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Up on the Roof
Book-loving Lena likes order, cleanliness, peace, and quiet. When Megan, a loud and clumsy young woman, moves into the flat below hers, chaos ensues, and Lena’s already-high anxiety rockets. It gets even worse when a devastating storm leaves Lena needing a place to live.
Against her better judgment, Megan offers her a spare room, and they both know it’s a terrible idea. After all, they’ve clashed from the first moment they met. It can surely only end in disaster.
As time passes, Lena and Megan realise that, underneath their differences, there’s an inexplicable pull between them that seems hard to resist. Can they learn to deal with their clashing personalities and let the attraction blossom? Or will what divides them be too much to overcome?
A quirky romance, laced with classic British humour, about the power of opposites attracting
88,000 words
Themes: lesbian romance · London · romcom
Against her better judgment, Megan offers her a spare room, and they both know it’s a terrible idea. After all, they’ve clashed from the first moment they met. It can surely only end in disaster.
As time passes, Lena and Megan realise that, underneath their differences, there’s an inexplicable pull between them that seems hard to resist. Can they learn to deal with their clashing personalities and let the attraction blossom? Or will what divides them be too much to overcome?
A quirky romance, laced with classic British humour, about the power of opposites attracting
88,000 words
Themes: lesbian romance · London · romcom
245 pages, ebook
First published March 7, 2018
37 people are currently reading
556 people want to read
About the author
A.L. Brooks
23 books328 followersA.L. Brooks was born in the UK but currently resides in Frankfurt, Germany, and over the years she has lived in places as far afield as Aberdeen and Australia. She works 9–5 in corporate financial systems and her dream is to take early retirement. Like, tomorrow, please. She loves her gym membership, and is very grateful for it as she also loves dark chocolate. She enjoys drinking good wine and craft beer, trying out new recipes to cook, and learning German. Travelling around the world and reading lots and lots (and lots) of books are also things that fight for time with her writing. Yep, she really needs that early retirement.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
March 1, 2018
'Ylva-Publishing ARC provided in exchange for an unbiased review'
1.5stars!
A frustratingly,bizarre,confusing and badly written story which also had no concept of any particular topic to stick too (seriously!) Throughout the book,Ms.Brooks tries to portrays in a convincing,force and also organic style the symbiotic nature of both her main characters as friends(first); the ways in which neighbors grow to become close during tragedy while eventually it grows into a loving relationship. The characters at the heart of Ms.Brooks's storyline are all plagued by many different flaws,phobias and issues in life some more severe than others plus this was the best part of the story for both myself and the readers. If there is a vexing problem with this story/book is that the author seems to like her characters way too much,as if she were afraid to harm them or make them suffer unduly because there was no chemistry what-so-ever between anyone in this book. The breakups and the hurts,embarrassments and sober realizations or whatever gets neutralized in all the relative safety of these different character's mind. As a result,most of what sorta drama that there was in this book felt muffled beneath the folds of all that was carefully constructed by the prose-- was softened to inconvenience where it could have been heightened to a threat. I must also add that while certain parts of this story does not exactly ruin all of the book,it disappointingly diminishes what could have been...
1.5stars!
A frustratingly,bizarre,confusing and badly written story which also had no concept of any particular topic to stick too (seriously!) Throughout the book,Ms.Brooks tries to portrays in a convincing,force and also organic style the symbiotic nature of both her main characters as friends(first); the ways in which neighbors grow to become close during tragedy while eventually it grows into a loving relationship. The characters at the heart of Ms.Brooks's storyline are all plagued by many different flaws,phobias and issues in life some more severe than others plus this was the best part of the story for both myself and the readers. If there is a vexing problem with this story/book is that the author seems to like her characters way too much,as if she were afraid to harm them or make them suffer unduly because there was no chemistry what-so-ever between anyone in this book. The breakups and the hurts,embarrassments and sober realizations or whatever gets neutralized in all the relative safety of these different character's mind. As a result,most of what sorta drama that there was in this book felt muffled beneath the folds of all that was carefully constructed by the prose-- was softened to inconvenience where it could have been heightened to a threat. I must also add that while certain parts of this story does not exactly ruin all of the book,it disappointingly diminishes what could have been...
March 9, 2018
The reviews for this book have been very mixed. There is almost an equal amount of people who have liked this compared to who have disliked this book. I was interested to see which side I would fall. It looks like it’s straight down the middle. I didn’t like this one, but I didn’t hate it, I’m squarely in the okay camp on this one.
Have you ever been reading a book but then instead of paying attention you start thinking about the next book you are going to read? That’s what I kept doing with this book and that’s never a good sign for me. It means something isn’t right; I’m just not connecting to this writing. There is not a whole bunch of moments that I can pick out to say this is why story was really not working for me. But I guess one of the biggest issues was the characters. Lena is a very hard character to like. I don’t mind characters with issues, anxieties, and quirks, but Lena was really nasty at times. Even with her whole backstory and small bit of growth I could not get past just tolerating her.
I think another reason I had some issues was that this didn’t really feel like a romance. I just felt no chemistry what so ever between the two characters. There were some nice shared moments but nothing that screamed here is a potential loving couple. I did like how the first sex scene was going. It was cute, had a little humor and I thought it was going to be a very sweet intimate moment. Unfortunately, the scene took a huge turn and all that was erased. When a sex scene popped up later, I sort of lost interest by then.
I just complained plenty, but I still think the actual whole story was okay. I can see why some people might like this. This was just not any better than okay for my personal preferences. I can’t recommend this, but I won’t say stay away either. I’m sorry to say I don’t think I am a ton of help on this one.
An ARC was given to me by YLVA, for a honest review.
Have you ever been reading a book but then instead of paying attention you start thinking about the next book you are going to read? That’s what I kept doing with this book and that’s never a good sign for me. It means something isn’t right; I’m just not connecting to this writing. There is not a whole bunch of moments that I can pick out to say this is why story was really not working for me. But I guess one of the biggest issues was the characters. Lena is a very hard character to like. I don’t mind characters with issues, anxieties, and quirks, but Lena was really nasty at times. Even with her whole backstory and small bit of growth I could not get past just tolerating her.
I think another reason I had some issues was that this didn’t really feel like a romance. I just felt no chemistry what so ever between the two characters. There were some nice shared moments but nothing that screamed here is a potential loving couple. I did like how the first sex scene was going. It was cute, had a little humor and I thought it was going to be a very sweet intimate moment. Unfortunately, the scene took a huge turn and all that was erased. When a sex scene popped up later, I sort of lost interest by then.
I just complained plenty, but I still think the actual whole story was okay. I can see why some people might like this. This was just not any better than okay for my personal preferences. I can’t recommend this, but I won’t say stay away either. I’m sorry to say I don’t think I am a ton of help on this one.
An ARC was given to me by YLVA, for a honest review.
March 6, 2018
This is the first novel I’ve read by A.L. Brooks even though I’ve had her other books on my ‘to-read’ shelf for a while. It wasn’t what I expected but I’m also not disappointed. Set in London, this is the story of the women living in the three flats of a converted Victorian townhouse. Lena, living on the top floor, and Megan, just moved into the middle floor, are the main characters while Dorothy is an elderly, religious, organ-playing busy-body in the ground floor flat.
Lena is irritated by Megan from the moment she moves in. She’s clumsy, loud, invokes Dorothy’s wrath and is generally unsettling. But it’s not difficult to get Lena’s back up. She’s a loner with OCD and social anxiety issues combined with a damaged self-esteem that comes from rejection. When Lena’s flat is damaged in a storm Megan can’t believe the words falling out of her mouth offering Lena a place to stay.
I liked both Megan and Lena as characters although Megan’s laidback style and easy generosity made her much less of a challenge. I sympathized and empathized with Lena for a number of reasons. Family, culture and tradition in South East Asian communities is really highly valued and protected that it takes extraordinary courage to go against it because there is a high probability of estrangement. Social disabilities like anxiety, panic attacks, inadequate social skills, OCD and shyness don’t seem to be quite as forgivable as physical disabilities and that sentiment was well-portrayed through the characters. Lena’s awareness of her shortcomings and introspection added to her willingness to alter her behaviour made her more endearing.
The story was a little slow until about the 35% mark but from that point on I was engaged. A lot of the dynamic between Megan and Lena is lost because not enough of their interaction is through dialogue. For example, when Megan starts doing laundry for both of them negotiating how Lena wants her underwear done would have been interesting, possibly hilarious, in dialogue but instead it is straightforward, third person narrative.
Dorothy provided a lot of the comic relief as well as being the meddling sounding-board. Other secondary characters like Megan’s best friend and family and Lena’s sister gave the story a well-rounded feel. Other than wanting more dialogue, I enjoyed Up on the Roof. The title doesn’t make sense unless it is a reference to The Drifter’s song of the same name.
Three and a half stars rounded up.
Book received from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
Lena is irritated by Megan from the moment she moves in. She’s clumsy, loud, invokes Dorothy’s wrath and is generally unsettling. But it’s not difficult to get Lena’s back up. She’s a loner with OCD and social anxiety issues combined with a damaged self-esteem that comes from rejection. When Lena’s flat is damaged in a storm Megan can’t believe the words falling out of her mouth offering Lena a place to stay.
I liked both Megan and Lena as characters although Megan’s laidback style and easy generosity made her much less of a challenge. I sympathized and empathized with Lena for a number of reasons. Family, culture and tradition in South East Asian communities is really highly valued and protected that it takes extraordinary courage to go against it because there is a high probability of estrangement. Social disabilities like anxiety, panic attacks, inadequate social skills, OCD and shyness don’t seem to be quite as forgivable as physical disabilities and that sentiment was well-portrayed through the characters. Lena’s awareness of her shortcomings and introspection added to her willingness to alter her behaviour made her more endearing.
The story was a little slow until about the 35% mark but from that point on I was engaged. A lot of the dynamic between Megan and Lena is lost because not enough of their interaction is through dialogue. For example, when Megan starts doing laundry for both of them negotiating how Lena wants her underwear done would have been interesting, possibly hilarious, in dialogue but instead it is straightforward, third person narrative.
They’d soon worked out a scheme whereby Lena placed everything into one of those mesh wash bags, and so the whole thing got dumped in the machine as is, without Megan having to touch anything.
Megan chuckled at the memory of them discussing that situation, and Lena’s blushing face as they had done so.
Dorothy provided a lot of the comic relief as well as being the meddling sounding-board. Other secondary characters like Megan’s best friend and family and Lena’s sister gave the story a well-rounded feel. Other than wanting more dialogue, I enjoyed Up on the Roof. The title doesn’t make sense unless it is a reference to The Drifter’s song of the same name.
Three and a half stars rounded up.
Book received from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
December 12, 2024
*I received this book from Ylva Publishing for an honest review*
I know I’m something of an early outlier, at least based on early ratings for the book, but I haven’t read anything yet to see how and why I’m an outlier. For, you see, despite things that probably would be off-putting to me in any other situation, I rather enjoyed both this book’s story, and the two main characters in it.
The negatives: I like cats, tis just who I am, and react vaguely badly when I see/hear/read someone being bad to cats. Lena doesn’t like cats. Yet have two of them living in her apartment. Therefore I must despise her, right? Well, oddly, I had no real trouble with Lena’s reactions to the cats – they weren’t hers, but her ex-girlfriends; she does take care of them, and give them pets (about 90 to 95% less than a cat-lover would do – pet-wise), but she’s also quite allergic to them, and needs to pump her body full of drugs to be around them. So, yeah, I can live with this type of situation – human cat situation. Plus, there were tears in her eyes when a specific moment occurred regarding the cats that I cannot mention without being spoiler-y. I think. Would it be spoiler-y? hmms. So – cats. What other ‘negatives’ do I have? Well, Lena’s quite of-putting, easy to anger, hard to forgive (Lena finds it hard to forgive, I mean), remembers the wrongs done to her, and just plain mean. Probably not anyone I want anything to do with (on the other hand, I might have just described myself, but let’s pretend I didn’t say that).
She’s socially awkward, but for different reasons than other similar characters I’ve run across. Here it’s a combination of her upbringing – bad relations with her parents, and culture, and bad horrible break-up with her ex-girlfriend that led her to be the stand-offish loner that she is. As is mentioned at some point, her personality changed when the ‘tough times’ hit her one after another. So, yes, she is different than others like her I’ve come across, in that others like her always were like that (though there’s evidence that Lena’s worse now, but still was off-putting before ‘the troubles’ began (see: stories about her childhood). This is a negative since it’s not easy to read a person like this . . . in theory. Though I mostly enjoyed her interactions with others. Especially when her feistiness caused her to call out Megan’s family for their actions. Standing up for Megan. But, let’s not get too spoiler-y, eh?
The positives: well, let’s see. I liked both Megan and Lena. Megan being the other main character (and point of view) who has a much different experience with life than Lena. Both from a family point of view (her family were quite okay with Megan being lesbian; Lena’s cut her out of their life, mostly), and from a cultural point of view (difference between being of Indian decent and not of Indian decent, though Megan has the ‘burden’, not actually seen in this book, that comes from being of Irish decent living in London (is it a burden? Is it not? Do people care one way or another? I really have no clue)). On the other hand, Megan also has had some rough times lately, see her most recent relationship. And, well, just that really. Oh, and she’s clumsy and her family call her names she dislikes but they refuse to stop calling her. But otherwise . . . . something something.
Where was I? Where was I going? Bah. No idea. I started off going down the wrong path anyway, after seeing the current overall rating and reacting. Mmphs.
My head hurts and it’s almost 1 am.
This book is set and takes place mostly in London. A few moments are spent in a nearby city (living in the USA, everything is ‘nearby’ in England) where Lena’s sister Madhu lives (and where Lena is from and where her parents also live). The time? The present.
The story? Lena lives in an apartment complex in London. The kind with, apparently, just three apartments in it. One of the apartments has been empty for a while, but the book opens with someone moving into that other apartment. Whereupon Lena and the other main character, Megan, ‘meet badly’. When Megan accidentally puts a massive scratch into Lena’s apartment door while attempting to move furniture into her new apartment. Recall how I mentioned that Lena is easy to ‘set off’ and has trouble with forgiveness? Yeah, so, here ‘meet badly’ really has meaning.
Megan, though, is a nice albeit clumsy woman, and Lena doesn’t think, 24/7, mean thoughts about her. Especially after Megan keep making overtures of friendship after Lena’s often mean words (like inviting Lena to parties). Then a storm damages Lena’s apartment and Lena now needs a place to live. Whereupon . . . I stop recounting the story or I go too far, eh?
As I said, I actually liked the two main characters. The parents of Lena’s were intended to be disliked. I didn’t specifically like Megan’s parents (father: laughing at and name-calling daughter; mother: some mean things said, albeit said with love; plus the things father did), though I think I was supposed to do so. Jen, Megan’s friend, had a presence in the story, but I didn’t really like her much either. Madhu, Lena’s one good relative, was a good side character; as was the other apartment dweller in the building – Dorothy (who everyone tiptoed around for . . . unexplained reasons – she’s pushy, argumentative, and plays loud religious music if you annoy her, but . . . two can play that game . . and stuff, so…). Hmms. Slow burn romance. There was graphic sex. Hmms. What else to note, what else to note. Hmms. High possibility I’m the outlier in liking the book, and that’s a danger to anyone coming along after me, but they probably will see the book’s overall rating so come to their own ideas pre-reading.
Rating: 3.68
ETA: (not really edited to add, but just remembered something I normally mention for whatever reason - this is the first book I've read by this author).
March 2 2018
I know I’m something of an early outlier, at least based on early ratings for the book, but I haven’t read anything yet to see how and why I’m an outlier. For, you see, despite things that probably would be off-putting to me in any other situation, I rather enjoyed both this book’s story, and the two main characters in it.
The negatives: I like cats, tis just who I am, and react vaguely badly when I see/hear/read someone being bad to cats. Lena doesn’t like cats. Yet have two of them living in her apartment. Therefore I must despise her, right? Well, oddly, I had no real trouble with Lena’s reactions to the cats – they weren’t hers, but her ex-girlfriends; she does take care of them, and give them pets (about 90 to 95% less than a cat-lover would do – pet-wise), but she’s also quite allergic to them, and needs to pump her body full of drugs to be around them. So, yeah, I can live with this type of situation – human cat situation. Plus, there were tears in her eyes when a specific moment occurred regarding the cats that I cannot mention without being spoiler-y. I think. Would it be spoiler-y? hmms. So – cats. What other ‘negatives’ do I have? Well, Lena’s quite of-putting, easy to anger, hard to forgive (Lena finds it hard to forgive, I mean), remembers the wrongs done to her, and just plain mean. Probably not anyone I want anything to do with (on the other hand, I might have just described myself, but let’s pretend I didn’t say that).
She’s socially awkward, but for different reasons than other similar characters I’ve run across. Here it’s a combination of her upbringing – bad relations with her parents, and culture, and bad horrible break-up with her ex-girlfriend that led her to be the stand-offish loner that she is. As is mentioned at some point, her personality changed when the ‘tough times’ hit her one after another. So, yes, she is different than others like her I’ve come across, in that others like her always were like that (though there’s evidence that Lena’s worse now, but still was off-putting before ‘the troubles’ began (see: stories about her childhood). This is a negative since it’s not easy to read a person like this . . . in theory. Though I mostly enjoyed her interactions with others. Especially when her feistiness caused her to call out Megan’s family for their actions. Standing up for Megan. But, let’s not get too spoiler-y, eh?
The positives: well, let’s see. I liked both Megan and Lena. Megan being the other main character (and point of view) who has a much different experience with life than Lena. Both from a family point of view (her family were quite okay with Megan being lesbian; Lena’s cut her out of their life, mostly), and from a cultural point of view (difference between being of Indian decent and not of Indian decent, though Megan has the ‘burden’, not actually seen in this book, that comes from being of Irish decent living in London (is it a burden? Is it not? Do people care one way or another? I really have no clue)). On the other hand, Megan also has had some rough times lately, see her most recent relationship. And, well, just that really. Oh, and she’s clumsy and her family call her names she dislikes but they refuse to stop calling her. But otherwise . . . . something something.
Where was I? Where was I going? Bah. No idea. I started off going down the wrong path anyway, after seeing the current overall rating and reacting. Mmphs.
My head hurts and it’s almost 1 am.
This book is set and takes place mostly in London. A few moments are spent in a nearby city (living in the USA, everything is ‘nearby’ in England) where Lena’s sister Madhu lives (and where Lena is from and where her parents also live). The time? The present.
The story? Lena lives in an apartment complex in London. The kind with, apparently, just three apartments in it. One of the apartments has been empty for a while, but the book opens with someone moving into that other apartment. Whereupon Lena and the other main character, Megan, ‘meet badly’. When Megan accidentally puts a massive scratch into Lena’s apartment door while attempting to move furniture into her new apartment. Recall how I mentioned that Lena is easy to ‘set off’ and has trouble with forgiveness? Yeah, so, here ‘meet badly’ really has meaning.
Megan, though, is a nice albeit clumsy woman, and Lena doesn’t think, 24/7, mean thoughts about her. Especially after Megan keep making overtures of friendship after Lena’s often mean words (like inviting Lena to parties). Then a storm damages Lena’s apartment and Lena now needs a place to live. Whereupon . . . I stop recounting the story or I go too far, eh?
As I said, I actually liked the two main characters. The parents of Lena’s were intended to be disliked. I didn’t specifically like Megan’s parents (father: laughing at and name-calling daughter; mother: some mean things said, albeit said with love; plus the things father did), though I think I was supposed to do so. Jen, Megan’s friend, had a presence in the story, but I didn’t really like her much either. Madhu, Lena’s one good relative, was a good side character; as was the other apartment dweller in the building – Dorothy (who everyone tiptoed around for . . . unexplained reasons – she’s pushy, argumentative, and plays loud religious music if you annoy her, but . . . two can play that game . . and stuff, so…). Hmms. Slow burn romance. There was graphic sex. Hmms. What else to note, what else to note. Hmms. High possibility I’m the outlier in liking the book, and that’s a danger to anyone coming along after me, but they probably will see the book’s overall rating so come to their own ideas pre-reading.
Rating: 3.68
ETA: (not really edited to add, but just remembered something I normally mention for whatever reason - this is the first book I've read by this author).
March 2 2018
March 23, 2018
I appreciated how the author showed the impact cultural differences can have on a character’s personality. We know Lena suffers from OCD and wow, that is well spelled out. What made this story more than just another inclusion by a writer of a person of colour to impress a broader audience was how effectively other Lena’s life was shown to be from the usual WASP perspective. Well done.
I also appreciated how effective the author was at pointing out what a doormat poor Megan and her low self esteem proved to be. She’s a nice person who has suffered at the hands of family and friends yet maintains her sunny disposition. As crusty as Lena was portrayed, I think her strong personality was needed to show Megan she could be stronger around others. That said, Lena didn’t win any points for constantly lashing out at Megan. This romance was a hard sell.
Too bad about the cover. Ylva needs to find a cover designer who’s read a draft of the book to know that the clumsy oafish Megan and voluptuous Lena do no match the characters portrayed. And lose the cat. It’s false advertising.
ARC received from publisher for review.
I also appreciated how effective the author was at pointing out what a doormat poor Megan and her low self esteem proved to be. She’s a nice person who has suffered at the hands of family and friends yet maintains her sunny disposition. As crusty as Lena was portrayed, I think her strong personality was needed to show Megan she could be stronger around others. That said, Lena didn’t win any points for constantly lashing out at Megan. This romance was a hard sell.
Too bad about the cover. Ylva needs to find a cover designer who’s read a draft of the book to know that the clumsy oafish Megan and voluptuous Lena do no match the characters portrayed. And lose the cat. It’s false advertising.
ARC received from publisher for review.
March 6, 2018
This is my fourth book by Brooks, but it’s not my favorite one, this would still be Dark Horse.
Despite the low ratings from other readers, I enjoyed the story of clumsy Megan and shy Lena. After a massive storm, which destroyed Lena’s flat at the top of the building, where they live in, Megan offers Lena her spare room, till she can get back to her own flat. What sounds like a nice act of neighborhood help is rather a surprising act of Megan. Megan moved in, just a few weeks before, and her meetings with Lena till this moment, were rather heated,
Megan is a character who is easy to like, she is a funny, a little clumsy (what I can totally understand, sometimes I’m clumsy too), laidback and caring woman. The last relationship wasn’t that good, and now she is a little uncertain as far as women are concerned. She has a great, loving family, despite that they constantly tease her clumsiness.
On the other side Lena, she is the opposite of Megan. With family roots in India, her family kicked her out of the house after her coming out, which took her quite some time. Her sister is the only family member she’s still in contact. And she has more disadvantages, she’s very shy, has anxiety attacks and OCD. This is something I can’t really comprehend, how it is to live with such a strong force to do something.
It is not the usual romance, it’s very slow burning with some back and forth. Some of the situations were hilarious, but only when you can watch it, not really when you’re in it. As Joc mentioned in her review (which by the way is a great review), there were some situations or discussions I rather would have liked to read as a dialogue, not as third person narrative too.
Brooks describes her main characters very good and all the inner dialogues explain a lot of the reactions of the women. The second character Dorothy was a funny encore, she eased the story in some parts.
My rating 3.75 stars.
Thanks to Ylva for receiving an ARC for a honest review.
Despite the low ratings from other readers, I enjoyed the story of clumsy Megan and shy Lena. After a massive storm, which destroyed Lena’s flat at the top of the building, where they live in, Megan offers Lena her spare room, till she can get back to her own flat. What sounds like a nice act of neighborhood help is rather a surprising act of Megan. Megan moved in, just a few weeks before, and her meetings with Lena till this moment, were rather heated,
Megan is a character who is easy to like, she is a funny, a little clumsy (what I can totally understand, sometimes I’m clumsy too), laidback and caring woman. The last relationship wasn’t that good, and now she is a little uncertain as far as women are concerned. She has a great, loving family, despite that they constantly tease her clumsiness.
On the other side Lena, she is the opposite of Megan. With family roots in India, her family kicked her out of the house after her coming out, which took her quite some time. Her sister is the only family member she’s still in contact. And she has more disadvantages, she’s very shy, has anxiety attacks and OCD. This is something I can’t really comprehend, how it is to live with such a strong force to do something.
It is not the usual romance, it’s very slow burning with some back and forth. Some of the situations were hilarious, but only when you can watch it, not really when you’re in it. As Joc mentioned in her review (which by the way is a great review), there were some situations or discussions I rather would have liked to read as a dialogue, not as third person narrative too.
Brooks describes her main characters very good and all the inner dialogues explain a lot of the reactions of the women. The second character Dorothy was a funny encore, she eased the story in some parts.
My rating 3.75 stars.
Thanks to Ylva for receiving an ARC for a honest review.
March 4, 2018
note* I was provided with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for a fair review
This was a difficult book for me to enjoy reading. Characters don't need to describe their reactions to reading Nietzsche to have the reader understand them better but an attempt must be made for us to understand the two main characters of this book and what attracts them to each other.
Both of them are 'damaged goods' psychologically, with one much worse than the other. 03.04.2018 *edit - Meghan has confidence issues and is clumsy and forgetful. Lena allegedly has OCD and anxiety attacks which stem from heartache in her past. In one way this is the story of two "misfits" who grow and better themselves through love but the roadblocks along the way were difficult for me to get through.
Familiar Trope - No Exit — Through natural machinations Lena's flat is destroyed and Megan, her neighbor, takes her on in her flat as a renter while Lena's flat is repaired. There they can become better acquainted — and what a tough road that is to travel. Lena has issues about a great many things but Megan doggedly follows. It's all a bit much and unpleasant to have described. Lena makes some horrendous scene or overreacts to an event but then understands it all the next day after a good night's sleep. Once again she is apologizing to Megan. Megan forgives. Rinse, Repeat. If Lena is able to instantly decipher what went wrong the night before why does she not understand her past history better?
This book tells a story but very simply. The English used is grade school. The conversations feel stilted and unnatural:
an example of text:
“Then she chuckled as Megan arched one eyebrow and said, “‘Quite like’. Really. Gee, now I feel special.” Megan kept her tone light and teasing, hoping Lena would understand her humour.
To her delight, Lena waggled her hand back and forth and said, “Well, you know, I can’t have you getting big-headed about these things.”
Megan roared with laughter.”
I was not roaring but watching the crease in my brow deepen in the reflection of my monitor the more I read this book.
This was a difficult book for me to enjoy reading. Characters don't need to describe their reactions to reading Nietzsche to have the reader understand them better but an attempt must be made for us to understand the two main characters of this book and what attracts them to each other.
Both of them are 'damaged goods' psychologically, with one much worse than the other. 03.04.2018 *edit - Meghan has confidence issues and is clumsy and forgetful. Lena allegedly has OCD and anxiety attacks which stem from heartache in her past. In one way this is the story of two "misfits" who grow and better themselves through love but the roadblocks along the way were difficult for me to get through.
Familiar Trope - No Exit — Through natural machinations Lena's flat is destroyed and Megan, her neighbor, takes her on in her flat as a renter while Lena's flat is repaired. There they can become better acquainted — and what a tough road that is to travel. Lena has issues about a great many things but Megan doggedly follows. It's all a bit much and unpleasant to have described. Lena makes some horrendous scene or overreacts to an event but then understands it all the next day after a good night's sleep. Once again she is apologizing to Megan. Megan forgives. Rinse, Repeat. If Lena is able to instantly decipher what went wrong the night before why does she not understand her past history better?
This book tells a story but very simply. The English used is grade school. The conversations feel stilted and unnatural:
an example of text:
“Then she chuckled as Megan arched one eyebrow and said, “‘Quite like’. Really. Gee, now I feel special.” Megan kept her tone light and teasing, hoping Lena would understand her humour.
To her delight, Lena waggled her hand back and forth and said, “Well, you know, I can’t have you getting big-headed about these things.”
Megan roared with laughter.”
I was not roaring but watching the crease in my brow deepen in the reflection of my monitor the more I read this book.
March 15, 2018
Slow burns are one of my favorite tropes in romance. I love that will they or won't they, the delicious pull that both characters keep denying for whatever reason. Totes love it! What you need though to make this work and really pull in the reader is that dazzling chemistry and allow the characters to really develop over the course of the book. Not an easy feat!
Megan Palmer is a new tenant to a Victorian conversion in London. Megan is a fitness trainer who is laid back and loveable but easily rolled over by dominating personalities. Enter her neighbor, accountant, Lena Shah. Lena is the direct opposite of her new neighbor. She's a loner by nature, easily irritated and has OCD. Megan and Lena get off on the wrong foot and Megan does everything in her power to appease Lena, except with every forward step she takes she then will make another mistake in the eyes of her neighbor. A leaky roof forces these two to cohabitate and this changes the dynamic of their relationship.
I think what grabs me the most about this book is Lena's character. She's bitter, at times cold and prickly. She is not easy to love when she feels embarrassed or out of sorts she is quick to lash out. Megan takes a lot of lashes that would be hard for anyone to take. She has redeeming qualities, they just tend to be overshadowed by her other personality traits. She teeter-tottered right on the edge of unlikeable. What I did like about her is that she does have a great amount of self-awareness in regards to her behavior. She knows what she had done wrong she is a work in progress on changing her quick reactions.
More than anything I wanted more dialogue and a little less repetitiveness in regards to Lena and Megan's daily interactions. A slow burn that just needed a bit more. 3 stars
Megan Palmer is a new tenant to a Victorian conversion in London. Megan is a fitness trainer who is laid back and loveable but easily rolled over by dominating personalities. Enter her neighbor, accountant, Lena Shah. Lena is the direct opposite of her new neighbor. She's a loner by nature, easily irritated and has OCD. Megan and Lena get off on the wrong foot and Megan does everything in her power to appease Lena, except with every forward step she takes she then will make another mistake in the eyes of her neighbor. A leaky roof forces these two to cohabitate and this changes the dynamic of their relationship.
I think what grabs me the most about this book is Lena's character. She's bitter, at times cold and prickly. She is not easy to love when she feels embarrassed or out of sorts she is quick to lash out. Megan takes a lot of lashes that would be hard for anyone to take. She has redeeming qualities, they just tend to be overshadowed by her other personality traits. She teeter-tottered right on the edge of unlikeable. What I did like about her is that she does have a great amount of self-awareness in regards to her behavior. She knows what she had done wrong she is a work in progress on changing her quick reactions.
More than anything I wanted more dialogue and a little less repetitiveness in regards to Lena and Megan's daily interactions. A slow burn that just needed a bit more. 3 stars
October 25, 2021
I wanted to listen to this one for a while and unfortunately it was a disappointment. The one character was neurotic and selfish. And there is neurotic cute, but this was not it. For a romance, when I find myself asking the one character why does she keep trying when the other party is not, well, not great. Narration by Eyre was good.
And why is there a cat in the cover?!
And why is there a cat in the cover?!
March 26, 2018
I was very surprised by the ratings and early reviews of this book. I loved the book. I really enjoyed the characters. I always enjoy characters more when they have flaws/quirks. I connect so much more with them. I also love diverse characters. I wish more publishers would work at including more diverse characters in their novels. I read a lot of books but I nearly always love YLVA books. For me this book checked a lot of my favorites off, diverse characters, not cookie cutter or formulaic romance, romance was slow and required work, had internal conflicts and external conflicts to overcome, secondary characters were likeable (I could have used more of this), and I overall enjoyed the writing style and story. For me this was a win.
October 11, 2018
An ok read for me.
Liked the book cover though it doesn’t necessarily depicts the main characters
Ratings: 3.5 ⭐️
Liked the book cover though it doesn’t necessarily depicts the main characters
Ratings: 3.5 ⭐️
March 11, 2018
I was given this ARC by the publisher in exchange for an Honest Review.
Huh, so, apparently, I may have read a different book than a lot of people did or something? On the other hand, in the recent past I've come onto Goodreads or LibraryThing and looked at reviews of a book I hated and went, wait.... what?
I did think it was a very character driven novel. And that was another reason me liking it surprised me a little. (I usually gravitate to plot driven novels and such).
It's about Lena and Megan. Megan has just moved in downstairs from Lena (who has the top apartment. I do have to say, with the stairs and the doors, it took me awhile to realize where the three women all lived, Dorothy, one of my favorite characters because she was just so different and always surprising me in the novel lives on the bottom floor).
Megan is outgoing, likes parties, and is helluva clumsy. Lena is very precise, likes her cleanliness, and likes her routines. Both women have also recently come out of breakups with their significant other of two or so years, and neither of the breakups were particularly good.
The two women sort of dance around each other a little at the beginning. Lena thinks that Megan is the worst, and Megan seems to think the same of Lena. And then the roof comes in. I don't mean metaphorically, but literally. And so Megan invites Lena to temporarily stay in her apartment. They get closer, not surprisingly. There are some missteps by both, but, of course, this is a romance novel.
I liked it, as I said, definitely for the characters. I did think that the plot was interesting as well, but, it did take a little of a stretch. I mean, for one thing, I don't know about London, but, where I live in the US, if a roof comes collapsing in during a rainstorm, yeah, no one is inhabiting the building until that roof is fixed. (Although, the slowness of the Insurance/builders seemed to be spot on!)
But, it was a fun read, I just wanted more with the cats... aww...
Huh, so, apparently, I may have read a different book than a lot of people did or something? On the other hand, in the recent past I've come onto Goodreads or LibraryThing and looked at reviews of a book I hated and went, wait.... what?
I did think it was a very character driven novel. And that was another reason me liking it surprised me a little. (I usually gravitate to plot driven novels and such).
It's about Lena and Megan. Megan has just moved in downstairs from Lena (who has the top apartment. I do have to say, with the stairs and the doors, it took me awhile to realize where the three women all lived, Dorothy, one of my favorite characters because she was just so different and always surprising me in the novel lives on the bottom floor).
Megan is outgoing, likes parties, and is helluva clumsy. Lena is very precise, likes her cleanliness, and likes her routines. Both women have also recently come out of breakups with their significant other of two or so years, and neither of the breakups were particularly good.
The two women sort of dance around each other a little at the beginning. Lena thinks that Megan is the worst, and Megan seems to think the same of Lena. And then the roof comes in. I don't mean metaphorically, but literally. And so Megan invites Lena to temporarily stay in her apartment. They get closer, not surprisingly. There are some missteps by both, but, of course, this is a romance novel.
I liked it, as I said, definitely for the characters. I did think that the plot was interesting as well, but, it did take a little of a stretch. I mean, for one thing, I don't know about London, but, where I live in the US, if a roof comes collapsing in during a rainstorm, yeah, no one is inhabiting the building until that roof is fixed. (Although, the slowness of the Insurance/builders seemed to be spot on!)
But, it was a fun read, I just wanted more with the cats... aww...
March 5, 2018
I really enjoyed the story.
I loved
- the diversity - the MC is a WoC, from an Asian background - big bonus points for representation! (also the author mentions talking to several people to understand how coming out might feel in a conservative Asian family)
- a realistic portrayal of what it feels like to live with OCD and anxiety, including the social awkwardness
- how the author brought the two MCs together
- the portrayal of the loneliness one feels when isolated not only from family, but from part of the community
- no insta-love
Not so much
- I still don't full get the cover. That is Lena and Meghan on the sofa, but why is there a cat?
- I would have liked to see a bit more of the secondary characters, like Jen, and Meghan's mom
I loved
- the diversity - the MC is a WoC, from an Asian background - big bonus points for representation! (also the author mentions talking to several people to understand how coming out might feel in a conservative Asian family)
- a realistic portrayal of what it feels like to live with OCD and anxiety, including the social awkwardness
- how the author brought the two MCs together
- the portrayal of the loneliness one feels when isolated not only from family, but from part of the community
- no insta-love
Not so much
- I still don't full get the cover. That is Lena and Meghan on the sofa, but why is there a cat?
- I would have liked to see a bit more of the secondary characters, like Jen, and Meghan's mom
March 2, 2018
I feel it is important to point out straight away (particularly to a lesbian readership), that the cat depicted on the cover does not have any significant role in the book, despite what its central placement on the front cover might lead one to believe. Also, nobody goes up on the roof, such deception!
On a more serious note the book itself isn't bad; it's sweet without being saccharine, there's conflict without it being overly dramatic and A.L. Brooks manages to address a few issues (coming out to family, body image), without the novel becoming polemical. There really are few things I hate more in fiction than authors trying to ham-fistedly shove their agendas down my throat.
So why only three stars? I just wasn't convinced by the romance and there wasn't really another plot line driving the narrative, so I wasn't riveted. Normally I get completely absorbed in a book but that just didn't happen this time, despite all its good points.
On a more serious note the book itself isn't bad; it's sweet without being saccharine, there's conflict without it being overly dramatic and A.L. Brooks manages to address a few issues (coming out to family, body image), without the novel becoming polemical. There really are few things I hate more in fiction than authors trying to ham-fistedly shove their agendas down my throat.
So why only three stars? I just wasn't convinced by the romance and there wasn't really another plot line driving the narrative, so I wasn't riveted. Normally I get completely absorbed in a book but that just didn't happen this time, despite all its good points.
March 25, 2018
I received an ARC of this book from Ylva Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
This was a brilliant read. The two characters are so diverse and opposite it makes an interesting combination when reading how they have to learn to get along, after an unfortunate event brings them together.
Lena not liking Megan at first adds to the tension as she has to learn to overcome her fears and grow as a person. It is wonderful to see such diversity in a main character, and that things don’t just run smoothly for her.
The awkwardness between them in parts of the book is endearing and only has you growing to like each of them even more.
I would definitely recommend this book, it is well written, consistent and has great characters. It’s all about acceptance and patience, which is very important in life. Representations throughout the book are realistic, and that I feel appeals to readers. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
This was a brilliant read. The two characters are so diverse and opposite it makes an interesting combination when reading how they have to learn to get along, after an unfortunate event brings them together.
Lena not liking Megan at first adds to the tension as she has to learn to overcome her fears and grow as a person. It is wonderful to see such diversity in a main character, and that things don’t just run smoothly for her.
The awkwardness between them in parts of the book is endearing and only has you growing to like each of them even more.
I would definitely recommend this book, it is well written, consistent and has great characters. It’s all about acceptance and patience, which is very important in life. Representations throughout the book are realistic, and that I feel appeals to readers. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
October 26, 2021
4 stars
This was a very interesting book to me because Lena is one of the most challenging characters to get behind that I have experienced. While I suppose she would be considered an ice queen, to me she's just plain HARD. She's difficult, impatient, has OCD and demands that things must be in a particular order, at a particular time, and in a particular place. She's cold and frankly, selfish. Megan, on the other hand, is the polar opposite. She's warm and kind and accommodating. Too accommodating, perhaps. And that's what I was thinking about as this story played out - how readers of different ages would react to this story. I'm no longer a youngster and have relationships under my belt. I had a seriously high maintenance girlfriend once and Lena made her seem like a pussycat.
Both Lena and Megan had some childhood issues that affected them into their adult lives. Not unusual. While Megan, a fitness instructor, carries with her some self esteem issues as a result, Lena's are monumental. Because not only are hers from childhood, but also from a previous relationship that gutted her.
I tried REALLY hard not to give up on Lena, but I wanted to so many times. Brooks walks the thinnest line with her character and I just felt like I was on the edge with her throughout. About 45 minutes before the more than nine hour audiobook ended, as I was hanging on by my fingernails I finally thought, "Okay. I'm done." She'd gone too far. And yes - this is a romance and there is resolution, but I couldn't enjoy that as much as I would have if Brooks had elected to pull back a bit on her bitchiness a little sooner. Yes - of course there are reasons for her to feel hurt by what she has experienced in the past. But good grief - get some therapy and quit taking it out on other people. Especially those that care about you.
Which leads me back to life experience. When I was younger, I was in some challenging relationships. Back before I learned that your love for someone can't heal or change them. They have to do that for themselves. If I had been Megan's family or friend, I would likely have advised her to let Lena go until she could get some help and figure things out.
All of that said - Brooks is a really good writer and storyteller and I appreciate how she never recycles her stories. Each is completely new and different. And Justine Eyre was a new narrator for me and did a good job with it.
I really do wonder how other readers' experiences were with this. I will look at other reviews after posting mine, but would love to hear the thoughts of some of my Goodreads friends about this.
This was a very interesting book to me because Lena is one of the most challenging characters to get behind that I have experienced. While I suppose she would be considered an ice queen, to me she's just plain HARD. She's difficult, impatient, has OCD and demands that things must be in a particular order, at a particular time, and in a particular place. She's cold and frankly, selfish. Megan, on the other hand, is the polar opposite. She's warm and kind and accommodating. Too accommodating, perhaps. And that's what I was thinking about as this story played out - how readers of different ages would react to this story. I'm no longer a youngster and have relationships under my belt. I had a seriously high maintenance girlfriend once and Lena made her seem like a pussycat.
Both Lena and Megan had some childhood issues that affected them into their adult lives. Not unusual. While Megan, a fitness instructor, carries with her some self esteem issues as a result, Lena's are monumental. Because not only are hers from childhood, but also from a previous relationship that gutted her.
I tried REALLY hard not to give up on Lena, but I wanted to so many times. Brooks walks the thinnest line with her character and I just felt like I was on the edge with her throughout. About 45 minutes before the more than nine hour audiobook ended, as I was hanging on by my fingernails I finally thought, "Okay. I'm done." She'd gone too far. And yes - this is a romance and there is resolution, but I couldn't enjoy that as much as I would have if Brooks had elected to pull back a bit on her bitchiness a little sooner. Yes - of course there are reasons for her to feel hurt by what she has experienced in the past. But good grief - get some therapy and quit taking it out on other people. Especially those that care about you.
Which leads me back to life experience. When I was younger, I was in some challenging relationships. Back before I learned that your love for someone can't heal or change them. They have to do that for themselves. If I had been Megan's family or friend, I would likely have advised her to let Lena go until she could get some help and figure things out.
All of that said - Brooks is a really good writer and storyteller and I appreciate how she never recycles her stories. Each is completely new and different. And Justine Eyre was a new narrator for me and did a good job with it.
I really do wonder how other readers' experiences were with this. I will look at other reviews after posting mine, but would love to hear the thoughts of some of my Goodreads friends about this.
November 12, 2019
4.25 stars - Well, I wasn't expecting much out of this one since it's got pretty mixed reviews, but I really enjoyed it. Lena's OCD tendencies were realistically portrayed which I really appreciated as someone who can't function if my routine is altered. It's a good enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance, with a lovely secondary cast of characters.
April 1, 2022
Lena has so many quirks but Megan sees past that to the funny caring person she is. These two are opposites when it comes to family. Lena’s had a bad experience with her first girlfriend and is scared to try again. Megan is a bit clumsy and has been burned before. They have a hard time just getting to be friends let alone more. Megan won’t give up on Lena though. Great slow burn romance with a bit of angst. Justine Eyre was wonderful. This is the first time I’ve heard her and I hope to hear more from her.
March 14, 2018
It was a cute story and I enjoyed reading it a lot. One thing I could not get till the end was how this apartment building was set up. Mostly it was that Lena’s apartment was on top but at the beginning and a few times in between Megan’s seemed to be at least at the same floor.
Apart from that it was a cute story - nothing special and it probably won’t stay with me for long after finishing it but still enjoyable.
Apart from that it was a cute story - nothing special and it probably won’t stay with me for long after finishing it but still enjoyable.
March 11, 2018
I liked this book. It’s a pretty standard lesbian romance in some ways, but is saved from banality by the characters. I often enjoy reading books by British authors because the main characters are not always beautiful, smart and sophisticated with perfect bodies and high-powered jobs. That’s the case with this novel, and I find the chracters are more relatable when they’re kind of flawed and ordinary.
Lena is an Englishwoman of Indian descent. Her parents are from India and culturally conservative. Lena and her sister Madhu were raised in the UK and are bicultural. Unfortunately, while Lena and her sister can accept that Lena is a lesbian, her parents cannot and have disowned her. The rift between them is a constant ache for Lena and exacerbates her OCD behaviours and anxiety attacks. A recent split from her live-in girlfriend has only made things much worse. Now she’s in danger of becoming a hermit as well. Added to that, she’s allergic to the two cats her ex-girlfriend has left in Lena’s flat. It’s a bad time for Lena. She ‘copes’ with her anxiety and lack of control by cleaning obsessively and being snippy with the people she does come into contact with.
Enter her new neighbour, Megan. A ‘big-boned’, clumsy, sweet-natured fitness instructor. It doesn’t seem like a match made in heaven. Megan is untidy and easy going – and did I mention very clumsy?
Somehow though, I found the relationship works in a believable way. Megan is very understanding of Lena’s obsessive need for order. Much more understanding than I would be, because she doesn’t take it as a personal criticism! Most of the time she can also see through Lena’s uptight, bordering-on-rude manner of relating to people to the warm and caring person that she really is underneath. In short, Megan understands that Lena's behaviour is the result of a mild mental health disorder.
There’s not much action in this book. It’s character- and humour-driven. Personally, I like that and I liked the characters. I hope Brooks writes a sequel about Jen and Alisha, two supporting characters in the book. I’d like to find out what happens to them.
I enjoyed the writing and the gently meandering routes Brooks takes to tell the story. I found the characters relatable, flawed and likeable – all of them, except for Lena’s mother. I also related to the setting, having lived two years in a converted Victorian house in London a long time ago.
I can see this book is not for everyone, but I liked it. If it sounds like the sort of story you like, then maybe you will too.
I received an ARC of this work from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Lena is an Englishwoman of Indian descent. Her parents are from India and culturally conservative. Lena and her sister Madhu were raised in the UK and are bicultural. Unfortunately, while Lena and her sister can accept that Lena is a lesbian, her parents cannot and have disowned her. The rift between them is a constant ache for Lena and exacerbates her OCD behaviours and anxiety attacks. A recent split from her live-in girlfriend has only made things much worse. Now she’s in danger of becoming a hermit as well. Added to that, she’s allergic to the two cats her ex-girlfriend has left in Lena’s flat. It’s a bad time for Lena. She ‘copes’ with her anxiety and lack of control by cleaning obsessively and being snippy with the people she does come into contact with.
Enter her new neighbour, Megan. A ‘big-boned’, clumsy, sweet-natured fitness instructor. It doesn’t seem like a match made in heaven. Megan is untidy and easy going – and did I mention very clumsy?
Somehow though, I found the relationship works in a believable way. Megan is very understanding of Lena’s obsessive need for order. Much more understanding than I would be, because she doesn’t take it as a personal criticism! Most of the time she can also see through Lena’s uptight, bordering-on-rude manner of relating to people to the warm and caring person that she really is underneath. In short, Megan understands that Lena's behaviour is the result of a mild mental health disorder.
There’s not much action in this book. It’s character- and humour-driven. Personally, I like that and I liked the characters. I hope Brooks writes a sequel about Jen and Alisha, two supporting characters in the book. I’d like to find out what happens to them.
I enjoyed the writing and the gently meandering routes Brooks takes to tell the story. I found the characters relatable, flawed and likeable – all of them, except for Lena’s mother. I also related to the setting, having lived two years in a converted Victorian house in London a long time ago.
I can see this book is not for everyone, but I liked it. If it sounds like the sort of story you like, then maybe you will too.
I received an ARC of this work from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 10, 2018
Have you ever wondered what goes on in the mind of someone suffering from OCD? Lena is a person comforted by her precisely structured life until her ceiling caves in literally and figuratively as she is forced out of her apartment and out of her routine. Megan is her next door neighbour who graciously offers her spare bedroom to Lena during the lengthy repairs.
We watch as Lena adapts and works on overcoming the root causes of her compulsive nature. Not everyone will like or understand Lena however A.L. Brooks paints an accurate picture of someone living with this disease and those who love her.
3 stars
We watch as Lena adapts and works on overcoming the root causes of her compulsive nature. Not everyone will like or understand Lena however A.L. Brooks paints an accurate picture of someone living with this disease and those who love her.
3 stars
March 14, 2018
I enjoyed this book, clearly more than some of the other early readers. At first I thought it was a tad too detailed, but then I realized that it had to be to really show how detail-oriented, and routine driven Lena was. I thought the relationship progressed naturally, and I thought that both characters grew emotionally to make it work.
I don't like the cover though. Both women were described as big/curvy, and neither of these women on the cover are. Also, as someone else mentioned, the cat is really not an important character. Though it is a catalyst (see what I did there) for some of Lena's growth.
*ebook received from Ylva in exchange for review*
I don't like the cover though. Both women were described as big/curvy, and neither of these women on the cover are. Also, as someone else mentioned, the cat is really not an important character. Though it is a catalyst (see what I did there) for some of Lena's growth.
*ebook received from Ylva in exchange for review*
March 7, 2018
I loved this book so so very much. It was soft and sweet and romantic and real at the same time. It was such a feel good story all around.
Lena loves order and routine in her life. She likes tea and she likes her books and she's happy. When the roof comes down in her apartment she has to move in with her new neighbour, Megan. Megan is the complete opposite of Lena, she likes to party, she's clumsy, she's loud and outgoing. Living together takes a little getting used to, but soon the edges smooth out and they find themselves actually enjoying each other's company and a sizzling attraction beneath it all. Are the two women too different for their relationship to work? Or are they really just better together?
I identified so much with Lena and her anxiety. A lot of people seem to feel like it's over the top and she's being immature. But in fact it is a perfect depiction of what anxiety is. Anxiety isn't rational. Anxiety is over the top. It makes you feel out of control. It's terrifying and frustrating. You just wish that you could be normal. And you feel like people are always judging you because that's who you are. The restaurant scene was scarily accurate. The way she avoids new situations with people was all me, all anxiety. Anxiety doesn't care if it's over the top. Anxiety makes you feel like every little say is monumentally stupid even when no one thinks it's stupid except for you. Thank you A.L. Brooks for depicting anxiety in your love story. Because yes, it takes a little work from your partner to deal with your anxiety and insecurities, but that doesn't mean that someone with anxiety should be unlovable. Everyone with anxiety, like Lena and myself, deserves love. So thank you. I can understand why people might be frustrated with her character, but maybe think about how frustrating it is for someone with anxiety to have to get through every day, in situations that don't mean anything to you, but are like climbing Mount Everest for someone with anxiety.
I really liked Megan as well - she was warm and understanding and strong and her self-confidence was gorgeous to see. I loved all the secondary characters as well, Lean's sister and Megan's family, they brought a lovely warmth to the story that made this story such a feel good read. Dorthy was hilarious, I loved all the little juxtapositions in her character.
The romance was so soft and sweet. I loved the way it slowly crept up on the characters and the way their relationship slowly evolved. Their chemistry was delicious too!
There were so many relatable moments in this book and I connected with both the main characters - I was full on invested and in love with this book. I especially loved the little references to other incredible lesfic novels out there - I could tell exactly which books they were reading from the tiny references in the books. In fact I'm re-reading All the Little Moments (G. Benson) now.
I received an ARC from YLVA in exchange for an honest review.
Lena loves order and routine in her life. She likes tea and she likes her books and she's happy. When the roof comes down in her apartment she has to move in with her new neighbour, Megan. Megan is the complete opposite of Lena, she likes to party, she's clumsy, she's loud and outgoing. Living together takes a little getting used to, but soon the edges smooth out and they find themselves actually enjoying each other's company and a sizzling attraction beneath it all. Are the two women too different for their relationship to work? Or are they really just better together?
I identified so much with Lena and her anxiety. A lot of people seem to feel like it's over the top and she's being immature. But in fact it is a perfect depiction of what anxiety is. Anxiety isn't rational. Anxiety is over the top. It makes you feel out of control. It's terrifying and frustrating. You just wish that you could be normal. And you feel like people are always judging you because that's who you are. The restaurant scene was scarily accurate. The way she avoids new situations with people was all me, all anxiety. Anxiety doesn't care if it's over the top. Anxiety makes you feel like every little say is monumentally stupid even when no one thinks it's stupid except for you. Thank you A.L. Brooks for depicting anxiety in your love story. Because yes, it takes a little work from your partner to deal with your anxiety and insecurities, but that doesn't mean that someone with anxiety should be unlovable. Everyone with anxiety, like Lena and myself, deserves love. So thank you. I can understand why people might be frustrated with her character, but maybe think about how frustrating it is for someone with anxiety to have to get through every day, in situations that don't mean anything to you, but are like climbing Mount Everest for someone with anxiety.
I really liked Megan as well - she was warm and understanding and strong and her self-confidence was gorgeous to see. I loved all the secondary characters as well, Lean's sister and Megan's family, they brought a lovely warmth to the story that made this story such a feel good read. Dorthy was hilarious, I loved all the little juxtapositions in her character.
The romance was so soft and sweet. I loved the way it slowly crept up on the characters and the way their relationship slowly evolved. Their chemistry was delicious too!
There were so many relatable moments in this book and I connected with both the main characters - I was full on invested and in love with this book. I especially loved the little references to other incredible lesfic novels out there - I could tell exactly which books they were reading from the tiny references in the books. In fact I'm re-reading All the Little Moments (G. Benson) now.
I received an ARC from YLVA in exchange for an honest review.
October 22, 2023
Hmm, this is a hard one. My enjoyment level is about at a 2.5, maybe 2 if I'm feeling cranky. But also the quality is there, and I see and understand and really appreciate what the book tried to do, which is why it gets a 3. But it's on the lower end of 3s.
Lena and Megan are new neighbours in an apartment building, and unexpectedly end up becoming roommates after a weather mishap makes Lena's flat unliveable. Lena is estranged from her most of her family and her OCD makes her crave order and routine. Megan has a big rambunctious family, is a bit of a messy klutz and a has a habit of letting people take advantage of her. They don't mesh well at first at all, but Megan's friendly overtures and general sweet nature, and the fact that they have to be roommates, kinda catapults them into becoming closer. The pace of the romance is nice and slow, just like I always want but... so much of this just didn't feel romantic. And see, I like what the author did with the character work. Lena's OCD isn't just a mild character quirk; it affects her life and relationship in tangible ways, and we see all the ways things deeply impact her. She sometimes overreacts or reacts rudely, and her anxiety can make her lash out or self-sabotage. I get that, and I'm glad it was addressed in such a detailed way. I actually really liked the aborted sex scene, and the fact that Lena's anxiety made her stop halfway. Sexual desire isn't a cure-all, especially when you have OCD like hers.
But I know that I've read books like this with characters like this, where the writing of the romance didn't suffer. Here, it did. I don't know! I just didn't see or like their chemistry, and they didn't seem particularly well-suited to each other. They really did feel like people who would be better off as friends; maybe casual ones. Ugh, but IDK if I'm being too harsh; I DO see the ways they helped each other out. But there were no butterflies, no swooning. I was so disappointed that we skipped over certain pivotal firsts, like everything that would have happened the first time they had to share a space together, moving around each other in the shared flat, getting Lena set up in the spare room, and everything that would have happened that night. In a forced proximity romance like this, those are the kind of moments that I really want to see, because they can be the catalyst for bringing the characters closer. And we didn't see those first moments, and a lot of other developmental moments. So even though this was slow burn, I still didn't get the satisfaction I wanted.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Justine Eyre, and I did like it a lot; more than I liked the book itself, unfortunately. Again, I really do appreciate the mental health discussions and this specific kind of OCD and anxiety rep. I love prickly women, and I don't mind that Lena was a little hard to like. But it didn't come together to make a wholly satisfying romance, and it's sad, because I know it COULD have.
Content warnings:
Lena and Megan are new neighbours in an apartment building, and unexpectedly end up becoming roommates after a weather mishap makes Lena's flat unliveable. Lena is estranged from her most of her family and her OCD makes her crave order and routine. Megan has a big rambunctious family, is a bit of a messy klutz and a has a habit of letting people take advantage of her. They don't mesh well at first at all, but Megan's friendly overtures and general sweet nature, and the fact that they have to be roommates, kinda catapults them into becoming closer. The pace of the romance is nice and slow, just like I always want but... so much of this just didn't feel romantic. And see, I like what the author did with the character work. Lena's OCD isn't just a mild character quirk; it affects her life and relationship in tangible ways, and we see all the ways things deeply impact her. She sometimes overreacts or reacts rudely, and her anxiety can make her lash out or self-sabotage. I get that, and I'm glad it was addressed in such a detailed way. I actually really liked the aborted sex scene, and the fact that Lena's anxiety made her stop halfway. Sexual desire isn't a cure-all, especially when you have OCD like hers.
But I know that I've read books like this with characters like this, where the writing of the romance didn't suffer. Here, it did. I don't know! I just didn't see or like their chemistry, and they didn't seem particularly well-suited to each other. They really did feel like people who would be better off as friends; maybe casual ones. Ugh, but IDK if I'm being too harsh; I DO see the ways they helped each other out. But there were no butterflies, no swooning. I was so disappointed that we skipped over certain pivotal firsts, like everything that would have happened the first time they had to share a space together, moving around each other in the shared flat, getting Lena set up in the spare room, and everything that would have happened that night. In a forced proximity romance like this, those are the kind of moments that I really want to see, because they can be the catalyst for bringing the characters closer. And we didn't see those first moments, and a lot of other developmental moments. So even though this was slow burn, I still didn't get the satisfaction I wanted.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Justine Eyre, and I did like it a lot; more than I liked the book itself, unfortunately. Again, I really do appreciate the mental health discussions and this specific kind of OCD and anxiety rep. I love prickly women, and I don't mind that Lena was a little hard to like. But it didn't come together to make a wholly satisfying romance, and it's sad, because I know it COULD have.
Content warnings:
March 10, 2018
Lena and Megan are neighbours living in adjacent flats of a converted Victorian house in London. They couldn't be more different: Lena is obsessed with order and routine, Megan is carefree and messy. Their relationship starts badly as Megan clumsiness gets her into trouble with her uptight neighbour. However, everything changes when a storm leaves Lena homeless and Megan offers her to move in her spare room. Will they manage to get along and what happens when they realise there might be attracted to each other?
This was a frustrating read for me. There's so much potential in this story, for example, to explore homophobia in the first generation of Indian immigrants in the UK or how is to live with an obsessive compulsive disorder but unfortunately, this novel fails not only in achieving that but also in the romance part. Paradoxically, its main strength - the main characters' development - is the cause of its demise. I think that Lena is well rounded as a person suffering from OCD and Megan as a carefree though insecure character. However, put them together and their interactions aren't believable and their chemistry inexistent. The secondary characters are stereotyped and flat, maybe with the exception of the ground floor neighbour. There was a great amount of description that made this read tedious and boring. Considering that this is a romance and a happily ever after is expected, the plot development and the end weren't believable at all. It's a pity because Ms. Brooks's previous novels are much better and I was expecting an enjoyable read.
Overall, a frustrating read. 2.5 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com
This was a frustrating read for me. There's so much potential in this story, for example, to explore homophobia in the first generation of Indian immigrants in the UK or how is to live with an obsessive compulsive disorder but unfortunately, this novel fails not only in achieving that but also in the romance part. Paradoxically, its main strength - the main characters' development - is the cause of its demise. I think that Lena is well rounded as a person suffering from OCD and Megan as a carefree though insecure character. However, put them together and their interactions aren't believable and their chemistry inexistent. The secondary characters are stereotyped and flat, maybe with the exception of the ground floor neighbour. There was a great amount of description that made this read tedious and boring. Considering that this is a romance and a happily ever after is expected, the plot development and the end weren't believable at all. It's a pity because Ms. Brooks's previous novels are much better and I was expecting an enjoyable read.
Overall, a frustrating read. 2.5 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com
January 10, 2024
I always appreciate reading characters with OCD. Lena was a great character, for the most part—I was pleased enough with how she was depicted, and the debilitating nature of OCD (though perhaps I would have liked some more insight into how, specifically, she suffered from it beyond the cleaning / oft-mentioned routines like getting up and going to bed at the same times).
Megan surprised me, really: usually when I think of physically tough characters, I imagine them being emotionally "tough" as well. While she did possess a mental fortitude of a significant degree (which is wonderful, as Lena does have some tendencies that may be off-putting or come across downright rude at times), she is incredibly sensitive.
Seeing the two together was wonderful. Loved it. I very much enjoyed the A.L. Brooks novels I read last year, and this being the first I have read this year (2024) bodes well, I feel.
EDIT 10 January 2024: reading other reviews, it seems many people take issue with Lena and her OCD and anxieties. Personally, it felt incredibly well-written. Take the socks on during sex: OCD is incredibly debilitating, and something like that can feel world-ending. If I fail to complete certain rituals and routines, or if everything is not perfect (in the sense that it fits with how it should be in my mind), nothing can fix it.
Megan surprised me, really: usually when I think of physically tough characters, I imagine them being emotionally "tough" as well. While she did possess a mental fortitude of a significant degree (which is wonderful, as Lena does have some tendencies that may be off-putting or come across downright rude at times), she is incredibly sensitive.
Seeing the two together was wonderful. Loved it. I very much enjoyed the A.L. Brooks novels I read last year, and this being the first I have read this year (2024) bodes well, I feel.
EDIT 10 January 2024: reading other reviews, it seems many people take issue with Lena and her OCD and anxieties. Personally, it felt incredibly well-written. Take the socks on during sex: OCD is incredibly debilitating, and something like that can feel world-ending. If I fail to complete certain rituals and routines, or if everything is not perfect (in the sense that it fits with how it should be in my mind), nothing can fix it.
March 6, 2018
I enjoyed this book overall but have to admit I did not LOVE it. I felt that both the characters were well-developed. Lena, the quirky, borderline OCD, neat-freak accountant whose past and inherent personality has created quite a few walls that she safely lives behind. And then Megan, the gorgeous but unaware, happy-go-lucky fitness instructor with a huge (at times too huge) giving heart.
I believe everyone has their quirks and short-comings, and these characters bring that to life. The key is finding someone that can not only accept but embrace those quirks - and these two characters are challenged to do just that.
I could see the attraction on both sides, but also the difficulties. Often the opposites attract story lines seem a little superficial to me. Two seemingly completely incompatible women meet, fall madly in lust and voila - all challenges just melt away in the heat of attraction (and amazing sex of course). In this story there are bumps along the way, frustrating delays, setbacks and a level of trust and open communication that must develop.
This is not a rush to get to the sex-scenes book. It is a good story of complex characters that put some efforts into building something that works through overcoming the hurts of the past and present. It resonated with me. Perhaps because that's how my life has unfolded - quite a few bumps along the way, but an amazing journey with lots of highs, which I am lucky enough to be able share with someone that is very different from me, and that I would never even dream of changing.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I believe everyone has their quirks and short-comings, and these characters bring that to life. The key is finding someone that can not only accept but embrace those quirks - and these two characters are challenged to do just that.
I could see the attraction on both sides, but also the difficulties. Often the opposites attract story lines seem a little superficial to me. Two seemingly completely incompatible women meet, fall madly in lust and voila - all challenges just melt away in the heat of attraction (and amazing sex of course). In this story there are bumps along the way, frustrating delays, setbacks and a level of trust and open communication that must develop.
This is not a rush to get to the sex-scenes book. It is a good story of complex characters that put some efforts into building something that works through overcoming the hurts of the past and present. It resonated with me. Perhaps because that's how my life has unfolded - quite a few bumps along the way, but an amazing journey with lots of highs, which I am lucky enough to be able share with someone that is very different from me, and that I would never even dream of changing.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 5, 2018
I think what gives a lot of readers frustrations is that our two romantic leads do have a ton of baggage. Lena is a 32 year old accountant who has a lot of little OCD- like habits that are just on this side of compulsive, that does cause a ton of tension with her ex. Megan is a bit of a bull in a china shop, she's athletic and big but seems to be a bit of a klutz. She is not confident and is often too earnest for her own good. However, after a series of unlucky events simultaneously drive Lena mad and into Megan's apartment, they start to understand each other.
I can see why these two characters are frustrating, but I have lived with a person who was set in their routines and their cleaning habits, and I can see what Brooks was trying to do with Lena. The sex scene that Lena interrupts, because in her mind, too many things went "wrong" for it to be enjoyable. Megan was justifiably upset, and did a great job communicating with Lena about her feelings. Meanwhile, Megan is incredibly insecure about her height and her overall largeness. However, handling these things with the characters was a little clunky and can be frustrating for some readers.
Overall, this book was an attempt to tackle a lot of topics from working with people who have anxiety and OCD to coming out to conservative families, and living with quirky neighbors. It can get messy at times, but doesn't make it less enjoyable.
*I received this ARC from Ylva for my honest opinion.*
I can see why these two characters are frustrating, but I have lived with a person who was set in their routines and their cleaning habits, and I can see what Brooks was trying to do with Lena. The sex scene that Lena interrupts, because in her mind, too many things went "wrong" for it to be enjoyable. Megan was justifiably upset, and did a great job communicating with Lena about her feelings. Meanwhile, Megan is incredibly insecure about her height and her overall largeness. However, handling these things with the characters was a little clunky and can be frustrating for some readers.
Overall, this book was an attempt to tackle a lot of topics from working with people who have anxiety and OCD to coming out to conservative families, and living with quirky neighbors. It can get messy at times, but doesn't make it less enjoyable.
*I received this ARC from Ylva for my honest opinion.*
June 6, 2019
It's a romance between Lena, an uptight accountant, and her new neighbor, Megan, who is more easygoing. Opposites attract, right? Well, not as straightforward as all that. Lena's flat was devastated by a storm. She had nowhere to go and Megan offered for her to stay with her while the repairs happen. There, they got to know each other better.
Lena is quite relatable to me. As someone who likes things done certain ways, I get her anxiety when things don't go according to plan. Her emotional struggles and insecurities are portrayed very well.
Megan is nice, maybe a bit too nice? She also has her issues and insecurities but they're not delved into as much as Lena's. I like her family though. It's the type of family one wishes to have - warm, loving, and honest.
However, the main issue is that for me, the chemistry between them is lacking. If the romance aspect is taken out and they remained friends, I would have been fine with it. Unlike other romances where I'm rooting for the MCs to get together already, this did not happen here.
Lena is quite relatable to me. As someone who likes things done certain ways, I get her anxiety when things don't go according to plan. Her emotional struggles and insecurities are portrayed very well.
Megan is nice, maybe a bit too nice? She also has her issues and insecurities but they're not delved into as much as Lena's. I like her family though. It's the type of family one wishes to have - warm, loving, and honest.
However, the main issue is that for me, the chemistry between them is lacking. If the romance aspect is taken out and they remained friends, I would have been fine with it. Unlike other romances where I'm rooting for the MCs to get together already, this did not happen here.
March 21, 2018
In Up on the Roof by A.L. Brooks our MCs aren’t young 20-somethings having out of this world sex and falling instantly in love but we get a couple in their 30s that take a while to find their rhythm and I like that. They are imperfect characters who struggle with their issues. I believe Lena is a full-figured MC of Indian heritage with OCD and emotional baggage who struggled to overcome her issues to have faith in Megan. Megan is a larger muscular woman who is clumsy and doesn’t really stand up for herself. I like reading about characters who aren’t perfect of body or lives. Though I kind of feel like Megan had to do the heavy lifting in their relationship. While I know quite a few of us suffer our hang ups and/or quirks, I didn’t understand Lena’s reactions at times. I guess I’d point to the sock incident and think if you’re that far along and turned on and into the moment enough is not having your socks off really going to embarrass you enough to shut down? Idk maybe that’s just another example of the underlying issues Lena has. I’d definitely give it a read for the diversity of the characters and being able to read about characters with actual flaws that have to overcome. I received an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.
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