RoomHate by Penelope Ward!
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.
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.
When searching for books that I like to read a few things that I consider are:
1. Have I read anything by this author?
2. If I did read anything by the author did I enjoy the writing?
3. I read the blurb, if it sounds interesting then I go for it.
I have read something by the author previously and I loved the writing and execution of the book. What I liked about this synopsis of this book in particular was the fact that I liked the wordplay on Roommate. That one little letter change and I had to read it. Why did this guy hate the protagonist? What did she do to him?
Amelia oh this poor chick, after losing her grandmother she is left a house on an island with the guy that her grandma practically raised. Now I was like okay I get that Justin was close to the grandma but why would she leave the house to the both of them? Did she have a trick of her sleeve? The more I read the more I began to see why certain things happened and I loved the writing. It flowed effortlessly, bringing the scenes to life in my head. I could picture Justin, his girlfriend Jade and Amelia as the third wheel.
Penelope Ward is an author that has proven to me that she gets the formula. She knows how to pack enough punch to make readers wanting to come back to her stories again and again. The more I read Justin and Amelia's story the more I began to see the intricate ways she pulled certain things from one scene and it finally making me say "oooohhhh that's why" in another. I love the connection I had with the characters. I could feel Amelia's pain and why Justin was so upset. The heartbreak and the scene where Amelia is a voyeur whew weee....I wish that had been me.
Amelia and Justin have a past they have to overcome to be able to live peacefully in this house. At first I was like why is Justin such a jerk? But as the story developes and I learned more I got it. OH and Amelia and the surprise left by her ex....had me like,
I loved the way Justin handled it and how he finally came to his senses. Amelia's growth is amazing to read. These characters had me so happy that by the end I just closed the book and basked in the story. From beginning to end Penelope Ward has created a world that had me mesmerized and happy. Sure there were times I wanted to smack a character but hey I want to do that to people in real life too so it evens itself out. Justin is a man that makes me believe there are still good men left on this earth. Not just in romance novels. If you love a great story that has you encapsulated from beginning to end then this is the story for you.
Penelope Ward
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. 
Other books from Penelope Ward
Sins of Sevin
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1Qryeok
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1YrHjDx
iBooks: http://apple.co/1K8mzGg
kobo: http://bit.ly/1OaGY3D
Cocky Bastard
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1DW9XpB
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1WwPzkC
iBooks: http://apple.co/1J7vbN0
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1UxCSUO
Stepbrother Dearest
Amazon http://amzn.to/1mFNMeg
iBooks: http://bit.ly/YER0mT
kobo: http://bit.ly/1fJaaBs
Gemini
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1vgk1SE
iBooks: http://apple.co/1QTaONj
kobo: http://bit.ly/1BGJ2wu
Jake Undone (Jake #1)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1dJrHBC
iBooks: http://apple.co/1fJayQ8
kobo: http://bit.ly/1SPKl0M
My Skylar
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1obOG2F
B&N: http://bit.ly/SLO1qi
iBooks: http://bit.ly/SLNOTR
kobo: http://bit.ly/1kNrtAB
Jake Understood (Jake #2)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1GFdves
iBooks: http://apple.co/1DQQwgC
kobo: http://bit.ly/1LQ7Fvk
a Rafflecopter giveaway
