Title: My Life Next Door
Author: Huntley Fitzpatrick
Purchase: Available now for just £3.85
Overall rating: 4/5
Great for: Romantics
Themes: Class prejudice, mother-daughter relationships, falling in love with the boy next door, a mother that is on the campaign trail, work ethics, large families
Review: Samantha, the main character is a hard-working girl, not only holding down her job as a waitress, but also a summer job as a lifeguard at a Country Club. Sam lives with her mother, Grace and her sister Tracy, they’re a well to do family, complete with a trust fund.
The love interest of the book, Jason Garrett, is the boy next door. Jason is one of eight children and helps his father in his hardware shop with aspirations to go on to college on a football scholarship.
Sam longs to be part of a large family like Jason’s after her dad left when she was young. Slowly we see Sam and Jase’s relationship flourish, Fitzpatrick handles the importance of the young, yet mature characters understanding love, making the right choices and friendships in a concise and refreshing manner.
Fitzpatrick tackled all situations in the story with tenderness and an understanding of teenage romance, emotions seemed to radiate from the pages, and I was soon lost amongst the tangled situations. ‘My Life Next Door’ is the perfect holiday read which you won’t want to miss.