Two Doors Down by Mary Hargreaves

Title: Two Doors Down

Author: Mary Hargreaves

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Source: Hygge Book Tours

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Blurb: Eve’s life is a constant juggling act between her successful, but fast-paced, marketing career, complicated friendships, and a revolving door of disastrous dates. But life would be fine . . .

If only her neighbour from two doors down would stop his cat getting into her house!

Adam’s life is on track. He’s a dedicated tutor, has a close-knit group of friends and a steady, long-term relationship. Except his girlfriend is distant, and he’s lost motivation for his job. But life would be fine . . .

If only his neighbour from two doors up would stop her cat getting into his house!

Eve tries to return Adam’s cat, but it becomes clear neither own ‘Old Sausage’. They have been duped by the antics of a stray. Despite his endearing presence in both their houses, he must be returned to his true owner.

As Eve and Adam start their search, they realise they have more in common than they thought, and when both are betrayed by those closest to them — Eve loses her job and Adam’s girlfriend leaves — they find that there’s more to life than just getting by.

And perhaps a new beginning was on their doorstep all along . . .

Review: This book… isn’t what was advertised, unfortunately. I was expecting a romcom of misunderstandings over a stray cat. Instead, I got drama over a job position and a romance on the rocks. The couple didn’t even meet until halfway through!

They were physically noticing each other at 73% where it should be 20% ish, and not getting together until right at the end of the book. The romance felt forced and flat – and was very unfulfilling.

On the plus side, Adam’s relationship with his brother – who has cerebral palsy – was a highlight. Good sibling relationships seem to be rare in romance, so it was nice to see this. Adam’s friends were also great.

It’s a shame that similar can’t be said for Eve. She’s incredibly self-centred and comes across a lot younger than mid-30s. Her one-upmanship with her “friend” Kirsty was ridiculous and she shouldn’t have had the chance to resign – I’d have sacked the pair of them.

I hate saying negative things about someone else’s hard work, but Two Doors Down was incredibly disappointing. It read more like women’s lit than romance, even with Adam’s POV. I came very close to DNFing it several time, and would have been a return had I purchased it.