Literary Misfit: Book Tour & Review: RoomHate by Penelope Ward

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Book Tour & Review: RoomHate by Penelope Ward

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 gives us the story of two best friends who have become enemies finding their way back to each other.

Justin and Amelia met at her grandmothers years ago when they were young kids, their friendship was quick and it was important to them both, but feelings started to change and at one point they grew apart because of an incident that was misunderstood and felt like betrayal. Since then they haven't spoken and a hatred developed between them. So when they both discover Amelia's grandmother has left them her summer house in equal parts, its like a kick in the face. Neither one wants to give up their part of the house, but can they survive living in it together.

RoomHate pulls you in front the very start, with an intersting twist on the friends to lovers trope. Told in both past and present POV's, we see how Justin and Amelia are as they have grown up and have to face each other in the house, and we also se where they started, and where things went wrong. This story is an emotional roller coaster as we learn more and more about these characters and watch them figure out their feelings, and try to work through the hurts of the past.

Penelope Ward draws readers in and keeps us guessing how and even if these two will be able to work it all out. There were a lot of things left unresolved for years, and watching as both Amelia and Justin open up really sucked me in. I was surprised at how much I didn't want to put this book down because I needed to know what was going to happen next. I needed to know their history and I needed to see if they could figure it out. I was not disappointed as things fell into place and I was able to see how and where the animosity at the start of the book between them came from.

RoomHate Excerpt

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

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.