And They Were Neighbors Review — Is It Worth Reading?

Verdict: A warm, slow-burn small-town romance that launches Brenna Bailey’s Juniper Creek Romances: newly single, adrift Mina asks her neighbour Zoey for résumé help and ends up working beside her — and Zoey’s secret crush — at the local flower shop. Readers love the cosy Canadian town and the real-feeling characters; a few found the romance slow to ignite.

Best for: Readers who want a gentle, grown-up neighbours-to-lovers story with found family.

Heat level: L3 · Open door (3/5)

Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.9/5 — a 4.21 Goodreads average across 43 ratings, 4.38 on StoryGraph from 26 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 2 Amazon ratings)

Tropes: Neighbours to lovers, slow burn, secret crush, small town, found family, queer awakening.

And They Were Neighbors is Brenna Bailey’s 2025 contemporary lesbian romance from Bookmarten Press. By thirty, Mina Hasanza thought she’d have life figured out. Instead her long-term boyfriend is gone, her career goals are out of reach and her parents have never been more disappointed.

It holds a 4.21 average across 43 Goodreads ratings, with 77% of them four or five stars, 4.38 on StoryGraph from 26 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 2 Amazon ratings. Many early reviews come from advance readers, so treat the numbers as provisional.

What Is And They Were Neighbors About?

Desperate to keep her house, Mina asks her spirited neighbour Zoey Bell for help with her résumé — and lands a job at the local flower shop instead. Zoey, sure that love never pays off, has kept her distance despite a hard-core crush.

Working together, they grow close. After a work trip turns into a steamy night, old fears resurface.

What Works in This Book

Juniper Creek: Readers love the small town’s distinctly Canadian feel.
Real characters: Readers like two thirty-somethings still figuring out careers and family.
Representation: One reader with Persian family loved the details of Mina’s culture; others praise anxiety and depression rep.
Pop culture: Readers enjoy the Schitt’s Creek and music references.

Book Synopsis

A woman starting over and the neighbour who has quietly loved her work side by side.

Maybe happiness was next door all along.

My Review

Fans of Bailey call her books warm hugs, and this one is compassionate and soothing, with friendship built before romance.

Some readers felt it fell a little short of its promise: one struggled to feel the attraction and found the romance slow to start, another found it predictable and slow with moments of poor communication, and one was disappointed after a long wait.

My honest note: A soothing read for fans of the town; expect a gentle pace.

Element	In And They Were Neighbors
Central relationship	Mina Hasanza (aspiring video game artist) & Zoey Bell (neighbour and candle entrepreneur)
Core tropes	Neighbours to lovers, slow burn, secret crush
Setting	Juniper Creek, a small Canadian town, and its flower shop
Heat level	L3 · Open door (3/5)
Length	312 pages (Kindle listing)
Series	Juniper Creek Romances #1 — standalone
Content notes	Anxiety, parental depression, estrangement, abandonment

How Spicy Is And They Were Neighbors?

Moderately — readers range from “minimal spice” to noting more heat than the author’s earlier books.

Readers mention anxiety, parental depression and a strained relationship with a mother.

Who Should Read This Book?

You’ll likely love it if: you want a warm, character-driven small-town romance. It is on our cozy lesbian romance list.

You may want to skip it if: you need instant sparks.

In short: Love, right next door.

What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)

On Goodreads the split is 44% five stars, 32% four, 23% three and none below. On StoryGraph, 69% tagged it hopeful and 69% lighthearted.

Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The town first. Second, real characters. Third, representation. Fourth, pop culture.

What readers argue about and complain about: A slow-starting romance, above everything. Second, predictability. Third, communication.

The comparison worth making first: Bailey’s A Tale of Two Florists, also set in Juniper Creek.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to read the Juniper Creek Golden Years books first?

No. This is the first standalone in the new Juniper Creek Romances series, though familiar townspeople make cameos.

How spicy is And They Were Neighbors?

Moderate. Two readers call the spice minimal, while a longtime fan notes the author turned up the heat compared with her earlier books.

Is there angst?

Some. Readers mention real emotional conflict and some miscommunication, but also call it cosy with minimal angst.

Is there representation?

Yes. Readers highlight Mina’s Persian culture, anxiety and depression representation, and a strained mother–daughter relationship.

Is it on Kindle Unlimited?

Not when we checked; the Kindle edition was listed at $9.99.

If You Loved And They Were Neighbors, Read These Next

Return to Juniper Creek with A Tale of Two Florists, Forever in Flowers or Of Love and Libraries. Browse our cozy list or the full Book Reviews archive.

The Bottom Line

And They Were Neighbors sets out to be a warm small-town slow burn, and it feels like home. What holds it back is a romance some found slow to catch. Recommended for Juniper Creek fans. Check And They Were Neighbors on Amazon →