When Evie’s landlord decides to sell the house she and her cat are currently living in, her elderly neighbor proposes the perfect solution: Evie can move in with her. What neither woman anticipated was Eleanore’s grandson Jake moving in to protect his grandmother’s interest. Evie and Jake are initially distrustful of each other, but when they are forced to fake date to help Jake’s career, real feelings develop.
Overall, this was very cute. The older characters were so full of life and that was absolutely refreshing to see. The relationship between Evie and Jake seemed to move a little too quickly, but that my have been my brain thinking there would be more of an enemies to lovers storyline.

well i didn't gel with this book. which was unfortunate as it had so much potential but it fell flat. the main reason was because i felt like a whole chunk of information was missing from the MC's relationship. Evie would describe how she laughed at Jake's jokes and liked how he treated his grandma but, unless i missed something, we didn't get to bare witness to it? and Evie also mentioned how they were in a sham relationship and how she wanted it be real, but by 40% i realized that their relationship had no page time.

i think the saving grace for me was Eleanor and her social circle. she was just a blast to read about and i wish i had a granny who read about blue aliens and was as cool as her.

I enjoyed this cute romcom. My first read from this author did not disappoint. Jake and Evie were so cute, so much chemistry and a great couple. Lots of laughs - the perfect beach read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

This book was so sweet! A closed door romance about a sweet couple, Jake and Evie. I loved the meet cute! Sally did such a good job tying those lovesick emotions, from the build up of tension in the fake relationship to the explosion of frustration when the miscommunication became apparent to the reader. The side characters were a blast to read, and if they weren't octogenarians I would want them to have their own stories as well. The book didn't draw me in and consume me, nor did it have any spice/heat which I like a bit of. Overall, a heartwarming, quick and easy read that I would most definitely recommend to a friend.

I definitely loved this cute rom com! I found it to be a super easy read and I always love a fake relationship story. I love how sweet Jake was and how he was super ambitious and easy to love. I also loved the side characters, I found them to be really thought out and extremely well-written. There truly wasn’t a single character in the story that I didn’t like. I just really enjoyed it. The perfect summer read while I was watching my kiddo play in the backyard.

This story is a quick and fun read that combines forced proximity with the fake relationship trope, and it definitely made my rom-com loving heart happy.

Evie is unique in her own way. From her job to her outlook on life and love, she's not the typical rom-com FMC.

Jake is endearing in his own way. Smart and ambitious, he's also fiercely loyal and cares deeply for those around him.

When they unexpectedly wind up being roommates, you would expect there to be some animosity simply based on the reason why it happens. But, what is refreshing is how respectful they are to each other from the very beginning. When these two move from being temporary roommates to having to fake a relationship, their dynamic shifts completely. The lines quickly blur between fake and real, but neither of them shies away from the possibility. They accept it for what it is. What keeps it from becoming a fully fledged relationship is Evie's history and Jake's work troubles. It's pretty clear that once those are resolved, they'll figure it all out.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Eleanor and Oscar, the Sweeneys, Soo and the Alphas, and of course, Cleo. The side characters in this story are so well-written and seamlessly integrated into the story that "meeting" them feels so natural and unforced. In each case, it is clear how they play a role in the story.

The reason that this gets 4 ⭐️ instead of 5 is because somehow, as sweet as this story was, it was missing that oomph.

An easy lighthearted read.
It was easy to get on board with Evie, and her relationship with Eleanore was lovely.
There were times when the story was incredibly detailed (Jake's company situation) and times where detail was lacking (Jake's relationship hang ups)

The story would have benefitted from an epilogue to end their story, what happened to them? What happened with Eleanor and Felix?

At times I was more invested in Cormack's side story - and if the author hasn't already planned this, a spin off about Cormack would be a hit!

A solid 3⭐️ book

I absolutely loved this book. I didn't know the writer, therefore I went with no expectations but it was really great. The writing style was really simple, but beatiful, the book and the characters were written in a way that made me love them. I liked everyone, since the main character and love interest, to the cute grandmother and friends. I must confess that, after reading the description, I was waiting for a "enemies to lovers" kind of book, and sadly for me (an "enemies to lovers" lover) it wasn't that prominent. That being said, the book has one of my favorite tropes: fake dating. I loved how the relationship between Evie and Jake (the main characters) became real at each step.
This is an amazing closed door romance, great for beginners, who want to start with the genre!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Spice: 🌶️.5/5
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪🧪
Plot: 4/5

Series: NA

Place: Dublin, Ireland

Tropes: Fake Relationship, Close Proximity, Enemies To Lovers, HEA

TW: Death Of A Parent

Main Characters: Evie & Jake


I adored Evie and Jake from the very beginning. I especially loved Eleanor. She reminds me of the grandma that everyone falls in love with and wants to spend all their time with. She is the sun in the universe. I appreciated how social and giving she was as apart of this story. Even to those she didn't know well.

I was glad to see when Jake entered the picture and was able to join in with the two ladies. He was able to feel at home, even though it wasn't his normalcy. He had such great morality and I was so glad to see when someone really had aspirations to do the right thing when so many others choose the opposite.

When Evie was sharing more of herself you were able to see where she struggled, like so many people do. Which for me only cemented her as a real person more and more. As people we carry what we are taught from our parents and others for so long without realizing the detriment to ourselves. I was so glad when she was able to work through what she had struggled with for so long, and saw that she deserves more.

I wish we could have seen more from the outcome of what Jake had been working on through the ending of the book. Along with an epilogue of Evie and Jakes story into the future. I think the ending was just so abrupt and needed more.


I received a complimentary copy via the author and Netgalley. All opinions are my own, honest and voluntary.

Evie and Jake are adorable. I related to Evie quite a bit. I’m not one for confrontation. I love Eleanor and how she meddled. I to would like to be part of all her clubs. I would have loved to see how he made it up to Evie for missing her birthday, although I did enjoy ABBA night after shutting down Global.

I really liked the sound of this book but I just didn't feel anything for either of the main characters.

Everything between them felt stilted or forced and I don't feel that they had any kind of genuine chemistry aside from both being good looking people.

The plot had a lot of potential but unfortunately it fell flat for me.

DNF at 47%

First of all, I would like to thank NetGalley for the ARC. 💌

My book review:

After getting my request for an ARC approved I was so excited to start reading the book... only to get disappointed. Giving this book 2 stars rating for so many reasons. 1. I didn't like the writing style. It makes it difficult to connect to the book/characters. I can't feel any connections to them from the start up to the very end of the book. 2. I feel like there are more missing details of the book I just can't pinpoint which. This book could've been more. 3. I wish this book was written in a more interesting and detailed way. I wish I had connections with the characters but I don't. 😌

Anyway, I still think my time consumed reading this book was not wasted because I somehow finished it.

great read and it was all that for me. Loved it all and I can't wait for the next story from this author. they had great banter as a couple. must read. I will read this author any time now. read it today

I always feel slightly apprehensive when I first start reading a book by an author that I'm unfamiliar with. Will I enjoy their writing style? What if the text is riddled with typos and grammatical errors? And worst of all, what if it turns out to be one of those books that I don't want to finish—yet feel obligated to?

Fortunately, these fears quickly dissipated when I began The Home Share by Sally Clements. In fact, I ended up so engrossed that I finished the entire book in less than a day!

Evie is searching for a new place to live and isn't having much luck. That is, until her elderly neighbour Eleanore, with whom she 'shares' her cat Cleopatra, suggests that Evie live with her. Evie has her doubts at first but it's not long before she feels like she's finally found a real home.

Complications arise when Eleanore's estranged grandson Jake comes to the area on business and decides to crash the home share. Although their first meeting and initial interaction is far from auspicious, Evie and Jake become friends and eventually find themselves pretending to be in a relationship.

The line between fact and fiction becomes blurry as Evie starts to realise that this suspicious, uptight businessman is also thoughtful, compassionate and utterly charming. But the secrets that Jake is hiding might be too much for her heart to handle...

It would be remiss of me to not give a shout-out to Eleanore's character. I love reading about older characters who live happy and fulfilled lives.

Final thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet, hilarious and utterly endearing story. A must-read for anyone who enjoys romantic comedies, cute kitties, and infuriatingly attractive men.

Many thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a fine read but didn't leave an impact on me.
I didn't feel connected at all with the characters, and their love story felt a bit rushed and superficial.
I would've appreciated a little more chemistry and a more developed ending.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Evie moves in with her elderly neighbour when her rented place is being sold. When her grandson comes to visit, as he is in town for business, he thinks she may be trying to take advantage of his grandmother. They are both very wary of each other to start with but when Jake sees Evie with his grandmother he realises how much she cares for her. Jake is obsessed with work and having major issues with the new deal he is trying to broker but he loves spending time with his grandmother and with Evie. He asks her to help with the deal by being his fake girlfriend she agrees and they become closer. They have both been hurt in the past, but they are also both quite closed off and this doesn’t help when things get in their way. I liked how they both took risks and opened up each other eventually and loved the feel the inclusion of his grandmother and her friends brought to the story. I would have liked more information on what happened with Jake’s work I felt as if that part of the story ended a bit abruptly. I loved Evie’s special moment at the end.

(This review is based on an uncorrected e-galley of this novel)

I liked that this novel's setting in Dublin, Ireland. Clement's description of the setting was very well done. The character development was also well done. I appreciated how well the older characters were written, giving them more personality than just being older.

The fake dating trope isn't really my thing, but I enjoyed this read. I also appreciated the closed-door romance in this novel because I'm not super into spice either.

I'm a sucker for the fake dating trope so I knew instantly that I would enjoy this book.

"People separated by time, but not place" "History was everywhere. All around"

I absolutely loved Sally's description of Ireland and the history within the city of Dublin. The way the buildings were described was beautiful.

The characters were well written and the character development was great. I appreciated that the older characters, Eleanore, Felix and Rita, were written with so much life and not reduced to their ages.

"Home wouldn't be home without you in it."

The relationship between the characters was cute, there were some scenes that were dreamy. The spice was fade to black/closed door but it suited the book. I want to call this an enemies to lovers trope too, but their initial relationship wasn't too hateful despite their first meeting and Jake's assumption that Evie was taking advantage of his grandmother.

About to become homeless, Evie accepts a room with her aging neighbor. Jake moves in to protect his grandmother's interests. When Jake invites Evie to come with him to a business dinner, she agrees. One date leads to another, and they grow closer. But when Jake's business deal unravels and he starts keeping secrets, can their relationship survive?

This novella is engaging and fast-paced. Despite some rivalry and awkward moments when they first meet, Evie and Jake fall for each other pretty quickly. Evie's had some bad experiences with men, and she's skittish. Fortunately, Jake doesn't give up on her.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.