Wishing for the Girl Next Door is the third book in the Piney Brooks Wishes series by Tia Marlee. I read the previous two books, Sweet Summertime Wishes and Love on the Brain, earlier this year. In this book, our two main characters, Evan and Karlee, are recovering from past toxic relationships. Karlee’s ended when she thought her boyfriend was about to propose. Instead, he revealed that he was cheating on her with her best friend. Evan’s ended when his ex-girlfriend blamed him for her bad decisions.
Things You Should Know
While you will see the characters from the previous two books, I felt like this one was really more about Evan and Karlee rather than about the group as a whole. I would have preferred more about the other characters. The good part about is that because the other characters don’t play as big of a part as they play in the previous books, you can read this book on its own easily.
I really like Evan and Karlee together. They are probably the best-matched pair in the group. There’s something about Evan, though, that’s hard to describe. The best way that I can explain it is to say that he’s super sweet and cute because Karlee likes him, but his behavior could be a bit creepy if she didn’t like him.
I did feel like he should have been a little more reluctant to start a relationship since the plot makes a bit deal out of how he hasn’t dated in a long time because of his ex-girlfriend. Both he and Karlee say they won’t date because of their past bad relationships, but I never sensed that reluctance.
Clean or Not?
This is a clean book. You will not find any swearing, sexual content, or violence. There’s some mild kissing. There is some drinking, but the characters are of age, and it’s not glorified. Our two main characters do not drink alcohol, and Evan’s had some bad experiences with people he cares about drinking to the excess.
Would I Recommend?
This book is a bit cheesy. If you like cheesy romances, this is a good option. If you don’t like cheesy romances, it’s probably not a good choice. Even if you haven’t read the previous two books, you can enjoy this book on its own.
