A psychological Romance about love, mistrust, and a holiday that unravels everything.
Some relationships don’t break because of distance … they break because of what happens when you ignore them.
When Rebecca and her mum move house, the stress that ensues is not only about moving; they each have issues with their new next-door neighbours, Jake and his son, Sam. Jessica’s issues with Jake are minor and short-lived, but Rebecca falls for Sam, who suggests that they keep their relationship secret so as not to upset their parents.
The attraction between Rebecca and Sam is strong from the very beginning, but there are external pressures on them constantly. They soon head out to Lanzarote on holiday, to get a break away from their difficult situation, and they stay with Sam’s very wealthy mate, Richie. That’s when the trouble really begins.
After an emotional set-to with Rebecca, Sam leaves her alone in Lanzarote with Richie. Rebecca thinks she is escaping from Richie when she, too, heads for home. But she is wrong. Richie is not finished with either of them yet - and he soon causes them so much trouble that their relationship starts heading for the rocks.
A psychological Romance about love, mistrust, and a holiday that unravels everything.
Some relationships don’t break because of distance … they break because of what happens when you ignore them.
When Rebecca and her mum move house, the stress that ensues is not only about moving; they each have issues with their new next-door neighbours, Jake and his son, Sam. Jessica’s issues with Jake are minor and short-lived, but Rebecca falls for Sam, who suggests that they keep their relationship secret so as not to upset their parents.
The attraction between Rebecca and Sam is strong from the very beginning, but there are external pressures on them constantly. They soon head out to Lanzarote on holiday, to get a break away from their difficult situation, and they stay with Sam’s very wealthy mate, Richie. That’s when the trouble really begins.
After an emotional set-to with Rebecca, Sam leaves her alone in Lanzarote with Richie. Rebecca thinks she is escaping from Richie when she, too, heads for home. But she is wrong. Richie is not finished with either of them yet - and he soon causes them so much trouble that their relationship starts heading for the rocks.
Jessica and Rebecca spent the next few weeks settling into their new home and were both starting to feel that they might well be unpacking forever. There didn’t seem to be any end to it. They had quite a large number of items between the two of them, and there weren’t vast amounts of storage areas in the house. As a result, many of the non-urgent boxes went straight into the garden shed unopened.
The previous owner, Mrs Simpson, had been a very old woman who had been living alone for some time. And the house, having lain empty for several months, was in need of a good spring clean. Luckily, Jessica wasn’t averse to cleaning, but she could only get so much done each day. Rebecca helped out as much as she could, but she spent most of the day out at work. She was a teacher in the local primary school.
The new dishwasher they had ordered had arrived but was not plumbed in as yet. While she was standing washing up at the kitchen sink, Jessica gazed out of the window, keeping a lookout for rain, as she had just hung a washing out on the rotary airer. She couldn’t help noticing that the grass in the back garden was beginning to shoot up. There wasn’t much of a problem with the lawn at the front of the house, as it wasn’t nearly as large as the back garden. Well, the garden will just have to wait, she told herself. The house would always come first with her.
Just as she was finishing the pots and pans, the front doorbell rang and Jessica went to answer it. It was the plumber, who had come to install the dishwasher.
As soon as she had shown him where she wanted it to be placed, she decided to fill the kettle to make a cup of tea for them both. But then she noticed that it was starting to rain. At that exact moment, the front doorbell rang again. She sighed, beginning to feel a little harassed as she went to open it. It was her neighbour again, minus the dog.
“Yes?” she asked in a rather curt tone.
Jake raised his eyebrows but informed her politely that he had come to bring her a jar of coffee. He handed it to her and she took it, remarking as she did so that her daughter had already bought one.
“Oh, I see,” Jake replied, frowning. “Well, hopefully it won’t go amiss anyway.” He stood and waited for her to invite him inside, as the rain was starting to get heavier, but she informed him that she was busy as a plumber was in the kitchen installing the new dishwasher.
“Right, I’ll not keep you then,” he said crisply, stepping down from the front step and walking off swiftly towards his own door again. And I won’t be coming back here again in a hurry! he muttered to himself as he strode away.
Jessica ran through the kitchen to the outside door, which led to the garden, but by the time she had taken her washing in, it was quite wet. She sighed grumpily as she hefted the basket of towels indoors and loaded them into the tumble dryer.
Later that day, Rebecca arrived home from work and was delighted to be told that the dishwasher was up and running.
“I was hoping you’d be feeling a bit happier and more at home now, Mum,” she remarked. “You haven’t been doing too much, have you?” she added, noticing that Jessica looked a little tired and strained.
“It’s been a bit hectic today,” her mother answered, keeping her head down as she sat reading her magazine, which she had only just picked up before her daughter had arrived home.
“Seen anything of our new neighbours today?” Rebecca enquired shrewdly.
“Well actually, Jake came to the front door, but I was busy with the laundry, and the plumber was here at the time,” Jessica replied.
“Oh, I see. You didn’t ask him in then?”
“No, I had too much going on at the time.” She didn’t add that she had been unnecessarily curt with him.
Rebecca shook her head and sat down at the dining table to eat her evening meal. “Aren’t you eating anything, Mum?” she asked.
“Oh, I’ve had mine, love. Are you going out tonight, as it’s Friday?” Jessica asked, trying to change the subject.
“Yes … I’m going to a party, actually, just a few streets away,” Rebecca replied, trying to chew her steak pie while she was speaking.
“Anyone I know?”
“John,” Rebecca told her.
John was one of the other teachers in the school.
“I think he fancies you,” Jessica said – not for the first time.
“Hmm. He’s a nice guy but not really my type.” Rebecca stated flatly, nipping the conversation in the bud.
When Rebecca left for her party later that evening, she was dressed in sleek black trousers and a vibrant, clingy red top which contrasted with her long dark hair perfectly. She wore a black lace choker around her neck. She had applied her make-up carefully, using her new red lipstick, but this wasn’t for John’s benefit. He was a nice enough man, but she wasn’t physically attracted to him. She was hopeful that she would meet someone new soon, and tonight would be a good opportunity to do so, as John had lots of male friends, as well as female ones. Rebecca was in her early thirties now and ‘wasn’t getting any younger’, as her mother often pointed out.
It took her a little while to walk the few streets to where John lived, as she wasn’t used to wearing such high heels.
When she finally arrived at John’s house, he opened the door to her and gave her a hug. She handed him a bottle of red wine and a birthday card with a gift card inside it.
“Thanks, Rebecca.” He said, grinning at her.
“You’re welcome,” she replied automatically, while trying to look over his shoulder at the same time to see how many other guests were there.
John put his arm around her shoulders as he led her into the lounge and introduced her to the others there. She already knew some of them, and there were a few couples, but there were some singles there also. There was a good-looking man relaxing in a single armchair who was eyeing her in an interested way. She gave him a little smile and noticed as she did so that he was just her type, and seemed to be around her age also. He had a good physique, medium brown hair and very dark brown eyes. She didn’t take in his name as John was speaking quite quickly and all the names he reeled off just melded together in her head.
John then led her away to chat with some of their mutual friends, and she didn’t see the good-looking man again until much later in the evening.
Eventually, she wandered into the kitchen to refresh her drink when a deep voice suddenly spoke behind her. She turned round to see that it was the attractive man she had noticed earlier on. The music in the house was playing at quite a loud level and she was having difficulty in hearing what he was saying to her. He nodded knowingly and closed the kitchen door behind him. Then he leaned his back against the door and folded his arms across his chest before he spoke again.
“Have you known John long?” he asked, adding, “Only I’ve never seen the two of you together before.”
“Oh no, we’re not an item. John’s one of my colleagues at the school,” Rebecca replied, taking a large draught of her red wine.
“Oh, I see. He seemed to be quite possessive with you earlier on, so I just wondered.”
“John’s a very nice guy, but there’s never been anything between us,” Rebecca answered, feeling pleased that he was sounding interested. “Can I ask you your name again? I didn’t quite catch it when John was doing the introductions,” she added.
“Samuel. Most people call me Sam,” he told her.
They smiled easily at each other and he asked her if she would like to dance.
“Yes, I would,” she replied, setting her wine glass down in the centre of the kitchen island so that it wouldn’t get knocked over. He took her hand and led her into the lounge to join the other dancers.
Rebecca was glad it was a slow dance, as she felt very comfortable in Sam’s arms, but she kept her head down while they moved together, as she didn’t want to appear too keen until she got to know him a little better. She was surprised to find that she really wanted him to kiss her. It wasn’t usual for her to feel something like that so soon.
A little later that evening, she got her wish. They were sitting together on the sofa when Sam turned his head towards her and began to kiss her. Once they’d started kissing, neither of them wanted to stop. Rebecca began to wish that they were alone instead of being surrounded by a large group of noisy people.
While her daughter was enjoying a romantic session with her new acquaintance, Jessica was sitting quietly in front of the television. The house was cosy and Marmalade was curled up happily on her lap. Jessica was trying to watch one of her favourite cop shows, but her mind kept wandering back to her encounter with Jake earlier in the day. Her brusqueness towards him was very unlike her and she tried to analyse just what it was about him that always seemed to ruffle her feathers, even though he had been polite and friendly towards her so far. He shouldn’t be coming to the door like that when he knows we’re still settling in, she told herself grumpily, knowing deep down that the man was only being friendly.
After a while, she decided that she had been rather unfair and unpleasant towards him, and she resolved to remedy that situation the next time they met. It shouldn’t be too difficult, she concluded, as he was obviously a very amenable person. They were going to be neighbours for a long time, so it would make sense for her to bite her tongue and be nice to him as soon as she came across him again.
Sometimes, all you need is a book that feels like a warm cup of tea on a rainy afternoon, and Rebecca's Neighbour delivers exactly that.
The story follows Jessica and her daughter, Rebecca, as they move into a quiet Scottish village in search of a fresh start. Their plans for a peaceful life are disrupted almost immediately by a series of awkward encounters with their new neighbour, Jake, and his lively Labrador. What begins as a collection of misunderstandings soon becomes even more complicated when Rebecca falls for Sam, only to discover that he is Jake's son. From there, the novel explores family relationships, second chances, and the unexpected ways in which love can bring people together.
Rosanna Rae's greatest strength lies in creating believable, everyday characters. There are no larger-than-life heroes or dramatic villains here—just ordinary people carrying their own fears, assumptions and emotional baggage. Jessica's cautious nature, Jake's quiet patience, Rebecca's openness and Sam's sincerity make them easy to connect with. Their conversations feel natural, and the relationships develop at a pace that feels genuine rather than rushed.
The novel is less about plot twists and more about emotional growth. Much of its charm comes from the little moments—sharing tea, settling into a new home, caring for pets, or trying to repair relationships after a misunderstanding. These scenes give the story a comforting, slice-of-life quality that many readers will appreciate.
That said, the leisurely pace may not appeal to everyone. Some scenes linger longer than necessary, and a tighter edit could have made the narrative more engaging without sacrificing its warmth. Readers expecting high drama or suspense may find the story a little too gentle.
Overall, Rebecca's Neighbour is a sweet, feel-good romance that celebrates kindness, forgiveness and the importance of looking beyond first impressions. If you enjoy character-driven stories with mature relationships and a cosy small-town atmosphere, this book is well worth picking up.