One Room Vacancy

Just Peachy #2.5

by Nicole Ryan

Living with your ex-situationship is awkward.

Living with your ex-situationship while pretending you don’t still want each other? Impossible.

Sage Buckley used to want Gabe Keaton—badly. But after years of mixed signals and ill-timed hookups, she’s finally over it. At least, that’s what she keeps telling herself. These days, she has bigger things to worry about than the guy who never wanted her for real.

Like the fact that he’s now living in her spare room.

Fresh out of a toxic relationship, Gabe knows he screwed up—especially with Sage. Crashing at her place wasn’t the plan, but the longer he’s around her, the harder it is to follow her rules. Especially the one about not touching her again.

Because some histories don’t stay buried.

And one room might not be big enough for everything they’re still holding onto.

168 pages, Paperback

Published July 25, 2025

About the author

Hey, I’m Nicole Ryan. I write romance with heart, heat, and just enough emotional wreckage to keep things interesting. My books are for anyone who loves messy characters, slow burns, and maybe shedding a few tears when they least expect it.

I’ve been writing since I was a kid, mostly as an escape, and the one bright spot back then was hanging out with my grandma at the local paper where she worked as a copy editor. She believed in my stories before I did.

My debut, Second Chance Vacation, came out of the kind of grief that reshapes you after losing my youngest sister back in 2022. Since then, I’ve written Mostly Loathing You and The Very First Night, where love gets a second chance and time stops playing by the rules.

I’m a Libra, but let’s be honest, my Virgo moon is the one running the show. I spend an alarming amount of time convincing myself I need just one more book, blaming my moods on the moon or retrograde, and pulling tarot cards I probably wasn’t ready for. If there's a little magic in the air, I’m probably already halfway to plotting a book about it.

Thanks for being here. The story’s just getting started.

Reviews

[Chantel · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve ever wanted a book that feels like a hug and heals a part of you then this novella is it.

I loved every minute of reading this and so glad Sage and Gabe had their story told.

Ever had your ex-situationship become your roommate? Sage definitely doesn’t recommend it. Gabe is officially done with Kara and needs a place to crash.

The groveling Gabe does to get a real chance with Sage was so well done and realistic in a way that some romances don’t have. With small things, like making her coffee and helping out at the bar.

[Nicole Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

SURPRISE! ONE ROOM VACANCY WILL BE COMING OUT (AS A LONGER NOVELLA).

[Ycel (icedcoffeenabook) · Rating 5 out of 5]

my loves, sage and gabe are just amazing couple that i’ll never get over them. shorty stories and all they made me feel everything and e en though gabe pisses me off… i know the feeling🥲 i can’t wait for them to home

[Sunstarandsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 big, bright gold stars - and worth everyone. A second chance relationship (of sorts), packed into a novella that delivered a serious punch.

Sage & Gabe. He seeks her out when he's off with his on-again-off-again relationship. She lets him because ... they have something special. Except, he can't quite see it because he's somehow dutybound to his toxic relationship. Book kicks off when he's done done DONE with his roller coaster relationship and is forced to move in with Sage.

What I loved about this book - it's a microscope on the relationship: struggling to heal and finding a way forward. It's a viewing gallery focused on the MCs; rehashing past mistakes, struggling for forgiveness (giving and receiving) and trying to move past an unhealthy precedent. There isn't much distractions, in terms of Gabe's past relationship or extensive background into their situationship. It's just really all about Sag & Gabe, their emotions, actions and consequences.

Short, sharp and pretty spectacular. Highly recommend.

[Bree (B) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“She’s chaos and gravity and I’ve never figured out how to escape her pull”

At first we didn’t like Gage. He was a typical man who always went back to someone who was safe without realizing how it affected everyone but him! Sage, the Queen herself, handled it all like the baddie that she is, with chaos. There was the right amount of grovel as well as amazing banter and spicy moments

Overall, this book, was the end of an era. It was a beautiful wrap for characters we already knew and loved.

[Aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

“She’s chaos and gravity, and I’ve never figured out how to escape her pull.”

I have been anticipating Sage and Gabe’s story for quite sometime, and I loved every moment. This is filled with all the best banter you need, spicy moments ( he crawls to her 🤭) and characters you love from previous books. This novella was the perfectly closing to this series.

[Samantha Pacynski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicole did it again! There were plenty of times I teared up and also times I was kicking my feet at different things, ya gotta have a nice mix, and Nicole always does a great job! Also, I love a dual pov book that lets me know how the main characters are feeling throughout the book. I loved catching up with all of the characters from the just peachy series.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Room Vacancy was the 3rd and final installment in Nicole Ryan’s Just Peachy series. This dual POV novella was a quick, but enjoyable second chance lovers story. We meet Gabe and Sage, who have had a situtationship in the past and are now forced to be roommates after Gabe finally leaves his girlfriend. I love that the story just focused on Gabe and Sage. The spice was spicy and the HEA was what we all needed to end that series. Five stars!

[Kersten, Vol 1 (Kert) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicole’s books always making me goddamn cry

[Kylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gabe and Sage