The Aussie Next Door

In USA Today-bestselling author London's (How to Lose a Fiancé, 2019, etc.) latest romantic comedy, a hidebound Australian cartoonist and his American tenant find love.AustralianJace Walters is a creature of habit. He eats plain porridge for breakfast every day after surfing at the beach and has gained a following for hiscomic strip series about a hermit. His mother understands his autism spectrum diagnosis, but she also feels that he needs to leave his comfort zone; as a result, Jace finds himself saddled with temporary custody of a family friend's two dogs. Meanwhile, American Angie Donovan learns that her Australian visa is expiring in just two months. She feels at home Down Under; she has money from a lawsuit settlement to live on, and loves her volunteer position in a nursing home. One possible solution remains: She can get married to an Australian citizen. However, she had a lonely, traumatic childhood, so she doesn't want a cold, paper marriage--she wants to fall in love, even if she only has two months to do so. Angie enlists Jace to help her find romantic prospects; soon, sparks fly between them and they begin a passionate sexual relationship, punctuated by picnics by the ocean and 1990s romantic-comedy movie marathons. After Jace proposes, however, their bond begins to crack: Can spontaneous Angie live with Jace's dependence on routine, and can he learn to compromise for the woman he loves? Over the course of this book, London shows that she truly excels at character development; she makes sure that even relatively minor players, such as Angie's yoga teacher, Chloe Lee, and Jace's flirtatious brother, Trent, are fully fleshed out. The realistic yet witty dialogue jumps off of the page, and the two dogs in Jace's care are lovable and endearing, even when they misbehave. Jace's high-functioning autism is never treated in a stereotypical manner; instead, it's portrayed as something that the character realistically struggles with. The main characters have sizzling chemistry together, and they face believable hurdles on the way to the inevitable happily-ever-after. A sweet, sexy read, featuring a couple that feels both true-to-life and aspirational.

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September 27, 2019

Angie Donovan finds that she only has one option to renew her expiring Australian visa: marriage to an Australian citizen. This is no easy task since she wants to marry for love and only has two months to do it. Unfortunately, her very attractive landlord, Jace Walters, is not willing to be that man. Angie will not let this get her down, and she vows to stay positive as she pursues the life she's always envisioned for herself after never having a family to call her own. Jace is on the autism spectrum and struggles with reading people and their emotions, except Angie. Angie starts lining up dates to search for her prospective husband, but Jace finds that he wants the best for Angie, even if he no longer believes in love. As Angie and Jace become closer, they'll have to decide if they can let go of their painful pasts and go after what scares them the most. VERDICT Fans of Helen Hoang will find this an enjoyable read. While the chemistry between the main characters is a little delayed, romance readers will lose themselves in Angie and Jace's journey to their happily ever after.--Ashli Wells, Vanderbilt Univ. Law Lib., Nashville

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