REVIEW: The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley

The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley It was all really a simple propositions between two friends, if neither Graham nor Clair find love by the time that Graham turns forty then they would take the plunge taking their friendship to the next level, one with some steamy benefits, after all there is no possible way that Clair could fall for daredevil, thrill junkie Graham not after what she had to go though with her father… however what happens when their plan gets pushed up by a few years when Graham gets injured during a rock climbing adventure and Clair has to help nurse him back to health. What starts out as a platonic caregiver/friend relationship soon begins to heat up when feelings begin to float between them as their share some very close confines… the question is can these two look past their own insecurities or are they going to continue to deny their insatiable connection?

I really enjoyed The Roommate Pact, this book was a perfect mix of funny cute banter mixed together with some serious and heartwarming moments. The entire concept of having this ‘if we don’t find someone by a set age we will marry each other’ worked so perfectly with Clair and Graham, their underlying connection already set the bases for their relationship and this only got amplified after the accident where Clair had to help care for Graham. I loved that this was a pretty low drama book with just the right amount of angst to keep us invested.

I really liked Clair, it was easy to relate to her character and once we got to know a bit about her past it was really easy to understand her reluctance with getting involved with an adrenaline junkie. Though it was nice getting to see the softer moments that she shared with Graham, seeing the care and kindness that she took when helping him recover only really highlighted the fact that she was genuinely a nice person. As for her relationship with Graham’s dog Gertrude well that was just priceless!

I think it would be safe to say that Graham really carried most of this book, personally I felt that this was more his story and this translated in that we got to see his charactergrowth. Right from the get go he was a great hero and I loved his swoony charm but as the book progressed and we got to see him express himself through his journalling as he recovered we really got to see his character develop into so much more and in turn getting to see a better version of Graham.

Graham and Clair had brilliant chemistry, these two played off each other in the best way possible with banter for days! Did they have some of the best banter ever, these two had me in stitches more than once! I loved that their entire situation grew from friendship, this only helped make their relationship all the more strong and easy to root for. I loved that even though they each did a lot of growing as individuals they were always there to support each other. As much as I loved seeing their romantic relationship grow I also loved seeing their friendship strengthen. The only thing I was not a fan of was the fade to black romance scenes, this wasn’t a major issue but more of a personal preference.

All in all The Roommate Pact is a silly cute romcom that will pull at the heartstrings at all the right moments but leave you feeling warm, happy and contented in the end. A definite must read!

Book Info:

Publication: August 1, 2023 | MIRA |

All of the fun, none of the heartache…as long as they stick to the agreement.

The proposition is simple: if ER nurse Claire Harper and her roommate, firefighter Graham Scott, are still single by the time they’re forty, they’ll take the proverbial plunge together…as friends with benefits. Maybe it’s the wine, but in the moment, Claire figures the pact is a safe-enough deal, considering she hasn’t had much luck in love and he’s in no rush to settle down. Like, at all. Besides, there’s no way she could ever really fall for Graham and his thrill-seeking ways. Not after what happened to her father…

Just as things begin to heat up way before the proposed deadline, Graham’s injured in a serious rock-climbing accident—and he needs Claire’s help to heal. She’ll do whatever it takes to nurse him back to health…even if it means moving into Graham’s bed and putting up with his little dog who hates her. But with this no-strings arrangement taking a complicated turn, keeping “for now” from turning into “forever” isn’t as easy as they’d planned.