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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
You’ve heard of the forbidden love trope. Sometimes it feels a bit tired and overdone, but I’m not sure I’ve ever quite read it like this. Sabrina needs affordable housing as she finishes library school in NYC. She hears about intergenerational roommates and ends up living with Marcia, a vibrant woman who’s getting up there in age and could use a little help around the apartment in exchange for lower rent. The two get along swimmingly and then Marcia’s estranged grandson “temporarily” moves in on the living room couch. Sabrina’s attraction to Adam is instantaneous, but he’s off limits, right?
🏢 library love
🏢 characters starting a book club
🏢 families reuniting
🏢 intergenerational friendships
🏢 a Jewish FMC
🏢 pop culture references
🏢 the tropes: forbidden love, forced proximity, and workplace romance
⚠️ Marcia (grandmother) and Adam (grandson) are estranged because Adam’s father did not react well to Marcia coming out as bisexual after the death of her husband, therefore keeping his son from interacting for the last decade; as this could be sensitive for some readers, I want to note it’s a major plot point.
Overall, I enjoyed this and will definitely pick up some of the authors backlist books in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the digital review copy.
🏢 library love
🏢 characters starting a book club
🏢 families reuniting
🏢 intergenerational friendships
🏢 a Jewish FMC
🏢 pop culture references
🏢 the tropes: forbidden love, forced proximity, and workplace romance
⚠️ Marcia (grandmother) and Adam (grandson) are estranged because Adam’s father did not react well to Marcia coming out as bisexual after the death of her husband, therefore keeping his son from interacting for the last decade; as this could be sensitive for some readers, I want to note it’s a major plot point.
Overall, I enjoyed this and will definitely pick up some of the authors backlist books in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the digital review copy.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I honestly enjoyed reading this book so much! It felt cozy and just absolutely perfect to read in this moment.
I throughly enjoyed the story set up of having Sabrina rooming with someone older than her because it brought such a charming vibe from Meredith. It led to a lot of heartwarming moments and a lot of spunky ones too. Having Adam, her grandson, come into the mix was the cutest meet cute. It led to a lot of shenanigans too that I enjoyed reading about.
The romance between Sabrina and Adam was a bit of a slow burn but the tension was there the entire time. 🤌🏽 The banter was so entertaining too! The spice was mild so I give it a 3 🌶️ out of 5. And that library scene? 🔥 I loved the grand gesture in the end, especially because it was a woman doing it and going after what she wants.
While this is a romance, I liked having Sabrina working through some real life struggles. From trying to make ends meet, working on her masters, working at a library and trying to stay independent, it felt like something a lot of people could relate to. Plus there’s some Jewish representation too!
The one thing that kind of threw me off was the grandma needing to lessen her stress and having one of them move out. While it created some fun shenanigans, it felt like it was just thrown in there.
Overall, an entertaining read! Thank you NetGalley, Forever and Meredith Schorr for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!
I throughly enjoyed the story set up of having Sabrina rooming with someone older than her because it brought such a charming vibe from Meredith. It led to a lot of heartwarming moments and a lot of spunky ones too. Having Adam, her grandson, come into the mix was the cutest meet cute. It led to a lot of shenanigans too that I enjoyed reading about.
The romance between Sabrina and Adam was a bit of a slow burn but the tension was there the entire time. 🤌🏽 The banter was so entertaining too! The spice was mild so I give it a 3 🌶️ out of 5. And that library scene? 🔥 I loved the grand gesture in the end, especially because it was a woman doing it and going after what she wants.
While this is a romance, I liked having Sabrina working through some real life struggles. From trying to make ends meet, working on her masters, working at a library and trying to stay independent, it felt like something a lot of people could relate to. Plus there’s some Jewish representation too!
The one thing that kind of threw me off was the grandma needing to lessen her stress and having one of them move out. While it created some fun shenanigans, it felt like it was just thrown in there.
Overall, an entertaining read! Thank you NetGalley, Forever and Meredith Schorr for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This is a very sweet romance featuring a Jewish library school student. How could I not love it? Additionally, it includes some great reminders about family dynamics especially grandparent/grandchild relationships and expectations we have of our parents and they have of us, even as adults. I loved the mentions of a variety of authors and books, as well as the interaction with the library patrons.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss
lighthearted
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Meredith's last two books were a massive win for me, and I think this one fell a little flat. I loved sharing an apartment with an older person to save on rent, and I thought Sabrina and Marcia's relationship was adorable. I also loved that Sabrina was a librarian; the book references were super cute. And the Jewish representation was great, and I liked that both main characters were Jewish. However, the book was also littered with pop culture references, and while I love a few key moments, these were too frequent for me. Adam and Sabrina didn't really have any chemistry to me either. I wanted them to explore their relationship sooner, but it took till the end of the book for them to get anywhere. Sometimes the writing felt juvenile, which was hard to get past. I enjoyed some moments, but others didn't really hit. Thank you to Forever for sending me the ARC to read and review!
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The writing is amazing! Very lighthearted and funny, you can easily read this just to relax and giggle; the characters are amazing, Sabrina and Marcia both are so fun, and the side characters definitely add some layers. And of course, the whole New York and library setup? Yes, please!
My only issue was with some of the things MMC had done, that made me question why would she want to be with him after he did that🙈 which I understand is something personal so it doesn’t affect my overall rating.
Very fun read, slow-burn, with good funny banter, a perfect summer read overall
My only issue was with some of the things MMC had done, that made me question why would she want to be with him after he did that🙈 which I understand is something personal so it doesn’t affect my overall rating.
Very fun read, slow-burn, with good funny banter, a perfect summer read overall
Room Mating takes place in a charming world where young adults and seniors can pair up on an app and become roommates in exchange for discounted rent and help around the home. It’s a pretty ideal situation for Sabrina, a grad student studying to get her MLIS, and her senior roommate Marcia. However, Marcia has an estranged grandson who wants to reconnect and become their temporary third roommate.
The overall vibes for Room Mating are similar to those found in Hannah Grace stories, so if you’re a fan of Ice Breakers, you’ll probably have a really good time here!
The elderly roommate concept is admittedly a little “out there” but I thought it had the potential to stir up some interesting drama. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case in Room Mating. At 50%, I didn’t feel a spark or any romantic tension between the two lead characters. The only conflict between them lasted for maybe two chapters and was resolved quickly without consequence. They are two perfectly polite but awkward young adults who find each other physically appealing. Unfortunately, I need a little more drama as a reader to root for a couple.
Thank you to Forever Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
The blurb for this book drew me right in. I loved the idea of young Sabrina rooming with elderly Marcia and them taking care of each other. That alone would have held my interest. Introduce some romance and it just seemed like this would be a win in every way. Unfortunately for me it didn't work and I ended up DNFing at 50%.
What I liked:
The cover is charming. I love the art and the colors.
The relationship between Sabrina and Marcia was really cute. Marica filled the grandma role well for Sabrina, who had lost her grandma and had some guilt over how their relationship was at the time.
I also loved that Sabrina worked in a library. If I had to do things all over again, I definitely would have majored in library sciences and gone into that field.
There were a few humorous scenes that kept my interest for a few pages. They showed me the book could have potential which is what kept me reading for so long.
Finally, Rocket! That dog is so great. Pretty sure he stole the show!
What didn't work:
The characters are super underdeveloped. They had no personality for me at all. I couldn't get a real feel of who they were, what they liked, why they liked what they did, or even what they had in common that would make them want to be in proximity to each other.
The romance. Ugh! This book could have done without any romance and it probably would have held my interest much more. There was zero chemistry between Adam and Sabrina. While the close proximity trope can work very well, it just did not work in this case. I didn't even get far enough to get into the more sexual things, but the one scene that happened just kind of happened and I didn't even feel a spark.
It was hard to believe the ages of the MMC and FMC. They didn't seem mature enough to be adults who have gone through school and now have jobs. It read more like YA than adult.
The pacing in this book was super slow. Nothing was happening for me. I didn't know where it was going and didn't even care by half way through. The fact that the author told us everything (or at least the FMC did) rather than showing us what was happening really bugged me. I appreciate the author trying to educate the reader on the some Jewish heritage but, as a Jewish woman, I hated how it was done. It was just thrown in here and there and I wanted it to be more important to the story line. It was all jumbled together and thrown at the reader.
Finally, way to many pop culture references. They didn't lend anything to the story. They were just dropped in there to drop them in the book. If you're going to use references like this, make them mean something.
Overall, I think the author has potential but needs to hone her craft and her plot line better. This is billed as a rom-com but it doesn't read like one. The romance is on the back burner and the plot that comes along with it doesn't take the story anywhere. I was bored which is why I chose to DNF.
The blurb for this book drew me right in. I loved the idea of young Sabrina rooming with elderly Marcia and them taking care of each other. That alone would have held my interest. Introduce some romance and it just seemed like this would be a win in every way. Unfortunately for me it didn't work and I ended up DNFing at 50%.
What I liked:
The cover is charming. I love the art and the colors.
The relationship between Sabrina and Marcia was really cute. Marica filled the grandma role well for Sabrina, who had lost her grandma and had some guilt over how their relationship was at the time.
I also loved that Sabrina worked in a library. If I had to do things all over again, I definitely would have majored in library sciences and gone into that field.
There were a few humorous scenes that kept my interest for a few pages. They showed me the book could have potential which is what kept me reading for so long.
Finally, Rocket! That dog is so great. Pretty sure he stole the show!
What didn't work:
The characters are super underdeveloped. They had no personality for me at all. I couldn't get a real feel of who they were, what they liked, why they liked what they did, or even what they had in common that would make them want to be in proximity to each other.
The romance. Ugh! This book could have done without any romance and it probably would have held my interest much more. There was zero chemistry between Adam and Sabrina. While the close proximity trope can work very well, it just did not work in this case. I didn't even get far enough to get into the more sexual things, but the one scene that happened just kind of happened and I didn't even feel a spark.
It was hard to believe the ages of the MMC and FMC. They didn't seem mature enough to be adults who have gone through school and now have jobs. It read more like YA than adult.
The pacing in this book was super slow. Nothing was happening for me. I didn't know where it was going and didn't even care by half way through. The fact that the author told us everything (or at least the FMC did) rather than showing us what was happening really bugged me. I appreciate the author trying to educate the reader on the some Jewish heritage but, as a Jewish woman, I hated how it was done. It was just thrown in here and there and I wanted it to be more important to the story line. It was all jumbled together and thrown at the reader.
Finally, way to many pop culture references. They didn't lend anything to the story. They were just dropped in there to drop them in the book. If you're going to use references like this, make them mean something.
Overall, I think the author has potential but needs to hone her craft and her plot line better. This is billed as a rom-com but it doesn't read like one. The romance is on the back burner and the plot that comes along with it doesn't take the story anywhere. I was bored which is why I chose to DNF.