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The Couple Next Door
by
Jeremy Booth leads a simple life, scraping by in the gay neighborhood of Seattle, never letting his lack of material things get him down. But the one thing he really wants—someone to love—seems elusive. Until the couple next door moves in and Jeremy sees the man of his dreams, Shane McCallister, pushed down the stairs by a brute named Cole.
Jeremy would never go after anoth ...more
Jeremy would never go after anoth ...more
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ebook, 2nd edition
Published
September 14th 2020
by NineStar Press
(first published December 7th 2015)
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Community Reviews
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Start your review of The Couple Next Door
I wouldn't even know how to review this one,so let's look at something pretty...
Did I enjoy it...yes.
It's definitely not my normal M/M choice but it had me totally intrigued.
It's quite dark and disturbing and that's all I can say..... ...more
Did I enjoy it...yes.
It's definitely not my normal M/M choice but it had me totally intrigued.
It's quite dark and disturbing and that's all I can say..... ...more
Review originally posted at Sinfully.
4.5 stars
Be assured this is a spoiler-free review since it would be a disservice to give anything away about this book that kept me on edge until the final pages. With every secret and every twist I still had to wonder whether the truth was being revealed or whether there was still more to come. Sinister, creepy and intense, with a love story that only ratchets up the tension, The Couple Next Door is a wild and strange ride.
Returning from yet another disappoi ...more
4.5 stars
Be assured this is a spoiler-free review since it would be a disservice to give anything away about this book that kept me on edge until the final pages. With every secret and every twist I still had to wonder whether the truth was being revealed or whether there was still more to come. Sinister, creepy and intense, with a love story that only ratchets up the tension, The Couple Next Door is a wild and strange ride.
Returning from yet another disappoi ...more
Jan 29, 2016
Elsbeth
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
m-m-romance-fiction,
buddy-read-with-susan
BR, January 30st with Susan.
This would be me during this book. It's also my review.
Good lord... It's impossible to say anything about the story without giving anything away. So i'll refrain.
Just
...more
4 Stars
This book is what I would classify as mind-fuckery. Some of the main themes I was able to guess quite quickly...while others where way out in the solar system, and I'm still not quite sure what was real and what was not. Definitely a different kind of book, I've not read anything like this before and it definitely had my mind working overtime to try and make sense of what was happening.
...more
This book is what I would classify as mind-fuckery. Some of the main themes I was able to guess quite quickly...while others where way out in the solar system, and I'm still not quite sure what was real and what was not. Definitely a different kind of book, I've not read anything like this before and it definitely had my mind working overtime to try and make sense of what was happening.
...more
So it's not the darkest, or the most scary, thriller I've read recently (thankfully), but Rick R. Reed's The Couple Next Door is definitely the most fun!
The whole way through I'm thinking, "there's no way this guy could be so stupid", and "there's got to be so much more going on behind the scenes"... well, of course there is!
Rick R. Reed does a marvelous job building the layers here. Literally, to say anything more would give too much away so I'm not going to do it. But if you're reading the ope ...more
The whole way through I'm thinking, "there's no way this guy could be so stupid", and "there's got to be so much more going on behind the scenes"... well, of course there is!
Rick R. Reed does a marvelous job building the layers here. Literally, to say anything more would give too much away so I'm not going to do it. But if you're reading the ope ...more
Full review - WITH NO SPOILERS - can be found at -
This is another great read by Rick R. Reed. Go into it expecting the unexpected and you should love this. Nothing is at all as it appears early on. Keep that in mind before reading. Also, if you've not read this yet and you plan to, don't read any reviews with spoilers. It will ruin the experience for you completely.
Highly recommended.
This book was provided by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. ...more
This is another great read by Rick R. Reed. Go into it expecting the unexpected and you should love this. Nothing is at all as it appears early on. Keep that in mind before reading. Also, if you've not read this yet and you plan to, don't read any reviews with spoilers. It will ruin the experience for you completely.
Highly recommended.
This book was provided by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. ...more
This pains me. Truly pains me. I saw this book come across my feed and knew I had to read it. It sounded perfect for me.
It wasn’t.
Sometimes a book, a character, a storyline or whatever just doesn’t work for one reason or the other. This just didn’t work for me for many reasons. It’s hard for me to read a book and enjoy the story, to care what happens next, if I don’t like the characters. In this case, I didn’t like either and I never understood, aside from liking how each other looked, what the ...more
It wasn’t.
Sometimes a book, a character, a storyline or whatever just doesn’t work for one reason or the other. This just didn’t work for me for many reasons. It’s hard for me to read a book and enjoy the story, to care what happens next, if I don’t like the characters. In this case, I didn’t like either and I never understood, aside from liking how each other looked, what the ...more
Wow, I’m still shaking, what a thrilling narrative! I didn’t expect this at all, awesome!
Jeremy has new neighbors, two guys John and Shane. When Jeremy talks with Shane his own past rings in his ears. Denial, denial of the situation.
The only thing he can do is just be there for Shane after his partner is abusive, again.
Saying It’s all very complicated is an understatement.
“once a thing is known, it can’t be unknown.”
Jeremy asks himself more than once what he’s gotten himself into. Even more, how ...more
Jeremy has new neighbors, two guys John and Shane. When Jeremy talks with Shane his own past rings in his ears. Denial, denial of the situation.
The only thing he can do is just be there for Shane after his partner is abusive, again.
Saying It’s all very complicated is an understatement.
“once a thing is known, it can’t be unknown.”
Jeremy asks himself more than once what he’s gotten himself into. Even more, how ...more
Reading The Couple Next Door is like carefully prying open a set of Russian matryoshka nestling dolls, wondering if you've reached the final kernel of truth, and yet fearful there's another layer, another "truth" to uncover.
Jeremy Booth leads a comfortable, lonely life in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, until the day Shane McAllister literally falls at his feet, thrown down the apartment building stairs by a leather-clad Tom of Finland look-alike, Cole. Jeremy learns the couple, newly arriv ...more
Jeremy Booth leads a comfortable, lonely life in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, until the day Shane McAllister literally falls at his feet, thrown down the apartment building stairs by a leather-clad Tom of Finland look-alike, Cole. Jeremy learns the couple, newly arriv ...more
This book is scary. Genuinely creepy. I think the cover art conveys it quite well. Jeremy Booth is an ordinary guy who falls for a neighbor. That neighbor though, has secrets. False identities, plot twists, close calls. They all add up to a book I couldn’t put down once I started.
On the other hand, Seattle is a character in its own right here. Charming with its rainy vistas and gay bars. Jeremy is buoyed and supported by his city. It’s almost warm, and infuses the plot with substance and weight ...more
On the other hand, Seattle is a character in its own right here. Charming with its rainy vistas and gay bars. Jeremy is buoyed and supported by his city. It’s almost warm, and infuses the plot with substance and weight ...more
A Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
First, I should admit that I stayed up into the wee hours of the morn reading this book. I couldn’t help myself, I was utterly hooked and simply unable to put it down without knowing how it would end. Much like the rich and amazingly well written main character, Jeremy, I found myself horrified at the final twist in this story and, hence, never approached an epilogue with more relief in my life. Shane captivated me from the start, as did Jeremy. In many ways both we ...more
5 stars
First, I should admit that I stayed up into the wee hours of the morn reading this book. I couldn’t help myself, I was utterly hooked and simply unable to put it down without knowing how it would end. Much like the rich and amazingly well written main character, Jeremy, I found myself horrified at the final twist in this story and, hence, never approached an epilogue with more relief in my life. Shane captivated me from the start, as did Jeremy. In many ways both we ...more
4.5 Stars
This was an absolutely great book. Rick Reed is not a new author for me and it was amazing what he did with these two characters. He was able to bring these two characters to life. I loved both Jeremy and Shane and I hated John/Cole/Vera. I loved the hot sex between Jeremy and Shane.
The author was able make me believe everything he was writing. I was completely engrossed in this book and I didn't want to put it down. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves reading an ...more
This was an absolutely great book. Rick Reed is not a new author for me and it was amazing what he did with these two characters. He was able to bring these two characters to life. I loved both Jeremy and Shane and I hated John/Cole/Vera. I loved the hot sex between Jeremy and Shane.
The author was able make me believe everything he was writing. I was completely engrossed in this book and I didn't want to put it down. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves reading an ...more
Okay, this will be a weird review. This book was CREEPY GREAT!! This is now my second favorite book of Mr. Rick R. Reed (behind Raining Men). Damn my work for making me stop and put it down when all I wanted to do was keep reading.
I do not want to tell you anything about this book because anything I might say (even with spoilers removed) could possibly say too much. This was not a horror book, just a romance with body chilling inducing spots that will make you think twice about your neighbors.
Yo ...more
I do not want to tell you anything about this book because anything I might say (even with spoilers removed) could possibly say too much. This was not a horror book, just a romance with body chilling inducing spots that will make you think twice about your neighbors.
Yo ...more
Very good and had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what was going on but also left me with lots of unanswered questions .... (view spoiler)
...more
It kept me on the edge of my seat and i couldn't put it down because i wanted to know what would happen next. Not telling more because this kind of story should be read without knowing any spoilers :)
...more
[I received a digital arc for an honest review]
I really enjoy a good dark romance. I love they can pull from you and the havoc they can cause on your emotions. The Couple Next Door by Rick. R. Reed is definitely dark and has a layer of suspense to it. It includes graphic violence , physical and emotional abuse, and includes a character with past sexual abuse an adolescent. This book is intense, confusing, and had me saying "WTF" out loud between the characters actions ( I was completely uncomfor ...more
I really enjoy a good dark romance. I love they can pull from you and the havoc they can cause on your emotions. The Couple Next Door by Rick. R. Reed is definitely dark and has a layer of suspense to it. It includes graphic violence , physical and emotional abuse, and includes a character with past sexual abuse an adolescent. This book is intense, confusing, and had me saying "WTF" out loud between the characters actions ( I was completely uncomfor ...more
First impression: What the fuck did I just read?
Hmph.
I'm going to say, begrudgingly, that I liked this mind-fuck of a book.
I was hooked from the start and all the way through I was wide-eyed and agog, dismayed and afraid.
I'll note that I read the book, Sybil, as a teenager, also--before that--Helter Skelter, The Shining, and One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. My mother didn't monitor the books I pilfered off her shelves. I was way too young, and it's probably one of the many reasons I don't often t ...more
Hmph.
I'm going to say, begrudgingly, that I liked this mind-fuck of a book.
I was hooked from the start and all the way through I was wide-eyed and agog, dismayed and afraid.
I'll note that I read the book, Sybil, as a teenager, also--before that--Helter Skelter, The Shining, and One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. My mother didn't monitor the books I pilfered off her shelves. I was way too young, and it's probably one of the many reasons I don't often t ...more
BR with Els
3.5 stars
I had no idea what to expect when I started this, and I think that's a good thing. I like being surprised.
I’m not going to spoil anything about this book, so I won’t go into detail.
This is a book with a lot of twists and turns. It had a couple of great WTF moments.
There’s also a romance going on and even though it was a nice one, I did have some trouble with it. There was so much going on that I felt there wasn’t a lot of build-up. The relationship just happens. I didn’t buy ...more
3.5 stars
I had no idea what to expect when I started this, and I think that's a good thing. I like being surprised.
I’m not going to spoil anything about this book, so I won’t go into detail.
This is a book with a lot of twists and turns. It had a couple of great WTF moments.
There’s also a romance going on and even though it was a nice one, I did have some trouble with it. There was so much going on that I felt there wasn’t a lot of build-up. The relationship just happens. I didn’t buy ...more
3 Stars
This book while very well written had the elements of a horror/suspense story and I was not quite prepared for it. I have read several of Mr. Reed's books and this had a much heavier and darker element. It was not my usual type of book and the twisted character of Shane's older brother was more than I could stand at times. If you like an intense and frightening story this should be a great experience. The story line has numerous wild turns and this book can be disturbing due to the violen ...more
This book while very well written had the elements of a horror/suspense story and I was not quite prepared for it. I have read several of Mr. Reed's books and this had a much heavier and darker element. It was not my usual type of book and the twisted character of Shane's older brother was more than I could stand at times. If you like an intense and frightening story this should be a great experience. The story line has numerous wild turns and this book can be disturbing due to the violen ...more
This was a great, psychological thriller. Mental health issues were easy to identify, character were well developed and entertaining although at times you wanted to say wake up before he kills you! I was concerned that it was going to end on a negative note, but it all wirked out.
Whoa. This book....The thing I love about Rick’s books is that I never really know how they will end up. I was pulled in right from reading the blurb. This book was one heck of a rollercoaster ride. The characters were enthralling. I enjoyed the developing relationship between Jeremy and Shane. Don’t want to say much more. Definitely recommend this one!!!
Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Same Sex Book Reviews with a copy provided by the author / publisher for an honest review.
This book was totally unexpected. I’m not sure what I expected, but this wasn’t it. When one of our other reviewers at Love Bytes asked if I could take over this book for her because she was having a hard time with the story, I was a little skeptical because I’ve read and loved other books by Mr. Reed.
Well now I kind of get what she was saying. This book is pretty bizarre. ...more
This book was totally unexpected. I’m not sure what I expected, but this wasn’t it. When one of our other reviewers at Love Bytes asked if I could take over this book for her because she was having a hard time with the story, I was a little skeptical because I’ve read and loved other books by Mr. Reed.
Well now I kind of get what she was saying. This book is pretty bizarre. ...more
“It wasn’t the end. It was the beginning.”
This was quite a disconcerting novel, where nothing seems to be what it is.
Figuring out John's condition was easy, but again, it was not what it seemed to be. I did had some slap-Jeremy-up-the-head moments. But when he did what he did you could only agree with in the end, finding love is worth everything, no matter what the circumstances, no matter the obstacles necessary to overcome simply to be together.
I think this was a superb psychological thri ...more
Hit Me With Your Best Shot Over and Over Again
This is one mesmerizing, somewhat cruel, and eventually redemptive story of three losers--headed by the narrator, Jeremy, who cannot seem to make up his mind about anything other than possibly protecting his next door neighbor Shane while at the same time enabling Shane's sicko brother, John.
It is a tale in which author Reed tosses shot after shot of shock and pity and cruelty and indecision and submission and stupidity--right until the end. That I c ...more
This is one mesmerizing, somewhat cruel, and eventually redemptive story of three losers--headed by the narrator, Jeremy, who cannot seem to make up his mind about anything other than possibly protecting his next door neighbor Shane while at the same time enabling Shane's sicko brother, John.
It is a tale in which author Reed tosses shot after shot of shock and pity and cruelty and indecision and submission and stupidity--right until the end. That I c ...more
Sep 18, 2020
Veronica of V's Reads
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
some-heat,
male-male,
domestic-violence,
contemporary,
mystery,
grief-loss,
new-adult-romance
Jeremy is An out-gay man living in Seattle in his mid-20s. His squalid apartment is all he can afford as he works days cleaning other people’s homes and imagining he will finally write the next great American novel. His love life is lackluster and he’s normally not even willing to settle fo Mr. Right Now...unless he’s super hard up.
Jeremy comes home from yet another spectacular failure of a date and find his newest next-door neighbors fighting in the gangway. He witnesses one of the men being br ...more
Jeremy comes home from yet another spectacular failure of a date and find his newest next-door neighbors fighting in the gangway. He witnesses one of the men being br ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This book was a big nope for me. First, I was actually intrigued and even glad to see a book in which dating violence/domestic violence are highlighted as a serious issue within the gay community, just as it is in the cis hetero community.
However, this book is problematic on sooooo many levels. Our hero falls in love with his neighbor, the victim of a physically, emotionally, and financially abusive relationship. By trying to bring Shane out of this dangerous, destructive nightmare, Jeremy is si ...more
However, this book is problematic on sooooo many levels. Our hero falls in love with his neighbor, the victim of a physically, emotionally, and financially abusive relationship. By trying to bring Shane out of this dangerous, destructive nightmare, Jeremy is si ...more
Scintillating, thriller, page-turner, M/M “romance”
Not sure if I read the same book that some of the low-star-count readers read. My book was easily 4.5 stars! Definitely less romance and more thriller but still…Once Cole and Vera make their appearance I couldn’t read fast enough.
Jeremy Booth, 30yo and lamenting that he’s still looking for Mr. Right or even Mr. Right Now, when he returns home from a date with Mr. NOT only to find a man falling down the stairs. Something tells Jeremy this is the ...more
Not sure if I read the same book that some of the low-star-count readers read. My book was easily 4.5 stars! Definitely less romance and more thriller but still…Once Cole and Vera make their appearance I couldn’t read fast enough.
Jeremy Booth, 30yo and lamenting that he’s still looking for Mr. Right or even Mr. Right Now, when he returns home from a date with Mr. NOT only to find a man falling down the stairs. Something tells Jeremy this is the ...more
Is Shane for real? Taut thriller😲
🎣Author Rick R. Reed hooked me with this suspenseful psychological thriller about Jeremy and his odd new neighbors. I felt uneasy about the outcome right from the beginning. Neighbors Shane and John just had too volatile a relationship for some deep-seated secret NOT to color their actions and rock Jeremy's ordinary world. As the story progresses I felt it grow more urgent and just could not stop reading.
Some might say, like his sister, that Jeremy was just look ...more
🎣Author Rick R. Reed hooked me with this suspenseful psychological thriller about Jeremy and his odd new neighbors. I felt uneasy about the outcome right from the beginning. Neighbors Shane and John just had too volatile a relationship for some deep-seated secret NOT to color their actions and rock Jeremy's ordinary world. As the story progresses I felt it grow more urgent and just could not stop reading.
Some might say, like his sister, that Jeremy was just look ...more
I'm finding it really hard to review The Couple Next Door at length without spoilers, so I'll just say I really enjoyed it. I'm not sure I'd categorise it as romance...not even dark romance. Sure, there's attraction and sex but, to me, it's more of a psychological thriller with LGBTQ+ characters. I'd also say heed the trigger warnings!
The Couple Next Door has previously been published so this is a re-issue with fresh edits and a new cover - I haven't read it in its original incarnation so I cou ...more
The Couple Next Door has previously been published so this is a re-issue with fresh edits and a new cover - I haven't read it in its original incarnation so I cou ...more
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Real Men. True Love.
Rick R. Reed draws inspiration from the lives of gay men to craft stories that quicken the heartbeat, engage emotions, and keep the pages turning. Although he dabbles in horror, dark suspense, and comedy, his attention always returns to the power of love. He’s the award-winning and bestselling author of more than fifty works of published fiction and is forever at work on yet an ...more
Rick R. Reed draws inspiration from the lives of gay men to craft stories that quicken the heartbeat, engage emotions, and keep the pages turning. Although he dabbles in horror, dark suspense, and comedy, his attention always returns to the power of love. He’s the award-winning and bestselling author of more than fifty works of published fiction and is forever at work on yet an ...more
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