I kept putting off reading My Life Next Door, mainly to the overwhelming amount of love for this book. I didn't want to NOT like it because it looked right up my alley. Thankfully, I quite enjoyed myself and fell in love with the Garretts like everyone else! 
 Family is huge in this book and it's something that I'd love to see more often in my reading. The Garretts are the epitome of one big, happy family. Yes, they do have their problems but they work through them together and have a sense of trust and love that's unprecedented. I could totally understand why Samantha loved to watch them. They have a fascinating dynamic and it's something that she has never been a part of herself. Her house is the opposite - empty, cold and quiet. 
 The budding romance between Samantha and Jase was another big reason I liked this book. It just felt all so sweet and innocent and it really did feel like falling in love for the first time. My heart was full to bursting at moments and they were just a couple to root for. Jase is one of the sweetest boys out there. He cares so deeply about his family, he's super handy, he's smart, he's sweet, he's just fantastic and I love him. 
 Now, there are two things I have to specify of which I didn't like. The first is an obvious one if you've read the book and that is Samantha's mother. HOLY I could not stand this woman. She's so tied up in this political world of hers, so irresponsible to the two daughters she has. She's such a self-absorbed, careless, thoughtless woman and, I probably sound terrible for this, but I wanted some vengeance exacted on her. She gets away with being such a shitty person throughout the book and I hated that she doesn't really get any comeuppance. Sure, she seemed regretful and somewhat apologetic at the end but that didn't seem like a fitting enough conclusion to her part in the book. Along that point, her boyfriend/PR agent is a jackass in his own right. Couldn't stand these two. Get them out of my face. 
 That leads me to my second dislike, which was the ending of the book itself. The ending was... not my favourite. I felt like for a strong book it just kind of... stopped. I didn't feel any real sense of conclusion happened for the storyline and I'm still wondering where things are heading for Samantha and Jase. It's a disappointing way to see an enjoyable book play out. 
 How I feel about the ending of My Life Next Door is probably just a "it's not you, it's me" opinion, and so I still highly recommend reading this book. It's heartfelt, sweet and a perfect summer romance read!