“A ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are made for.”
The Roommate Pact is a 2023 contemporary romance book by Allison Ashley. The story follows two roommates: nurse Claire Harper and firefighter Graham Scott. The pair have made a pact that if they are still single by the time they hit forty, they will both take the plunge and become friends with benefits. But, just as things begin to heat up far ahead of their proposed deadline, Graham is injured in a rock-climbing accident. And it is up to Claire to nurse him back to health, even if that means moving into his bed and putting up with his little dog who hates her. But, when this arrangement takes an unexpected turn, keeping ‘for now’ from turning into ‘forever’ isn’t as simple as they had planned. If you love cutesy opposite attracts and forced proximity stories, join us at What We Reading for the best books like The Roommate Pact!
The Flatshare – Beth O’Leary
Kicking off our list of books like The Roommate Pact is Beth O’Leary’s The Flatshare. In it, readers are introduced to Tiffy Moore and Leon Twomey. Tiffy is in desperate need of a cheap flat, whereas Leon works the night shift and could do with some added cash. Their friends think they’re crazy, but they both believe they’ve stumbled across the perfect solution: Leon lives in their one-bed apartment whilst Tiffy works during the day, and she rules the roost the rest of the time.
But, with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, brothers imprisoned wrongfully and the small issue of never actually meeting one another, both Tiffy and Leon soon learn that building the perfect home sometimes means throwing out the rulebook.
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Roomies – Christian Lauren
For months, Holland Bakker has made up excuses to take the stairs into the subway station near her apartment, drawn by the beautiful music played by her street musician crush. Whilst she has never spoken to him, fate soon pulls them together when Calvin Mcloughlin saves her from a drunken attacker. To repay him for his actions, she lands him an audition with her uncle, Broadway’s hottest musical director.
All appears to be going well until Holland learns Calvin is in the country illegally, his student visa having expired years ago. Sensing an opportunity, she impulsively decides to marry the Irishman. But, as their relationship evolves and Calvin’s stock on Broadway grows, will the pair of them have time to realise that their marriage of convenience has become something far more real? Similar to The Roommate Pact, Christina Lauren’s Roomies is a heartwarming tale where convenience and fate allow two lovers to find each other.
The Rule Book (The Cheat Sheet #2) – Sarah Adams
Nora Mackenzie’s whole career rests on famous NFL tight end Derek Pender, who just so happens to be her extremely attractive ex-boyfriend. Nora didn’t end things as well as she could have done. Now he’s back to haunt her as her first client as a full-time sports agent. Derek has his sights on a little friendly revenge. Nora Mackenzie was the first girl ever to break his heart, and he is determined to make her life absolutely miserable. However, he also knows that Nora is a woman who doesn’t give up easily.
In fact, rather than giving in, Nora conjures up a plan of her own. But, one wild night in Vegas leads to Nora and Derek waking up in the same bed officially married. Similar to The Roommate Pact, the rulebook has been tossed out of the window in Sarah Adams’ The Rule Book, but could this new relationship also hold the key to saving their careers and ignite the romance of a lifetime?
One Day In December – Josie Silver
Laurie is fairly convinced that love at first sight doesn’t only exist in the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy day in December, she clocks a man who she instantly knows is the one. Their eyes meet, sparks fly, and then her bus pulls away. Believing that they are destined to encounter each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London, desperately trying to see him again. But she doesn’t find him. At least, not when it matters.
Instead, the pair are reunited at a Christmas party when Laurie’s best friend, Sarah, introduces her to her new boyfriend, Jack. The same man from the bus. What follows in Josie Silver’s One Day in December is a decade’s worth of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities and destinies reconsidered for Laurie, Sarah and Jack that any fans of The Roommate Pact are sure to love.
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The Long Game (The Long Game #1) – Elena Armas
Adalyn Reyes has worked hard to perfect her daily routine as a soccer executive with Miami Flames FC. However, when a video of her being involved in an altercation with the team’s mascot goes viral, she is exiled to North Carolina where she’s tasked with turning around the fortunes of a local team as a means of redeeming herself. Things are complicated further when arrives and discovers that the team practice in tutus, keep pet goats and is a bunch of nine-year-olds.
To make matters worse, also in town is Cameron Caldani. Despite being the ideal candidate for helping her, Cam and Adayln’s dramatic first encounter leads to him becoming obsessed with running her out of town. But banishment is not an option for Adalyn. She’s committed to turning around the fortunes of this ragtag team, with or without Cam’s help.
Business Or Pleasure – Rachel Lynn Solomon
Chandler Cohen’s career as a ghostwriter hits rock bottom when she attends the book signing for a book she wrote and even the author doesn’t recognise her. Despite this, the evening takes a promising turn when she meets a charming man. When their connection leads to a spectacularly awkward hookup, she decides this is one night better off forgotten. Her next project is ghostwriting a memoir for C-list actor Finn Walsh, best known for playing a loveable nerd on a werewolf show. But Chandler is more familiar with Finn thanks to their one-night stand full of mishaps.
Chandler is determined to keep their new partnership as professional as possible. Nevertheless, when admits to Finn that their night together wasn’t as spectacular as he thought it was, he’s heartbroken. What follows is an intriguing deal: when they’re not working on the book, Chandler will teach Finn all about the art of satisfaction. As they grow closer in and out of the bedroom, they are soon forced to decide whether business or pleasure is more important to them and whether there’s any hope of having both in Rachel Lynn Solomon’s Business or Pleasure, the perfect follow-up for any fans of The Roommate Pact.
Better Hate Than Never (The Wilnot Sisters #2) – Chloe Liese
Katerina Wilmot and Christopher Petruchio shared backgardens as children; but, as adults, they won’t even be sharing the same hemisphere. That is until a rare home visit by Kate leads to their animosity rekindling into a raging inferno. Despite their friends’ and families’ plans for peace, Christopher isn’t sure Kate would douse the flames of their enmity. That is until Kate confesses the reason for her hatred is because she thought he hated her.
Christopher promises to make peace with Kate once and for all. But, whilst it is tempting to be swept up by her nemesis-turned-gentleman, she isn’t convinced she can fully trust him. Nevertheless, a kiss between them soon leads to desire giving way to a deeper feeling. In Chloe Liese’s retelling of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, Better Hate than Never, Christopher and Kate will have to reckon whether it is ever better to hate than to never risk their hearts.
The Catch (The Influencer #3) – Amy Lea
In a last-gasp effort to save her brand from oblivion, Boston fashion influencer Melanie Karlsen finds herself in a rural fishing village on the east coast of Canada. The only thing that she’s found more scary than the nature around her is the burly bearded fisherman owner of her bed and breakfast, Evan Whaler – a man seemingly committed to disproving the notion of all Canadians being nice.
After a boating accident lands Evan in hospital, Mel is mistaken for his fiancee by his quirky, albeit welcoming, family. In an effort to mend some broken family ties, Mel agrees to fake an engagement to Evan for a week, in return for his help with her social media content. What follows are long hikes, campfire chats and an agonising decision of whether Mel could ever trade her perfect life in the city for a shot at love in the wild. Another one of the best books like The Roommate Pact, Amy Lea’s The Catch is an enemies-to-lovers tale full of agreements, colourful characters and swoon-worthy scenes.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
