House Rules

Uptown, Book 3

By: Ruby Lang

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

Length: 5 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's Summary

ROOMMATE WANTED to share a gorgeous sun-filled apartment in Central Harlem. Must love cats. No ex-husbands or wives need apply.

Seventeen years ago, different dreams pulled Simon Mizrahi and Lana Kai apart. But when Lana takes a position as a chef back in Manhattan, her apartment search puts her right in her ex-husband’s path. Music teacher Simon is also hunting for a new place to live, and when Lana proposes they be platonic roomies, well...it’s not the worst idea he’s ever heard.

A sunny uptown two-bedroom sounds far more appealing than the cramped, noisy space where he’s currently struggling to work. Still, Simon has seen firsthand that Lana’s a flight risk, so he agrees on a trial basis.

Three months. With strict boundaries.

Living together again feels wonderfully nostalgic, but when the ex-couple’s lingering feelings rise to the surface, the rules go out the window. 

Of course, chemistry was never their problem. But while Simon’s career feels back on solid footing, Lana is still sorting out what she wants. With their trial period soon coming to an end, they’ll have to decide if their living arrangement was merely a sexy trip down memory lane or a reunion meant to last.

©2020 Mindy Hung (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic Reviews

"[Emily Woo] Zeller deftly captures how utterly weary [Simon and Lana] are to be dealing with precarious housing situations, despite being respected professionals in their 40s. Similarly, Zeller portrays their tentative steps in reestablishing a relationship. Both Simon and Lana have changed in the years since they divorced, and Zeller makes their awkward "I-know-you-but-I-don't" phase utterly believable." —AudioFile Magazine

Light and lovely second chance romance

This was a cute shortie about a second chance romance. The narrator was great, but a male voice as a co-narrator would've upped the romance.

Second chance

This was a true second chance romance. Simon is an old grumpy man and Lana is finally finding her footing. I enjoyed this book the most out of the entire series. Lang really found her stride with character development and the conflict that inevitably comes at the end. If you liked the Flatshare it has a similar vibes with higher stakes. I read this in one sitting while completely ignoring my day so I could finish it. Oh and I have to say Muffin (the cat) was a cute side character that helpes mediate their relationship. I was rooting for them the entire book and I loved the ending. Lana is musing that there were things to figure out which felt authentic. I highly recommend this book.

Good Background

I wanted to like it but it was ok. I guess the story wasn't farfetch, a lot of sex scenes which is fine but I don't know if this was for me. Cute story I guess.