The Cubicle Next Door

MITCHELL, SIRI L.

THE CUBICLE NEXT DOOR

Jackie Harrison is a civilian who loves her job at the U.S. Air Force Academy. That is, until she is forced to divide her office into cubicles and share the space with a new history instructor, Lt. Col. Joseph Gallagher. A charmer in a flight suit, Joe wants to explore both Colorado and a growing relationship with his new cubicle mate. The office was bad enough, but Jackie's beside herself when Joe shows up in her home and church, even turning her grandmother's weekly bridge game into poker night!

Jackie goes online to vent, but she eventually finds herself admitting her conflicted feelings about this office neighbour who drives her crazy and makes her heart flutter. But when her blog -- The Cubicle Next Door -- is featured on TV, everyone begins to read it, including Joe. Will he figure out the anonymous confessions and frustrations are written about him? And how will Jackie ever express her heart offline?

This tale of limited work space, hidden identity, and cyber confessions is for anyone who has ever longed to be herself and to find a life beyond cubicle walls.

THIS FANTASTIC ROMANCE IS DELIVERED IN A UNIQUE FORMAT THAT MAKES IT FRESH AND EXHILARATING. THE COMBINATION OF FIRST PERSON NARRATIVE AND BLOG ENTRIES ALONG WITH RAPID-FIRE DIALOGUE MAKE THE CUBICLE NEXT DOOR AN INCREDIBLY MEMORABLE READ.

THE HILARITY IS THE BEST I'VE READ. SIRI L. MITCHELL HAS A TALENT FOR THE SUBTLETIES OF TONGUE-IN-CHEEK HUMOUR AS WELL AS BITING SARCASM AND SHE USES BOTH TO MAKE THIS STORY FLY. AT THE BEGINNING, I THOUGHT I WAS IN FOR A CLASSIC COMEDY READ, BUT BIT BY BIT, MITCHELL GIVES US INSIGHT INTO WHAT'S BEHIND THE HUMOUR.

JACKIE HARRISON IS HURTING AND SHE HAS NURSED THAT HURT FOR A LIFETIME UNTIL IT HAS EMOTIONALLY PARALYZED HER. JOE GALLAGHER IS THE MOST ANNOYING, OUTGOING, NEVER-TAKE-NO KIND OF GUY. OF COURSE THEY CLASH -- HOW COULD THEY HELP IT ? ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY SHARE AN OFFICE WITH ONLY A CUBICLE WALL TO DIVIDE THEM.

JOE WON ME OVER FROM THE VERY START. HE SAW A NEED IN JACKIE THAT NO ONE ELSE HAD BOTHERED TO NOTICE AND SET ABOUT TRYING TO FILL IT -- DESPITE JACKIE'S AT TIMES BELLIGERENT RELUCTANCE. I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT I REALLY CONNECTED WITH JOE AS THE ROMANTIC HERO SINCE THE ENTIRE BOOK IS WRITTEN FROM JACKIE'S POINT OF VIEW. SEEING HIM JUST FROM HER PERSPECTIVE -- AND MAYBE SEEING HIM IN SPITE OF THAT PERSPECTIVE -- MADE FOR A RIVETING HERO.

THE ROMANCE IS PALPABLE -- AT FIRST AS UNDERCURRENTS THAT JACKIE SO CAREFULLY TRIES TO KEEP BELOW THE SURFACE -- BUT THEY GAIN MOMENTUM AS THE STORY PROGRESSES, THROWING HER COMPLETELY OUT OF HER COMFORT ZONE. HER BLOG, WHICH STARTED OUT AS A SCATHING COMMENTARY ON HER CUBICLE MATE EVOLVES INTO AN UNCONSCIOUS PLEA FOR UNDERSTANDING AS SHE TRIES TO MAKE SENSE OF HER INNER TURMOIL. BUT WHEN THE ROMANCE FINALLY SPARKS IT REALLY SIZZLES -- NOT WITHOUT ANGST, OF COURSE.

IN FACT, FOR ALL THE LAUGHING I DID READING THIS BOOK, I HAD TEARY MOMENTS AS WELL. SIRI MITCHELL DID A MASTERFUL JOB OF DELIVERING LOVE AND HEARTACHE IN AN AMAZINGLY DIFFERENT PACKAGE. LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!