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Manderley Prep #3
The Guy Next Door: A BFF Novel
Spring has officially arrived at Manderley Prep??and lust is in the air?
Ethan Andrews is the one guy that Maggie has always wanted but never had the courage to go for. With her shortage of funds and Ugly Betty looks, she?s not even a blip on his radar. That?s all about to change when Maggie gets the makeover of a lifetime?and a little help from her friends. The perfect opportunity to get noticed by Ethan comes on the class trip to Hawaii. Could there be a more ideal setting for a little romance? Now Maggie just has to figure out if she has the guts to make her move?
Ethan Andrews is the one guy that Maggie has always wanted but never had the courage to go for. With her shortage of funds and Ugly Betty looks, she?s not even a blip on his radar. That?s all about to change when Maggie gets the makeover of a lifetime?and a little help from her friends. The perfect opportunity to get noticed by Ethan comes on the class trip to Hawaii. Could there be a more ideal setting for a little romance? Now Maggie just has to figure out if she has the guts to make her move?
- GenresYoung AdultRomance
208 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2008
About the author
Carol Culver
18 books22 followersCarol Grace Culver aka Carol Grace is the author of over 30 romance novels, 3 Young Adult Novels and 2 new mystery series. Her 12 most popular romance novels such as Mail-Order Millionaire and Lonely Millionaire are now available as e-books. In her past life she worked as a TV spokesperson for Julia Child and as an ESL teacher in Algeria and Iran. She speaks French whenever she can and teaches writing classes aboard cruise ships where she can be found in a deck chair sipping Margaritas and reading novels on her Kindle. A tough job, but somebody's got to do it.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 26, 2008
Maggie grew up next door to her best friend Ethan Andrews. When her parents divorced, she chooses to live with her mom, and away from Ethan. Now, in High School it seems that Ethan no longer knows Maggie exists.
How could he forget all the time that they spent together? Maggie just doesn’t understand. She blames it on her fair looks and her ugly metal braces. She can’t compete with the other girls in school to catch the eye of the extremely popular Ethan.
By chance Maggie becomes Ethan’s fencing coach and then they are both headed for Hawaii for spring break, maybe this is the chance for Maggie to show Ethan exactly what all he has forgotten.
I have mixed feelings with this book. Besides the fact that it really has absolutely no substance the story was extremely rushed. For most of the time the story is told from Maggie’s POV and then there are little snippets of Ethan in there. But they give absolutely no insight into his character, I think it would have been better just to keep Maggie’s voice apparent throughout the novel.
Okay so Maggie has these braces, and OMG if you can believe it she is a Junior! There are no Juniors with braces ever! And then when she finally gets the clear plastic aligners then it’s like a total 360 in her character. Speaking from experience from someone who didn’t get their braces until she was a sophomore and didn’t get them off until April of my senior year I know how they can damper your self confidence, But and a big BUT here, I felt more confident when I had my braces on because I knew my smile was getting fixed rather then going around all snaggle tooth. Basically for me to believe Maggie’s “transformation” I needed a little bit more than getting the braces off. I know she goes to a very wealthy school and it was apparently looked down upon to have metal braces, but still.
The whole book is building up to Maggie and Ethan finally getting together. They start out talking, then do more talking, then hang out a little bit and then bam he is in her hotel room and the shirt and bra is off and then literally it goes to “Five days later the plan took off.....”. That’s all I get!? After these two playing around the whole story you going to leave me hanging just like that! Aloe Vera, rubbing and then nothing. I mean I’m not saying I wanted then to get it on, I just wanted to see the relationship finally blossom... “hey I like you,” “oh really, I’ve been lusting after you.” Total story meltdown.
The novel wasn’t bad, I liked it even, but I’ll probably forget it by tomorrow. It just doesn’t have anything that sticks with you. Which takes me back to my initial observation, lack of substance. Although it was entertaining to read and sometimes it’s nice to be able to read purely for enjoyment and not have to think much!
How could he forget all the time that they spent together? Maggie just doesn’t understand. She blames it on her fair looks and her ugly metal braces. She can’t compete with the other girls in school to catch the eye of the extremely popular Ethan.
By chance Maggie becomes Ethan’s fencing coach and then they are both headed for Hawaii for spring break, maybe this is the chance for Maggie to show Ethan exactly what all he has forgotten.
I have mixed feelings with this book. Besides the fact that it really has absolutely no substance the story was extremely rushed. For most of the time the story is told from Maggie’s POV and then there are little snippets of Ethan in there. But they give absolutely no insight into his character, I think it would have been better just to keep Maggie’s voice apparent throughout the novel.
Okay so Maggie has these braces, and OMG if you can believe it she is a Junior! There are no Juniors with braces ever! And then when she finally gets the clear plastic aligners then it’s like a total 360 in her character. Speaking from experience from someone who didn’t get their braces until she was a sophomore and didn’t get them off until April of my senior year I know how they can damper your self confidence, But and a big BUT here, I felt more confident when I had my braces on because I knew my smile was getting fixed rather then going around all snaggle tooth. Basically for me to believe Maggie’s “transformation” I needed a little bit more than getting the braces off. I know she goes to a very wealthy school and it was apparently looked down upon to have metal braces, but still.
The whole book is building up to Maggie and Ethan finally getting together. They start out talking, then do more talking, then hang out a little bit and then bam he is in her hotel room and the shirt and bra is off and then literally it goes to “Five days later the plan took off.....”. That’s all I get!? After these two playing around the whole story you going to leave me hanging just like that! Aloe Vera, rubbing and then nothing. I mean I’m not saying I wanted then to get it on, I just wanted to see the relationship finally blossom... “hey I like you,” “oh really, I’ve been lusting after you.” Total story meltdown.
The novel wasn’t bad, I liked it even, but I’ll probably forget it by tomorrow. It just doesn’t have anything that sticks with you. Which takes me back to my initial observation, lack of substance. Although it was entertaining to read and sometimes it’s nice to be able to read purely for enjoyment and not have to think much!
March 31, 2020
Novela corta, entretenida que demuestra que a pesar de los cambios exteriores que podamos hacernos lo que termina haciendonos ganar la meta es lo que llevamos dentro.
Un romance adolescente y un cambio para dar lugar a un nuevo amor.
Un romance adolescente y un cambio para dar lugar a un nuevo amor.
May 19, 2009
Maggie is so lucky to attend Manderley Prep, one the most expensive and exclusive high schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, but things at home are not as good as they should be. Her parents have just gotten divorced, and Maggie and her mother moved from their huge house to a much smaller one. Maggie's friends and classmates may be trust fund kids, but Maggie isn't, and she works dishing out ice cream for some spending money. She also daydreams about her former best friend and neighbor, Ethan Andrews. Gone are those days when they use to hang in her tree house. Now, Ethan hardly talks to her.
When Maggie is not in class or working, she spends her days fencing. One day Ethan comes to her because he wants to sign up for fencing. His coach feels that fencing would be a great way for him to improve his lacrosse skills and Maggie becomes his coach. She is on cloud nine and thinks Ethan will become friends with her again, even though she would love to be his girlfriend. But she knows that is not possible because she feels ugly in her braces, and Ethan is such a hottie.
Maggie is also part of the school's choir. This year they are going to the Pacific Rim Music Festival in Hawaii, but because of the cost, Maggie may not be able to go. And when Ethan and his buddies join the choir, Maggie is even more upset, that is, until Ethan starts paying more attention to her. Maggie does find a way to go on the trip and wonders if Ethan will pay as much attention to her as he has been. Along with her friends, Victoria and Cindy, Maggie will try to have as much fun as she can even if that means hanging out with other teens like herself, especially the cute surfing instructor and some boys from another school who are also competing in the festival.
Ethan won't let her out of his sight and seems upset about Maggie hanging out with these strange boys. Maggie is confused by his behavior, but doesn't mind. Hopefully Ethan will see that she is not just some old neighbor, but a girl who has changed and wants him to be more than just THE GUY NEXT DOOR.
Carol Culver has written a wonderful Young Adult book that shines in every way. Maggie’s character is a girl you sympathize with. Her situation is like most girls her age with parents who don't understand her, along with her growing feelings for Ethan. But Maggie is one teenage who is a role model to those around her. She cares about her grades, is very active in her school, has a great circle of friends and most importantly, knows how to handle herself in difficult situations.
I would definitely recommend THE GUY NEXT DOOR to both pre-teen and teens. This novel touches upon topics such as drugs, alcohol and those annoying feelings a girl finds herself having for a boy such as Ethan. Ethan is a bit clueless about Maggie, but all in all, he is a great guy. And it was such a treat to see his feelings for Maggie grow into something more, especially when other boys around notice that she is truly a beautiful girl, both inside and out.
This is one book that I am so glad to have read as an adult. It brought back memories of my own high school years. There is no better way to say how much I really enjoyed reading about Maggie and her friendship with Ethan.
When Maggie is not in class or working, she spends her days fencing. One day Ethan comes to her because he wants to sign up for fencing. His coach feels that fencing would be a great way for him to improve his lacrosse skills and Maggie becomes his coach. She is on cloud nine and thinks Ethan will become friends with her again, even though she would love to be his girlfriend. But she knows that is not possible because she feels ugly in her braces, and Ethan is such a hottie.
Maggie is also part of the school's choir. This year they are going to the Pacific Rim Music Festival in Hawaii, but because of the cost, Maggie may not be able to go. And when Ethan and his buddies join the choir, Maggie is even more upset, that is, until Ethan starts paying more attention to her. Maggie does find a way to go on the trip and wonders if Ethan will pay as much attention to her as he has been. Along with her friends, Victoria and Cindy, Maggie will try to have as much fun as she can even if that means hanging out with other teens like herself, especially the cute surfing instructor and some boys from another school who are also competing in the festival.
Ethan won't let her out of his sight and seems upset about Maggie hanging out with these strange boys. Maggie is confused by his behavior, but doesn't mind. Hopefully Ethan will see that she is not just some old neighbor, but a girl who has changed and wants him to be more than just THE GUY NEXT DOOR.
Carol Culver has written a wonderful Young Adult book that shines in every way. Maggie’s character is a girl you sympathize with. Her situation is like most girls her age with parents who don't understand her, along with her growing feelings for Ethan. But Maggie is one teenage who is a role model to those around her. She cares about her grades, is very active in her school, has a great circle of friends and most importantly, knows how to handle herself in difficult situations.
I would definitely recommend THE GUY NEXT DOOR to both pre-teen and teens. This novel touches upon topics such as drugs, alcohol and those annoying feelings a girl finds herself having for a boy such as Ethan. Ethan is a bit clueless about Maggie, but all in all, he is a great guy. And it was such a treat to see his feelings for Maggie grow into something more, especially when other boys around notice that she is truly a beautiful girl, both inside and out.
This is one book that I am so glad to have read as an adult. It brought back memories of my own high school years. There is no better way to say how much I really enjoyed reading about Maggie and her friendship with Ethan.
November 2, 2012
My first problem is with the cover. Is that lady supposed to look so serious? What age is she even supposed to be?? What about those people that are 'blurred' into the background? Are they relevant?? In my mind they look a tad aged. I swear this is a YA novel. Then over to the right we have, what I assume to be is Ethan. His face is titled. Body posture towards the side. A 'come hither' look in his eyes. He looks creepy. I am concerned. I dislike him already and I haven't even opened the book. Seriously though, admit it. He looks like a pedophile. Half his body isn't even in the book! If the cover was supposed to look artistic and fit together nicely, it doesn't. The cover just looks awkward.
Now my second problem is with the first line. After reading one sentence of this book, I was thoroughly not impressed. "It was a dark and stormy night when Maggie and her mother left their McMansion in Monte Vista and moved to a small rental house in Carlmont." It was dark and stormy. That's lovely. Weather reports are always fun. But if we're being completely honest, I could care less about the weather. Does the dark and stormy weather contribute to the story? I think not. Also, does she really refer to her house as a 'McMansion?' I understand that people do use this term in America, and it is written in third person but still... Then I'm confused. Am I expected to feel sorry for her? Moving from her sprawling manson into a small rental house. Sucks. Such a hard hard life. I cannot even imagine what that poor young girl has been through, so much poverty. ugh no.
Now that I think about it, I don't even like the title. 'The guy next door.' It's a bit bland. In my mind, guy sounds very informal. Maybe boy. 'The boy next door.' That's cute. I sound obsessive, but one word can truly make a difference! If it had been 'The baby next door' you would begin reading this novel with a completely different mindset.
Anyway, the point is that I did not like this book. I didn't even bother to finish this book. I read up to about half way before completely giving up. If you think badly written, typical, bland, boring, cliche, teenage love stories where you can already guess what's going to happen, then sure. This book sounds perfect for you. If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, then I suggest you don't bother and go find another book. This websites full of them.
Now my second problem is with the first line. After reading one sentence of this book, I was thoroughly not impressed. "It was a dark and stormy night when Maggie and her mother left their McMansion in Monte Vista and moved to a small rental house in Carlmont." It was dark and stormy. That's lovely. Weather reports are always fun. But if we're being completely honest, I could care less about the weather. Does the dark and stormy weather contribute to the story? I think not. Also, does she really refer to her house as a 'McMansion?' I understand that people do use this term in America, and it is written in third person but still... Then I'm confused. Am I expected to feel sorry for her? Moving from her sprawling manson into a small rental house. Sucks. Such a hard hard life. I cannot even imagine what that poor young girl has been through, so much poverty. ugh no.
Now that I think about it, I don't even like the title. 'The guy next door.' It's a bit bland. In my mind, guy sounds very informal. Maybe boy. 'The boy next door.' That's cute. I sound obsessive, but one word can truly make a difference! If it had been 'The baby next door' you would begin reading this novel with a completely different mindset.
Anyway, the point is that I did not like this book. I didn't even bother to finish this book. I read up to about half way before completely giving up. If you think badly written, typical, bland, boring, cliche, teenage love stories where you can already guess what's going to happen, then sure. This book sounds perfect for you. If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, then I suggest you don't bother and go find another book. This websites full of them.
January 30, 2013
Sweet and sexy short story with a heroine who mistakenly thinks she's not worthy of her life-long friend, the boy next door. Shedding her chrysalis, Maggie emerges a beautiful butterfly, only to find out that she's been a butterfly all along.
Ethan is one of those heroes that you can't help but love. He's loyal, smart, handsome and sweet. He's always cared for Maggie but they've grown apart as they've grown. It wasn't cool to hang out with girls in middle school, unless you're kissing them. Now in high school, Ethan thinks girls are cool again but, on the beach of Hawaii for a school field trip, he realizes that Maggie is more than just the cool girl next door.
Awesome end to a cute series.
Ethan is one of those heroes that you can't help but love. He's loyal, smart, handsome and sweet. He's always cared for Maggie but they've grown apart as they've grown. It wasn't cool to hang out with girls in middle school, unless you're kissing them. Now in high school, Ethan thinks girls are cool again but, on the beach of Hawaii for a school field trip, he realizes that Maggie is more than just the cool girl next door.
Awesome end to a cute series.
February 11, 2011
I got this book on a clearance shelf at Books-A-Million and I thought I'd give it a try. I thought this book was sweet. I enjoy books that show perspectives from boys to girls and how they are both just as insecure as the other and don't always want to go along with the crowd.
March 8, 2010
I did not like this book at all.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews