Firstly, thank you to net-galley and the publisher for an e-arc!
I didn't hate this book, I also didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. It was alright. I'm not a huge "slow burn" fan and this is a proper slow burn. It's a nice enough read if you don't want anything too stretching or engaging, it would be perfect for a holiday read!

Spare room
2.75⭐️2.25🌶️

Contemporary Romance
Roommates to lovers
British Setting
Curvy FMC
BIPOC Side Character
Closed door romance

This book was cute and followed the familiar contemporary romance/romcom formula. It was all very predictable in regards to the plot.

The characters were well formed but I kept getting mad at the FMC being awed by the bare minimum… but maybe that was the point. She was also a little too self deprecating for me to enjoy being in her POV. I would have really appreciated this if it had been a dual POV story. To see some of the adoration and romance from then MMC’s POV.

I don’t really love pop culture references that box the book that I’m reading into a very specific timeline.

Thank you to NetGalley and Embla Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the cutest book! I love a roommate trope type book and this one did not disapoint.

Overall I'd definitely read this book again and I would recommend this book for fans of other romance books. I have received this ARC for an honest review, all thoughts/ opinions above are my own.

A really good book! Laura's writing is really good and the Rosie's journey was amazing and she a really relatable character so it was easy to like and cheer for her. I really liked the chemistry between her and Aled, and their story was also cute, I do however wish they had something more, maybe if we could've seen dual POV I would've liked more. Overall it's a good read for someone who is looking for a cute read.

I devoured this!! I really enjoyed Rosie's journey to learning to love herself. The underlying statement of body positivity and learning to love yourself for who you are and not who you are to others is something I think we all need to hear more often.
I definitely saw myself in Rosie as I am also 32 and have also worked in an Insurance Agency. I can say I felt her pain to my CORE. I think Laura did an amazing job with character development. I felt so attached to the characters so early on in the story. I am actually jealous of Rosie's friendship with Niamh as well as her new friend she picks up along the way. The found family in this was spectacular. The closed door romance was great too. I didn't mind the lack of spice at all. The slow burn of Aled and Rosie was *Chef's kiss*. I would love more of their story!

I loved this book. The journey Rosie goes on throughout the story is fantastic. I found myself cheering her on at every step. I loved Aled's strong yet quiet presence throughout the book as well. Overall a very enjoyable read.

What a slow burn! I loved this book. Rosie was such a relatable character and I really enjoyed watching her grow throughout the book. While I loved Aled and Rosie, I wish they had a little more chemistry and wish we saw a little more of his character & personality. My favorite character of all was Rhinanne and would love to see her story.

Still swooning after finishing this great read. I throughly enjoyed The Spare Room. Rosie was an absolute gem of a character and I found her so relatable. The fat shaming she received from her family really annoyed me and James is a character that I truly hated. Absolute adored the fact there was a cat named Spingsteen too. Aled was just a sweetheart. Definitely book boyfriend material. With a fantastic cast of supporting characters, some real laugh out loud moments and following Rosie on her journey of self discovery, The Spare Room is well worth a read for any chick lit lovers.

An up close and personal romantic comedy read that will leave you smiling. Rosie is dressing up for a romantic evening with her boyfriend, only to find herself unceremoniously dumped as he departs their apartment. Heartbroken and short of money for the rent, Rosie invites her elusive but handsome upstairs neighbour to flatware while his flat upstairs is redecorated. Sworn off men after her breakup, Rosie finds herself thrust into Aled's company. Getting up close and personal on a daily basis, she can't fail to notice his impressive biceps. Lots of pent up emotions in one small space makes for a sparky read. Perfect for fans of The Flat Share. #thespareroom #laurastarkey #netgalley #embla #romance #comedy

The book isn't bad, it's just boring. Aled and Rosie are cute but I wanted more. It might have been better if it was dual pov but I don't know. The author tried to spice it up by having a third act breakup but the fight was dumb and didn't make any sense.

I received an arc through netgalley.

REVIEW
cw: body-shaming, gaslighting, mentions of dieting, cheating, bullying, and childhood trauma
When Rosie Butler is dumped by her long-term boyfriend, she has to find someone to help pay rent. Stat. In steps her elusive and extremely handsome neighbour, Aled Thomas, while his flat is renovated.
I loved this cute romance. Rosie and Aled were both interesting characters, each with their own insecurities and self-doubts because of the way they'd been treated, but I loved how supportive they became of each other, and how they flourished together. Aled was so swoon-worthy, and I really loved Rosie's kindness and empathy. They were SO adorable together, and even though the miscommunication was predictable, it was thankfully not too drawn out. The ending was so cute that it more than made up for it.
I empathised with Rosie at the insurance company. Having previously worked in call centres, both the calls and the assessments were painfully familiar. What I loved most, other than the romance, was how Rosie came to understand just how unbalanced her closest relationships had been. In comparison, Aled treated her as an equal right from the start. James was obnoxious at best, and her family was a whole other level of unhealthy. I loved it when she finally confronted her mother and James. I loved Niamh. She was such a supportive friend, and I empathised with her struggles as a new parent. I also immediately loved Rhianne, as well as the rough pub karaoke crew.
This was another gentle story of self-acceptance and finding agency from Laura Starkey.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️.5
Heat Rating: 🔥

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review*

Favourite Quotes:

'...Anyone worth bothering with will appreciate you as you are. They won’t fixate on what you’re not.'

'When you feel like your world’s blown up, it hurts – but afterwards, you don’t have to live in the place where you land.'

‘I’d consider myself lucky if she did have a “thing” for me. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that just because you don’t recognise her value, other people won’t see it. Plenty of us do, myself included.’

‘Becoming a parent isn’t about learning a new skill. It’s more like learning to be a new person – or a new version of yourself.'

‘When I got home from the hospital that day – back to the flat,’ Rosie went on, ‘I was gutted to find you gone. And I realised something: it’s just a building, a box. I’ve painted it and furnished it, but it isn’t my home anymore if you’re not in it.’

'You are beautiful and lovely, funny and bright and kind. You’re extraordinary , Rosie. Like I said, it shines out of you. You warm everyone you meet.’

3.5⭐

- forced proximity
- super slow burn
- 3rd person, single pov

Overall I liked this book. I loved the strong female friendship in this and how the supported each other and built each other up

I thought the relationship between Rosie and Aled was very cute, however I was just wanting a bit more of a spark or some angst or just some feelings - I just didn't feel emotionally invested in it

I felt like the ending was a bit rushed, I kinda wanted more of it and to live in the grand gesture for a bit longer than it was

I wasn't prepared for how much I was going to love this book. I still have no words to describe how much I loved it. Infinite stars

Rosie Butler, 32, shares a flat with her boyfriend of nearly 10 years, James. She keeps wondering if he will ever propose. Lately, he has gotten into pure eating with no carbs or sugar. Being a bit overweight, this is frustrating for Rosie who enjoys a nice bowl of pasta. To get that, she meets up with her girlfriends and eats what she wants.

Rosie works as a claims adjuster for an auto insurance company. Her boss is a jerk and a misogynist. When he calls her in to criticize her on her phone calls with customers, she sees red and quits. Going home, she finds James packed up and he was leaving a letter to her saying they are over. Wow! This day just got better and better.

As she tries to figure out how she is going to make ends meet until she gets another job, she realizes she will have to find a flatmate. She had noticed a nice but quiet man living in the upstairs flat. When they actually meet, she learns the he has just inherited the building and is redoing the top floor flat. When she tells him that she needs a flatmate, he asks if he can take the room as he needs a place to stay while his flat is being remodeled. His name is Aled Thomas who teaches school. They get along together and life is good for them. Rosie gets a job as a barista and loves it. Rosie is determined that she will not let herself become attracted to Aled but that is difficult to do as he is such a nice man. Can they just remain friends or will their togetherness lead to something more?

This is sweet, clean, and humorous novel that I’m sure will delight readers. The characters are real and the atmosphere described made me smile and feel like I was actually there. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Spare Room is a heartfelt,slow-burn romance that left me feeling all warm and happy inside!

In her 30’s and seemingly happy with her boyfriend of almost ten years, Rosie sets upon a journey of self exploration after their unexpected breakup. Left without James to help pay their rent she seeks help in the form of a roommate. This is just the beginning of a wholesome journey into Rosie’s love life, one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I’m not normally a lover of romance and tend to steer away from the genre. However, Starkey caught my attention and I knew I had to have a little delve. This was the perfect palate cleanser after recently reading rather a lot of fantasy.

This was such a cute, bubbly story with characters I fell in love with!

Thank you to Laura Starkey for the ARC and her publishers. It was a pleasure to read your work !

What I Liked:
- Rosie (FMC) is the sweetest, most endearing character
- The personal growth Rosie exhibits through the story
- The attractive “Nameless Neighbor” who moves into the apartment complex
- Rhianne and the other supporting characters
- All the British cultural references and the British English dialect
- Closed door, clean romance

I’ll admit, forced proximity is one of my favorite rom-com tropes, and The Spare Room delivered! I loved the slow-burn back-and-forth tension between flatmates Rosie and Aled. There was classic sexual tension (closed door) but also emotional tension that gave Rosie’s relationship more depth.

I enjoy reading rom-coms because I want the Happily Ever After. To me, the best romance stories have the predictable HEA ending but aren’t laid out so explicitly that you can predict everything that happens along the way. The Spare Room is a perfect example of this. The plot was well-developed and had me invested while I waited for Rosie’s happy ending.

I recently read The Sweetest Revenge by Lizzy Dent and couldn’t help but notice similarities. The Spare Room would be an excellent read for fans of hers or of Katherine Center, Josie Silver, and Sophie Sullivan.

Thank you, Embla Books and NetGalley, for the advanced reader copy.

Super cute! I really enjoyed this one.

If you enjoy a hot, brooding hero - this is your book. Light on the steam, but still pulls at your heart-strings. Give this one a read!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

I picked up this book hoping for a fun and flirty romcom, but I was disappointed by the lack of romance and character development. The premise sounded promising: Rosie, a newly single woman, rents out her spare room to Aled, her mysterious upstairs neighbour, and sparks fly. However, I felt like the author wasted too much time setting the scene and talking about Rosie's job and family drama, and not enough on the actual relationship between the main characters. I barely got to know Aled as a person, and I didn't feel any chemistry between him and Rosie. They hardly interacted, and when they did, it felt out of place. The book was marketed as a forced proximity, slow-burn romance, but there was almost no proximity and the plot felt like it just dragged on. Unfortunately, this was a miss for me.

This was a cute little rom-com read, however it didn’t quite hit the spot for me.

I felt the story was almost too slow, even for a slow-burn not a lot happens in the book until you’re almost at the end - the ML doesn’t move into the spare room until you’re 50% through the book, it definitely could have happened earlier. I felt like there was a lot of room to develop the characters and their back stories further, for example I didn’t actually know much about any of the characters appearance. Maybe a dual POV could have mixed the plot up a bit as we understood what the ML was thinking, as the story built up.

That being said I did enjoy it, the story was sweet, very light hearted and I really liked Rosie as a FL.

Thanks for the eARC in return for my honest review.

This book had all the favourite tropes and Rom Com vibes, it was cozy and warm and was a really good read.

I really enjoyed the MMC and the FMC both a little naive at times but they were cute, I loved how homely they felt. Honestly this book just reminded me of comfort.

Now it was very slow burn, closed door romance, which I would have liked a bit more heat. I also would have liked to see more of the FMC ambition earlier on and seen her make more of herself although she did develop a lot in the book I felt like it was quick and missed a bit of the journeys

Overall this was a good read and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you @netgalley and @Emblabooks for sharing this ARC with me.