I wanted to love this...but it was too stereotypical and cliched for me. I found the main character to be a doozy. The editing was painful...it definitely needed more work in that department. The dialogue was very simple and I just didn't connect with this book at all.

The concept of this story was cute, a young woman loses everything due to a workplace scandal and then ends up becoming a dorm mother at her previous boarding school. I think this book is probably more character-driven than plot-driven. The storyline seemed somewhat slow for me, I had a hard time staying interested. Although the exotic nature of a private boarding school in Sonoma, California was unique. A boarding school full of rich kids behaving badly, that were dumped there by their rich parents while gallivanting the world.

At first, I felt bad for Gillian, because of the workplace scandal with a client, she had to close her publicity company. While her personal and professional life was imploding, she had an opportunity to escape back to her boarding school in California and take time to remake herself and her future. This part of the story kept me intrigued, about what was going to happen and how was she going to turn things around. Only to find out that when she was a senior at Glen Ellen Academy, she was also part of a school scandal. I kept waiting to find out the details of the scandal and how salacious was it, let’s just say I was disappointed. Once it was revealed, I said to myself “That’s all it was?” 

Most of the story revolves around Gillian rekindling her relationship with Aiden Lloyd, the boy who was the source of her high school scandal. Come to find out that Gillian is his daughter’s, Rainbow, dorm mother. So this was another interesting twist to the story, but her continued angst about her previous friendship with Aiden and Miranda (her high school best friend and Aiden’s high school girlfriend), became a bit annoying. I wanted her to snap out of it and grow up! She had her own publicity company in New York and you went to Yale. 

I am curious to know who was the target audience for this book, it seemed to be more of a YA novel than romance. Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. The good thing is that it is a pretty short read, at only 291 pages.

This just didn’t work for me. I was really intrigued by the premise but it didn’t hold up. I didn’t like Miriam and because of that I didn’t like the book.

Gillian is a publicist whose life turns upside down when her client becomes embroiled in a scandal she is unable to fix. She leaves her glamourous, fast-paced life to become a dorm mom at her old high school, where she rekindles a romance with her old school crush - and father of one of her dorm charges.

While ostensibly stepping back from publicity, Gillian takes on the mantle once more to protect two of her students who have gone viral with a hit song and manage the media after a scandal by Leadership.

I really wanted to like this book, but I felt it was a bit flat. The indidual elements were ok, and I do like second-chance stories, but there was nothing that really stood out as "ourstanding". This was more of a slice of life story of events rather than a great romance or a great revelation or a great journey of personal growth.

Of all the characters, the one I felt had the most depth was Julia, who went from "queen bee popular kid" through remorse and growth and finding her place in the world. Gillian and Aidan really didn't show any growth since their high school days. Lila was a supporting character at best. Bunny was a spoiled rich kid wanting teh dramz; Rainbow was utterly forgettable; the Twins were a little creepy; Gloria was timid and unlike any school administrator I've ever worked with (they're honestly forces of nature!) and the antagonist, Kent, didn't even have a speaking role as far as I can recall.

So it was a nice book, but a little flat for my tastes.

~Many thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.~

okay... where to start....
The synopsis got my attention. I enjoy second chance books. I enjoy boarding school books.
This book sounded interesting.... unfortunately it just didn't work out for me. I did finish it, I kept thinking maybe it would get better but it wasn't what I was expecting and just didn't keep my interest. Just not for me

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Penguin Group for providing me with an ARC copy.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Gillian was a publicist that had her world turned upside down and is not the dorm mom at her former boarding school, Glen Ellen Academy. This book wasn’t a favorite for me. It seemed to drag and I’m not a fan of the mean girl mentality. Going back to this school didn’t mean she had to act like a teenager again. There was too much drama and the storylines seemed to be all over the place.

Gillian's life takes a sudden turn for the worse when a scandal shatters her career as a publicist for high-profile clients. Overwhelmed and uncertain about her future, she finds solace in an unexpected opportunity - the role of "dorm mom" at a prestigious boarding school she attended on a scholarship during her high school years. While in this new role, Gillian mentors a remarkable group of teenagers, forges new friendships, and rekindles an old flame from her past. This book captures themes of self-discovery, redemption, and forgiveness.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley & Penguin Group Dutton for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Gillian's life has just fallen apart when a scandal upends her life as a publicist for many famous clients. Needing a place to regroup and figure out her next step, Gillian is relieved when the elite boarding school she attended in high school as a scholarship students invites her to be a dorm mom for the school year. Gillian starts to piece together a new life filled with mentoring some amazing teenagers, making new friends, and reconnecting with an old crush from high school. But all of that might be in jeopardy when a scandal comes to light at the school. Can Gillian keep her new life together this time? Gillian's story is enjoyable. The relationships she develops in her new life are genuine and a contrast to what she had experienced previously. In a lot of ways Gillian's story is one of growing up and finding out what is important in life, even if she is already an adult. The teenagers in the story have relatable storylines and feel very authentic. The book addresses the themes of consequences, learning and growth, friendship, trust, and authenticity. I enjoyed the book.

Great writing. I loved that the main character has a second chance at life. This happens after her career falls apart and she now needs to start over to be able to support herself. Loved the fact that a new coworker trusts her to reveal a secret she’s been carrying about financial questions at a school.

I did not end up reading this novel. The rating is not a reflection of the story itself, but rather an indication that other books/stories dominated my interest and reading time. Which I think is an important factor when selecting your next read.

Sadly, this just wasn’t what I was expecting from the description. I love stories about people finding themselves and what really matters in life so I was excited to read it. However, I had a tough time connecting with the characters and didn’t feel invested in this story. I think the biggest struggle I had was that Gillian was coming from a publicist role that is so focused on money, fame, etc. to a boarding school where money and status are still prevalent. With both situations being focused on similar things, it wasn’t believable that the change in Gillian’s life to the boarding school would encourage much growth. After trying to read a few times, I ended up not finishing this book.

Not what I was expecting but I enjoyed the story anyway. A delightful story that I read in an afternoon. The MC is likable as is the supporting cast, well most of them.

A great read if you like women’s lit and a woman who finds her self worth after life has squeezed the lemon on her.

It just a no. Plain now. This book wasn't it. The character is just annoying and selfish. Could not stand the character at all.

I had hopes probably too high of hopes for this book. But it disappointed tremendously. Gillian’s life is “turned ipseide down” - she decided to quit - in the midst of the #metoo movement. She moves back to the other side of the country and gets a job with her boarding school as a dorm parent. Cue ensuing whining - from literally everyone in this book. Whining from Gillian “this isn’t my life wah” to Lila “im single but not loving that but love my job but even that is meh and i love my tiny house but i dated someone and we broke up wah” to all the teenagers “wah im popular and someone else has a minute of popularity wah” to Aiden “wah i have a winery and i probably chose the wrong girl in HS”. No one grew. Gillian kept saying “I HAVE CHANGED’ IM DIFFERENT” but she wasn’t.

This one was just not for me. The main character was incredibly unlikable. The book in general just didn't have enough action for me.

This one just wasn't for me Im afraid, it felt like there was something missing and I lost interest more time than I could count.

This is a fun book about second chances. A super fast read that you won’t be able to put it down. I can see this book turning into a tv series. I’m looking forward to grabbing more books from Miriam.

Written by author Miriam Parker, Room and Board: A Novel, is an engaging story of self-discovery, forgiveness, and redemption. It delves deep into Gillian’s transformation from an entitled professional to someone truly mindful of her responsibilities as a teacher and guardian of students, with sharp social commentary throughout. Room and Board: A Novel is a captivating read for those seeking a humorous and heartwarming journey of self-improvement.

Miriam Parker’s book, the Shortest Way Home was one of my favorite books from a few years ago. I was thrilled to find out she had finally written a new book, Room and Board.

Gillian is hiding from her life in NYC after she goes viral. She was working in public relations and needed to get away, so she lands a job with her old boarding school as a Dorm Mom. She basically makes sure the girls are on time for classes, following the rules and being good students. She didn’t have the best time when she was enrolled there, but she’s confident this time will be different.

The girls are all so confident and sure of themselves and it rubs off on Gillian. She has a good community here and even reconnects with an old classmate who is the father of a student. But when her past comes back to haunt her, will she be able to move past it?

The book was cute, but not very memorable. Gillian is kind of boring and she is fascinated by these HS girls who have so much confidence. I did think it was funny that Gillian was obsessed with expensive skincare from her previous life and brought an entire suitcase full of products with her.

Thank you to @duttonbooks for my gifted copy.

I find this book quite hard to review, because I enjoyed the premise and characters, but was often a bit irritated by the narrative voice. Gillian returns to her old boarding school as a ‘dorm mom’, following a scandal in her career as a publicist. This was another aspect of the novel which detracted from my enjoyment - some of the plot contrivances felt unrealistic and underdeveloped. 3.5 stars