Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy of the novel in exchange for my honest review. This book was just so cute, and a very easy read too. I found myself rooting for Rosie and Aled early on, the author was a master of chemistry and slowburn. I will caution anyone who is looking for a payout from that slowburn to look elsewhere, this is a "fade to black" type of novel. Nothing wrong with that either, just something I'm not used to with the volume/variety of books I read! Other than being slightly annoyed with that fact, I really liked this novel and thought Rosie's journey of self-love was very realistic. All of the characters were fleshed out, and this read was just genuinely so fun and uplifting by the end. I found it so hopeful and truly loved that she found someone that was able to cherish her so deeply. Every woman deserves an Aled!

It was okay, was it my favorite? No, but I didn’t hate it. Slow burn romances just aren’t my jam, but neither is insta love, I love something in between. It took some time to get into the story and once it did pick up, I was kinda over it . So sad this one didn’t work for me

Thank you Netgalley & Embla for access to this title in exchange for an honest review. 🤍

This was such a lovely story. I really saw myself in Rosie and her issues with her body image and the way we’re hardwired to believe we are unlovable.

I absolutely loved the way this story progressed into Rosie & Aled’s love story. The side characters really enhanced this book and I adored the found family aspects.

I’m so happy I requested this, I absolutely devoured it!

I unfortunately did not love this romcom. It was very slow and hard to get through. I felt like the characters just were not love able. I also feel like this should've gotten to the part where you don't wanna stop reading earlier (within the first 15%) and instead I found myself bored.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the opportunity to write a review of the advanced copy of The Spare Room.

Firstly - I really didn't like how much body shaming and body insecurity even in the first 10 pages. This kind of thing turns me right off of a book, and I had to kind of power through - was tempted to just set it down (and in face did for a while). The body insecurity continued throughout as a theme. Stop writing about women hating their bodies, please, universe (even if it ends in being happy or body positivity).

I enjoyed the breakup scene early on - especially her evisceration of him wanting a last goodbye to his playstation and James wanting to take the pizza with him. I also loved the shared love of reading between Aled and Rosie and the process of becoming comfortable with each other, and Rosie finally having someone on her side sticking up for her.

The romance was sweet but... the whole book was a bit detached (yet also somehow over the top) for me. Very surface level without going deep (and I live for deep emotions!) I didn't feel like they were real, complex people. Usually I like the forced proximity and slow burn tropes, but I think I just didn't like the main female character that much.

I absolutely loved this book. It’s an adorable take on roommates falling for each other. It was easy to read and easy to fall in love with the characters. I loved Rosie and feel like she’s a real life bff. I would recommend this to anyone who likes romance and rom-coms!

I don't typically read a lot of roomates to lovers romances but I'm glad I read this one and I would definitely read more after this. It was such a sweet and loveable story that flowed really well and I fell head over heels for Rosie's character.

This was such a lovely story. It made me chuckle at times and I loved the way the characters behaved with each other. The story flowed along so sweetly I finished it quickly. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This was a cute forced proximity romance, but didn’t completely enrapture me the way I was hoping it would. The beginning was slow and I struggled to resonate with the writing style, but once I got used to it, it was a fairly enjoyable read.

This is a lovely story of the challenges of love and life. The story is a reminder that it is always worth it to wait for the right person who will love you just the way you are!

I love me a good slow burn! Very easy and quick read. I've been on a romance kick lately and this book definitely met my needs.
Rosie needs some therapy lowkey, I have no idea how she put up with James for so long.
Aled needs to loosen up and learn how to communicate better tbh
Overall though was a pretty good book

I love a cheesy romance book. Nothing is more comforting to me, but this one felt like it was missing that special something. It felt like a story I've read 20 times before and unfortunately not the best version. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, I just didn't love it.

Rosie seemed sweet, I loved her character, although it really wasn't necessary to mention her weight soooo many times.

James is worthless. The whole James plot line could have easily been removed and the book would have still be the same.

Aled was meh, there was nothing particularly special about him. Tho I did really enjoy the rollerblading scene cause that was a cute date. And he was super sweet to Rosie like 24/7, and isn't that what every girl dreams of?

Overall - 3.5⭐️

This book was so flippin’ cute! This book had me giggling and kicking my feet! The things the MMC says and does… swoon. It was a taaaaad slow for my liking during the first part, but by the end I had fallen in love with the characters and their love story. I loved the banter and tension between the MMC and FMC. I enjoyed the character development in this book. Even the side characters had important growth that had me saying "aww" and feeling excited for them. There were some unexpected events that occurred during the later part of the book that had me audibly gasping and saying OMG! Worth👏🏼 the👏🏼 read👏🏼, especially if you love a good rom-com Hallmark movie in book form! (Really this book earned 4.5 stars for me, but I couldn't add half stars.)

for lovers of beth o'leary's the flatshare - two strangers decide to live together when one is dumped by her boyfriend of nearly ten years and the other needs out of his current place for renovations. the spark between rosie & aled is felt instantly & the companionship they build is heartwarming. the arc copy i received made it a little hard to follow at times (not ready for publication yet!) but i enjoyed the story!! thank you netgalley for the advanced
сору!

Oops I reviewed a different book in this window and can’t delete it — changing it now to make sure that it doesn’t stay. I haven’t read it yet, but it’s next!

Freaking PERFECTION. 10/10. This was just so so good. I couldn’t get enough of it and wanted a thousand more pages of this.

A sweet and quirky slow-burn rom-com. This book is perfect if you need a lighthearted pick me up!

On the worst day of Rosie's life she not only rage quits her horrible job, but she also walks into her apartment to find out her boyfriend of 10 years was about to dump her in a letter. Desperate to stay in her loved flat, Rosie seeks a roommate to help her pay the rent, what she doesn't expect is that the handsome neighbor upstairs that Rosie can't keep her eyes off, just so happens to be looking for a place to stay.

This was an absolutely adorable story, but I will say that you have to be in the mood to read this book, otherwise you will not enjoy it. The romance in this story is super cute, but it is very much a slow-burn romance and it is closed door, so don't expect any spicy scenes.

The one thing that really stood out to me in this novel, was Rosie's character development. She truly changes for the better as the story goes on, and you just cant help but cheer her on as she gains her independence & becomes the strong confident woman that she is.

Overall it was a very cute story that will warm your heart, is it lifechanging? No. But I enjoyed it all the same, and might pick it up again any time I need a cute rom-com to cheer me up.

This was an enjoyable slow-burn book. I liked the pacing of it. The fact that there was a significant amount of time that passed before anything actually happens between Rosie and Aled was quite refreshing. It felt so natural. Rosie was dumped unceremoniously by her boyfriend of 10 years and was left in quite a pinch. And cue the forced-proximity! I happen to quite enjoy this in books, as it tends to add an interesting component as the characters learn to navigate around one another and ultimately get close. Aled moves into her spare room and the relationship between grows organically. Since he is very much an introvert, they slowly become friends, which is unavoidable due to her irresistible sweetness. Rosie is the type of person that people can’t help but be drawn in by. We’ve got some nice grumpy/sunshine vibes here too. I found Rosie and Alex’s friendship really sweet. This book gave me some nice warm and fuzzy feelings. If you’re look for a cozy easy read and the aforementioned tropes, then this could be a good choice for you. Who wouldn’t want a date not date roller skating in a London park?
Many thank to Netgalley and Embla Books for an e-arc of the book. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

In The Spare Room, we follow Rosie. Her flat is important to her, and when her boyfriend dumps her and leaves her without rent, she knows she’ll have to do something fast. Fortunately, her upstairs neighbour needs somewhere to stay for a bit and offers to take her spare room for a bit. But as the two begin to know each other, Rosie starts to fall for him and realises that she wants him in her bedroom for good.

This was a cute read. It was fairly simple, and it definitely ticked some of my preferred boxes. It’s labelled as a romance, but felt more chick-lit to me and with that came friends having a storyline in the background, a focus on Rosie sorting out her life in general, and a closed door on the sex scenes.

I do think this book started a little slowly. The chapter where she met Aled was one thing, but it takes a few chapters to even get to her boyfriend dumping her. And at the same time, she quits her job, so it’s all a bit much for her. Luckily, Aled was kind.

When I read the book, I did enjoy it, but after a few days, I realised that the characters did feel a little distant. I don’t really have any strong feelings about anyone, and that feels strange as I know I had fun while reading it. It’s just obviously not one I’m going to think about much in the future.

It was a fun time though, and I did like the romance. Rosie and Aled were very cute together, even if he did make an ass out of himself with his assumptions near the end. The friendships were also good, though I could have done with seeing how they affected her plans more.

If you’re looking for a book that’s fun, and won’t require much thought, this one could be for you. Just remember that it’s a bit more chick-lit than romance.

This was a really cute romance read. I absolutely loved the quiet, shy, literature loving Aled and watching him come out of his shell the more time he spent with Rosie. With Rosie rid of her ex (the absolute snake!) she’s left with a knock to her self confidence and a whole host of other problems, but she slowly reinvents herself and begins to set boundaries, find what she loves, and become happy again. I honestly adored the neighbours, to friends, to lovers progression for Rosie and Aled though it wasn’t always straight forward and he was definitely giving mixed messages at times. He was earnest and sweet, and Rosie bright and warm. I couldn’t get enough. I do think the secrets were a bit unlikely, especially since there were clearly plenty of opportunities to get them out in the open, so that did knock my rating down a bit but otherwise I definitely enjoyed this, even the slightly outrageous moments (usually featuring the ex) and I’m sure this will be a hit!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.