Reviewer: Rowena Roommates Wanted by Lisa Jewell
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: March 11th 2008
Genres: Women's Fiction
Pages: 480
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1990. Please write and tell me why you should live here.
Toby Dobbs received a big Victorian house with too many bedrooms to count as a wedding present from his father, but his marriage is over within a month. Very alone, and very lonely, Toby posts an advertisement seeking the "Unexpectedly Alone" to become his roommates. Fifteen years later the wayward souls he takes in are still living with him, with no intention of leaving.
2004. Please tell me how I can convince you to move out.
Toby Dobbs has met Leah Pilgrim from across the road, and they're falling in love. But before they can begin a new life together, Toby and Leah must help Toby's house of sweet slackers and lovelorn misfits grow up, solve their problems, and set themselves free. But can their new relationship survive the test?
This is the first book by Lisa Jewell that I’ve ever read. Truth be told, I’ve never even heard of this author until I picked up this book to read. I really like the chick lit books from authors over in Europe and Lisa Jewell is from North London so I went into this book thinking, alright…I can do this, I can read this, enjoy it and then review it.
Well, I read it, I enjoyed some of it and now I’m going to review it.
This book is about Toby, Toby who got a house from his father as a present to him and the woman he married. The marriage didn’t last all that long before the wife, Karen left Toby high and dry with a big ol’ house. Toby filled the house with different tenants in an effort to fill the void brought on by loneliness. Beside Toby, living in the house is Ruby, a girl who’s never known hard work before and doesn’t have a job. She lives off the many sugardaddies that parades in and out of her room and she swears she’s going to be a famous singer or actress. Then there’s Con and his Mom, Melinda. Con is in love with a sick girl from work and Melinda just won’t leave the boy alone. She’s determined to be by his side through thick and thin and in good times and bad times and all because she was a lousy mother to him when he was young. She’s trying to make up for all of that now, nevermind that the boy is older now and doesn’t need a Mom as often but hey, whatev. Then there’s Joanne. Joanne has secrets and she’s an odd one but I actually liked her. Oh and then there’s Gus. Gus who ends up dead and wills a bunch of pounds and a cat to Toby with the rule to use the money to make his life the best one that it could be.
Toby meets and falls in love with Leah from across the street and they want to start a life together but they find that they can’t do that without getting rid of all of the tenants living with Toby. So instead of just tossing them all out on their ear, like I would have done…he reaches out to Leah to help him, help them so that they can all live happily ever after.
The story is told in first person as most chick lit books are and the story started out really slow for me. I picked it up and put it down about 10 different times before I just buckled down and read the entire thing, I’ll be honest though there were times that I skimmed but I did end up finally finishing it. I was happy that I finished the story but I don’t think that this was the best book to start my Lisa Jewell reading adventure with because it was just…okay. It wasn’t spectacular and it wasn’t horrible, it was just okay.
I thought Toby and Leah were cute but I’ve read cuter. I thought everyone living with Toby were unique in their own little ways but even though I enjoyed their different storylines and I enjoyed seeing them grow as the story progressed, I still can’t say that this was the best book ever. The book is sad and it almost depressed me. It’s just an average read for me. It was just slow to pick up but once you get past that hump, you’ll be okay. I liked the story. I liked that everything worked out nicely in the end but the execution to get there for me was just off so this was just a so so read for me.
But hey, you might enjoy this book more than me so give it a try.
Grade: 3 out of 5
This book is available from Harper Collins. You can buy it here or here .