Roommate by Penelope Ward…Blog Tour Stop & Review

Swoon-worthy Justin Banks is FINALLY HERE in

RoomHate by Penelope Ward!

AVAILABLE ON ALL RETAILERS:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1WmdZLK

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1PysqdM

iBooks: http://apple.co/1PgsvE7

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1POvSnW

Nook: http://bit.ly/1PLGnSL

Blurb

From New York Times Bestselling Author, Penelope Ward, comes a new standalone novel.

Sharing a summer house with a hot-as-hell roommate should be a dream come true, right?

Not when it’s Justin…the only person I’d ever loved…who now hates me.

When my grandmother died and left me half of the house on Aquidneck Island, there was a catch: the other half would go to the boy she helped raise.

The same boy who turned into the teenager whose heart I broke years ago.

The same teenager who’s now a man with a hard body and a hardass personality to match.

I hadn’t seen him in years, and now we’re living together because neither one of us is willing to give up the house.

The worst part? He didn’t come alone.

I’d soon realize there’s a thin line between love and hate. I could see through that smug smile. Beneath it all…the boy is still there. So is our connection.

The problem is…now that I can’t have Justin, I’ve never wanted him more.

Author’s note – RoomHate is a full-length standalone novel. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

My review:

Roomhate is the newest work from author Penelope Ward and oh my goodness, how I loved loved loved this book. I loved this book so much that I had no intention of reading it in one sitting but I did. I loved this book so much that, after stalking poor Penelope on Twitter, I went onto her website and bought a signed copy. Have I mentioned I loved this book?

Ok, so you can totally get the main idea of the story from reading the synopsis so I will skip right to telling you what I loved about this book: I loved the mess.

Now, don’t think I mean that in a bad way. In fact, it’s a great complement from me. When it comes to love and life and friends and relationships, sometimes it gets messy. But when you realize the mess is something that is worth cleaning up, just in time to get ready for the next mess, which inevitably happens in any important relationship, that’s where a story really catches me and makes it great.

That mess is what makes a story real and believable and relatable. Roomhate is a beautiful mess that I couldn’t get enough of. Justin and Amelia’s relationship is beyond complicated and intense but damn if it isn’t one of the most incredible things ever. I loved their complicated mess and the feelings they share but won’t admit to. I love the road they travel on and where it leads them. I love the ups and downs they experience. And of course, I love where they end up. It’s all so well done and just freaking amazing. I mean when you look back in your life at a love or a friendship or a combination of the two, and it was something you had to fight for, you know what I mean when I say it gets messy. But you also know that mess can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life.

Thank you, Penelope, for giving me one of my favorite bookish messes. Thank you for giving us Justin and Amelia’s story.

Five Loves

RoomHate Excerpt

Copyright © 2016 by Penelope Ward

His eyes darted to the side, and he noticed me standing there. We just stared at each other. It was ironic, but the only times I could ever feel the remnants of our old connection were in fleeting moments of silent eye contact. Sometimes moments of silence spoke the loudest.

I left him alone again, making my way back down the hall and into the restaurant to tend to the customers I’d been ignoring.

Things really started to get busy. Without Jade working tonight, we were short-staffed, and I was having a hard time keeping up with the orders. Sandy’s had indoor and outdoor seating. Normally, I would only be working one section, but tonight I was going back and forth between the two.

It was nice out, so I knew they would have Justin performing outside. I kept glancing over to the small stage to see if he was there. It was past eight, and he hadn’t made an appearance yet.

Sometime close to eight-thirty, I was in the middle of serving a large party of ten when I first heard it: the chilling sound of a soulful voice that was not familiar in the least. He gave no introduction. No warning. He just started to sing out the first few words, followed by the strum of his guitar. The song that Justin had chosen to start with was a cover of Ain’t No Sunshine by Bill Withers.

The entire room soon quieted down, and all eyes were on the stunning blond male specimen with the spotlight shining down on him. Despite the fact that I was carrying a large round tray of dirty dishes, I couldn’t move. The vibration of his thick, smoky singing voice had completely paralyzed me, penetrating my body and soul.

Aside from the lone teardrop that fell the night he lost it on me during steak dinner, I hadn’t shed any more tears—until now. It was all too much. Hearing how different his voice sounded, how he’d trained it over the years, was a wake-up call as to how much I had missed. All of the hours of practice that must have gone into honing that beautiful voice, and I wasn’t there for any of it. The guilt, the emotions, the reality of a decade gone…everything started to pummel me at once. Not to mention the song—about a girl leaving. It probably had nothing to do with me, but in my mind, it sure as hell felt like it did.

About the Author:

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 11-year-old girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.