Violet Lumani is the author of the new novel Not Good Neighbors. She also has written the young adult novel Foretold.
Q: What inspired you to write Not Good Neighbors?
A: I needed a fun palate cleanser after writing a relatively heavy YA fantasy. I was chatting with my sister about The Hating Game (a book I absolutely devoured) and our mutual love of the enemies-to-lovers trope.
Around the same time, my uncle had a funny run-in with a neighbor, and we started joking about how awful it would be to be trapped next door to someone you couldn’t stand. That’s all it took. Once the idea started marinating, I needed to put it down on paper.
Q: How did you create your characters Penny and Jack, and how would you describe the dynamic between them?
A: I created them by interviewing them (on paper) and then trying to see how their psychological wounds would respond to the plot beats I put them in!
They bring out the worst in each other on the surface, but I like to think they also bring out each other’s most authentic selves. They’re competitive, stubborn, and neither of them knows when to quit. But beyond all the silly shenanigans, they’re two people who want to be seen and loved by someone who truly understands them.
Penny is a people pleaser. She’s spent so much of her life trying to be what everyone else needs that there’s something incredibly freeing about being completely herself with Jack (even when “herself” is petty and plotting neighborly revenge).
And Jack is a golden retriever cosplaying as a bad boy. At his core, he’s deeply caring and a bit of a white knight, but with Penny he gets to be mischievous, push buttons, and show off a side of himself that most people don’t get to see.
I like to think their relationship starts tearing down emotional walls way before the physical wall comes down, because the facade they show the world isn’t present on that brownstone’s fifth floor.
And of course, as the story progresses, they become a safe space for one another to grow and become better versions of themselves. It just happens to involve a lot of pranks, bickering, sexual tension, and trips to Home Depot along the way.
Q: What do you see as the role of humor in the novel?
A: My favorite romances are the ones that make me laugh. Since I knew I was writing a rom-com, I wanted to make sure it leaned heavily into the “com” part of the equation. Humor is also a gift I was given by my family. We have gotten through some very rough times by laughing together, so to me it is a sacred thing that makes hard things bearable.
Humor drives the story, but it’s also a bit of a magic trick. You and your readers can laugh at banter and escalating neighborly warfare together, while also diving into themes around mental health, family dynamics, loneliness, and how hard it is to do the work to truly individuate and grow. How cool is that?
For me, the best rom-coms make you laugh, make you swoon, and then sneak up on you with a little bit of heart when you’re least expecting it.
Q: You’ve also written a fantasy novel for young adults--do you have a preference?
A: Romance has always been my first literary love, but I do adore both. Fantasy let me build new worlds and explore my OCD and anxiety and grief through a different lens. Romantic comedy allows me to play with relationships, humor, and all the wonderful messiness inherent in falling in love and just…living.
No matter what genre I’m writing, I’m always interested in the same things: flawed characters, emotional stakes, personal growth, and stories that make readers feel something (especially if that something is laughing out loud). We live in a heavy world, and if I can inject a little levity into someone’s day and put a smile on their face, that feels like pure magic.
Maybe I’ll eventually marry the two genres and try my hand at romantic fantasy…
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m currently working on another contemporary rom-com set in the same universe as Not Good Neighbors, featuring some familiar faces that readers will recognize! It’s made me laugh out loud more than once while writing it, which I always take as a good sign.
I’m excited to spend more time with these characters, and I hope readers will enjoy spending time with them again, too.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Just that I’m incredibly grateful to every reader who picks up the book. Writing can be such a solitary experience, even when you’re lucky enough to have wonderful sounding boards along the way, so it’s always surreal and exciting when a story finds its audience.
And I am lovinggggg the messages from readers. Tag me in your social posts! Send me those DMs! Tell me what made you laugh, cry, swoon, or want to throw the book across the room! Connecting with readers is one of my favorite parts of being an author, and I really treasure every message. Petty Betty’s 4-ever!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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