Book Review: The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley

About the Book:

Author: Allison Ashley

Page Length: 400

Publication Date: Aug. 1, 2023

Publisher: Mira

Synopsis: All of the fun, none of the heartache…as long as they stick to the agreement.

The proposition is simple: if ER nurse Claire Harper and her roommate, firefighter Graham Scott, are still single by the time they’re forty, they’ll take the proverbial plunge together…as friends with benefits. Maybe it’s the wine, but in the moment, Claire figures the pact is a safe-enough deal, considering she hasn’t had much luck in love and he’s in no rush to settle down. Like, at all. Besides, there’s no way she could ever really fall for Graham and his thrill-seeking ways. Not after what happened to her father…

Just as things begin to heat up way before the proposed deadline, Graham’s injured in a serious rock-climbing accident—and he needs Claire’s help to heal. She’ll do whatever it takes to nurse him back to health…even if it means moving into Graham’s bed and putting up with his little dog who hates her. But with this no-strings arrangement taking a complicated turn, keeping “for now” from turning into “forever” isn’t as easy as they’d planned.

LINKS:   Goodreads   |    Amazon

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My Review:

A fun, sexy, and touching friends-to-lovers romance, The Roommate Pact follows Claire and Graham, friends who made a pact that if they weren’t married by 40, they’d marry each other. Everything changes, however, when Graham is injured during a climbing accident, and Claire, an ER nurse, cares for him.

Claire and Graham are both well-developed characters, and their friendship is amazing. However, neither realizes they have more-than-friendly feelings for the other, even though it’s pretty clear early on in the book. Graham is a commitment-phobe, and Claire has no desire to be with someone who is adventurous and has a dangerous career. There’s a lot of chemistry between them, but because of their baggage and because they are friends and live together, the idea of becoming a couple feels very complicated and daunting. Also, because they value their friendship, taking it to the next level is scary for both of them. Graham’s accident is the catalyst that jump-starts their romance, and they both come to a lot of realizations about life, love, and their commitment to each other over the course of the story.

The banter and chemistry between Claire and Graham is fantastic! There’s an ease and comfort between them that’s as wonderful as the sizzling chemistry. I also like that they are pretty honest with each other, sometimes more than they are with themselves. Both characters are in their thirties, and there’s a maturity in how they handle things that I appreciated. Also, because they have such a strong foundation, their transition from friends to lovers feels very natural and realistic.

Early in his recovery, Graham is unable to speak, which forces him and Claire to find new ways to communicate. Because he’s incapacitated, the independent Graham has to rely on Claire a lot. I think both of these things brought the couple closer together. Graham is also encouraged to journal or write down his thoughts since he can’t talk and is relatively immobile. The story includes many of his letters and enhances his voice. I love this element of the story and how much it deepens your understanding of Graham. It’s wonderful to see him open up so much in these letters, and it shows not only his progression in healing but also his feelings for Claire and the other people in his life.

This was such a good read. It’s fun and sexy, heartfelt and touching, and the chemistry is out of this world. I would definitely recommend it to contemporary romance or rom-com readers!

Special thanks to Spark Point Studio and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

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Rating:

Favorite Parts:

• The romance.

• The banter and humor.

Favorite Lines:

If a woman was worth kissing, she should be kissed with conviction and purpose.

Tropes:

• friends-to-lovers
• forced proximity