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The Roommate Arrangement
Not yet published
Expected 27 Jan 26When Blair accidentally becomes college roommates with her brother’s best friend, sparks fly in this hilarious rom-com from bestselling author Samantha Markum, perfect for fans of Lynn Painter and Emma Lord.
Blair might be a little type-A, but she never thought of herself as completely overbearing…that is, until her two best friends drop her from their housing arrangement a week before her pre-college summer coding program is about to start.
Blair knows if she switches to an on-campus dorm, her parents will make her give up her expensive sculpture class with her dream mentor in order to pay for it. Desperate, she agrees to be the fifth roommate to four off-campus sophomores who are also in a last-minute bind. But things get complicated when one of her new roommates turns out to be her brother’s best friend, Jamie Atwater.
Blair begs Jamie not to tell her brother about the new living arrangement. Her brother would go straight to their parents, who would definitely not approve, and all her plans would fall apart. So they strike a deal: she’ll help him finish coding the app he’s building if he promises to keep her secret.
Spending more time together shouldn’t be a problem. Sure, Jamie has a new haircut, a mysterious tattoo, and a year’s worth of earned muscle, but it’s not like Blair is noticing. After all, they’re only roommates, right?
Blair might be a little type-A, but she never thought of herself as completely overbearing…that is, until her two best friends drop her from their housing arrangement a week before her pre-college summer coding program is about to start.
Blair knows if she switches to an on-campus dorm, her parents will make her give up her expensive sculpture class with her dream mentor in order to pay for it. Desperate, she agrees to be the fifth roommate to four off-campus sophomores who are also in a last-minute bind. But things get complicated when one of her new roommates turns out to be her brother’s best friend, Jamie Atwater.
Blair begs Jamie not to tell her brother about the new living arrangement. Her brother would go straight to their parents, who would definitely not approve, and all her plans would fall apart. So they strike a deal: she’ll help him finish coding the app he’s building if he promises to keep her secret.
Spending more time together shouldn’t be a problem. Sure, Jamie has a new haircut, a mysterious tattoo, and a year’s worth of earned muscle, but it’s not like Blair is noticing. After all, they’re only roommates, right?
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication January 27, 2026
13 people are currently reading
731 people want to read
About the author
Samantha Markum
4 books453 followersSamantha Markum is the USA Today bestselling author of Love, Off the Record, You Wouldn't Dare, and This May End Badly. She was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, where she got her great literary start writing Newsies fan fiction in middle school. When she’s not writing, she can be found playing cozy video games, attempting to revive her half-dead house plants, and getting in bed before sunset. When she is writing, you can find her staring at the wall in search of inspiration. Visit her at samanthamarkum.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Sometimes the path to peace involves ditching STEM.
This a perfect YA coming-of-age romance!
Blair's perfect future plans of moving in with her best friends for first year and starting her advanced STEM program gets blown up when her turd friends kick her out a week before move in. She also realizes they talk mad smack about her when she's not there. She's better than me cause I would have potentially committed arson.
Anyways, this leads her to a way cooler group of roommates with one of them being her brother's very smart, vert hot, very bald (it's a buzz cut) best friend. The romance was very sweet and very realistic for two highly stressed out teenagers in a forced proximity situation.
I cried like twice because damn being that age was so hard. I love when an author doesn't shy away from the tough topics.
Still, this is a hopeful story about finding your own way and finding the people that make it all worth it.
[4.5 overall]
This a perfect YA coming-of-age romance!
Blair's perfect future plans of moving in with her best friends for first year and starting her advanced STEM program gets blown up when her turd friends kick her out a week before move in. She also realizes they talk mad smack about her when she's not there. She's better than me cause I would have potentially committed arson.
Anyways, this leads her to a way cooler group of roommates with one of them being her brother's very smart, vert hot, very bald (it's a buzz cut) best friend. The romance was very sweet and very realistic for two highly stressed out teenagers in a forced proximity situation.
I cried like twice because damn being that age was so hard. I love when an author doesn't shy away from the tough topics.
Still, this is a hopeful story about finding your own way and finding the people that make it all worth it.
[4.5 overall]
August 11, 2025
Thank you Simon Teen for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!
• My Reading Experience: Enjoyed!!
• Book Spice: None
• Content Thoughts:
I really enjoyed the college dorm-apartment setting in this book. The setting felt believable and all of the characters had a distinct personality. I loved how nerdy the main characters are with their love of coding and DND.
There were several relatable moments in this book that made me reflect on how I approach and think about things in my own life.
The romance itself was cute, but I wish there had been more depth to their connection — more little moments where we could see it growing and developing. Still, I absolutely loved the FMC’s journey towards learning to embrace being the champion of her own life. That growth was easily my favorite part of the story. Go you, boo! 💜
• My Reading Experience: Enjoyed!!
• Book Spice: None
• Content Thoughts:
I really enjoyed the college dorm-apartment setting in this book. The setting felt believable and all of the characters had a distinct personality. I loved how nerdy the main characters are with their love of coding and DND.
There were several relatable moments in this book that made me reflect on how I approach and think about things in my own life.
The romance itself was cute, but I wish there had been more depth to their connection — more little moments where we could see it growing and developing. Still, I absolutely loved the FMC’s journey towards learning to embrace being the champion of her own life. That growth was easily my favorite part of the story. Go you, boo! 💜
October 24, 2025
Wow! I wasn’t expecting to sit down and read this in one sitting, but that is exactly what happened, because I couldn’t put it down! I’ve read all of Samantha Markum’s previous books, and I have to say that she is well in her way to becoming one of the big names in YA. Her books are never afraid to tackle big topics, and The Roommate Arrangement was no exception.
The Roommate arrangement focuses on Blair, whose freshman year is basically every college student's worst nightmares come true. Her housing falls through, she get put in a class with a rude professor who targets her, and worst of all, she has to live with her older brother's annoying friend.
What I liked:
-open discussions about mental health issues. I love that characters in this book were open about their struggles, and that panic attack scene was so well written. I also appreciated that not everyone’s problems were solved by the end, but that the characters were still able to grow.
-Blair! I don’t know if it’s just because I sympathize with her everything-keeps-getting-worse situation, or if I was able to recognize myself in her, but she was by far my favorite character. Her character felt so real to me, and I think she was honestly the shining star of the novel. I loved the ways she handled her struggles with kindness (well, most of them), yet wasn’t afraid to speak her mind.
- Saywer. I can’t say too much because of spoilers, but it takes skill to make a character whom I HATED into one of my favorites.
What I didn’t like:
(Keep in mind that these aren’t necessarily bad things, just things I didn’t enjoy quite as much)
-Jamie. I don’t have any issues with him, per se, but I felt that he was just…kinda… there. Which is funny, because he does play a pretty crucial part in the plot and in Blair’s character development. He is such a kindhearted, sweet boy, but I honestly didn’t feel attached to him the same way I felt attached to Blair.
The Roommate Arrangement was a fantastic read. The characters felt real, and it touched on problems like issues with parents, mental health, and false friends. If you’re a fan of K.L Walther or Lynn Painter, this is absolutely for you!
I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this phenomenal e-arc! all opinions expressed are my own
The Roommate arrangement focuses on Blair, whose freshman year is basically every college student's worst nightmares come true. Her housing falls through, she get put in a class with a rude professor who targets her, and worst of all, she has to live with her older brother's annoying friend.
What I liked:
-open discussions about mental health issues. I love that characters in this book were open about their struggles, and that panic attack scene was so well written. I also appreciated that not everyone’s problems were solved by the end, but that the characters were still able to grow.
-Blair! I don’t know if it’s just because I sympathize with her everything-keeps-getting-worse situation, or if I was able to recognize myself in her, but she was by far my favorite character. Her character felt so real to me, and I think she was honestly the shining star of the novel. I loved the ways she handled her struggles with kindness (well, most of them), yet wasn’t afraid to speak her mind.
- Saywer. I can’t say too much because of spoilers, but it takes skill to make a character whom I HATED into one of my favorites.
What I didn’t like:
(Keep in mind that these aren’t necessarily bad things, just things I didn’t enjoy quite as much)
-Jamie. I don’t have any issues with him, per se, but I felt that he was just…kinda… there. Which is funny, because he does play a pretty crucial part in the plot and in Blair’s character development. He is such a kindhearted, sweet boy, but I honestly didn’t feel attached to him the same way I felt attached to Blair.
The Roommate Arrangement was a fantastic read. The characters felt real, and it touched on problems like issues with parents, mental health, and false friends. If you’re a fan of K.L Walther or Lynn Painter, this is absolutely for you!
I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this phenomenal e-arc! all opinions expressed are my own
October 11, 2025
Well, I didn’t intend to read this in a single day but here we are…
This was SUCH an enjoyable YA contemporary! As I was reading I was thinking to myself that I haven’t enjoyed a YA contemporary this much in a long time, so yay! I loved this one!
I’ve read all of this author’s books, and she writes romantic tension and banter SO WELL. The chemistry between Blair and Jamie absolutely SIZZLED. I loved every scene with them together. Their dislike of each other was spot on, and you can really see the dynamic of their relationship change as time passes. Something as simple as the intensity of the gaze between them had me swooning.
The romance was my favorite part of this book for sure, but I also LOVED the secondary characters and the friendship that develops there as well.
Basically, the summer before their first semester of college, Blair is planning to rent a place with her two best friends and live with them. However, just before it’s time to move in, it falls through, leaving her scrambling. She answers an ad for a roommate in desperation and ends up (accidentally) living with Jamie (her brother’s best friend) and several others in a shared apartment.
While I loved Jamie the best of course, I also really liked getting to know the new roommates. The dynamic between everyone was really fun. Blair isn’t particularly comfortable with them either, so it was nice to see friendship develop.
This is a very character driven story as well, with Blair learning a lot about herself and who she is as a person. I want to be vague because of spoilers but I will just say that I loved seeing that in her. She’s definitely a very different character by the end of the book.
If you want a cute and fun contemporary that also occasionally touches on some more serious subjects, you’d definitely like this one!
This was SUCH an enjoyable YA contemporary! As I was reading I was thinking to myself that I haven’t enjoyed a YA contemporary this much in a long time, so yay! I loved this one!
I’ve read all of this author’s books, and she writes romantic tension and banter SO WELL. The chemistry between Blair and Jamie absolutely SIZZLED. I loved every scene with them together. Their dislike of each other was spot on, and you can really see the dynamic of their relationship change as time passes. Something as simple as the intensity of the gaze between them had me swooning.
The romance was my favorite part of this book for sure, but I also LOVED the secondary characters and the friendship that develops there as well.
Basically, the summer before their first semester of college, Blair is planning to rent a place with her two best friends and live with them. However, just before it’s time to move in, it falls through, leaving her scrambling. She answers an ad for a roommate in desperation and ends up (accidentally) living with Jamie (her brother’s best friend) and several others in a shared apartment.
While I loved Jamie the best of course, I also really liked getting to know the new roommates. The dynamic between everyone was really fun. Blair isn’t particularly comfortable with them either, so it was nice to see friendship develop.
This is a very character driven story as well, with Blair learning a lot about herself and who she is as a person. I want to be vague because of spoilers but I will just say that I loved seeing that in her. She’s definitely a very different character by the end of the book.
If you want a cute and fun contemporary that also occasionally touches on some more serious subjects, you’d definitely like this one!
November 9, 2025
Five stars!
“ And maybe it isn’t real, but it doesn’t matter because I fell in love with you anyway. More and more every time I saw you. Love at every sight.”
All thanks to the author and NetGalley for this e-ARC. It’s been months since I’ve been able to really get into a book and not feel like reading was a chore. This book was nothing like a chore, it was incomprehensibly perfect. It wasn’t like something I’ve read before but it’s also not something wow-ing-ly new either. The idea was familiar, but the execution was extraordinary. Not only did I feel connected to the characters but I felt like I was a third party included in all of the action. From not reading to devouring this book in 3 days, I’d say it’s worth the five star rating.
“ And maybe it isn’t real, but it doesn’t matter because I fell in love with you anyway. More and more every time I saw you. Love at every sight.”
All thanks to the author and NetGalley for this e-ARC. It’s been months since I’ve been able to really get into a book and not feel like reading was a chore. This book was nothing like a chore, it was incomprehensibly perfect. It wasn’t like something I’ve read before but it’s also not something wow-ing-ly new either. The idea was familiar, but the execution was extraordinary. Not only did I feel connected to the characters but I felt like I was a third party included in all of the action. From not reading to devouring this book in 3 days, I’d say it’s worth the five star rating.
November 11, 2025
june 10th, 2025
omg cant wait
i love you samantha markum
nov 11th, 2025
this is what's gonna make me a reader again
omg cant wait
i love you samantha markum
nov 11th, 2025
this is what's gonna make me a reader again
October 26, 2025
samantha markum knows how to write the buzziest books like that’s sooooo crazy
September 27, 2025
Thank you so much, Simon Teen, for the physical and electronic ARCs in exchange for my honest thoughts.
CW: overbearing parents, on page panic attack, fat-phobic comments
Blair is left scrambling to find housing after her two best friends tell her they don’t want her living with them just one week before college summer classes begin. In a moment of desperation, Blair answers a random ad looking for a fifth roommate…and ends up rooming with her brother’s best friend.
Ok, let me start off by saying THANK GOD Blair’s friends ditched her because omg THEY SUCKED SO BAD. And also, Blair’s parents suck. So, I was glad she ended up in a random apartment full of new people, because they turned out to be the best friends and best found family for our girl. Her old friends and parents really really made me mad. 😆
I really enjoyed this book. Sam Markum really brought the enemies to lovers energy I like. It was filled with sharp banter, pining, and so so much physical comedy (which I always love). There was one moment early one where I highlighted a line and noted “AGH!!! SECRET PINING!! I love a good long haul pining. I thought Markum’s writing really shined in the full apartment scenes - whether it was band practice, or DnD night, or anything else. Give her a ton of people and a ton of volleying dialogue and she SHINES.
I have to be honest and say I struggled with Blair’s lying…but I had to remind myself that she is 18 and does not have a fully formed pre-frontal cortex, so I can give her some grace. But every lie stacked on top of another one just really crushed me. I did enjoy the ending though - the lessons Blair learned in the midst of the mess really felt earned.
Read this if you like a college setting, first person single POV, messy relationships, brother’s best friend, forbidden romance, secrets, banter, playfulness, and found family.
CW: overbearing parents, on page panic attack, fat-phobic comments
Blair is left scrambling to find housing after her two best friends tell her they don’t want her living with them just one week before college summer classes begin. In a moment of desperation, Blair answers a random ad looking for a fifth roommate…and ends up rooming with her brother’s best friend.
Ok, let me start off by saying THANK GOD Blair’s friends ditched her because omg THEY SUCKED SO BAD. And also, Blair’s parents suck. So, I was glad she ended up in a random apartment full of new people, because they turned out to be the best friends and best found family for our girl. Her old friends and parents really really made me mad. 😆
I really enjoyed this book. Sam Markum really brought the enemies to lovers energy I like. It was filled with sharp banter, pining, and so so much physical comedy (which I always love). There was one moment early one where I highlighted a line and noted “AGH!!! SECRET PINING!! I love a good long haul pining. I thought Markum’s writing really shined in the full apartment scenes - whether it was band practice, or DnD night, or anything else. Give her a ton of people and a ton of volleying dialogue and she SHINES.
I have to be honest and say I struggled with Blair’s lying…but I had to remind myself that she is 18 and does not have a fully formed pre-frontal cortex, so I can give her some grace. But every lie stacked on top of another one just really crushed me. I did enjoy the ending though - the lessons Blair learned in the midst of the mess really felt earned.
Read this if you like a college setting, first person single POV, messy relationships, brother’s best friend, forbidden romance, secrets, banter, playfulness, and found family.
November 20, 2025
This was so delightful! I basically read it all in one sitting. I've been in such a reading slump that this was so fun to read. I kept giggling and kicking my feet and talking to the book, which I haven't done in a long time. There's slow burn, a lot of will they/won't they, but the romance happens early enough that we get to enjoy everything.
I feel like I've definitely wanted to write something like this, about the complexity of dealing with family relationships as you first start to become an adult, and thought it was so well done here. The main character has a complicated relationship with her brother but also her parents, who are overly controlling and demanding, and I liked the way it showed her struggle with this and forming her own path while also being realistic about how hard it could be.
I love the found family vibes, the mental health exploration, also the exploration of what it means to not be good at something right away or to realize that the plan you originally had might not be the best one. Also this was so romantic! I don't know guys! This made me so happy! It was just what I needed.
I feel like I've definitely wanted to write something like this, about the complexity of dealing with family relationships as you first start to become an adult, and thought it was so well done here. The main character has a complicated relationship with her brother but also her parents, who are overly controlling and demanding, and I liked the way it showed her struggle with this and forming her own path while also being realistic about how hard it could be.
I love the found family vibes, the mental health exploration, also the exploration of what it means to not be good at something right away or to realize that the plan you originally had might not be the best one. Also this was so romantic! I don't know guys! This made me so happy! It was just what I needed.
October 30, 2025
IM SCREAMING THIS WAS EVERYTHING
I will start by saying I almost stopped reading when Blair was attending Central Florida State University in Orlando because I attended UCF in Orlando but this worked out so well with a made up college, I was not perceived!!
This was SO cute, I felt extremely represented by Blair as someone who also pursued a STEM major and felt crushed by the pressure of it. I also really liked the fat rep!
As much as I loved the romance, my favorite part of this book was Blair’s growth as a person and where she stands in her family dynamic. I cried and cheered her on so much, this was EVERYTHING.
I will start by saying I almost stopped reading when Blair was attending Central Florida State University in Orlando because I attended UCF in Orlando but this worked out so well with a made up college, I was not perceived!!
This was SO cute, I felt extremely represented by Blair as someone who also pursued a STEM major and felt crushed by the pressure of it. I also really liked the fat rep!
As much as I loved the romance, my favorite part of this book was Blair’s growth as a person and where she stands in her family dynamic. I cried and cheered her on so much, this was EVERYTHING.
November 23, 2025
Jamie is everything to me and he deserves the world. His buzz cut should have sonnets written about it. Now, one thing to know, is that the fmc is messyyyy. And in her life, everything is going wrong for the majority of this book. I got very frustrated with the situations she put herself/was put in. But the interactions between her and Jamie? 10/10. Made everything worth it. She was just figuring life out, ya know? I loved the message of the book and the ending was really good! The rest of it was really good, too, and I read ¾ of the book in one sitting, but like I said a lot of the situations frustrated me. 😅 Samantha Markum is defs an auto-read author for me!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free arc in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free arc in exchange for my honest review.
December 7, 2025
nothing like a samantha markum YA!! they're always funny, sweet, include a great lesson, and feature slightly messy but very endearing women. jamie and blair's relationship was cute but i wish we got a little bit more of their relationship before living together because it would've added to the "it's always been you" of it all. i liked blair's found family with her roommates, but would have liked a little bit more of the college setting because i love a campus novel.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!!
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!!
October 16, 2025
4.5 stars
Blair works hard and does as she's asked without question. A week before she leaves to get an early start with summer school, her two best friends drop her as a roommate with little to no explanation. Blair is hurt and confused by their callous attitudes. Scrambling to fix her housing, she switches to an off-campus dorm with less than savory recommendations. Moving in to the mixed housing, Blair is also confronted with her enemy/brother's best friend, Jamie.
As soon as I saw that Samantha Markum was coming out with another book, I requested it in as many ways as possible. I recognize that this is a bit much but that's how enthusiastic I am for the way she sucks me into her stories. Blair is endearing, Jamie is thoughtfully resistant to her helplessness and charm, and I loved it. There is one scene that felt a bit incongruous to the rest of the book, but otherwise, this was an absolute knock out. I highlighted multiple one-liners and will definitely revisit in the future for a re-read.
Thank you to Simon Teen and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
Blair works hard and does as she's asked without question. A week before she leaves to get an early start with summer school, her two best friends drop her as a roommate with little to no explanation. Blair is hurt and confused by their callous attitudes. Scrambling to fix her housing, she switches to an off-campus dorm with less than savory recommendations. Moving in to the mixed housing, Blair is also confronted with her enemy/brother's best friend, Jamie.
As soon as I saw that Samantha Markum was coming out with another book, I requested it in as many ways as possible. I recognize that this is a bit much but that's how enthusiastic I am for the way she sucks me into her stories. Blair is endearing, Jamie is thoughtfully resistant to her helplessness and charm, and I loved it. There is one scene that felt a bit incongruous to the rest of the book, but otherwise, this was an absolute knock out. I highlighted multiple one-liners and will definitely revisit in the future for a re-read.
Thank you to Simon Teen and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
October 31, 2025
Current rating: 4.25 stars
This May End Badly was such an enjoyable read for me, so naturally, I was ecstatic when I received the physical ARC and eARC for The Roommate Arrangement!
I was already smiling when I started the first chapter due to Samantha Markum's fun writing style and quickly devoured what I could of this book whenever I had free time. I loved the diverse cast and the various relationships Blair formed with the other characters were nice to read about! It was heartwarming to see her connect with better people, as the treatment from those she should have been able to trust was actually appalling. Blair's arc was definitely a ride, as her journey to better understanding what she truly wanted and finding the strength to do so was a difficult one, for which the rigid expectations placed on her are partially to blame 👀 Some ppl will like Blair, some ppl won't, but I found her completely understandable, even during moments (usually w/ Jamie) when I wanted to shake her a bit (lovingly).
As for the romance, I really liked Jamie as the love interest and getting to learn more about him along with Blair. Their progression from annoyances to lovers was done well, and Samantha Markum writes the best couch scenes, specifically of the tension-filled, late-night kind. Only minor gripe is that some romantic moments kinda came in a way where I felt like it was a bit more intense for the stage they were in at the time, but I can understand that things can sometimes happen in the moment, so it wasn't too shocking.
Overall, a fun read, and I'm excited for whatever Samantha Markum writes next!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC + eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This May End Badly was such an enjoyable read for me, so naturally, I was ecstatic when I received the physical ARC and eARC for The Roommate Arrangement!
I was already smiling when I started the first chapter due to Samantha Markum's fun writing style and quickly devoured what I could of this book whenever I had free time. I loved the diverse cast and the various relationships Blair formed with the other characters were nice to read about! It was heartwarming to see her connect with better people, as the treatment from those she should have been able to trust was actually appalling. Blair's arc was definitely a ride, as her journey to better understanding what she truly wanted and finding the strength to do so was a difficult one, for which the rigid expectations placed on her are partially to blame 👀 Some ppl will like Blair, some ppl won't, but I found her completely understandable, even during moments (usually w/ Jamie) when I wanted to shake her a bit (lovingly).
As for the romance, I really liked Jamie as the love interest and getting to learn more about him along with Blair. Their progression from annoyances to lovers was done well, and Samantha Markum writes the best couch scenes, specifically of the tension-filled, late-night kind. Only minor gripe is that some romantic moments kinda came in a way where I felt like it was a bit more intense for the stage they were in at the time, but I can understand that things can sometimes happen in the moment, so it wasn't too shocking.
Overall, a fun read, and I'm excited for whatever Samantha Markum writes next!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC + eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Blair and her 2 best friends are off to university. They are rooming together off campus. But days before the move her 2 bestie decide to ditch her, saying she's too type A for their taste. Blair, scrambling for a place to stay, answers an ad and starts staying with an eclectic group of people. The only problem is one of them is her brother's best friend. And she needs her family not to find out about this.
4 stars
Many thanks to Net Galley and RBmedia for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
4 stars
Many thanks to Net Galley and RBmedia for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 25, 2025
The Roommate Arrangement felt like rediscovering romance for the first time: each trope was entirely fresh, the tension struck every single page. Jamie and Blair literally invented being in love! Samantha Markum has totally captured the sparkling quality of Lynn Painter and Ali Hazelwood -- utterly addictive and big-hearted. Add in a side of outgrowing friendships, body acceptance, and overcoming parental expectations and you've got a five star, no notes, absolutely perfect romance.
October 12, 2025
I loved this! Self discovery, rejecting others’ narratives for your life, first love and found family?! I mean what’s not to love!
I rooted so hard for Blair! She’s trying so hard to figure out who she wants to be, and I loved following the journey with her!
Shout out to what I think is a reference to my Alma mater UCF (Central Florida State in the book)! I think I could even guess what off campus housing UGH was inspired by lol. Loved these local details!
I rooted so hard for Blair! She’s trying so hard to figure out who she wants to be, and I loved following the journey with her!
Shout out to what I think is a reference to my Alma mater UCF (Central Florida State in the book)! I think I could even guess what off campus housing UGH was inspired by lol. Loved these local details!
October 31, 2025
I think Samantha Markum hit another one out of the park. This book was so engaging and relatable and, at times, very difficult to read. But I still felt really optimistic at the end, despite the MCs big struggles. Markum is such a bright spot in the YA/New Adult romance genre. Thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books for the ARC.
July 31, 2025
Samantha Markum has done it again. There were several romantic lines that made me (metaphorically) scream into a pillow.
Content warnings: panic attacks, controlling parents, fatphobia (Blair is body-positive; there are a few snide remarks from others)
Content warnings: panic attacks, controlling parents, fatphobia (Blair is body-positive; there are a few snide remarks from others)
December 9, 2025
samantha markum doesn’t miss
January 1, 2026
The Roommate Arrangement was a fun, fast-paced rom-com that I flew through. The accidental roommates and brother’s-best-friend trope made this an easy, entertaining read from the start.
I really enjoyed Blair and Jamie as characters and loved watching their relationship develop. Their chemistry felt natural, and the roommate dynamics were a highlight—fun, warm, and full of great banter that gave the story a strong found-family feel.
However, the family pressure, especially from Blair’s parents, was not something I enjoyed. Their rigid expectations and prioritizing rules over their children’s happiness felt frustrating rather than compelling, and those moments were my least favorite parts of the book. That said, I did appreciate Blair’s growth and was glad to see her stand up for herself by the end.
I also liked the character growth we see from Blair’s brother, Sawyer, which added depth to the family dynamic without overshadowing the romance.
Overall, The Roommate Arrangement is a light, charming read with strong characters, fun roommate dynamics, and a satisfying romance.
I really enjoyed Blair and Jamie as characters and loved watching their relationship develop. Their chemistry felt natural, and the roommate dynamics were a highlight—fun, warm, and full of great banter that gave the story a strong found-family feel.
However, the family pressure, especially from Blair’s parents, was not something I enjoyed. Their rigid expectations and prioritizing rules over their children’s happiness felt frustrating rather than compelling, and those moments were my least favorite parts of the book. That said, I did appreciate Blair’s growth and was glad to see her stand up for herself by the end.
I also liked the character growth we see from Blair’s brother, Sawyer, which added depth to the family dynamic without overshadowing the romance.
Overall, The Roommate Arrangement is a light, charming read with strong characters, fun roommate dynamics, and a satisfying romance.
December 6, 2025
Thank you to Simon Teen for the eARC & physical ARC.
4.5 stars.
I ended up reading this all in one day, I was absolutely hooked.
Blair gets dropped by her “best friends” right before she’s supposed to start her summer college course, and after a last minute scramble, she ends up in a roommate situation with her brother’s best friend. The brother that acts like he hates her… Oh, let the bickering start.
This was such a story of growth. Blair struggles with doing what she really wants or what her strict stepdad and mom want for her. I loved seeing her grow, especially once she had some true support. The side characters really shone here, creating a found family feel.
And the romance was just right. While Blair and Jamie initially bicker and try to ignore each other, it’s clear that the boy has been down bad for her for a long time.
I loved this one and I’ll happily read more from this author.
4.5 stars.
I ended up reading this all in one day, I was absolutely hooked.
Blair gets dropped by her “best friends” right before she’s supposed to start her summer college course, and after a last minute scramble, she ends up in a roommate situation with her brother’s best friend. The brother that acts like he hates her… Oh, let the bickering start.
This was such a story of growth. Blair struggles with doing what she really wants or what her strict stepdad and mom want for her. I loved seeing her grow, especially once she had some true support. The side characters really shone here, creating a found family feel.
And the romance was just right. While Blair and Jamie initially bicker and try to ignore each other, it’s clear that the boy has been down bad for her for a long time.
I loved this one and I’ll happily read more from this author.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I am an official Samantha Markum fan now. I loved LOVE OFF THE RECORD, I still think about it and recommend it all the time. So I have been looking forward to this book and I was not disappointed at all. I read it in one sitting. Markum did what I love best in contemporary romances which is make the characters feel real and flawed, as well as create GREAT romantic tension. The FMC Blair is a rule follower, high achiever who wants to succeed and please her parents but after going to college starts to struggle academically for the first time. I think that is something a lot of students can relate to. How to deal with that struggle and how that impacts not only their own self-perception/esteem but also their relationship with their parents. Freshmen in college also often confront the issue of how much to reveal and how much to keep from their parents when they’re away for the first time.
I also appreciated that Markum not only created great romantic tension but managed something that seems increasingly rare in YA novels: The physical scenes were very tension-filled and satisfying without being too mature/graphic (IMO). HUGE props on this. I feel like I could give this to both teens who don’t want something too graphic and who want a little older/edgier feeling. And who doesn’t love a great “my hand is barely touching his but OMG this is setting my stomach aquiver with excitement” scene? (BTW *spoiler* they eventually do more than touch hands but there’s a lot of other light touches like this that happen too that are just as important and exciting.)
Other things I really liked are the great secondary characters and the friendships they provided, Blair’s realistic character details like having food allergies and being thoughtful and fine with being fat, and a complicated relationship with her brother.
A few minor things I would have changed (spoiler-y):
Blair’s HS friends seemed almost too villainous to be believed. I was thinking for sure there would be some scene where her new roommates would encounter her old friends somehow and be like “Too neat and controlling? Blair? Are we talking about the same person?” And that character thread wasn’t a huge part of the book but it could have had a little bit more in terms of “is Blair contorting herself too much for her new friends and trying to be someone she isn’t” (or let her neatness/controlling thoughts/impulses come out a little bit more while she’s living in the new house but it’s not something terrible like her HS friends made it out to be or that can’t be dealt with).
And definitely spoilers here:
I loved Jamie and yes there were things Blair and her parents thought badly about him but they all kind of seemed to be misunderstanding non-issues (except his dangerous car - loved that recurring detail!). He ended up being almost too perfect, especially when he ends up revealing he was in love with her since the first time he met her. I would honestly have preferred he came to love her as he got to know her more as college students apart from Sawyer and their parents.
The post it-note-drawer scene 💗☠️
The hands-barely-touch-couch-scene 🤲😍
“The treasure-hoarding dragon in me wants to gobble up these moments like gold and gems”🤩😲⭐️⭐️⭐️
I also appreciated that Markum not only created great romantic tension but managed something that seems increasingly rare in YA novels: The physical scenes were very tension-filled and satisfying without being too mature/graphic (IMO). HUGE props on this. I feel like I could give this to both teens who don’t want something too graphic and who want a little older/edgier feeling. And who doesn’t love a great “my hand is barely touching his but OMG this is setting my stomach aquiver with excitement” scene? (BTW *spoiler* they eventually do more than touch hands but there’s a lot of other light touches like this that happen too that are just as important and exciting.)
Other things I really liked are the great secondary characters and the friendships they provided, Blair’s realistic character details like having food allergies and being thoughtful and fine with being fat, and a complicated relationship with her brother.
A few minor things I would have changed (spoiler-y):
Blair’s HS friends seemed almost too villainous to be believed. I was thinking for sure there would be some scene where her new roommates would encounter her old friends somehow and be like “Too neat and controlling? Blair? Are we talking about the same person?” And that character thread wasn’t a huge part of the book but it could have had a little bit more in terms of “is Blair contorting herself too much for her new friends and trying to be someone she isn’t” (or let her neatness/controlling thoughts/impulses come out a little bit more while she’s living in the new house but it’s not something terrible like her HS friends made it out to be or that can’t be dealt with).
And definitely spoilers here:
I loved Jamie and yes there were things Blair and her parents thought badly about him but they all kind of seemed to be misunderstanding non-issues (except his dangerous car - loved that recurring detail!). He ended up being almost too perfect, especially when he ends up revealing he was in love with her since the first time he met her. I would honestly have preferred he came to love her as he got to know her more as college students apart from Sawyer and their parents.
The post it-note-drawer scene 💗☠️
The hands-barely-touch-couch-scene 🤲😍
“The treasure-hoarding dragon in me wants to gobble up these moments like gold and gems”🤩😲⭐️⭐️⭐️
October 15, 2025
3.25/5⭐
This was just what I needed. I was in the trenches of a reading slump and Samantha Markum pulled me right out of it.
I was instantly sucked into this world. Blair's passion for the arts was so enthralling to read about. I love how we got to see her in her art classes, as slowly begins defeating the need for 'perfection' in all that she tries which was a nice contrast to her computer science class where she was dealing with the same issues but in a negative way. I love the way this was tackled and how Blair gained agency throughout the book, learning from her past mistakes in both her art and in the way that she thought about things.
Jamie was a little nerd and I loveeeeee that so much. His aloof personality coupled with his utter yearning for Blair was incredible. I thought his character was very interesting as a whole though. I found myself beginning to hate the way he treated Blair. Some of his comments felt like pure meanness instead of some harsh banter. I think that he was too hard on her in many ways and I didn't understand why especially if he actually likes her like he said. I just couldn't get behind that.
Jamie and Blair together was SO CUTE at times and the tension was amazing (hello, sickness scene/panic attack) but I did find their relationship progression to be not as satisfactory as I felt like I didn't see enough of them as individuals with complimentary personalities to envision them as a couple and then they were together.
Overall, I thought the entire books pacing was off. There was a lot of skipping around in time and while I still feel like we got to see what the characters were doing, I also feel like we missed out on some events as they would be talked about but not shown. There is one chapter about a game night and we see them set up the game and have all this banter but then the chapter ends and we never know who won/how the game play went. Small things like that would have benefitted from expansion and more in-depth discussion. I also don't think Blair's transition to having a rocky relationship with her parents was explored enough, nor do I understand their family dynamic in the slightest- especially Jamie's family situation. More subtle comments/recounting of past memories would have made this clearer.
The friend group was so fun and I thought that the ins-and-outs of being roommates with complete strangers was done really well. The way they began to truly come together at the end was so good!!!
I think this book was lacking in the banter department for me and just depth in areas that I wanted more or less of. I also had crazy high expectations because I LOVED Love, Off The Record by the same author. But I would recommend this one to someone who wants a romance that has deeper topics weaved in and leaves you with something to think about while still giving you a stay-up-till-3am experience because you just want the characters to kiss already!!
A big thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and Simon Teen for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!!
This was just what I needed. I was in the trenches of a reading slump and Samantha Markum pulled me right out of it.
I was instantly sucked into this world. Blair's passion for the arts was so enthralling to read about. I love how we got to see her in her art classes, as slowly begins defeating the need for 'perfection' in all that she tries which was a nice contrast to her computer science class where she was dealing with the same issues but in a negative way. I love the way this was tackled and how Blair gained agency throughout the book, learning from her past mistakes in both her art and in the way that she thought about things.
Jamie was a little nerd and I loveeeeee that so much. His aloof personality coupled with his utter yearning for Blair was incredible. I thought his character was very interesting as a whole though. I found myself beginning to hate the way he treated Blair. Some of his comments felt like pure meanness instead of some harsh banter. I think that he was too hard on her in many ways and I didn't understand why especially if he actually likes her like he said. I just couldn't get behind that.
Jamie and Blair together was SO CUTE at times and the tension was amazing (hello, sickness scene/panic attack) but I did find their relationship progression to be not as satisfactory as I felt like I didn't see enough of them as individuals with complimentary personalities to envision them as a couple and then they were together.
Overall, I thought the entire books pacing was off. There was a lot of skipping around in time and while I still feel like we got to see what the characters were doing, I also feel like we missed out on some events as they would be talked about but not shown. There is one chapter about a game night and we see them set up the game and have all this banter but then the chapter ends and we never know who won/how the game play went. Small things like that would have benefitted from expansion and more in-depth discussion. I also don't think Blair's transition to having a rocky relationship with her parents was explored enough, nor do I understand their family dynamic in the slightest- especially Jamie's family situation. More subtle comments/recounting of past memories would have made this clearer.
The friend group was so fun and I thought that the ins-and-outs of being roommates with complete strangers was done really well. The way they began to truly come together at the end was so good!!!
I think this book was lacking in the banter department for me and just depth in areas that I wanted more or less of. I also had crazy high expectations because I LOVED Love, Off The Record by the same author. But I would recommend this one to someone who wants a romance that has deeper topics weaved in and leaves you with something to think about while still giving you a stay-up-till-3am experience because you just want the characters to kiss already!!
A big thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and Simon Teen for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I like the fact that while The Roommate Arrangement is categorized as YA, it follows 18/19 year old college students so it has the air of being new adult without, basically, any spice. If you like deeper topics intertwined with a bit less romance, this book is a great choice! I was definitely engrossed the whole time, considering I read it in basically two sittings.
The story made sense - you have a girl who doesn’t get along with her family, especially her older brother and his friend, who has a falling out with her friends and has to scramble for last minute college housing for her summer accelerated program. Blair is a complex character who is headstrong, adamant, but still has some youthful ignorance and growing to do in her role.
I don’t like perfect characters and no one in this book was perfect (least of all her parents who I actually feel like were made too hateable because I still despise their behavior).
I struggled with my rating, it’s probably a 3.75 that I’m rounding up because even if I found Blair and Jamie frustrating at time, the end resolution with the parents, while probably a likelihood for some people, didn’t sit right for me and actually made me feel physically angry. The rocky parental situation could have been explored more clearly, because I didn’t necessarily agree with the arrangement by the end. Victor, I actually hate you!
The mental health representation was well done here! Seeing the agony Blair went through over feeling inadequate in her class was hard but ultimately she needed to realize a few things to deal with it. While I certainly had harsh professors in college (and I was never in an advanced program like Blair) I did think the meanness of the professor was dramatized. Maybe it’s not the same since I was never in computer science, but not all professors will be like that and I think that’s an important thing to note - because that portrayal could scare someone off! Then again, the juxtaposition from the art class/teacher did help balance some of the toxicity going on in the APM 🤷🏻♀️
Sam Markum became an auto-read author for me after Love, Off The Record. While The Roommate Arrangement was enjoyable, it didn’t scratch the itch that LOTR did for me! Especially in terms of plus size rep. It’s stated maybe ambiguously for a while until Blair says something about being fat. I would’ve liked it to be a smudge less subtle, but it also didn’t have anything to do with a weigh loss journey which I appreciated. More love and pining after fat girls!!!
I did like Blair and Jamie when they did finally realize each other’s feelings, but the chemistry felt a little more forced proximity than the actual he fell first vibe. Jamie was hard to read but eventually seeing more of his layers helped make me feel like he was more wholesome than expected. The post it’s!! The thing about it is, Jamie will never be Three for me!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Great for fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon and Lynn Painter.
The story made sense - you have a girl who doesn’t get along with her family, especially her older brother and his friend, who has a falling out with her friends and has to scramble for last minute college housing for her summer accelerated program. Blair is a complex character who is headstrong, adamant, but still has some youthful ignorance and growing to do in her role.
I don’t like perfect characters and no one in this book was perfect (least of all her parents who I actually feel like were made too hateable because I still despise their behavior).
I struggled with my rating, it’s probably a 3.75 that I’m rounding up because even if I found Blair and Jamie frustrating at time, the end resolution with the parents, while probably a likelihood for some people, didn’t sit right for me and actually made me feel physically angry. The rocky parental situation could have been explored more clearly, because I didn’t necessarily agree with the arrangement by the end. Victor, I actually hate you!
The mental health representation was well done here! Seeing the agony Blair went through over feeling inadequate in her class was hard but ultimately she needed to realize a few things to deal with it. While I certainly had harsh professors in college (and I was never in an advanced program like Blair) I did think the meanness of the professor was dramatized. Maybe it’s not the same since I was never in computer science, but not all professors will be like that and I think that’s an important thing to note - because that portrayal could scare someone off! Then again, the juxtaposition from the art class/teacher did help balance some of the toxicity going on in the APM 🤷🏻♀️
Sam Markum became an auto-read author for me after Love, Off The Record. While The Roommate Arrangement was enjoyable, it didn’t scratch the itch that LOTR did for me! Especially in terms of plus size rep. It’s stated maybe ambiguously for a while until Blair says something about being fat. I would’ve liked it to be a smudge less subtle, but it also didn’t have anything to do with a weigh loss journey which I appreciated. More love and pining after fat girls!!!
I did like Blair and Jamie when they did finally realize each other’s feelings, but the chemistry felt a little more forced proximity than the actual he fell first vibe. Jamie was hard to read but eventually seeing more of his layers helped make me feel like he was more wholesome than expected. The post it’s!! The thing about it is, Jamie will never be Three for me!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Great for fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon and Lynn Painter.
December 1, 2025
The Roommate Arrangement is a sweet YA romance.
The story follows 18 year old Blair who is going to attend a pre-college summer coding program. However, her two best friends drop her from their housing arrangement a week before the program starts. If Blair switches to on-campus housing, her parents will make her give up the sculpture class she's taking with her dream mentor. Not wanting to give up the class and feeling desperate, Blair agrees to be the fifth roommate to four off-campus sophomores who are in a sticky situation themselves. But things get complicated when Blair discovers one of her new roommates is her brother's best friend, Jamie Atwater.
Knowing her brother wouldn't approve of their living arrangement and would go straight to their parents, Blair begs Jamie not to tell her brother about their situation. Jamie makes a bargain with Blair; he won't tell her brother if she helps him finish coding the app he's building. This situation should be easy for Blair since she's never been attracted to Jamie before, but the more time her and Jamie spend together, the more she wants to get to know him. Soon enough she finds herself thinking about his attractive new haircut, muscular build, and that mysterious tattoo she spotted...
Tropes that can be found in this book are:
Frenemies to lovers
Forced proximity
Brother's best friend
Found family
Self-Discovery
Secrets
Step parent/Family Drama
While this is a fun romance, it took me a few chapters to really get into it. Blair is pretty nasty to Jamie for quite a while and their arguing gets a little annoying. Once her feelings for him start to change the book gets better. Jamie and Blair develop a good relationship with each other and begin to open up to each other more and more. The way Jamie is there for Blair when she needs help is really sweet. They have some good moments together, and Jamie helps Blair figure out what she wants in life; if she really wants to be a computer major in college or not. They both help each other in different ways, and are supportive of each other when things inevitably blow up in Blair's face.
I love Blair and Jamie's roommates. They are a very fun cast of characters who bring lightheartedness to the book. They are a good contrast to Blair's two best friends who ditch her at the start of the book. Blair's mentor is also a good character. She provides a sounding board for Blair and helps her work through a few things.
This is a sweet story, but it's not my favorite YA romance and I'm not sure I will read it again. It just felt like a typical romance and there wasn't anything that made it stand apart from other YA romances that I've read. There was also a lot that felt predictable about it. So, not a bad book but not stellar either.
The story follows 18 year old Blair who is going to attend a pre-college summer coding program. However, her two best friends drop her from their housing arrangement a week before the program starts. If Blair switches to on-campus housing, her parents will make her give up the sculpture class she's taking with her dream mentor. Not wanting to give up the class and feeling desperate, Blair agrees to be the fifth roommate to four off-campus sophomores who are in a sticky situation themselves. But things get complicated when Blair discovers one of her new roommates is her brother's best friend, Jamie Atwater.
Knowing her brother wouldn't approve of their living arrangement and would go straight to their parents, Blair begs Jamie not to tell her brother about their situation. Jamie makes a bargain with Blair; he won't tell her brother if she helps him finish coding the app he's building. This situation should be easy for Blair since she's never been attracted to Jamie before, but the more time her and Jamie spend together, the more she wants to get to know him. Soon enough she finds herself thinking about his attractive new haircut, muscular build, and that mysterious tattoo she spotted...
Tropes that can be found in this book are:
Frenemies to lovers
Forced proximity
Brother's best friend
Found family
Self-Discovery
Secrets
Step parent/Family Drama
While this is a fun romance, it took me a few chapters to really get into it. Blair is pretty nasty to Jamie for quite a while and their arguing gets a little annoying. Once her feelings for him start to change the book gets better. Jamie and Blair develop a good relationship with each other and begin to open up to each other more and more. The way Jamie is there for Blair when she needs help is really sweet. They have some good moments together, and Jamie helps Blair figure out what she wants in life; if she really wants to be a computer major in college or not. They both help each other in different ways, and are supportive of each other when things inevitably blow up in Blair's face.
I love Blair and Jamie's roommates. They are a very fun cast of characters who bring lightheartedness to the book. They are a good contrast to Blair's two best friends who ditch her at the start of the book. Blair's mentor is also a good character. She provides a sounding board for Blair and helps her work through a few things.
This is a sweet story, but it's not my favorite YA romance and I'm not sure I will read it again. It just felt like a typical romance and there wasn't anything that made it stand apart from other YA romances that I've read. There was also a lot that felt predictable about it. So, not a bad book but not stellar either.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was so pleasantly surprised by this!
The first thing I have to say is that I wish we would stop marketing books about people in college as YA. I don't care if our main character is a freshman in college. It is new adult now. Let older characters be older characters without the expectations and boundaries that come with YA. I mean, there is a blowjob joke/insinuation pretty early on in the book and I think if people pick this up under the assumption that it is YA they would be upset by the sexual tension and drinking and partying. However, since these are college kids I don't think there is anything wrong with any of the content in the book. So give it new adult marketing like it deserves.
Anyway, this story was really sweet and adorable. I loved that this started as a "disgruntled by each other's existence" to lovers story with some brother's best friend goodness thrown in. My favorite part, though, was seeing how secretly Jamie was yearning so hard for our girl and barely keeping himself together. The scene where he buys her every sour candy at the store to make her feel better? Stop it. We get a really great found family friend group with all the housemates and I adored how supportive and understanding they were of each other no matter. The house full of weird and loud college kids causing a ruckus and just getting by reminded me so much of my college roommates right down to it being five of us.
This story is all full of queer joy and queer normativity which is always something I love to see in books. The underlying message of being willing to risk it all for the ones you love and to pursue who and what fulfills you as a person was sweet and well done. It was also refreshing to see a book be so pro-therapy especially in relation to the male characters. Mental health was a regular topic of discussion and I think both the representation and the discussions of it were excellent.
Content Warning: anxiety, panic attacks, fatphobia, toxic familial relationships
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.
The first thing I have to say is that I wish we would stop marketing books about people in college as YA. I don't care if our main character is a freshman in college. It is new adult now. Let older characters be older characters without the expectations and boundaries that come with YA. I mean, there is a blowjob joke/insinuation pretty early on in the book and I think if people pick this up under the assumption that it is YA they would be upset by the sexual tension and drinking and partying. However, since these are college kids I don't think there is anything wrong with any of the content in the book. So give it new adult marketing like it deserves.
Anyway, this story was really sweet and adorable. I loved that this started as a "disgruntled by each other's existence" to lovers story with some brother's best friend goodness thrown in. My favorite part, though, was seeing how secretly Jamie was yearning so hard for our girl and barely keeping himself together. The scene where he buys her every sour candy at the store to make her feel better? Stop it. We get a really great found family friend group with all the housemates and I adored how supportive and understanding they were of each other no matter. The house full of weird and loud college kids causing a ruckus and just getting by reminded me so much of my college roommates right down to it being five of us.
This story is all full of queer joy and queer normativity which is always something I love to see in books. The underlying message of being willing to risk it all for the ones you love and to pursue who and what fulfills you as a person was sweet and well done. It was also refreshing to see a book be so pro-therapy especially in relation to the male characters. Mental health was a regular topic of discussion and I think both the representation and the discussions of it were excellent.
Content Warning: anxiety, panic attacks, fatphobia, toxic familial relationships
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.
January 17, 2026
We love a brother’s best friend book in this household. Add in an accidental roommate-forced proximity situation and it’s a recipe for success in my opinion.
I really enjoyed Blair as a character. She was someone who was easy to empathize with and want good things for. My heart hurt for her with the way her so-called friends treated her that landed her in her last minute housing search. On the flip side, that made the whole found family element of where she ended up that much better as she realized what having real friends meant and felt like. The found family was also important because Blair’s actual family was very much Not It. Her parents made me even more grateful for the support I’ve always had from my own. Back to the roommates though. One of my favorite scenes was the realization that Jamie was one of those new roommates.
Blair and Jamie’s dynamic was an interesting one. I could feel there was something more to their connection, especially on Jamie’s part. The yearn-y vibe was strong with that one, no matter how distant he tried to appear. They had a good amount of tension between them and also tenderness. I loved how Jamie helped build Blair’s confidence and helped her work through her priorities, wants, and needs as well. Blair’s brother, Sawyer, was a bit of a butthead and Jamie gave him a bit too much power in the situation, but given Jamie’s family history and his attachment to Sawyer, it did make sense that he’d be extra cautious and protective of that friendship.
I had the audiobook alongside the ebook and I thought the narration was great. Laura Knight Keating had a very natural and pleasing performance to portray Blair’s character and story. Her additional voices were distinct and well done without any grating tones to remove me from the narrative. This would be a great choice for audiobook fans.
Thanks you to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for the eARC and Recorded Books for the ALC, both via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed Blair as a character. She was someone who was easy to empathize with and want good things for. My heart hurt for her with the way her so-called friends treated her that landed her in her last minute housing search. On the flip side, that made the whole found family element of where she ended up that much better as she realized what having real friends meant and felt like. The found family was also important because Blair’s actual family was very much Not It. Her parents made me even more grateful for the support I’ve always had from my own. Back to the roommates though. One of my favorite scenes was the realization that Jamie was one of those new roommates.
Blair and Jamie’s dynamic was an interesting one. I could feel there was something more to their connection, especially on Jamie’s part. The yearn-y vibe was strong with that one, no matter how distant he tried to appear. They had a good amount of tension between them and also tenderness. I loved how Jamie helped build Blair’s confidence and helped her work through her priorities, wants, and needs as well. Blair’s brother, Sawyer, was a bit of a butthead and Jamie gave him a bit too much power in the situation, but given Jamie’s family history and his attachment to Sawyer, it did make sense that he’d be extra cautious and protective of that friendship.
I had the audiobook alongside the ebook and I thought the narration was great. Laura Knight Keating had a very natural and pleasing performance to portray Blair’s character and story. Her additional voices were distinct and well done without any grating tones to remove me from the narrative. This would be a great choice for audiobook fans.
Thanks you to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for the eARC and Recorded Books for the ALC, both via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
In The Roommate Arrangement, we meet Blair and Jamie. Blair identifies as a higher-weight person and lives with allergies and severe anxiety that often manifests as panic attacks and hives. As she prepares to leave for college, Blair’s plans are abruptly derailed when the two best friends she was meant to room with inform her, just one week before departure, that she can no longer live with them. Determined to keep her place in a prestigious coding program and an art class taught by a well-known artist, Blair scrambles to find emergency housing and ends up living with an eclectic group of roommates, including Jamie. Jamie turns out to be the best friend of Blair’s brother, Sawyer. Blair and Sawyer have a strained relationship, which sets the tone for Blair and Jamie’s initial dynamic: snarky, tense, and openly antagonistic. As Blair settles into her classes, builds relationships with her new roommates, and begins to stand on her own without her parents’ constant oversight, her relationship with Jamie slowly shifts. She comes to see him as a kindred spirit and learns that he is firmly in her corner.
The book thoughtfully explores toxic relationships, anxiety, and figuring out who you are. It also features a notably diverse cast of characters. Blair’s roommates include Felicity, a Black lesbian with depression and a talent for gardening; Mikey, a genderfluid musician; and Andres, who is described as having brown skin and runs a thriving Dungeons & Dragons group. Blair’s art teacher, Deonne, is a woman with a Haitian mother and a Vietnamese father. Each of these characters is well developed and adds depth to the story. Overall, The Roommate Arrangement is an enjoyable enemies-to-lovers romance that also delivers an emotional coming-of-age story. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
The book thoughtfully explores toxic relationships, anxiety, and figuring out who you are. It also features a notably diverse cast of characters. Blair’s roommates include Felicity, a Black lesbian with depression and a talent for gardening; Mikey, a genderfluid musician; and Andres, who is described as having brown skin and runs a thriving Dungeons & Dragons group. Blair’s art teacher, Deonne, is a woman with a Haitian mother and a Vietnamese father. Each of these characters is well developed and adds depth to the story. Overall, The Roommate Arrangement is an enjoyable enemies-to-lovers romance that also delivers an emotional coming-of-age story. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
January 1, 2026
4.5⭐️
Thank you so much to Simon Teen for sending me an eARC for an honest review!
emotional, hopeful, reflective, medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
During the first chapter or so l was struggling to get into this book. I was worried it would be a "woe is me" trope but I'm so glad I was wrong!
I think that The Roommate Arrangement does a really great job at showing the transition from sheltered and privileged high school experience to the eye opening experience of college. Blair shows such strength and determination of wanting to make it. Pushing herself to really stand on her own two feet and gain the
independence that she previously lacked.
Through her you can see that you don't have to settle and college is a time to change your mind and figure out the future you want for yourself. I loved how supportive and fun her newfound friends are and the accurate depiction of mental health. Jamie was also such a strong character I loved seeing how the perspective on him changed throughout the book and what a steady support system he was for Blair.
I'm so glad my initial judgement of this book proved wrong and I found myself so immersed into the story!
I think this would be perfect for high schoolers through college readers. It was fun, quick witted and emotional!
CONTENT WARNINGS
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship
Thank you so much to Simon Teen for sending me an eARC for an honest review!
emotional, hopeful, reflective, medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
During the first chapter or so l was struggling to get into this book. I was worried it would be a "woe is me" trope but I'm so glad I was wrong!
I think that The Roommate Arrangement does a really great job at showing the transition from sheltered and privileged high school experience to the eye opening experience of college. Blair shows such strength and determination of wanting to make it. Pushing herself to really stand on her own two feet and gain the
independence that she previously lacked.
Through her you can see that you don't have to settle and college is a time to change your mind and figure out the future you want for yourself. I loved how supportive and fun her newfound friends are and the accurate depiction of mental health. Jamie was also such a strong character I loved seeing how the perspective on him changed throughout the book and what a steady support system he was for Blair.
I'm so glad my initial judgement of this book proved wrong and I found myself so immersed into the story!
I think this would be perfect for high schoolers through college readers. It was fun, quick witted and emotional!
CONTENT WARNINGS
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship
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