Review of The Aussie Next Door by Stefanie London

This book completely surprised me - in a good way! I was expecting some cutesy dialogue and flirtation. What I got was a realistic look at some one who is a highly-functioning "on the spectrum" individual in Australia who leases out a guest house on his property to a survivor of the American foster care system that failed her and left her with trust issues. They are highly attracted to one another but their issues have made it difficult to communicate with or get to know one another.

Things change when Angie discovers she may be deported as her visa extension was denied. Dismayed at the thoughts of returning to America, she attempts to come up with a solution that will allow her to stay in Australia as it is the first time she has felt as though she "belonged."

Throw in some reluctant dog-sitting, a group of comical nursing home residents, a happy-go-lucky younger brother, and the return of an ex-fiance and you have a well fleshed-out story. 

When Jace explains how it has felt to go through life with no one really "getting" him because of his autism, I cried ugly tears! This was truly heart-felt. Kudos to the author for having her main characters come across as real people instead of caricatures and stereotypes.

I will definitely be reading more by this author.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and an voluntarily leaving a review.I

You can pre-order this book on Amazon by clicking HERE

My rating:  💖💖💖💖