Roommate: A Standalone Gay Romance

Kieran Shipley and Roderick Waites are simply two beautiful human beings that make each other stronger and lift each other up in fantastic ways. They are both such pure hearts, and they both have been through so much individually that you are ecstatic when they find their happily ever after together. Roderick has been out and proud since his high school days, but he finds himself in a relationship with a closeted celebrity, and that relationship literally leaves him out in the cold. When he's homeless and at his lowest point, his family turns their back on him, and he finds support in the unlikeliest of places as far as he's concerned. Kieran has long felt like the odd man out in his family, the kid that can't do right, the one no one will ever approve of. So when he falls for Roderick, the last thing he wants to do is share that with a family that he feels doesn't deserve his trust, truth and openness. In these two young men, Sarina Bowen has created a couple that truly loves and supports each other, that brings out the best in each other, that rises to the occasion when push comes to shove. The emotion in this story, on both Kieran and Roderick's parts, is so beautifully expressed that I just want to experience it over and over again. Narrated by Teddy Hamilton (Roderick) and Stephen Dexter (Kieran), the audio has so much tenderness, eagerness, and just raw emotion that I know I'll listen to it again in the future. The combination of Sarina Bowen's words and the performances by these two wonderfully-talented narrators is simply superb. I found myself really engrossed in the performances, loving every word whether is was delivered with a subtle laugh or an unnerved growl. It was a great experience, and I would recommend listening even if you've already read it because it will simply melt your heart.

4 stars -- I always enjoy books by Ms. Bowen, but I think my expectations for these boys flavoured my enjoyment a bit...and I *might* have enjoyed it more reading than listening, but that's a personal thing. I always enjoy Teddy Hamilton's narration -- he has great emotion, good pacing and a sense of humour that comes across. His pacing was a bit fast at a few moments, no idea why that was...or if it was just me. This is my first full listen of Stephen Dexter, and I enjoyed him, but I found his pacing to be off at times. There were just certain sections where it felt like the sentences were running together, and I sometimes had a really hard time telling the difference between thoughts and dialogue. I was also only meh on his Roderick voice. But that's personal taste. I do love this world, and I was intrigued by both Kieran and Roderick from earlier works by Ms. Bowen...though I will say it was mostly Kieran that I had preconceptions about that perhaps tainted my reading. I guess I just didn't expect him to be so taciturn...he was a mystery to figure out for me. Maybe it's because he's so unique. He's suuuuuuper closed off, and so very unhappy with his life and his family. I knew he was quiet, but I guess I wasn't expecting so much resentment. And it's not that I don't get it, but I guess I just had a bit harder time connecting with him. I was surprised how his non-romantic story progressed in some ways, it ended up showing the reader just how much of an unreliable narrator he could be because some of his family ended up surprising me. Rod had his own hurdles to leap over, and most of them seemed centered on his sense of self-worth. He was an interesting character too, b/c he was so unapologetic in some ways (mostly about being gay), but it covered up this deep need to be loved and wanted and needed. It's not that we don't all have that desire, but his was intrinsic to his character. It was hard to listen to him put himself down in so many ways. They were pretty fun together -- I liked how they rapidly moved from awkward to friends to more to complicated...we really got so much in their relationship. There were times where I would start to get frustrated with one or the other, and then they would pull it together and make things right. It was satisfying in that way. The flavour of Vermont, and the secondary characters both really add to this book. While it is 100% not necessary to have read any of the other books in this world, you really do get a lot of fun things if you're already a fan. In the end I really enjoyed it, but something was missing to put it in the top tier of SB books for me. I might need to read it read it, maybe the things I wasn't enjoying about the narration affected my overall enjoyment as well.

All the Warm Fuzzies!!! Roommate is such a wonderful story. Beautifully written, Roommate is endearingly sweet, painfully heartbreaking, and deliciously steamy. It’s an emotional bear hug. It will make you experience so many feelings. And it feels so authentic. It will definitely be one of my favorite books forever. Roommate is not technically part of the True North series—it is a complete standalone and can be read as such, but it is part of the World of True North, and you most definitely get loads of its magic. I loved everything about this story. It seamlessly meshed a few of my favorites tropes without it getting too crowded. You have sort-of-enemies-to-roomates-to-friends-to-lovers, opposites attract, grumpy vs. sunshine, and a secret relationship. It’s a treasure trove. Sarina Bowen is such a talented writer. She excels at delivering emotional stories in a lighthearted way that make you not only feel but also think. I especially love how she develops her characters, how she makes them unique and authentic and flawed and lovable. I loved Kieran and Roderick’s story. I loved how the story unfolds, and the way they not only fall in love, but also how they find themselves and their path to happiness. There’s drama, tears, laughter, baked goods, and so much joy in this book. I especially loved seeing Griffin be the best cousin ever, and Father Peters giving Roderick hope, understanding, and a taste of what unconditional love feels like. Roommate will shatter your heart from the very first chapter and make it whole again in the end. Sarina Bowen has once again written a masterpiece, the kind that just takes a piece of your heart to claim as its own. I totally recommend this book to anyone who loves exceptionally well written and emotional MM romance novels with lovable characters and more than a bit of steam. And if you’re like me and love listening to your books, you should definitely give the audiobook a try. It is perfection. Teddy Hamilton and Stephen Dexter did an amazing job as Roderick and Kieran. Their voices are easy to tell apart, and their performances are outstanding. Teddy Hamilton was perfect as Roderick. His quirky and charming personality comes through loud and clear. Stephen Dexter as Kieran was also spot on. His deeper voice and acting skills conveyed his grumpier nature and the emotional roller coaster he was going through. I loved listening to this story. It is a definitely a five-star performance.