The Girl Next Door

May 15, 2020
After financially crashing and burning in Boston, Iris Turner heads back home to Salty Cove, Maine. Her short-term plan, to move back in with her parents just long enough to save up some money, hits an unexpected snag, however, once Iris spots her parents' neighbor Jude Wicks. After just one glimpse, Iris finds herself daydreaming about the motorcycle-riding, lobster-catching girl next door. When Iris receives an unexpected, impromptu invitation to lunch, she finds Jude even more intriguing up close and in person. But can Iris find a way to crack the protective emotional shell surrounding Jude and get to know the real girl inside? Cameron's contribution to the launch of Carina Press' new Carina Adores series, along with The Hideaway Inn by Philip William Stover, offers a fresh, sweet-yet-sexy take on the classic girl-next-door trope. Cameron's cleverly conceived and brilliantly executed contemporary romance is elevated by her superb character development and flair for delivering exquisite sexual tension.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

June 15, 2020
Cameron (My Favorite Mistake) conjures an idyllic coastal Maine setting for this pleasant tale about second chances between two perfectly mismatched heroines. Iris Turner always harbored dreams of leaving her small hometown of Salty Cove, so it’s particularly galling to be back after college with hardly a penny to her name and few plans for the future. But when her sexy neighbor, Jude Wicks, catches her eye, Iris begins to wonder if her summer at home might be more worthwhile than she first assumed. Jude works on a lobster boat while grieving her first love, who recently died of cancer. Though she tries to resist her feelings for Iris, it proves impossible given their close proximity. Iris and Jude savor a summer fling, but Iris is still determined to prove to herself and her parents that she can make it in Boston come fall—unless Jude can find the courage to ask her to stay. The plot is straightforward and allows the characters the chance to take center stage, and though Iris’s immaturity grows frustrating, deeply empathetic Jude provides an excellent foil that makes their pairing work. This simple, emotional story may not have much depth, but it has plenty of charm.

July 24, 2020

With no job and no way to pay rent, 22-year-old Iris Turner returns to her parents' home in Salty Cove, ME, to rebuild her savings. Iris barely knew their next-door neighbor, Jude Wicks, when they were teens. Jude, four years older, was out as a lesbian at their homophobic high school, while Iris took longer to acknowledge her sexuality. Now, Jude has moved back to manage her absent parents' house and work on her own lobster boat. (Lobster is ubiquitous: Iris works at the Lobster Pot, Jude's house gets a lobster-themed makeover, and Iris even mentions her "lobster-red face" when blushing.) Iris quickly develops a crush on Jude, whose "bad girl" mystique seems limited to her motorcycle and the emotional reserve resulting from an unspoken trauma. Conflicts are easily resolved: while Jude obfuscates even in her narration, she moves past her previous girlfriend's death as soon as she speaks about it with Iris. Meanwhile, Iris's strong desire to return to Boston fades with almost no resistance. While most side characters are minimally developed, Cameron uses a queer meet-up to show Iris how Salty Cove has changed. VERDICT Chatty, casual narration and minimal tension make for a light summer read.--Katelyn Browne, Rod Lib., Univ. of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.