I am really torn with how I feel about The Boy Next Door by Ella James. On the one hand, I couldn't put this book down. I read it in pretty much one sitting, only stopping because I had to go to bed so I could go to work the next day. I had to know how everything would play out for these two and I didn't want to stop reading. On the other hand though, there were some things that just didn't work for me and that is what kept me from being able to really love this one.
Dash was Amelia's hero from the moment they met, when he saved her on one of the worst days of her life. She quickly became best friends with his sister and the three of them grew almost inseparable. One night everything changed between them though, and Amelia's world was once again turned upside down when he left and broke her heart. Now years later Amelia has landed an internship that could turn into her dream job at a film studio, but the lead animator on the project is none other than Dash. He is no longer the boy next door though, and his secrets could ruin them both.
I felt the connection between Dash and Amelia right off. These two had a lot of chemistry and it was clear that they had very strong feelings for one another. The problem for me though was how weak both of them were. Amelia let Dash walk all over her, forgiving him with little to no remorse or consequences for the way he treated her. Dash was a bit depressing if I am honest, and spent the whole book being propped up by a character who was almost as weak as he was. Amelia let him get away with so much and was beyond understanding and gave him so many chances, yet he continued to be unable to let her in or even be honest with her. While they had chemistry and things were hot between them, I really felt like the chemistry and connection wasn't enough here. I just wanted more substance. I also really wanted to see more light hearted and sweet moments between these two. Things were so serious and depressing at times that the mood on this one was kind of a drag. I wanted to see some scenes that would have shown them growing close again in a sweet or fun way to sort of break up the super emotional stuff.
The other big thing that kept me from loving this book was this huge secret that had been kept all book long. It didn't come out until the very end of the book, which felt far too little too late for my taste. Not only did I not really feel sorry for Dash like I feel I was supposed to (he was old enough to grasp what he was doing and his excuses were just that...excuses) but I also felt like because it came out so late it was basically just brushed aside as though all that had happened was no big deal. Of course Amelia just got over it super quick and everything was tied up in a neat little bow. It just didn't feel genuine and I found the entire thing to be a let down after so much build up. Like I said though, this book was one I didn't want to put down and Ella James is a great writer. She knows how to draw you in and keep you turning pages until you have devoured the entire book. That being said though, this wasn't my favorite book of hers.
**ARC Provided by The Next Step PR**
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