Release: June 10, 2025
Author: Minka Kent
Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Rating: 3 ★ 

Meadow, a quiet college student in desperate need of housing, jumps at the chance to move in with Lauren—a confident, generous stranger who seems to offer everything Meadow’s been missing: friendship, stability, and a sense of belonging. But as the two grow closer, it becomes clear they’re both hiding something. Behind the new clothes and friendly smiles, secrets are lurking—and one of them might just be deadly.

This was a fast, easy read that started off strong with an intriguing setup—Meadow, a college student, ends up moving in with a stranger she finds through an online ad. Right away, there’s a creepy undertone that kept me turning pages. I liked Meadow’s voice; she’s quirky, snarky, and a bit jaded, which made her perspective fun to follow.

The pacing was quick, which worked in some places but hurt the payoff in others. The twists were decent—one caught me off guard, one I saw coming—but they felt a little rushed and didn’t really stick. The ending especially felt abrupt and kind of pointless. It needed either more development or to be cut altogether.

Overall, it’s a solid, suspenseful read if you’re in the mood for something quick and atmospheric, but it does leave you wishing for a little more depth and shock.

Favorite Quote:
"if I were a superhero, social awkwardness would be my superpower."

What a wild ride! This book went from 0-60mph almost halfway through and then straight up to 100 in no time flat. Twisty and turny and I could not put it down!

Thanks to a Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Awkward and broke loner, Meadow needs a place to live and miraculously finds a room in a house with a cool girl who accepts her and helps her make herself over but things aren’t as rosy as they seem.

This was my first Minka Kent and likely my last. On the positive side it was a short quick read and I welcomed that since I whined in my last review about the book being entirely too long. Beyond that I agree with other reviewers that likened this to a bad lifetime movie. I didn’t get the ending or the motivations for what was going on and it wrapped up so quickly with minimal explanation. It was ok at best.

The Perfect Roommate by Minka Kent

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A quick paced thriller!

Meadows is a young broke college student looking for a place to live when she sees a housing ad. When she meets Lauren she is immediately drawn to her perfect life, everything Meadows wishes she had. Their friendship develops but soon Meadows learns her roommate is not as perfect as he seems.

The Perfect Roommate is fast paced addicting read that grabs you by your feet on the first page. I COULD not put this down...

I have to say that some authors just have such talent and Minka is definitely one of them. Her writing style is beautiful and the words are delivered effortlessly across the pages.

Definitely not my favorite by Minka Kent, an author I usually enjoy very much. I found the plot to be far fetched and rough. Several times throughout the book I thought I might have missed a page (or several) because things escalated so quickly that it didn't make sense. The premise of the story had potential, but the execution fell flat for me.

Another of Minka Kent's off the bat book. The Perfect Roommate had all the elements that I loved. I also finished this book in one seating and was always on the edge of my feet.

The story starts with Meadow seeing an apartment/room for rent add and is heading to check out a new apartment and meeting her possible new roommate, Lauren. Lauren is everything that Meadow isn’t, she’s wealthy, stylish and sophisticated and Meadow is in awe. The sense of uneasiness is evident right from the beginning, you just know that this won’t end well but at no point did I have things figured out. It’s a twisty, entertaining and fast paced ride that I highly recommend for fans of this genre.

I would definitely recommend this to those who love Minka Kent and for those who haven't tried her works yet.

This is such a good book!!! It is a perfect thriller with so many twists and turns. You never really know where the book is going. I think it was full of emotion and great writing! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 rounded to 4

The writing style was nice. Quick read. The author did a great job of making Meadow relatable and building the connection there with the reader. I feel like the ending was rushed and lacked substance. It felt more like a bullet-point checklist climax to ending than telling a story.

When Meadow applies to be Lauren's roommate, Lauren knows she's lucked out. Meadow is everything a perfect roommate should be - quiet and studious. Meadow, too, feels she's won as Lauren gives her designer clothes she no longer wants and a makeover which she's long needed but couldn't afford. But then Meadow discovers something about Lauren that will change everything.

Easy to read. Easy to binge. Twists aplenty with a superb ending. Simply brilliant.

I saw the author name Minka Kent and immediately hit send to Kindle. And then I started reading it and realized it was a book I had read before that she had updated. I was sad to not have a new MK book to read. But I liked the updates and as always she is the master of making you think you know what's going on and then proving you are clueless.

This was everything I love about thrillers. I did not want to put it down. You will definitely enjoy this one.

By all means, this was a fast-paced thriller and it has many elements that fit in the genre. However, the main character was hard to like for many reasons, mainly because of all the social comparisions she's constantly making, and the cliché thing "poor people vs. rich people" which she's frequently making to the point that becomes annoying. And even though the whole murder-mystery plot was well constructed (or planned), it didn't actually blow my mind.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer NetGalley for sending me this ARC.

While this was a quick read for me, it was a little predictable and had me guessing the main twist early on. Parts of the end felt rushed without enough explanation of why the characters did what they did, just the assumptions we get from Meadows point of view.

First, thank you Netgallery & Author Minka Kent for this digital revised edition ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I discovered Minka Kent last year and I have enjoyed every book I have come across.
The perfect Roommate is definitely one of the books I’ll recommend for my mystery friends. It is written in first person and in Meadows POV. I liked how fast paced it was. it is under 200 pages so it’s deff a book you can finish in a day. I thought I had everything figured out until the very end but of course I didn’t.
I did feel the ending was slightly rushed and this book could have been a little longer.

0/5 spice

This is the second book I have read by this author. I think she is brilliant! She has yet to disappoint me.

This book was easy to connect with on different levels. The characters were easy to engage with. The plot was realistic, and it was easy to place myself within the setting while reading. I felt like the storyline flowed well, even with the twists thorough out. The book was an easy read and a quick one at that. I feel like any reader know someone like Meadow and Lauren, and can really connect with these characters, which will just add to their reading experience.

Be prepared though, nothing is quite as it seems, and the ending may shock you. Highly recommend.

I always get excited to see a new Minka Kent book out! This book was entertaining and a fast, easy read. If you like Kent’s other books, you’ll like this one. Give it a read!

Just finished The Perfect Roommate by Minka Kent — and wow, what a ride!
This twisty psychological thriller pulls you in fast. Meadow, a college student looking for a fresh start, thinks she’s found the ideal living situation. But her new roommate Lauren might be hiding more than she lets on… and things go from cozy to creepy quickly.

It’s a fast, binge-worthy read with plenty of suspense and a few solid twists. Some parts felt a bit over-the-top, but it didn’t stop me from flying through the pages. If you like domestic thrillers with an edge of danger and mystery, this one’s worth checking out.

This book was a face-paced mystery/thriller and adult fiction. Two college students - Meadow and Lauren - become roommates and form a fast friendship. Meadow is down on her luck and this sublet apartment is just perfect. Lauren's parents own the apartment and give her a monthly allowance, but when her grades slip and her allowance is cut in half, Lauren looks for a roommate. Meadow and Lauren are pretty opposite in multiple aspects. Lauren comes from money and Meadow cleans. houses on top of being a full-time student.

Are they really perfect roommates, though? Don't we all have secrets we keep? Lies build up. Trust is broken. Someone gets murdered. Who is really guilty, though?

This was a super quick read, and while it was all told in first person POV, I never quite knew if I could completely trust what Meadow was saying. At times, I felt like the story moved too quickly, but overall I really enjoyed it.

this book flew by for me! a super easy read with great pacing. i wouldn't say there was a "twist", since you go into this book knowing something crazy is bound to happen.

things i loved:
- pacing
- characters felt believable - flawed, rough around the edges, trying to get by in life, etc.
- no loose ends - i hate finishing a book still wondering about half of the characters. i didn't leave this book with any "wait, but what about" questions, and i loved it! i felt like a door was left everrrr so slightly cracked for a sequel, which i would totally read.

main thing i didn't love: i found the main character to be painfully insufferable (admittedly, that was probably the point) but her pick-me attitude felt reaaaaally over the top. it felt like every other page had nasty bitching and moaning about how unfair life was to her, and i kept feeling like "ok we get it already"