‘MY HOPE NEXT DOOR’: Redemptive Contemporary Romance

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Every emotion is heightened thanks to these characters and their troubled pasts. There’s highs and lows as they reconcile with their mess of a past (especially for Katie) and amid it all, you’ll smile through the tears.”

STORY: Katie Stone is walking trouble. Or so the people who once knew her expect her to be. Now, years later, Katie has done a lot of growing up and with it, her life and outlook has shifted.

Circumstances have changed her since she walked out on her small town five years ago. But in the wake of her return, ghosts rise up again to haunt her. Her past is as close as next door with PK, Asher Powell. Though Katie and Asher weren’t friends in high school, seeing a classmate again stirs up old memories. But the difference is, Asher is no longer the same person either. Gone is his former “good kid” reputation and in its place, a jaded heart that just may be in need of renovation.   

My Hope Next Door, by Tammy L. Gray | Book Review

When this novel was pitched for review, I was told not to let the cute scene dripping with summer love, as depicted on the cover art, fool me. There was a whole lot more hidden underneath the beautiful “face” of My Hope Next Door. How right that assessment is. This novel, though it gives in to the sweeter side of life when needed, is a genuine and messy story. My use of “messy” being only in the best sense considering the picture it paints is heartbreaking, a needed situation to reach the heartwarming. 

I was wrong to say I’ve never fallen in love. Because I’ve fallen more than once. …I’ve fallen in love with you over and over again.” – Tammy L. Gray

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‘MY HOPE NEXT DOOR’: REDEMPTIVE CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE #bookarchives Share on X

Stepping inside this story immediately proves first impressions wrong. We meet Katie as she returns to her small town, and though we know the return haunts her, we don’t’ know why.

The dynamics of Katie’s family are page-turning good as is the “first meeting” between Asher and Katie. Theirs is a slower “burn” relationship, but it’s not without sparks (I dare you to cite a more spark-laden – though I’ll give you as good, first kiss scene) and crackling chemistry. It’s not one that gets life from a friendship so much as it’s driven by mutual “need” and understanding of what the other has gone through. Sometimes this kind of magnetic friction can be a dangerous place, but the author manages the themes with grace, class and romanticism of the highest caliber. 

Cacophony aside, Katie and Asher’s story will still appeal to those anticipating a HEA, and anyone seeking a story to inspire smiles. The hostile environment seems contrary to this, but in my opinion, it only makes the story that much stronger. These characters heighten every emotion. There’s highs and lows as they reconcile with their mess of a past (especially for Katie) and amid it all, you’ll smile through the tears.  

Those wanting a contemporary with deeper meaning and purpose but with the promise of light at the end should look no further than My Hope Next Door. It’s an unforgettable journey with two characters seeking forgiveness, redemption and a hope to last a lifetime.

About the Book:

Author: Tammy L. Gray
Publisher: Waterfall Press
Source: RelzReviewz Author Support Services
Publication Date: 2016
Find the Review elsewhere: Goodreads
Add the Book: Goodreads
Genre: Fiction; Contemporary Romance
Rating: 5 out of 5 

Sincere thanks to the publisher, author and Rel for providing a complimentary e-copy of this book for reviewing purposes.