a.co/d/373VxeR

Books-A-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/My-Life-Next-Door/Huntley-Fitzpatrick/9780142426043?id=8756939992738

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-life-next-door-huntley-fitzpatrick/1106649641?ean=9780142426043