That Woman Next Door Review — Is It Worth Reading?

Verdict: One of Harper Bliss’s more unusual romances — a quiet, character-driven slow burn in wintry Brittany between a fiercely introverted translator and a brash neurosurgeon running from a fatal mistake. Readers who connect with Olivia call it among Bliss’s best; readers who can’t warm to Marie often don’t finish.

Best for: Introverts, fans of French Kissing, and readers who like mature, flawed heroines and a European, slow-paced feel.

Heat level: High (romance.io steam 4/5, explicit open door)

Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.8/5 — a 4.05 Goodreads average across 970 ratings, 3.73 on StoryGraph from 153 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 587 Amazon ratings)

Tropes: Opposites attract, neighbours to lovers, grumpy recluse and extrovert, age gap, forced proximity, friends with benefits, slow burn, dual first-person POV.

That Woman Next Door is Harper Bliss’s 2021 contemporary lesbian romance from Ladylit. Olivia Chevalier, 44, lives alone with two cats in rural Brittany and likes it that way. Marie Dievart, 56, a star neurosurgeon from Brussels, arrives at her family’s holiday home next door after a patient dies on her table.

It holds a 4.05 average across 970 Goodreads ratings, with 73% of them four or five stars, 3.73 on StoryGraph from 153 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 587 Amazon ratings.

What Is That Woman Next Door About?

Olivia translates books, keeps strict routines and avoids people wherever possible. Marie is used to being the most confident person in any room — and to women falling for her. Now, shaken and out of her element in the off-season countryside, she knocks on the only door nearby.

Olivia hates having a neighbour; Marie finds Olivia maddening. Over a long winter, the two women who seem to have nothing in common start to find out what they each need.

What Works in This Opposites-Attract Romance

Olivia: The standout. Many readers see themselves in her, and several praise a rare, unapologetic introvert heroine; a couple of readers read traits in her that may suggest autism.
Realism: Readers describe it as quieter and more grounded than a typical romance — one likens it to a European film.
Humour: One reader singles out a section that had her laughing out loud.
Marie’s backstory: French Kissing readers enjoy finally understanding what drives her.
Audio: Abby Craden, who also narrates French Kissing, is repeatedly praised.

Book Synopsis

Olivia Chevalier is content with her solitude, her cats and the wild Breton weather. Then Marie Dievart — a heartbreaker with a crisis at work behind her — takes over the holiday house next door.

Olivia resents the intrusion and Marie is put off by her neighbour’s prickliness. But as the months pass, it turns out that what each of them is running from might be exactly what she needs.

My Review

Bliss does something brave here: she pairs a woman many readers met as an antagonist with a heroine who would rather not be in a romance at all, and she lets both stay difficult. The alternating first-person chapters sit inside their heads, the pace is slow and reflective, and the reward, for readers it works on, is a love story that feels earned rather than inevitable.

The most repeated reservation is Marie. Several readers found her hard to like, one DNF’d over what she called predatory behaviour, and another skimmed to the end. A second group never bought the pairing — they liked the book but not the couple, or found Olivia’s turn toward Marie abrupt. One reader disliked the dual first-person narration, and one found Olivia clingy once the relationship starts.

My honest note: If you can sit with an unlikeable heroine while she changes, this rewards you; if not, it may frustrate.

Element	In That Woman Next Door
Central relationship	Olivia Chevalier (44, reclusive translator) & Marie Dievart (56, neurosurgeon)
Core tropes	Opposites attract, neighbours, age gap, slow burn, friends with benefits
Setting	Rural Brittany, France, through a winter
Heat level	High — explicit, open door
Length	290 pages; 7 h 12 min audiobook
Series	Standalone spin-off from French Kissing — happy ending
Content notes	A patient’s death after a surgical error; none submitted on StoryGraph

How Spicy Is That Woman Next Door?

More than the cosy cover suggests. Romance.io readers rate it 4 out of 5 for steam, explicit and open door, and readers describe the relationship starting as lust and a friends-with-benefits arrangement before it turns into more.

StoryGraph has no content warnings submitted; the story opens in the aftermath of a patient dying during surgery.

Who Should Read This Book?

You’ll likely love it if: you are an introvert, love mature heroines or want Marie’s story after French Kissing. It is on our mature lesbian romance and women over 40 lists.

You may want to skip it if: you need likeable leads from page one or a fast pace.

In short: Two difficult women, one slow winter.

What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)

On Goodreads the split is 36% five stars, 37% four, 20% three, 4% two and under 1% one. On StoryGraph, 100% called it character-driven, 86% said the characters’ flaws are a main focus and 69% tagged it emotional. One reader notes it was written under the working title “Difficult Women”, which suits it. The audiobook is narrated by Abby Craden.

Prefer audio? Listen to That Woman Next Door on Libro.fm — the audiobook shop that supports independent bookstores.

Why readers love it (according to the discourse): Olivia first. Second, the realism. Third, Marie’s redemption for French Kissing fans. Fourth, Abby Craden.

What readers argue about and complain about: Marie’s likeability, above everything. Second, whether the pairing convinces. Third, the dual first-person voice. Fourth, the slow pace.

The comparison worth making first: For more Harper Bliss with mature leads, try This Foreign Affair or About That Kiss.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is That Woman Next Door connected to French Kissing?

Yes. Marie Dievart appears in Harper Bliss’s French Kissing series, where readers remember her as something of a villain. This book gives her a romance of her own, and it can be read on its own.

How old are the main characters?

Olivia is 44 and Marie is 56, according to reader reviews — an age gap of about 12 years.

How spicy is That Woman Next Door?

Fairly spicy. Romance.io readers rate it 4 out of 5 for steam — explicit, open door — and readers mention a friends-with-benefits stage.

Is That Woman Next Door a slow burn?

Yes. It is sold as a slow-burn opposites-attract romance, and 37% of StoryGraph readers called the pace slow.

Is That Woman Next Door on Kindle Unlimited?

Not at the time of writing — the Kindle edition was listed at $8.99. The audiobook, narrated by Abby Craden, runs 7 hours 12 minutes.

If You Loved That Woman Next Door, Read These Next

Try This Foreign Affair, About That Kiss or Our Secret Summer. For more, browse our mature lesbian romance and women over 40 lists, or the full Book Reviews archive.

The Bottom Line

That Woman Next Door sets out to be a slow-burn opposites-attract romance about two women who don’t make it easy, and it largely succeeds. What holds it back is a heroine some readers never forgive. Worth it for Olivia. Check That Woman Next Door on Amazon →