Finally, finally, FINALLY.

The Spare Bedroom does something that many books have failed to do, write Christian characters realistically. Not all Christians are Fox News loving crazy people who act like living angels. Christians curse, and as in this book, call our friends dickheads. Some drink alcohol, have sex, and make terrible mistakes. Some pretend to be living angels and they frustrate everyone else to no end. So, thank you Elizabeth Neep for seeing the real people under all of the fake stuff.

As for the story, I freaking loved it and let me explain why.

In Spare Bedroom, our heroine, Jess, is a freaking mess when she runs into her ex, and then proceeds to become and even bigger freaking mess. At times, I wanted to shake her, because she was obviously making mistakes, but honestly, that's how people change. We make mistakes, acknowledge them, and learn from them.

She was an unreliable narrator, but Jess did what we all do, which is see what we want to see and not what actually is. Then trying to get what she thinks she wants in life, she get desperate, lies, and pretty much misses every clue thrown her way.

Sam is a great guy, but with the flashbacks, we can see pretty clearly that he doesn't belong with Jess and Jess doesn't belong with him. He's not perfect but who wants perfect?

The absolute best thing about Spare Bedroom is that it defies its genre expectations. Usually in this type of book, everything explodes close to the end and there's a quick wrap up where everyone gets that Happily Ever after. In Spare Bedroom, the climax happens at 80% giving the reader a lot of time and pages to find out what happens to Jess.

Jess breaks down and has actual growth that we get to watch. She finds herself and it isn't easy, it's incredibly hard, difficult work that takes time and a lot of self reflection. Jess does that work and finally we get to read it. It's not glossed over, or skipped entirely in a time jump. Spare Bedroom shows how tough it is to be a young woman trying to make it without actually knowing what "it" is.

I also loved how she decides to find her own life, in her own way, in her own town. It's hard letting go of relationships, especially when they've been a part of your life for so long, and helped shape the person you are. But, learning that you need to move on and actually doing it is a process like grieving. You have to acknowledge the loss and mourn the changes as you reimagine your life as it is now.

I can't say enough good things about Spare Bedroom. It's a standout book in a genre overfilled with predictable, but pleasing reads.

Thank you NetGalley for this advance copy to read.

The Spare Bedroom follows the life of Jess, who ends up homeless and jobless in Sydney after she escapes from her life back in England. She bumps into ex-boyfriend Sam, and ends up moving into his spare room.

This book was full of lots of heart warming moments, that made me both laugh and cry. It was a wonderful story of self-discovery, and a perfect light read in this current climate.

I found this book to be an ok read, but sadly it didn't live up to my expectations. I thought it was going to be a five star read but can only manage three

The Spare Bedroom follows Jess, a twenty-something British woman who heads to Sydney, only to run into her ex-boyfriend Sam in the supermarket aisle. She then goes on to stay in the spare bedroom of the apartment he shares with his fiance. The book includes flashbacks to their five-year relationship, as Jess juggles a few too many lies and her resurfacing feelings. I thought the premise of the book was cute and I enjoyed Neep's writing style. However, I found myself not really empathising - or frankly liking - either of the main characters, but rather enjoying the supporting roles of Joshua and Alice more. Nevertheless, I look forward to seeing what Neep does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Spare Bedroom is the story of Jess and Sam, college sweethearts who are accidentally reunited in Sydney, Australia three years after their break up. Broke with no where to live, Jess accepts Sam's offer to live in his spare bedroom. However-plot twist=Sam is living with his fiance! Of course, a lot of chaos ensues.
The beginning and ending of this book are definitely it's strong points. Jess's self-sabotaging behaviors start to drag on for a while in the middle, making me want to reach through the book and shake her instead of relate to her and her foibles. But, the book is very well written and a quick read, making some of the more cringe-worthy moments fly by.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

This book turned out to be completely different than what I anticipated - and not entirely in a good way. I couldn't connect with any of the characters and I kept wondering "what are you doing?!" almost entirely throughout the book. It just really wasn't for me, but I'm sure others might like it more than I did.

This is a cute an easy read, which I have enjoyed. The plot has been interesting and enjoyable. The writers style has made this one which is easy to follow.
The characters in this book are fun and likeable. I have loved this one from start to finish.
I have read this book from start to finish in just one sitting and found it has been an interesting and exciting escape.

It was difficult to stay with this book. It took a long time to get going and the main character has a thought in her head described in so many different ways that the story gets stalled. The other characters were equally uninteresting to me and lacked depth. I liked that the story jumped from the present to the past. Other than that, it just wasn't for me.

This is a well written book, however it just lacked that 'something' for me. The characters themselves seemed to lack depth and I found it difficult to invest in any of their stories - as such I found it difficult in places to get through the story and rushed to find out the conclusion.

The book was well written, but I had hoped to like the characters more. I just didn't connect with any of them. They were either too pathetic, too apathetic or too nice. However, still four stars because I finished it...even though I complained while I was reading it.

The premise of this book had me completely hooked but unfortunately I just could not get myself invested in this story. I really disliked the main character and it took a very long time for me to emotionally connect with her.

This story just wasnt for me sadly but dont let that stop you from picking it up. A lot of people have loved this book and I'm gutted I'm not one of them.

At first I thought that Jess had dreamed up the intensity of her and Sam's relationship as there was a clear dichotomy between their interpretation of love. She lived in a complete immature dreamworld where she only lived in the past and took advantage of the kindness of others to get what she perceived to be her ultimate happiness. Only when she stopped being cowardly and figured out how to live for herself, did I start really liking this book.

The Spare Bedroom by Elizabeth Neep an uplifting five-star read. Jess wow Jess you really have made me smile reading your story, I will say this as a character you have some strength, she will suck you in and make you care deeply for her, she is a complex character but one so well written that you feel every emotion she goes through and will want to see every friendship she develops thrive. This isn’t all fun and laughter though as there are cringe worthy moments and angst that will leave your stomach in knots. Each of the three parts of the story have a part to play and its nicely broken up, I enjoyed that aspect to the story, I also enjoyed watching fate play its part in Jess and Sam and watching their story play out. This is a great story and one everyone should enjoy.

I'll be really honest, at first, I really disliked Jess - I found her whingey and a bit desperate. I totally get it - I've been in love and I've had my heart broken but I found Jess repulsively needy! BUT, by the end of the book I was totally on her side when things hit rock bottom for her, I found myself in tears - I grew to love her! I started to root for her, one to get over Sam completely and see what good things she had under her nose.

I felt complete mixed emotions during this book - I laughed out loud, I felt frustrated, I wanted to shout out to the characters and I cried when it made me feel sad. So, all in all I reckon this was an excellent book - any book to make me ride a rollercoaster of emotions is a keeper for me!

5 stars!

When Jess loses her job at the art magazine she's been working at for years she decides it's time to move on and really fulfill her dreams. Packing up a bag and moving from London to Sydney is supposed to be a brand new start. Things don't go quite as planned Jess finds herself homeless, jobless, and soaking wet in the grocery store. Of course, when things can't get any worse and she can't feel any lower, she somehow does by bumping into Sam. Sam who she spent 5 years dating and 3 years trying to get over. What are the odds of running into him on the other side of the earth, it must be fate, this must be her second chance with him, especially if he's inviting her to stay in his spare room. There's just one small complication, Jamie, his fiancee.

This book is everything. Written in the first person completely adds to the roller coaster of emotions we see Jess going through. From the excitement of first seeing Sam to the confusion of who is Jamie to the lonely and left out feelings and jealousy, it was all so well written. Jess was so relatable and real, my heart absolutely ached for her. Part of me wanted her to end up with a love interest, but after some time of thinking about it, that's not the point of this book, I don't want to give any spoilers but ultimately the ending was absolutely perfect. The Spare Bedroom has humor and heart, it's witty and just an all-around amazing book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Elizabeth Neep and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book in advance for my honest opinion. All opinions are mine!

“They were building a life together. I should be happy for them, and yet somehow it felt like she’d stolen a moment that was meant to be mine first.”

When we meet Jess she has found herself in her dream destination: Sydney, Australia. The only problem? She’s jobless, homeless, broke and soaking wet. Oh! And she just ran into her ex-boyfriend and first love, Sam. An invitation for drinks at his apartment leads to an offer for Jess to stay in his spare bedroom. Jess may or may not have told Sam she had a job lined up at a top Australia art magazine and an apartment that will be ready in two weeks. Sam may have forgotten to mention his roommate was his fiancé, Jamie.

Oh Jess, what a mess. I’m not going to lie, Jess was not my favorite person for the majority of this book. She was immature, selfish and honestly kind of delusional at times. She was so stuck on what her life and relationship had been that she had no idea what her life had actually become. There were a lot of unresolved conflicts that Jess needed to work through before she could grow up and move on with her life. She is not the only one who made mistakes, though! Sam sent so many conflicting messages and lied, too. Suddenly you don’t know who you want to end up together and who to be mad at. Through all of that Jess finds friendship in people who teach her about forgiveness and being herself and rediscovers her love and talent in the art world.

Split into three parts, Elizabeth Neep takes the reader on Jess’s journey facing her past, owning her mistakes, finding friendships in expected places and giving herself a fresh start. I was engrossed from page one. Coming out on May 1st, this one is a must read for 2020!

I adored this book!! So good, could not put it down. This book follows a woman who is forced to move back in with her ex and it was brilliant, i loved every character in here.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. A light and enjoyable read, perfect for what I wanted!

I enjoyed Jess' journey in this book a lot and the supporting characters were generally likeable. In fact, I liked them more than I actually liked the main character herself. At times I found Jess endearing, interesting and funny - other times she was painfully self-absorbed and honestly, bit of a dreadful house guest. Maybe it was part of the character development but there were a few too many 'why doesn't Sam like me?' moments for me to appreciate!

Loved the setting of Australia and the part it played, very scenic and lovely for key moments in the book.

Will recommend for a good relaxing read to friends!

The Spare Bedroom was without doubt a magical romcom with a difference. I say with a difference because it doesn't follow the standard recipe for a romcom. It had its own recipe, one of hope and forgiveness and an undeniable tone that I enjoyed immensely, it truly had something special.

The story follows Jess, a lost twenty something still holding on to past while so desperately trying to find her future. She finds herself in Australia, homeless, jobless and soon to be entwined in a web of lies, oh and her devastatingly handsome ex-boyfriend (who is a doctor) just so happens to find her at her lowest. Ensue drama, I mean this story had it all going on and had a real taste of Bridget Jones. Jess is lost, unsure and is deeply conflicted about her next step, her next step ends up to be accidentally living with her ex and his girlfriend. Discovering that while she was stuck in the past, people had moved on, people had changed and she felt like she was the only one to not get the memo. Through new friendships, community and a little wine, jess finds her path. A path she didn't even know existed.

I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the chaos and the message. You can root for characters, root for love and then be reminded that happiness doesn't always come in a bog standard tin. It can come in many shapes. The message The Spare Bedroom delivers is solid, believe in yourself, forgive yourself and above all you're always enough.

Elizabeth Need knocking it out of the park with her own recipe for self love.

3.75 stars**
Finishing this book has left me feeling optimistic and hopeful. The story follows Jess and her adventure to restart her life in Australia and takes you on the journey with her through the ups and downs of her drastic change, living with her ex boyfriend and new partner. I was drawn to this book from it's bright, gorgeous cover and fascinating plot line and I was not disappointed.
The first half of the book I felt dragged and it did leave me feeling unmotivated to continue but I am so glad I did! Once you have got through the explanation of the characters, the development of their relationship and the understanding of the situation they're in, the book completely twists and becomes a fast, enjoyable and encouraging read.
I think the hardest thing about this read was my dislike towards the main character, she didn't seem to acknowledge the pain she caused people until it was too late and Sam was not much better. The side characters in this are so lovable and wholesome that I felt myself enjoy them more than the main character and want to know even more about them which we did as we got further into the story.
Personally, I found the flashbacks into Sam and Jess' relationship to be tedious to read as I was invested in their current story and had little interest into their past but that is a personal preference. If you enjoy romance or any uplifting book that shows self worth and dreams being achievable then you will love this book! A great book to leave you feeling elevated and happy.