The Spare Room: The absolute must-have forced proximity, friends to lovers romantic comedy to read this year!
When Rosie plans a romantic surprise for her boyfriend and instead finds herself newly single and facing a rent shortfall, her evening takes a turn she absolutely did not budget for. Practical necessity pushes her towards an arrangement she'd never have considered otherwise: letting her mysterious upstairs neighbour, Aled, move into her spare room while his flat is being renovated. Convenient for them both. Tidy, logical, sorted. Except, of course, it isn't quite that simple. Rosie has firmly decided she's done with men for the foreseeable future, and yet there's something about sharing a kitchen with Aled every morning that quietly, persistently, refuses to behave itself. Starkey builds the tension between these two with real patience and skill, keeping readers guessing right up to a final plot twist that earns its place. The characters feel genuinely human, warmly flawed, and easy to root for, and the humour lands without ever trying too hard. Readers have been vocal in their affection for this one, with many reporting that familiar, slightly helpless feeling of reading well past a sensible bedtime. It sits comfortably alongside work by Beth O'Leary and Mhairi McFarlane, though it has its own distinct voice. If you enjoy a slow-burn romance with real heart, this one's well worth clearing your schedule for.
- Author: Laura Starkey
- Publisher: Embla Books
- Genre: Contemporary Fiction
- ISBN: 978-1471414930
- Pages: 306 pages