Roommating

• Author: Meredith Schorr
• Genre: Romance
• Publication Date: June 10, 2025 
• Publisher: Forever

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sizzling chemistry and tender friendship develops between two accidental roommates in this hilarious rom-com from the author of As Seen on TV.

Sabrina is too busy with grad school and her job as a library page to think about dating. Until Marcia, her elderly roommate, invites her estranged grandson Adam to move into their two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan temporarily to “find himself.” Sabrina doesn’t mind sharing the small space with Adam if it helps Marcia repair her relationship with her grandson. But she’s not expecting to fall for him herself. Adam is not only gorgeous, he’s kind, funny, shares her love of reading, and clearly adores Marcia. After one too many accidental midnight rendezvous in the bathroom (him shirtless), the tension between them is hotter than ever.

But they’re not the only ones feeling the heat. After Marcia has a health scare, her doctors advise that one of her younger roommates must go. In a comical and sexy battle to prove who deserves to stay, the two pull out all the stops. All’s fair in love and real estate, but in the end victory is not so sweet when winning the apartment could mean losing each other.  

I first discovered Meredith Schorr when I got an ARC of a previous book of hers, on a spate of requesting books featuring Jewish characters, written by Jewish authors. Since then, I’ve devoured each of her new books, but this is the only one that I haven’t flown through. Does this mean I didn’t enjoy it? Not at all, I really enjoyed it, but instead of racing through the story, this one pushed me to sit and reflect a little bit, savoring this story.

Sabrina is in grad school for her MLIS degree, and working as a page in a local public library. She found affordable housing by becoming a roommate to a senior citizen—this lets her live inexpensively in a highly unaffordable market, and in return, she offers assistance with technology and other stuff around the apartment. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Marcia is cooler than most people in their 20s and 30s. But when Marcia’s estranged grandson reconnects with her, she invites Adam to move in with her for a little bit.

Naturally, this sets up a forced proximity dynamic, but since Adam and Sabrina both have so much in common, it’s pretty easy to see that they’re going to be involved in a friends to lovers plot, and it was done so well. I loved that the characters actually created an initial bond over shared interests, and it really felt as though it built naturally into a romance. 

“Seeing gorgeous Adam all day surrounded by books and all night cuddling with Rocket and bonding with his grandmother? Seriously, how much can a horny, single girl take before her panties spontaneously drop to her ankles?”

Another thing that I always love to find in a book is the myriad ways in which modern Jews incorporate their faith into their own rituals. In this book, Sabrina’s family isn’t religious, only celebrating the major holidays in their own way, but it is a family tradition. Seeing how her non-religious family adapted their Passover celebration from full-length seders to abbreviated ones that suited their family better, yet still made sure to visit the graves of her grandparents every year and leave rocks according to Jewish custom. Judaism is an ever-evolving practice as we all adapt to an increasingly fast-paced way of life and reliance on technology. I mean, even my Orthodox rabbi has a smartphone and is available (in his own words) 24/6.

If I was only able to select one favorite thing about this book, it would have to be the number of times I’ve seen my own experiences reflected back to me on the page. One thing that stood out to me most was the way Sabrina’s family was a nontraditional one, but her paternal grandparents functioned as a safety net for their former daughter-in-law after her husband, their child, left Sabrina’s mother as a single mom of two with no support. That is exactly the same way that my family acted towards my brother’s ex-wife, because family isn’t only the ones you share blood with—sometimes it’s the ones who have your back when blood family doesn’t. 

But don’t get me wrong, Schorr has an incredible talent for writing romance. While romance isn’t something I go out of my way to read, there are a few authors that I will always read when I get the chance, and she’s one of them. The romance in this book is absolutely top-notch, with sexual tension that you could cut with a knife. I loved seeing the characters work out the complications of having to share both living and work quarters with someone you are so attracted to, and ultimately, how well they vibe together. And the spice? I loved it, especially after waiting so long to get to the spice. That also ensured that the characters weren’t just operating on insta-lust, which is one of my least favorite tropes. This has an element of insta-lust, except the characters don’t act on it immediately and instead actually get to know each other and fall for each other. But how can you not love a character described like this:

“Adam kisses as if kissing is the headline performance.”

The characters came across as a little immature to me, which frustrated me to no end. Although, on the other end of the spectrum, Marcia doesn’t act like a woman who is 72, but rather a woman who is enjoying her retirement. And while the story is mostly light and fluffy, it also addresses some deeper and heavier topics: coming out and family rejection, family estrangement, reunion, loss, grief, unresolved issues with deceased loved ones, sexuality, and finding yourself and what you want out of life. 

Overall, this was a fantastic read. I really enjoyed the romance, the characters, and the way that the story played out, with the side characters playing just as big of a role in the story as the main ones. Despite my one issue with the characters level of maturity at times, this is a book that I can easily recommend to everyone. The Jewish representation in the story is also great, and helps make this story relatable to Jewish readers of all levels of adherence to traditions. Yet another thing to like is the way the author doesn’t write older adults as having no interest in dating or sex, and the way she frankly addresses this through Marcia’s character and her late-in-life process of coming out as bisexual. I loved so much about this book, and I genuinely hope that you check it out if it hasn’t already been on your radar.

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