Roommating

by Meredith Schorr

Sizzling chemistry and tender friendship develops between two accidental roommates in this hilarious rom-com from the author of As Seen on TV.

Sabrina is too busy with grad school and her job as a library page to think about dating. Until Marcia, her elderly roommate, invites her estranged grandson Adam to move into their two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan temporarily to “find himself.” Sabrina doesn’t mind sharing the small space with Adam if it helps Marcia repair her relationship with her grandson. But she’s not expecting to fall for him herself. Adam is not only gorgeous, he’s kind, funny, shares her love of reading, and clearly adores Marcia. After one too many accidental midnight rendezvous in the bathroom (him shirtless), the tension between them is hotter than ever.

But they’re not the only ones feeling the heat. After Marcia has a health scare, her doctors advise that one of her younger roommates must go. In a comical and sexy battle to prove who deserves to stay, the two pull out all the stops. All's fair in love and real estate, but in the end victory is not so sweet when winning the apartment could mean losing each other.  

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Forced Proximity, Fiction, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Audiobook

336 pages, Paperback

Published June 10, 2025

About the author

A born and bred New Yorker and lifelong daydreamer, Meredith Schorr fueled her passion for writing everything from restaurant reviews, original birthday cards, and even work-related emails into a career penning romantic comedies. When she’s not writing books filled with grand gestures and hard-earned happily-ever-afters or working as a trademark paralegal, she’s most often reading, running, or watching TV…for research, of course.

Reviews

[cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sabrina is a grad student who currently works at a library while roommating with an elderly woman (Marcia). Instead of paying full rent to stay there, she helps around the house and with anything Marcia might need assistance with.

Adam is Marcia’s grandson that reaches out after years of no contact, and asks to come stay with her temporarily to get to know her.

Sabrina is thrilled that Marcia is getting the chance to build a relationship with her grandson but what she wasn’t expecting was the attraction she would feel towards Adam.

Mild flirting and make out sessions seem doable until Marcia’s stress levels get high and her doctor suggests someone needs to move out of her small apartment… and all of a sudden it’s now a battle between who gets to stay as the roommate.

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This was a super cute and easy read. It was very laidback and the main characters banter and easygoing personalities were very likable. There were lots of laugh out loud moments and a few scenes that brought some tension that spiced up the story.

Overall I rate it 4 ⭐️. It was a little cringey at times and I feel like there were a few too many exclamation marks, but that’s just a personal preference.

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A huge thank you to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Meredith Schorr for allowing me to read this arc. These are all my honest opinions in this review.

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roommating by Meredith Schorr
Contemporary romance. New adult.
Sabrina Finkelstein, continues to study for her MLIS but her roommate situation isn’t ideal. She sees a blip on tv about multigenerational roommate situations and is soon sharing an apartment with seventy something Marcia Haber. Sabrina’s rent is lower since she’s able to help Marcia with her computer security, and financial software. All is going well until Marcia’s adult grandson moves into their small apartment interrupting the vibe the two women had. Adam likes to read which Sabrina likes and soon he’s working at her library but living and working together may be a bit too much for their tentative relationship. Sure, he’s super good looking and loves his grandmother, but it’s a small apartment. Something has to change.

Sexual chemistry, and like minded readers. What a match! I enjoyed the instant attraction and their commonalities but know I’d need my personal space above all. She has her own room but they have to share a bathroom and common rooms. They made it work better than I could. I like the idea of new adult and past retirement age as roommates. I’ve heard so many retirees are lonely and think this is could work in real life.
But back to the story - entertaining and romantic.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

[kaz ruby 𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅ · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHAT TO EXPECT
- Friends to lovers (kind of)
- Forced proximity
- HUMOR, this book literally had me laughing?!

I DEVOURED this book. It was funny, yet romantic. It was dysfunctional, and kinda toxic at times and I LOVED every minute of it.

Highly recommend this one if you’re looking for a light-hearted, yet funny, romance.

[CYIReadBooks (Claire) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having enjoyed Meredith Schorr’s previous novel, I was ready to dive into Roommating, her latest romantic comedy.

One of my main issues was the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters, which felt forced and like an attempt to align with DEI trends rather than a natural part of the story. The bi, non-binary, and gay characters didn’t resonate with me, and their development seemed more performative than integral to the plot.

Additionally, the main characters came across as shallow, lacking the depth needed to make their journeys compelling. Their decisions and interactions often felt superficial, which made it hard to root for them. The plot itself was overshadowed by excessive name-dropping of novels, authors, and musicians. These references felt like distractions that pulled focus from the central storyline.

While Schorr’s writing remains accessible and light, Roommating didn’t capture the charm of her earlier work. However, fans of rom-coms might still find some enjoyable moments. Unfortunately, this book didn’t live up to my expectations, landing a 2-star rating for me.

I was invited to read a DRC from Forever (GCP) through NetGalley. This review is my own and reflects my thoughts and opinions.

[Clare Gilmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soft-hearted and slow burning, RoomMating is the perfect romance to curl up with and fall head-over-heals into. I was enchanted by the multi-generational storyline and even more enthralled by Adam and Sabrina’s inevitable attraction. With Schorr’s signature charm and the library-esque, book-lover setting, I couldn’t have been more in love! Don’t miss this heartwarming, soul-touching story.

[casey ⋆˚౨ৎ ⋆.˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

a book with book loving main characters? sign me up. its giving romcom. i love when characters are so into reading and have jobs surrounded by books. sabrina works at the library who ended up getting adam a job at the SAME library!!! (coworkers and roommates 🤭)

this story was cute, but sadly it wasn’t my favorite and i don’t do not think id reach for it again. i do wish we got more pov from adam because i just love dual pov in a romance. now where this did fall flat for me, i do think if you love rom-coms and the tropes, you may enjoy it!

sabrina finds a roommate who turns out to be an elderly woman marcia who feels like a grandma to her. she helps her with things that marcia finds difficult, such as technology lol. marcia then invites her grandson adam to live in their two bedroom apartment so he can “find himself”. there is a lot of tension between sabrina and adam after one accidental rendezvous. marcia has a health scare which results in her doctors suggesting she only have one roommate creating a battle between the two of who will stay.

tropes: forced proximity, roommates to lovers, librarian fmc, nyc setting, multi generational friendship

thank you to the publisher for the e-arc!

📚🔑👵🏻🩵☕️

[Natalia🌙 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Net Galley for the E arc! Unfortunately I had to DNF at 60%. This objectively wasn’t a bad book but personally I thought that the pop culture talk brought me out of the book and also I felt like the main characters just had no depth. This book follows Sabrina who lives with a 70 year old after meeting her on an app made for young people and old people to live together for different perks. Sabrina and her roommate get along amazingly and Sabrina couldn’t be happier until her roommate invites her long lost grandson to live with them so they can reconnect. I feel like like book is for some people, I just felt it was to “pop cultural “ for me our main character was saying things like OTP and “very on brand for me” and snatched and I loveeee Taylor swift but the mentions of here in this book you wouldn’t believe!!! For all those reasons I cannot finish.

[Sarah | Kerosene.Lit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Grad student and library page Sabrina isn’t looking for love. Well, until her elderly roommate Marcia’s estranged grandson Adam moves in with them! In the synopsis, this sounded like a fun “battle of the roommates” situation, but that part of the plot doesn’t actually kick in until about the 65% mark (!!!!). And when it does, it’s more of a friendly competition than anything serious, so it didn’t feel very central to the story.

That’s partly because the focus seemed more on Marcia and her dating adventures after coming out later in life as bi. Honestly, I adored Marcia and her delightful presence, but something about her storyline felt a little performative. And I kept wishing for more tension and excitement between Sabrina and Adam. The romance never fully pulled me in.

If you’re in the mood for a lighthearted, cute read with lots of pop culture nods, this may still work for you. Just know there are A LOT of book and author name drops. Both Sabrina and Adam are readers, which was such an adorable connection between them, but most of the references didn’t really add much to the story and became a bit distracting.

(heat level: 1 open-door scene, explicit details)

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roommating is a romantic comedy set in New York City.

The narrator is 24 year old Sabrina. She is a grad student studying to be a librarian.

This book is a love letter to libraries as Sabrina works in one. Also Sabrina's roommate is a 72 year old woman who she met on a roommate app. This was honestly my favorite part of the book. I adored Marcia. She was so wonderful and I just adored her friendship with Sabrina. I also really liked that she came out as bisexual later in life after her husband died. And I thought that Marcia's dating really added so much to the story.

Marcia's estranged grandson comes to stay with them. This was a fun development because he had to sleep on the living room couch. It was funny to see Sabrina and Adam interact while being forced to share an apartment.

There are also some interesting parent/child relationships. Sabrina is having financial troubles and doesn't want to ask her mom for help. And Adam's dad is very conservative and broke off contact with Marcia when she came out to the family.

The Sabrina/Adam dynamic was mostly enjoyable. I liked them together, although I didn't love the competition aspect as much.

This is charming summer rom-com full of fun banter and forced proximity. The book has a NYC setting with much of it taking place in libraries. The focus on intergenerational relationships was the best. The book also features Jewish rep. What a delightful book!



Thanks to netgalley and Forever Publishing for allowing me to read this book.

[Caitlin · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNFing this one.

What a bore.

The narrator was way to old for this being about twenty-somethings. They also didn't act or sound like twenty-somethings to me. And it felt like the author was trying way too hard to include all of the pop culture things and it didn't work.

I loved the idea but I wasn't a fan of the execution and I couldn't be bothered to stick it through.

[Ali Rosen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is soft in the best possible way. It’s an ode to libraries, grandmothers, sweet people and allowing ourselves to ask for what we want.

[lina •ﻌ•ྀི · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars! This is cozy read to curl up with a cup of tea, letting yourself melt away in adoration to the characters and their stories.

Roommating warmed my heart from start to finish. The story felt incredibly realistic and relatable, making it such an enjoyable read. As someone who lives across the country from my grandma, I couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to live with her, which made this book even more special.

Meredith Schorr’s writing is spot-on, from her choice of words to the slang and references that perfectly capture Gen-Z vibes. If you’re looking for a comfy, lighthearted, and adorably realistic romance, I highly recommend picking this up!

Thank you, NetGalley and Meredith Schorr, for the ARC!

[Michelle’s Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delight! My literal only complaint is that the audiobook narrator sounded 54 instead of 24.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy Meredith Schorr's novels and her latest, Roommating, is a real treat from beginning to end! It has everything I love in a rom-com, all bundled into a perfect package. Full of humor, Jewish joy,  a swoonworthy love interest, romance, steam, book references, pop culture, an adorable dog, etc. The NYC setting adds even more charm. 

I liked the unique concept of this story. I've never read a novel where a young woman shares an apartment with an older woman, and then the older woman's grandson suddenly reappears in her life and it makes things complicated for the young woman. Meredith made everything seem like a lot of fun! There was a lot of great banter between the characters and the story never slowed down. 

I found some aspects of the story relatable. I could understand and appreciate Sabrina's stress about money. I know she was trying hard to be independent and make ends meet, but that it got to a breaking point for her. I felt bad for her regarding her guilt over how she acted toward her grandma prior to her grandma's death. My heart also hurt for Marcia with being rejected by her son and having her grandson alienated from her. 

My only concern is that I wish the competition had gone on longer. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't a big deal that it was cut short. The story still had a lot going for it even without the competition.

Fun side note: My mom's name is Marcia and she spells it the same way as the one in this book. (People used to call us asking for Mar-see-a, even though Marcia Brady spelled it the same way too.)

This one is a winner for me and it will be for you too! Be sure to add it to your summer TBR for a relaxing and entertaining escape read.

Movie casting suggestions:

Sabrina: Iris Apatow
Adam: Jonah Hauer-King
Marcia: Judith Light
Audrina: Maude Apatow

(Trigger warnings at the bottom of the post.)

Originally posted at Chick Lit Central.
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TW: Homophobia (off page), death of parent (off page)

[Kira · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this flirty rom-com, Sabrina, a busy grad student, is unexpectedly drawn into a romance with Adam, the estranged grandson of her elderly roommate, Marcia. Adam moves in temporarily to "find himself," and as they bond over their shared love of reading, sparks fly between him and Sabrina.

I’m not going to lie, I loved the characters, I loved the plot, but I found the name dropping of brands and New York staples very distracting and it took me out of the story. I enjoyed this read but I maybe wouldn’t reach for it again. I do plan on reading more by Meredith because I can tell she’s a phenomenal writer! Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced readers copy.

[jenny reads a lot]

Sounds perfectly adorable

| IG | TikTok |

Thank you Forever for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

[Anna (annasbookstacks)]

DNF @ 15% 🫠 I really can’t do the writing. It feels so stilted and the dialogue just doesn’t flow naturally to me. It doesn’t sound like how people would actually speak in real life. I might try it again in the future, but for now not for me!

[Ashley’s Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so I really enjoyed this book. Was it cringy? Absolutely. But we had some amazing representation in there! A grandma who is bi sexual?! Incredible! A grandchild trying to fix their relationship with said grandma because of their parent. Check yes! I loved this book and I really think you should check it out!

[Lisa (Remarkablylisa) · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was slow and not my style

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forced proximity, budding friendship and kissing.
This book was cute and fun and realistic which is always a good combo.
I want Marcia to have her own book, she was hands down the best character in this book.
That woman is sooo vivid and amazing and I just want more of her.
Much love to NetGalley & Forever for my ARC.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not for me. I tried really hard to like it and to keep reading, but I just could not get into it. I didn’t like the main characters and I felt like it just kind of dragged on and on. I think the dog, Rocket, was the best part of the book.

DNFd at 43%

I was given an advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

[amarachireads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute new adult read that focused on the two mcs who are accidentally roommates in Manhattan. The FMC is in grad school and also working in the library while living with her roommate who is an elderly woman in her 70s. I loved the elderly roommate plot because it was fun and brought different personality and layers to the story. The fmc's roommate has a grandson, the mmc, who she let move into the apartment because they were estranged, and she wants to be here for him now. I liked how the main characters came to know each other and the forced proximity aspect as well. The romance had so much chemistry and steamy moments. I liked watching them get to know each other more and the shared experience of being estranged and getting farther away from their grandparents. As someone that was a grad student twice, I really related to the fmc's money struggles and trying to stay afloat. There is a third-act conflict, and overall, this was a good fun romance. Thanks to Forever for this arc!

Read for:
- Roomates to lovers
- Librarian mc's
- Jewish romance
- Set in manhattan
- Steamy

[Maria | Marias Book Recs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this story! I felt like so much happened in this book but it was paced out really well!!! I love all the characters here, they all bring something fun and interesting and unique to the story that keeps it well rounded and interesting throughout. first of all Marcia is my QUEEN! she’s hilarious and down to earth and charismatic and full of so much love and life! I especially loved her getting her own little side story, and not just being the side character. she is the glue to this story, keeping it all together, and I love her so much!!!!

now Adam and Sabrina (I LOVE that name btw) are adorable, tender, loving people. they take a minute to warm up to each other but their attraction and connection is undeniable from the start. I loved how they both cared so deeply for Marcia and how they learned to reflect that in their love for each other. Adam behaved kinda unnecessarily rough at times but it was always in trying to love and protect Marcia. and I always loved how Sabrina stood her ground and spoke up for herself in those moments.

overall, I just loved this tender, loving, hilarious story full of so much familial and romantic love. the found family and dedication to one another made this a beautiful, hilarious love story!

thank you for the ARC!!!!

[Emily | emilyisoverbooked · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Forever for the gifted copy of this book!

Representation: Jewish

Sabrina matched with 72-year-old Marcia on a roommate app that brings together younger people who need a lower rent and older folks who need some help around the apartment. They become fast friends, but they add an unexpected third roommate when Marcia's grandson, Adam, comes back into her life and needs a place to live.

ROOMMATING is the perfect romance for people who love books, NYC, and septuagenarians. I adored Marcia and her antics, and how she and Sabrina had such a lovely friendship. It was a great way to elevate a romance novel. Sabrina and Adam's relationship development was FUN and so perfectly bookish - it made my heart happy. There are SO many good book and pop culture references, a litle tour of Union Square / Gramercy NYC within the book, and an adorable dog side character. I loved that although this was a swoony romance, the backstory of each character and subplots were so well-developed to make this a really well-rounded story. Don't sleep on this one!

[Laurie Verdirame zaneski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet romcom with some fun pop culture references, set in the greatest city in the world where the main characters work at the NYPL. When Sabrina and Adam first meet, it’s a battle of wits culminating with a contest to secure a spot in a great apartment in a prime location. And if you know Manhattan, then you know that real estate is important and expensive. What ensues is hilarious with some very spicy romance thrown in for good measure.

I enjoyed the repoire with the older character Marcia and not making her appear too old for her age. She had an interesting and vibrant life with plenty of wisdom to dispense but she didn’t feel as though she were judging the younger characters.

No spoilers here….but with similar family histories and backstories of the main characters and being estranged from some of their family members,
it’s interesting to see how their own story unfolds….
Also, anyone who throws in a reference to Moonlighting and the love story of David & Maddie is cool with me :)

[Kristina | wanderingpageswithkp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maaaaybe 3?? I really didn’t care for the FMC or MMC.

[Charlene Groome · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a fun premise. I enjoyed the family dynamics and the forced proximity. I especially loved Rocket, the Jack Russell.

[Kayleigh (Kayimreading) · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 26%

Roommating
By: Meredith Schorr

Thank you to the publisher for early access to this book via eARC. While I enjoyed the premise of this story, I sadly DNF’d this book at 26%.

I truly loved the idea of a younger single woman roommating with an octogenarian for a cheaper rent price. In exchange, Sabrina, our FMC, helped her older roommate, Marcia, keep up with technology and do tasks too dangerous for an elderly person to do. Things were great with their arrangement until Marcia’s estranged grandson, Adam, wants to repair their relationship and ends up moving in with the duo.

Adam ends up bunking in the living room on the couch while Sabrina, still paying rent, has her own space in her room. His presence at first is a warm welcome. Marcia is happy, Sabrina and Adam work out a TV watching schedule. All is great until Sabrina overhears Adam tell Marcia to be careful of Sabrina - insinuating that she might steal her identity. Obviously upset to overhear this, Sabrina begins to avoid Adam rather than address the allegations.

It was after this part, along with a night club scene that I decided to DNF the book. It felt to me very immature despite the main characters being in their mid 20’s. Both are post undergraduate school with Sabrina studying for her masters in library science. The interactions had me second guessing if this was in fact a YA book instead of a contemporary romance. Between the pop culture references, popular authors and books, and lack of real character depth, I decided to stop reading.

I also felt that the LGBTQ+ characters felt disingenuous. Every interaction with them felt performative rather than natural. While I’m sure this was tinged with Schorr’s classic charm, I just did not resonate enough with this book to continue to the end.

[Megan Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very excited about the premise of this book, but unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me. There were definitely things I loved, but when it came to the romance, I didn't feel the chemistry or connection.

I want to start with one of the things I loved. The relationship between Sabrina, 24, and her roomate Marcia, 72, was absolutely adorable. These two were so sweet and their friendship was heartwarming. Marcia herself was a hoot and I hope to be the same kind of woman as her when I'm in my 70s. Rocket the dog was another love. He made me smile with all of his antics.

When Adam, Marcia's Grandson, came to stay, I fully expected sparks to fly between him and Sabrina. But they really didn't, and although the two formed a friendship, I wasn't really feeling it. And when they did finally catch feelings, the vibe just wasn't there for me. The main plot point was that, after several months, only one of them can stay in Marcia's apartment. So they develop a competition to decide who it will be. At that point, I felt like Adam became mean. I hated that he was willing to kick Sabrina out of her home and his presumptuous that if he won, she would then want to date him. I equally didnt like that when Sabrina ended up being the one to stay, he ran off to Philadelphia. The entire competition just left a bad taste in my mouth and brought out the worst in both characters. The ending was unfortunately a bit rushed as well and I would have loved seeing just a bit more of them together to really feel out the two of them as a couple.

All that being said, I need to point a few more things that I thought were done well! I adored how bookish both characters were. They each loved to read, Sabrina was in school for her Masters in Library Science and worked as a library assistant, and Adam also ended up working at the library. The two of them even had their own bookclub. Sabrina's friendships with Gabe and Carley were also a love for me, as was her relationship with her mom and sisters. I definitely felt the connections more when it came to friendships vs romantic relationships.

I felt like the writing style and pacing worked well. It was a fast read that kept my attention. I hadn't read anything by this author before, but will definitely try another one of her books because there was plenty to enjoy, even if I wasn't sold on the romance. Thank you to Forever Publishing and Netgalley for the e-arc!

[LindaPf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sabrina is a twenty-something librarian in NYC, working at a branch library, trying to finish her master’s in library science, and pay off student loans. Rent in New York is uber-expensive and when she finds an app matching older people with spare rooms to younger people who can also assist them (like dog-walking and grocery shopping) she scores a geriatric bingo with seventy-two year old Marcia. After a year, they’re more than roommates, they’re friends. But suddenly Marcia’s grandson Adam has reached out. He’s the son of Marcia’s estranged son Jeffrey and Adam has suddenly found himself unemployed. Marcia wants to know Adam better, so she invites Adam to stay on the couch. Even though Sabrina initially finds Adam attractive, soon “three’s a crowd” as she worries that she’ll no longer be welcome once her lease is up. Once Marcia is advised that maybe she should shed one of her roommates … living there turns into an awkward competition.

There’s a lot of angst and uncertainty for the two twenty-somethings. Sabrina and Adam are both in financial and employment distress which rockets up the emotional drama and housing worries. Both have parental issues and feel guilty about their grandmothers. There’s still a lot of cute banter and the book is also a homage to libraries, bookstores, and reading books (lots of contemporary references). Plus we get Rocket, the necessary adorable dog.

I’ve been following Meredith Schorr since her adult debut “As Seen on TV” and then the double goldendoodle book “Someone Just Like You.” She reminds me of Katherine Center, Emily Henry, and Abby Jimenez all authors of great romances with some serious parts. “Roommating” seems a bit sadder in parts than the previous two (rest assured, a HFN is in reach), but the writing is still engaging and worthy of a beach read. 4.5 stars!


Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): Not quite, but Lane has equally rare hazel eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Books set in Manhattan always seem to devoid of any mentions of landscaping beyond Central Park, but at least Sabrina dutifully waters Marcia’s non-specific houseplants.

Thank you to Forever/Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!