Apt 103 by Stephanie Shea

Apt 103 by Stephanie Shea is a short story about falling for a neighbour. (Is that why I chose the “girl next door” tag? Why yes, it is. 😁)

Logan has a massive crush on Natalie, who lives in Apt 103 in her building. After watching her for a couple of months, Logan’s mind is blown when Natalie invites her to game night.

Turns out that Natalie’s had her eye on Logan too…

The Characters

This is a short story, so we don’t get to know any of the characters very well. However, the characters are still believable and I enjoyed watching them get together.

The Writing Style

Apt 103 is a little unusual because it’s told in the second person, present tense. This means we get lines like “You see more of her. On purpose. By accident. You say nothing.” So, we get Logan’s perspective and it’s as if the reader is Logan. I wasn’t sure if I would like that, but it was pretty easy to get used to after the first few pages.

The Pros

I was interested in what was going to happen with these characters and wanted to know more.

The Cons

None.

The Conclusion

If you’re in the mood for a romantic short story, check this one out. It’s a nice little snack and I’m hoping we’ll see a full-length novel from Stephanie Shea at some point.

Excerpt from Apt 103 by Stephanie Shea

Your eyes trail whenever she’s in sight. It’s not as if you can help it. After two months? Your body has given up on expelling the energy to even try.

She adjusts the backpack on her shoulder, waves of dark hair cloaking her face as she looks down at her phone, then up and down the street.

Saturday.

She has dance class.

No. It’s too early.

You pause, look a little closer. Take in the hug of her t-shirt—you can’t make out the artwork—and fit of her jeans…

You snap out of it. Postpone the shame spiral. (You’re so inappropriate.) The bag on her shoulder… You’ve seen it before, clung to her back on occasions where you both beat the afternoon traffic and manage to make it home by six. Your chest warms at the smile she always leads with, the way it never fails to twist your mind into the same puzzle of wonder. Does she smile at everyone that way?

Probably.

Most likely.

You’ve seen it directed at the building maintenance guy too.

A car rolls to a stop at her feet, pink in the windshield giving away the Lyft decal.

She looks up, head seemingly raised high enough to see you staring down from behind the glass windows of your apartment. The beat in your chest stops.

Her lips stretch in a smile.

Okay. Now it stops.

She lifts her hand in a wave.

Yours acts mechanically to return the gesture.

She drops her head and slides into the awaiting car.

It hasn’t occurred to you whether you should feel warm all over or completely embarrassed yet.

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Bits and Bobs

ISBN number: B086RRT3NG
Stephanie Shea Online 

If you enjoyed this book then you should also look at

The Sex Therapist Next Door by Meghan OBrien

Note: I received a free review copy of Apt 103 by Stephanie Shea. No money was exchanged for this review. When you use our links to buy we get a small commission which supports the running of this site.