The Hideaway Neighbor (Corio Heights #4) by Rye Cox

Childhood friends to lovers, with a second chance. The Hideaway Neighbor is a sweet, low angst and mega fluffy story.

From the blurb:

What do you do when your past becomes your new neighbor?

Noah thought he was safe with his childhood friend, and all that awaited them was a lifetime of happiness. When the unthinkable happens, he hides away to lick his wounds, but his heart remains frozen in time. Unable to move forward, Noah finds that his new neighbor is the very man who has him bound in the past. Is this the closure he's been seeking to end that chapter of his life or will he break free from the chains that have coiled his heart and learn to trust again?

Bound by the shackles of pressure, Lucas lost the person he thought he’d spend his life with. Years pass, but he's unable to resign himself to the fate of living without the love of his life. He wants nothing more than to get Noah back. He was raised to take what he wants, and he's determined to obtain it. Will he succeed or will the past devour them?

The Hideaway Neighbor is a second chance M/M romance that features childhood friends to lovers, found family, and breaking through comfort zones. It is the fourth book of the Corio Heights series and can be read as a standalone but will be more enjoyable when read as a series. 

Sheena's Review:

The Hideaway Neighbor is the latest entry into the Corio Heights series, and features Noah and Lucas.  It's a childhood friends to lovers, second chance story. Lucas and Noah grew up together, and then that evolved into a relationship where both felt this was it for them. Now they're living in the same building and Lucas is determined to win back Noah.

I swear, there's something in the fabric of that building that makes people fall in love. This was such a cute, fluffy, low angst second chance story. I enjoyed meeting both Lucas and Noah. They've both been through a lot since they were forced to part, but their connection was still there and as strong as ever. I liked how determined Lucas was. If ever there were two people meant to be together, it was these two.  

This was a good entry into the Corio Heights series. If you want something low angst, fluffy and feel good, then this is for you.

Rating: 3.75 Stars

Heather's Review:

The Hideaway Neighbor is a sweet, second chance romance that helps us delve into Noah and Lucas' past to see how Lucas' family manipulated him and destroyed their first attempt at a relationship.  Once the story begins to unfold, it's a sweet, low angst return to each other and a sweet way to revisit the guys in the Corio Heights building and builds towards the finale.

While it can be read standalone, I do think it benefits from being later in the series and the interactions with the side characters would make more sense if you've read the previous books in the series.

Rating: 4 Stars

Lori C's Review:

I love second chances!! I do. I’m a romantic, I believe that love wins, and that if you say you’re sorry that maybe you can get a second chance. Guess what?! Lucas got a second chance!!!

We finally got to meet our quiet neighbor Noah. We saw him a bit in The New Neighbor, book one, and in The Forever Neighbor, book three. Noah’s story tried to break my heart, living a lonely existence in his apartment, rarely going out. Except that Lucas came back, FINALLY, and was so ready to make amends. Noah was willing to admit his mistakes too. 

The Cat caught his Mouse and their hearts slowly and steadily mended. There is so much to their love story that kept me going. One reading, one sitting, no breaks. I’m ready for book five just saying. Maybe not though, because that will mean the magic of Corio Heights is over. This series is one of my favorites. It’s one that brings me joy and The Hideaway Neighbor is a great addition to the series. I definitely recommend reading from the beginning just to enjoy the entirety of the series! 🤩

Rating: 5 Stars

Jacqueleen the Reading Queen's Review:

What a sweet story about a second chance at a first love. A misunderstanding years ago caused Noah and Lucas to lose out on two years of being with the person they loved. It was obvious from the start that both MCs never truly let go of the other. Noah was living the life of basically a shut in, while Lucas went spiraling in an even worse direction. My heart broke for them, especially when it all came to light what really happened on the day everything went to shit. Fortunately, these two weren't going to let the past dictate the future, and I feel like they ended up stronger for it. There was nothing on Earth that was going to break these two apart a second time and I finished the book with perfect certainty that these two were it for each other.

Also kudos to the author on the romantic aspects of this book. There's a reason they say a way to a man's heart is through his stomach. And the origami stars? I think that's one of the sweetest scenes I've ever read. And I read A LOT!

Rating: 4.25 Stars

The Hideaway Neighbor is available to buy as an ebook or to read with Kindle Unlimited subscription.