REVIEW: The Virgin Next Door by Lauren Blakely

 

5 SMOOCHES!

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SYNOPSIS:

Raise your hand if you’ve ever done this. Written a racy message and sent it to—oops—the wrong person.

Yeah, me too. Except, I sent my latest Tales of a Naughty Virgin column detailing my fantasies about my hot, charming, thoroughly bangable next-door-neighbor to…MY ENTIRE COMPANY.

Did I mention I’m a children’s book editor?

Well, I was.

*Facepalm*

At least the column goes viral, but I’m still the gal who gets fired for her not-safe-for-work thoughts about the so-called “Mister Sexy Pants.”

Now I need a job stat, so I jump on the first opportunity. And I come face to face with my new boss.

Mister Sexy Pants himself.

Item number one on my to-do list? Make sure my boss never finds out his alter ego…since all of New York knows I want Mister Sexy Pants to punch my virgin club card.

Contents Include: A sexy and clever romp of an MF, dual-POV, mistaken identity romantic comedy, complete with dating mishaps, sizzling sexual tension, a hot nerd of a boss hero, a chaotically delightful heroine, an awkward incident with glitter, and a virgin’s NSFW to-do list.

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REVIEW:

Lauren Blakely always seem to give me exactly what I need to read, and The Virgin Next Door was precisely the distraction I needed this week. This sexy, sweet and swoony virgin romance was told within a workplace storyline with a bit of a secret identity/next-door-neighbor spin that oozed with charm, wit and heat. Lauren’s contemporaries and romcoms are amongst my favorite stories to read, and I’ve been really excited about The Dating Game series. I listened to the audio version of The Virgin Next Door, narrated in duet by Teddy Hamilton and Vanessa Edwin, and it was a perfect pairing that was wonderfully produced and expertly performed. This playful and passionate contemporary romance pairs a virgin book editor slash virgin-dating-in-the-city covert columnist with a cult following and the super-hot bicycle/flower shop owner—who are both secretly crushing on each other—in a bit of a forbidden romance.

Veronica Valentine was naturally curious and has investigated enough to know what she wants and how she wants it—she even had a list! She was no demure, quivering virgin. She was effervescent and bold, confident and imaginative and just waiting for the right man to meet her high expectations and rise to the challenge. She was right to wait, because she met her match in Milo “Mr. Sexy Pants” Dawson. There was just so much to love about this book! First, the chemistry between Veronica and Milo was positively electric. Everything about them was hot, from their flirty banter, the titillating text messages, the way they jived both in the shop and out of it. For goodness sakes, even their dogs – and that cat! – were adorable. I had so many favorite moments, from Milo learning about Veronica’s side gig to them ticking off the items on her to-do list, I was rooting for this couple from the start.

One of the things I love best about Blakely’s writing is that it’s so sex positive. The virgin trope can sometimes be a bit awkward if it’s not done well and with deliberation. This is never the case with Lauren’s virgin romances, though, and The Virgin Next Door is no exception. Lauren Blakely’s romances aren’t known to be particularly angsty or overly dramatic, but she does include a splash of conflict to challenge her characters. She pens love stories that aren’t driven by drama, but instead are resolved with maturity, and that alone guarantees me that they’ll always be a pleasure to read from cover-to-cover.

Light-hearted and fun, The Virgin Next Door was a feel-good, fire-filled, falling-in-love story full of those can’t-keep-my-hands-off-you, crush-turns-to-more vibes that I just can’t get enough of! I was completely swept up in Milo and Veronica’s romance and burned through Teddy and Emma’s perfect performance in a single day binge-listen! Five smooches from me for The Virgin Next Door by Lauren Blakely!

~ Danielle Palumbo

 

 


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