The Flatmate

by Tessa Thorne

You let her into your home. Now she won’t let you leave.

Sophie Carter needs a fresh start. After a painful break-up and struggling to stay afloat, taking in a flatmate seems like the perfect solution and Emilia Taylor seems like the perfect fit.

Soon they become friends. But something isn’t right.

Small things start to feel… off. A missing scarf. A door left open that Sophie swore she locked. The unsettling feeling of being watched. And as Sophie’s world begins to unravel, she starts to wonder if letting Emilia in was the worst mistake she’s ever made.

Because Emilia doesn’t just want to be Sophie’s friend. She wants so much more.

And if she can’t have her… no one can…

Fans of Freida McFadden and Alice Feeney will devour this fast-paced, unsettling thriller, where obsession turns deadly, and escape might not be an option.

Genres: Thriller, Audiobook, Psychological Thriller

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 14, 2025

Reviews

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talking about the roommate from hell! I really enjoyed this story & it made me feel like I was watching a movie in those intense moments. This story went really creepy really fast! One moment things are fine, the next they’re not. The author does a great job capturing that creeping sense of dread when something feels off, and tension builds as things escalate.

When Sophie & Daniel break up, she can no longer afford the mortgage on her own. Desperate for the financial support, she runs an ad for a flatmate. Emilia answers and the 2 hit it off like old friends. Until Emilia’s behaviors become increasingly disturbing! Ignoring all the bright red flags 🚩🚩, Sophie makes excuses for Emilia believing her as she explains everything away. She will soon regret this decision!

Whether you’ve had your own roommate horror story or just enjoy stories about toxic dynamics unraveling, this book will be enjoyable. Highly recommend!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jordanne Vine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like no one even proof read this 🤔

[Candace Bau]

Weird not edited

Edit it. Things were good but then they talk about laptop being invaded yet next sentence is looking at her phone. I may not get that intelligent but I can read things aren't edited.

[Jo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did anyone proofread this?

[Amy]

DNF @ 7%

My 2nd DNF in a row. The writing is too amateurish & needs an editor (example: the main character closes herself in the bathroom but slams the bedroom door).

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had potential, but it just didn’t deliver. The premise was promising—roommate tension, psychological suspense—but the execution fell flat. The pacing dragged, with way too much repetition, and honestly, it could’ve wrapped up 60 pages earlier without losing anything important.

There were noticeable spelling and punctuation errors that took me out of the story, and by the end, I was just pushing through to finish it. The plot had a solid foundation, but the ending felt rushed and unconvincing. Disappointing overall.

[MRS M R DUNNE · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I hadn’t…

Repetitive, a direct rip off (as has been said several times) of Single White Female. I speed read the last quarter or so of this book and the end couldn’t come quickly enough. Speaking of the end; it’s the second book I’ve read this week with this type of ending and I’m definitely not a fan. I’d just watch the movie, SWF. It’s quicker.

[Zoey 💫🛋️📚☕️🫖💫 · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was such a bad book. I don’t think anyone edited it, and the storyline was ridiculous. It got worse as it went on. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone, and I hate I wasted my time.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was awful, it’s like it hasn’t been proofread, names in the wrong places and words missing. In some parts, one character was sat on the sofa, a chair and then the floor all within a paragraph 🙄
A laptop was broken, but then suddenly working again?! How did that happen?!

[Sammy Aguirre · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was expecting there to be some kind of twist at the end and there wasn’t one it’s very amateurish and unbelievable

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Drink every time the author says “her breath hitched/caught in her throat”

[Ashy Eddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a pretty devastating break up Sophie needs help with the rent and rents out to someone who fits perfectly on paper… she is eager and Emilia seems so perfect. Maybe too perfect.. but Sophie literally does not have the luxury to be picky.

What could go wrong, right?
Well at first not much. Random coincidences and things that would make you double take but can be easily explained. Like missing clothes, or things moving around, Emilia wearing Sophie’s clothes she left in the laundry room. But then when does it stop?

To be fair… her friend warns her that if she is feeling something seems off to trust her gut. Not much to do when they are sharing your space and you need the extra cash though, except try to play nice and not overthink things too much. Because How do you truly know if someone is a psychopath before getting to know them though. Sophia was honestly doing what most people would and gave the person the benefit of the doubt.

I wouldnt have put up with any of the issues that were coming up in this book. But it definitely was thrilling to see the escalation. And you can see where letting something’s slide can snowball into the disturbing chaos that is The Flatmate!

If you like thrillers and plot twists and just want a fun book this is definitely worth a read. (I’m not gonna lie I enjoyed this more than The Tenant…js).

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[JulieAnn Crane · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise had strong potential, and the pacing stayed consistently high throughout. However, I feel like the book missed the mark for me in several key areas.

There were some intense and creepy moments involving the flatmate, the tension and actions often plateaued and repeated instead of escalating. And, when things did intensify, Sophie’s reactions didn’t always seem consistent or believable, which made it difficult to stay grounded in her POV and the danger that she was facing. The dialogue leaned into melodrama at times, pulling me out of the story. And while the ending was fabulous in theory, it needed more set up to fully land.

For readers who enjoy heightened drama and fast pacing, this might be a compelling read, but ultimately, it didn’t quite work for me.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anniina Harju · Rating 2 out of 5]

while this was a fast-paced and a fairly enjoyable retelling of single white female, there were also glaring issues with the book. or rather one, which is a highly doubt anyone edited this.

the characters seemed to be able to teleport, they clearly all had amnesia, not to mention their changes in attitude gave me whiplash.

the ending was honestly too much and it would've been better, if the book ended after the fall.

[Nicole Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this it really makes things scary when you are a single women who needs a roommate but it will educate you and get you out of the safe zone this book was good action packed and the end didnt disappaoint


I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Madelene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Verkligen en kopia av "Ensam ung kvinna söker", fast sämre, mycket mycket sämre. Huvudkaraktären målas upp som bestämd och smart men beter sig verkligen tvärtemot. Efter mer än halva boken gått och jag hade hittat ungefär 40 olika sätt för henne att ta sig ur situationen men hon bara försatt sig i mer och mer problem istället fick jag nog. Frustrerande.

[Nubian Book Girlie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay okay okay. I was looking forward to this book as I love a good psych thriller. I went the audiobook route, and this book was horrible. It was repetitive and the main character worked my entire nerves with her constant naivety. It felt like this was done before. The book could have ended sooner and the end disappointed me. No thanks.

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty sure she had a low budget editor or none at all. I liked the plot of the book but there were SO many grammatical errors. Wrong names, typos, misspelled words, one minute it was a laptop the next it was a phone. It was like she’d forget she already explained something to a character. Disappointing.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic read.

I read this book in one go, couldn't put it down. It was really well written and had me holding my breath and big wide eyes a fair few times. Fantastic book!

[Dean Pearce · Rating 4 out of 5]

The flatmate

Storyline was good, if maybe a little predictable.
Could have done with more characters in the story.
Overall I enjoyed the book, I have 3or 4 on the go at present but evening came and I went back to this.

[E O'Neill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyed the plot. It reminded me of the film The Roomate. Some aspects felt repetitive and had some spelling mistakes. Feel like it could be a higher rating with some fine tuning.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Andrea A · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars review for audio

Very good listening and narration. Sophie breaks up with her fiancee Daniel and takes on the room mate from hell....Amelia. Many good psychological twists and turns. However I've seen elements of this in the early 90s movie Single White Female with Bridget Fonda .

[Kasturi Pillay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good Thriller book that kept me interested and engaged fast pace with a good ending I didn't want to put the book down

[Gaynor Topley · Rating 4 out of 5]

omg, please tell me there's a book 2

[VICKY ANN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riveting

A book I could not put down. With each page something interesting was about to happen! The ending keeps you wanting more.

[Rachael Gathercole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this pretty quickly, it gave Misery vibes. Emilia is obsessive and just wants Sophie to be her best friend, but at what cost?

[Deni Tipuric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my type of thriller, but it was a good book

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

What an amazing psychological thriller with an amazing twist at the end, I couldn’t get through this book quick enough! Definitely a recommended read.

[Deborah Wilkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

slow start but worth reading.

[Brandy Padgett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book!

I looked forward to reading this book every morning and evening. Story line moved along nicely and kept me engaged.