2.5 Stars

After Graham is injured in a climbing accident, his roommate, friend, and ER nurse, Claire, stays in his room to take care of him. They also just started a friends with benefits relationship and as can be expected, they develop feelings for each other. Things in both their pasts create obstacles and hesitancies, but overall this was a sweet romance. There was some cute banter and I enjoyed the character growth both Graham and Claire had. My biggest issue was how formulaic is was to the friends to lover trope. There really wasn’t anything new here I hadn’t read before in either context or personalities.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.

This was a cute romantic comedy novel. While I enjoyed it, it is a book that after a few days I can think, “Yeah, I liked that book,” but I couldn’t tell you much about it. So fun, but not memorable.

I enjoyed this one a lot more than the first one! (Plus the cover is way better). But a sex pact/friends with benefits trope that’s closed door?? Honestly that doesn’t make sense to me but I hate when people say they didn’t like a book cause it was too spicy so I can’t be hypocritical and say I didn’t like this just cause there was no spice. Still… I felt like I was missing something.

Their relationship was so sweet and both sides of trauma was very real and relatable. Definitely think this is gonna be a favorite for people!

Roommate pact by allison Ashley
3.5/5 I really enjoyed this romance however I don’t think it was as good as the authors first book. The characters were interesting and likable but I felt this book was hindered by being closed door. I am not normally one who needs book to be open door, but so much of this book was about the sexual chemistry between the two leads and we saw very little of that. Other than that I appreciated how they handled both characters trauma and having to conquer that to actually have a relationship. It’s very much a two hander with very small appearances by other characters so I was impressed at how compelling the author was able to make those two characters.

To say Claire Harper's dating life isn't going well is an understatement. She has specific rules when it comes to looking for Mr. Right, but the most important is he can't have a dangerous job. She learned the hard way what that can do to a family if the person doesn't come home, and she refuses to go through that pain again. So when her firefighter roommate proposes that they enter into a marriage of convenience if they're both still single at forty, she hesitantly agrees. Claire still believes she'll find her perfect match before then, but when Graham is seriously injured, and Claire has to tend to him, she can't deny her attraction. The pair decide to forgo waiting and try their hand at friends-with-benefits, but the closer they get, the more they realize this is a forever type of deal.

I ate this book up in one sitting. I thought it was so much fun. I loved the banter between Claire and Graham. Claire was so outspoken and caring, and Graham was just the right amount of cocky but a cinnamon roll on the inside. He's very guarded at the start and a little emotionally stunted, and watching him open up and become vulnerable was so sweet. I understood Claire's reasoning behind not wanting a relationship with Graham, but it did get a little frustrating especially the whole third-act drama. I also thought that some of the dialogue felt stiff, and occasionally it felt like the emotional scenes were being glossed over. Other than that, I liked this a lot, and I can't wait to check out more from this author.

Thanks to MIRA for the copy of this book!

Loved this romance from Allison Ashley even more than her debut with MIRA, Would You Rather! Graham and Claire had great banter & chemistry and awesome personal growth. They worked SO WELL together, and I appreciated the fade-to-black scenes. Noah & Mia have lots of cameos in this book and it was fun to see them throughout the storyline as well.

Read this if you:
- are a nurse or NP
- like forced proximity
- need good banter that will make you smile

This was unexpectedly such a fun read!

I just loved how enjoyable this was considering that I am quite picky with my books but I would definitely recommend this to everyone!

Thank you so much to the publisher for my copy!

I enjoyed this one!!

I loved the banter and the yorkie so much and Ashley’s writing is so entertaining.

The friends with benefits pact was just silly to me and didn’t think it worked at all for Claire’s character. This was my first from the author so I was confused when I found out she was closed door… not really what this was.

I loved the emails so much and I liked that there wasn’t much of the typical miscommunication you see in romances!

Allison Ashley is a new author for me, but based on how much I enjoyed The Roommate Pact, I will definitely seek out more from her.

I'm going to skip the whole summarize-the-book thing and jump right into my Top Three for this title. So, here's what I'll be basing my Readers' Advisory recommendation on (and, believe me, I will frequently be recommending this book to my romance-loving tribe):

1. Graham's character development was well-paced and believable. Don't get me wrong--he was swoony from page one, but I seriously loved watching him grow as he e-journaled during the weeks of recovery after his rock-climbing accident. I also appreciated the author's decision to take his voice away from him for a time, forcing this incredibly physical guy to open up to Claire in a way that he otherwise wouldn't have.

2. The forced proximity and hurt/comfort tropes, both of which can often feel forced and artificial, were used here to perfection. The fact that Graham and Claire were already roommates definitely helped the believability, but the combination of Graham's inability to speak and Claire's job as a nurse were perfect for moving them from simply living in the same apartment to actually sharing a room.

3. Claire's backstory was strong enough to justify her hesitancy to pursue a real relationship with an adrenaline junkie, but, oh boy, did I love it when her bestie gave her a dose of real talk in act three. Although we didn't get to see as much of her inner growth as we saw for Graham, what we did see made the couple's HEA truly satisfying.

If you're looking for a quick, slightly steamy romance with some actual emotional depth, The Roommate Pact would make an excellent choice.

You guys this book was so freakin cute! I am head over heels in love with Graham and Claire!

Claire and Graham have an agreement. If they are both single by the time they’re forty, they’ll give in to their attraction and become friends with benefits. After an accident leaves Graham injured and in need of Claire’s help, they both start to realize what their true feelings about one another are.

I loved this book so so much. Their banter was freakin amazing and the story itself was incredible. I love Ashley’s writing style. It’s captivating and hilarious. The friendships in this book was beautiful and I loved seeing how Claire dealt with her trauma at the end. Also let’s not forget about the good ole puppers. I loved her.

If you enjoy swoony closed door rom-coms then I highly recommend checking this one out on August 1st!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Mira for the e-arc!

I binged the Rommmate Pact in one sitting, I couldn't put the book down!!

ER Nurse Claire wants to get married. Her dream has always to have children and live out her days avoiding life's dangers. After a long shift, she is reminded of a pact she made with roommate Graham to get married when they hit forty. Yet now, they're going to take this even further and make it a friends with benefits pact. There's no way this could end up going wrong, right?

Graham is an avid outdoor climber and mountain biker. Injured after an accident, he has Claire to take care of him. Devoted to never want to be married or say the "l word," he's alright with the friends with benefits pact. Yet, feelings are everything when he can't move his leg for days on end. This forever bachelor may discover who he's "not" looking for is right in front of him.

Allison Ashely delights in "The Rommmate Pact" and will leave fans of her other novels happy. The Roommate Pact is told in dual points of view, equal time shared between Claire and Graham. This novel is closed door with little peeks inside that door every so often. While characters from Would You Rather pop up, this could be read as a stand alone.. although I do recommend reading WYR first.

I adored Allison’s first book Would You Rather so I was super excited for this one! This one didn’t disappoint. The tension and banter was definitely turned up a notch in this one and I was here for it. Seeing Graham fall for Claire was so dang cute. I love their relationship. I love their friends. I loved when she called him honey grahams. I loved the emails.

Im giving this four stars because I learned something about closed door romances (and it’s completely a me thing), is that if closed door romances are going to push that boundary without going over it, I’d much rather the books cross that boundary because for me it’s like the door is slightly open, you’re vibing with it and then it slams and jumps to the next scene. Whereas a fullllly closed door would dance around the subject and the door would be closed the whole time. I LOVED that Allison was pushing these limits but dang did it make me want more. And I know closed door is what Allison writes so this is completely a me thing.

I highly recommend this book. It was fun and it was a super quick easy delightful read.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Allison Ashley is one of the nicest humans and I adore her. I was so excited to get my hands on this book.

Though there’s a ton I love about it, I had a hard time with the sex pact - which is a big plot of this book. I felt like the author for critiqued for writing great tension but then having closed door books, so she went in another direction and wrote a highly sex-filled book, but still closed door. There’s a market for closed door romances, and I’m mostly bummed she didn’t embrace that.

But anyways, it was cute despite that.

Read if You Like:
⭐️ Forced Proximity
⭐️ Friends to Lovers
⭐️ Great tension with little to no steam
⭐️ Secret Letters
⭐️ Caregiving
⭐️ Adventure
⭐️ Flirty Banter

Ugh.... I LOVED THIS! I love the friends-to-lovers plotline, and Allison Ashley writes it so well! I don't even know what to say other than -- Rom-com lovers need to read this book!

Roommates Claire and Graham make a pact that if they are single in four years, they would act on their attraction and get together. However, all that changes when Graham gets injured and Claire, being the nurse she is, offers to help nurse him back to health.

I love Allison Ashley’s writing and this book reminded me why. It is heartfelt, humorous, engaging and a quick binge. She uses her knowledge of working in the medical field and brings this background into her work, and what can be better than a heroine who’s a nurse and an outdoorsy firefighter hero. Claire and Graham had not only the most beautiful chemistry but also strong character growth. One of my favorite parts was reading the emails Graham sends to Claire’s unused email address as a form of therapy. I am also a big write to no one person and there was something special about seeing Graham open up in these letters and how much it helped with the healing process. Also, for WYR fans, there is a lot of Mia and Noah scenes integrated throughout the story <3

This was well written and the romance was cure but had a few ableism issues that left a sour taste in my mouth. Since I'm disabled myself, I'm no longer interested in reading stories that don't handle disability sensitivly, especially when it's coming from a healthcarw worker. I think able bodied people will enjoy this but it's not for those like me..

I absolutely LOVED this book! It's the sequel to Would You Rather, however it can be read as a standalone. Claire is an ER nurse who wants to find a husband, as long as he isn't a risk taker. She experienced tragedy at a young age and only wants to be with someone who is solid, dependable, and who she doesn't have to constantly worry about. Her roommate Graham is the epitome of a risk taker. After a pretty serious rock climbing injury, he's dependent on Claire's help. And while Graham's body begins to heal, Claire begins to heal pieces inside of him too...

This book was adorable! I loved Graham and Claire's banter, Claire meeting Graham's family, and THE EMAILS!!! (All the heart eyes and swoons!!) It had a tiny amount of spice, lots of laughs, and so many heartfelt moments. I can't recommend it enough!!

I loved this book, it was so cute. Claire and Graham have been friends for years and made a pact with their friends that if they were still single by forty then they would marry each other so their friends would realize they were meant for each other and get married. This worked, however Graham held onto that deal while Claire brushed it off and did not take it seriously. Years later when it comes up in conversation, Claire sees how hurt Graham is by her disinterest in marrying him and proposes a different kind of arrangement if they are still single by forty. However, this arrangement begins a bit early due to growing chemistry between the two roommates and is equally slowed down by an unfortunate accident. This seems to be a good thing though because it forces Graham and Claire to acknowledge other things about each other that may have been otherwise overlooked had they been occupied with their agreement. It also allowed them to look at themselves and face their individual demons.

The tension in this book is palpable and their relationship is swoonworthy. I sympathized with Claire and her inability to find a man who is compatible with her in this day and age, and longed for Graham to come to his senses and sweep her off her feet. I especially liked the care these two characters had for each other from the very beginning of the book. Their feelings were already there, they just shifted direction as the story went on instead of having to start from scratch and I thought that was amazing to see. I also love the dual perspective and how it is dominated more by Graham than Claire. Generally, romance novels follow the female’s perspective more heavily even with dual perspectives so I appreciated this change as well. I also really enjoyed the character development. While Claire and Graham grew as a couple, they also grew as individual people in order to become stronger together. It was inspiring to read and added a thought provoking layer for the reader.

Overall, this book was adorable and I cannot wait to recommend it to everyone!

I loooooooved Graham so much. Oh my god. He was funny, charming, and basically the perfect man. I really loved Clare too but I got so mad at her for sabotaging everything that could make her happy. Regardless, I really loved this book. It was very light spice but still just a bit to make their chemistry just amazing. Definitely will be recommending this book.

"The Roommate Pact" by Allison Ashley is an uplifting and heartwarming contemporary romance that will leave readers with a smile on their faces. With an engaging storyline and delightful characters, this book delivers a perfect blend of humor, friendship, and love.

The story revolves around Claire Harper, an ER nurse, and Graham Scott, a thrill-seeking firefighter. After a few glasses of wine, they make a pact that if they are still single at forty, they will become friends with benefits. Claire, who has had her fair share of dating misfortunes, sees this as a safe arrangement. She believes she could never fall for Graham and his adventure-filled lifestyle, especially after the tragedy that impacted her own family.

However, just as the pact takes effect, Graham suffers a serious rock climbing accident, bringing them closer than ever. Claire steps in to help him recover, leading to unexpected intimacy and the challenges that come with it. As they navigate their evolving relationship, the lines between friendship and something more become blurred, putting their agreement to the test.

The chemistry between Claire and Graham is palpable, and their banter and interactions are infused with genuine warmth and humor. Ashley skillfully develops the characters, allowing readers to connect with their vulnerabilities, fears, and aspirations.

"The Roommate Pact" is a testament to the power of friendship and the unexpected ways in which love can find its way into our lives. It reminds us that sometimes the best relationships are formed when we least expect them. This book is perfect for readers who enjoy heartwarming romances with well-developed characters and a touch of humor.