Life, Books, and More....: Book Tour: 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.

Review

Rating: 4.5*

Wow – I wasn’t expecting this….

I love when a book sneaks up on me. When the story and the characters start quietly, going about their business and then bam! Everything is suddenly elevated. The plot, the emotions, and the characters hit their groove and I’m simply trying to hang on, having the time of my life. This is that book.

“Don’t ever forget that I respect the h*** out of you,” he said…
“Why do you say that?”
“Because I’m about to f*** you like I don’t.”

Amelia and Jason have known each other since they were kids. They used to be next door neighbours and the best of friends. So why is it, years later, Jason’s attitude to Amelia is hostile? And really, that is being kind. What could have happened that changed their friendship so drastically? They were now sharing ownership of her grandmother’s house and it seems that they were going to have the chance to figure it out. Would they be friends after that is yet to be determined…

This story was full of angst and uncertainty, emotions that ranged the gamut from the highest of highs to the saddest of lows. Jason and Amelia were no longer teenagers, they were adults and given their living situation they needed to put their big boy/girl panties on and work s**t out… And how they do that is everything, and more, than I could have hoped for. Amelia was a likable character – rolling with the punches and honest, even when she doesn’t want to be. Her fascination with Jason was easy to see and oh so understandable. Jason was this incredibly sensitive and vulnerable man who was also sexy as a house on fire. He could be a jerk, there’s no denying that, but as the story unfolds and secrets are revealed emotions and actions make more and more sense.

The plot was twisty, a journey that went in so many unexpected directions that the story really read too fast. I wanted to slow the pace down and savour it but that’s hard to do when I couldn’t devour the pages fast enough. A roller coaster ride of emotions that hit me in the heart and the stomach while leaving a lump in my throat as well...

Five sniffly, mushy, happy stars!

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.