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Kitty Kat – :
A.L. Brooks has a deft touch for writing real, flawed individuals who nevertheless make us fall in love with them. Lena is one such character. She is seemingly closed off, abrasive, rude and hard to love at first but given time and understanding I saw past all of that. She didn’t get that way without cause. Megan, her new neighbour is kind, considerate and willing to get to know her. Their story is one of opposites who end up living together when Lena needs somewhere to live in an emergency. Can they every manage to share a flat without driving each other mad? Will they ever be more than just flat mates? I enjoyed finding out and became more and more enamoured as the story progressed.
I was given this ARC by Ylva in return for an honest review.
Karola Meyer – :
***free ARC
To have your flat and your belongings destroyed because of a storm and then nowhere to live is a nightmare. But when your new neighbour, who you really don‘t like because she‘s messy and loud, the opposite of yourself, is offering you a place to stay, what would you do? Lena accepts the offer and starts to see Megan in a new way. The humour in this book is not the obvious laugh out loud, but more the subtle one.
Henriette – :
This is a sweet, wonderful romance about two people who may be a bit rough on the outside but are beautiful on the inside. I loved the setting in London and the British understatement in so many ways. I relished the Indian second-gen main character Lena and I loved the realism in her conflict with her parents about her coming-out. My favorite secondary characters were Dorothy and Lena’s sister – two powerful women! So get a nice cuppa, settle down and READ. THIS. BOOK :::)))
Stephanie – :
There is always a motivational rush when you are moving into a new apartment. It is the thrilling mix of possibilities, of bigger spaces, new decorations, and new neighbors. Everything about it can be exciting. A little scratch on an adjacent door while moving a big couch can surely put a dent in all the excitement. It is exactly what happens when clumsy Megan finally gets to her new apartment. She and her friend Jen are taking furniture and boxes inside and by misfortune, scratch the door of her new neighbor, Lena. The whole meeting could all have been a simple mishap in itself but sadly for Megan, Lena is a little over herself with all the cleaning in her life and order around her place, and the little scratch, along with a few of Megan’s unwanted mistakes and loud gathering make their relationship impossible.
[…]
I am new to A.L. Brooks writings, having only read two of hers yet, but I like the way she writes her stories. Most of her characters have heavy relationship backgrounds that stick with them into their new lives. It makes the stories more relatable because most of us have been hurt by previous relationships and their actions somehow still manage to explain our reactions to various situations. I have to give a mention to the really different coming out stories, both more than realistic, giving the reader the possibility to feel closer to one of the character because of similar coming out stories. My favorite character was Megan, mostly because I could relate to her in many aspects of her life.
It was overall a pretty good book that will make you smile, laugh and think at different times.
I am looking forward to reading more of this talented writer.
For the complete review, visit https://rainbowmoosesreviews.wordpress.com/2018/04/18/up-on-the-roof-by-a-l-brooks/
cheekybugger13 – :
Just read Angela Brooks’ latest, “Up On The Roof” & it was a doozy! It’s a slightly different take in telling a love story. And it works – at least for me!
At a glance, it’s quirky, what with a prickly protagonist with OCD, anxiety & an all-around social ineptness, whilst the other one is also with atypical characteristics in the romance genre. But underneath all the funny dialogue, hilarious mishaps, quirks, hopeless situations that these 2 characters unwittingly put themselves in, we discover what’s really important at the end of the story – being, loving & accepting who we are, our true normal.
Many a times, we take for granted that what we think are easy to do or say apply to everyone without realising that it may be very hard for some people. So when they don’t act/react the “normal” way or within a given time-frame, we immediately dismiss them as being difficult. But from experience with people like Lena, it’s so far from the truth. People like Lena do live inside their heads, over-analysing, mulling over every single thing before acting/reacting to a situation, hence taking a longer time. So they often come off as aloof, insensitive, uncaring. But if we take the time to be patient, understanding, they do emerge from their shells in the end. It just takes a longer time for them to do so. They also benefit from being assured that there are people out there who love & embrace them for who they are without feeling guilty or misunderstood.
Brooks really got the intricacies & nuances right on. Well done!
The slow-burn between Lena & Megan is well-developed so you experience the organic progress of their relationship – from their initial dislike/discomfort with each other, slowly elevating to friendship, to their eventual romance. Both characters have their own emotional baggage, more so for Lena, who also has the unfortunate luck of having to deal with her blood ties, which is told so poignantly, it’s utterly heartbreaking.
But by the end of the book, we get to see our heroines come out as victors in their own right, embracing themselves and their love for each other, just as they are! We also are reminded about another very important matter that Brooks so aptly highlighted in this story:
Family.
Family doesn’t mean purely blood ties. Family comes in many different forms. The TRUE meaning of family is about unconditional love. Nothing to do with biology. It’s essentially a state of mind. The sooner we accept this, the better off we are in living our lives openly, truthfully & honestly. Just being ourselves, surrounding ourselves with people who love us & care about us & vice versa!
This one is well-worth a read!
Oh, I must give a heartfelt shout-out to….DOROTHY!!!! YOU ARE MY HERO!!!
(You’ll know what I mean when you read the book! )
Thank you, Angela Brooks for writing this very satisfying (for me) story with these characters not commonly found in the romance genre.
https://bugsownwords.wordpress.com/2018/04/27/up-on-the-roof/
zalezlopez (verified owner) – :
I purchased this book a few days ago and got hooked on the story right away. The characters are flawed and layered in a way that makes them interesting, real and relatable, which I like in a story. Also, the plot is well-balanced and moves forward at what I think is a very good pace, nothing feels rushed or dragged out. I recommend you clear out your schedule, get comfy and dive right into it!
Lyle C Tipple (verified owner) – :
So enjoyed this book. Really liked how Lena’s anxiety & OCD tendencies was written and how Megan was so patient and accepting. And how they both worked to get pass their own past trauma’s.
Their slow burn romance really came across as believable and that made it all the more enjoyable.