this didn't do it for me. I usually love friends to lovers but couldn't get into this one really. But I really liked a lot of the other characters

Claire and Graham’s story in The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley is a friends-to-lovers and fake relationship that was a heartwarming, feel-good romance. Roommates Claire and Graham make a pact that if they are single in four years, they would act on their attraction and get together. However, all that changes when Graham gets injured in a climbing accident and breaks his leg. Claire, being the nurse she is, offers to help nurse him back to health. Graham has a cast and is bedridden; making it difficult to do anything. Claire recommends journaling, for him to write out all of what he's feeling, as a form of therapy. He decides to send emails to Claire's unused email address, where he knows she'll never read them; as she doesn't even remember the password. There was something special seeing Graham open up in these letters; telling her everything. It shows how he's opening up his heart to her and to romance; plus it greatly helped him heal. It's so sweet and cute to read his entries. Then there was Gertrude, Graham’s Yorkie, who was so cute. It was amusing to watch her go from hating Claire to loving her.

This book is heartfelt, humorous, engaging and a quick read. Allison Ashley uses her knowledge of working in the medical field and brings this background into her work, and what is better than a heroine who’s a nurse and an outdoorsy firefighter hero. Claire and Graham had off the charts chemistry amazing character growth and wonderful banter. It was wonderful to see Mia and Noah, from the first book in the series. I highly recommend The Roommate Pact to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

I loved this book! I was originally drawn to the cover and the storyline, but the characters were amazing and I loved them. The storyline was greatly paced, which caused me to devour it.

"The Roommate Pact" by Allison Ashley is a charming and heartwarming romance novel that explores the intricacies of friendship, love, and commitment. The story follows Claire Harper, an ER nurse, and Graham Scott, her firefighter roommate, who make a pact to become "friends with benefits" if they are still single by the time they reach forty. Although the idea seems simple and straightforward, the novel takes readers on an emotional journey as the two roommates begin to develop feelings for each other.

The writing style is engaging and immersive, making it easy to get lost in the story. The author does an excellent job of developing the characters and their relationships, making readers invested in their lives. Claire and Graham are likable and relatable characters, and their chemistry is palpable from the beginning.

One of the things that make this novel stand out is the depth of emotion that the author manages to convey. The story deals with serious issues such as loss and trauma, but it is also filled with humor, warmth, and hope. The romance between Claire and Graham is well-paced and believable, and readers will find themselves rooting for them to be together.

The Roommate Pact is a must-read for fans of romance novels. It's a feel-good story that will leave you with a smile on your face and a warm feeling in your heart. The novel is well-written, engaging, and full of heart, making it a perfect summer read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good romance novel, and I can't wait to read more from Allison Ashley in the future.

Claire is in control of her life as a nurse practitioner. She has a hand full of friends and she's happy where she is. She's not really thinking about dating anyone so living with one of her hot guy friends hasn't been a problem at all. Then she comes home with a question about what happens if she's forty and unmarried and Graham, her roommate jumps in and tells her they have a pact to marry if neither is married when they were forty. It becomes this big debate and Claire keeps thinking about it. Then she goes on an okay date with Marvin from her work and the kiss was really bad. Graham sees it happen and decides Claire needs to know what a good kiss is. Lines are quickly crossed and Graham wants friends with benefits but Claire says no.
Easily one of my favorite reads of 2023, this dynamite roommates to friends to lovers is perfect in pretty much every way. The incredible banter between our MCs Claire and Graham, the love/hate relationship between Claire and Gertrude (Graham’s grumpy rescue dog) and of course, the many appearances from the characters in Ashley’s previous book, 𝘞𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, created the perfect, bingeable romcom.
This was an incredible friends to lovers, forced proximity, one bed trope and male falls first which I adore. Allison Ashley did an incredible job at bringing these characters together and gaining a reader for life. I will be going back to read the first in this series.

"The Roommate Pact" by Allison Ashley is the perfect companion for those warm fall evenings when you're craving a heartwarming romantic comedy. 🍂💑

This delightful novel brings together a charming mix of classic romance tropes: roommate romance, forced proximity, friends to lovers, and even a hint of enemies to friends. The banter between the characters is incredibly witty, ensuring you're engaged from the very first page.

Claire and Graham's love story is undeniably sweet. While their chemistry might not sizzle with intensity, it radiates a unique charm that keeps you invested in their journey. As their relationship evolves from roommates to something more, you'll find yourself rooting for them with every turn of the page. 📖🥰

Adding to the story's charm is the adorable little dog, whose antics provide moments of humor and heartwarming connection, even if it takes him a while to warm up to Claire.
This book is a heartwarming page-turner that leaves you with a warm and fuzzy feeling, making it an excellent choice for cozy fall evenings. Don't miss out on this delightful read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I DNF'd this one at about 40 pages in. The characters were incredibly childish and unlikeable.

Cute romance!
I liked the characters and their chemistry. Liked Claire and her funny stories from the ER. Liked the supporting characters and probably would have enjoyed more if I’d read the story of the friends who got together.
All and all a great romance I’ll recommend.

Claire and Graham make a pact that they will enter a friends with benefits arrangement if they are still single at 40. But after a serious injury, Claire takes on the role of caregiver and something ;)

Claire made everything possible to help bring back Graham to health, from sleeping right next to him cause he cant talk or walk, to watching TV together and even giving him an outlet where he can explore who he really is. Graham and Claire relationship was adorable! I was smiling ear to ear as I was reading and watch them fall in love. The story was easy to follow and you can easily root for both as they have amazing personalities.

Next, THE BANTER YALL THE BANTER!!!!! The banter alone deserves all the stars. It was top-notch!

Also this is an interconnected novel so u will see special appearance from Would you rather characters

Overall, a great read!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley!

To say Claire Harper's dating life isn't going well is an understatement. She has specific rules when it comes to looking for Mr. Right, but the most important is he can't have a dangerous job. She learned the hard way what that can do to a family if the person doesn't come home, and she refuses to go through that pain again. So when her firefighter roommate proposes that they enter into a marriage of convenience if they're both still single at forty, she hesitantly agrees. Claire still believes she'll find her perfect match before then, but when Graham is seriously injured, and Claire has to tend to him, she can't deny her attraction. The pair decide to forgo waiting and try their hand at friends-with-benefits, but the closer they get, the more they realize this is a forever type of deal.

I ate this book up in one sitting. I thought it was so much fun. I loved the banter between Claire and Graham. Claire was so outspoken and caring, and Graham was just the right amount of cocky but a cinnamon roll on the inside. He's very guarded at the start and a little emotionally stunted, and watching him open up and become vulnerable was so sweet. I understood Claire's reasoning behind not wanting a relationship with Graham, but it did get a little frustrating especially the whole third-act drama. I also thought that some of the dialogue felt stiff, and occasionally it felt like the emotional scenes were being glossed over. Other than that, I liked this a lot, and I can't wait to check out more from this author.

"I'd marry the hell out of you. Have you seen you?"

Seriously simmering sexy steam....without any descriptive sex scenes. I know...it's hard for me to believe too. But BELIEVE IT, bitches, because THE ROOMMATE PACT sizzles and burns even without detailed sex.

Graham is a firefighter and Claire is a nurse and these two friends and roommates will incinerate you with their chemistry. I loved their hilarious and meaningful friendship so much! This author's characters are always written perfectly for my taste. They are loveable and relatable and flawed and I adore them. Graham and Claire are EVERYTHING.

THE ROOMMATE PACT is a fabulous read with a woman in STEM, f*ckboy falls in love, no strings sex, positive therapy rep, and lots of laughs! Allison Ashley is a major 1-click favorite author of mine.

You definitely need to read this book! THE ROOMMATE PACT should be at the top of your TBR.

The Roommate Pact
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Allison Ashley

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Harlequin and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: All of the fun, none of the heartache...as long as they stick to the agreement. The proposition is if ER nurse Claire Harper and her roommate, firefighter Graham Scott, are still single by the time they're forty, they'll take the proverbial plunge together...as friends with benefits. Maybe it's the wine, but in the moment, Claire figures the pact is a safe-enough deal, considering she hasn't had much luck in love and he's in no rush to settle down. Like, at all. Besides, there's no way she could ever really fall for Graham and his thrill-seeking ways. Not after what happened to her father... Just as things begin to heat up way before the proposed deadline, Graham's injured in a serious rock climbing accident--and he needs Claire's help to heal. She'll do whatever it takes to nurse him back to health...even if it means moving in to Graham's bed and putting up with his little dog, who hates her. But with this no-strings arrangement taking a complicated turn, keeping "for now" from turning into "forever" isn't as easy as they'd planned.

My Thoughts: The plot was interesting in this one, a roommate pact that if Claire and Graham are 40, and still unattached, they will embark on a friends with benefits journey. They are only in their 30’s when they make this pact and Claire new she should be with someone by then. They have been friends for years and roommates the last year. Originally the pact started out as marriage, but was negotiated down to friends with benefits. Then Graham gets injured in a serious rock climbing accident, requiring assistance while healing. Being the good roommate, Claire helps him. In Claire helping him, does the friends with benefits start early? Does it begin to complicate things? This follows the tropes of friends to lovers, forced proximity, roommates, and friends with benefits in a closed romance story.

While this is a stand alone book, characters from Ashley’s Would You Rather make an appearance in this novel, which I loved. The story is narrated in a dual narration by both Claire and Graham. I love the dual narration as you get the thoughts behind both MCs. Claire is reliable, caring, and loyal to her friends. Graham is charming, sweet, yet charismatic. The characters were well developed with depth, witty banter, chemistry, and intriguing. The banter and chemistry is on fire between Claire and Graham. There was a moment when I disliked Claire’s character but it came back to loving by the end. The author’s writing style was clean, crisp, humorous, and engaging. There is a third act breakup, as in many romance novels, which I typically do not care for, but I think it works really well here.

This was a cute, sweet romcom story that kept me invested. I highly recommend picking this up in any format. Ashley is an author I would absolutely read again.

Easily one of my favorite reads of 2023, this dynamite roommates to friends to lovers is perfect in pretty much every way. The incredible banter between our MCs Claire and Graham, the love/hate relationship between Claire and Gertrude (Graham's grumpy rescue dog) and of course, the many appearances from the characters in Ashley's previous book, Would You Rather, created the perfect, bingeable romcom.

I really had fun reading this one! The story follows roommates, Claire and Graham, as their relationship turns from friends to lovers. Some of my fave things were def the story, the banter and there were some excerpts that really stood out. The characters were super likable and so funny, and if you’re looking for a light, fun read- this one’s it!

Unconventional friends to lovers of a very favorite trope. The chemistry between the grind is off the charts this being a clean romance was unexpected but not unwelcome. Thank you for the opportunity to read this fun novel.

The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley

My rating:

3.5/4 (rounded up)
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Claire and Graham are roommates that are both single. They both decide that when Graham turns 40 and if they are still both single they will become friends with benefits. Graham decides, why wait? Why not start the agreement now?

This one was super cute and the beginning seemed like it would be super spicy. I really loved their banter and seeing the main characters relationship grow. This one had mild spice but more of a closed door romance. I did get some Sarah Adams vibes from this book, which is great because I love her writing style!

Overall this was a fun read and I enjoyed it! Towards the end I felt like it slowed down a bit. There was a lot of awareness of certain traumas both main characters faced over the years that shaped their personalities as adults. While I love when anxiety representation in a book, it lead to a conflict that was not necessary in my opinion.

Thank you netgalley and HTP press for the ARC! You can read this one now!

3.25/5

This one had so much promise. I am a sucker for a friends-to-lovers and a different version of hurt/comfort? I should've been putty in this books hands. It had a really strong start, I inhaled the first 40% in one night. But once the relationship was supposed to start developing it just didn't? At the heart of it, Claire and Graham just didn't have that spark that a good friends-to-lovers need. tbh they were really just roommates that happen to fck.

Thank you MIRA and Netgalley for my advanced copy!

This was such a cute romance! I wasn't sure how much I'd enjoy it going into it because friends-to-lovers isn't necessarily my favourite romance trope, but I loved seeing Claire and Graham's relationship grow. I think the whole marriage pact concept is fun and I liked how it spurred things on between the two of them by making them consider this jokey arrangement a bit more seriously. I do wish that we could have seen a bit more of Graham in action as a firefighter, but I also very much enjoyed the quality time he and Claire spent together while he recovered at home, and I did really enjoy reading about Claire working in the hospital - I find it always makes for a good workplace setting. Their chemistry was great and I loved seeing them integrate into each other's lives as more than just roommates and how they learned to compromise for one another.

The proposition is simple: if ER nurse Claire Harper and her roommate, firefighter Graham Scott, are still single by the time they’re forty, they’ll take the proverbial plunge together…as friends with benefits. Maybe it’s the wine, but in the moment, Claire figures the pact is a safe-enough deal, considering she hasn’t had much luck in love and he’s in no rush to settle down. Like, at all. Besides, there’s no way she could ever really fall for Graham and his thrill-seeking ways. Not after what happened to her father…

Just as things begin to heat up way before the proposed deadline, Graham’s injured in a serious rock-climbing accident—and he needs Claire’s help to heal. She’ll do whatever it takes to nurse him back to health…even if it means moving into Graham’s bed and putting up with his little dog who hates her. But with this no-strings arrangement taking a complicated turn, keeping “for now” from turning into “forever” isn’t as easy as they’d planned.

---

It was cute but I definitely expected more steam given the fact that it starts off as being a sex pact.
Zero steam, definitely disappointing.
Characters were well written, I thought the timeline that they fell in “love” was super fast. Reagan was supposed to be on a week long vaca- right? It seemed like SO MUCH happened in that week. Just wasn’t super believable.
I will say, though, that this book definitely had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion. I really loved that.

Big thank you to NetGalley for my gifted copy in exchange for my review!