Jess Black has life all figured out. She has a job that she loves, and her boyfriend is handsome and successful. That’s why it comes as a shock when she meets a woman on the train who makes her pulse race. Maybe it would’ve been possible to put the surprise attraction behind her, but that becomes impossible when the woman she’s been trying so hard to forget moves into her spare room.

Sydney Fletcher has hit the reset button on her life after a devastating breakup necessitates a move. Her sister’s place is barely big enough for her sister and her nephew, so when Sydney spots a room to rent, she jumps at it. Imagine her surprise when her new housemate just happens to be the same woman who has been on her mind for weeks. But everything quickly turns sour and confusing when Jess gives her the cold shoulder. Maybe Sydney had read the signals all wrong that day? Jess fights to keep her feelings at bay and Sydney tries to keep her heart from getting involved. But the more time they spend together, the harder it gets to ignore how perfect they are for one another.

The chemistry between Jess and Sydney is great. The attraction between the two is obvious, but Jess denying it is chef's kiss. Been there, done that. So many of us have lived this experience. LOL. So relatable for me. The denying went on a bit too long for my taste, but it was still a fun read. I recommend this, especially if you're bi and went through a period of confusion and doubt as you were realizing it. 4⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

I liked the storyline, the flirting and slow burn between Jess and Sydney. Lots of fun to follow them meeting on the train, meeting again as roommates and then the struggle for Jess to finally admit she is really into Sydney even though she is a woman.

Unfortunately I am not a fan of the writing style of the author, the story is just too wordy and drags on occasion so I almost lost interest. Overall a nice read though but it could have been so much better if the writing had dragged me in more than it did.

Humorous, sexy and captivating. I loved how the relationship between the main characters grew. Pick it up for a fun read and a cute romance.

The Roommate by Claire Forsythe is a heartfelt and slow-burn sapphic romance that deftly explores themes of identity, desire, and the messy, beautiful process of self-discovery. With strong emotional beats, relatable internal conflicts, and sizzling chemistry, this novel breathes new life into the "roommates to lovers" trope, making it an irresistible read for fans of contemporary romance.

Jess Black’s character is beautifully layered. On the surface, she seems to have it all together—a career she’s proud of, a picture-perfect relationship, and a well-organized life. But beneath that polished exterior is a woman who has been suppressing her true self for years. Forsythe captures Jess’s inner turmoil with sensitivity, portraying her struggle to understand her feelings for Sydney without resorting to melodrama. Instead, Jess’s emotional journey feels grounded and authentic, filled with small moments of longing and self-reflection that make her eventual realizations all the more satisfying.

Sydney Fletcher, on the other hand, is the epitome of warmth and resilience. Reeling from a painful breakup, she’s trying to rebuild her life while staying optimistic. Sydney’s openness and vulnerability make her an easy character to root for. Her interactions with Jess are initially tentative and tinged with awkwardness, but there’s a magnetic pull between them that Forsythe writes with finesse. Sydney’s patience and kindness contrast beautifully with Jess’s hesitance, making their growing connection feel organic rather than rushed.

The forced proximity element is handled well—there’s plenty of tension as the two women navigate their shared space and the unspoken attraction that simmers beneath their polite exchanges. Forsythe captures the intimacy of domestic life, from shared cups of coffee in the morning to movie nights that feel a little too cozy for comfort. These everyday moments are where the magic happens, and Forsythe’s attention to detail makes their relationship feel both believable and deeply romantic.

The novel also doesn’t shy away from the complications that come with upheaval and change. Jess’s struggle to break free from societal expectations and Sydney’s fear of getting hurt again add depth to the story. Their fears and insecurities are palpable, and watching them work through these emotional hurdles—sometimes with missteps—makes their eventual connection all the more rewarding.

If there’s a critique to be made, it’s that the pacing can feel a bit slow in the middle as Jess wrestles with the same internal conflict for longer than necessary. Some readers may find themselves wishing for more direct conversations between the characters to move the plot forward more quickly. Additionally, while Jess’s boyfriend plays an important role in her character arc, his presence can sometimes feel like a narrative placeholder rather than a fully fleshed-out character.

At 4 stars, The Roommate is a tender, thoughtful romance that captures the complexity of falling for someone unexpected—and the courage it takes to follow your heart. Claire Forsythe’s writing is warm, witty, and honest, and her characters leap off the page with all their flaws and hopes intact. This is a love story that doesn’t just celebrate romantic connection—it celebrates the messy, transformative process of becoming who you’re meant to be. Fans of She Drives Me Crazy and Written in the Stars will find plenty to love in this heartfelt and emotionally resonant tale.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Storygraph on January 10th, 2025. Links provided.

Jess Black’s seemingly perfect life takes an unexpected turn when a fleeting connection with a stranger on a train stirs feelings she didn’t know she could have. When that same woman, Sydney Fletcher, moves into the empty bedroom in her apartment, Jess struggles to ignore (and understand) her feelings. Sydney, fresh from a breakup and looking for a new start, is caught off guard to find her new roommate is the person she thought fate brought to her on that train. While Jess tries to suppress (and deny) her growing attraction, Sydney wonders if maybe fate's love isn’t in the cards for her after all. Despite their efforts to resist and just be friends, the bond between them becomes increasingly impossible to ignore.

This book was an enjoyable and well-paced read with a thoughtful romance at its core. The chemistry between Jess and Sydney felt authentic, and I appreciated how their relationship took its time, growing from an initial attraction into a genuine friendship before Jess finally acknowledged her feelings. I’ve seen other reviews that said they were annoyed with the way Jess handled things but I honestly felt like it was more authentic knowing it was the first time Jess ever had any sort of attraction to another woman. Feelings and relationships can be scary and, even though it frustrated me at times, I understood Jess’s hesitation. The alternating perspectives of Jess and Sydney provided insight into both characters’ emotions and struggles. I also really enjoyed the supporting characters and thought they all added warmth and humor, enhancing the overall dynamic without overshadowing the main plot. Chloe’s humor, Ben’s adorableness, Rachel’s wisdom, and Pam and Violet’s nosiness were all integral to Jess and Sydney’s journey. Their first encounter on the train was a charming setup, and the ending, with its romantic gesture, brought everything together in a satisfying and heartfelt way. In the end, The Roommate is a thoughtful slow-burn romance that I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books, Inc. and NetGalley for the opportunity to read to an ARC of The Roommate in return for my honest review.

Jess and Sydney meet on a train and both surprise about the instant connection they make. Jess is annoyed that her father is getting married again and she has to attend Sydney is still hurting over her break up. They both decided to meet again but life got in the way but a chance of fate put them in each other orbit when Jess is looking for another roommate who share with her other friend Chloe love their relationship and is shock when it’s Sydney the woman she can’t stop thinking about. This was a cute read it’s drag a bit with Jess prolonging ending things with her boyfriend but I enjoy Jess found family at work and Sydney relationship with her sister.


I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

I found myself really struggling to get into this book. The book itself shown so much promise and I was eager to get stuck in. However, the. Blurb was the most compelling for me. The book may be a short read but I found it was extremely slow and somewhat confusing. The pov was utterly wrong, it wasn’t until the characters mentioned names that you knew who’s pov you was reading from. Even then it still seemed confusing. I really wanted to love this book. I think the story had high potential

“The Roommate” is a sweet, slow-burn* sapphic romance. Featuring “straight” Jess and freshly single Sydney. They meet on a train under unrelated, distraught circumstances. For Jess, she realizes her attraction to a woman for the first time. Sydney, however, falls head over heels right off the bat. They end up serendipitously meeting once again when Sydney takes over a room in Jess and her bestie (Chloe’s) apartment.

For first impressions, however, I have to say that the book's cover is terrible and doesn’t represent the quality of this book at all. The cover looks like two childish cartoon dolls. The art looks amateurish and unprofessional. I personally would be embarrassed to be holding this book in public. (Thank god for kindles). PLEASE, I beg, get different cover art for this book before it's released.

Otherwise, I enjoyed “The Roommate.” The book does a good job of taking a popular trope (“and they were roommates”) and making it special and unique. The meet-cute was exciting and fun, and the longing between the two characters felt palpable.

One aspect I disliked was how long the main character, Jess, took to break up with her boyfriend. Her avoidance and discussion of him did feel like it went on too long and became repetitive. Additionally, I feel like the book wrapped up too quickly. I know it’s common in romance novels for the big breakup to occur towards the end, and then they reunite and solve everything right before the end of the book, but I guess I was hoping for something different. Especially since I felt like this book had a lot to offer, especially not necessarily falling into the formula of other books.

I enjoyed the found family aspect of Jess’s work family and Sydney’s close relationship with her sister. I think that Jess and Sydney had a lot of chemistry and when they finally got together, it was a fun relief.

I would recommend this book to any reader of sapphic romance. It’s fun and quirky! A fast read for a cozy night.

P.S. “Slow burn” gets an asterisk because the book itself is fairly short but in the book itself it takes about 3/4 of the way for even a kiss to happen.

The Roommate is a cute, quick Kindle read—perfect as a palette cleanser between heavier novels. I particularly loved Sydney and Chloe, and I was thrilled when Austin exited the picture. Sydney was such a likable character, and her dynamic with Jess kept me interested.

However, the book could benefit from clearer formatting. It was challenging to keep track of which character’s point of view I was reading, and adding their names at the beginning of each chapter would really help the flow.

While this book isn’t groundbreaking, it’s definitely an enjoyable, lighthearted read. That said, I felt some sections were repetitive, and the story would have been stronger with tighter editing. A lot of scenes and dialogue felt like they rehashed the same ideas unnecessarily.

Overall, if you’re in the mood for something quick and sweet, this is a solid pick.

The Roommate by Claire Forsythe

Jess and Sydney are the main characters in this book. Jess is the product of divorced parents. She thinks a relationship is settling even when you're with the wrong person. Sydney wants love in her life but her heart has just been dragged through the mud by an ex-girlfriend.

I really enjoyed this book. I think this book is an accurate depiction of what getting into a new relationship could look like for someone like Jess who thought she only liked men. You (the reader) really begin to root for Jess to just go with her gut.

It's definitely a S-L-O-W burn as you watch Jess battle her feelings through most of the book. Once you get to a certain point though, you can't put it down!

First book by this author, but it turned out to be a huge letdown.

There was no chemistry, it was told, but not shown and this book seemed to have a good premise, but it wasn't written well. Slow burn romances are good usually, but this just dragged on and on. Plus the POV kept changing frequently which is a huge red flag. Normally I would DNF the book, but I pushed on. It did not get better.

Overall, this book could have been something but it failed spectacularly. It's not a bad book per say, but wasn't the book for me hence the review is short.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the chemistry between the two main characters. It was an instant attraction which I enjoyed. The feelings of the main woman getting involved in a new relationship with the same sex is really well written. It kept me intrigued to see how it ended. I highly recommend anyone to read this book.

This book was so stinkin cute, a slow burn with just a smattering of spice.
It kept reminding me of Camilla and Julie, if you know them on Tiktok.

The story was written in third person, which I haven't read in romance in ages. It was dual POV though, and occasionally difficult to tell who's POV it was, but not enough to hinder the reading.

It was very much focused on the primary FMC coming to terms with herself and the romantic relationship, with very little outside drama. The story time-line wasn't rushed at all, and that was refreshing. It slowed at different parts, but not to a stop and it wasn't miserable, just surprising after having read so many stories where it has to stay go go go.
Some parts unfortunately were heavy on the telling instead of showing type of writing. But it was very enjoyable and realistic romance to read about despite that.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this awesome book

two people meet on a train .... its the old classic tale but with a twist....

jess is on the train to her dads wedding its not his first time on this rollercoaster of a ride and it wont be the last but jess doesnt get on with this one at all... so she isnt really invested in this wedding at all...

she finds her seat on a train and hopes that where she is sat no one will come and sit with her.... her luck doesnt last....

sydney is also on the train and about to go somewhere also very unpleasant.... but she couldnt help sitting by jess who had captivated her eyes from the beginning.... and when the chance came to be a knight in shining armour why wouldnt you....

when jess and sydney part they plan to meet up that night on the train journey home.... only sydney doesnt make it.... and she doesnt realise the impact she had on jess...

jess and her two mates live together and have been happy for years but now it time for one of them to depart for pastures new.... so on the look out for a new flat mate falls to jess and chloe.....

jess has the biggest surprise of her life when the new flat mate is none other than sydney.... who covers her surprise really well though she plays it cool she doesnt want chloe to know that sydney is the woman from the train or the woman that has haunted her dreams .....

its a catalogue of disasters awaiting to happen... and what a joy this book was to read... so many times i laughed out loud i inhaled this book in one sitting.... couldnt get enough of it....

i know cant wait for the next book this author comes out with

I am really enjoying Claire Forsythes style of writing and her storylines. The Roommate is a entertaining love story between Jess, a hairdresser with a long term boyfriend who she feels she hardly knows anymore and Sydney, small business owner and newly single, still trying to mend a broken heart.

Meeting on a train and feeling an instant mutual attraction that surprises both these women, they end up being unexpected roommates and find that the chemistry between them is very real. Jess has never been attracted physically to a woman before Sydney and her relationship with her boyfriend may be in trouble but she would never cheat on him. However, Sydney is making Jess feel things she can’t ignore.

Once again Forsythe has produced a novel with witty banter, loveable characters, a cute kid, an adorable penguin, chemistry that sizzles and an entertaining story. I could easily see this as a Romantic Comedy movie. I can see Forsythe becoming one of my favourite sapphic authors, I highly recommend The Roommate.

Typical story of a straight girl crushing on a gay girl, denying it over and over, trying really hard with her boyfriend, and finally giving in to her attraction

Jess and Sydney's meet-cute is actually kind of adorable. Jess is stuck going to her dad's umpteenth wedding and on the train, she meets Sydney. A train delay turns into a fun chat and they almost exchange numbers. They plan to hang out again but life gets in the way. So, Jess, feeling a bit lost, decides to stick with her boyfriend and try to move on from this whole Sydney situation. And what are the chances that Jess and her roommate are looking for another roommate and Sydney just happens to show up, completely unaware?

So, ever since Sydney moved in, and with all the drama between Sydney and Jess, Chloe, the other roommate, tells Jess she has a crush on Sydney. So now Jess has another excuse not to act on her own feelings for Sydney. But Sydney's patient, and she's got eyes only for Jess. She's gonna wait for things to fall into place.

Thank you to Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this was not the cute, rom-com-esque book that the synopsis promised and, as a result, I was left disappointed.

While the meet-cute was well done and offered potential, it was all downhill from there. Admittedly my first issue is a personal preference, but other than a comment or two about 'English weather' there was a severely American feel to this novel. I can't quite place it, but it felt like you could have set the novel anywhere as the setting played no part to the story, yet the setting chosen felt at odds with the story.

The two female protagonists felt like children at times and the inclusion of Sydney's nephew felt reminiscent of those romance novels where the single father inexplicably cannot speak for himself and his child ends up declaring his love for the hired help.

It was entirely predictable and Chloe felt like the most rapid character I have ever read. But it’s okay, because Jess tells us how great she is. Jess,, who's boyfriend is written like a villain from a teen show..

Overall, I did not connect with this at all as the characters were two- dimensional, unnecessarily dense despite one being a business owner and the chemistry told to us rather than felt, after the first meeting..

A very sweet very very slow burn Sapphic contemporary romance set in London. Jess and Sydney meet o the train and sparks fly, but when they don’t exchange info and their plans to met up fall apart they doubt they’ll ever meet again. Till, as the title suggests, Sydney ends up as Jess’s newest roommate. This is a very slow burn with lots of yearning, some witty banter, and a few great scenes that had me giggling. Overall not the most memorable thing I’ve read, but it was cute, and fun.

I felt like the first part of the book was very slow both getting to the point where Sydney was moving in and then especially when it came to the situation with Jess’s boyfriend. I can appreciate a good bi-awakening trope, but Jess’s struggle with her own internalized homophobia was incredibly frustrating. I found myself wanting to shake Jess many times. Lastly, I think the two POVs just read very similar and since there wasn’t a clear delineation between where one POV ended and another began I got confused a few times as to which POV it was.

Thank you to net galley and Bold Strokes Books for the chance to be an ARC reviewer for this book!

I loved this book. I thought that both MC were like able and written very true to life. I identified with the backwards and forwards from Jess and the romantic in me loved the ending!! I also really enjoyed the additional characters, especially Chloe and Ben. Oh and Pam and Violet! All in all the book started my New Year off with a warm glow x

If you ever judged a book by its cover, as I did with The Roommates, you might be tempted to overlook this one. Let me start by saying: don’t. The cover, which I personally found cartoonish and reminiscent of a young adult novel, belies the depth and charm within its pages. If I weren't tasked with reviewing this book, I likely would have passed it by. My advice to the publisher? Consider a redesign—one that better reflects the mature, emotionally resonant story inside.

The Writing and Narrative

Despite my initial hesitation, I found myself devouring The Roommates in just one day. The writing is engaging and flows, pulling the reader into a story that feels real. The setting is vividly described, lending an immersive backdrop to the drama that unfolds.

What stood out most, however, was the character development. The protagonist and supporting cast were brought to life with such detail that they felt like people you’d know—or, in some cases, avoid. Secondary characters, often overlooked in many novels, are given their moments to shine here. This attention to detail added humor, warmth, and depth to the story.

Character Highlights

Take Ben, the adorable nephew. His presence brought a sense of grounding to the story, and his interactions with the other characters added layers of charm. Then there are Pam and Vi, the witty and spirited owners of the hair salon. These two were a delightful addition, providing humor and wisdom in equal measure. Their scenes never failed to bring a smile, and they acted as a much-needed counterbalance to the heavier emotional beats.

As for the protagonists, Jess and Sydney, their dynamic was… complicated, to say the least. I’ll admit, I didn’t like Jess. She’s selfish, brash, and, quite frankly, a bit of an ass. But that’s the brilliance of the writing: she’s well-crafted and unapologetically authentic, flaws and all. Her imperfections make her feel real, even if I wouldn’t want her as a roommate or partner.

Sydney, on the other hand, is the polar opposite. Vulnerable and kind, she falls hard and fast, which makes her an easy character to root for. Yet her naïveté is frustrating at times—she doesn’t always see Jess for who she truly is. There were moments when I found myself thinking that Jess almost deserved her (ex-)boyfriend, as harsh as that sounds. But this tension, this messiness, is what makes their story so compelling.

The Romance and Plot

The slow-burn romance is executed brilliantly. With enough near-misses and "almost" moments to keep you hooked. Every time I thought something was about to happen, the narrative would pull back just enough to build the tension. By the time the romantic payoff arrives, it feels earned and satisfying.

The opening of the book also deserves special mention. While Sydney’s willingness to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger might be outside my personal comfort zone (and I’d likely share Jess’s skeptical reaction), it sets the tone perfectly. The banter between them is sharp and witty, immediately establishing their contrasting personalities and the spark that will drive the story forward.

Final Thoughts

The Roommates is a delightful surprise—a story that manages to be heartfelt, funny, and human. It’s a testament to the author’s skill that even when I didn’t like certain characters, I couldn’t stop reading. The secondary characters, the setting, and the slow-burn romance all contribute to a book that’s hard to put down.

So, while the cover might need a makeover, the story inside is undeniably worth your time. If you’re looking for a book that will make you laugh, tug at your heartstrings, and remind you of the messy, beautiful complexity of relationships, give The Roommates a chance. You won’t regret it.