My Summer Roommate by Bridie Hall

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SKU 978-1-77233-008-3
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Chloe needs a place to crash for the summer before college. When Chris offers, she moves in with him. It’s just for two months, no biggie. But soon she realizes she may have made a mistake. He's too perfect—a former snowboarder, laid-back and kind to boot. And he’s smitten with her. But she’s got trust issues and a relationship feels daunting. When he keeps trying to win her over, the temptation becomes overwhelming. 

Just as she gives in and decides it’s not worth fighting their emotions anymore, Chris reveals he’s made a stupid mistake which might ruin Chloe’s trust in him and tear them apart.

14+ for sexuality and adult situations

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Excerpt:

I bring him a frozen gel pack. I want to hand it to him, but he’s leaning back, his eyes closed, so I put it slowly on his knee.

“Thanks.” He sighs, and then opens his eyes. He’s half asleep, probably still tipsy, but grinning.

“Thanks,” he repeats. It’s only when he continues that I realize he’s not talking about the compress. “We should do this again soon.”

“People are going on vacations. There won’t be many parties for the next month or two.”

“Just us, then,” he says, and his eyes sparkle.

Risking that I might sound an idiot, I ask, “Are you asking me out? On a date?”

“You sound surprised.”

“Just hesitant,” I say. “I’m not looking for a relationship, Chris. I don’t want you to think that I am.”

Quite unexpectedly, he laughs. “How serious and grown up she sounds.”

I swat his arm. “Jerk. I am serious, because I don’t want you to expect something that’s not going to happen.”

“Why’s that?”

“Why’s what?”

“Why is it not going to happen?”

“’Cause,” I say, as if it should be obvious. Because really, it should be, right? In exactly six weeks, I’ll be moving to Atlanta. I don’t know where Chris is heading to college because I haven’t managed to ask him yet. Isn’t that enough of a reason in itself? You can’t have a relationship with someone when you don’t even know where they’ll be in two months’ time.

“’Cause? That’s your argument? For a future psychologist, that’s a lame-ass explanation.”

He’s enjoying this. Way too much.

“’Cause I only date terrible people. Bad, bad boys. You’re too nice for me,” I say, joking.

He makes a face, not buying it for one second.

“You want a reason? Here’s a good one—I don’t want anything to happen between us.”

“Why not?”

“I have my very personal reasons which I am not inclined to share with you at this moment.”

“At a later moment perhaps, then?” He keeps looking at me with this half-smile on his face that drives me nuts because I have the impression that he’s playing with me, that he can foresee my every word and that he can prepare his response in advance. I don’t like being two steps behind. Usually, I’m the one to have everything under control. He’s unbalanced me with this.

“At no moment at all. I just don’t want it, and that should suffice, Christopher Quinn.”

“How can you be sure you won’t change your mind?”

For god’s sake, can’t he take a hint?

Maybe you’re not convincing enough? Because … you don’t want to be?

“Because I’m actively working on not changing my mind,” I say in order to drown out my evil inner voices.

“What if I’m actively working on swaying it?”

“Ugh! Stop it,” I say, but I can’t help but laugh. God, I think I like arguing with him. That’s very worrisome. Very, very worrisome.

It gets worrisomer when he leans towards me and asks very quietly and calmly, “Why?”

With his green eyes staring at me, his deep voice cutting right through to the core, and him being so close, I feel goose bumps form on my forearms but I ignore them, annoyed. He will not win. He cannot win.

But the worst thing is that his question is now resounding in my head, and I forgot what the correct answer was. Why was it, again?

“Do you really want me to spell out all the reasons?”

“One’s enough, if it’s a good one.” He grins.

“And you’re the one who decides if it’s good enough, right?”

“Of course. Because the way I see it, it would have to be pretty damn good. I like you. You like me, don’t try denying it.”

I lift my hands in a ‘wouldn’t dream of it’ fashion, because really, there is no point in denying it after I’ve flirted with him, danced with him, and laughed with him until I had tears in my eyes. I do like him.

“We have a good time together. I’ve made you lunch four times this week. We’re both single.”

“True. And the lunch almost swayed me. Almost.”

“Ahh,” he moans, letting his head fall back onto the pillows. “You’re hopeless, and I’m hopelessly falling for you.”

For a moment, I feel my heart stop. But then I realize he’s joking. Which is good. Just great.

“You’ve known me for what, two weeks?” I say to support my claims. “You barely know me.”

“I don’t have to know you for twenty years to know you, Chloe.”                  

I make a frustrated sound and get up from the couch.

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Product Reviews

Score: 5 out of 5 (based on 4 ratings)
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4/5
The perfect light read for all the romance lovers
Written by Nikolett Kosa on 10th Jan 2015

Chloe needs a place until she goes off to college. Her mom sold their house and moved to her boyfriend's place while they look together for a house to live in, but Chloe has nowhere to go. Her best friend, Isabelle offers her place to her, but she doesn't want to bother. That's when Chloe's old classmate, Chris says that he has a free room she can use. She takes up the offer, but what happens when someone moves in with you that you really fancy? Trouble. And frustration. That's what will happen. Chloe tries to deny her attraction to Chris - who turns out likes Chloe just the same - but it's inevitable. But just before their happily ever after, Chris confesses. Will he lose Chloe, or does the girl forgive her? The word I would use to describe this book is cute. I really liked the characters. By no means was this book a big life-changing one, but I enjoyed it nonetheless and went through it very quickly. Chloe is a girl who just recently finished high school and is spending her last summer home before she goes off to college in Atlanta. She's kind of unsure or herself and a lot of things, but that's totally understandable, as you read her background story and how she gre up. But she is kind and fun and I liked how she knew when to give people the place they wanted. I could relate to her in some of the situations. Chris is a shredder, or at least used to be, until an accident ended his career. Now he's going to go to college too, learning sport pedagogy. He works as a delivery guy in a bakery to save some money. So you see, he's not your typical bad boy. He is really genuine and kind, very straighforward but has some secrets. He really wants to be with Chloe but she keeps denying him. He felt so real. There were a few steamy scene between them, but overall the romance was a bit lacking for my liking. It was really well written, how they went from almost strangers to lovers. Finally a book with no insta-love! Their first conversation was just like expected between them, and I loved how they opened up to each other as the story went on and they were getting to know each other. I loved the easy relationship they had, but sometimes they seemed more mature than their actual age. It was a really light read, just what I needed and I would probably re-read it, if I ever have time for re-reads and I'm in a contemporary mood. My Summer Roommate is the perfect book if you want to forget about the world for a few hours and find something light, fluffy and funny. I definitely recommend this to you, if you are a fan of contemporaries. And last but not least, I loved Bridie's writing style and she is such a nice person. * The book was provided by the author in exchange of an honest review. *

5/5
A young romance novel for the young--and those who remember when they were
Written by Marcus Damanda on 30th Oct 2014

Meet Chloe, a new high school graduate facing the prospect of living out from under the dubious shadow of an inattentive mother for the first time in her life; a would-be psychology major who is grasping to understand what love means to her. Grasping to understand herself. The camera pans. I’m a simple guy, I like a simple life. Enter the love-addled mind of Christopher Quinn, who narrates the “guy” perspective in this same story. Straight-spoken and generally kind, Chris nevertheless has real difficulty understanding anyone who does not approach life from the same point of view—especially when it’s the girl he cares for. The one he “likes.” Yeah. Likes. These two are about to spend the summer together. Hold on to your proverbial (or literal, if it applies) hat, because this is not going to be easy. But it’s the complications, after all, not the simplicity, that make life interesting—and also make for a good read. Together, these two characters anchor a wrenching story about love trying to bloom between a girl and a boy, both struggling to bridge the gap between childhood and adulthood. It happens just as the sun has set on high school for one of them, and on the premature end of a promising career as a professional athlete for the other. My Summer Roommate, by Bridie Hall, is a short, alternatingly sweet and bitter confection of a teen romance novel. Younger readers will enjoy the genuine modern banter, while we older folks reflect on all the promise and all the misfires of our own time in the sun, back in the day when life was still long and filled with both opportunity and angst. The tale flips back and forth between both points of view, inviting readers of both genders to root for, or sympathize with—or scream obscenities at, with the book held at a distance—one character or the other, even as the events that unfold strike you as absolutely real and believable. Spend an afternoon living out the summer with Chloe and Chris. It’s not always fun—life has a way of throwing curveballs at you—but it is fulfilling, in the best possible book-sense. You won’t regret it.

5/5
So good
Written by Sasha Hibbs on 21st Oct 2014

My Summer Roommate by Bridie Hall was absolutely delicious! What I love about Ms. Hall's YA novels, is that they feel so real to me. The characters are ones that I feel I could easily pass walking down the sidewalk, or bump into at the store. She really fleshes out her characters in great detail and in such a manner, their personalities don't feel forced. It's so hard to find this in YA novels now, but Ms. Hall really kicks it. Chloe and Chris...sigh...swoon...sigh again. I loved them both. I loved their angst, their relationship and the steps it took to get there, the resolution...simply wonderful! And shout out to Isabelle and Harper. Please listen to me if you're reading this review, you MUST get Letting Go! If you loved Chloe and Chris, you'll love Harper and Isabelle. It was so cool to read about them in My Summer Roommate. I digress however. This is Chloe and Chris' story and it's wonderful all on its own. I would highly recommend My Summer Roommate to all fans of a greatly written YA Romance. It's clean, it's pure, it's simply amazing. I'll be on the lookout for other works by this author.

5/5
Perfect YA contemporary romance
Written by Kristen @ Pretty Little Pages on 15th Oct 2014

The Good: The romance. You guys, Bridie Hall knows YA contemporary romance. She absolutely nailed it on the head with the relationship in this book. It was a slow burning back and forth that had me on the edge of my seat. No insta-love. Rejoice, ya'll. We have a new author to count on for swoon-worthy Young Adult contemporary romance! Chris. Yes, yes, YES. I loved Chris. He wasn't the usual reformed douche bag that we see in YA. He was genuine guy. I want more of him and his type. I loved his back story. He had a lot of depth and that only made it a much more enjoyable book. I didn't feel like he was in the book just to be a hottie to drool over. He was real. The other characters. I've yet to read Letting Go by Bridie Hall, but I'm so happy that she included the characters from that book in this one. I love when authors do that. And after reading about Isabelle and seeing her through the eyes of Chloe and Chris, I'm definitely picking up Letting Go to read her story. Sal. The perfect comedic relief! I loved all of his scenes with Chris. Bridie was able to inject a dose of wit into the book with this fantastic character. The Bad: Nothing. The In-between: Chloe. Alright, I kind of feel bad for this. But Chloe could be annoying. I felt like she was a strong character. Whenever I afforded her patience, she definitely grew on me though. Her background gave her no real sense of stability, so I can understand her mood swings. But she was hard to adjust to in the beginning. **I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.