A sincere thanks to Embla Books and NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about Rosie who goes through an unexpected breakup after being with her boyfriend for nearly 10 years, and she needs to find someone who will rent out her spare room so she can keep her apartment and not have to move out due to not being able to afford rent herself.

I enjoyed this book and was also let down by this book. The book had so much potential and promise to be a 4-5 star read but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. It was very slow-paced and took a while for the actual story to begin. I feel like if a good chunk of the first few chapters were cut out and more was added to the second half, I really would have liked it more.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy reading it! I liked the characters and the story and the cute moments shared between the two MCs but I feel like there was so much more room to develop their story a lot more. It's an enjoyable romcom that has forced proximity and a good slow burn. (seriously, something doesn't happen till like 80% in!) I did like to watch the characters grow and develop but I feel like it was done very late in the book. I liked that Rosie didn't let her self-worth be determined by a man but learned to love herself, for herself, as the book progressed.

I wish this book was a dual POV. I feel like it would have increased my reading experience and made the book a lot more enjoyable, as one downside that I have is the fact that we never really got to know MMC's story, as we only got to see so little of him.

overall it was a nice, slow-burn read and I would recommend it if you're looking for a light read that will still check all the boxes of a good rom-com!

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

While Alec was well-written and had a compelling backstory, I found Rosie's character to be insufferable. It seemed as though her flaws were often attributed to others, and there was a lack of accountability. The plot showed promise, but I felt that the ending was rushed. I believe that an additional 30 pages could have allowed for a more satisfying conclusion, as certain aspects felt hurried, condensed into just two chapters. Despite this, the romance itself was well-executed and made sense for the characters.

I’m all about close proximity romances. Make them roommates and it’s even better. This book has everything I always want in one of these and then some. I would say my one complaint is Aled didn’t move into the room right away, kind of defeating the purpose of the title. I think it should have been a chapter 3 thing, which would have made the pace of the story a little better.

Unfortunately I found this book to be super boring and derivative, the characters left a lot to be desired and I didn’t find them to be particularly likable at all. Not to mention the entire premise of the book doesn’t even happen until halfway through it.

I dnf at 70%. It is so slow and drags on about things that seem pointless but skips things I feel could use more detail. Doesn't really feel like a romance book at all. I don't care for the 3rd person narrative, I don't feel any connection to the characters. Honestly wouldn't recommend it to others.

This was a lovely slow burn romance that takes a bit of time to pick up speed, but is worth sticking with for the ending.

I really enjoyed the second half of this book, although the first half was a little slow. I also really enjoy books set in the UK, and this one is very descriptive and has a lot of the dry, British humor that makes them a refreshing break from American books. Although every British book I read makes me more and more baffled by the weird food they eat over there (they actually eat baked beans on toast you guys. I googled it. It’s actually really just beans. On toast.)

As I said before, I wish the first half of the book was a little more interesting and faster paced. It felt like a lot of descriptions versus actual plot happening and many relationships other than the central romantic relationship are established, but the second half of the book was well paced and had a lot of interesting plot points, so I felt that it redeemed itself. I think it was also a little harder to connect with the characters because it’s written in third person, and the MMC is meant to be a bit shy and quiet, so it takes some time to really get a read on him and feel the chemistry between the two main characters.
Overall it was a fun, light, sweet read and I would recommend it.

I really enjoyed this one! It was a quick read and kept me entertained. The cover is super cute also - bookshelf material! A new favorite.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!
This book started out fairly promising, the storyline was an intriguing pov that could make a great story, this however fell short for me. I felt like it was pretty boring and predictable. It felt like it went from a tentative kiss to full out love in 2 seconds. It wasn’t a bad book, just had the potential to be so much more than it ended up being.

This was a really good romance book. I could not put it down. The characters were really relatable and I enjoyed the writing a lot.

Try to be positive but I couldn't quite get on board with this one. The dialogue made me cringe at times and I didn't actually feel any chemistry between our main characters. I wanted to root for Rosie, she comes off as a sweetheart who needs one hell of a self esteem boost.

On the other hand, Aled very much feels like the idea of a character rather than anything fully formed. It never really tells us why he's into Rosie, instead just telling her versions of how incredible she is. It's hard to get into a romance when there's nothing to latch onto.

Overall I was hopeful because it's a fun premise but left underwhelmed.

I was instantly drawn to the cover of The Spare Room, with its bright colors and sweet animation. This story gives exactly what it markets - a story about two people sharing an apartment and *eventually* falling for each other. If you love a slow burn, this will be right up your alley.

This was giving "The Flatshare" by Beth O'Leary... but then I realized that I didn't enjoy that book either.

The Spare Room has such an inviting, sweet cover that I was excited to delve right into this, but I found myself wanting to continually put it down. I was not invested in these characters, the plot was almost *too* slow (I mean, I love a good slow burn but really?) and the payoff was just sort of bland.

Overall, this sat at around a 2.5 stars, rounded to 3.

This truly is a story about a woman who realizes how beautiful she is and deserving of what she wants het life to be. Rosie is kind to a fault and James in their ten years together capitalized on that. Because she didn't finish university albeit for a reason of great love, he made her feel less than and below him. It didn't help that her mom also told her how lucky she was to find someone like James and not to lose him. It is on!y when Rosie walked away from what no longer served her in finding herself that she realized both her internal and external beauty. She saw what Nimah and Rhianne saw all along. She needed to be unapologetically herself. That is how her and Aled learned to love each other because they each brought exactly who they are to the relationship. A beautiful story about evolution and change.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for an ARC

I found Rosie to be insufferable authough Alec was well written and had a proper back story it felt as if Rosie only flaws were other peoples fault and that she could do no wrong.

The plot was strong but I felt the ending was rushed and could have been another 30 pages easily instead they rushed a lot of content into 2 chapters

The romance itself was good and well done with it making sence for the characters.

This isn’t one I will re read but it is one I am glad I read

I really liked Rosie and Aled, although I wish Rosie had a bit more self confidence. At times things felt a bit repetitive, but overall very enjoyable! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

Thank you for the ARC opportunity with this book.

In the beginning when you find out her job I smiled because I am also an insurance claims adjuster. That little tidbit was fun for me and made me want to read a bit more.

I enjoyed the story. It was a good quick romcom book for me to read. The characters are well written. I like Rosie, not only because we have the same job, but because she blooms throughout the story. She seems a little unsure of her self in the beginning and I wish she was more confident. I think it would have made the breakup better for me if she didn't question her looks or abilities.

I liked that Aled was shy but has a huge heart. His personality and Rosie seem to go together very well. I enjoy the forced proximity stories and I like how they are friends before a relationship.

This was a great story! Thank you again for the opportunity.

4.25🌟
Rosie is a kind-hearted, gentle soul who would do anything for those around her. She's waiting for the day her long term boyfriend will FINALLY propose, until one day, everything changes.

Aled is the mysterious man next door, who sparks her interest as soon as she sees him for the first time.

Both characters are written to be cute and lovable. Written as a kind of slow burn, you know they're destined to be together and you're constantly hoping they'll get there soon. A little bit of drama here and there keeps the book plodding along and made it an easy, medium-paced read for me.

Laura Starkey has gifted us with a delightfully charming and utterly sweet rom-com!

Rosie’s life is in shambles after her long time boyfriend dumps her. No longer able to afford her rent and out of options, Rosie offers her spare room to the mysterious, handsome upstairs neighbor while his flat is being renovated. Will their close proximity spark something between them?

I adored Rosie and found her completely relatable. She’s spent her life making everyone else’s life easier at the expense of herself and her dreams. Her journey of self-discovery had me cheering for her.

Thanks to NetGalley and Embla Books for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Embla Books for the ARC of this one. This was a slow one for me and I don't think I really started to enjoy it until at least half way through. It was fairly predictable in plot, which is fine for a romance, but it was such a slow burn that I found I was bored for a lot of it.

Rosie is a thirty something living in London who has just been brutally dumped by her boyfriend of almost a decade and she has also quit the job she didn't really like in the first place. While trying to figure out how she can afford the apartment she loves by herself, her upstairs neighbor, Aled, who also inherited the building (unbeknownst to her) offers to stay in her spare room while he updated his space. She accepts and the forge a sweet friendship and eventually fall in love. She also learns to love herself and value herself. It's a cute one overall, but as I said SUPER slow. 3 stars for me but I would consider reading others by this author. Thanks for the opportunity to review!

This book had no business being so relatable. 20% in and my eyes had welled like 4 times already bc I see so much of myself in Rosie. (Final count: Idk how many times I cried but that's on me, it only makes you wanna cry if you literally feel like you and Rosie are the same.)

But now about the book, 4.6 at least to me! I really really enjoyed it!!
Fun, sweet, charming read!

I loved Rosie, A.Thomas, Rhianne, Niamh, the deli team! Their interactions were amazing, and they felt real to me; with fights, breakdowns, support and pick ups.
Also the growth of the characters was really amazing and significant!

The slooowest burn and I was here for it! The built tension, the little touches, the so beautifully grown friendship...
A.Thomas THE MAN YOU ARE (I think the finding out his first name throughout the book is fun so not gonna spoil it)
Fell in love with him along with Rosie and I wanna keep him in a hug forever!

Reasons why it's not exactly 5 stars for me:
- the beginning felt a little dragged out, I get that it was important to the development of the plot, but I think it could've done with a little less
- also bc of that, even though I saw so much of myself in the fmc, it took me a while to really get connected with the story
- wanted mmc pov😭😭 would DIE to know what was going through that man's head throughout the whole thing!!!

Love the cover of this book and this is the first i have read from this author and it didn't disappoint.

The book was a quick and easy read. Sometimes it fell flat but for the most part i enjoyed reading this book.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.