Publication Date: September 9, 2025
In this charming debut rom-com, a young freelancer returns to her suburban hometown to uncover why her childhood next door neighbor’s bestselling book appears to be an epic love story about the two of them.
When MC Calloway’s best friend Joe, an editor at the notorious gossip website Jawbreaker, calls her in for an emergency meeting, MC is unprepared for how frantic he is. But when he shows her a copy of Girl Next Door, the steamy, bestselling rom-com taking the literary world by storm, written under a pen name, points to one of the women on the front cover, and says, “that’s you,” its MC who begins to panic.
Joe is convinced that the author is Nora Pike, MC’s prickly, childhood next-door neighbor, and their former high school classmate – and MC knows he’s right, since the book describes actual events that happened their senior year, down to the tiniest details. But in the book, the characters based on MC and Nora are desperately in love, rather than the awkward acquaintances MC remembers being in real life.
Joe begs MC to go home undercover and get the scoop on Nora. That’s the last thing MC wants to do, especially for an assignment that seems morally dubious at best, but she reluctantly agrees, knowing Joe is desperate to break a big story. Crashing in her childhood home with her older brother Conrad (now married to MC’s secret high school crush, Gabby), MC begins untangling truth from fiction, trying to get close to Nora, who is just as hot and prickly as ever – and now suspicious of MC to boot. But the more involved she gets with Nora, the more it becomes clear they’re both hiding secrets . . . and MC realizes she might be in over her head.
Perfect for readers of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care and Book Lovers, Girl Next Door is a delicious debut brimming with romance, humor, and heart.
When MC Calloway is confronted by her best friend, Joe, an editor for a scandalous gossip rag, for writing a spicy rom-com that has gone viral, the fun is just beginning in Rachel Meredith’s Girl Next Door.
Young people who are trying to get their shizz together before they turn 30. Wanting to make a change, yet also afraid of it. Also, being complacent and questioning, “Why change? This works,” is in the back of their mind, making change that much harder.
This book is based on the love between two women. The book moved at a nice pace and kept steady throughout. MC is a likeable character—sarcastic and funny. She felt awkward and shy at times, and yet other people saw a different version of her. Joe is also a strong character. They played off of each other so well. They are true best friends, and while I know this is fiction, I’m glad they have each other.
Nora was just so cool. It was hard to tell how she was feeling inside. I’m glad we got to see her come out of her shell throughout the book. Though I felt sorry for Conrad, I did like him.
Girl Next Door features two strong female characters in this delightful romantic comedy.
Rachel Meredith grew up on Long Island and now lives in New Haven, Connecticut, with her wife and their two daughters. Girl Next Door is her first novel.
