Roomates

by Katherine Stone

Once, they had all been roommates - Carrie, Megan, and Beth. They had met at Stanford when they had their whole lives ahead of them. Back then, during confessional talks in the dorm late into the night, Carrie felt right for the first time in her life. She was sure the three of them would spend the rest of their lives sharing their hopes and dreams, heartbreaks and loves. They would be friends forever. But that was all before - before their senior year, before the lies and the secrets, the betrayals and the choices whose devastating consequences shattered Carrie's dreams and destroyed their once-close bonds. After that, they went their separate ways, reading about each other's successes in the papers, hearing about each other's lives through friends. But now, the unthinkable has happened...a tragedy that will bring old friends together again along with unhealed wounds, unspoken longings, and a man that Carrie has never been able to resist. It's a class reunion that Carrie isn't prepared for...and one that these former roommates will never forget...

Genres: Romance, Chick Lit, Fiction

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Katherine Stone is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-two novels, including her new Christmas novel, SLEIGH BELLS RING.

Katherine's books have been translated into twenty languages and are sold worldwide. A physician who now writes full-time, she lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, physician and novelist Jack Chase (Fatal Analysis, Mortality Rate, The Magruder Transplant.

Katherine's website is www.katherinestone.com.

Jack's website is www.medicalthriller.com.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up at a used book sale. It is a gem. Well written, interesting with a few surprises.

[Karielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

He had made a vow [to her] that other time. I must leave her alone. She is too good, too precious.
But now he broke it. Because she kissed him back? Perhaps. And because, as they kissed, she made him feel good and precious, too. And because of his faraway dreams of joy, of home, of her.

Originally published in the 80s, Roommates—recently revived and republished—is an enrapturing, gratifying journey that magnificently illustrates the soaring highs and gloomy lows of the college experience, and how it has the sheer power to change lives forever.

The story begins Carrie's freshman year, set at Stanford, and immediately picks up on the lives of her roommates, the phenomenal actress Megan, and the devastating beauty and brains, Beth, as well. Carrie's imminent "flaw"—her tenacious and resilient loving, despite the occasional rejection—sets her up for a world of possibilities in college, as well as a whole new realm of heartbreak. However, Roommates is not just Carrie's story; it's Megan's, it's Beth's, it's her brother, Stephen's, and it's the mysterious and brooding Jake's. Their individual plots all overlap, and the relationships between these five Stanford students, are unmistakably laced together—and forever will be. This makes for a very complicated, very intricate web of a story. I found it a little too soap opera-esque for my taste, but have to admit how well-concocted it is—Katherine Stone is a flawless writer with such a compelling, lyrical voice.

I like how there's a bit of a thriller subplot that doesn't make the book solely about romance; it was refreshing and gripping, although nothing terribly exciting. As with most of Stone's novels, the depiction of love is cloyingly sweet, grandly optimistic, and rather chaste. If you don't like the guaranteed happily-ever-after story line and the inherently perfect cast of characters (seriously... all of them are attractive, nice, smart, generous, brave, etc. etc.), then you may want to stay away from this book. As for me, I do quite enjoy the spice in novels of today's time, but I still enjoyed Roommates's mellow, sentimental tone.

For a glittering narrative that spans not only the young adulthoods of five unforgettable characters, but also their creeping pasts and unpredictable later lives in 1970s America, definitely give Roommates a try.

Pros
Beautiful style // Well-explored, lovable characters // Evocative of the decade and the campus spirit of Stanford // Nice blend of romance, passion, and drama // Connections between characters satisfyingly elaborated upon and probed // Jake's difficult past and his emotional turmoil particularly resonated with me // Juicy plot twist I never saw coming

Cons
Every character (aside from the obvious villain) is good-natured through and through, which I found unusual // A bit too sugary sweet... but that's the appeal! // On the wordy side... not the kind of book you can read in one sitting

Love

He had told her the truth, every truth, with no omissions. It was a factual recounting, without embellishment, the skeleton without the heart. But to the woman who was listening, and who was hearing his every word with a heart that loved him, the aching details, the ravaged emotions, were there.

Verdict
There's plenty of suspense and danger, as well as love, light, and laughter to go around in the hopelessly romantic—and fabulously nostalgic—Roommates. Days of Our Lives meets a tame, university-level Breakfast Club in an all-American story that flows like magic and is bound to captivate fans of conventional love stories. If you pine for a good ol' traditional romance, then Katherine Stone's 1987 novel—which just happens to be the prolific author's first—is THE book for you.

Rating: 7 out of 10 hearts (4 stars): Not perfect, but overall enjoyable.

Source
Complimentary copy provided by author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, Katherine!).

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was excellent! The cast of characters was vast and while in some cases that could be a detriment to a book, I felt in this case it was the exact opposite. Katherine Stone took the time to delve into who each of the players were from Carrie to Julia to Jake to Stephen to Megan to Beth to John and all of the other characters that played a role in this story playing out giving us as the readers a sense of who each of them are and how their background was going to affect all that happened in their lives.

This was a story of love, loss, complex relationships and realizing what is going to make you happiest regardless of the timing in which it takes place.

I would highly recommend this to anyone.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it, definitely chick lit.

[Jean St.Amand · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok, where do I start? One problem I had with this book is that NOBODY, except Carrie, suited their name so I was constantly confused about which one Megan was and which one Beth was...and which one Stephen was and which one Jake was. Annoying. Also, again with the exception of Carrie, NONE of these characters were likable. Everyone sleeping with everyone else...except Carrie. I didn't hate the first 19 1/2 chapters but then....ugh, it was like this book was suddenly taken over by Danielle Steele and it just got BAD. It's not a good sign when the last 70 pages just constantly made me roll my eyes, groan and at one point say to myself "Of FFS, this is just so stupid"...the only reason I kept reading was that I wanted to find out what the big tragedy was that had Jake fly in for ....again, I had to stop and try to remember which one was the actress...ok, Megan...I actually had to open the book to confirm that. The last 70 pages of the book were just stupid, nonsense, gross, ridiculous crap. And John....what the bleep? How did John suddenly become a main character? Everything that was said about him prior to the last bit of the book made him sound like he had Aspergers. He and Beth clearly had nothing but a relationship based on work....then suddenly, he's acting like a total arse because......he LOVES Beth? What? Huh? Since when? And, she loves him; not Stephen, her husband and father of her twins...and by the way, I don't believe for a second that that sociopath would have had children, EVER....a cold fish who has never seemed to feel any emotion gets pregnant and becomes the mother of the year....NO. And who was it who said he wasn't going to be the cause of a marriage breaking up??? I'm pretty sure it was John...and then 15 minutes later he and Beth were all over each other, like a couple of dogs in heat. And just like that she is going to dump Stephen....which is fine, because just like that he is going to dump her AND their kids to be with Megan again...because SHE is the one he REALLY loves. Please. I could puke. Ugh. I could go on and on but it's just making me angry reliving this waste of paper. Please save yourselves and don't read this book. Fortunately, it's an old book so most of the people who read it probably did so years ago and may have gotten over it by now....there is still hope for me I guess. Bleck.

[ANGELIA · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked it, in spite of all the melodramatic situations, but they did get to be a bit much. There are two couples (Carrie and Jake are the MC, Megan and Stephanie the SC), and each are separated for long periods of time (as well as other relationships) because of the "noble idiot" factor. With the MC, Jake was the noble idiot, with the SC it was Megan. Both these noble idiots thought they had a good reason for breaking things off with their true love, but they caused more trouble, heartbreak, rebounds, hurt feelings, anger, etc. that could have easily been avoided if Megan had been honest with Stephen and Jake had more faith in Carrie.

There was also too much easy fixes, as one couple gets their chance because the spouse of one of them suddenly decides that someone they thought of as a friend is in fact the love of their life! (Gee, how convenient!) As for the other couple, their getting back together involves hurting someone that sure didn't deserve it, and right before a planned wedding, too! Talk about crummy!!

Still, it was good entertainment, but I took away a star because of a brutal rape scene that in my opinion was NOT necessary!!! The author had something planned for afterward, and this attack brought that on, but I still think it could have come about a different way, rather than write a horrible scene like that!

I'd say it's okay to pass the time, but no great loss if you skip it.

[Louise Pledge · Rating 3 out of 5]

While there were many facets of the book I did like, some were just plain bothersome. Like the fact that the book was too long,; it tended to drag and drag some more. And, let's face it, the main plot was SEX! Everyone was sleeping around (except Carrie who was more principled), so it was sexual encounter after sexual encounter, ad nauseum. What was apparently supposed to be the big surprise in the story, wasn't. I think most of us readers figured it out well ahead of the announcement.

That said, the writing was good.

[Irene Marston · Rating 5 out of 5]

friends for life they have each others back always even when they are mad at one another so good love humor sadness and a unexpected mystery

[Cristal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters are likable and the story was never boring.

[Lora Cumbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I was in college, my mother sent me this book in a care package. Not because she's read it, but because she thought it'd be cute to send me a book called "Rommates" my Freshman year in college. I remember reading the entire thing in 1 day!! I thought I remembered loving this book.

That was 20 years ago. I thought it'd be neat to read it again, share it with my daughter, who's starting college in the fall.

I did not enjoy this at all this time around. It is so far-fetched in so may parts that it almost made me nauseous to read it. The characters, who are a small group of friends who met in college, are all beautiful, glamourous, heroic, brilliant, and successful. They all "love" each other deeply, and share their "love" freely. They share lovers like girls share clothes, and they are all still best buds!

I did not like the style of writing. The story jumped around so much, even from one paragraph to the next. It seemed rushed in many parts. Although it was not difficult to read or understand, it just didn't flow well to me. The language used was too "proper" for the era in which it was intended to take place, further adding to the far-fetched feeling. Lots of typos and grammatical errors, as well.

I really don't recommend it.

[Marina Mincheva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Давам 3 звезди, защото ме заинтригува едва към края, където стана кризата с отвличането на Стефани. През другото време някак си не успях да разбера тези сложни отношения и чувства на героите. Джейк уж страшно много обича Кери, а спи с Джулия, връщат се спомените му с нея, спи с Мегън, спи и с други жени?! Не я разбрах тая игра. Същото се отнася и за самата Мегън. Антипатична ми беше още от самото начало с тая превзетост и "перфектност". Абсолютно отрицателен герой за мен, не разбрах защо Кери и остана най-добра приятелка, след като тази �� открадна Джейк и разби живота на брат й Стивън. Честно казано, доволна съм, че си получи заслуженото от Алек накрая (devil), просеше си го отдавна. Колкото до Бет, и нейния образ ми остана леко мътен. Но към нея съм леко пристрастна заради характера и същността й, макар че и там има какво да се желае. Не е типичния любовен роман определено, разточителни ми се сториха тези действия и както казах- не разбрах докрай замисъла за личностите на героите. В един момент мислех даже да я спра, но не обичам да оставям недочетени книги и щеше да ме измъчва все пак какво се случва накрая, а както разбрах, то било най-интересното.

[J. Ewbank · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book by Stone is a full bodied one with a wide cast of characters you come to know very well. They all started in college and diverged from there, some marrying others which they should or should not have married etc. It is a book that keep you interested and reading to find out what is going to happen. Enjoy, I certainly did.

J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the Isms" "Wesley's Wars" and "To Whom It May Concern"

[Khadija Kharazi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can say it was pleasant to read this novel, I did not regret it.
once I reached the climax I became addicted to know the end. It was like watching an American movie. Despite the fact that the novel was too long, It was not boring. The novel was full of surprising events, all characters change from one chapter to another, which also made their relationships also change. Personally, the novel was not bad to kill time.

[Liz V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stone writes an interesting story, interweaving the lives if five college students--beginning with three freshman girls and two juniors (one a brother) at Standford and winding through their interwoven, and angst filled years into adulthood.

So sad about the lack of copy editing, as Stone releases another, evidently self published, update of an earlier novel.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a favorite of mine back in high school when it was originally published, but upon re-reading it now, I no longer loved it quite as much. I still really loved the characters, but was less satisfied with the ending and the story felt more "typical" along the way. Still I enjoyed it for a breezy summer read.

[Dinalia Falzarano · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was about a girl named Carrie who went to Stanford. She had a tight knit group of friends until senior year and they all parted going their own ways. Once they all go back for a class reunion they were all brought together and that is when are the drama is started up. The book also includes a lot of Carrie's older brother Stephen, who also goes to Stanford.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was strange. I didn't really connect with any of the characters, the end was dumb, and well, I don't really recommend this one. It did have the twists and turns I appreciate from this author, though.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, keep in mind that I first read this book when I was 16 years old or so. It did not age as well as it did in my memory, but I still love the characters. I don't think the writing or the story really deserves four stars, however it's a four star book for me. :)

[Lydia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this a long time ago but forgot how the story ended, so I gave it another try, but it wasn't worth it. Why are the characters always angry? It's like reading Harry Potter #5 without any funny bits to make up for the constant angst.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple, enjoyable read that follows three college roommates from their freshman year of college into their adult lives. Even though Carrie loves Jake despite all of his "issues," frankly, I think she needed to move on and find a guy that was honest with her! Grrrrr.........

[Lisa Belcastro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stone is a talented writer. I wanted to like the characters, but sleeping around, divorce, and lies were too big a theme.

[Kaiulani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katherine Stone's best book. I still re-read it every couple of years.