4.5 stars 
 Elizabeth Bennett lives within a set of carefully crafted rules to keep herself from getting hurt by love again. She is focused on school, smart, and driven. But she is also afraid of being hurt, and keeps herself withdrawn to avoid disappointment and further pain. 
 Declan Blay is a fighter. But he is also a lover of British literature, a twin, and a romantic at heart. This juxtaposition made him absolutely swoon-worthy and instantly put me on his side in most of their disagreements. 
 In their own ways, each of these characters is driven by the past and their families. Their baggage is different, but that they each hold aspects of themselves close to the chest means added drama as secrets come out. 
 Elizabeth is extremely hesitant to start anything serious with Declan, and he is not at all interested in a one night stand. Though this is opposite of the general trope, it fit with the backgrounds and goals of each individual. As they are neighbors, they cannot avoid the other and a tentative friendship develops as they avoid the attraction growing between them. 
 After a while, Elizabeth's reluctance to open up to Declan grated. I understood her hesitation, but (and this may be a slight spoiler) her unwillingness to deal with her past became an excuse rather than a reason. And while the distinction is semantic and hairline, I lost sympathy for her the longer she used it as an excuse. 
 There are some loose ties to Pride and Prejudice, but I have a hard time saying this is based on any one Austen work, or even that the tie is deeper than a shared interest in the author between Declan and Elizabeth. 
 This was a fast read with great pacing. It was hard to feel complacent watching these two circle each other from the very beginning. I loved the mix of concerns that each character brought to the relationship. This is a complete standalone, though I would love to see a book for Declan's brother as he was an intriguing character throughout the book. 
 ARC was provided by Author/Tour host in exchange for an honest review.