I really enjoyed this book. I was genuinely laughing out loud whilst I was reading (which doesn't happen a lot) and the forced-proximity trope is definitely one of my favourites. It's not a life changing book but it was an easy read which I would recommend to others!

This was fab. I really liked Aled and Rosie as characters- very likeable and the kind of people I could imagine being friends with. The way Rosie put up with being treated by her family I found very frustrating so I was pleased when she stood up to them, and the less said about James's appalling behaving the better. I enjoyed the predictable nature of the story, it was well written and I was rooting for them to realise their feelings for each other. Great book

Thank you to NetGalley and Embla Books for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this book.

This is a VERY slow burn, closed door romance. I found it mostly boring until Aled moves into the spare room. I didn't particularly like Rosie and wish she hadn't been such a doormat for most of the story. Her family and ex were absolutely awful. No surprises along the way - it was predictable. I definitely liked the second half better which elevates this to 3 stars from the 2 stars I thought it would be. Can't say I'd recommend it though.

Really enjoyed this novel by Laura Starkey. It was so refreshing to have a main character who wasn't stick thin and didn't find a magical new career suddenly. I loved the slow burn of the relationship between Aled and Rosie and really liked the other characters in this story too.

Maybe it was the stilted writing or the immature characters, but I was bored out of my mind with this story and I dnf-ed at 14%. I wasn't even able to read up to the forced-proximity trope which is one of my favourites.

I initially requested this for the promising premise, yet by the 10% mark, the storyline failed to even touch upon any significant plot points. It had also been compared to "The Flatshare", an incredibly popular book following a similar storyline. I was excited to read this before O'Leary's to see how it measured up compared to the original, but unfortunately, I could not get through the book.

Rosie, to me, felt very over-the-top and quirky. Aled felt very closed off in the few short moments that I read, considering he never spoke even after Rosie fell into his arms and her joke which provided me with second-hand embarrassment. Their chemistry felt forced and their 'meet-cute' ridiculous and heavy on the insta-lust.

For a contemporary romance, a lot was going on in the first 4 chapters. You learn about her friend Niamh, about Rosie's job and her co-workers, and the 2-and-a-half-page conversation she has on the phone with a male Karen who, quite frankly, makes Rosie seem bearable. You also read about a stray cat which is more interesting than all the chapters put together. There are also lots of references, which aren't always necessarily a bad thing, but it made the writing feel all the more cluttered. I also didn't like the 3rd-person POV which I don't always hate, but here it made the book feel intolerable for me.

In all fairness, it probably wasn't the best book to read in a slump due to the incredibly slow-paced writing, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it either.

Thank you to net-galley and the publisher for an e-arc!

This book was a great story of self growth and self actualization. I would deem this more women's fiction than romance, though it does have romance in it.
It's a good story about Rosie, who does everything for everyone else at her own expense. If you have experienced childhood trauma, her character will make complete sense to you. As she goes on her journey of self discovery and recognizing and implementing boundaries, her growth is perfection.
I love that you get to witness her growth in every relationship in her life.
I definitely recommend this one!

First of all, thank you NetGalley & Embla Books for the arc! Everything I'm about to say is my own opinion.

So I didn't particularly like this.... I hate not enjoying books but this just didn't do it for me unfortunately. Rosie, the FMC, is quite frankly annoying & embarrassing, which is a huge pet peeve of mine in books. Without spoiling, she was so ridiculous in the first part of the book I was struggling to get through it. Like be so serious girl. Alongside Rosie, pretty much all of the characters aren't that great; they're all pretty immature & annoying when they're meant to be in what, their 30s? The romance wasn't that good, it feels like it kind of happened out of nowhere. I don't believe it adds any value to the romance genre, especially being a very-slow-burn. Also, the writing didn't really work for me, especially with some of the language used. I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this, but it just wasn't for me!

Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend but I'm thankful to have gotten access to the arc and to have given this a go!

The Spare Room by Laura Starkey is a cute and funny close or forced proximity romance. Rosie and James have been together for years until one day he wants to break up, leaving Rosie to have to pay both halves of the rent. Cue A. Thomas, the mysterious new upstairs neighbor!
The story is a little slow in some areas but overall the story comes together well thanks to the secondary characters.

The general premise sounded fun and exciting but overall I found this didn't quite hit the mark for me.

"The Spare Room" is the first book I've read by Laura Starkey, but it won't be the last! In this book, Rosie has been in a long-term relationship for almost 10 years. Although her boyfriend is selfish and self-centered, Rosie is still convinced that he's doing his best and will propose soon. But when he unceremoniously dumps her one day, she finds herself in trouble: single and now having to somehow pay for their apartment by herself. And when she quits her job after repeated insults from her boss, she's even more desperate to find a roommate. When her new landlord (Aled) needs a place to stay for a few weeks, she offers up her spare room to him. But is this really wise when there's so much chemistry brewing between them?

I enjoyed reading about Rosie's transformation into discovering that she is worthy of more than what she's been putting up with for years: from her romantic relationships and her family relationships. Aled's sweet and soothing presence is exactly what she needs, and I can understand how she would fall for him so quickly! This was a sweet and enjoyable romance. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The blurb for this drew me in, but unfortunately I found it a bit predictable and lacking a little in the plot. I did enjoy reading the characters and the slow burn of their relationship.

A fun, easy read with no surprises but a lot of satisfaction. The characters are really appealing and there is plenty of humour here. I really liked the writing style and think this is the sort of book which will appeal to many.

Thank you to NetGalley and Embla Books for the ARC of The Spare Room. This debut novel is such a delight. I fell in love with Rosie and Aled and their love story. The characters are so quirky (in the best possible way), and I loved the slow burn romance as well as the personal growth that so many of the characters experience. I'd definitely reread this one and recommend adding it to your TBR!

This was a DNF read. The biggest thing I struggled with was the writing style. I didn't care for the third person narrative or the FMC. I did think there were some funny aspects to the story! Thank you to NetGalley and Embla Books for the ARC.

While the description hooked me into requesting the book, once I started reading, I realized it was not working for me. I think this will be a good book to add to my library, so once the book is released, I will be on the lookout for a reasonably priced physical copy.

I received this as an Arc through NetGalley.

A cute romance novel, this story follows Rosie’s life.
-A decent job that pays the bills ✔️
-A long term boyfriend (living together) ✔️
-Wedding bells and children are the next logical step in life …🤷‍♀️ maybe, but maybe not.

While Rosie’s life is seaming going according to plan her partner James has his own plans. So what happens when their plans collide and a handsome new tenant moves into the building? Read to find out :)

I did find this story dragged on at times and fairly predictable.

If this book isn't on your MUST READ WHEN IT COMES OUT in 2024 book list then it needs to be. Like, right now. Go do it. I'll wait.

The main characters are well written, the story line is suburb. I absolutely loved seeing Rosie's evolution, from being a pushover to placing boundaries where they needed to be and standing up for herself. And what's not to love about Aled? yeah, the mysterious quiet guy persona was a bit weird in the beginning but I can understand why he wanted to just fade into the shadows and not make much of the new situation.

The story was one of my favorites, strangers, becoming unexpected flatmates, to friends to ........... you'll just have to read this to see. Seriously, you won't be disappointed. It gave me all the feels.

If I could give this a ten I would, just for the When Harry Met Sally references. HAHA

Thank you Netgalley, Laura Starky and EmblaBooks for letting me read the ARC copy.

I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy to read the book again.

#TheSpareRoom #EmblaBooks #LauraStarky
@EmblaBooks

I really loved reading this book! It honestly took me by surprise! I expected it to be a cheesy and unrealistic story (because who movies in with a total stranger in real life yaknow?) however, it wasn’t that at all! It was such a beautiful story about self love and sacrifice and what it means to be a person. I especially love when Rosie realizes that she does all of this stuff for her ex and he just takes it and doesn’t realize how much work it is. How he hasn’t done laundry or cleaned for years but suddenly she’s too much. Also the single Taylor swift reference was the best part (also when we find out he’s been crying and locked in his room for a week at the end because I love drama and a lovesick man).

Thanks to EmblaBooks for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Spare Room will have you laughing out loud, and whooping triumphantly for our main lady Rosie as she trips through what life throws at her.
A wonderful portrayal of what your early thirties look like especially when you feel like everything is falling apart.
i love this book Rosie was such a heartwarming and relatable character. I think we can see a lot of ourselves in her especially within her relationships. her best friend was always in her corner sharing laughs and a drink going over the tough times. Rosie has the same somewhat traumatic relationship that millennial have with their parents. And finally being in a toxic relationship for way to long! We can all relate to that!
The Spare Room is all about loving yourself, being true to your Color’s and finally learning to be outside your comfort zone, it was truly a wonderful read.
I love it and the relationship is stunning, so believable and romantic, it is so incredibly human!
The purpose of this book is to tell you that the best revenge is being happy and that is so true, especially as we witness what Rosie will do for what she believes is right.

The Spare Room is a fine romance novel that will probably not stick with you after you read it. Rosie and Aled have a predictable friends to lovers arc going on, and there are a few expected roadblocks in the way.