The Geek Next Door

Spoiler Disclaimer

Synopsis

Computer geek Dylan Crane has been best friends and next door neighbors with Erin Sharp for two years and he's been in love with her nearly as long. He'd dearly love for her to see him as more than just a friend, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards for him until one day, Erin's entire perspective changes after seeing Dylan without a shirt. She proposes a casual no-strings fling that Dylan can't resist, but after quickly discovering just how sexy a geek can be, she can't seem to get enough of him and real feelings for her nerdy friend begin to emerge. However, when her boss suggests she do something unethical involving Dylan in order to be considered for the position of partner in the law firm where she works, Erin will have to decide whether the man she's falling in love with is more important to her than her longtime career ambitions.

Review

The Geek Next Door is a stand-alone, erotic, contemporary, romance novella that's on the shorter side. In it we have computer nerd Dylan and attorney Erin who've been neighbors and friends for a while. Dylan has a major crush on Erin and would like it if she'd see him as a man, but she seems to have friend-zoned him pretty hard. They've made a pact that he'll attend a work party with her if she'll go to Comi-Con with him. Then Erin sees Dylan without his shirt one day, realizes he looks darn good for a geek, and starts having lustful thoughts for her friend that quickly turn into a steamy encounter. Afraid of the feelings he's aroused in her, Erin runs a little scared, but soon after, it happens again... and again. Dylan and Erin can't seem to keep their hands off each other and real feelings are starting to take root between them. But when Erin's boss asks her to do something unethical involving Dylan to win over a major client, she'll have to decide which is more important to her: her career ambitions to make partner at the firm or the man she's starting to fall in love with.

Being married to a geek, I'm a huge pushover for any romances involving geeky characters, so I absolutely loved Dylan. He's a smart computer programmer with all the requisite geeky interests and friends, but at the same time, he stays fit and is very sexy in a rumpled, chaotic sort of way. Most of all, I admired his loyalty and honor. He's very principled when it comes to right and wrong. He's mostly a beta hero, but I like that he has a healthy fantasy life and isn't afraid to sometimes take charge in the bedroom. Erin is very ambitious and willing to do almost anything to make partner at her law firm. I was a little disappointed that she even entertained the idea of giving in to her boss's unethical request, although she does have some qualms about it and eventually has a turnaround. She's also a little judgmental toward Dylan's geeky interests and friends, but again she does apologize for her insensitive remarks. As a heroine she perhaps could have been better, as we're only given the barest glimpse into her background that drives her. Since she ultimately didn't ruffle my feathers in any major way, though, she was OK. Things go from 0 to 60 between Dylan and Erin within about a chapter, but since they'd been friends for a while, it didn't bother me overmuch. They have great chemistry and the steamy scenes are done well. However, they do tend to skip from one decision to the next without a lot of thought going into it. A part of me wished the story had been longer to flesh out the characters and their relationship a little more, but overall, The Geek Next Door was a pretty good story. For any reader looking for a friends-to-lovers romance with some mindless, sexy times and a side-helping of geekiness, this novella just might fit the bill.

Note: This book contains explicit language and sexual situations, which could be objectionable to sensitive readers. However, aside from a finger at the back door, there isn't anything too kinky or out there.

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Lauren Fraser

Themes

Beta Heroes
Friends Before Lovers
Geniuses, Scholars & Scientists aka Geeks - Heroes