He Lived Next Door

by Portia Moore

I wanted to absolutely love this and while I can’t say that I hated it, I turned the last page a little more ambivalent than I had hoped.

Don’t get me wrong the book is written fabulously, I just had issues with the characters and how they connected (or didn’t) with me.

I couldn’t find it in me to like Bryce, he was just a tad too full on, in some respects initially I thought he was erring more towards being creepy and desperate.

How Chassidy managed keep a straight face and her sanity almost beggared belief, I mean she must have been creeped out…surely!! And by the time we got to her melt down I was sure that she was just a barking mad. I was pi**ed that the way she was acting, and had almost flipped my allegiances towards Bryce because he didn’t seem quite so challenged.

I don’t like feeling frustrated when reading a book, I suppose that is because I don’t like second guessing either the author or the characters and for me I think that was what was rubbing me up the wrong way, I was waiting on some of the pieces to slot into place and when they didn’t hook up I was ponderous as whether or not there had been twists and turns that had slipped past me.

I commend the author for the quality of her work but unfortunately on this occasion this was one that didn’t grab me by the throat and hang on tight.