I found this book OK, it was a slow burn but once I got into it it was just OK.
I really wanted to like it more, sorry just not for me.

I have had the great pleasure of reading and reviewing a couple of Rachel’s books now and those I have read, I have loved. I read the synopsis for ‘The Roommates’ and it certainly appealed to me. I was interested in seeing how the story developed and so I dived straight in. Blimey oh riley ‘The Roommates’ was one hell of a read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it but more about that in a bit.
I have to be honest and say that I don’t think I warmed to any of the main characters at all. I was suspicious of them all as I got the distinct impression that they were all a bit dodgy and all were keeping secrets that they wanted to keep hidden. I am a bit of a suspicious person by nature and tend to suspect everybody and believe nobody. I then started to think about my own university days (yes I can remember that far back even if it was in the last century) and when we all moved into Halls of Residence. How much did we know about the people we shared a flat with? Zip, nada, nichts, rien. Any one of my flatmates could have been hiding a whole closet full of skeletons for all I knew. We just had to get on with living together. There was only one person from our flat that was slightly dodgy and he had callers all hours of the day and night with a slightly aromatic smell of smoke emanating from his room if you get my drift. Anyway enough of my reminisces about my long lost youth and back to the review I do go. Although I didn’t warm to any of the characters, there were only a couple of them that really irritated me to the point of wanting to slap them with a wet dish cloth for certain reasons. As for the rest of the characters I neither hated them or liked them.
It didn’t take me long at all to get into this book. In fact I was hooked on it from the moment I read the synopsis never mind from when I started to read the book itself. I knew by the time I reached the end of the prologue that ‘The Roommates’ was going to be one of those rare books that I would be unable to put to one side. How right was I? I was spot on. The book came along at the right sort of time for me. I was feeling lousy, my back was killing me and I needed a distraction. Well ‘The Roommates’ certainly distracted me and then some. For the length of time I was reading the book I forgot all about the pain and how rubbish I felt. I couldn’t bear to be parted from this book. Whilst I was reading this story I had my own theories as to who had done what and to whom and I had to keep reading to see if I was going to be proven correct or not. The pages seemed to turn quicker and quicker as my desperation to find out what happened steadily grew and grew. I usually have the attention span of a gnat and I am easily distracted but not in this case. My focus was on the book and on the book alone. In fact the world outside could have ended and I would have known nothing about it because I was so focused on the book.
‘The Roommates’ is brilliantly written but then I wouldn’t expect anything else from Rachel Sargeant. She is an extremely talented author, who certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start. Once she has that attention she will not release it until the moment you have finished the last word on the last page. The story starts off slowly but much like a snowball rolling down a hill, the story gathers momentum and leads to a tense and dramatic conclusion. Rachel certainly knows how to keep your interest by keeping the characters intriguing, the story fresh and by playing with your mind a bit. Rachel writes so realistically and uses such vivid descriptions that I really did feel as though I lived in that flat and that I was part of the story myself.
Reading ‘The Roommates’ was much like being on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you would find on a ‘Snakes & Ladders’ board. At times I almost dreading turning the page for fear of what was awaiting me over the page. I then gave myself a bit of a kick because I realised that if I had any hope of discovering how the story concluded then of course I had to keep reading.
In short, Rachel Sargeant has done it again and she has written one heck of a fantastic book that had me totally gripped and on the edge of my seat. I will definitely be reading more of Rachel’s work in the future. Here’s hoping that we don’t have too long to wait. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

This book is interesting and well written, flows well. It has 4 POVs. And they really are distinc from each other, which I liked a lot.

When one of the four girls disappears, things get complicated. And all the hidden secrets of the room mates emerge to the surface.
It was a good page turner, slow start but good pace afterwards.

Thanks a lot to the publisher and netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This book starts off slow and has four POV's. Each of the four flatmates are very different from each other and all have skeletons in their closets.

When one of the four girls disappears, Imogen is convinced something bad has happened to her. In the time that ticks by that the flatmate is missing, all four of the girls skeletons start to emerge in the story.

I found the book to be an interesting page turner that I was gripped by, wanting to find out what had happened, how and why.

I really didn’t like the characters in this book which ruined the story for me. None of the four girls were likeable and the changes in perspective were so quite and inconsistent that I found it difficult to follow who had what problems and what secrets were being alluded to. My intense dislike for the characters ruined it for me.

Thank you to netgalley.co.uk for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

This was a really interesting book. I was gripped from the very first chapter. I loved the writing, and the characters intrigued me. I was left guessing throughout the whole novel. Even after finishing this book, I was left with so many questions; for me, this is a sign of a great novel.

I found this a great read. My first by Rachel Sargeant and definitely not my last.
Told from the perspective of four people, sharing first year accommodation at University. Four girls from very different backgrounds, trying to get along the best they can when they really don’t know anything about each other. That horrible feeling of being the newbie was in my stomach. They all seem to be hiding something too.
Imogen, or Imo as she likes to be known. Studying German and Business. She seems to have something that’s making her nervous. We find out little by little what it is, and why she has a reason to feel this way.
Amber, a blonde from the Home Counties (or is she?), studying Theatre Studies. She behaves very strangely at times and the other girls are wondering just what to believe about some of the things she says.
Phoenix, studying Mechanical Engineering. She is keeping her background hidden.
Tegan, studying Business Studies. A rich girl with a privileged background. She already has an entrepreneurial spirit. She drives a Mini convertible.
There is another roommate, Riku, a man. They rarely see him and he has parcels constantly arriving at the flat. The girls all wonder what he’s up to.
The girls attend a few Fresher’s Week activities and sign up to things that students do. When Amber goes missing on this first week Imo is very worried and starts investigating and is suspicious of everything. Tegan and Phoenix not so much, they wonder why she is caring so much about someone she’s only just met.
There is a mysterious man who they keep seeing too, is he a stalker?
Imaginations run wild.
The last few chapters were totally unputdownable as the race to find Amber neared conclusion, the roommates finally got some answers.
Beautifully written and very easy to read, I felt like I was there on campus with them.
An intriguing and suspenseful story that I highly recommend.
Thanks to the author, Harper Collins and NetGalley for the review copy in which I give my honest opinion.

This one was just not for me. Slow to get into and I just did not gel with the characters. Premise was good but did not deliver on what could have been a great storyline. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

Four young women share the dorm apartment.

By the end of the first week, only three will remain.

At the start of the school year, the university campus fills with people. Four young women will have to share. But each one hold her secrets. And not all of the secrets are exactly innocent.

When Amber vanishes, no one suspects foul play. at least, no one except for Imo. A Although there's supposedly a message sen to Amber's mother, saying that Amber suddenly decides to travel, Imo doesn't buy it. And since Imo has lost her sister, she's not willing to let another person she knows vanish.

Imo will bring the rest of the girls together. The three of them are set on finding out what happened to Amber. Can they reach her on time?

The Roommates is a modern psychological thriller. It's quite fast-paced, with a multitude of characters appearing in it, and a fair share of secrets. I wouldn't exactly call the story unpredictable, since it was quite easy to figure out what was going on by the time I reached the middle of the book. Nevertheless, it was an interesting read.

This is the first time that I have read a book by Rachel Sergeant so I didn't really know what to expect. However I thought that the description was intriguing.

It took me a while to get into the book. In fact I nearly gave up. It seemed to take a long time for the characters to be developed. I persevered and ended up enjoying the twists and turns of the story line.

So I ask myself why it only gets a 3 star rating. That is difficult to quantify, really I just didn't warm to the characters in the book. However I liked the fictional university town setting which established a sense of the time in which the story is set.

I enjoyed it enough to say that I would be prepared to read future stories by Rachel Sergeant. I also give my thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for a copy in exchange for this review.

Do you really know the people you live with?

THEY LIVE IN YOUR HOUSE
University is supposed to be the best time of your life. But Imo’s first week is quickly going from bad to worse.

YOU SHARE EVERYTHING
A stalker is watching her flat, following her every move, and Imo suspects that her new roommates are hiding dark secrets…

BUT DO YOU TRUST THEM?
When one of them suddenly disappears, the trauma of Imo’s recent past comes hurtling back to haunt her. And she begins to realise just how little she knows about the people she lives with…

The Roommates follows the story of four girls starting their first year at university and sharing a flat together. Imo (Imogen), Tegan, Amber and Phoenix and they each have something in their past that they are loathe to share with the others, but as they start to settle in and get acquainted they open up to one another and then one of them goes missing......

The beginning of this book is very busy with lots going on with each character and it was hard to keep up to begin with but, as each of their stories began to unfold, things started to make sense and everything finally fell into place. Each of the girls had very differing personalities, Imo was fighting the demons of her recent past, Tegan was very aloof, Amber seemed to be on another planet for most of the time and Phoenix, who kept her true self hidden, but the most important thing was, that when one of them disappeared, the others all came together, somewhat reluctantly at first, but together all the same and were determined to find her, come what may, which showed how important they had all come to mean to each other and I love how the author portrayed that. The story is told from all four perspectives, with the right amount of tense moments to keep us, the readers, occupied and chomping at the bit to see where it was heading. This is another new author for me, I really enjoyed it and have added another one of her books, The Perfect Neighbours, to my tbr pile.

I'd like to thank HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Interesting characters. I felt as if I had got to know each one yet I couldn't be sure of the outcome. I will certainly read more by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley for a digital copy of this book

Gosh this is a twisted and tangled story that brought about nightmare flashbacks of the early days of University. thankfully mine weren't quite as traumatic or tense as they are for Imo in this new novel from Rachel Sargeant, but still ... I remember the fear of trying to fit in. To break the ice with a whole bunch of strangers when I was 100% introvert and felt I had nothing of interest to say. If you've ever experienced a first day at a new school or college, in a new job, just moving to a new town, then you will know what I mean and know exactly the feeling that author Rachel Sargeant has captured in this book.

Only ... she's kicked it up a notch, because Imogen, or Imo as she prefers to be known, isn't your average nervy newbie, nor is she necessarily your typical introvert. There is something about Imo, something from her past which is slowly revealed to the audience, that gives her a genuine reason to be fearful of strangers and new situations, and a genuine reason to feel a sense of both deja vu and panic when one of her new roommates, Amber, suddenly disappears. And so the real story begins.

I love the way in which the author has drawn her characters - four very different girls from four very different walks of life - all looking to start again and be someone new. Imo is a girl who hides her real self behind a wall of grunge and a lack of self care. Amber is the girl who wants to be the life and soul of the group, seemingly inventing impossible situations to make herself someone she is not. Phoenix is an engineering student whose past is very different from the girls she now lives with, and who is afraid to admit to who she really is.And finally there is Tegan, a rich kid determined to strike out on her own and away from her family's influence. All very different, all likely to clash in a variety of ways but all drawn together when one of their own vanishes. The all feel believable, all like someone I have met or someone I know, and the fears they carry into their new lives are al; recognisable.

Now the story is laced with intrigue, and with all of the characters holding back a part of themselves, it is hard to know quite who to trust. Then there is their solitary male roommate, Riku, a man of very few - i.e. no - words. He moves about in the background, very serious, very secretive, and with a sideline in who knows what that sees all manner of strange parcels arriving at their door. Then there is the stranger who keeps appearing in Imo's peripheral vision. But is he real, and does he really pose a threat, or is it all something cooked up by her fragile and possibly paranoid mind?

The story is told from multiple perspectives with all of the girls getting change to have their voice heard, including Amber which means as readers we have an inkling of what happened but not why and not who is responsible. From the very first chapter you do know more of Amber than shegives away to her new friends, and it is a very tense, emotional girl that we see here, a stark contrast to the effervescent girl who arrives at the college. So all along we know there is far more to her story than meets the eye, but as to how this fits into the bigger picture ... well you need to read to find out.

The sense of place, amongst the old buildings of a college campus and the madness of Freshers Week, is all captured perfectly and it really did bring back memories of my early days at University. It's not all bad and I think for most people who have experienced those early days of branching out on your own for the first time, you will find something in the character's stories that you can recognise.

All in all this was a gripping thriller in which I was hooked form very early on. I can't say I particularly liked any of the characters in the early part of the story as they did not make it easy, but I grew to really care about them and I was intrigued by the mystery the author had created. There is tension a plenty, especially as the trail to finding Amber grows warmer, and the resolution is as emotional as it is action laden. Fans of Rachel Sargeant will love it.

This is a good read with plenty of action. Each flatmate has secrets and when Amber disappears they are determined to find her. Well written with interesting characters which kept me reading.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I really enjoyed The Roommates. Lots of interesting characters who each had their own secrets. When one of them goes missing it becomes a web of intrigue, lies and suspicion and everyone is a suspect. What has happened to there roommate??Where is she?? Some parts were a little unbelievable but the storyline is fabulous and well written.

Four girls arrive at university and the flat they will share. Each girl has her own secret. Imogen (Imo). Amber, Teagan and Phoenix all have different personalities. Then one of the girls goes missing. At first, it o ly seems to be Imo that seems concerned. The girls had all seen a man with binoculars watching them. Amber's mother arrives to collect her clothes believing her daughter has gone travelling following a text message she recieved.

This story starts off slow but the pace picks up when Amber goes missing. It's not long before all the girls are concerned for Amber. They start digging to try and find out what's happened to her. The story is told from the three girls thatsnleft behinds perspectives. It's a twisty dark thriller. There's tension and intrigue. A story full of secrets and lies. I was not keen on any of the characters. An interesting read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and the author Rachel Sargeant for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This story is about Imogen, Amber, Teagan & Pheonix. They all arrive at their University flat share. After a few days Amber disappears. We then follow the mystery of what happened to Amber and why.

This story is told from multiple points of view. This isn’t a very fast thriller but it did keep me interested. One thing that irritated me was that the author shortened Imogen’s name to imo, I kept reading this as In My Opinion abbreviated. I didn’t guess the ending which I was surprised about because I think lots of people will guess it. I would definitely be interested to read more from this author.

There were elements of this book I enjoyed particularly the 'stories' of the main characters unfolding as I read the book. However, I didn't gel with any of the characters, and a lot of the time they were quite annoying. I wonder if there was something about their ages, which at times made it read a bit like the Point Horror series I read as a teenager, it also seemed to drag at times.

The story centres around four new university roommates, Imo (Imogen), Amber, Teagan and Pheonix. All of the four young women are very different in personalities so it was interesting to see how they were all going to get on.

It’s made clear that all four of them have something about them or their pasts that they don’t seem to be in a hurry to share with each other. This piqued my interest along with what seems like a stalker on campus. I just knew there were going to be lots of secrets and I couldn’t wait to find out what they were.

The pace of the story picks up when one of them goes missing. To start with it’s only Imo that seems to be bothered. It isn’t long though that her worries transfer to the others and they start doing some digging to find out what has happened.

The Roommates is a novel that didn’t take me long to settle into at all. There is a lot of suspense and my mind was going into overdrive as to what was being withheld from us and to what was in store. As the revelations start coming out, it made for some surprising reading. My first book by the author and certainly won’t be my last.

A light easy read, 4 Uni students all with secrets are put together in Uni resident. Amber goes missing early on and the other three girls go on a mission to find her, each with their own secrets and baggage it's not easy but together they come to understand each other and why they are the characters they are.