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Steele Brothers of Starlight Cove #4
The Roommate Rules
Starlight Cove's prim little librarian has despised me since the first day I parked my motorcycle on her sidewalk. Now our feud has landed us as roommates…and she just asked me to teach her every dirty thing she's never experienced.
Making Penelope Shea lose her mind has been my favorite hobby since she moved here. But our infamous daily sparring backfires when the town's meddling grandma sentences us to five hundred hours of community service…or thirty days of living together.
Penelope chooses cohabitation with the enemy to protect her spotless record. I agree because watching her unravel sounds like fun.
What I don't expect is to discover my rule-enforcing roommate has secrets—namely, a hidden career penning filthy romances and a list of sinful lessons she's written about but never learned firsthand.
Like an idiot, I volunteer as her tutor.
Penelope calls it research. I call it trouble. Because somewhere between her first lesson and her first tattoo, she goes from being in my head to being in my bed.
Now she's under my skin as permanently as my ink is under hers.
Our month is almost up. But I've never been good with rules—and letting her walk away isn't one I plan to follow.
Making Penelope Shea lose her mind has been my favorite hobby since she moved here. But our infamous daily sparring backfires when the town's meddling grandma sentences us to five hundred hours of community service…or thirty days of living together.
Penelope chooses cohabitation with the enemy to protect her spotless record. I agree because watching her unravel sounds like fun.
What I don't expect is to discover my rule-enforcing roommate has secrets—namely, a hidden career penning filthy romances and a list of sinful lessons she's written about but never learned firsthand.
Like an idiot, I volunteer as her tutor.
Penelope calls it research. I call it trouble. Because somewhere between her first lesson and her first tattoo, she goes from being in my head to being in my bed.
Now she's under my skin as permanently as my ink is under hers.
Our month is almost up. But I've never been good with rules—and letting her walk away isn't one I plan to follow.
390 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 7, 2026
376 people are currently reading
1145 people want to read
About the author
Brighton Walsh
54 books2,344 followersAward-winning USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brighton Walsh spent nearly a decade as a professional photographer before taking her storytelling in a different direction and reconnecting with her first love: writing. When she’s not lost in her own made up worlds, she’s probably either reading or shopping—maybe even both at once. She lives in the Midwest with her real life hero of a husband, her two kids—both taller than her—and her dog who thinks she’s a queen. Her boy-filled house is the setting for dirty socks galore, frequent dance parties (okay, so it's mostly her, by herself, while her children look on in horror), and more laughter than she thought possible. Visit her online at brightonwalsh.com.
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April 30, 2026
“I’d never believed in forever. Never allowed myself to. But holding Penelope like this? Her breaths ghosting over my skin and our hearts beating in tandem? I wanted to.
For the first time in my life, I wanted to.”
mannnnnn it’s always the quiet reserved ones that end up surprising you the most. 🤣😭
Penelope being the prim, rule-following librarian and Declan being…well, Declan—grumpy, tattooed, permanently annoyed with the world—made their dynamic so ridiculously fun to read. I LOVED the constant back and forth between them. The arguing, the tension, the way he deliberately pushed her buttons just because he liked seeing her flustered and upset with him 😂 it was so petty and so entertaining.
There’s also just something about a man who’s grumpy with everyone except the very few people he actually cares about, and watching her slowly become one of those people? 😌🤌🏼Perfect. That shift from irritation to protectiveness always gets me.
And Penelope trying to survive living with him was already hilarious from the start. 😭
honestly? fair 💀
Compared to some of the other books in the series, I’d say this one felt a little lighter emotionally. I was a little disappointed there wasn’t much backstory for either of them until the very end, because I kept waiting for a little more depth there. But even with that, the chemistry between them carried the entire book so easily that I didn’t mind as much as I thought I would.
Because the spice???
Dialledddddddd up.
Spicy lessons will always be such a fun trope to me, and this one absolutely delivered. Penelope secretly writing filthy romance while having very little personal experience herself was already such a good setup, but Declan volunteering himself as her tutor?
Sir. 🙂↕️🤚🏼 The dirty man you are 😭
There was definitely way more spice in this one than I expected, but honestly, it made complete sense with the plot and with who these characters were. It never felt random. It fit their tension, their push and pull, and all the things they weren’t saying out loud.
AND THE TATTOO SCENE??? I lost my mind 🥹
HE GIVES HER THE FIRST TAT AFTER DRAWING IT FOR HER HIMSELF?!!! AHHHH
I’m sorry but that is romance. That is intimacy. That is a love confession in permanent ink.😩😩 and the way he's been drawing her since DAY ONE???? EKKKKKK
No because I would have actually passed away right there.
I CANTTTT 😭🫶🏼🥹
I also loved the Steele family dynamic so much. The banter between all the brothers is one of my favorite parts of this series, and Brighton Walsh writes group chats so. freaking. well. They actually make me laugh out loud instead of feeling like forced quirky filler.
just a little peek at a text convo that had me giggling ↓
Atlas:
None of my roommates have ever delivered me lunch.
Xander:
And definitely not with a handwritten note.
Declan:
Did I take a wrong turn into hell? Why are you all still talking?
Lincoln:
Just looking out for you, bro."
I LOVE THEM LOL
One of my favorite softer details was how much love all the Steele brothers have for their mom. Declan being this giant grump but still hugging her, loving on her (giving her forehead kisses?! AHH WE LOVE A GENTLE MOMMA'S BOY) it was honestly one of the sweetest parts of the book for me. I love when the rough, intimidating man is secretly the softest where it matters. 😌
I need to get to Xander and Chloe’s book immediately because I LOVE a single dad x nanny trope and I already know I’m going to eat that up. (and it's the only one I haven't read in the series) But ALSO—
EXCUSE ME WHAT WAS THAT ENDING???
That cliffhanger for another book??? I refuse to stay calm about it. IS THE SERIES POSSIBLY NOT OVER????!
My hopes are so ridiculously high that Rowan is the fmc. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let that happen because I need it immediately. 😭
Very much a 4 ⭐️ read and absolutely proof that the quiet girls are always the most dangerous. 😝😝
things to know about the book ↓
📚 enemies to lovers
📚 forced proximity
📚 roommates
📚 spicy lessons
📚 he tattoos her
📚 small town meddling
📚 group chats
📚 dual POV
spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
swearing: yes
Thank you Luna Literary, Smuthood & Brighton Walsh for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
If you're interested in reading my previous reviews for books in this series! ↓ ↓
#1- The Grump Nextdoor
#3- The Mr & Mrs Mistake
⸻⸻⸻
・❥・⁀➷ pre-read
YAYYY I GOT THE ARC!!
a prim librarian + a motorcycle riding bad boy 🙂↕️🤌🏼
I’m SO ready
For the first time in my life, I wanted to.”
mannnnnn it’s always the quiet reserved ones that end up surprising you the most. 🤣😭
Penelope being the prim, rule-following librarian and Declan being…well, Declan—grumpy, tattooed, permanently annoyed with the world—made their dynamic so ridiculously fun to read. I LOVED the constant back and forth between them. The arguing, the tension, the way he deliberately pushed her buttons just because he liked seeing her flustered and upset with him 😂 it was so petty and so entertaining.
There’s also just something about a man who’s grumpy with everyone except the very few people he actually cares about, and watching her slowly become one of those people? 😌🤌🏼Perfect. That shift from irritation to protectiveness always gets me.
And Penelope trying to survive living with him was already hilarious from the start. 😭
“In the search field, I typed, how to live with someone you despise without murdering them in the first week.
The results were…unhelpful. And now I was probably on a federal watch list.”
honestly? fair 💀
Compared to some of the other books in the series, I’d say this one felt a little lighter emotionally. I was a little disappointed there wasn’t much backstory for either of them until the very end, because I kept waiting for a little more depth there. But even with that, the chemistry between them carried the entire book so easily that I didn’t mind as much as I thought I would.
Because the spice???
Dialledddddddd up.
Spicy lessons will always be such a fun trope to me, and this one absolutely delivered. Penelope secretly writing filthy romance while having very little personal experience herself was already such a good setup, but Declan volunteering himself as her tutor?
Sir. 🙂↕️🤚🏼 The dirty man you are 😭
There was definitely way more spice in this one than I expected, but honestly, it made complete sense with the plot and with who these characters were. It never felt random. It fit their tension, their push and pull, and all the things they weren’t saying out loud.
AND THE TATTOO SCENE??? I lost my mind 🥹
HE GIVES HER THE FIRST TAT AFTER DRAWING IT FOR HER HIMSELF?!!! AHHHH
“My breath caught at what I saw—the pale flesh and freckles I knew so well now broken up by dark ink that looked like it had always belonged there.
Like my skin had just been waiting for it.”
I’m sorry but that is romance. That is intimacy. That is a love confession in permanent ink.😩😩 and the way he's been drawing her since DAY ONE???? EKKKKKK
“Pages upon pages filled it—some scraps with torn edges and some full size. Some drawn in pencil, some pen, some charcoal. All of them sketches of…me.”
No because I would have actually passed away right there.
I CANTTTT 😭🫶🏼🥹
I also loved the Steele family dynamic so much. The banter between all the brothers is one of my favorite parts of this series, and Brighton Walsh writes group chats so. freaking. well. They actually make me laugh out loud instead of feeling like forced quirky filler.
just a little peek at a text convo that had me giggling ↓
Atlas:
None of my roommates have ever delivered me lunch.
Xander:
And definitely not with a handwritten note.
Declan:
Did I take a wrong turn into hell? Why are you all still talking?
Lincoln:
Just looking out for you, bro."
I LOVE THEM LOL
One of my favorite softer details was how much love all the Steele brothers have for their mom. Declan being this giant grump but still hugging her, loving on her (giving her forehead kisses?! AHH WE LOVE A GENTLE MOMMA'S BOY) it was honestly one of the sweetest parts of the book for me. I love when the rough, intimidating man is secretly the softest where it matters. 😌
I need to get to Xander and Chloe’s book immediately because I LOVE a single dad x nanny trope and I already know I’m going to eat that up. (and it's the only one I haven't read in the series) But ALSO—
EXCUSE ME WHAT WAS THAT ENDING???
That cliffhanger for another book??? I refuse to stay calm about it. IS THE SERIES POSSIBLY NOT OVER????!
My hopes are so ridiculously high that Rowan is the fmc. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let that happen because I need it immediately. 😭
Very much a 4 ⭐️ read and absolutely proof that the quiet girls are always the most dangerous. 😝😝
things to know about the book ↓
📚 enemies to lovers
📚 forced proximity
📚 roommates
📚 spicy lessons
📚 he tattoos her
📚 small town meddling
📚 group chats
📚 dual POV
spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
swearing: yes
Thank you Luna Literary, Smuthood & Brighton Walsh for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
If you're interested in reading my previous reviews for books in this series! ↓ ↓
#1- The Grump Nextdoor
#3- The Mr & Mrs Mistake
⸻⸻⸻
・❥・⁀➷ pre-read
YAYYY I GOT THE ARC!!
a prim librarian + a motorcycle riding bad boy 🙂↕️🤌🏼
I’m SO ready
May 7, 2026
There is cr@ck or something in this book
How does Brighton do it every fucking time???
I hope there are many more series to come that are set in Starlight Cove cause I want Mabel to never stop meddling lol
I keep saying Atlas is my fav but then I feel like I’m cheating on him with each of his brothers.
But for real HOW DOES BRIGHTON SO IT EVERY FCKING TIME????
It’s pure fire, pure entertainment, fire, banter, fire, so so hot, the best time, tension, fire, banter, small town shenanigans, THE BEST GROUP CHATS, Mabel, once again so hot, such a good time, thank you Mabel for your meddling, the best siblings dynamics, the best girls group, oh and have I mentioned how HOT this book is?
AND THE TENSION JUST OMG
I want to write a proper review but I don’t think I can. This book (this whole series tbh) is making me feral so it’s only fair my review holds the same vibe.
There is just something about Brighton’s writing that does it for me every single time. The execution is always flawless, the spice doesn’t get boring, and the characters are always so damn well written.
Forever grateful to be part of Brighton’s team and being blessed with yet another ARC+ALC combo.
Go check out my reading updates (please ignore all embarrassing typos, I never remember to double check and you can’t edit them after posting 💔), there are a lot of quotes in there ;)
I am not one to be excited for a book JUST based on tropes but Brighton’s lists of tropes are always so good, especially microtropes so enjoy and trust them (in this case you really can trust the book based only on the tropes):
🩷 hate to love
💜 sex lessons
🩷 bad boy/good girl
💜 roommates to lovers
🩷 grumpy x sunshine
💜 forced proximity
💃🏼 meddling town grandma aka sex toys dealer
💜 plus size FMC
🩷 roommates with benefits
💜 "eyes on me"
🩷 fancy peen
💜 he washes her hair
🩷 he takes care of her when she's sick
💜 brat tamer
🩷 public play
💜 hand necklaces
🩷 face sitting
💜 he cooks her dinner
🩷 he tattoos her
💜 caretaking when she’s sick
🩷 he calls her “rebel”
💜 post it note wars as foreplay
🩷 he antagonizes her cause he likes her mad
💜 he read *her* (like her-her) romance books
🩷 yes, you read that right, she’s a secret famous smut writer
💜 the best group chats
Oh and also f yea I KNEW it won’t be the last one 😏
Oh wait, about the audio! How could I forget? I did this read mostly in audio.
Duet narration by Charlotte North and Aiden Snow.
The narration is absolutely flawless. Hot and emotional.
It’s almost 11h which normally would take me 2-3 days to complete but I somehow (😏) did it under 24h. That’s the magic of Brighton’s writing and amazing narrators’ delivery!
How does Brighton do it every fucking time???
I hope there are many more series to come that are set in Starlight Cove cause I want Mabel to never stop meddling lol
I keep saying Atlas is my fav but then I feel like I’m cheating on him with each of his brothers.
But for real HOW DOES BRIGHTON SO IT EVERY FCKING TIME????
It’s pure fire, pure entertainment, fire, banter, fire, so so hot, the best time, tension, fire, banter, small town shenanigans, THE BEST GROUP CHATS, Mabel, once again so hot, such a good time, thank you Mabel for your meddling, the best siblings dynamics, the best girls group, oh and have I mentioned how HOT this book is?
AND THE TENSION JUST OMG
I want to write a proper review but I don’t think I can. This book (this whole series tbh) is making me feral so it’s only fair my review holds the same vibe.
There is just something about Brighton’s writing that does it for me every single time. The execution is always flawless, the spice doesn’t get boring, and the characters are always so damn well written.
Forever grateful to be part of Brighton’s team and being blessed with yet another ARC+ALC combo.
Go check out my reading updates (please ignore all embarrassing typos, I never remember to double check and you can’t edit them after posting 💔), there are a lot of quotes in there ;)
I am not one to be excited for a book JUST based on tropes but Brighton’s lists of tropes are always so good, especially microtropes so enjoy and trust them (in this case you really can trust the book based only on the tropes):
🩷 hate to love
💜 sex lessons
🩷 bad boy/good girl
💜 roommates to lovers
🩷 grumpy x sunshine
💜 forced proximity
💃🏼 meddling town grandma aka sex toys dealer
💜 plus size FMC
🩷 roommates with benefits
💜 "eyes on me"
🩷 fancy peen
💜 he washes her hair
🩷 he takes care of her when she's sick
💜 brat tamer
🩷 public play
💜 hand necklaces
🩷 face sitting
💜 he cooks her dinner
🩷 he tattoos her
💜 caretaking when she’s sick
🩷 he calls her “rebel”
💜 post it note wars as foreplay
🩷 he antagonizes her cause he likes her mad
💜 he read *her* (like her-her) romance books
🩷 yes, you read that right, she’s a secret famous smut writer
💜 the best group chats
Oh and also f yea I KNEW it won’t be the last one 😏
Oh wait, about the audio! How could I forget? I did this read mostly in audio.
Duet narration by Charlotte North and Aiden Snow.
The narration is absolutely flawless. Hot and emotional.
It’s almost 11h which normally would take me 2-3 days to complete but I somehow (😏) did it under 24h. That’s the magic of Brighton’s writing and amazing narrators’ delivery!
April 28, 2026
First a huge thanks to Brighton Walsh for allowing me to read The Roomate Rules early. These are all of my honest thoughts and opinions.
I was so excited to get both an ARC and ALC. Legit screammmmed!
The audiobook? Aidan Snow is pure perfection and no one will ever change my mind. Him and Charlotte North do an amazing job narrating this one.
Penelope is such a shy innocent thing. I adore her so much. She was definitely a ray of sunshine. Declan brought her wild side out and I was living for ittttt. 😂❤️
Declan? Amazing. So damn broody and I’m all for it. When you finally start getting those glimpses of him opening up? Ugh I love it! Where can I find myself a Declan!? Like ASAP.
“That’s it. There’s my good girl. You’re such a good fucking girl for me, Penelope.”
The banter was soooo good. Penelope and Declan have this intense chemistry that holds so much tension and when it finally bursts it is so hot. 🥵 those spicy scenes 👌🏼🔥
I needed a light fun read and this was so it.
I highly recommend picking it up and if you love forced proximity as much as I do, you will eat this one right up!
Tropes:
-forced proximity
-good girl/bad boy
-hate to love
-sex lessons
Releases on May 7th
5.0/5⭐️
I was so excited to get both an ARC and ALC. Legit screammmmed!
The audiobook? Aidan Snow is pure perfection and no one will ever change my mind. Him and Charlotte North do an amazing job narrating this one.
Penelope is such a shy innocent thing. I adore her so much. She was definitely a ray of sunshine. Declan brought her wild side out and I was living for ittttt. 😂❤️
Declan? Amazing. So damn broody and I’m all for it. When you finally start getting those glimpses of him opening up? Ugh I love it! Where can I find myself a Declan!? Like ASAP.
“That’s it. There’s my good girl. You’re such a good fucking girl for me, Penelope.”
The banter was soooo good. Penelope and Declan have this intense chemistry that holds so much tension and when it finally bursts it is so hot. 🥵 those spicy scenes 👌🏼🔥
I needed a light fun read and this was so it.
I highly recommend picking it up and if you love forced proximity as much as I do, you will eat this one right up!
Tropes:
-forced proximity
-good girl/bad boy
-hate to love
-sex lessons
Releases on May 7th
5.0/5⭐️
May 7, 2026
This one was SO fun, fast paced, and honestly… the hottest of the series 🔥
Declan Steele = broody, tattooed bad boy with a huge heart. I loved him more with every chapter. And Penelope? A “quiet” librarian who secretly writes spicy romance?? She was adorable, funny, and so easy to root for.
What starts as enemies ➝ roommates (forced proximity 👀) quickly turns into undeniable tension, and the shift into something deeper was SO well done.
What I loved most is how their relationship grows beyond the banter. She feels safe with him, and he truly respects and supports her. He never makes her feel small instead, he helps her build confidence while still letting her stay in control 🥺
Also… the brothers’ group text + the girls’ chat?? HILARIOUS. And Holly (his mom) + Penelope = the sweetest found family moment.
🎧 Audiobook: duet narrated by Aiden Snow & Charlotte North. It’s a WHOLE experience. Highly recommend if you love immersive audiobooks.
And that cliffhanger?? Yeah… I need the next book ASAP.
Thank you so much to Brighton for sending me the ARC & ALC before release day 🫶 Being able to do an immersive read with the audiobook made this experience even better.
Declan Steele = broody, tattooed bad boy with a huge heart. I loved him more with every chapter. And Penelope? A “quiet” librarian who secretly writes spicy romance?? She was adorable, funny, and so easy to root for.
What starts as enemies ➝ roommates (forced proximity 👀) quickly turns into undeniable tension, and the shift into something deeper was SO well done.
What I loved most is how their relationship grows beyond the banter. She feels safe with him, and he truly respects and supports her. He never makes her feel small instead, he helps her build confidence while still letting her stay in control 🥺
Also… the brothers’ group text + the girls’ chat?? HILARIOUS. And Holly (his mom) + Penelope = the sweetest found family moment.
🎧 Audiobook: duet narrated by Aiden Snow & Charlotte North. It’s a WHOLE experience. Highly recommend if you love immersive audiobooks.
And that cliffhanger?? Yeah… I need the next book ASAP.
Thank you so much to Brighton for sending me the ARC & ALC before release day 🫶 Being able to do an immersive read with the audiobook made this experience even better.
April 24, 2026
If tension had a sound, it would be the crackle between Declan and Penelope in The Roommate Rules by Brighton Walsh. From the very first interaction, their banter is sharp, addictive, and laced with just enough bite to keep you hooked. Every exchange feels like a challenge and neither of them is willing to lose.
Declan is all broody control and barely-contained intensity, while Penelope meets him head-on with wit, fire, and zero intention of backing down. Watching their walls crack, piece by piece, is just as satisfying as the sparks flying between them.
And yes this book brings the heat. The chemistry isn’t just hinted at, it’s front and center, making every moment feel charged and impossible to ignore. But what really elevates it is how the emotional tension builds right alongside the physical, giving you a romance that feels both explosive and earned.
Smart, sexy, and ridiculously addictive this is one of those reads where the “just one more chapter” promise turns into finishing the whole thing in one sitting.
Thank you to Brighton Walsh for the advance reader and advance listener copy! This audio was fantastic.
💕Favorite Quote💕
I’d never believed in forever. Never allowed myself to. But holding Penelope like this? Her breaths ghosting over my skin and our hearts beating in tandem? I wanted to. For the first time in my life, I wanted to.
Declan is all broody control and barely-contained intensity, while Penelope meets him head-on with wit, fire, and zero intention of backing down. Watching their walls crack, piece by piece, is just as satisfying as the sparks flying between them.
And yes this book brings the heat. The chemistry isn’t just hinted at, it’s front and center, making every moment feel charged and impossible to ignore. But what really elevates it is how the emotional tension builds right alongside the physical, giving you a romance that feels both explosive and earned.
Smart, sexy, and ridiculously addictive this is one of those reads where the “just one more chapter” promise turns into finishing the whole thing in one sitting.
Thank you to Brighton Walsh for the advance reader and advance listener copy! This audio was fantastic.
💕Favorite Quote💕
I’d never believed in forever. Never allowed myself to. But holding Penelope like this? Her breaths ghosting over my skin and our hearts beating in tandem? I wanted to. For the first time in my life, I wanted to.
May 4, 2026
The Roommate Rules by Brighton Walsh is book 4 in the Steele Brothers of Starlight Cove series. I was so excited for Declan’s book, and he did not disappoint.
What can you expect?
🌿Small-town romance
❤️Hate to love
☀️Grumpy x Sunshine
🏡Roommates to lovers
😈Bad boy x good girl
🔥Sex lessons
🚪Forced proximity
4.5 ⭐ | 3.5 🌶️
Audiobook: The audiobook was narrated in duet by Aiden Snow and Charlotte North. 10/10 narration. I loved every second of it, and their performance was excellent. If you can listen to the audiobook, I highly recommend it, it’s a whole experience.
Penelope is basically new to town, she’s been there for a year, and works as a librarian. On the other hand, there’s Declan, and since she’s in town, you know he loves to push her buttons, like when he parked his motorcycle in a spot at the library where he’s not supposed to. She leaves him a ton of sticky notes, and getting her riled up is one of his daily highlights. Because of that, Mabel is now deputized, and due to their rivalry, they’re given two options: 500 hours of community service or living together for 30 days. Penelope doesn’t want anything on her record, so she reluctantly agrees to live with Declan for 30 days.
They move in together, and her cat, Darcy, loves Declan right away. Their first week together is hilarious, she leaves notes everywhere, and the infamous “roommate rules” she drafts for them to follow while living together become a whole thing. Declan keeps messing with her until one day he discovers one of her deepest secrets: behind that prim librarian persona is an erotic author. And that’s basically the beginning of her “sex lessons.”
She’s writing a new book, so she confides in him and asks for help since she wants to write those experiences accurately. And those lessons? OMG! Declan takes them very seriously, and the man’s mouth should come with a warning. I was blushing and sweating. The spice in this book is off the charts. I loved every scene, especially the alley scene and the tattoo shop session.
What I loved most is that beyond their hate dynamic, things slowly shift. She starts feeling safe with him, and he truly respects, supports and it’s proud of her work. He never laughs at her questions or makes fun of her doubts. Instead, he puts her in control and helps her build confidence. Oh, and he’s pierced 😏. The spicy microtropes in this book are elite.
I love that he calls her “rebel.” She’s very organized and likes things done a specific way, but over time that starts to shift—her color-coded world slowly blurs. She struggles with trust and abandonment, so letting people in doesn’t come easy. But in Declan, she finds friends and a family she never expected. Declan has his own issues too; all his life he’s worked not to become like his father, who left, so his mission is to stay and never leave. When things get complicated between them, he never walks away. He was all in.
I loved the brothers’ group text and the girls’ group chat, they were hilarious. I also loved Holly, Declan’s mom, and Penelope’s relationship with her; she becomes the mother figure Penelope was missing. The whole town rooting for them while they’re in denial? Obsessed.
Declan has basically been attracted to her since she moved in, which is why he loved pushing her buttons so much. Together, they break down each other’s walls and slowly start to heal old wounds. Their banter at the beginning is amazing, but watching their relationship evolve is even better.
I could keep going, but I don’t want to spoil anything. The character growth in this book was incredible. I loved their relationship and how perfect they were for each other.
That epilogue though?? Brighton PLEASE 😭 I never saw that coming.
Thank you so much to Brighton Walsh and her Queen B team for the ARC/ALC. This review reflects my honest thoughts.
What can you expect?
🌿Small-town romance
❤️Hate to love
☀️Grumpy x Sunshine
🏡Roommates to lovers
😈Bad boy x good girl
🔥Sex lessons
🚪Forced proximity
4.5 ⭐ | 3.5 🌶️
Audiobook: The audiobook was narrated in duet by Aiden Snow and Charlotte North. 10/10 narration. I loved every second of it, and their performance was excellent. If you can listen to the audiobook, I highly recommend it, it’s a whole experience.
Penelope is basically new to town, she’s been there for a year, and works as a librarian. On the other hand, there’s Declan, and since she’s in town, you know he loves to push her buttons, like when he parked his motorcycle in a spot at the library where he’s not supposed to. She leaves him a ton of sticky notes, and getting her riled up is one of his daily highlights. Because of that, Mabel is now deputized, and due to their rivalry, they’re given two options: 500 hours of community service or living together for 30 days. Penelope doesn’t want anything on her record, so she reluctantly agrees to live with Declan for 30 days.
They move in together, and her cat, Darcy, loves Declan right away. Their first week together is hilarious, she leaves notes everywhere, and the infamous “roommate rules” she drafts for them to follow while living together become a whole thing. Declan keeps messing with her until one day he discovers one of her deepest secrets: behind that prim librarian persona is an erotic author. And that’s basically the beginning of her “sex lessons.”
She’s writing a new book, so she confides in him and asks for help since she wants to write those experiences accurately. And those lessons? OMG! Declan takes them very seriously, and the man’s mouth should come with a warning. I was blushing and sweating. The spice in this book is off the charts. I loved every scene, especially the alley scene and the tattoo shop session.
What I loved most is that beyond their hate dynamic, things slowly shift. She starts feeling safe with him, and he truly respects, supports and it’s proud of her work. He never laughs at her questions or makes fun of her doubts. Instead, he puts her in control and helps her build confidence. Oh, and he’s pierced 😏. The spicy microtropes in this book are elite.
I love that he calls her “rebel.” She’s very organized and likes things done a specific way, but over time that starts to shift—her color-coded world slowly blurs. She struggles with trust and abandonment, so letting people in doesn’t come easy. But in Declan, she finds friends and a family she never expected. Declan has his own issues too; all his life he’s worked not to become like his father, who left, so his mission is to stay and never leave. When things get complicated between them, he never walks away. He was all in.
I loved the brothers’ group text and the girls’ group chat, they were hilarious. I also loved Holly, Declan’s mom, and Penelope’s relationship with her; she becomes the mother figure Penelope was missing. The whole town rooting for them while they’re in denial? Obsessed.
Declan has basically been attracted to her since she moved in, which is why he loved pushing her buttons so much. Together, they break down each other’s walls and slowly start to heal old wounds. Their banter at the beginning is amazing, but watching their relationship evolve is even better.
I could keep going, but I don’t want to spoil anything. The character growth in this book was incredible. I loved their relationship and how perfect they were for each other.
That epilogue though?? Brighton PLEASE 😭 I never saw that coming.
Thank you so much to Brighton Walsh and her Queen B team for the ARC/ALC. This review reflects my honest thoughts.
May 8, 2026
4 stars.
I LOVE Brighton Walsh's Steele Brothers series, and "The Rommate Rules" is no exception! A tattooed grump and a polished and prim librarian with a secret identity who are enemies but are stuck together in a forced proximity situation when he's been pining for her forever!? I CAN FEEL THE SWOONING AND THE FLIRTING FROM HERE!! The banter between Penelope and Declan is top-tier. God, they are SO argumentative in the best way. I LOVED their back-and-forth ribbing of one another, the way they get under each other's skin and push each other's buttons for better and for worse. The chemistry between them is INSANE, and they are scorching hot together! The public play?? The exploration and lessons?? The....*extra* adornments?? Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah, baby! I do think the physical aspect of their relationship outweighs the emotional parts until later on in the book, but it did get there for me. It's not hard to see why considering "lessons" play a major part in this book's plot. But there are many sweet, tender moments, too. The way Declan takes care of Penelope when she gets sick? The way Penelope lets Declan tattoo her? The understanding and grace they give one another to be who they really are towards the end? I really enjoyed this book! I also loved getting glimpses of the couples from the other books here! I thought this was well-paced, well-written, and very, very fun, especially where Penelope's authorial alter ego is concerned. I loved how Declan kept her secret, even when he didn't have to. Finally, Aiden Snow and Charlotte North do an amazing dual narration here. Snow wholly embodies the grumpy, gruff Declan, and North is perfect as the prim, uptight Penelope. They are SO GOOD!!! Definitely a wonderful addition to this series!
Thank you to Brighton Walsh for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
I LOVE Brighton Walsh's Steele Brothers series, and "The Rommate Rules" is no exception! A tattooed grump and a polished and prim librarian with a secret identity who are enemies but are stuck together in a forced proximity situation when he's been pining for her forever!? I CAN FEEL THE SWOONING AND THE FLIRTING FROM HERE!! The banter between Penelope and Declan is top-tier. God, they are SO argumentative in the best way. I LOVED their back-and-forth ribbing of one another, the way they get under each other's skin and push each other's buttons for better and for worse. The chemistry between them is INSANE, and they are scorching hot together! The public play?? The exploration and lessons?? The....*extra* adornments?? Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah, baby! I do think the physical aspect of their relationship outweighs the emotional parts until later on in the book, but it did get there for me. It's not hard to see why considering "lessons" play a major part in this book's plot. But there are many sweet, tender moments, too. The way Declan takes care of Penelope when she gets sick? The way Penelope lets Declan tattoo her? The understanding and grace they give one another to be who they really are towards the end? I really enjoyed this book! I also loved getting glimpses of the couples from the other books here! I thought this was well-paced, well-written, and very, very fun, especially where Penelope's authorial alter ego is concerned. I loved how Declan kept her secret, even when he didn't have to. Finally, Aiden Snow and Charlotte North do an amazing dual narration here. Snow wholly embodies the grumpy, gruff Declan, and North is perfect as the prim, uptight Penelope. They are SO GOOD!!! Definitely a wonderful addition to this series!
Thank you to Brighton Walsh for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
May 7, 2026
~Alc Review~
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶
~The Roommate Rules~Steel Brothers of Starlight Cove Book 4~Brighton Walsh~
~Duet Narration~Aiden Snow & Charlotte North~
~Production~One Night Stand Studios~
"She might’ve been the epitome of sunshine with every other soul on the planet, but I seemed to be the one and only person who could stoke her irritation like no other."
♡I have loved every single brother in this series so far but I think I have a new favorite & his name is Declan Steel....shh don't tell the others! Do you like an only sweet for her bad boy with tattoos & a dirty mouth that will melt you into a puddle on the floor cuz SAME! Also lets not forget Penelope our super sweet librarian who is a total sassy spit fire when Declan is around! Did I mention they are forced to live under the same roof?!
The duet narration for this audiobook was fantastic! Aiden & Charlotte did an awesome job bringing this story & it's characters to life. I can't wait to see what's next for Starlight Cove.
If you love small-town romances with banter for days, & top-tier spice look no further!♡
~As Always Happy Reading~
~Thank you Brighton for this Alc copy in exchange for an honest review~
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶
~The Roommate Rules~Steel Brothers of Starlight Cove Book 4~Brighton Walsh~
~Duet Narration~Aiden Snow & Charlotte North~
~Production~One Night Stand Studios~
"She might’ve been the epitome of sunshine with every other soul on the planet, but I seemed to be the one and only person who could stoke her irritation like no other."
♡I have loved every single brother in this series so far but I think I have a new favorite & his name is Declan Steel....shh don't tell the others! Do you like an only sweet for her bad boy with tattoos & a dirty mouth that will melt you into a puddle on the floor cuz SAME! Also lets not forget Penelope our super sweet librarian who is a total sassy spit fire when Declan is around! Did I mention they are forced to live under the same roof?!
The duet narration for this audiobook was fantastic! Aiden & Charlotte did an awesome job bringing this story & it's characters to life. I can't wait to see what's next for Starlight Cove.
If you love small-town romances with banter for days, & top-tier spice look no further!♡
~As Always Happy Reading~
~Thank you Brighton for this Alc copy in exchange for an honest review~
May 2, 2026
Thank you to Brighton Walsh for the Advanced Listening Copy of The Roommate Rules, book four in the Steele Brothers of Starlight Cove series.
I was IMMEDIATELY pulled in by the antagonistic banter and tension between Declan and Penelope. He is the town bad boy and thrives on stirring the pot and getting under people’s skin. She’s the librarian who loves order and following the rules. When their feud is taken a bit too far, the newly (forced her way into it) deputized Margot (her gavel took me out 🤣) decides they should live together to solve the issue…
The town is filled with quirky characters, the banter is exceptional, a motorcycle riding tattoo artist, a secretly naughty librarian, some spicy “research”, unexpected thoughtfulness and care, fantastic spice, small town charm, a quirky cat… all the things I wanted and more from this one! Loved it.
I was IMMEDIATELY pulled in by the antagonistic banter and tension between Declan and Penelope. He is the town bad boy and thrives on stirring the pot and getting under people’s skin. She’s the librarian who loves order and following the rules. When their feud is taken a bit too far, the newly (forced her way into it) deputized Margot (her gavel took me out 🤣) decides they should live together to solve the issue…
The town is filled with quirky characters, the banter is exceptional, a motorcycle riding tattoo artist, a secretly naughty librarian, some spicy “research”, unexpected thoughtfulness and care, fantastic spice, small town charm, a quirky cat… all the things I wanted and more from this one! Loved it.
April 30, 2026
I love each and every brother but I knew Declan would be on another level and he sure is, wow! Who doesn’t love a tattooed bad boy that is only soft for her but has a mouth on him that could melt panties!
Dec and Penelope were everything! Their banter was on fire from the start. Since we already got glimpses of them in the previous books I had a feeling that these two would bring the heat and they sure did!
What I loved most about the entire series is the family group chat. Always the grump Atlas and witty Linc, I could not get enough.
These four are so different but are always there for each other and their mom and I love that about them.
Can not wait for what is coming next…
Dec and Penelope were everything! Their banter was on fire from the start. Since we already got glimpses of them in the previous books I had a feeling that these two would bring the heat and they sure did!
What I loved most about the entire series is the family group chat. Always the grump Atlas and witty Linc, I could not get enough.
These four are so different but are always there for each other and their mom and I love that about them.
Can not wait for what is coming next…
May 8, 2026
🔥 𝑰𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒆, 𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆? 🔥
Oh my, my, my... Brighton Walsh sure knows how to write toe-curling romance! Whenever I had to put the book down, my mind stayed on it, anticipating when I could pick it back up.
Penelope and Declan's story begins with a bike parked where it doesn't belong, overdue library books, a smirk here, a biting retort there, each quickly getting under the other's skin.
“𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑏𝑒ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑦𝑝𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑦 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑟𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑖𝑛.”
“𝑀𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑒 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑡𝑟𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑖𝑛, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑦𝑒𝑡.”
𝑨𝒏𝒅 ...
“𝑆𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑦𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢? 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑎 𝑠𝑘𝑒𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘?”
“𝑂𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦’𝑟𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑢𝑑 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑡.”
“𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑’𝑣𝑒 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑡.”
“𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒’𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑢𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡?”
For those of you who've read any of the previous Steele Brothers of Starlight Cove, you'll be happy to know that Declan's brothers, their significant others, and Mabel, the town's loveable menace, make plenty of appearances.
The banter is fire and the s€xual tension ummm... I'll leave that for you to discover. Five stars, no notes!
Declan and Linc are my favorite Steele brothers. Shhh... don't tell the others. 🤫 Linc continues his favorite pastime, pushing his brothers' buttons, and this time, Declan's his target. I can't even count the number of times I laughed at what came out of his mouth. Also, every time he called Willa "wife," I melted.
𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔 & 𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔
“𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘, 𝑟𝑒𝑏𝑒𝑙. 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑜𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒.”
𝐼’𝑑 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒, 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦’𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑡ℎ 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟. 𝐴𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠—𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑔𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑒𝑟. 𝐶ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝐼’𝑑 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒.
𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑘—𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑦 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡—𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐼’𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑒.
𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑒... 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑏𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑒𝑛 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛’𝑡 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑚 𝑤𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑟... 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛'𝑡 𝑛𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑎𝑙𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠.
“𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚. 𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑢𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑡ℎ.”
• f*cket list
• s€x lessons
• cardigan-wearing librarian
• pierced tattoo artist
• forced proximity
• comfort/care
• roommates with benefits
• bad boy x good girl
• grumpy x sunshine
Oh my, my, my... Brighton Walsh sure knows how to write toe-curling romance! Whenever I had to put the book down, my mind stayed on it, anticipating when I could pick it back up.
Penelope and Declan's story begins with a bike parked where it doesn't belong, overdue library books, a smirk here, a biting retort there, each quickly getting under the other's skin.
“𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑏𝑒ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑦𝑝𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑦 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑟𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑖𝑛.”
“𝑀𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑒 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑡𝑟𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑖𝑛, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑦𝑒𝑡.”
𝑨𝒏𝒅 ...
“𝑆𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑦𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢? 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑎 𝑠𝑘𝑒𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘?”
“𝑂𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦’𝑟𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑢𝑑 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑡.”
“𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑’𝑣𝑒 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑡.”
“𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒’𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑢𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡?”
For those of you who've read any of the previous Steele Brothers of Starlight Cove, you'll be happy to know that Declan's brothers, their significant others, and Mabel, the town's loveable menace, make plenty of appearances.
The banter is fire and the s€xual tension ummm... I'll leave that for you to discover. Five stars, no notes!
Declan and Linc are my favorite Steele brothers. Shhh... don't tell the others. 🤫 Linc continues his favorite pastime, pushing his brothers' buttons, and this time, Declan's his target. I can't even count the number of times I laughed at what came out of his mouth. Also, every time he called Willa "wife," I melted.
𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔 & 𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔
“𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘, 𝑟𝑒𝑏𝑒𝑙. 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑜𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒.”
𝐼’𝑑 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒, 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦’𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑡ℎ 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟. 𝐴𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠—𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑔𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑒𝑟. 𝐶ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝐼’𝑑 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒.
𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑘—𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑦 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡—𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐼’𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑒.
𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑒... 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑏𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑒𝑛 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛’𝑡 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑚 𝑤𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑟... 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛'𝑡 𝑛𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑎𝑙𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠.
“𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚. 𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑢𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑡ℎ.”
• f*cket list
• s€x lessons
• cardigan-wearing librarian
• pierced tattoo artist
• forced proximity
• comfort/care
• roommates with benefits
• bad boy x good girl
• grumpy x sunshine
April 27, 2026
Well, well, well…what have we here, Brighton? Is it a new favorite Steele brother?
I swear, I read each of these and first off, can’t put them down, secondly I’m all this one is my favorite, then no this one is my favorite, nothing can top this! Then, Brighton says hold my beer, and somehow I fall more in love with the next book. Honestly, I didn’t expect to like Declan, but I knew I was going to love Penelope…I mean librarian? Hello? I love her based on her career choices alone. But this one, what did you put in this book ma’am?! This is hands down, the hottest book I’ve read this year. And somehow…I also caught feelings? What is this sorcery?!
This book is coming out early next month, and I highly recommend you read this one, the entire series is amazing, but it can be read as a standalone. Also, that last page? I swear Brighton must be feeling herself right now after doing this to us readers, and girl, thank you.
I am sooo happy to be part of her Queen B’s and that I got to read this early, I did this in half audio, half ebook, and this narration is also chef’s kiss…but you are going to probably want headphones if you are listening in public like I was…
I swear, I read each of these and first off, can’t put them down, secondly I’m all this one is my favorite, then no this one is my favorite, nothing can top this! Then, Brighton says hold my beer, and somehow I fall more in love with the next book. Honestly, I didn’t expect to like Declan, but I knew I was going to love Penelope…I mean librarian? Hello? I love her based on her career choices alone. But this one, what did you put in this book ma’am?! This is hands down, the hottest book I’ve read this year. And somehow…I also caught feelings? What is this sorcery?!
This book is coming out early next month, and I highly recommend you read this one, the entire series is amazing, but it can be read as a standalone. Also, that last page? I swear Brighton must be feeling herself right now after doing this to us readers, and girl, thank you.
I am sooo happy to be part of her Queen B’s and that I got to read this early, I did this in half audio, half ebook, and this narration is also chef’s kiss…but you are going to probably want headphones if you are listening in public like I was…
April 26, 2026
I am always down for one of Brighton's books, so I don't even read the synopsis any longer.
I think this book is the one I've been waiting for. Antagonizing as a form of flirting is one of my favorite things ever and these two have it down to an art form. I loved reading Penelope and Declan try to figure out feeling amongst all of the rules.
Plot wise, it's fast paced and oh so spicy. Of course, theres loads of button pushing, so many hilarious group chats, and (my favorite) one scene with absolutely everyone together. The conflict is short and swiftly resolved and the last chapter is perfection.
Overall, this is my favorite of the series and I am beyond excited at the set up for a book 5. (!!!)
**Huge thanks to Brighton for providing the arc free of charge**
I think this book is the one I've been waiting for. Antagonizing as a form of flirting is one of my favorite things ever and these two have it down to an art form. I loved reading Penelope and Declan try to figure out feeling amongst all of the rules.
Plot wise, it's fast paced and oh so spicy. Of course, theres loads of button pushing, so many hilarious group chats, and (my favorite) one scene with absolutely everyone together. The conflict is short and swiftly resolved and the last chapter is perfection.
Overall, this is my favorite of the series and I am beyond excited at the set up for a book 5. (!!!)
**Huge thanks to Brighton for providing the arc free of charge**
April 25, 2026
This was PERFECTION!!!
I loved Declan and Pen so much, their bickering and bad boy good girl dynamic was so good! The spicy lessons were such a TREAT! 🔥👌🏽 my god that man was making me blush with the things he was saying!
The Steele brothers just know how to treat their women and know EXACTLY what to say in the bedroom that’s for sure!
The alleyway scene 🤭🥵🔥 damnnnnn
I love every book in this series and can’t wait to see what comes next 🤭😅
Thank you Brighton Walsh for the chance to read your eARC! I love being a Queen B!!
I loved Declan and Pen so much, their bickering and bad boy good girl dynamic was so good! The spicy lessons were such a TREAT! 🔥👌🏽 my god that man was making me blush with the things he was saying!
The Steele brothers just know how to treat their women and know EXACTLY what to say in the bedroom that’s for sure!
The alleyway scene 🤭🥵🔥 damnnnnn
I love every book in this series and can’t wait to see what comes next 🤭😅
Thank you Brighton Walsh for the chance to read your eARC! I love being a Queen B!!
May 5, 2026
4.5⭐️
Yess, I loved this one!! This entire starlight cove series has my heart & this one was so good!!
Aiden Snow & Charlotte North were so perfect for this book. I loved the narration so much!!
Penelope, she is such a lovable, sweet, and just innocent ray of sunshine. I absolutely loved her character! Declan shows up and absolutely pulls out some of her wild side and I loved to see it!! Declan was the broody, slow to open up tattoo artist MMC, & I was absolutely here for it! These two together was perfection!!
This book had it all! The banter, the tension, the absolute chemistry, and the spice 🥵🔥yes pleaseee! The spice scenes were everything!! He tattoos her 🤭👀
This was overall jsut a fun, easy, quick read that kept me sucked in and had me loving everything about these two!! If you love a forced proximity, good girl/bad boy, with spicy lessons, this one is absolutely for you!!
Thank you Brighton & team for this early ARC/ALC!
Yess, I loved this one!! This entire starlight cove series has my heart & this one was so good!!
Aiden Snow & Charlotte North were so perfect for this book. I loved the narration so much!!
Penelope, she is such a lovable, sweet, and just innocent ray of sunshine. I absolutely loved her character! Declan shows up and absolutely pulls out some of her wild side and I loved to see it!! Declan was the broody, slow to open up tattoo artist MMC, & I was absolutely here for it! These two together was perfection!!
This book had it all! The banter, the tension, the absolute chemistry, and the spice 🥵🔥yes pleaseee! The spice scenes were everything!! He tattoos her 🤭👀
This was overall jsut a fun, easy, quick read that kept me sucked in and had me loving everything about these two!! If you love a forced proximity, good girl/bad boy, with spicy lessons, this one is absolutely for you!!
Thank you Brighton & team for this early ARC/ALC!
May 8, 2026
Holyyyy Hellooo… I have no words. Yes this book was spicy as hell, BUT IT WAS SO MUCH MORE!!!!! A sexy tattoo artist, a sweet librarian who has a total dirty side, so much burn it’s hot as fire, banter that will kill you, the best found family with texts that are perfectly hysterical. But it's even more than that. It’s emotional, it's about realizing your true value and worth in the midst of all your past. It's one of those books you wish you could read again for the first time! It’s just so freaking good!
Declan and Penelope. I was waiting for these two. He’s the sexy as sin tattoo artist, one of the Steele brothers. He’s broody, he’s an alpha, confident for miles and has been so stuck on the hot librarian since day one! And this man has a huge heart who will do anything for those he loves. She’s the sweetest girl, true sunshine. So kind and caring, shy and quiet, funny and secretly a writer of all things smut! AND thank you for giving us a curvy girl who owns it!! These two…Complete opposites. The banter and burn between them, the push and pull is unavoidable and they do try! But add in some forced proximity AND some “sexy lessons” and O. M. G. Hot, burning, fire, I could keep going. The dirty mouth on this man, I wanttttttttttt…..
And I love the found family of these brothers and their women, the friendships they all have, the support and love. Decaln’s mom is the best and even crazy Mabel will have you laughing your head off!
This book just hit me in every feel. There was something about the vulnerability these two had, their pasts each had affected them deeply. The way they buried their deepest fears beneath layers of protection and walls built so high no one else could ever reach them was so true to life. But the communication and unconditional love they showed the other was priceless! They were real, they were raw, it was just perfect! This book is going on my favorites list always! This is one to re-read MANY times. Add this book now, it’s so freaking worth it!
Rate: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
❤️🔥Spicy Lessons
❤️🔥Close Proximity
❤️🔥Roommates to Lovers
❤️🔥Good Girl/Bad Boy
❤️🔥Angsty
❤️🔥Librarian x Tattoo Artist
Declan and Penelope. I was waiting for these two. He’s the sexy as sin tattoo artist, one of the Steele brothers. He’s broody, he’s an alpha, confident for miles and has been so stuck on the hot librarian since day one! And this man has a huge heart who will do anything for those he loves. She’s the sweetest girl, true sunshine. So kind and caring, shy and quiet, funny and secretly a writer of all things smut! AND thank you for giving us a curvy girl who owns it!! These two…Complete opposites. The banter and burn between them, the push and pull is unavoidable and they do try! But add in some forced proximity AND some “sexy lessons” and O. M. G. Hot, burning, fire, I could keep going. The dirty mouth on this man, I wanttttttttttt…..
And I love the found family of these brothers and their women, the friendships they all have, the support and love. Decaln’s mom is the best and even crazy Mabel will have you laughing your head off!
This book just hit me in every feel. There was something about the vulnerability these two had, their pasts each had affected them deeply. The way they buried their deepest fears beneath layers of protection and walls built so high no one else could ever reach them was so true to life. But the communication and unconditional love they showed the other was priceless! They were real, they were raw, it was just perfect! This book is going on my favorites list always! This is one to re-read MANY times. Add this book now, it’s so freaking worth it!
Rate: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
❤️🔥Spicy Lessons
❤️🔥Close Proximity
❤️🔥Roommates to Lovers
❤️🔥Good Girl/Bad Boy
❤️🔥Angsty
❤️🔥Librarian x Tattoo Artist
May 5, 2026
audio / 5* / smuthood
“This is filthy … It’s educational”
This was my first trip to Starlight Cove and I fear I must return asap. This is book four in the series, but can easily be read as a standalone.
Declan and Penelope. Wow, wow, wow. I’m not sure there is anything hotter than sex lessons, but the way they were written - Brighton Walsh, you are a genius!
From the found family to the force proximity to the long time crush from the towns bad boy tattoo artist, this book was perfectly paced and excellently spiced. I did not want to put it down, nor did I want it to end.
CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE NARRATION FOR A MINUTE? Aiden Snow played Declan SO WELL oh my goodness the broodiness, and overall temper rippled through my ears. The insane chemistry and tension with Charlotte North at Penelope was insatiable. Charge your toys, grab a spare set of batteries - you’re going to need it.
A massive thank you to the author and Smuthood for the opportunity to listen to and review this book in advance of its release.
Some of my favourite quotes:
“Some girls watched beauty and the beast while growing up and dreamed of marrying their prince
I watched it and dreamed of having my own two-story library complete with a rolling ladder
Still did to be honest
Libraries were my favourite kind of magic
A portal to everywhere all at once
A place where 1000 adventures waited at my fingertips
Where everything was orderly and predictable
Heaven
Basically
To me, books that always made more sense than people did. I found comfort in worn pages and cracked spines.
Stories didn’t lie or abandoned, or betray
When the world felt too loud or overwhelming, or impossible to control, I could fall into a book and escape
Except lately, even books hadn’t felt safe”
“You make this perfect little pout before you lecture me.”
“This is filthy … It’s educational”
This was my first trip to Starlight Cove and I fear I must return asap. This is book four in the series, but can easily be read as a standalone.
Declan and Penelope. Wow, wow, wow. I’m not sure there is anything hotter than sex lessons, but the way they were written - Brighton Walsh, you are a genius!
From the found family to the force proximity to the long time crush from the towns bad boy tattoo artist, this book was perfectly paced and excellently spiced. I did not want to put it down, nor did I want it to end.
CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE NARRATION FOR A MINUTE? Aiden Snow played Declan SO WELL oh my goodness the broodiness, and overall temper rippled through my ears. The insane chemistry and tension with Charlotte North at Penelope was insatiable. Charge your toys, grab a spare set of batteries - you’re going to need it.
A massive thank you to the author and Smuthood for the opportunity to listen to and review this book in advance of its release.
Some of my favourite quotes:
“Some girls watched beauty and the beast while growing up and dreamed of marrying their prince
I watched it and dreamed of having my own two-story library complete with a rolling ladder
Still did to be honest
Libraries were my favourite kind of magic
A portal to everywhere all at once
A place where 1000 adventures waited at my fingertips
Where everything was orderly and predictable
Heaven
Basically
To me, books that always made more sense than people did. I found comfort in worn pages and cracked spines.
Stories didn’t lie or abandoned, or betray
When the world felt too loud or overwhelming, or impossible to control, I could fall into a book and escape
Except lately, even books hadn’t felt safe”
“You make this perfect little pout before you lecture me.”
April 25, 2026
Declan and Penelope can’t stand each other in their small town, constantly clashing—though Declan secretly enjoys pushing her buttons. When the town gives them an ultimatum—500 hours of community service or 30 days of living together—Penelope chooses cohabitation to protect her pristine reputation.
Declan, a tattoo shop owner, doesn’t care which option he takes, but he’s happy to move in with her. He’s even more surprised to discover that Penelope is secretly a romance author writing under a pen name.
Mortified and afraid her secret will ruin her image, Penelope asks Declan for help experiencing the kinds of scenes she writes, since she lacks real-world experience. Declan eagerly agrees to be her “tutor,” helping her check off items on her so-called bucket list.
But can they stick to their rules—and what happens when the 30 days are over?
This book had me blushing! The sweet, shy librarian paired with a handsome, tattooed man who “teaches” her while they’re roommates—so she can write her steamy scenes with real understanding—is a mix of tropes that felt fresh to me.
At first, Declan came across as a typical f*ckboy, but that impression quickly changed as I got to know him. He really grew on me.
Penelope was such a joy. I loved her librarian vibe, and even more that she’s so involved in the children’s library program. It makes perfect sense why she hides behind a pen name for her romance novels. I especially enjoyed watching her confidence grow throughout the story—she was my favorite part of The Roommate Rules.
The banter in this book is strong, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments between Declan and Penelope. I also loved that this series centers around four brothers and how that dynamic continues into Declan’s story.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable read—even if I had to put it down a few times 🤭. The character growth between Penelope and Declan was great, and I absolutely adored Declan’s mom, Holly. Everyone needs a Holly in their life.
Thank you to Brighton Walsh for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Declan, a tattoo shop owner, doesn’t care which option he takes, but he’s happy to move in with her. He’s even more surprised to discover that Penelope is secretly a romance author writing under a pen name.
Mortified and afraid her secret will ruin her image, Penelope asks Declan for help experiencing the kinds of scenes she writes, since she lacks real-world experience. Declan eagerly agrees to be her “tutor,” helping her check off items on her so-called bucket list.
But can they stick to their rules—and what happens when the 30 days are over?
This book had me blushing! The sweet, shy librarian paired with a handsome, tattooed man who “teaches” her while they’re roommates—so she can write her steamy scenes with real understanding—is a mix of tropes that felt fresh to me.
At first, Declan came across as a typical f*ckboy, but that impression quickly changed as I got to know him. He really grew on me.
Penelope was such a joy. I loved her librarian vibe, and even more that she’s so involved in the children’s library program. It makes perfect sense why she hides behind a pen name for her romance novels. I especially enjoyed watching her confidence grow throughout the story—she was my favorite part of The Roommate Rules.
The banter in this book is strong, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments between Declan and Penelope. I also loved that this series centers around four brothers and how that dynamic continues into Declan’s story.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable read—even if I had to put it down a few times 🤭. The character growth between Penelope and Declan was great, and I absolutely adored Declan’s mom, Holly. Everyone needs a Holly in their life.
Thank you to Brighton Walsh for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
May 3, 2026
You know a book is going to be good when the MMC enjoys making the FMC mad just to get a reaction out of her. Declan is the MMC and he delivered in getting under Penelope’s skin, to the point that their barbs and threats have them sharing a home for 30 days because Mabel, iykyk.
From Penelopes first chapter, I knew this was going to be an FMC that I enjoyed. Loving Beauty and the Beast for the library and not the prince, say less girl , we are bonding in this book. She was prim and proper on this outside but on the inside, this woman wanted to be wrecked in the most delicious way. In walks our resident Steele brother bad boy, Declan. He rides a motorcycle, he has tattoos and is a tattoo artist. What starts out as sexy lessons for a prim and proper librarian for her next book, turns into more. So much more than they both were counting on.
This book made me giddy and so happy. This whole series really has. The banter in this one was definitely bantering. Brighton knows good spice and she delivered in this one. The tension building, along with the spice build was chef’s kiss. This man has one of the filthiest mouths I’ve ever read and I devoured every word. His mouth was LETHAL. Every time he said eyes on me, it was like I was reading it for the first time in a smutty book all over again. All I kept thinking was this man was a walking, talking sexual innuendo. And the questions poor Penelope had for him, he was flabbergasted.
The group texts in this one were on point because I was laughing so hard with not only the brothers group chat but the girls also. They were both relentless in wanting to know what was going on between these roommates.
We also love a man who is only soft for her and was he so gooey for Penelope. I love when the MMC takes care of the FMC in a book. Especially when she has had no one in her corner for a long time. And the vulnerability from both of the characters had me melting.
Thank you to Brighton Walsh and Luna Literary for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes:
✨Hate to love
✨Sex lessons
✨Bad boy x good girl
✨Roommates to lovers
✨Grumpy x sunshine
✨Forced proximity
From Penelopes first chapter, I knew this was going to be an FMC that I enjoyed. Loving Beauty and the Beast for the library and not the prince, say less girl , we are bonding in this book. She was prim and proper on this outside but on the inside, this woman wanted to be wrecked in the most delicious way. In walks our resident Steele brother bad boy, Declan. He rides a motorcycle, he has tattoos and is a tattoo artist. What starts out as sexy lessons for a prim and proper librarian for her next book, turns into more. So much more than they both were counting on.
This book made me giddy and so happy. This whole series really has. The banter in this one was definitely bantering. Brighton knows good spice and she delivered in this one. The tension building, along with the spice build was chef’s kiss. This man has one of the filthiest mouths I’ve ever read and I devoured every word. His mouth was LETHAL. Every time he said eyes on me, it was like I was reading it for the first time in a smutty book all over again. All I kept thinking was this man was a walking, talking sexual innuendo. And the questions poor Penelope had for him, he was flabbergasted.
The group texts in this one were on point because I was laughing so hard with not only the brothers group chat but the girls also. They were both relentless in wanting to know what was going on between these roommates.
We also love a man who is only soft for her and was he so gooey for Penelope. I love when the MMC takes care of the FMC in a book. Especially when she has had no one in her corner for a long time. And the vulnerability from both of the characters had me melting.
Thank you to Brighton Walsh and Luna Literary for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes:
✨Hate to love
✨Sex lessons
✨Bad boy x good girl
✨Roommates to lovers
✨Grumpy x sunshine
✨Forced proximity
May 7, 2026
Rating: Loved It
I’ve had this series on my TBR forever, but the second I saw these tropes, I knew Declan and Penelope were where I needed to start.
😒 annoyance to love
📋 sex lessons/list
🖤 bad boy/good girl
🏠 roommates to lovers
🎭 hidden identity
☀️ grumpy x sunshine
🚪 forced proximity
👀 “eyes on me”
😏 fancy peen
🛁 he washes her hair
🤒 he takes care of her when she’s sick
🔥 brat tamer
🎪 public play
⛓️ hand necklaces
👑 face sitting
🍝 he cooks her dinner
Charlotte North and Aiden Snow absolutely killed the duet narration. Charlotte nailed the sweet, innocent librarian with a hidden sex-kitten side, while Aiden brought the perfect gravelly growl that cracked at all the right moments to show Declan’s vulnerability. Their chemistry, banter, and emotional delivery made this so much fun to listen to.
I saw so much of myself in both of them. The way they hide their biggest fears deep down under layers and behind so many walls felt like looking in a mirror. However, the denial? Olympic-level mental gymnastics from both sides. That was less familiar and truly impressive work. The spice was spicing, the angst and yearning were delicious, and the emotional payoff hit so well.
And the Steele family dynamics? PERFECT. The group chats had me cackling. They roast each other relentlessly, but the love underneath it all is so obvious. 10/10, no notes.
I already knew this series was going to consume me, and now I’m sitting here trying to decide if I want to read the rest or listen to them…because either way, I need more immediately.
"I'd given this man every reason to walk away, but he walked into my bedroom instead."
Thank you, @brighton_walsh for the ALC.
I’ve had this series on my TBR forever, but the second I saw these tropes, I knew Declan and Penelope were where I needed to start.
😒 annoyance to love
📋 sex lessons/list
🖤 bad boy/good girl
🏠 roommates to lovers
🎭 hidden identity
☀️ grumpy x sunshine
🚪 forced proximity
👀 “eyes on me”
😏 fancy peen
🛁 he washes her hair
🤒 he takes care of her when she’s sick
🔥 brat tamer
🎪 public play
⛓️ hand necklaces
👑 face sitting
🍝 he cooks her dinner
Charlotte North and Aiden Snow absolutely killed the duet narration. Charlotte nailed the sweet, innocent librarian with a hidden sex-kitten side, while Aiden brought the perfect gravelly growl that cracked at all the right moments to show Declan’s vulnerability. Their chemistry, banter, and emotional delivery made this so much fun to listen to.
I saw so much of myself in both of them. The way they hide their biggest fears deep down under layers and behind so many walls felt like looking in a mirror. However, the denial? Olympic-level mental gymnastics from both sides. That was less familiar and truly impressive work. The spice was spicing, the angst and yearning were delicious, and the emotional payoff hit so well.
And the Steele family dynamics? PERFECT. The group chats had me cackling. They roast each other relentlessly, but the love underneath it all is so obvious. 10/10, no notes.
I already knew this series was going to consume me, and now I’m sitting here trying to decide if I want to read the rest or listen to them…because either way, I need more immediately.
"I'd given this man every reason to walk away, but he walked into my bedroom instead."
Thank you, @brighton_walsh for the ALC.
May 6, 2026
***ARC/ALC Review***
Oh my lanta, all the stars! I am obsessed! Easily my favorite in the series! Everyone’s favorite grandma in Starlight Cove is back and she is serving up justice in the Court of Mabel! Our MCs find themselves cohabitating for 30 days to pay their debts to the community and to learn that they might not actually detest one another as much as they think.
As per usual with BW, the banter between these two characters was top tier! Multiple literal laugh out loud moments. Penelope and her inner thoughts were truly hilarious, as well as one of the most relatable FMCs I’ve read in a minute. And Declan was just everything you want in an MMC. Aside from all the obvious, we also get two of the best micro-tropes out there, i.e. he takes care of her when she’s sick, and helps her out with a sexy checklist. Ya know, in the name of research!
If you even remotely enjoyed the first three books in the Starlight Cove series you are going to eat this one up. It was over too soon, couldn’t read it fast enough, and the third act, albeit predictable, wasn’t even a break up. Honestly, it was closer to a tiff, really. Overall the book was so good, I’ll let it slide.
Also, don’t even get me started on the audio. Absolutely fantastic, duet narration. Aiden Snow’s voice is the literal definition of “gravelly.” It’s so perfect. And Charlotte North put so much inflection in Penelope’s delivery. Loved every minute of this one. Thank you again to The Smuthood for the advanced audio and ebook!
Oh my lanta, all the stars! I am obsessed! Easily my favorite in the series! Everyone’s favorite grandma in Starlight Cove is back and she is serving up justice in the Court of Mabel! Our MCs find themselves cohabitating for 30 days to pay their debts to the community and to learn that they might not actually detest one another as much as they think.
As per usual with BW, the banter between these two characters was top tier! Multiple literal laugh out loud moments. Penelope and her inner thoughts were truly hilarious, as well as one of the most relatable FMCs I’ve read in a minute. And Declan was just everything you want in an MMC. Aside from all the obvious, we also get two of the best micro-tropes out there, i.e. he takes care of her when she’s sick, and helps her out with a sexy checklist. Ya know, in the name of research!
If you even remotely enjoyed the first three books in the Starlight Cove series you are going to eat this one up. It was over too soon, couldn’t read it fast enough, and the third act, albeit predictable, wasn’t even a break up. Honestly, it was closer to a tiff, really. Overall the book was so good, I’ll let it slide.
Also, don’t even get me started on the audio. Absolutely fantastic, duet narration. Aiden Snow’s voice is the literal definition of “gravelly.” It’s so perfect. And Charlotte North put so much inflection in Penelope’s delivery. Loved every minute of this one. Thank you again to The Smuthood for the advanced audio and ebook!
May 7, 2026
The Steele brothers are top tier book boyfriends. Every single one of them bring something new and amazing. And you know it’s going to be a fun read when the MMC lives to drive the FMC crazy.
Declan is the troubled and grumpy brother. He lives to torment the sweet librarian in town, Penelope. The banter between these two are top tier. They had me cracking up several times. But Mabel has been paying attention and she is going to have them pay for their discretions. These two must live together as roommates.
I loved the roommate list, I just knew several of these were going to be broken. Two people who are attracted to one another in one space, what could go wrong? Oh and I loved their “teaching sessions.”
Declan has been closed off to love and most people since his father left. But day by day, Penelope is slowly softening him and he is letting her in. I was so giddy for these two. They were both so guarded when it came to love, but these two understood one another in a special way. There was a lot of character growth for the two of them.
ⓐⓤⓓⓘⓞ ⓣⓗⓞⓤⓖⓗⓣⓢ
Aiden Snow and Charlotte North were the perfect narrators for this story. They did such a beautiful job bringing them to life. The banger was spot on, the spice was exceptional, and the emotion was portrayed so well.
Declan is the troubled and grumpy brother. He lives to torment the sweet librarian in town, Penelope. The banter between these two are top tier. They had me cracking up several times. But Mabel has been paying attention and she is going to have them pay for their discretions. These two must live together as roommates.
I loved the roommate list, I just knew several of these were going to be broken. Two people who are attracted to one another in one space, what could go wrong? Oh and I loved their “teaching sessions.”
Declan has been closed off to love and most people since his father left. But day by day, Penelope is slowly softening him and he is letting her in. I was so giddy for these two. They were both so guarded when it came to love, but these two understood one another in a special way. There was a lot of character growth for the two of them.
ⓐⓤⓓⓘⓞ ⓣⓗⓞⓤⓖⓗⓣⓢ
Aiden Snow and Charlotte North were the perfect narrators for this story. They did such a beautiful job bringing them to life. The banger was spot on, the spice was exceptional, and the emotion was portrayed so well.
May 4, 2026
Brighton Walsh is a new to me author and I was excited to listen to The Roommate Rules. It was so good and I loved Declan and Penelope.
Tropes:
Forced Proximity
Bad Boy/Good Girl
Grumpy x Sunshine
S@x Lessons
Enemies to Lovers
This was a duet narration and was narrated by Aiden Snow and Charlotte North. They did a wonderful job as Declan and Penelope.
Penelope is Starlight Cove’s prim librarian and Declan does everything that he can to get under her skin. Especially parking his motorcycle in front of the library.
When she complains about this, Starlight Cove’s nosey Grandma Mabel who is now deputized, makes them both serve 500 hours or 30 days of community service due to their rivalry. That 30 days will be spent as roommates.
The banter between them is off the charts and the s@x lessons that Declan gives her is smoking hot! Though through the s@x lessons Declan starts doing things for Penelope without thinking and is blindsided by his feelings for her.
The tattoo scene was my favorite and the tattoo that Declan hand draped especially for her ❤️
Loved The Roommate Rules and I will be going back and reading the rest of the books in this series.
Thanks to Brighton Walsh and Luna Literary for the ALC copy. This is my honest review.
Tropes:
Forced Proximity
Bad Boy/Good Girl
Grumpy x Sunshine
S@x Lessons
Enemies to Lovers
This was a duet narration and was narrated by Aiden Snow and Charlotte North. They did a wonderful job as Declan and Penelope.
Penelope is Starlight Cove’s prim librarian and Declan does everything that he can to get under her skin. Especially parking his motorcycle in front of the library.
When she complains about this, Starlight Cove’s nosey Grandma Mabel who is now deputized, makes them both serve 500 hours or 30 days of community service due to their rivalry. That 30 days will be spent as roommates.
The banter between them is off the charts and the s@x lessons that Declan gives her is smoking hot! Though through the s@x lessons Declan starts doing things for Penelope without thinking and is blindsided by his feelings for her.
The tattoo scene was my favorite and the tattoo that Declan hand draped especially for her ❤️
Loved The Roommate Rules and I will be going back and reading the rest of the books in this series.
Thanks to Brighton Walsh and Luna Literary for the ALC copy. This is my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you so much to the author, Brighton Walsh & The Smuthood for sending me the ALC! Here are my thoughts:
DECLAN AND PENELOPE FOREVERRRR.
This was so absolutely sweet, spicy 🌶️, and had phenomenal banter & found family!!
The brothers group chat always makes me laugh so hard
Declan 😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨
Okay Pen you did well hehe
A tattoo artist who is bossy AND cares for her SWOON.
Also, is a broody reader 🤭
Penelope is the librarian and author (GET IT GORLLL)
Also takes no sh*t and is REAL
I lost it and the essentially “everyone leaves”
ALSO HOLLY AND MABEL HEAL ME lol
I cried quite a few times during this because the emotions from these characters are so authentic.
The PLOT and CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT? Top tier.
Pre-ordered this bc I NEED A TROPHY. 🏆
Brighton Walsh is now an auto-buy! 2 books and both five stars??? Sold.
DECLAN AND PENELOPE FOREVERRRR.
This was so absolutely sweet, spicy 🌶️, and had phenomenal banter & found family!!
The brothers group chat always makes me laugh so hard
Declan 😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨
Okay Pen you did well hehe
A tattoo artist who is bossy AND cares for her SWOON.
Also, is a broody reader 🤭
Penelope is the librarian and author (GET IT GORLLL)
Also takes no sh*t and is REAL
I lost it and the essentially “everyone leaves”
ALSO HOLLY AND MABEL HEAL ME lol
I cried quite a few times during this because the emotions from these characters are so authentic.
The PLOT and CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT? Top tier.
Pre-ordered this bc I NEED A TROPHY. 🏆
Brighton Walsh is now an auto-buy! 2 books and both five stars??? Sold.
April 30, 2026
✨✨✨
“Here in Starlight Cove? Apparently, a horny grandma with a god complex and a participation badge could rule the town if she was persistent enough.”
Everyone needs a Mabel! She’s the ultimate wingman well woman when you think about it! And turns out keeping her nose out of their business was the push they needed 😂😂😂
They love to push each others buttons and who doesn’t love banter? It makes for great lines and sizzling chemistry.!!!😍😍😍😍
Declan falls first, even if he doesn’t realise it. She’s the perfect sunshine to his grumpy persona, they are as different as day and night but that’s what makes them work. Expect a lot of spice, but also a lot of tender moments! He may be giving her lessons but she’s also teaching him a lot in the process.
They do say opposites attract and this librarian(with a saucy secret) really is the missing piece to the broody tattoo artist.
Prepare to laugh and cry at this book and I’m looking forward to reading more in the future!
✨✨✨
“Here in Starlight Cove? Apparently, a horny grandma with a god complex and a participation badge could rule the town if she was persistent enough.”
Everyone needs a Mabel! She’s the ultimate wingman well woman when you think about it! And turns out keeping her nose out of their business was the push they needed 😂😂😂
They love to push each others buttons and who doesn’t love banter? It makes for great lines and sizzling chemistry.!!!😍😍😍😍
Declan falls first, even if he doesn’t realise it. She’s the perfect sunshine to his grumpy persona, they are as different as day and night but that’s what makes them work. Expect a lot of spice, but also a lot of tender moments! He may be giving her lessons but she’s also teaching him a lot in the process.
They do say opposites attract and this librarian(with a saucy secret) really is the missing piece to the broody tattoo artist.
Prepare to laugh and cry at this book and I’m looking forward to reading more in the future!
✨✨✨
April 30, 2026
ARC REVIEW
This series will always be a little bit special, the first book was my first ever ARC. And since the beginning I have been curious for the final Steele brother to get his book.
To receive it this early was a real treat!!
From the beginning I wanted to highlight the whole book. It has all my favourites: exceptionally good banter, a grumpy MMC with a foul mouth and a library.
Declan our MMC is the local tattoo artist and all around grump. Penelope is the librarian and secret smut writer, sunshine and rainbows personified.
And I just love it when he does everything to annoy her and create these little cracks in her perfect personality..
They are forced to move in together (sadly there are 2 bedrooms) and that is where SPARKS FLY, RUN, DANCE DO WHATEVER IT IS SPARKS DO….
The tension between these 2 was OFF THE CHART.
There is ofcourse a sliiiiiiiiight hick up towards the end which, I was slightly annoyed about but since they are adults and they communicate like adults it was quickly solved.
NEVER MIND THE PLOT TWIST AT THE END!!!!
This series will always be a little bit special, the first book was my first ever ARC. And since the beginning I have been curious for the final Steele brother to get his book.
To receive it this early was a real treat!!
From the beginning I wanted to highlight the whole book. It has all my favourites: exceptionally good banter, a grumpy MMC with a foul mouth and a library.
Declan our MMC is the local tattoo artist and all around grump. Penelope is the librarian and secret smut writer, sunshine and rainbows personified.
And I just love it when he does everything to annoy her and create these little cracks in her perfect personality..
They are forced to move in together (sadly there are 2 bedrooms) and that is where SPARKS FLY, RUN, DANCE DO WHATEVER IT IS SPARKS DO….
The tension between these 2 was OFF THE CHART.
There is ofcourse a sliiiiiiiiight hick up towards the end which, I was slightly annoyed about but since they are adults and they communicate like adults it was quickly solved.
NEVER MIND THE PLOT TWIST AT THE END!!!!
May 7, 2026
With every Brighton Walsh book I read, I go into think I will know what happens, and with every book she surprises me, and surpasses the previous book. Well with The Roommate Rules she has done it again. This book has all the spice, but it has so much heart.
This book had all the charm and heart I have come to expect from Brighton Walsh. A beautiful blend of make ya blush heat with heart and feelings that will bring tears to your eyes. Declan and Penelope have a different kind of hurt, but when they expose those parts of themselves, and leave themselves vulnerable, your heartstrings pull and tug in a way that leaves you wanting to just hug them, and let them know that everything will be okay.
This book had all the charm and heart I have come to expect from Brighton Walsh. A beautiful blend of make ya blush heat with heart and feelings that will bring tears to your eyes. Declan and Penelope have a different kind of hurt, but when they expose those parts of themselves, and leave themselves vulnerable, your heartstrings pull and tug in a way that leaves you wanting to just hug them, and let them know that everything will be okay.
April 28, 2026
When the town’s horny grandma becomes “deputy” of Starlight Cove, Declan Steele and the “hot” librarian are forced to become roommates for thirty days.
This was instantly my favorite Brighton Walsh book, and quite possibly my favorite read of the year. Something about Declan Steele… But also Penelope Shea. 🥵🔥 Declan and Pen have hilarious banter and incredible chemistry. I mean .. these two are so freaking hot together.
I laughed. I cried. I fanned myself the whole time.
I devoured this in one sitting and will definitely read it again!
📚 Forced Proximity
📚 Grumpy x Sunshine
📚 Bad Boy x Good Girl
📚 Enemies to Lovers
📚 Roomies with Benefits
📚 Sex Lessons
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
All. The. Stars.
This was instantly my favorite Brighton Walsh book, and quite possibly my favorite read of the year. Something about Declan Steele… But also Penelope Shea. 🥵🔥 Declan and Pen have hilarious banter and incredible chemistry. I mean .. these two are so freaking hot together.
I laughed. I cried. I fanned myself the whole time.
I devoured this in one sitting and will definitely read it again!
📚 Forced Proximity
📚 Grumpy x Sunshine
📚 Bad Boy x Good Girl
📚 Enemies to Lovers
📚 Roomies with Benefits
📚 Sex Lessons
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
All. The. Stars.
May 8, 2026
These Steele brothers kept getting better and better!!!
Declan was everything you want and more.
Broody bad boy who is covered in tattoos, rides a bike, lots to stir up Penelope and is very possessive. Oh yeah and he has a filthy mouth.
Penelope was strait laced on the outside, smutty dream girl on the outside. She had so many reasons to have her walls up and Declan proved time and time again that he would always stay and be her backup regardless of if she asked or not.
The spice was HOOOOT, the banter so fun and the brother dynamic is hilarious.
Brighton smashed it out of the park every single time.
And the ending - MIND BLOWN!!
Declan was everything you want and more.
Broody bad boy who is covered in tattoos, rides a bike, lots to stir up Penelope and is very possessive. Oh yeah and he has a filthy mouth.
Penelope was strait laced on the outside, smutty dream girl on the outside. She had so many reasons to have her walls up and Declan proved time and time again that he would always stay and be her backup regardless of if she asked or not.
The spice was HOOOOT, the banter so fun and the brother dynamic is hilarious.
Brighton smashed it out of the park every single time.
And the ending - MIND BLOWN!!
May 8, 2026
I love Starlight Cove so much.
I he series is tantastic and l
look forward to each new installment about the Steele
Brothers.
Declan and Penelope are enemies lovers. He's rough.
She's soft and he teaches her so many things.
They're forced to live together to avoid community service thanks to our favorite chaotic messy queen Mabel and it is not easy for either of them until they find common ground.
This is the perfect enemies to lovers forced proximity small town boo! So many and the audio cast is phenomenal.
I he series is tantastic and l
look forward to each new installment about the Steele
Brothers.
Declan and Penelope are enemies lovers. He's rough.
She's soft and he teaches her so many things.
They're forced to live together to avoid community service thanks to our favorite chaotic messy queen Mabel and it is not easy for either of them until they find common ground.
This is the perfect enemies to lovers forced proximity small town boo! So many and the audio cast is phenomenal.
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