A Contemporary Romance Novel

New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author

Penelope Ward

Release Date: August 14, 2016

Buy: Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / IBooks / Kobo

Neighbor Dearest is LIVE and on limited-time release sale for $3.99 (Changing to $4.99 after release. This will be the ONLY sale.) A sexy STANDALONE friends-to-lovers story that does NOT have to be read in conjunction with any other book.

Synopsis

From New York Times bestselling author, Penelope Ward, comes a sexy new STANDALONE novel.

 

After getting dumped, the last thing I needed was to move next door to someone who reminded me of my ex-boyfriend, Elec.

 

Damien was a hotter version of my ex.

 

The neighbor I’d dubbed “Angry Artist” also had two massive dogs that kept me up with their barking.

 

He wanted nothing to do with me. Or so I thought until one night I heard laughter coming through an apparent hole in my bedroom wall.

 

Damien had been listening to all of my phone sessions with my therapist.

 

The sexy artist next door now knew all of my deepest secrets and insecurities.

 

We got to talking.

 

He set me straight with tips to get over my breakup.

 

He became a good friend, but Damien made it clear that he couldn’t be anything more.

 

Problem was, I was falling hard for him anyway. And as much as he pushed me away, I knew he felt the same…because his heartbeat didn’t lie.

 

I thought my heart had been broken by Elec, but it was alive and beating harder than ever for Damien.

 

I just hoped he wouldn’t shatter it for good.

 

Author’s note – Neighbor Dearest is a full-length standalone novel. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Excerpt

Copyright © 2016 by

Penelope Ward

Looking tense, he placed his hands slowly into his pockets as he looked at me. “What exactly happened last night?”

“What are you talking about?”

Nice try dodging the question.

He moved in closer to me. “What am I talking about? You leaving me with a giant fucking basket of muffins and running off before I could even say anything? Ring a bell?”

“I thought you’d be alone. It caught me off guard.”

His eyes softened. “You were upset…”

“No, I wasn’t.”

“You’re a terrible liar, Chelsea. Fucking horrible at it. You don’t hide your feelings very well.”

“You think you know just about everything there is to know about me, don’t you?”

“Not everything. But it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to read you. It’s one of the things I like about you, though. You’re one of the least fake people I’ve ever met.”

“Then, tell me. Why do you think I was upset?”

“Honestly? I think you’re confused about me.”

“Confused…”

“Yes. I think you’re wondering why I opted not to have dinner with you and instead ended up with a woman I’d literally just met, someone who isn’t as sweet as you and sure as fuck isn’t as pretty as you. So, you’re wondering what the hell I was thinking. Am I right?”

That’s exactly what I was thinking.

He continued, “I know we haven’t known each other for very long, but I do feel a connection with you, okay? If you’ve sensed something, you’re not imagining it.”

“Well, if I wasn’t confused before…now I definitely am.”

“I feel like I need to say this now, because I can’t stand the thought of you thinking that I somehow find you undesirable when it’s exactly the opposite.”

I crossed my arms. “Again. Not following you.”

He closed his eyes as if to try to find the right words. “It’s just that I know for sure that I can’t ever be what someone like you needs in a boyfriend, in a partner. It’s not that we wouldn’t have fun or be great together at first. I’m just not good for you in the long-term—not marriage material. And the reasons are too complex to get into, except to say that it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. I can’t, in good conscience, start something with a girl like you.”

“A girl like me…”

“Yes. You’re not the kind of girl a guy takes home for a quick fuck. You’re the girl he keeps.”

Right. Just like Elec did.

Michel’s Review

I’ve quickly come to realize that anything by Penelope Ward is going to be an exceptional read.  I have loved her previous books and the novels she has co authored with Vi Keeland.  The one thing that keeps drawing me back for more is her creation of unforgettable characters and a love story that is not a cookie cutter romance.  A story that dances on the edge of the rules in romance 101 with the absolute no no’s.  She boldly adds taboo elements such as cheating boyfriends, sibling (step sibling) relationships, vindictive enemies, and douchebag personalities and makes the reader clearly see there are two sides to any story.  Things are not always as they appear on the surface and matters of the heart are a different story altogether.  Dearest Neighbor is the other side of the story briefly told in Stepbrother Dearest.  It turns the tables on our “beloved” Elec from Stepbrother Dearest.  The guy readers fell hopelessly in love with doesn’t look so great from other points of view.  And that’s okay because it’s time for a new hero, Damien Hennessey to takeover and dominate our hearts.  Only a writer like Penelope Ward could deliver up a new tasty dish making us forget about the delicious appetizer that came before hand.

Chelsea is still reeling from the devastating heartbreak that Elec delivered a year ago when he broke off their engagement to reunite with his stepsister.  She thought they had the perfect relationship.  She thought he loved her.  She can’t figure out what she did wrong that made him dump her for Greta.  She just can’t seem to get over him.

The first step in the process of getting over Elec is to move.  Second step is therapy.  Third step is to start dating again.

When she meets her new neighbor, moving on is going to be a lot different than she thought.  Her new neighbor is a real douche.  He’s grouchy, antagonistic, and has the noisiest dogs in the building.  Dealing with a jerk is one thing, but losing sleep because of a dog is another.  When she confronts him about the dogs, the sparks fly.  When he overhears her therapy session and adds his two cents, well that is just rude.  When she accidentally tries to burn down the building, the last thing she expects is pizza for dinner with her neighbor and a new dating coach.  One that sets her up on an online dating site and protective measures.  She didn’t expect to find a new best friend.  She also didn’t expect to fall in love with her new best friend.  She also would of never thought she could get her heart broken worse than before.  Her previous life was nothing compared to her life with her Neighbor Dearest.

Damien is what he is.  He’s not looking for a relationship.  He values his friendship with Chelsea.  She has become the most important person in his life.  He wants her to have all the happiness she deserves.  He just can’t be the one who gives her the happily ever after.  He has a history that can’t be changed and nothing can change his future.  His head says no but his heart says yes.  His heart is broken and not just by his choices.

Chelsea and Damien have to mend their broken hearts and find their new beginning.

Penelope Ward outdid herself with Neighbor Dearest.  I loved every moment.  I also loved that she tied her three stand alone books together through her dynamic characters.  There’s still another broken heart out there, Chelsea’s sister Jade.  Jade’s man dumped her for his roommate.  Maybe Damien’s brother Ty can step up to the plate.

________________________________________________

 Penelope Ward is a USA Today Bestselling author.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers. She spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career.

Penelope lives for reading books in the new adult genre, coffee and hanging out with her friends and family on weekends.

She is the proud mother of a beautiful 10-year-old girl with autism (the inspiration for the character Callie in Gemini) and a 8-year-old boy, both of whom are the lights of her life.

Penelope, her husband and kids reside in Rhode Island.

 

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Additional Books by Penelope Ward

Roomhate – Amazon / B & N /  ITunes / Kobo

Sevin- Amazon / Amazon UK / ITunes / B & N / Kobo/

Cocky Bastard– Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Stepbrother Dearest – Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

My Skylar – Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Gemini –Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Jake Undone –Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Jake Understood –Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo