The cover of The Accidental Housemate is what first got my attention. This debut novel, by Sal Thomas, did not disappoint.  When her daughter goes away to college, Cath finally agrees to host a college exchange student who will use her daughter's room while she is away.  As a single mum, she can use the additional funds, thinking... what is another teenager in the house.  Image her surprise when the exchange student arrives and is not at all what she was prepared for.  The characters are both interesting and believable in this fun, fast-paced novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC ebook to review.

I thought the cover of this book was cute. It looked like it would be a fun read. Sadly to say I am DNFing this book. I found it a little more serious than what I was looking forward to reading. I also struggled to really get into the book. It never really captured my attention. 2.5⭐ ... Rounded up to 3⭐

Book Releases August 17, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK One More Chapter for the E-ARC

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

This book was a little heavier than I thought it was going to be, but I enjoyed it. Really great as a debut novel!

I always find a debut novel is the best, and this is no exception. I loved every page of this book. Thank you Sal Thomas for giving me so many laughs, it was an absolute pleasure every time I picked up this book to read some more. At just over 400 pages, it’s quite a long book for a rom com but I promise you there is never a dull moment.

I’m not really that much of a rom com fan if I’m honest and tend to go for the more dramatic, dark and tragic kind of a book so this really was a breath of fresh air and just what I needed.

It’s when Cath loses her teaching job and decides to do some private tutoring which forms the basis for the plot, as it all takes off in an unexpected direction. The humour is never forced, much of it coming from funny situations rather than constant quips that sometimes feature in a humorous book. All the characters are lovable in their own, funny way. It does have it’s more serious moments too which adds depth to the narrative.

It’s a story about getting over grief, coming to terms with losing your job and what to do next, family life with it’s many ups and downs, and wondering if you’re ever good enough. Friendships, family, children and a lodger, with plenty of laughs as well as tears along the way makes this an enjoyable, fun read. I was genuinely sorry to reach the end.

**To be posted to blog around publication date**

PSA: do not try to read this whilst your partner is asleep next to you - you’ll inevitably wake them up with your body shaking as you try desperately to stop laughing.

The Accidental Housemate is a witty, sharp comedy that explores grief, the complexity of relationships and the meaning of success. The book follows Cath, a 39 year old single mother of three who inadvertently ends up renting out a room to a very handsome mature student.

Although it’s categorised as a Romance, I would say there’s not actually a whole lot of romance featured. The romantic storyline is definitely secondary to almost everything else and I’d probably say it’s more of a Comedy.

There are a bunch of Cath’s relationships that are explored throughout, including but not limited to; a father in law and his very eccentric new girlfriend, three children of different ages, a group of misfit students, a best friend, an old friend and of course the newly arrived American love interest.

I found this a heartwarming read with some exceptionally funny scenes and a lovely message about what it means to succeed in life, both personally and professionally. Humour is subjective, so I get that not everyone will find it funny, but there are some moments that I feel the author absolutely nailed and had me scream-laughing so hard. The scene in the airport was a particular favourite!

There were a few negatives that brought my rating down. The story ended too abruptly, with a throwaway reunion that didn’t include nearly enough romance for all of the wait/build up. The pacing was a little off in some parts and aside from the last paragraph, the epilogue fell a bit flat. I also felt that the anecdotes that often feature mid-scene, almost as one of Cath’s errant thoughts, seemed like overkill in trying to add more humour and resulted in a lot of skim reading.

Despite all of that, I fell in love with the characters and found it hard to put down. The writing style was fun and engaging throughout and I really did enjoy the read.

This was a really good debut novel. A lovely light hearted book with wicked sense of humour. I love the age range it was written about it was just made me feel warm and fuzzy

A light, quick read that is full of heart. Delicious, three dimensional characters spring off the page, and there is a good balance of laughs and pain. A highly recommended read.

I appreciate the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book, but I ended up DNFing it. It's a bit too complicated for me, given that English is not my first language, and the topics are heavier than I anticipated.

This was a fun read and really quick and I haven't read anything by the author before but I will now

Unfortunately this won't be a raving review, the cute cover & title drew me in but it was a DNF for me after reading approx 20% of the book. Too many depressing things going on; we have a recently widowed mother of 4 children (2 of which are still young & unruly), eldest disabled daughter leaves home, unfair dismissal from her job, all whilst trying to be light, quirky & funny? It just didn't work for me & certainly didn't draw me in. I read for entertainment & escapism, this felt like someone's painful, boring reality - sorry to say its just not my thing. Since I didn't finish the book, I don't feel like I can give it a fair star rating but as it is a requirement its solely based off my lack of interest in the subject matter of the first 20% of the book.

I struggled to connect with the main character and the narrative. I also found it a bit concerning that a mother was offloading all of her problems onto her teenage daughter when said daughter is away at university for the first time. It felt more like the daughter was behaving like the mother in certain situations. I DNF this, as it just wasn't for me.

The Accidental Housemate by Sal Thomas

Cath is a single mother of three, almost 40 and struggling since the death of her partner. She takes in a student lodger from the US and is shocked when Dan turns out to be 30-something and very attractive! As Cath navigates the loss of her job, her role as a mentor/tutor for her former school students, her eldest child going to university and lots of other challenges, Dan is there for her.

What a lovely story - funny and poignant with a cast of great characters! I really enjoyed this book with its balance of humour and serious issues. And the perfect ending! Very highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I’m not exactly sure how I feel about this book to say the least. The book follows Cath who is a widowed mother of three who has lost her job. To make ends meet she has agreed to having a student lodge. Much to Cath dismay, Dan, the student who be staying with her and her family is around her age. As time passes she realizes she must keep her distance from Dan. However it seems to be too late due to how close Dan has gotten to her family and everything he has done for her. Overall it was a quick and fun read. I think I didn’t enjoy it as much as i could have because I wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing. Also it was difficult for me to connect with the characters and sympathize for them.

Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, and One More Chapter for the eARC of this book!

Absolutely brilliant, loved it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending.

A really great story with the differing sub stories complimenting each other beautifully. Couldn't be sure what way the book was going to go and I found it hard to put down!

The Accidental Housemate is incredibly messy, in a way that feels real and raw. Cath, a widowed single mother of three, has just lost her job after being falsely accused of something she didn't do. Worried about finances, she accepts her (now former) coworker's offer of having a student lodge with her. But when the student arrives, it turns out he's a gorgeous man around her own age. She tries to keep her distance from him, but Dan is good with the kids, and beautiful... and eventually helps her out with a new business venture. He seems to fit right in, which is both a blessing and a curse.
As Cath tries her best to help her former students and gets swept away in a life she could have lived, it seems like things might finally be looking up. But her newfound fame comes with a cost, and now she has more to juggle on top of the chaos that already infuses her life.

I did have some issues with the pacing--a few people call Cath out in a way that read, to me, as them having their own issues going on and projecting onto her, and only later was it revealed that they were right. Given that the book was written in first person, I did kind of understand it, but it did seem to come completely out of left field. There's also a moment where Leanne, Cath's oldest kid, says "because we don't need apologies" but at that point, Cath has yet to apologize for things she absolutely does owe apologies over.
Something else that knocked off a star for me was that Dan was supposedly American, but he didn't talk like one at all--to the point that I kept being confused about who was talking, because he was using distinctly British words and phrases.

Over all, though, I did enjoy this book. The cast of characters was wonderful and wacky and full of love. It was expecting something a bit funnier and less emotional (and a protagonist I was sure I liked, rather than being on the fence about how I felt about her--but my mixed feelings about her worked for me), but it really drew me in.

This book just didn’t hold my interest much. I liked the characters enough but found a man annoying disparity between the British and American versions of the language. I liked the conversation around grief. Overall, it kind of just fell flat.

A light enjoyable read with plenty of fun moments. Wonderfully portrayed characters who are utterly down to earth and believable. The book covers grief after the very sudden death of Gaz with his partner, Cath, being left to bring up three children and living hand to mouth. With the aid of her elder daughter, lodger, best friend and father of her partner she learns to move on whilst also discovering the shallowness of social media. A good holiday read which will bring a few smiles along the way.

This was a simple, fun, easy and quick read. The perfect type of book for your holiday, beach, pool kind of read. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Yeah, I didn’t like this.

I did think that this was great representation of what being a single mother is and of the grieving process. However, this was not a romcom. It was also extremely too long.