I loved this book, It plays with my emotions, and seems to have exactly what I needed. Here are a few notes I jotted down:

- While Evelyn and Noelle clearly have a bad start, they soon get close simply because Eve decided to defend Noelle.
- When the author added the self-defense scene, I LOVED IT. They got closer by the minute and were just simply adorable. I loved seeing them get closer together.
- I enjoy how Noelle was tough before but became really soft after getting close to Evelyn.
- I love how the author adds a different point of view, and that OTHER point of view also falling in love. It's really sweet.
- The play was great, and it added more sexuality in the book, I could feel Seth and Jasper getting closer by the minute.
- I love how there are certain points where you HAVE to take the book seriously.
- I enjoy how she added stress into the book, something a few people don't do.
- The ending escalated very quickly.

I Loved this book, a five-star from me. I am DEFINITELY recommending this to my friends, and this is now one of my favorites.

Never Kiss Your Roommate is a gay romance following Noelle, Evelyn, Seth, and Jasper, as they navigate the dramas of a prestigious boarding school. I was invested from the start, while I do think the romance was a bit insta-lovey, I still enjoyed it. I had such a good time following the characters and the relationships they found themselves in. I was rooting for both couples the whole time. And the LGBT representation was amazing.

LOVED this adorable queer YA romance!

Noelle and Evelyn gave me all the feels!! The feelings of having a crush, the butterflies in your stomach and swooning- glorious! I feel like it was authentically portrayed, and it touched on issues of staying in the closet and fear of coming out. I love the respect and support Noelle and Evelyn had for each other, even before they were going out.

I also love that they started dating and we actually got to see dates!! Queer dates and queer kisses and more that faded to black and it was magical!! Loved the queer rep, including Evelyn's friends Seth and Jasper. I loved them as well, but kind of wish the whole book had only been from Evelyn's perspective? Have the chapters from Seth's perspective was a little jarring and I feel like we could have had their story through Evelyn's eyes. Also, the truth of a character's past felt a bit dark for this book? And the climactic ending when that dark past catches up to the present also felt a bit dark.

Content warnings: homophobic bullying in the past, forced outing, brief description of past abusive relationship with rape, kidnapping, brief violence

Overall I super loved the main relationship in all it's beautiful ups and downs, the queer rep was phenomenal, and I would recommend it to all my YA romance lovers, while being aware of the content warnings.

Thank you Wattpad books for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Never Kiss Your Roommate was honestly such an utter delight to read. I think I found a new comfort read. I’ve recently been struggling with YA in general but I loved this book. It’s rare for me to love all of the main characters in a book but I really did with this one. There is absolutely nothing worse than an annoying YA protagonist, so I was so relieved to find that NKYR’s mc Evelyn was so loveable and highly relatable for me. Reading about her past struggles with her sexuality was so touching and felt so sincere. I wish I had this book when I was seventeen going through the same things and I love that this book will be there for other young girls with similar struggles. Evelyn and Noelle are adorable, I loved the growth of their relationship from nothing into friendship into more and the whole roommates to lovers trope is one of my favourites. It was just everything I think most sapphic YA readers would look for. Another aspect of this book that I loved was the alternating POVs between Evelyn and Seth. They both have my heart and Seth’s romance was really cute. The hogwarts-esque castle boarding school life is also just so fun to read about, I think Philline Harms’ writing is wonderful and reading this made me so excited to read any possible future works she puts out. This was just so FUN and comforting and I will be buying a physical copy so that it can sit proudly on my shelf (also the cover is just so pretty). I have already demanded that my girlfriend read it, and I genuinely recommend it to everyone. If you’re looking for a sweet sapphic romance, really loveable characters, a great setting, a mystery !!, and just an overall really great time - look no further.

The only two minor issues I had with this book are that the British characters use ‘mom’ instead of ‘mum’ and also they are all supposed to be in year 12/13 (17/18) but are working towards their GCSEs (which end in year 11). Like I said these are really small context issues which didn’t affect my rating.

rep: lesbian mc, bi li, pan, bi & lesbian side characters

cw: panic attacks, kidnapping, past sexual assault, violence, past homophobia

Thank you to Netgalley and Wattpad Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

CW: Abuse, Blood, Cyber-bullying/bullying, Divorce, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Outing, Panic attacks, Sex, Sexual assault, Swearing, Underage Drinking and Smoking, Violence

This book was definitely something. While heartfelt and authentic at times, at other times it felt overwhelming and confusing.

The book follows Evelyn and Seth, two new students at Seven Hills, a prestigious boarding school in England. Evelyn is paired with a mysterious girl named Noelle for her room and Seth starts falling for the prettiest boy in school when he joins the tech crew for the play.

I went into this book expecting a lighthearted romance and the first 65% or so of the book was exactly that. The book had some flaws up to that point but most were minor and the characters were sweet enough to keep me interested.

But then the plot got more and more confusing. The book seemed to want to go every possible way. It became hard to follow. The book also deals with a lot. I can’t speak on how it deals with all of these since I haven’t experienced many of them. It definitely isn’t lighthearted and the book shouldn’t be recommended without warning.

I wouldn’t say this book is a bad read, I enjoyed myself but it’s not something i will go around recommending.

TWs: Internalized homophobia, public outing (off screen), bullying (off screen), cyberbullying, alcohol, kidnapping, gaslighting and abusive romantic relationship, kidnapping, stabbing, rape (off page).

I'm going to be honest, if you're an adult looking for a queer YA romance to read, this book probably isn't for you. Unlike a lot of the YA being published right now, Never Kiss Your Roommate actually felt like it was from a teenager's perspective, and written for teens, rather than the adult audience reading the category. While it was definitely a refreshing change of pace for me, I'm going to try to make sure I don't really complain about stuff that could be related back to it being aimed at a younger audience.

Never Kiss Your Roommate follows Evelyn and Seth, both new transplants at their boarding school, Seven Hills. Evelyn gets stuck rooming with Noelle, the beautiful and intimidating basketball star, who seems to hate her right off the bat, and isn't doing anything to help her awkwardness of accepting her sexuality. Meanwhile Seth is falling for Noelle's cute French BFF, the popular theater kid, while grappling with his parent's divorce. Both best friends have chapter POVs, as they fall for their classmates, and keep up with the school's anonymously run gossip blog.

I was surprised by how much I liked parts of this, to be honest. I was a bit hesitant to request Never Kiss Your Roommate, since it was originally a Wattpad story written when Harms was a teenager, but that cover made me change my mind. I liked Evelyn, Seth, Noelle and Jasper, each of them had unique personalities, and their own charms. I'd honestly would've loved to see Jasper get more page time than he did, just so the squad was a little more filled out (and I just enjoy characters with a flair of drama lol). The writing and plot were a bit clunky and unfinished in some places, but I honestly think that it probably has to do with it being written by an actual teen, who hasn't had the time and experience to write as many novels before getting published as a lot of authors. The way the gossip blog, Chitter Chatter, was used lowkey reminded me of Creekwood Secrets from Simon Vs. the Homosapiens Agenda, and it had the same softer queer contemp YA vibe to it (well, for most of the book anyway, things pick up a lot at the end).

I did want to mention that Never Kiss Your Roommate falls into the category of having a primarily white cast and then a POC as the love interest, and that it also could potentially be seen as having the angry Black woman stereotype when it comes to Noelle at the start. I'm not the right person to really make a judgement about the last part, but I thought I'd mention it.

If you're looking for a (mostly) cute queer romance, especially if you like rivals to lovers, this is the book for you! You might have to ignore some questionable writing at times, and a somewhat predictable plot, but if you're just looking for some entertainment, it's a fun story. Just don't go into it with the expectation that it's going to read like upper YA, because it isn't and you'll end up disappointed.

I loved the enemies to lovers aspect of this book and I overall enjoyed the romance between Evelyn and Noelle. However, this writing style was not particularly for me. I was not a huge fan of the ending or the writing style though. There were elements of this book I liked and disliked which is why I gave this book three stars.

Honestly I'm so proud of this author for producing such an adorable sapphic read that we all knew we needed. The girls are so cute together and I'm honestly so happy to get some well written and heartwarming representation

~Never Kiss Your Roommate Review~
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3/5
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I’m pretty sure i requested this one on netgalley because of a combination of the cover and sapphic boarding school shenanigans. I’m excited to see how it plays out!
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Pros
+idk why i find the idea of boarding schools so fun
+we love queer characters! especially cause of the surprise dual perspective!
+not insta love which is always a plus
+it’s always nice when the characters in books like to read!!
+some very cute scenes!
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Cons
-just a little too cliche for my liking. it’s trashy but not in an overly horrible way
-i get irrationally mad whenever wuthering heights is mentioned in books (i really do not like that book and i had to read it TWICE for school)
-unnecessary girl on girl hate
-a tad repetitive
-i’m so so so tired of the miscommunication trope
-got kind of wild there for a second. i think it would have been better if it just stuck to being a cute rom com type book and didn’t try to do too much
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Overall I think this book was a fast read! It isn’t too deep or serious and is nice for if you want a trashy read. It felt like a wattpad story so if you like that thing then you’ll like this book.

This book was such a fun read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The story follows two main characters and their romantic interests. I love how they included Bi and Pan in the book, as well as Lesbian and straight. Just a CW, there are some heavy and potentially triggering topics discussed in this book such as SA, slut shaming, and homophobia. These parts were however, written very well, and in a sensitive and real way, so that it was actually really moving for me. I thought that this book stayed relatively light even when discussing these heavier topics which made it feel like a fun and relaxed read for me. I personally found this book very similar to Her royal highness (Not that I'm complaining I absolutely loved that book) so if you enjoyed that book or Red White &Royal Blue you will probably love this book. I really enjoyed the relationships in this book, but I loved the depth of the characters, particularly with Noelle. She was written so beautifully, I felt like she was a real person who I can understand and empathize with rather than a "character in a book". I am certainly going to be looking out for any new books by Philline Harms in the future! Thank you for writing this book!

This was a really sweet read that sweeps you up and treats you to the a wonderful romance and plenty of queer representation, in which I absolutely adored. A fun read if you're looking for something to lighten the mood and would definitely recommend to all.

This book follows the story of Evelyn, Seth, Jaspar and Noelle as they tread the waters of being a student at an English boarding school and discover themselves and form new relationships. I liked that we are increasingly seeing stories like this one being put into the spot light.
While i liked the overall story i would love it if it flowed better. I would have preferred that the starting part of Evelyn and Noelle's relationship to be fleshed out a little more.
There was a shift in the tone of the book by the end and im not sure if it fit into the structure of the book.

I would recommend this book to someone who is looking to have a good time.

3.5 stars

Wow, this book was really cute! I really enjoyed the romance between Evelyn and Noelle, as well as the romance between Seth and Jasper. Just because I'm trash for slow-burn romances, I would have preferred the romance between Evelyn and Noelle to have been a little more, well, slow-burn, instead of almost instantly friends-to-lovers. Okay, that was an exaggeration. It wasn't almost instantly, but it was relatively quickly when compared to other relationships in other books!

The queer representation in Never Kiss Your Roommate was EVERYTHING. I also really loved the author's emphasis on consent throughout the book.

Even though I had read the content and/or trigger warnings before reading the book, it still surprised me when the kidnapping, violent, and bloody scenes happened. At first thought, I found it a bit unusual that the author would introduce a mystery / thriller / action aspect into a contemporary romance book. After more thought, I could see why, but I'm still not the biggest fan of it. I think it might have been better if the plot was gradually leading up to it, instead of the kidnapping being so sudden to the readers.

Overall, it was a fun and adorable and fast read that I would recommend!

This was a quick, indulgent read that I got totally swept up in. The romance between Noelle and Evelyn is just the loveliest, and the last 1/4 of the book took some unexpected turns, but I enjoyed them! I didn't know it was dual POV going into it, and Evelyn's POV was given more weight and was stronger. I would have loved to see a bit more of Seth's side of things. But it made me want to attend Seven Hills and hang out with this fab group of people!

I feel like this author is still finding her voice. This book has good bones I believe, but the descriptions are clinical almost, and the dialogue a little flat. I think if she could let her personality shine through, it could really be great. As it is, I found myself skimming, or reading entire sections without fully paying attention and having to re-read because I wasn’t engaged with the story. Thus, it was a DNF for me. It has potential but I don’t think it’s quite there yet.

Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Wattpad books has been killing it lately! I loved the premise of this book and the characters Evelyn and Noelle. The pacing works, the characters are so relatable and lovely, The plot, while at times was a bit confusing, was full of drama and some intrigue and it made it a super fast read.

This is the perfect example to say that I like the route Wattpad Books is taking. Between this and Revenge of The Sluts, I like being surprised by them. They're not exactly the books you'd expect from Wattpad, they open horizons. And I love that. So much. Give me all the queer characters finding themselves and finding themselves in love. Thank you very much.

One aspect I liked about this book and story was that the romance was very cute. I loved Evelyn and Noelle, their scenes together were the highlight of the book. Still, I would've liked for the beginning aspect of their romance to be more developed, to let the tension between them rise a bit more. I'm not sure if it makes sense but what I mean is that the shift in dynamic between them moved a bit quick for my liking. Nonetheless, I loved them and they will surely get the readers emotionally invested. You could say this about all of the characters as well! They're very lovable and definitely carry this story.

Moreover, apart from most of the characters being easily likable, the book's pacing would work perfectly for any reader. Anyone could eat up this story in the matter of hours, it's that engaging.

However, I had some issues with how the plot was structured. I feel like the third act of the novels was sort of a whole different book. Yes, the plotlines were connected (the chain reaction sequence of events is even wonderfully explained on page) and everything made sense, but tone-wise, it didn't belong there. One minute, it was a cute YA romance book with drama. Suddenly it's a thrilling action-packed chase. I don't want to spoil anything so I can't exactly point to the thing I'm talking about, but it felt sort of out of disjointed from the rest of the book. Although, I have to admit, it's enjoyable for sure.

In conclusion, all in all, I'm glad this exists and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good time. I just wish the execution was a bit better. If I had to rate it, it would be 3 stars.

(this review will go up on my blog the 17th of March, and on my bookstagram account on the 15th)

This story is a sweet and soft ode to the queer and questioning kids. It will tug at the heartstrings of anyone who’s struggled to find or understand themselves. It’s relatable to anyone who’s ever had parents who fought and fought, and when they didn’t fight there was deafening silence. Mostly it’s a story of growing up and realizing that while it may be hard now, a happy ending is always on the horizon.

I really loved our main characters Evelyn and Seth. Both new at Seven Hills boarding school they find themselves arriving at the same time, bonding over their love of a shared favorite book! They seemed to fit together so well from the start and their friendship was so cute to watch unfold and flourish. I wasn’t expecting a duel POV in this book, but I like that we follow both of them as they navigate being new additions at Seven Hills.

Noelle and Jasper are our other friend duo. While they both have distinct and different personalities, they are the epitome of opposites attract. Noelle, a basketball star, who has the reputation for being rather cold and distant, and Jasper, a theatre kid who is popular and sociable, have such a pure and honest friendship. Their differences never made me doubt how good of friends they are. Noelle may act aloof but as her shell is slowly cracked by Evelyn we see that there’s more to her behind the tough façade she puts on.

Reading Noelle and Evelyn together in this book was honestly just the sweetest thing. Winding up as roommates, it started out kind of rocky but slowly we see both of them help each other come to terms with things that had been troubling them, and grow closer in the process. It was heartwarming to read the way Evelyn described Noelle. She latched on to all the best qualities of her she could, even when Noelle didn’t give her much opportunity at first, until finally she got to see the whole picture, the true Noelle that had been hiding away. There is star gazing, hand holding, sweet kisses, makeovers, and so many other beautiful moments between these two.

I loved how simple the story was to follow but at times I would be LITERALLY BLOWN AWAY by certain passages or sentences. There so many amazing metaphors in this book, I often reread them several times because I was just so captivated by how she described what these characters were feeling. Such as this from Seth’s POV:

“ I tried to focus on the way the paint tinted the water blue as he swirled the brush, a tornado trapped inside a glass, not on the fact that his arm brushed against mine in the process, making my insides feel similar; a tornado trapped inside a boy. “

I thought about that last sentence for the rest of the chapter, it was that compelling. We’ve all had those feelings of butterflies, but sometimes butterflies isn’t even enough to describe it. A tornado? 🌪 sounds about right.

To end this review, if I had to recommend this story to anyone I honestly believe this would be an amazing and appropriate book for a teenage audience in the LGBTQIA community to read. I wish some of my friends would have had this kind of story to read while growing up! I know for a fact it would have helped them immensely just to read characters they could related too.

I just could not get into this book. From the very first start, it was not my cup of tea. By that, I mean that the writing style was not what I look forward to.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this arc for me.

This was a delightfully fluffy and cute sapphic novel set in an English boarding school that's a castle. It also features a very prominent mlm romance side by side with our main sapphire couple. There's also a mystery subplot sprinkled within it about a mystery web blogger who exposes the students' secret and something sinister lurking from the love interest's past.

I just have to say how much I love the relationships and friendships in this novel. Evelyn and Seth's friendship is so wholesome, supportive and natural that it became one of my favorite parts of the novel. The theme of a queer found fami friend group that Evelyn, Noelle, Jasper and Seth made up also warms my heart. I related to and liked every one of the characters. They all have their own struggles due to their individual pasts but how they stick together and support for one another is just so sweet and warm to read about.

The ending was surprisingly making my heart pump. The mystery aspect is a good touch and I didn't expect the climax to be so tension filled and action pact. Such a good surprise.

Evelyn and Noelle is honestly sapphic relationship goals. I was in a book slump where I just needed to read something cutesy, feel-good and sapphic, which this book delivered and more! Thank you author for this sweet journey that made my heart swell