Review: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

My Life Next Door

"One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garrett's. All the time.”

The Garrett's are everything the Reed's 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?

This was definitely a story that swept me away for a few hours! I'd opened to the first couple pages planning to only read a little bit. But when I looked up, several hours had passed and I had read the entire thing! :) It's a sweet love story. The romance itself is cute and Samantha and Jase have good chemistry. But what makes this story so much fun is the entire Garrett family. They are awesome! From mom and dad all the way down to little Patsy. Once you meet the Garrett's, you'll wish you could be part of their family yourself! They are loud and teasing and fun, with everyone understanding that love is always a given. No matter what. They are the type of family that will tease and fight with each other constantly, but stand up for each other to anyone else.

My favorite member of the family is George of course! How do you not fall in love with him? He's simply adorable and immediately likes Samantha. She never stood a chance. Her family life is so entirely different and rigid in comparison. The Garrett family, with their warmth and love, is just what she needs! She soaks up every moment she spends at their house. And since they're next door neighbors, once Jase climbs into her life (literally!), she is able to spend as much time as she wants at their house.

So there's lots of blissful moments. But stories never stay blissful for long. Trouble comes, and life gets really, really complicated. Samantha proceeds to make some very bad mistakes, unfortunately. She's got a lot of learning to do when it comes to knowing how to handle bad situations. One of those lessons being the fact that you have to handle them, you can't run away. But Samantha is a great girl and with some time, and some pushing from other characters, realizes the right thing to do.

I will say that there were a couple scenes that get pretty explicit. I didn't actually feel that they were necessary. One happens right after an awful situation, and could have been left out entirely. The story still would have been just fine without it. However, they are easily skipped over, as you can pretty well tell when they are approaching. So beware if you decide to read this one. Overall, this was a fun story. It would make a great beach read in my opinion! :) 

"I'm left with George. He sucks on his Popsicle meditatively for a few minutes, then asks, "Did you know that in space it's very, very cold? And there's no oxygen? And if an astronaut fell out of a shuttle without his suit he'd die right away?"
I'm a fast learner. "But that would never happen. Because astronauts are really, really careful."
George gives me a smile, the same dazzling sweet smile as his big brother, although, at this point, with green teeth. "I might marry you," he allows. "Do you want a big family?"