The Roommate

by Caroline Macon Fleischer

SHE INVITED HIM IN, NOW SHE CAN’T GET HIM OUT . . .

The most addictive psychological thriller you’ll read this summer.

Donna inherits a great house in California and she’s ready to start a new life. But the nightmare has only just begun.

It’s almost impossible to wrap her brain around the fact that this place is hers. A gift she never expected but it’s come just when she needs it most. Donna was wondering where her life was going — a dead-end job in Chicago, an unhappy family life, no boyfriend. But inheriting a beautiful, blue-painted house from her grandmother in California offers a fresh start.

And now she’s found the perfect roommate to help her pay the bills. Joshua keeps the fridge stocked with delicious fresh food. They watch cooking shows together and stay up watching late-night movies. He’s not just a roommate, he’s a friend, and soon Donna can’t imagine life without him.

But Donna tries to ignore the doubts she begins to have. Why does he have a key to the side door? And what’s that smell coming from his room?

And when Donna brings home her new boyfriend, things start to spiral out of control.

How far will he go . . . ?

A dark and twisty psychological thriller with an ending you won’t forget. Fans of Shari Lapena, Becca Day, Patricia MacDonald, Freida McFadden, Nicole Trope and Susanna Beard will not be able to put this book down.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Thriller Suspense, Mystery

235 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 28, 2022

About the author

Caroline Macon Fleischer is a multigenre writer and theatre artist. Her books include the psychological thriller The Roommate and the forthcoming play-novel hybrid horror book, A Play About A Curse. She teaches English at Loyola University and writes with the typewriter poetry collective, Poems While You Wait. She lives in Chicago with her husband and son.

Reviews

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

Donna inherits a great house in California and she's ready to start a new life. But the nightmare has just begun. It's almost impossible for her to wrap her brain around the fact that this house is hers. A gift she never expected but it's come when she needs it most. Donna was wondering where her life was going = a dead=end job in Chicago, an unhappy family life, no boyfriend. But inheriting a beautiful blue=painted house from her grandmother offers a fresh start. And now she's found the perfect roommate to help pay the bills.

This is quite a good debut novel. Joshua Flowers was only leant to stay temporary. But he stays longer than she intended, but what is he hiding? This is quite a dark and tense read. The story is told from Donna's point of view. The tension slowly builds. I didn't like any of the characters. Donna was the worst, she was so annoying. Donna's situation gets worse when she get a boyfriend. The big twist was predictable.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #CarolineMaconFleisher for my ARC of #TheRoommate in exchange for an honest review.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Donna is going to her new house with her mom. She inherited it from her grandma(dad’s mom) that she never really knew. She’s come to California from Chicago for a fresh start and she is already somehow the least likable person in the entire state, which is amazing. Even immediately throwing grandma’s slippers in the trash upon arrival!

This is already unnatural because I don’t have much background of what she did do and how she got here and why. She’s just suddenly in this fancy house she can’t afford so she has to get a roomie. A young girl applied but she was too normal and that made Donna insecure so she chose some dude named Joshua Flowers because he would probably gas her up. Definitely doesn’t sound like someone on Catfish.

Things hit a bump before he even moved in because he mentioned being envious that she got that house and that he’d be paying rent and she wouldn’t. Huge red flag. Sometimes she wants him to be her bestie and sometimes he’s a tenant. This is painfully awkward.

Why is he there? Will he murder her in this home and if so, will anyone care? Not me. 🐍

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review.

[Christine · Rating 0.25 out of 5]

DNF at 25% I tried really hard to give this a go but the writing is disjointed, the characters are not likable, and the scenarios are completely unbelievable.

First the relationship between the MC and the roommate is so unbelievable I couldn't even suspend reality enough to find any thing that kept me engaged. They just met, he's older then her, they have nothing really in common outside of liking cheese and wine, yet somehow we are supposed to believe that after a few weeks of living there he's hostile and refusing to pay his rent but she won't get rid of him? And she's comfortable with letting this near stranger help her out of the bath tub after she injured her foot? I wouldn't let friends I've had for decades off with that kind of behavior nor would I let them help me out of a tub.

And the writing....😬 I finally gave up after this excerpt
"When she awoke the snake was measuring her. Outstretched straight as a ruler, from the tip of her head to fifteen feet past her toes. Its eyes were level with her eyes, so when she awoke, they locked gazes immediately. It was like she was waking up to a lover, a lover whom she couldn't trust, a lover who might kill her at any second.
Her body went into autopilot. She quietly and calmly stood up from where she'd fallen. She slowly began to walk backwards towards the door. As she walked, the snake slowly uncoiled. Once the length of its body was in the bedroom, she closed the door, knowing it would lock shut behind her. She tugged at the knob to make sure."

Ummmmm first a 20+ foot snake was described as outstretched straight as a ruler for 15 feet past her feet....in a bedroom. Then when she's walking out of the room the straight snake begins to uncoil? And it is now entering the bedroom? My head hurts trying to process this imagery. There were too many points in the story prior to this scene that I had to forgive so I had to give up at this point unfortunately. 😬😬😬

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Am I the only one pissed off at this book? Geez how simple can this chick be?

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She invited him in now she can't get him out"

Donna 25, inherits a house in California from her Grandmother Rudy. It has come at a perfect time, as she has had enough of her dead end job in Chicago and her single life.

Along comes Joshua who seems the perfect roommate to help pay the bills. Joshua keeps the fridge stocked with fresh foods and they watch late night movies together. He is more like a friend than a roommate!!

When Donna brings home her new boyfriend things start to spiral out of control. Her perfect roommate is about to become her worst nightmare!!

A thrilling read that kept me engrossed from the start.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A speedy spooky must-read debut.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about engrossing and suspenseful! The Roommate is dark, disturbing, creepy and unputdownable. From the apt cover to what's revealed inside, this story grabbed me and did not let go even after I finished it. This is the very definition of a domestic thriller.

After inheriting a house in California, Donna decides she needs a roommate to help cover the costs of upkeep. She meets Joshua and they immediately hit it off. Both admit to idiosyncrasies but they seem easy to overcome. Donna has slight misgivings but takes the plunge. The two become fast friends with a weirdly codependent relationship. Then layer after layer of secrets are revealed and soon Donna's life is ruined. Rather than her initial excitement about returning to her home after work she begins to dread it. With good reason. Skeletons in closets abound and the past stealthily creeps in. Characters aren't exactly likeable but they needn't be for a book to be good. Donna's naievete is frustrating and Joshua is just...well, you'll find out. We meet Donna's mom and friends, too. Most relationships are dysfunctional which contribute to the stark darkness.

If you seek something with a bit of memorable wow, do read this. It has the perfect balance of dark and awesome surprises around many corners.

My sincere thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this intensely goosebumpy book!

[Lisa Aiello · Rating 2 out of 5]

This just wasn't for me. The storyline itself held a great deal of potential, but the writing didn't vibe with me and the characters situations and reactions just didn't ring true. Who lets someone live with them and then does nothing when that person's actions become so outlandish and intrusive. Even I'm not that much of a doormat!!!

[Zach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super creepy and unnerving, made my heart race and was too scary for me to read before bed! Good characterization and fun plot. I was not a fan of the style because it felt very “tell” heavy and sometimes read like a synopsis. Suddenly this person is in Santa Monica, suddenly this person has a drinking problem, suddenly six weeks have passed, etc.

[KEYSHA Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watch Who Answers the Ad

This was a good psychological thriller. However I read many books in between starting this book. I would start and stop. I I think I knew the story line.

[Rebecca Johns · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast-paced domestic thriller you won’t put down.

[Ariel Tuladhar · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Review… 2.5 ⭐️
•
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Title: The Room Mate
Author: Caroline Macon Fleischer
Genre: Thriller
My Rating: 2.5 ⭐️
Pub Date: July 28, 2022
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Firstly, a huge thank you to @netgalley and @joffebooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review…
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Brutal Review Incoming: Alright. There was SO much I did NOT like about this book, so this review is going to mostly be DISLIKES.
First thing that triggered me was the blatant few times politics were mentioned. I genuinely HATE when a book has political slanders or comments (even if I agree with it). It's just tacky.
Secondly, the writing in this book was ALL over the place, and extremely.....choppy.... I think that is a good explanation. Basically, the author would just write things, and not really explain or describe things well.
Thirdly, I think just like a few other books I have read recently, the MC was just plain STUPID. She made stupid decisions, terrible choices and was in a situation and being mopey about it when it was COMPLETELY her fault.
Fourthly, that fucking ending has me ENGRAGED. Although I sorta, kinda saw something similar to that coming, I am PISSED.
Fifthly...(Is that a word.?) I saw the one big "twist" coming from a MILE away. *sigh*

It receieved 2.5 instead of 3, because of only the ride. The book was not TERRIBLE, it just wasnt great.

[Bev · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t normally write reviews, but I wanted to warn you about this book. If you’re thinking about reading it….don’t waste your time. The last few chapters I skimmed through and that’s only because I wanted say I actually finished it. I wanted to like it, but I just couldn’t. I feel like a lot of the things that happened to her she allowed. Why would you invite a stranger to live in your house without some kind of contract? The first time he said he wouldn’t pay rent because he helped her with her ankle, she should’ve kicked him out. In my opinion, she allowed him to get control over her. The first red flag was when they first met. How did he know she had cut her hair? Why didn’t she realize, when she found the snake, that it was the same size as the skin she had found outside the door? Then, if you missed that part, how did he have a key to the aforementioned door and she didn’t? Anyway, the book wasn’t worth the read and I hate saying that about a book. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. :(

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for this book! 2 stars because this was a quick easy read. But overall, I was not a fan. I found the main character’s actions completely unrealistic. No one would put up with what she did from this “roommate”. The writing was not great, the author would just state things that seemed to come out of nowhere without explaining them. For example, this sentence “Donna blamed herself for thinking Cole was bland.” When did she ever say he was bland? So many instances like this throughout the book. And the ending was pretty gross.

[Mickey · Rating 1 out of 5]

This has got to be one of the dumbest books I've ever read. The characters are flat & mostly unlikeable, with the one half decent guy being killed near the end of the book. I wanted to repeatedly slap the "heroine" as she made one idiotic decision after another.

At least I didn't have to pay for it, thanks to Kindle Unlimited.

[Monica Lowe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don’t waste time or money on this book. It started out with me thinking it was going to be good. Soon it just became stupid. None of the characters are likable not even the main character. Just a ridiculous book.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

wanted to like it

I tried very hard to like this book but it was so far fetched and unbelievable that I simply lost interest and actually skipped chapters just to be done with it

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a book that you cannot put down and sends slimy shivers up your spine as it weaves on. And stays with you long after you put it down. Can’t recommend enough

[Mary Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

This just wasn’t it for me. It had potential, it just wasn’t well executed. It was unrealistic, all over the place, and poorly written.

None of the characters were standouts and I wanted to pull out my hair constantly. Donna was so aggravating and let herself get treated like a doormat. There were so many times that the whole problem could have been resolved/ended but it just never happened 🫠

[Pamela Pavkov · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Roommate is a great physiological thriller written by Caroline Macon Fleischer. This was my first story by this author so her writing style took me by surprise. The characters were really a mixture of likeable, frustrating, and down right scary. This story starts out on such a sweet note but not much later you could feel the dread building. Then it just gets absolutely scary and hard to put down. The author gives such great descriptions and puts a lot into detail that you feel as if you are standing within this nightmare. The conclusion of this story was absolutely shocking and bright me to laughter. I will look for more from this author.

I was not given a complimentary copy of this book to read and review. I was not approached to post a favorable response and all opinions are my own. I have rated this story with five stars for meeting my expectations of a wonderful story that I can highly recommend to others.

[Jess Luigi · Rating 4 out of 5]

MINOR SPOILERS!
i really enjoyed this book, i finished it within a day and really couldn't put it down. this book is about donna moving to california for a fresh new start but her new roommate has other plans for her.

what a good mystery read, it can get quite infuriating as donna seems to be ignoring all the red flags constantly shoved in her face and can seem to look a little bit stupid at times (like not asking joshua to leave when he got hostile and refused to pay rent etc) but honestly enjoyed it. i found this gripping and this book has brought me out of the start of a book slump so thank LOORRDD. i found the twist quite late into the book but i kept with it and im glad i did :) if you're into mystery id definitely check this book out and see how you feel yourself :)

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this :)

[Jennifer Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nasty, Gruesome, Crazy are just some of the words I would use to describe this book! It was one I didn’t want to put down once I started it! Very catchy and definitely an awesome story line to keep the reader interested! Hoping I don’t have nightmares tonight now!!!!

[pae (marginhermit) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Talk about pest but in human form. But the pest is harmful, and could kill you.

Donna doesn’t sign up for this. She inherited a house from her grandmother, that one she never expected she needed. Soon she found a roommate to helped her withe the bills, and we’re met with Joshua.

Joshua seems normal enough. Great roommate actually. But obviously he’s not that good since he doesn’t know any boundaries; reads, wanting to know why he gotta pay the rent (???). It took a darker turn when Donna broughtbher boyfriend home, and she started to fear for her safety.

This is a good debut, but I was hoping for more backstory on Donna.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

[Alicia Krage · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was kind of ridiculous 😂 the MC was an idiot and the writing was average. And yet I couldn't look away, because somehow the story still intrigued me enough to continue. I did say "what the fuck?" Out loud several times as a reaction to Joshua's instability.

So yeah. Nothing crazy but I was entertained.

[Valerie Wicks · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is not particularly sophisticated but this is still a good story. It starts well with just a hint of menace which then develops into a full-scale battle between Donna, the house-owner, and Joshua, her tenant.

However, it’s yet another thriller that suffers from overblown hype by the publishers. Not every book in this genre is “a gripping psychological thriller with an unbelievable twist”. Far from it; the twist stood out a mile.

[Shellie Storie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding

This was one of the most thrilling books I have read in awhile. Totally kept me wanting to keep reading and was sad when it ended. I highly recommend this book!

[Michelle Brueckner Storie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This booked kept me wanting to read I read it in 2 days definitely is one I would read again!

[Bonny Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was hard to finish this book. The homeowner was pathetic!!

[Megan Rang · Rating 4 out of 5]

An odd read

When having a roommate to keep you company all can and will go wrong. It could change everything in your life.

[Jeanine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unbelievable. Suspending realty doesn't even help.