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Neurospicy Book Club #1

The Thought of You

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She needs a place to live.

I have an empty room.

It’s a perfect match. Too bad she hates me.

“I’m not going to sleep with you.” That's the first thing she ever said to me—seven years ago. And I’ve never been able to let it go.

From the day she turned me down, I’ve cemented my position as a playboy, never letting a woman get further than a meaningless hookup. Now, I’m starting to wonder if she’s the real reason why. If she’s the one I want. For good.

The Thought of You: Falling for My Grumpy Roommate is a grumpy-sunshine roommates-to-lovers story featuring neurodivergence self-discovery, a reformed playboy, and a meddlesome kitty who thinks she's the main character.

220 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 14, 2024

87 people are currently reading
511 people want to read

About the author

Allie Lasky

37 books199 followers

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5 stars
95 (32%)
4 stars
107 (36%)
3 stars
66 (22%)
2 stars
21 (7%)
1 star
7 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
Profile Image for merp.
179 reviews15 followers
January 10, 2024
First!

Okay, but we need to talk about this book. Allie seamlessly transitions from sports romance to adult (neurodivergent!) romance. There’s all the familiarity of the cast we know well, but an entirely different view now that they’re out of college and living adult lives.

I screeched an ungodly amount of times at how RIDICULOUSLY accurate Johanna’s portrayal was. I’m an autistic adult woman and this was basically a book written from inside my head.

The spice is spicy, not gratuitous, and with *just* enough flair to keep it from feeling like just another contemporary romance. It’s realistic, hot, and the TEEEEENIEST bit kinky.

Definitely my favorite of Allie’s books to date! I’m super excited for the continuation of the series!!!
Profile Image for Ashley.
123 reviews
July 2, 2025
I expected this to be full cheese, mostly because I don't remember how it got on my kindle (assuming a stuff your kindle day add?), but I was pleasantly surprised with how cute it was and how much I related with the main character! Relatively light/superficial but it even has a little character development. There were maybe too many secondary characters and vague storylines but I think this is supposed to be a series so I'm sure the author will build on them in future books.

The ND stuff was worked into the story in an informative but not *too* cringe-y way, and for someone who's ~undiagnosed but pretty sure~ (at LEAST for ADHD), I really enjoyed the perspective of this one.

No real issues with the writing, but again my expectations were pretty low, so this whole book was a pleasant surprise. Would recommend to ND/ND-suspicious friends who love realistic fiction-y romance novels.
Profile Image for Kelsie.
109 reviews
April 9, 2025
4.5 stars

This book was great! Johanna’s initial POV chapters made me think she was a bit of a shitty person with how she seemed to hate everyone around her, but turns out bb girl is neurodivergent and doesn’t realise how much her friends actually love and appreciate her.

Sullivan is the most precious heart ever. All he wants is to take care of Johanna and Charlotte, and he will do whatever it takes to make those two happy 🥰

Half a star taken off bc the neurodiverse rhetoric felt a little forced? And Sullivan was doing his best not to mansplain but it felt a lil that way anyway

This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Linsey Toney.
601 reviews39 followers
October 9, 2025
The Thought of you is book one in the Neurospicy Book Club series

I absolutely love this book! As someone who was diagnosed with ASD as an adult so much really started to make sense just like the FCM. The MMC is amazing from the little things, understanding, and respect he has for the MMC. They had me rooting for them! Did I read this book in one day, yes I did! Did I run to download book 2, Yes I did! If you enjoy swoon worthy, golden retriever, attentive MMCs, and neurodivergent rep then I would highly recommend this read!
Profile Image for Chloe Johnson.
134 reviews
October 22, 2024
Dnf at 66%. Okay, i tried, alright? Usually i can tolerate some cringey dialect in the books and i’ve put up with a lot of okay written characters. but this was just too much. i can understand where the author is trying to go with the autistic representation, but it’s just so millennial coded that i couldn’t get past it. there was dialect in it that made me cringe and have to shut off my kindle, the fmc was whiny and “i’m not like other girls” coded, the mmc was just……he gave me “im an alpha man” type vibe and i could not do it. kudos to you if you like the book and im so happy you do. but this was not for me.
Profile Image for Staci.
49 reviews13 followers
January 29, 2024
Cute little short and spicy read! Loved how attentive and caring Sullivan was. And I adored the portrayal of Johanna!
54 reviews
April 25, 2024
What is wrong with people? Why do all the writers think it so good that the MMC sleeping around. (Because he likes MFC but she doesn't want to be one of his victories). But the woman must be celibate? Waiting for him to stop sleeping around. And then she's ok to fall all of a sudden at his feet...
1,016 reviews20 followers
December 22, 2024
One of my favorite things about Allie Lasky is how she can seamlessly go from writing sports romances to writing adult neurodivergent romances. And being neurodivergent, both ADHD and high functioning autistic, I love this. The representation is fantastic. The cast feels and looks familiar even if you are not personally neurodivergent. And now that they are out of college, they are different people, and yet they are still the same as they were in high school and college.

I loved so many of the great tropes in this book. Tropes like, no third breakups, autism rep/LGBT rep, no miscommunication, no other man/other woman drama, a reformed player who's wanted the FMC for 7 years, shared apt, dual POV/HFN, perfect amount of spice

Allie wrote Johanna's portrayal of an autistic adult woman, so spot on. There were times when I felt like Allie had been living in my head and just taken elements from my head and just put them on the page. For one of the first times in my life, I felt like I was seen and truly being represented.

7 years ago, Johanna and Sullivan met when they were freshmen in college, and from the first day they met, Sullivan has been smitten with her. Sadly, she hasn't reciprocated the feelings. In fact, she hasn't really thought of him as anything more than just a friend. He's known as a play. Everything changes, though, when she finds herself in need of a place to live and her friend Theo suggests his brother. Theo's brother just happens to be none other than Sullivan.

I love how open and honest Sullivan and Johanna are and how great the communication they have, they share everything. He actually has the ability to see through her masking and see the real her. For reasons she doesn't yet understand, she feels connected to him and feels like he is her safe place, and she is very comfortable with him, and she is happy when he is around. She doesn't mention to him that she is neurodivergent. He is actually the first one to bring that up.

Sullivan struggles with himself, and if he is in love with the mask that Johanna wears or the real her, even though he doesn't really know the full real her yet. I can't help but give him credit for recognizing the difference in the two differences in the way Johanna presents herself and accepts that he has to figure out which one he actually is in love with. It is a very real struggle for a lot of people.

I do with this book had been a bit longer so that Sullivan could address this and figure it out not only within himself but also with Johanna. I feel like this was kind of rushed through and brushed off. I feel like it's put off into a fog and tried to be forgotten, and Johanna just falls for him, and Sullivan just reciprocates without figuring out his truth so he can be 100% honest with himself and Johanna.

Without Sullivan being honest with himself and Johanna, it is hard to say how long this relationship will last. Maybe Sullivan will eventually figure things out and be honest with himself and Johanna, we don't know what will happen as everything happens so quickly and in such a short period of time and the epilogue isn't that far in the future.

There's a huge part of me that wants to believe that they can make it and that they'll be together. But, I just needed and wanted a bit more time with that closure, so I knew for sure that there was a HEA and I wasn't left with these unanswered questions.

There was spice and it was spicen. But, it was perfectly written without being gratuitous and overly descriptive. It was perfect, just enough that you feel full after a great meal. And it has just enough kink.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series and see where we go next. I love the representation, and I want more of it. We truly don't have enough of it, and our community definitely deserves more great representation in all forms. I also loved that this wasn't a heavy read and that it was nice and short and light. Sometimes, you need that in a good read, and this is just that.
Profile Image for Betty.
490 reviews34 followers
November 11, 2024
This was an interesting light read.

- no third act breakup
- autism rep/LGBT rep
- no miscommunication
- no OM/OW drama
- A reformed player who’s wanted the FMC for 7 years
- shared apt
- dual POV/HFN
- so much spicey spice

Johanna and Sullivan met 7 yrs ago as freshman in college and he’s been smitten w her ever since. She hasn’t really given him much thought, knows he’s a player, but doesn’t otherwise know him. When she needs an apt, her friend Theo suggests his brothers place, which happens to be Sullivans.

There is good communication; they both talk and share a lot. He has an ability to see through her masking and see her. She somehow feels very connected to him and safe/comfortable when he’s around. He is the first to mention to her that she’s neurodivergent.

Sullivan is portrayed as being head over heels for her, but he honestly doesn’t know her well. He struggles briefly with whether he’s in love with her “mask” (how she portrays herself to the world to hide her neurodiversity) or with her under the mask.

I honestly wish they would have given them more time to address this issue. It’s just kind of brushed over in the fog of lust and never really addressed. She falls hard for him and he reciprocates.

It’s hard to know how long this relationship will last. It all takes place over a short period of time and the epilogue is not very far in the future.

I want to believe they’ll be together and wanted more closure/time so I knew that had a true HEA.
Profile Image for Emma.
587 reviews17 followers
January 29, 2025
“When you’re ready, I’ll be here.”
Johanna swallows. “And if I’m never ready?”
I smile softly at her. “I’ll still be here.”


✔️roommates to lovers
✔️she’s grumpy x he’s sunshine
✔️neurodivergent rep
✔️reformed playboy
✔️no 3rd act breakup

I really enjoyed this sort-of-second chance (he asked her out years ago and she said no but he has been secretly crushing on her ever since), forced proximity, roommates to lovers story! This book is sweet and spicy and emotional in the best way. There is definitely a romance that builds between the main characters and that is the main plot, but it is really equal parts a romance and a book about self discovery. I don’t think the romance ever takes a back seat, but the FMC’s journey to understanding her neurodivergence is a major plot line as well.

I love that both of the main characters are just so real, and they both have their own stuff to figure out before they can be in a relationship, but when it comes down to it they both want the same thing, they just need to figure out how to get there. The found family/side characters are also so supportive and patient, they really love both MCs no matter what and it shows.

This is a cute, quick read and I appreciate the (very) accurate neurodivergent representation. While I would have liked to see a little bit more of their happily ever after (it feels like questions were left unanswered and they didn’t actually get together until the end of the book so we don’t really get to see how they actually make things work), I enjoyed it overall.
Profile Image for Screams & Reviews.
140 reviews28 followers
April 2, 2025
This book was very cute!!! A sweet little change from what I am use too.

You have Joanna and she is just not in the right mind set and needs to find a place to move. Which she is stressing about. Her friend advised her that his brother is looking for a roommate. She knows him from around school but he is what girls call a " meat head". So she take a chance and movies in with him.

The way this relationship builds is very cute. The way Sullivan is with Joanna taking his time and wants to make sure she has her head on straight before they get into a relationship of any situation is just beautiful. You have a man that has wanted a woman since the first time they meet but it wasn't right and now she is more in front of him then he knows. But still isn't the right timing. So he waits.

This is more then a love story. Sullivan really gets to know Joanna before anything happens which doesn't always happen in love stories.

This is a fast book to read but hits all the right spots. The spicy is on point too.

4/5 🌟📚

~Screams & Reviews 🖤🫶🏼📚💋
Profile Image for Lisa.
56 reviews
April 9, 2025
Johanna's character arc is her coming to terms with being autistic. I love this representation.

But then we have Sullivan, who has been loving the idea of Johanna for years. A few different characters mention this (one even going so far as to tell him Johanna is not his Manic Pixie Dream Girl), but I don't feel Sullivan ever really takes it to heart. He thinks about it and brushes it aside. This, despite the fact that his inner dialogue at one point says that he never thought about how she might or might not feel. I would have liked to see this explored further, because as it stands, there isn't much evidence that Sullivan actually does know Johanna.

Neither of them really has a "fatal flaw" in the traditional sense that is preventing them from coming together. As such, the plot seems to fall a bit flat.

All that said, it was a quick, enjoyable, spicy read with lovable characters.
Profile Image for Stacey.
486 reviews1 follower
September 8, 2024
Johanna is neurospicy and doesn't know it.

Sully has had a thing for her for 7 years. Ever since orientation week at the college they shared.

When Jo needs a roommate, Sully agrees to give her a safe place to land. He's also the one who gently broaches the subject that she may have ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).

The book is a little preachy. A little repetitive in spots. It's also sweet and vulnerable and a nice love story. I love a good unrequited love story, so there's that. The pacing was good. It gets a little weird in terms of slut shaming, but then there's kink? There's some body positivity stuff that I loved, so it's a lot like a doughnut buffet: even a bad doughnut is pretty good.

All in all, a nice read.
Profile Image for Brie Reilly.
67 reviews4 followers
June 27, 2024
This book was great!! The FMC Jo most definitely is relatable and the fact that the MMC Sully would do anything to make her happy is everything. Like they said in the meeting she has a real life book boyfriend. I picked up this book while I was in a reading slump not liking anything I was picking up and this one I was able to finish in less than 24 hours....This book is most definitely what I needed and I cannot wait for book TWO this Fall!!
Profile Image for Mel DG.
439 reviews1 follower
December 7, 2024
Sullivan has loved Johanna since they met at the start of uni when they were 18. It’s now 7 years later and her life slightly implodes (well, she gets kicked out of her apartment) so she ends up moving in with Sullivan. I like how he pretty up front tells her he likes her. There seems to be a lot of initial miscommunication as they don’t really speak each others language (neurodiversity things). But they soldier through and finally trust each other.
Profile Image for Dusty Shirley.
929 reviews11 followers
January 17, 2025
Johanna and Sullivan

Johanna needs a place to live and her friends know just the place. Sullivan has always had a thing for her but she shot him down cause she stereotyped him not entirely correctly years ago. He has admired her from afar. Now they are roommates and slowly on the way to being friends and maybe more. This is a super sweet, grumpy, dude, standoffish (protect myself) girl romance.
1,144 reviews22 followers
February 18, 2025
Cute, Neurospicy Read!

I really enjoyed this read and how the author represented Johanna’s neurodivergent personality! I equally loved Sullivan and how he too, had to come to terms with areas that he unknowingly struggled with. The story is about strength, perseverance and adapting to unfamiliar circumstances. The chemistry between the two main characters was high and their love story was heart warming. I can’t wait to read more from this author!



Profile Image for Lex.
46 reviews1 follower
August 1, 2024
This was a free book on stuff your kindle day, and I’m glad I picked it. It was a short/quick read. I found the story of the neurodivergent/neurospicy FMC, she’s the grumpy roommate/he’s the sunshine who fell first trope, Dual POV super interesting. Its a spicy read. I had to know how the story was going to play out so I couldn’t put it down!
Profile Image for Cristi Marascio.
16 reviews
September 18, 2024
Loved, loved the neurodivergent representation. We’ve met the characters in Allie’s other books, and honestly they worked as a contrast for past main characters. They weren’t very likable then, but now that I see their backstory and get to learn more about them as they discover themselves, they are my favorite. I’m a huge fan of a f***boy who had been pining all along.
Profile Image for Alexis Dapolito.
10 reviews2 followers
September 24, 2024
I really enjoyed the neurodivergent representation of this book. And I absolutely loved the MMC, how patient and attentive he is with the FMC. It was a quick and easy read, I thoroughly enjoyed it but rated 3 stars due to it being repetitive at some points and the writing style — sometimes I would be super into it and lose that due to the writing style.
Profile Image for Deirdre Stokes.
Author 3 books7 followers
September 22, 2025
Great read!

I loved every moment of this book, which was an eye-opener and a page-turner. I loved Johanna and Sullivan and the ups and downs they felt in this story, and everything just flowed so well that I couldn't stop reading. I loved all the other characters in the book for support; it was easy to like them all and laugh and giggle at the good parts.
Profile Image for Monica Graham.
381 reviews8 followers
November 27, 2024
Johanna and sullivan

This was such a great read. I love the neurospicy representation in the book and the personal journey both characters took. A swoon worthy romance with plenty of laughs.
Profile Image for Bookskee.
451 reviews
December 15, 2024
First time reading this author and it definitely won't be my last.

💞Interracial
⛈️Grumpy-☀️sunshine
🚪Roomates to lovers
💘He's loved her for years
Some🌶
Fun side-characters that pull you into wanting to read the other books❤️
Profile Image for Marissa Dobay.
20 reviews
August 5, 2024
I don’t have a whole lot to say about this book. It was an easy read. Mentions Autism, which is what drew me to it. Nothing too special for me, but still a cute story!
1,173 reviews7 followers
August 17, 2024
This book was so good!!! It was sweet. It was funny. It was romantic. It was spicy. I just loved Sullivan and how he loved Johanna, even from afar. Love, love, love!!!
2 reviews
March 27, 2025
Loved this one. Allie’s books never disappoint. And I’m kinda spoiled by these excellent writers who provide such amazing mental health reps in their work. Thank you, Allie!
Profile Image for Mikayla Feagley.
105 reviews2 followers
June 7, 2025
I’ve never fought through a book so hard. I can’t stand the fmc. I almost dnf every time I read.
Profile Image for Addy Gray.
96 reviews
July 3, 2025
the thought of you was my first book by allie lasky, and i will definitely read more. her characters were so kind and the friend group was great, that i would read her other books about them.

update: i did not finish the series. it got to cringy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews

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