Review: Season of Gifts by M.Q. Barber (Neighborly Affection #8)


Note: An advance reader copy (ARC) was provided by the author.

I can't quite wrap my head around the fact that it's been almost a DECADE--the exact date being March 9th, 2015--since I first came across Playing the Game, the first book in the Neighborly Affection series, and my introduction to Alice Colvin, Jay Kress, and Henry Webb and the storytelling of M.Q. Barber. And now here we are, with the final book in the series in my hands and my heart is torn. I know all good things must come to an end, but Alice, Jay, and Henry were the gifts that kept on giving, and you always want more of something you can't get enough of.

So, maybe it's appropriate that the title of their very last full-length novel is Season of Gifts, and I relished every single bit of it. Alice, Jay, and Henry are married, and they should be living out their happily-ever-after. However, life always brings its fair share of challenges, and while these three are pretty much dialed in when it comes to each other's needs and wants, everything being thrown at them is proving to be overwhelming. First came love, then came marriage, but could the honeymoon already be over? Or worse, is divorce on the horizon?

Let me get this part out of the way: Yes, the books in the Neighborly Affection must be read in order. I know that we're talking about eight full-length novels here, plus there's a series companion novel and a novella, the latter which serves as a bonus extended series epilogue, but trust me when I say that it'll be time well spent. It was impossible to not become attached to Alice, Jay, and Henry--meaning I was quite invested in their love story. From my introduction to this trio to their much deserved happily-ever-after, I have had nothing but a great deal of affection--for them, their story, and the in-between. Thank you, M.Q. Barber, for your impeccable storytelling. Five-plus stars for Season of Gifts.

Release Date: 04 March 2025

Date Read: 02 March 2025

Learn more about M.Q. Barber.

Pre-order Season of Gifts on Amazon | Apple Books | B&N | Google Play | Kobo.

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