Review - Over the Fence by Melanie Moreland

Title: Over the Fence

Author: Melanie Moreland

Release Date: August 4, 2015

Two neighbors—strangers—with one thing in common—they share a fence. 

But is that the only thing they share? 

Nathan Fraser lives a solitary life, never letting anyone get too close. It’s safer that way. 

Kourtney Whyte hides from the world and behind her work, too afraid to really live her life to the fullest. Rejection is what she knows best. 

But one night, the sound of her soft voice and the tantalizing aroma of her evening meal, prove too enticing for Nathan to ignore. 

So begins their unconventional relationship—talking, learning, texting, and gradually opening up to one another, all over the fence. 

That is, until the day Nathan braves the high fence to protect Kourtney from her past, and changes everything forever. 

Can they move forward together, without the buffer of the fence? 

Or will their pasts prove to be too much of a barrier?

ADD TO GOODREADS

AMAZON US / UK

Kourtney Whyte and Nathan Fraser are both desperately lonely and broken when they meet each other as neighbors on opposite sides of their privacy fence. Without ever seeing each other, the two develop an adorable friendship when Kourtney (or Chefgirl as Nathan nicknames her almost immediately) begins passing the food she cooks over to Nathan (or Nat, as he prefers her to call him). The meals lead to conversation and the conversation leads to genuine feelings. Then, one night Nat hops the fence to protect Chefgirl from an escalating, potentially violent situation and their relationship makes the transition from “over the fence” to “face to face.”

These two are perfect for each other. Both struggling to overcome painful pasts—they heal each other, patching up the gaping wounds and soothing over the insecurities that life and circumstance have doled out to them. At first it’s just Nat being ever patient, loving, and tender while Chefgirl confronts the demons from her past and learns to let them go. Then, later, the roles reverse and Chefgirl guides Nat through his grief, helping him heal and move on. They help each other grow, and it is a beautiful, wonderful thing to watch.

I feel like that description doesn’t even begin to do justice to this story. My heart has been utterly charmed by this book. It’s not a quick, intense read. Their relationship is a beautiful, slow build based on genuine affection, witty banter, and intense physical attraction. There are some steamy scenes in here, but this book is so much bigger than that. The love between Nat and Chefgirl felt so authentic and was just a joy to read. And I lost count of how many times their banter made me giggle. Witty and sweet, this book was like a balm to my heart. I mean…this:

“I like that,” I mused.

“Like what?”

“Your laugh.”

“My laugh?”

I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “It’s like unexpected sunshine on a dark cloudy day, Kourtney,” I said after swallowing a mouthful. “I love hearing it. Your giggles light me up, too.”

It’s just…beautiful. We should all be so lucky to get a Nat in our lives. He’s fiercely protective without being an over-the-top alpha. He’s patient and kind, sensitive and sweet. He’s hilarious, goofy, and confident, and somehow still sexy and hot enough under the covers to leave me a little glossy-eyed and panting. 

And that epilogue? I can’t remember the last time a book made me smile so hard. What a perfect, rewarding ending to Nat and Chefgirl’s perfectly rewarding story. 

~ Review by Shelly

Excuse me while I try to control my giddy, happy, swooniness long enough to pen this review. 

I LOVE THIS BOOK. SO HARD. SO MUCH. IT’S…GAH! PERFECT.

Clearly, I am not doing the best job of controlling myself… #SorryNotSorry

Nathan Fraser isn’t living, he is merely existing. It’s safer and easier that way—easier to avoid getting hurt. 

Kourtney Whyte is bruised and broken by her past. She’s quiet, shy and prefers to hide from the world. 

One night, with the delicious smells emanating from Kourtney’s barbeque wafting over the fence and into Nathan’s nose, everything for these two quiet, lonely people changes. A friendship is formed, with the fence a safety net, a barrier. Meals, texts, laughs shared over the tall fence that separates and protects them.

But when Nathan braves that fence to protect Kourtney from her past, life changes again. Can a friendship formed without sight become a love affair that lasts forever?

EVERYTHING, everything is what I love about this book. I was riveted from the first page. I’ll read one chapter before bed, I said. I’ll just get it started and then read it tomorrow, I said. Next thing I knew, I was holding my eyes open with toothpicks, laughing and sighing and swooning for this delightful couple. I was completely charmed, and burned through the first 50% in the wee hours of the morning, until I literally couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. 

And when I picked it back up to finish it off, I fell in love all over again. Nat and Chefgirl…so special and so damn right, I can’t stop thinking about all the best bits. Which is basically the entire damn book, but mostly the spot-on, perfect, I-want-every-book-to-end-like-this epilogue. 

I’m seriously having trouble controlling my flails, as I think about sweet, kind, strong, protective, funny Nathan; the ginger ninja that I simply swooned for. He’s Book Boyfriend 101—all the best, hottest qualities in one brilliant IT guy. With red hair. Red fucking hair. I die. 

And beautiful Kourtney, who was so broken but just the lovingest (it’s a word, deal with it) person. I wanted to wrap her up in a big, warm hug and tell her, like Nat, all the things I adored about her. Her giving, forgiving nature. Her kick-ass sense of humor. Her quirks and her cooking. 

Over the Fence is a book that left me smiling HUGE, loving HARD, flailing UNABASHEDLY. I feel warm inside, so flipping happy and just desperate to read it all over again. I need more time with Nat. I want to be friends with Kourtney. I want to be this damn giddy forever. 

~ Review by Beth

Melanie Moreland lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her beloved husband of twenty-six-plus years. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them. Known as the quiet one with the big laugh, Melanie works at a local university and for its football team. Her job, while demanding, is rewarding as she cheers on her team to victory. While seriously addicted to coffee, and highly challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties, and also enjoys travelling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip. Melanie delights in a good romance story with some bumps along the way, but is a true believer in happily ever after. When her head isn’t buried in a book, it is bent over a keyboard, furiously typing away as her characters dictate their creative storylines to her, often with a large glass of wine keeping her company.

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