The Neighbor Favor Book Club Kit
The Neighbor Favor is the official May 2026 pick for the Peanut Blossom Book Club for Recovering Readers.
I know how much our book club members enjoy books about books so when I spotted this sweet romance between a fantasy book author and a publishing editor, I just had to check it out.
The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest is not only an endearing romance but it has a powerful plot line about the importance of family while keeping true to your own dreams.
While I usually pick a book about moms during May in honor of Mother's Day, I adored the scenes with Lily and her sisters, particularly a big whole-family moment featuring her mom and this just seemed like perfect timing.
Want to get my full thoughts about the book and preview my "spice-o-meter" before you begin? You can check out my no spoilers The Neighbor Favor book review here.
P.S. Just joining us? Don't miss the full list of 2026 book club book picks.
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What is The Neighbor Favor About?
Shy, bookish, and admittedly awkward, Lily Greene has always felt inadequate compared to the rest of her accomplished family, who strive for Black excellence. She dreams of becoming a children’s books editor, but she’s been frustratingly stuck in the nonfiction division for years without a promotion in sight. Lily finds escapism in her correspondences with her favorite fantasy author, and what begins as two lonely people connecting over email turns into a tentative friendship and possibly something else Lily won’t let herself entertain—until he ghosts her without a word.
Months later, Lily is still crushed, but she’s determined to get a hold of her life, starting with finding a date to her sister’s wedding. And the perfect person to help her is Nick Brown, her charming, attractive new neighbor, who she feels drawn to for reasons she can’t explain. But little does she know, Nick is an author—her favorite fantasy author.
Nick, who has his reasons for using a pen name and pushing people away, soon realizes that the beautiful, quiet girl from down the hall is the same Lily he fell in love with over email months ago. Unwilling to complicate things even more between them, he agrees to set her up with someone else, though this simple favor between two neighbors is anything but—not when he can't get her off his mind...
The Neighbor Favor Discussion Questions
I believe the best book club questions to spark a lively discussion in your group help readers make personal connections to the story.
You can read about how to write the best book club questions on your own here, but hopefully these will get you started!
Question 1:
Lily and Nick fall in love over email without ever having seen each other's picture. Do you think you could fall in love with someone so anonymously? Which would be harder: not hearing their voice or not seeing their face?
Question 2:
Would Nick's lie have been a dealbreaker for you? How did you feel about Lily's reaction to the revelation?
Question 3:
As they fall in love, they write to each other about their perfect dates. Describe your perfect date. Have you already been on it or do you still wish it would happen?
Question 4:
Nick and Lily have vastly different family backgrounds. How do you think this will affect their relationship in the future? How does your family compare with your significant other's family?
Question 5:
Despite everything, Nick returns to North Carolina to help his parents. How did you feel about this turn of events? Could you or would you have done the same?
Question 6:
Lily's sisters are so strong and demanding she felt she had to use her dare to get them to finally leave her alone about her love life. How did you feel about this challenge? Should she have just stood up for herself or was this a clever workaround?
Question 7:
High fantasy is a significant part of the book's plot and several real world books in addition to fictional titles are mentioned in the story. Have you read any of them yourself? What's your favorite book?
To help jog your memory, here are all the books mentioned throughout The Neighbor Favor:
- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
- Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
- The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
- The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
- The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin
- The Obelisk Gate by N. K. Jemisin
- The Stone Sky by N. K. Jemisin
- Graceling by Kristin Cashore
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
- Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi
- This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone
- Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
Book Club Party Menu
I think it is so fun to plan your book club dinner menu or dessert list based on the theme of the book.
There are a few book club dinner-friendly dishes mentioned throughout the story, here are a few I'd choose if I were hosting the party:
Nick and Lily share what they think would be the "ideal" date:
"I wouldn't mind if we did something basic, like go to the movies and get burgers."
So fire up the grill (or broiler) and make my essential cheeseburgers for dinner!
Nick responds he'd like to try a slice of New York pizza and Lily shares her love of baking vanilla cookies for Christmas with her family.
"We'd sit in the corner, in our own world, drinking out of cheap, plastic champagne flutes."
So serve up the bubbly in cheap plastic flutes and bake up a classic NY style cheese pizza.
I'm pretty sure Lily would love these double vanilla cookies with a hint of orange.
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