Sunshine Seeks Roommate

by Kat Savage

Waylon Dupree loves love. He just doesn’t want to be in it right now or anytime soon. But in ten years or so, he’s looking forward to landing a badass wife, worshipping her, and poppin’ out a couple of little Duprees.

For now, he just needs a roommate—someone dependable, who won’t be moving out in a few months because they fell in love like the last two did.

Lyric Sweeney loves dead people. Which is convenient, considering she’s a mortician. Spending her day making the recently departed look alive again has also resulted in her having more conversations with them than people who are still on this plane of existence.

So when her best friend suggests she get a new roommate, her reasons why come with undeniable receipts. But does it have to be Waylon? Does it have to be that sort of almost hookup from a year ago who also happens to be her best friend’s new man’s best friend?

To appease the worried parties, she agrees to see his place. It would have been hard to say no to the chef’s kitchen but she would have done it. But when he shows her what will be her own bathroom and tells her she can fill the sunroom with all her plants? Well, every girl has their price.

One awkward conversation later, they’ve put the past behind them and shake hands on starting fresh. There’s just one No hanky panky. Neither of them were very good at following rules though. And forbidden fruit is the sweetest kind. Besides, nothing can go wrong hooking up with your roommate, right?

Genres: Romance

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication May 27, 2026

About the author

Kat Savage’s unique brand of storytelling combines some of her own truths with a little bit of fiction to connect to people in a very real way. She writes about ugly things authentically and shamelessly.

Reviews

[Lynn_G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mortuary worker Lyric agrees to become housemate to her bestie’s fiancé’s bestie, who also happens to be a guy she once shared a lot of deep talk and a soul-shaking late night kiss with but who also left before anything more could happen, and never addressed it again. Oh and he has a precious corgi with whom she’s madly in love. Of course they last all of a weekend before they’re unable to keep to their hands - and other parts - off each other. But they’re only in it for a good time, not a long time, right? And they can stop whenever they want, sure, no problem.

Tattoo artist Waylon has had a succession of roommates come and go from his house, always when they find love, something he hopes for himself, but never expects to find. He’s been okay with the no strings, one and done hookups he’s enjoyed, but something about Lyric and the honesty they shared tripped some big feelings in him that he chose to run away from and deny. Now with her presence full time in his living space, he’s having a hard time separating the physical from the emotional.

The pair keep sending each other mixed signals, waffling back and forth on whether it means anything more, and while they each know they want more, neither wants to be the first to admit it. Complicating everything is a tight-knit friend group hanging in the balance. How on earth can they make things work?

Tonally, this is quite different from the first book in the series, which was initially frustrating. The voices and actions of these particular MCs are not at all like Darcy and Ridge’s, which is a credit to the author. Lyric and Waylon are a bit flaky, tbh, and the please do me/okay we must stop now dance wears a bit. However, their shared traumas (and their love of weed) inform a lot of their approaches to attachment, both romantic and platonic. There are lots of spicy scenes, and some funny moments involving group chats, all sprinkled with Tater’s regal presence.

I was fortunate to have been provided an advance reader copy from The Author Agency, and I’m sharing my honest review.

[Cassandra Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A grumpy mortician who talks to dead people + a golden retriever tattoo artist with a corgi named Tater??? Yeah this book already had me in a chokehold before the romance even started 😭🖤✨

This was SUCH a fun, chaotic, spicy little roommate romance and honestly Waylon and Lyric were absolutely perfect opposites.

Waylon Dupree??? 🫠
Golden retriever energy in human form. Tattoo artist. Southern accent. Slutty glasses. Obsessed with love even while pretending relationships aren’t for him. Add in the fact that he calls her “darlin’” and owns a corgi named Tater and I was DONE FOR immediately. 😭🐶

And then there’s Lyric, our grumpy black cat mortician queen. 🖤⚰️
She works in funeral and cremation care, reconstructs faces for funerals, casually talks to dead people, and somehow manages to be weird in the most lovable way possible. I genuinely adored her. She’s sarcastic, emotionally guarded, chaotic, sex positive, and secretly so soft underneath all the grumpy energy.

The chemistry between these two was INSANE from the start.

They already had this messy almost-hookup history hanging over them, so forcing them into a roommate situation immediately created so much tension. Every interaction felt loaded. Every conversation had that “we absolutely should not be flirting right now” energy while they continued flirting anyway. 😭

And the BANNNNTER. 👏🏼
These two were constantly making me laugh.

I also really loved that underneath all the chaos and spice, both of them are carrying trauma and attachment issues that heavily affect how they approach relationships. A lot of the push-and-pull between them honestly made sense because neither of them really knows how to trust something good when it’s right in front of them.

Do they send mixed signals constantly? Yes.
Did I still eat it up? Also yes. 💀

And when the slow burn finally gives in??? WHEW 😮‍💨🔥
Worth the wait.

Also the found family vibes in this book were SO good. Kat Savage really knows how to make side characters and friend groups feel real and lived in. The group chats alone had me cracking up. 😭

And honestly? Tater deserves his own special mention because that corgi absolutely stole scenes every chance he got. 🐶👑

This book gave me:
🖤 black cat x golden retriever
🏡 roommates to lovers
😮‍💨 forced proximity
🎨 tattoo artist MMC
⚰️ mortician FMC
🔥 messy chemistry
✨ found family vibes
🐶 adorable corgi content
💬 chaotic banter

Funny, spicy, emotional, slightly unhinged, and ridiculously easy to binge. 🤍

[Abbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waylon - has a dog called Tater. He is a tattooist and owns his own home. He loves love, for anyone but himself. He even made a five year plan. He keeps finding roommates only for them to fall in love and move out leaving him in a reoccurring cycle. He’s on the hunt for a new roommate. He also has a swoon worthy souther accent and calls her ‘darlin’. Adorable. He doesn’t want to admit it but he feels something for Lyric too. How long will they be able to keep the hanky out of the panky?

Lyric - works in funeral and cremation care. She reconstructs faces and gets them ready for hair and makeup, which she also does. Lives by herself and talks to dead people for fun. Shes quirky and funny. She hit it off with Waylon from the minute they met, in fact, she thought they could of been something until it fizzled and she heard him saying it was nothing the next morning to his friends. After that, she kept her space and tried to move on but she knew she had feelings for him. What else could she do but move in with him? This can only end in disaster.

They bond over trauma and weed. He lets her do what she wants and she appreciates that. There’s underlying feelings that no one wants to admit. There was a big build up just for it to basically finish after that, the ending feels a bit rushed. Open door spice scenes. Lots of laughs and chemistry. I did not read book 1 and followed this book easily (probably would have made more sense about Darcy, Lou and Ridge if I had of though).

This is my first read from Kat. I was lucky enough to receive this book as an ARC and am leaving an honest review.

[Good Booking Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was the perfect mix of adorable chaos, hilarious banter, and STEAM. I had the biggest smile on my face the entire time. Between the playful banter, unhinged group chats, cozy roommate tension, and the sweetest dog content, this book completely owned me.

Waylon Dupree is officially book boyfriend material. A tattoo artist MMC with ZERO toxic masculinity? We love to see it. This man was sunshine wrapped in tattoos and green flags. The way he adored Lyric, respected her boundaries, hyped her up, and still managed to be ridiculously hot? Obsessed.

And Lyric being a grumpy mortician who prefers dead people over the living was such a fun, unique FMC. Her dry humor paired with Waylon’s golden retriever energy made every interaction entertaining. Their chemistry was effortless from the start, and the roommate setup made the tension SO good.

The banter in this book deserves its own award. I laughed constantly, kicked my feet during the sweet moments, and absolutely devoured the spicy scenes. It somehow managed to be both wholesome and incredibly hot at the same time.

If you love:
🫠 Tattoo artist MMCs
🖤 Black cat x golden retriever vibes
🫶🏻 Roommate romance
😈 Top-tier banter
🌶️ Sweet but spicy chemistry
🐾 Adorable pet moments
💚 MMCs made entirely of green flags

…then you need this book immediately.

Thank you to Kat Savage and The Author Agency for the ARC. This review is only my opinion.

[Bonnie James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waylon Dupree was EVERYTHING. Golden retriever tattoo artist energy, obsessed with love but swearing off relationships, and somehow still the sweetest man alive? I was gone for him immediately. Then there’s Lyric, our grumpy black cat mortician queen who acts like she hates everyone but is secretly impossible not to love.

Throw these two into a roommate situation with a strict no romance rule after their messy almost-hookup history and the tension is instantly ridiculous. The banter had me laughing nonstop, the chemistry was insane, and the opposites attract dynamic was absolute perfection. Sunshine tattoo artist x grumpy mortician should not work this well but Kat Savage made me obsessed with them.

The slow burn was torture in the best way possible and when the spice finally hit? Worth every second. I also loved the found family vibes and seeing more from the Family of Misfits world again. This book had everything I wanted. Funny, emotional, ridiculously hot, and completely addictive. If you love black cat x golden retriever, roommates to lovers, chaotic banter, and romance that’s equal parts sweet and spicy, you need this immediately

[Brianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waylon and Lyric have a heartfelt evening with one another where they tell each other things they haven't told anyone else. They kiss, and fall asleep together. And that's all she wrote. Until they're both looking for roommates and decide to give it a go.

Sunshine Seeks Roommate was a fast, spicy, and funny read. Waylon is an absolute gentleman and charmer and the perfect person for Lyric. She hasn't forgotten that evening, so she may be a little saltier and grumpier with Waylon than others, but even she isn't immune to his charm.

I really enjoyed watching these two grow closer, and the found family aspect to the story was so sweet and heartwarming. Also, the group chats were wonderfully chaotic and hysterical.

Because this book is shorter, I'd say there's a higher spice to story ratio (Waylon and Lyric are horny for one another - there's no other way of putting it. Lol), and I personally enjoyed their clothed interactions more than the spice scenes.

I can't wait to read the rest of this series and I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read an ARC.

[Tiffany ✨️ Bergamot Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

I really wanted to love this one, the characters seemed totally up my alley and I loooooove a forced proximity, roommates-with-benefits scenario. For the most part the storyline was okay, but I really struggled with the immaturity of the characters for their ages. They were acting more like early-twenties than late twenties and early thirties and it kept pulling me out of the book.

From there, a lot of the book was focused on an intense amount of over explaining every thought, action and just common life knowledge. It is probably what attributed to both of the leads sounding so young as well, as it seems incredibly strange for someone to be explaining the basics of everything constantly. I did enjoy that the spicy scenes were well developed and with ample consent, and the emotional development was steady. I just wish so much of the book wasn't tell and not show.

Overall it was an okay, middle-of-the-road book, but not something I'd rave about.

*****

I was sent a complimentary advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to The Author Agency for sending this my way.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunshine, plants, dead people, and one very bad idea of a roommate arrangement.
Sunshine Seeks Roommate completely pulled me in from the start. What begins as an awkward second chance at friendship turns into something layered with tension, comfort, humor, and emotional vulnerability in the best way.
Lyric instantly stood out to me. There’s something deeply relatable about a character who feels more comfortable around the dead than the living, and her quiet awkwardness paired perfectly with Waylon’s warmth and chaotic golden retriever energy.
And Waylon? Absolutely gone for her long before he probably realized it himself. The way he notices the little things, makes space for her, and quietly shows up over and over again made this story feel incredibly genuine.
The chemistry between them builds naturally through shared space, lingering tension, and all those little moments that slowly become impossible to ignore.
I started this last night and finished it today because I genuinely didn’t want to leave these characters behind.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waylon and Lyric’s story is a fluffy read.
He basically ghosted her 12-months earlier, and now needs a new roommate.
His new roommate? Lyric.
And he’s sworn off love (for a few more years, at least). Meanwhile, she’s into him….
I thought he was a dingleberry. Sweet at times, yet TSTL at others…
I really enjoyed her ‘conversations’ at work. They were amusing. She was self-aware that she had a problem, but the BBS was real in this. I really wanted her to hold strong!
What I really liked was the interactions with their friends. Those group chats and the banter were amusing, and actually gave some pretty good insight into how things were going, along with hints about what we can expect next.
Now, it looks like the next MMC may have been chosen, but we’ll see….

Thanks, Kat Savage, for the advance copy. I enjoyed it.

[Nickole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rcvd an ARC from the author.

I quite enjoyed this book...the banter, the 🌶, the wit between the characters.

We meet tattooist Waylon who just lost another roommate to love. Pfft...he needs a new roommate that isn't in a relationship as he's tired of looking for a new one every 6 months. We then meet Lyric, mortician who is looking to fill Darcy's spot in her home. When she learns Waylon is looking for a housemate she is hesitant bc of their shared kiss a year ago. She's not hurt by any means but he basically ran out of her room but really nothing happened but a kiss and great convo. This Will work in Waylons favor ad Lyric cooks, is tidy and loves dogs. But one eve when she suggests roommates with benefits its hard to say no. Whats the worst thing that can happen?

[Beronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from Author

I absolutely loved this book. This author never disappoints and has always been an instant-buy author for me. From the very beginning I was completely hooked. I wanted to savor the story and take my time with it, but at the same time I couldn’t put it down.

Just when I thought Avery from the Men of Birds Eye series was the ultimate book boyfriend, along comes Waylon to completely steal the title. He is everything you want in a book boyfriend and more.

I already adored Lyric from Single Dad Dilemma, so getting her as the main character made me love this book from the start. Watching her story unfold was such a treat, and the connection between her and Waylon had me invested the entire time.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that Lyric is a beautician in a mortuary and has conversations with her “clients”. It’s weird in a good way and suits her perfectly. I love sex positive female characters. They're always a win for me.

Waylon being a tattoo artist automatically makes him hot. Add in 'slutty glasses', and I'm hooked. I totally get where Lyric is coming from when she ogles him.

Their friendship and banter are equally the best parts for me. I loved the found family of it all. Kat Savage writes the best found family dynamics.

I would have liked a few more emotion-led scenes to slow it down a bit and let things land more. Still, it gave me what I wanted from a Kat Savage book.

[Amanda M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful slow burn romance. I was invested in this story from the first few chapters. I loved the gradual buildup and the storyline was amazing. I also liked the found family vibes in this. And the banter was so darn good. It's a well-rounded narrative with just the right amount of sweet and spicy. I'd recommend reading this, especially if you like grumpy x sunshine, black cat x golden retriever, and roommates that eventually become more. A huge thanks to the author agency and the author for a copy of this. All opinions are my own and freely expressed.

[Monica Minniti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet Waylon and Lyric. He’s a tattoo artist. She’s a mortician. They meet because their friends are saying. They have a meet-cute a year ago and poof- it dissipated. When they meet again it’s for convenience; they move in together. Shenanigans ensues. The cheeky interplay and banter is top notch. The friend group is awesome. You just feel like you know everyone. The spice is perfect. New author for me and I’m a huge fan! I’d love to read more! Spice is 🌶️🌶️🌶️ and stars are 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Shanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunshine Seeks Roommate was a fun twist on second chance forced proximity. It was a cute story and I enjoyed it, for the most part. There was good tension throughout, and the pacing was medium.

The only thing I did not like was the formatting of the book and the fact that the characters all acted younger than what they were.

Thank you to the Author Agency for the ARC. This has been my voluntary review.

[Lacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute! Loved the reverse grumpy/sunshine trope. Loved the arrangement Waylon and Lyric had as roommates, of course deeper feelings would develop. Duh. Hope there's more in this series. Love the banter with all the friends!

[Christie Wilcox]

🫠 Tattoo Artist MMC
🧠 She’s a mortician
🫶🏻 ROOMIES
😅 She’s grumpy, He’s sunshine
🐈‍⬛ Black Cat x Golden Retriever
💔 NO ONE wants love
😈 Banter x100

[Amanda Dreher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is perfection! Lyric and Waylon are made for each other. It's the perfect combo of sweet and spicy and will make you swoon more than once.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute! I love Waylon and Lyric. Lyric is sassy and laid back. Waylon is all the green flags. This was a great spicy comfort read.