The boy next doorThe authors of the book are: Josie Lloyd & Emlyn Rees TitleThe title of this book is: The boy next door. The authors chose this title for the novel because Fred was "the boy next door" to Mickey. They spent much of their childhood together, as they were neighbors. PagesThe book has 293 pages. YearThe novel was first published in 2001. SettingThe story takes place in the 1980s and fifteen years later (circa 1995). The story is set in Rushton, a village in England and a town in England, but its name has not been revealed. It's a love story. PlotFred is about to marry Rebecca, but then he runs into Mickey, his best friend and first love from the past. Mickey is a single mother and has one son, Joe. She has her own flower shop. At first, Fred doesn't know how to react, because he has left his past behind him (you'll find out why later in the book. It involves his strange father, Miles, who killed someone and then suicide). After the strange encounter after fifteen years in the toy store, Fred decides to reconnect with Mickey. They see each other several times and both have a good time. Fred also likes Joe and vice versa. Mickey starts to fall in love with Fred again and Fred also falls a little in love with Mickey, but he's getting married in a few weeks! They don't talk to each other about their feelings. When Mickey and Joe take a trip to Rushton, the place where Mickey and Fred lived when they were young, Fred also comes to visit them. Together, they tell beautiful stories from their childhood. They're almost making love, until Mickey decides it's not right when they make love. This is not good for Joe, nor for Fred, nor for Rebecca, nor for herself, because then she would really be in love with him again and they wouldn't be able to have a relationship because of Rebecca. Fred thinks she's right, but when he gets home he tells Rebecca he can't marry her because of Mickey. In the end, Fred tells Mickey (in long-winded ways) that she should meet him and "if you want, you'll know where." Mickey goes to Rushton, to the place where they first kissed, but he isn't there.