This. Was. The. Goddamn. Sweetest. Book. I. Have. Ever. Read.

I really enjoyed reading this from the hero's first person point of view! And I love that we got a chapter from the heroine's point of view to get a glimpse of her perspective! I adored the slow and real development of their flirtation over the fence, sight unseen, and then all the angsty drama on both their parts. And I LOVE a hero who knows what he wants (the heroine) and helps soothe and heal her! So many of my favorite tropes while still managing to be unique and have great characters.

I could probably count the number of contemporary romances that I adore to this degree on one hand. Ms. Moreland set a new bar for the genre for me.

Completely random nerd thoughts: one, the Canadian prison system sounds way different from the U.S., where a basic name search online will tell you exactly where a person is incarcerated. Two, I feel the need to have a long conversation with Grant about professional boundaries. As a counselor, I totally and completely understand the urge to support your clients, but dude. It is waaaay inappropriate to co-sign a client's (THREE!) loans!

(4.5 stars) ( )

"Some days, you had to be able to slam a door. Today was one of them"

We read to escape. Sometimes we don't want to escape too far. We want our characters relatable. We want their lives to be ours. Not some uber rich hot sexy guy chasing down the impossible model perfect girl. No, we want Chefgirl and Tomcat. I have now read this book two times in a row. Yep - in a row. I LOVED it that MUCH.

"A giggle, lilting and strangely delightful, came drifting over the fence from somewhere inside her house - odd sound in my world, yet I liked it."

Kourtney and Nathan go through a modern day "Dating Game". Each one only recognizing the other by the sound of their voices over a shared fence. Their romance starts as how we all wish - someone genuinely interested in the person and not the shell. A series of events creates an urgent face-to-face meeting with the painfully shy Kourtney and the wise cracking Nathan. Giving into this attraction, they spend more time together. Nathan working on bolstering Kourtney to recognize the amazing person she is. And Kourtney accepting Nathan for who he is. It's a beautiful, endearing story wrapped up in the perfect HEA for these character. And the Epilogue - Perfect!

This book came recommended- strongly - from a trusted friend. It sat on my eReader in a TBR state. I was searching for a book to gift that maybe no one had read. I decided to crack open the spine to see if this was the book and it was. The storyline may start off feeling slow. But Ms. Moreland wants the reader to be immersed in what Nathan hears, tastes, smells and sees. This is a definite recommend #MustRead from me! ( )

Although Over The Fence by Melanie Moreland has been out for a while, this is the first time I’ve read it, and I wasn’t surprised by how good it was. I haven’t read anything I didn’t like by this author. Melanie has a way with words, even when they are hard, and hurtful, she takes them and moulds them into something wonderful.
For a story that started as simply as this did, it had a lot more angst than I would have expected. Kourtney had a horrible childhood which has followed her into adulthood and has blinkered her in a way.
But, when she moves into a new neighborhood, she makes friends with the man living next door.
Nathan has been on his own for a while, not really caring about life or himself until he steps outside into his backyard one day and catches the tasty aromas emanating from his next door neighbor’s house. But, Kourtney is so shy thanks to her childhood trauma she refuses to let him see her.
Gradually as time progresses, Nathan draws Kourtney out of her protective shell and into the light of his admiration and attraction. Watching these two characters grow from strength to strength within each other’s arms was a pleasure and a delight to read. It’s a lovely, warm and tender story that will make you smile as much as you cry. ( )

This. Was. The. Goddamn. Sweetest. Book. I. Have. Ever. Read.

I really enjoyed reading this from the hero's first person point of view! And I love that we got a chapter from the heroine's point of view to get a glimpse of her perspective! I adored the slow and real development of their flirtation over the fence, sight unseen, and then all the angsty drama on both their parts. And I LOVE a hero who knows what he wants (the heroine) and helps soothe and heal her! So many of my favorite tropes while still managing to be unique and have great characters.

I could probably count the number of contemporary romances that I adore to this degree on one hand. Ms. Moreland set a new bar for the genre for me.

Completely random nerd thoughts: one, the Canadian prison system sounds way different from the U.S., where a basic name search online will tell you exactly where a person is incarcerated. Two, I feel the need to have a long conversation with Grant about professional boundaries. As a counselor, I totally and completely understand the urge to support your clients, but dude. It is waaaay inappropriate to co-sign a client's (THREE!) loans! ( )