Reviews - Roommating | The StoryGraph

82 reviews for:

Roommating

Meredith Schorr

3.63 AVERAGE

ivi_reads_books's review against another edition

2.0

funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: N/A

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: N/A

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

Roommating had some genuinely charming and humorous moments, and I really appreciated the love for books that ran throughout the story. The concept of an older woman taking in younger roommates for companionship added heart and gave space to explore themes like grief, aging, and even coming out later in life.

That said, the romance felt forced. The MMC’s behavior was inconsistent—seemingly just to create conflict—and the FMC never questioned it, which made the drama feel contrived.

Thanks to Forever for the eARC!

hannahhmreads's review against another edition

3.0

hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I really liked the premise of this book, and honestly I liked the plot too. My struggle is that I want to feel the emotion of a couple falling in love in a romance novel, but I felt like this novel told more than it showed. It didn’t have the level of emotion I’m used to in a romance, and that’s what I enjoy most. The constant pop culture references were a little excessive too.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

booksaremytherapy's review against another edition

4.0

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Sabrina’s got enough on her plate—grad school, a library job, and trying to afford life in NYC—so the last thing she needs is a distraction. But when her elderly roommate, Marcia, invites her estranged grandson Adam to crash at their place, Sabrina suddenly finds herself living with a very attractive, funny, book-loving new roommate. And after one too many late-night run-ins (him shirtless, of course), the tension between them is impossible to ignore.

Then Marcia has a health scare, and suddenly there’s only room for one of them in the apartment. Instead of acting like adults, Sabrina and Adam go full send into a competition to prove who deserves to stay. But when keeping the apartment means losing each other, things get complicated real fast.

This one had everything I love—forced proximity, great banter, and a slow-burn romance with plenty of steam. Adam is the perfect mix of charming and a little lost, and Sabrina is so relatable with her grad school struggles. Marcia completely steals the show (I need more older characters like her in romance books!), and there’s even an adorable dog. If you love bookish romances with heart and humor, definitely check this one out!

᪥ Roommate s To Lovers

᪥ NYC

᪥ Slow Burn

᪥ Close Proximity

᪥ Single POV

᪥ Librarian MC’s

mcstressy's review against another edition

2.25

lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

LIKED:

The story of Sabrina, a woman in her early twenties, being roommates with Marcia, a woman in her early seventies who she is not related to, is very sweet. I also really liked the correlation between Sabrina’s relationship with Marcia and the companionship that she is missing from her late grandmother. That side of the story is really charming and I honestly wish there was more of it.
Marcia’s relationship with her late-in-life coming out story, dysfunctional relationship with her son that also effectively stagnates her relationship with her grandson, and her dating experience are also lovely. Genuinely, Marcia was my favorite part of the story. She had a lot of depth and I wish she had more time on the page.
Sabrina is 23, so there’s a lot she’s still figuring out in her life. She knows what she wants to do, but she doesn’t know how to do it, due to money, confidence, and many things. It’s very relatable and endears her to the reader.
This cover is lovely. I love the set dressing and the colors. My only critique is that Rocket (the dog) kind of looks terrifying. Also, somewhat begrudgingly…I like the title. It’s cute, it makes sense to the story. I just wish it made more sense to the story.

LAMENTED:

Adam. Is. Boring. Honestly, it’s not even that he’s boring…he reads kind of eerily young. When she takes him to the strand at the beginning of the book, he acts like he’s a tween in the city for the first time. We also barely learn why he’s working at the library? Does he like books as much as Sabrina does? Maybe I just don’t remember, but we needed more of his adventures in trying to find what he wanted to do with his life. He just felt so underdeveloped and childish. A lot of this book read really young and I think it would be more successful under the YA umbrella in many ways.
This is not a spoiler, it’s in the blurb, but when Marcia has her health scare and the two MCs need to figure out who gets to stay…that happens at 60% of the way through the book. I spent 2/3 of this book waiting for it to happen. And most of the story leading up to that point felt very banal and pretty uninteresting for the most part. This little “who gets to stay” competition would have been a great driving force through the majority of the book that added more stakes that were pretty much non-existent. And the competition is so brief in the end. I don’t understand this choice in pacing.
The choice for the two MCs to sleep together for the first time when they did was beyond odd to me. I get that it’s a way to relieve tension but…what. It was tonal whiplash.
There are way too many references to pop culture, especially other published books. We get it, she’s in the library, but it was so many title drops like The Midnight Library and Colleen Hoover. Oof.
Gabe was annoying and didn’t really add anything. Especially since there was also Carley who also didn’t really add anything. They should have been combined or made more distinct.

LONGED FOR:

More depth to Adam.
More of the friendship between Sabrina and Marcia (and, generally, just more Marcia).
More stakes, like more exploration of the actual roommate situation.

Will I read the next one? : No. This is the second book by Schorr I’ve read (I DNF-ed the first one) and I just don’t think her writing style and characters are for me.

*Thank you to Forever Publishing & NetGalley for providing this ARC!

Content Warnings

thisreadingcorner's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 70%

The competition spoke about in the description of this book doesn’t happen until two thirds of the way through, by which point it’s a bit late to be introducing conflict. The characters still haven’t had a conversation about their relationship dynamic despite the close quarters, and the new pressure turns Adam into a deeply annoying character, on top of the flimsy adult he already was. I can’t overstate how unattractive he is as a character. Sabrina’s handling of her finances is also odd to read, and having spoiled the end for myself through reviews, I think I’m good stopping at the 70% mark. Only rooting for Marcia tbh.

readwithkait's review against another edition

4.0

This was such a cute book!

It’s pretty low conflict, very much a feel-good book (other than some underlying themes of

homophobia

and

financial stress

) - perfect for a quick summer read!

There’s a loving grandmother, a chaotic dog, and lots of scenes set at the library. If you’re looking for a sweet romance, definitely pick this one up!

I was provided a complimentary ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

bookishwanderlust87's review against another edition

4.0

ROOMMATING by Meredith Schorr is a cute and funny romance about living together, falling in love, and figuring out life along the way.

Sabrina is working hard in grad school while living with Marcia, her sweet but nosy elderly roommate. Things get complicated when Marcia’s grandson, Adam, moves in—and suddenly, the apartment feels way too small. Sparks fly, arguments happen, and their late-night run-ins make things interesting. But when Marcia’s health takes a turn, Adam and Sabrina have to decide who stays and who goes.

What I liked:
✨ The playful, funny conversations between Adam and Sabrina.
✨ Marcia is the best—kind, hilarious, and the glue holding everything together.
✨ The story has just enough drama to keep things exciting but stays light and fun.

If you love stories about roommates, fun banter, and romance that feels real, ROOMMATING is a great pick!

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC! I truly appreciate the opportunity to read the book and provide my honest feedback.

wiggieswife's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 43%

This book was not for me. I tried really hard to like it and to keep reading, but I just could not get into it. I didn’t like the main characters and I felt like it just kind of dragged on and on. I think the dog, Rocket, was the best part of the book.

DNFd at 43%

I was given an advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

joseydog's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

johilu's review against another edition

3.0

lighthearted slow-paced

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