Review: ROOMHATE by Penelope Ward

Sharing a summer house with a hot-as-hell roommate should be a dream come true, right?

Not when it’s Justin…the only person I’d ever loved…who now hates me.

When my grandmother died and left me half of the house on Aquidneck Island, there was a catch: the other half would go to the boy she helped raise.

The same boy who turned into the teenager whose heart I broke years ago.

The same teenager who’s now a man with a hard body and a hardass personality to match.

I hadn’t seen him in years, and now we’re living together because neither one of us is willing to give up the house.

The worst part? He didn’t come alone.

I’d soon realize there’s a thin line between love and hate. I could see through that smug smile. Beneath it all…the boy is still there. So is our connection.

The problem is…now that I can’t have Justin, I’ve never wanted him more.

Author’s note – RoomHate is a full-length standalone novel. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Justin and Amelia are two childhood best friends who grew up together and both had feelings for each other. Amelia and Justin are separated and later reunite to share a summer home, that was left to them after a death in the family. You could feel the tension between these two in the first half of the book. I felt bad for Amelia because Justin was a complete jerk but I couldn’t blame him. Things eventually loosen up and you can feel them slipping back to their old ways. I’m really trying to stay spoiler free but I loved how Justin stood up to the plate and was there for Amelia in her time of need. Those scenes hit close to home and I loved the song “Daughters” that he sang in the book. I loved the dual POV. I loved the flashbacks of Justin and Amelia from when they were younger. The author took the time to give us the backstory and build the relationship so we could feel it on so many levels. The feels throughout this book were something else! This how you write a book!