This was so good!!! I laughed out loud on several pages, the emotions the book takes you on in one chapter!!

Cath is a single bereaved mum of 3, after an unfortunate event at her workplace she is in unemployed.. fast forward to a new lodger in Dan who is a tall dark and handsome American… how will this pan out?

This really is Caths story as she deals with grief, uncertainty and working out what life and her future looks like without Gaz (her partner who passed) We meet Geoff, Gazs Dad who is adorable, the crazy Sheila, wise Leanne and hilarious Sindy amongst others.

Brilliant book covering some sensitive issues - well done Sal Thomas!

Widowed Cath takes in a lodger to supplement her income for herself and 3 children. Little does she realise she will become an influencer and internet star, or that her lodger will be a good looking 36year old American. Lots of laugh out loud moments, some sad, a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Such an interesting story. I just jumped right into the book and these characters took me on a lovely journey. I recommend it to anyone wanting to read a wonderful story.

This is one of the best books I’ve read - I totally loved it. It follows widowed mum, Cath, dealing with grief, motherhood and finding her own identity whilst managing her growing attraction to her swoony lodger. I honestly laughed out loud so much reading this. I mean, I think this might be reading niche for me which I’ve never come across yet - a delicious romance, with a focus on the chaos of being a mum. It was a deep dive into some darker topics surrounding grief, and it was heartbreaking at times, but so so funny at the same time. The narrative had a Bridget Jones vibe to it, and maybe about of Why Mummy Drinks - but more contemporary.

What to expect:

- more mature characters
- single mum
- moving on from losing a partner
- swoony, younger American lodger
- forced proximity
- slow burn
- lots of lols

Omg I absolutely loved this book! It was so much fun to read, and I thought it was such an entertaining book - it had me snorting with laughter at points.

The characters were so well written, they all brought some individual to the story, and were really well introduced even if they were only there to be a side character. Cath was hilarious and Dan was an absolute dreamboat! And the kids, they were so wonderfully woven into the story, the same with Geoff, Shelia and Sindy. They were all worked into the story without being overbearing but we knew enough about them for us to love them.

And the writing was so good, it made me laugh out loud so many times! The text did feel a little clumped together at points, but that doesn't detract from the quality of the writing.

I also LOVED the plot, the whole interlink of widow-hood (is that a word???? it is now) to Geoff meeting someone, Dan the lodger, the kids, the influencing, everything was SO well done. It easily could have been too much but the author managed to balance everything into creating a truly clever and interesting plot.

The ending was really well done as well, it rounded off the story nicely but also left it open for a follow up story, which I thought was clever.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I was offered a preview copy of this debut novel. I would not class it as a Romcom as there are some heavy subjects like grief. There were a lot of humourous moments in this book, as well as a little romance, but primarily I would class this as Women's fiction.
There was a lot happening in this book, It was emotional, heartwarming, lighthearted, amusing and frustrating at times. Needless to say, I did enjoy reading it.
I will definitely look out for more books by this author. Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

I received an ARC, and was so glad I FINALLY got to this book. I laughed throughout this book, and to be honest had to look up a few words, as the British slang is not something I am used to. I laughed even harder when I could fully understand the dialogue and banter.
This book was more that I could have imagined, and had me tear up a bit too.
Dan is looking for a place to stay to finish schooling. Cath lost her job and needs to supplement her income, and a old colleague mentions a "Student" needing a place to stay. After Cath's daughter goes to University she thinks, why not.
Only when she picks up the student, thinking it would be someone young, a full blown adult smiles at her at the airport and is her new roommate for the year.
I absolutely LOVED this book.!
Highly recommend.
5 stars

The Accidental Housemate is the first novel by British author, Sal Thomas. One minute, thirty-nine-year-old single mother of three, Cath Beckinsale thinks she’s handling life OK: dreading the departure of her eldest daughter Leanne to Uni buts coping well enough with her (somewhat precocious) pre-teen, Eric, and her hyperactive toddler, Jack, and enjoying teaching science to her small year 11 learning difficulties group.

Then, without warning, she’s unfairly dismissed and needing to supplement Gaz’s life insurance if she’s to keep paying her rent. The American student lodger sounds like a good idea, until she meets him: Dan Stanford-Sturgess is thirty-six, drop-dead gorgeous and full of self-confidence. Cath turns into a babbling mess, convinced there’s no way he’ll fit in with her crazy tribe.

When Dan decides to stay, Cath busies herself with life, trying to avoid too much interaction with him: there’s the chic-clique at Jack’s daycare to avoid; the new lady that Geoff, Gaz’s dad, is hooking up with, to meet; a school reunion to consider; her rampant negativity bias to overcome; and free private lessons for her struggling students to prepare them for their pending GCSE’s.

A suggestion from Dan about making the lessons more attractive to her students leads to a social-media channel as Science Mom, and popularity and publicity see Cath neglecting those things she previously felt important: her family, her friends, her students, and becoming a less appealing version of herself. It takes harsh words that break up a friendship, someone’s heart attack, and domestic violence on one of her students, for her to take a good hard look at herself and sort out her priorities.

While grief and guilt and love and loyalty feature, there’s plenty of laugh-out-loud humour, of both the situational and dialogue sort: candid descriptions, double meanings and sexual innuendo. This is an entertaining debut novel.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins UK One More Chapter.

Sadly this book was a DNF for me. I read about 30%, but I found I struggled with it keeping my interest. The writing was a little bit chaotic for me, while usually that is ok it just didn’t work for me this time. Upon reading the synopsis I was excited about the plot, it definitely sounded fun, but it really didn’t work for me.

I would definitely try this author again,I think this book just wasn’t for me.

A romantic page turner that had me laughing. I Loved it and spent a wonderful afternoon on the beach reading this.
Many thanks to Harpercollins UK and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A solid debut from Sal Thomas exploring themes of grief, parenting, and pushing yourself outside of the comfort zone. Cath Beckinsale was a relatable yet sometimes infuriating character. The depiction of navigating motherhood through even your lowest points and when you as an adult are struggling, really hit me hard. Did I agree with all of her decisions in regards to the kids? No, and some of them drove me absolutely mad but that's the beauty of the book.

Overall it's a great read that hooks onto you pretty quickly. Some minor qualms in regards to that dreaded third-act breakup but at this point I've accepted as a reader that it's just so commonly a standard amongst the romance genre that I tend to just roll my eyes and continue on. If you're a reader who embraces the awkward characters and situations, some humor that is quite self-deprecating, and the forced proximity/opposites attract tropes- The Accidental Housemate is one to read.

Really enjoyed this. A great look at grieving and then rebuilding after loss.

Good representation and great to see an amazing strong disabled person.

I did feel it was written as if the woman was much older / middle aged, and I don’t think anyone thinks of late 30 like that do they?

But fun to have a less young influencer.

Touching, heartwarming, really funny in places.

Not the most spectacular book ever, but a decent easy read.

I really enjoyed this. So many different topics were covered and explained. The death of a spouse / father, single parent, work life balance, cliquey mums, knowing yourself and not worrying about others opinions. A perfect holiday read.

It’s cute and I really enjoyed this as I read it in a lovely sunny day and it was just perfect for a nice light read! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

The Accidental Housemate by Sal Thomas was a great laugh out loud read. Definitely a true rom-com! The characters are relatable and jumped off the pages. It is definitely a one sitting type of book as you don't want to put it down. I loved this author's writing style and look forward to reading more!

Found the writing style of this book really hard to follow and unfortunately i could not get into this book at all. I ended up skimming the pages just to finish the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the chance to read this book.

I expected this to be a quick and easy rom-com from the title and description. To me, it was a bit deeper than the usual rom-coms I read- but that's not a bad thing. Cath is a quirky character who is so awkward at times. She is doing her best to muddle through after the death of her partner and is really just treading water and not wanting to let go and make any changes.
Dan comes across as charming and a little shallow at first but reveals there's a lot more than meets the eye.

Overall, it's a good story with some twists and tangents that seem to go nowhere but do add to the story. It is a good debut novel from the author.

A heartwarming and humorous story about Cath, a single mom in her 40s, who takes in a lodger to make ends meet. When Dan, a charismatic American, arrives, life takes an unexpected and delightful turn. This charming tale explores love, family, and the joy of embracing life's surprises. It's a feel-good read that will leave you smiling.

What a brilliant, funny book it was! There was also enough depth to make this a great reading experience.
The characters were great - jumping off the pages, a little bit unconventional, but all of them brilliantly pictured, with interesting backgrounds and I enjoyed following them - I warmed to all of them immediately, though I had problems with little Jack, still not sure what was wrong with him. Cath was adorable, sharp and strong and I kept everything crossed for her.

The writing style is so easy to follow and light to read and it grabs your attention from the very beginning. Great descriptions mixed with sharp dialogues is what makes the book so great and the book has plenty of awkward moments that will make you laugh out loud.

Altogether, it was really a solid read with hilarious moments and brilliant banter about a journey through grief, second chances, hope, family and opposite attracts.