THE CRUSH NEXT DOOR: Sometimes Love Lives Closer Than You Think

Aarav Malhotra has a comfortable, predictable life. He goes to work, comes home, works on a novel he can never seem to finish, and keeps most things — especially complicated feelings — at a safe distance.

Then Meher Kapoor moves into the house next door.

Their first meeting is awkward. Their second involves a borrowed charger. Soon there are wrong packages, coffee at seven, balcony conversations, shared jokes, rainy afternoons, and countless small moments that slowly turn a stranger into the person Aarav looks forward to seeing every day.

Meher is an ambitious young architect with dreams of creating meaningful spaces, but behind her confidence is a past she doesn't easily talk about. Aarav, meanwhile, is learning that writing about love is much easier than experiencing it.

As their friendship grows, the distance between the two houses seems to become smaller — and so does the distance between their hearts.

But falling in love with someone who lives next door comes with its own questions. What happens when friendship begins to feel like something more? How do you trust someone when you've learned to protect yourself? And when love is finally close enough to reach, do you have the courage to take the first step?

THE CRUSH NEXT DOOR is a warm, slow-burn contemporary romance about unexpected connection, everyday moments, emotional healing, friendship, and discovering that sometimes the love story you've been waiting for is much closer than you think.