The Playboy Next Door is the third book in the Love on the North Shore Series by Christina Tetreault, but each of the books in this series are standalone stories with interconnected characters. With this being my first book by this author, I really didn't know what to expect. I liked the cover and the blurb sounded really interesting, so I had to give this one a shot. This one did have some really cute moments, but I did have some issues feelings here.
Catrina Striker stops in at a bar after a blind date stands her up and the last thing she expects is for Tony Bates, the playboy of North Salem to sit down next to her. What starts as a drink and dinner, quickly turns into a night together. One night soon becomes more, and Catrina and Tony begin a fling that they both know needs to be kept secret. Tony has never been the type to look for a relationship, but he finds himself drawn to Catrina in a way he hasn't been with anyone else. But can these two take a chance on something together?
I liked Catrina and Tony, but I will say that I didn't feel especially drawn to either of them. They were a bit cookie cutter to me, which while not bad didn't really help me to feel invested in their story. Tony didn't do commitment, yet the whole story he felt very possessive of Catrina and did a lot of things to contradict what he said he wanted. It was a bit frustrating at times to see him act one way and then say or think others. It tells the reader in the blurb that his college sweetheart died suddenly, yet it wasn't mentioned in the book until very late into the story. It just alluded to a past relationship that left him only wanting casual and not looking for love. I had forgotten about that while reading, so I thought it was a bit odd that he used that as a crutch but it was never really mentioned.
I also had a problem with the fact that not a lot really happened here. These two started seeing each other very early on and continued their fling throughout the story. There were a few things that caused some drama along the way (Cat's brother, Cat's ex, and Cat being up for a position that meant relocating) but otherwise there just wasn't a lot to really keep my interest. I wasn't engaged, and found my mind wandering throughout the story. I wanted to start skimming at times just to see if anything would happen and how things would end up. There were some cute moments here and I did like Catrina and Tony together. This just wasn't exactly what I had been expecting and unfortunately wasn't anything new or different. This might be one worth giving a shot if you like contemporary romance stories with a reformed playboy, but if you are looking for something unique this one probably isn't for you.
**Review Copy Provided by Author**
AJ Pine writes stories to break readers’ hearts, but don’t worry—she’ll mend them with a happily ever after. As an English teacher and a librarian, AJ has always surrounded herself with books. All her favorites have one big commonality–romance. Naturally, the books she writes have the same. When she’s not writing, she’s of course reading. Then there’s online shopping (everything from groceries to shoes). And a tiny bit of TV where she nourishes her undying love of vampires, superheroes, and a certain high-functioning sociopath detective. You’ll also find her hanging with her family in the Chicago ‘burbs. AJ is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan of Handspun Literary.
