Rating: 3.5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Ian has worked tirelessly getting his band noticed. While the music is good, it’s Ian persona as “Crow” that fans notice. Ian likes the clothes and makeup that he puts on to be in the spotlight as Crow, but he also enjoys being able to go unnoticed as well. He’s certainly ready to take his career to the next stage.
Bodhi can’t wait to get settled in his new place with his sister, Lane. He’s looking forward to living in a new town and finding his way where no one knows him. His dog, Ollie, is also looking forward to meeting the neighbors as he and Bo collide into Ian. The attraction sparks from their first meeting, but Bo is hesitant to date his neighbor.
Casual hookups come easy to Ian, but he would also welcome something more permanent, and he thinks Bo could be the one. But Ian doesn’t know all of Bo’s secrets and with Ian being on the verge of becoming famous, it might all be more than Bo can handle. But Ian wants to show Bo they can have it all.
Ian was an interesting character when he was introduced in the first book in this Love Bank Romance series, All the Stars. Bo Next Door can be read as a standalone, as this is where we get more of Ian’s story. Ian and his band are on the cusp of reaching the next level. They are known locally and the next step is breaking out and it’s within reach. Ian takes on everything for the band and rarely asks for help and the other band members know that it. When Ian meets Bo, he has a great feeling about him and really wants to get to know his new neighbor better.
Bo is comfortable with who he is. He sometimes needs the right place and time to let people know who that is. He was in a relationship that ended badly when he realized he couldn’t trust the guy and, while he’s hesitant to get involved again, he can’t stop thinking about Ian.
This is a fairly easy story for these guys. It was maybe too easy for my tastes given some of their history. Bo’s character has a reveal that comes just before the halfway point of the book and I would have liked more depth and background to his character considering this reveal. We also know Ian for where he is now in life, but I never got as much of a fully developed character for him as I would have liked. Ian’s band persona also felt dated to me and it made the book feel less current. The dialogue here came off as stilted at times and, when putting all of these items together, it did detract from their story for me.
Much of this is personal preference and if you are looking for a lighter story with a little bit of heat about two younger guys finding their way, this could be the one for you.