Introduction
The Spare Room was published in February 2024 by Laura Starkey, also the author of Rachel Ryan’s Resolutions. This supremely funny rom-com is severely underrated for lovers of the genre.
A Summary
The Spare Room is a warm, easygoing romance that leans fully into being light, comforting, and genuinely fun. It follows a woman who needs a break from her usual life and ends up staying with someone who brings a surprising amount of joy, steadiness, and emotional warmth into her world. The story doesn’t try to reinvent the genre - instead, it focuses on charm, chemistry, and that soft, slow‑burn yearning that makes you root for the characters almost immediately. The plot moves quickly, the vibes are cozy, and the whole book feels like something you’d pick up on a lazy afternoon when you want a story that’s sweet, low‑effort, and guaranteed to lift your mood without demanding too much from you.
Writing Style
The writing style is simple, warm, and intentionally easy to sink into. It’s not trying to be literary or profound - it’s aiming for charm, humor, and a steady flow, and it mostly succeeds. The dialogue can get a little self‑aware at times, but the overall tone is playful and relaxed, like the author wants you to have a good time rather than work for it. Scenes move quickly, the pacing never drags, and the emotional beats are clear without being dramatic.
What I Loved
This novel wasn’t trying to be a literary masterpiece, but it was trying to be fun and lively. Not only did it accomplish that, but there were some parts where it genuinely made me laugh (which is fairly difficult to do). I read this book because I needed something light that didn’t ask too much from me as a reader, and it nailed it on the head.
The characters were really loveable and the plot progressed quite naturally, which made the reading feel easy. This is most definitely a book you can read in one sitting. Aled, as a love interest, is a super adorable guy. I am a sucker for a shy, but loving, glasses-wearing love interest and this book hit the nail on the head.
It doesn’t try to be revolutionary, and that plays to its benefit.
What I Didn’t Love
While I really enjoyed the overall vibe of the book, some of the dialogue pulled me out of the moment more than I expected. There were lines that felt a little too self‑aware, almost like the characters knew they were in a rom‑com and were trying to wink at the reader about it. Instead of feeling clever, it occasionally made the scenes feel slightly forced, like the book was trying too hard to acknowledge its own tropes. It didn’t ruin the story by any means, but it did break the immersion in places where I wanted to stay fully inside the moment. It’s not a dealbreaker - more of a small quirk that might bother you if you prefer dialogue that feels natural and unselfconscious. For me, it was noticeable enough to mention, but not enough to overshadow the charm and sweetness the rest of the book delivers.
Does The Spare Room Contain Explicit Scenes?
It contains plenty of yearning, but no explicit sex scenes. There is a scene where they have sex but it’s more of a fade-to-black situation than anything else.
Recommendation
If you need something light, that doesn’t require much from you, but has some sweet romance with really adorable characters. The self-love journey the main character goes on really warms your heart, and overall I would recommend this novel for some light summer reading.
Songs
Songs that I find reminiscent of the book:
Evergreen by Richy Mitch and the Coal Miners
Electric Love by BORNS
