Book 45, 2024

The New Neighbor by Rye Cox

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I finished an ebook last night. It was The New Neighbor by Rye Cox, and it's the first in the "Corio Heights" series of male/male romance. Main characters are Caleb and Zack.

Caleb works as a CPA, but his passion is baking. After his father passed, Caleb devoted himself to taking care of his mother and his younger brother. He doesn't do relationships. However, Caleb would like to do his hot new neighbor.

Zack works in the hospitality industry, helping new ventures get the funding they need to launch their businesses. He doesn't have time for a relationship, but when he's just moving into his new apartment and a neighbor brings him some cookies, Zack wouldn't mind making time for Caleb.

The two of them are determined to remain in the friends zone, but as they spend more and more time together, they gradually start to fall for one another. Everyone else realizes they're perfect together; now if only Caleb and Zack can figure that out.

Very sweet story, very low angst. I enjoyed the slow burn, and I loved that Zack has a cat. It was at turns amusing and exasperating to see the two of them dance around one another, each of them afraid to make that first move in case they didn't click and it ruined their friendship. The progression of the plot was fairly predictable, but it was a fun read nevertheless.

Favorite line: Anyone who loved cats got an A-plus in my book.

Sweet and spicy: four stars