The Boy Next Door

Lindsey Salinger and Zach Rundle's families are tied together forever by a single tragedy - thirteen years ago Zach's brother Josh was driving under the influence of alcohol when he hit the car that Lindsey and her mother were driving, killing Lindsey's mother instantly. Whatever feelings Lindsey had for Zach were over. The Rundle's were bad news, and the Salinger's (and the town of Lone Oak, Kansas) were never going to forgive the Rundles and alcoholic son Josh.

Josh Rundle and his son Owen live with their grandmother Elsa next door to Lindsey’s father. One day while Lindsey is checking up on her father, she spies a little lost boy outside, and figures out he’s Josh's illegitimate son. Josh is nowhere to be found, and the five-year old boy is scared.

The grandmother, usually a formidable woman who does not get along with Lindsey, meets Lindsey at the door and acts nice towards her, which immediately raises a red flag in Lindsey's mind. Lindsey observed that Grandmother Rundle was the only one taking care of Owen at the moment, and Lindsey was not quite sure the woman was up to it. The fact that Elsa Rundle did not recognize Lindsey was not a good sign. Lindsey, who was a social worker, wanted to take action and see to it that Owen was in good capable hands. Obviously, his alcoholic father was useless, but what about Zach?

Lindsey contacts Zach to tell him about her concerns. He has yet to meet Owen, but feels that his grandmother is able to take care of the boy. It angers Zach that Lindsey is trying to interfere with his family, and he thinks this is just Lindsey's way of getting back at Josh for what happened thirteen years ago.

Zach returns home and at first does not believe any of Lindsey's warnings about Elsa, that Owen may not be safe in her hands. Zach does find out what it's like to take care of a little boy. He becomes an instant father, and Lindsey tries to persuade him that the best solution for everyone is for Zach to adopt Owen.

THE BOY NEXT DOOR is a many-layered story about two families tied together through tragedy. Because of this tragedy, a little boy needs a loving and responsible parent, but his father is not it. It is obvious that Lindsey's mother's death had impacted so many people around her, as it was evident in the characters in the story, all of whom had to live with the results of the tragedy. Josh continued to drink, starting a downward spiral since the day Lindsey’s mother died. He was hardly ever home, and spent most of his time in bars and on the streets. A newly discovered son did nothing to help turn his life around.

Lindsey had a long hidden guilt about the accident, blaming herself for her mother's death. She also felt guilt about her father, who had major health issues, making Lindsey lie to her father about her renewed relationship with Zach, the only true love of her life. She was afraid that if her father knew about Zach, it would cause him another heart attack. The past seems to dictate her every move. It is Zach that finally points it out to her that she hasn’t accepted her mother’s death, and without doing that she could not go forward.

On the other hand, Lindsey’s father seems to be a lot closer to his caregiver, Mrs. Hale. Lindsey is too focused on Owen and Zach to realize that her father may have possibly moved on, looking for a long-term relationship with a woman other than her mother.

THE BOY NEXT DOOR was an engaging book, with characters that were believable and the romance was right on the mark. As Zach and Lindsey take care of Owen, their past relationship blossoms once again, but the past keeps getting in the way. Readers will sympathize with Josh but will root for Zach, hoping he will find it in his heart to adopt the little boy who needed a father figure. Owen, as most young children featured in romance novels, will definitely win the reader's heart. This reviewer enjoyed THE BOY NEXT DOOR and gives it a recommendation.

January 2007