What a fun book!! From messed up decisions of a pining heart to adulting, from the depths of defeat to growing up, from thrown into the streets to finding suces. This book had it all. Author Elizabeth Neep with her words had penned a story which so many of us have gone through, some of us are still going through.

Jesse left UK for Sydney to forget her live. But lo and behold Sam was the first she met when down on her luck who offered his spare room without telling her he had his girlfriend in his main bedroom. An icky situation if ever, especially since Jess had not really got over him.

My first book by this author, the situations that Jesse got herself into were humorous. There were many times when I wanted to poke her into looking the other way. But some part of me understood her longing. Been there, done that. The author had written realistic characters whom I could identify with. Her desperate lies had me cringing as well as nodding through them.

Sam was a great guy though I too felt like any guy he didn't recognize his own signs. A girl could be mistaken on them. Past and present alternated the chapters giving me their complete incomplete story with their break off.

The sections which touched my heart was when Jesse grew up after being thrown out. I could see the beautiful and brave soul that she was, honest to herself, and eager to redeem and prove herself. Fate and friends gave her a helping hand, and my heart soared when she flew high in the wings of success, paving her own way.

A fun evening read, I would say.

Jess moves to Australia and bumps in Sam her ex boyfiend and ends up moving in with him.
This book unfortunately did not grab me and I found it hard to like the characters.
Very unlike me to not finish a book.

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour. This is Elizabeth's debut book and I was excited to read a new book from a new author.

The main character in this book is Jess. Jess has essentially run away because she isn't where she thought she would be in life. She was meant to be the one that was sorted and grown-up but now everyone else has got their lives together and she is back at square one. Jess was a frustrating character at times but it wasn't all her fault. A lot of the blame also lays with Sam. Jess often saw what she wanted to see that is true but Sam could have also been a lot clearer with her. Jess is a very realistic character she makes the same mistakes that many of us have made. I wanted to pick her up and give her a hug and tell her everything would be okay on more than one occasion. But I also wanted to shake her and tell her to sort her life out a lot too.

I really liked Elizabeth's writing style. It was fresh, funny and real. I like a book that shows people how they really are. No-one is perfect so why should characters be any different. Everyone has flaws and these characters had those too. Don't get me wrong they also had a lot of redeeming qualities, they were very kind and open and put up with a lot more than I think I could.

The end of this book is perfect! It leaves you feeling optimistic for the next part of Jess' life. I am looking forward to reading more of Elizabeth's books in the future.

This was not your traditional romance read. It's more about finding yourself after a relationship ends and becoming independent.
I also loved how you got 2 different timelines as well. The first of Sam & Jess falling in love and the second with them not together anymore and Sam moving on.
I also enjoyed how they talked about Christianity. Some books really portray religion poorly but I felt this book really did good in that respect with Sam's relationship with God.
I also enjoyed how this didn't end with a relationship ruining but with Jess learning to love herself and accept that Sam has moved on.

Organized into parts that roughly outline Jess and her journey: we meet her just as she’s hoping that a change of scenery and place to live will also change her luck in life and in love. We see Jess in each stage – how she came to move, how her relationship ended, her railing at the fates, finding new opportunities and finding her own happy ending. Going from London to Sydney is a HUGE move, and takes guts and some determination, as well as a huge gamble. Particularly when her first flat-share option doesn’t happen and she runs into her last boyfriend, the one she thought would be her last and always. He’s kind enough to offer her an out – the spare bedroom in the flat he has with the current girlfriend.

For me, Jess was immature and selfish, and not a bit self-reflective or even aware of the mixed signals she sent, or the fallout from her mistakes and bad choices. Sam, however, wasn’t much better, and the two have a relationship that while ‘friendship based’ often is treading toward dangerous waters. Neither is particularly honest or willing to (or even really aware of) their own missteps- and frustrating didn’t quite go far enough to deal with the frequent wallowing (from Jess) about the past and her what ifs. A bit of a struggle to start – the story has to introduce characters and set the frame, and while this was well done and helped overall, the flashbacks to Jess and Sam as a couple, combined with the multiple lies and facades that Jess built (that will all crash around her of course) just didn’t fit neatly with the tie-in to religion and the messages that were sent / ignored / resent frequently.

Wandering a bit about Sydney and noticing the differences from London, the determination to show the good, bad, and ugly behaviors in the situation and finally finding a way for Jess to grow and move forward after sort-of acknowledging her own mistakes but fully moving into the future was solid. Decent writing, characters (particularly secondary ones) that were cleverly built and defined, and the requisite happy ending after some revelations FOR the main character kept this story light and fun, but perhaps better suited to a reader other than I.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aGO/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

This book wasn't for me. I didn't really get on with the main characters. I really liked the side characters, Joshua and Alice. It took me until part 3 to start enjoying the story, it just took too long to get to that point for me.

First, I want to thank Elizabeth Neep, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

Elizabeth Neep really went outside the box with this storyline in The Spare Bedroom. Never had I read such a book with these situations before. That being said it was one of the most unique books with an eye opening ending that I ever read.

The cover of this book originally caught my eye. I loved how it looked cartoonish and the colors of it. The picture itself was spot on. Kudos to the Graphic Designers on this one.

I will fully admit this is one situation I would not want to be a part of. There were times I put myself into Jess’s shoes and felt very uncomfortable for her. She was not put in the best situation with her ex and his fiancé. There were just so many ups and downs with emotions.

Elizabeth did an amazing job telling the story of Jess and Sam’s relationship in the past to where they were today.

The careers that Elizabeth chose for these characters I really loved. I have never read about a character being a Youth Counselor. That is such a rewarding career in itself. As a fan of the healthcare industry I liked that Sam was a Doctor. Plus, I loved that Jess had a passion for painting.

This story had two surprise endings that made me smile. Each of them you saw Jess’s character grow from the beginning of the book.

What I loved the most was the letter to the reader at the end of the book. Elizabeth explains how this storyline came about. Also, how it took her two years to write this story. Plus, how her character is like Jess’s.

I enjoyed this book, it was a nice chick lit story that’s an easy read! The main character I found a tad annoying at times but it seemed to come and go!

I love books that go from year to year as I find there are more twists and more background story to it! I enjoyed the writers style of writing and will be intrigued to read a second book from this author!

All in all it was an easy chick lit read and I would recommend it!

Elizabeth Neep's debut novel The Spare Bedroom the story of an ultimate encounter with an ex; when Jess decided to travel to Sydney for a fresh start she didn't expect a lot of the things that happened; she didn't expect the 'spare room' booked to actually be in a shared bed. She didn't expect to bump into her university boyfriend after being caught in heavy rain and she didn't expect to end up moving into his spare bedroom.  Jess is very keen that Sam doesn't realise she's that she's got nowhere to stay and no job lined up so lies that the apartment she's rented isn't quite ready yet and she's starting her dream job in just two weeks. Excited to unexpectedly see an old friend, Sam offers Jess his spareroom with assurances that his housemate will be completely fine with it.

As Sam's housemate turns out to be his fiance and the wedding just a few weeks away, Jess has to face facts that maybe she isn't as over Sam as she thought she was and starts imagining her fresh start in Sydney could turn into a fresh start with him.

Overall this was quite a light-hearted read, here were quite a few funny moments and several cringey moments where I really wanted to shout at Jess to stop what she was doing; it really this centres around Jess working out what she wants to do with her life, separating her own dreams from ones that other people have told her she should work towards. An enjoyable read that's got me thinking about all differences between my life now and what I've imagined it would be when I graduated.

More like a 3.5 star rating, this was enjoyable! I thought the story was unique, and while it didn’t end how I wanted it to, it was good.

Jess is a mess. Like seriously... A MESS... She moved from England to Australia and has nothing to show for it. No job and no place to live. While looking like a drowned rat, she runs into her ex boyfriend (like love of her life kind of deal). We go from that encounter to her staying in his spare bedroom in the home he shares with his new girlfriend... just when Jess thinks she has hit rock bottom, she begins to pile on the lies to save face... but like in any similar situation, they catch up to her and her plans backfire.

I am not into books that deal with religion. And I wasn’t expecting this book to include anything like that, but it was done really well.

This book also threw me off because it jumps around from present time to the past, but in a weird sort of order. One chapter will be present, then it will jump to 2018, then present, then 2017, present, 2019... it was jarring...

All in all I really enjoyed this book. Jess was a mess and I wanted to shake her at times. I wanted the outcome to be different, though. But, the rest of the characters were interesting. Jess found allies where she wasn’t expecting...

The Spare Bedroom. A story about a girl named Jess who moves to Sydney on a whim to re-start her mess of a life. After running into some issues and being left with no job and nowhere to stay, Jess happens to run into Sam, the love of her life, who broke up with her years ago in England. Not only is Jess shocked to see Sam in Sydney, she's even more shocked when he invites her to come back and stay at his place-in his spare bedroom, to help her get back on her feet. Jess is thrilled-until she finds out that Sam has been keeping a secret. He actually lives with his fiancé Jamie. Now Jess has to figure out how to live with both of them, while looking for a job and most importantly, figuring out all her feelings that are returning for Sam.

I really did not enjoy this book. It started well for me, I was interested, but around 35% I wanted to put it down. I trudged through because I did want to find out what happened but I skimmed over large parts and just sped read until the end. While I think the premise could've been interesting, the book missed the mark. Jess is extremely unlikeable as the story goes on. She's selfish and immature, it seems odd that she just decides to move to Sydney with no money and no back up plan, and she has not moved on whatsoever from Sam, at all. I understand it is really hard to move on from a great love, but if you're in that situation, the last thing you should be doing is staying with them and their fiancé and lying about everything. That's another thing, Jess lies about everything! She gets mad for unfounded reasons and blames others for her problems. What broke it for me was her judgement about Sam and Jamie being religious-which was a very odd side plot, and a sentence where she states something along the lines of having to save Sam from this relationship that he's not into, because he's interested in her-both of which are completely unfounded. Sam himself was another unlikeable character, inviting her over, having her stay, using the same nickname for Jess and Jamie, also hiding things from her, and then getting mad and freaking out at Jess when she drunkenly climbs into bed with him. Talk about playing with fire.

I found the book dragged on and on and I didn't care about anything that was happening. Jess was overly critical, kept messing up over and over but was still shown kindness at the end. I hope others find a good story in the book!

Jess has decided to start a new life in Sidney Australia. But once there she is met with bad weather, no job offers, and her arrangement for a flatshare came to naught. Just when she thought that her luck couldn't get any worse she came across her ex Sam. Sam is not any other ex, they were together for five years, and he was supposed to be "the one". When he offers her to stay in his spare room as a temporary solution, jess's started believing that their love story can still go on.
This story is a big example of "biting the hand that fed you". All Sam and Jess did were being nice to Jess, and she paid them by believing blindly that Sam is somehow "trapped" in his relationship. I couldn't have any compassion with the main character, I can get that she sacrificed a lot for her ex-boyfriend, but still. On the other hand, I really liked Joshua and Alice.
I really tried to like Jess, but she is plain bitter, jealous, and egocentric. Every line is drawn to her making mental comparisons or sad comments about the interlocutor’s physic. She is jealous of everyone! Even her best friend Zoe! I just felt that I need to shake her back to real life.
I find the idea of this book really cute. I get it that the way of self-growth can be long and hard but I couldn't connect with the main character.
2.5 stars
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing this ARC.

I absolutely loved this book. It makes you think that the main character is going to get the guy and it twists and turns. I’d reccommend this book to anyone who needs a light romantic story.

You’d be forgiven for thinking The Spare Bedroom is just another one of those run of the mill will they won’t they romcoms and I suppose in many ways you’d be right. BUT I found Jess’s story quite touching and this novel had a surprising depth to it that I wasn’t expecting. Maybe it’s my heightened emotional state right now that is drawing me to this genre and making lighthearted feel good fiction my preference but whatever the reasons I found this an enjoyable and entertaining read, both funny yet bittersweet.
Jess’s story is as old as the hills. She’s never quite got over the end of her five year relationship with Sam whom she thought was her forever guy, her happy ever after. Having met at uni and grown into adulthood together, Jess has become stuck in a no mans land somewhere between the past and the future, unable to move on. She lives by the mantra ‘maybe one day’ unconvinced their story is finally over. Deciding a fresh start is needed she travels to the other side of the world to hopefully start life again but cannot believe she bumps into the one who got away in a supermarket in Sydney. When Sam offers her a much needed lifeline of a spare room as a temporary measure Jess’s mind goes into overdrive and so begins a campaign to win back the man of her dreams.
Often funny yet sad at the same time I felt immense sympathy for this young woman and how untethered from reality she has become. Perhaps it was my motherly instincts kicking in but I just wanted to wrap Jess in my arms and let her sob her heart out, knowing that there was someone who cared enough to listen and offer some sage advice. I wanted to tell her how important it is to never look back but have your eyes focused purely on the future but I don’t think she’d have listened, just like she hasn’t really taken notice of best friend Zoe’s advice. We all know the heartache of first love or the devastation of a love affair ended against our own wishes so I think those all consuming feelings that Jess is experiencing are captured extremely well.
I think it takes a bizarre coincidental situation like this to force Jess to confront reality in order to make those first important steps forward into the future. A talented artist who’s let her passion fall by the wayside I wanted Jess to find her own identity again since it’s evident she gave up so much in pursuit of her happiness with Sam. Dipping into the art world which is alien to me ,Jess’s time in Sydney takes her on a journey of self discovery, with new friends reigniting her passion for life and painting and perhaps with their help she can ultimately let go of an impossible dream.
Obviously the setting for this novel is wonderful, a perfect place to ‘reset’ and I felt quite envious of her ability warm her toes in the sand, feel the sun on her skin and the salt from the waves when surfing or swimming not forgetting all the tanned and well toned gorgeous men around. What better wake up call could you need??
Yes the ending is very predictable which is to be expected but I thoroughly enjoyed being on this journey with Jess. In my opinion it’s well worth a read especially if you fancy an escapist read transporting you to the beaches of Sydney from the comfort of your sofa, a lovely substitute for all those holidays we’ve had to cancel!!
My thanks as always to the publisher Bookouture and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

Nice chick lit story! I can't say that the main character, Jess was my favorite but I still enjoyed the story. I really enjoyed the author's writing style. I found it easy to read and enjoy. I would recommend this to someone looking for a light summer read.

This was an easy read but very predictable. The main character was sort of annoying and irked me at times for reasons I still can’t put my finger on. It was typically chick lit which will appeal to those maybe more in to it than I am, but was an ok read, just nothing really stood out for me

Elizabeth Neep’s debut novel is a light and easy read about Jess who has moved to Sydney for a fresh start. Whilst grabbing a bottle of wine after being caught in torrential rain, she bumps into her ex-boyfriend, Sam, whom she had always believed would be ‘the one’. When Sam invites her back to his apartment for a drink she agrees despite him having ended their relationship three years ago.
When Sam then invites Jess to stay in his spare room, to get her out of her predicament, she agrees, not knowing his girlfriend also lives there!
What will happen between Jess and Sam when they start living under the same roof again? Will their living arrangements rekindle the old feelings of romance they once held for each other? Will Sam be able to be happy living on the other side of the world and find what she is looking for?
This book is well written and tells the tale of Jess and Sam in the current day and reveals what happened between them in the past throughout the book by going back in time to their university days when they first met.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 34%.
I did not like this book. The main character annoyed me and the writing got on my nerves at times. I just could not get myself to read any more of this book, no matter how hard I tried. The Soare Bedroom will count towards my 2020 reading goal because I read more than 25%. Hopefully, other people will end up enjoying this book more.
I would recommend this book to anyone who finds the premise interesting.
I received an e-Arc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jess and Sam met in and fell in love in college and were in a relationship for a few years. Fast forward three years when the two meet again by happenstance in a market in Sydney. Jess, with no place to go, is offered the spare bedroom under the pretense that she had a job and an apartment lined up. Neither one is true. So, Jess follows Sam to his apartment where she meets who she thinks is his roommate but surprise, it’s his fiancé! Even after meeting the super nice and sweet fiancé, Jess still believes that she and Sam are meant to be together so she comes up with a plan to make him fall in love with her again.

While I enjoyed the book, I found Jess really selfish and immature. I understand that Sam was her first real love and together, they made all these plans involving their future but he clearly has moved on. By the end of the book, Jess stops comparing herself to her idea of what success is and starts to love and accept herself.

There seems to be a lot of novels these days that encourage the protagonist ( and of course, the reader) to reflect on the past. I enjoyed this story of Jess, who is in her mid-late twenties and doesn't know where she wants to go or what she wants to do next and how she manages to find herself and make herself happy.

I enjoyed this book, it was a quick read and the characters were well written and likeable. Would recommend!