Review: The Next Door Boys by Jolene B. Perry

Title:		The Next Door Boys
Author:		Jolene B. Perry
Publisher:		Cedar Ford
Imprint:		Bonneville
Pub. Date:		10/4/2011
ISBN:		1599559102 (ISBN13: 9781599559100)
Pages:		272

With her body still recovering from last year's cancer treatments, Leigh Tressman is determined to be independent. Despite the interference from her overprotective brother, physical frustrations, and spiritual dilemmas— not to mention the ever expanding line of young men ready to fall in love with her— Leigh discovers what it actually means to stand on her own and learns that love can be found in unexpected but delightful places.

(Summary and cover via Goodreads)

              **************************************************

Leigh is ready to move on with her life. Having been declared in remission for cancer, she can't wait for things to get back to normal. When Leigh goes back to school, things don't run as smoothly as she plans. As frustrating as this can be, Leigh gets some small amount of comfort from her "next door boys," the boys living in the house next door to her house. Leigh's brother and his roommate are amazing guys who help her out even when she doesn't want them to. As Leigh experiences the ups and downs of college life, her next door boys help her see things in a whole new way.

I really enjoyed this book. There are a couple interesting aspects to this story, making it stand out from your typical romance-type book. The first involves Leigh's healing process, both physical and mental. This puts her in a unique position in a couple ways. She doesn't want people to know about her run-in with cancer, because she doesn't want them to see her as frail or weak. Of course, this is an issue with her family as well. On the other hand, she actually does have to take it easy as she is still healing. Trying to find a balance between what she wants and what her body can take is hard for Leigh, and I found this very interesting to read. I also enjoyed Leigh's gradual friendship with her neighbor. Watching her learn to be supportive and supported by others was great.

Overall I enjoyed this book a lot. I thought it was sweet and romantic without being overly cheesy. It was also interesting to see Leigh's perspective as a slightly "older" student at BYU. I thought this book was very fun. It didn't really surprise me plot-wise; you'll basically know where this is going from the start. That doesn't make it any less interesting. The journey to the end is where all the enjoyment is. Leigh is one of those characters that helps to pull you into her story and make you care all of those around her too.

Galley provided for review.