Not sure whether to smack the main character upside the head or cheer for her.  It seemed the character Eva Black was either getting walked all over, or she was getting a spine and standing up for herself.  Fortunately, by the end of the book she seemed to have grown a bit wiser. 

One great aspect of this story that set it apart from similar tales of women dating the wrong man and being saved by the perfect guy, was the perfect guy had flaws.  The author did a more than adequate job of making sure the reader dislikes the “wrong” man and loves the “right” guy.  One fun zinger came late in the book, and in the interest of avoiding spoilers, suffice to say not all baby paraphernalia is just for babies.

Overall, The Guy Next Door was a pleasurable read that causes one to be grateful for his or her blessings and remember that others might not be so blessed.  Valuing one’s family was a central theme.  The story nicely combined romance and intrigue!

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Covenant Communications

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None

Violence/Gore:  Characters pin others down; characters shove and hit one another; characters threaten others with weapons; characters are fatally injured; characters non-fatally shot or stabbed, blood is mentioned.

Sex/Nudity:  Non-married characters kiss, hold hands and embrace, frequently.

Mature Subject Matter:

Death of immediate family members; illegal activities.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Drugs are not used by characters, but are mentioned.