Roommates Wanted

By: Lisa Jewell

Narrated by: Helen Duff

Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's Summary

1990. 

Please write and tell me why you should live here.

Toby Dobbs received a big Victorian house with too many bedrooms to count as a wedding present from his father, but his marriage is over within a month. Very alone, and very lonely, Toby posts an advertisement seeking the Unexpectedly Alone to become his roommates. Fifteen years later, the wayward souls he takes in are still living with him, with no intention of leaving. 

2004. 

Please tell me how I can convince you to move out.

Toby Dobbs has met Leah Pilgrim from across the road, and they're falling in love. But before they can begin a new life together, Toby and Leah must help Toby's house of sweet slackers and lovelorn misfits grow up, solve their problems, and set themselves free. But can their new relationship survive the test? 

©2008 Lisa Jewell (P)2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC

I am in love with this book!

This was a real joy to listen to, I absolutely love Helen Duff's narrations and the way she brings the right character to the characters....This is the kind of book I will listen to again, because I love the story and characters OH SO MUCH! If you want to slip away to London and meet some great people and learn about their lives. this is the book for you!

Delightful

This is just a very charming and delightful book. The characters are so well defined. It's a bit of a fairy tale but a pleasant change from the useful books I read. And a huge change gettin the other Lisa Jewell books I've read. Loved the narrator.

Boring.....

Narrators were great, but the book was SO boring. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen and it did not. I have read several of her other books but this one was not nearly as good. It seemed to never end and was so slow and drawn out. You knew what was going to happen from the beginning.

Can I Marry Toby, Please

I’m not sure if I’m just unusually easy to please, but between this book and “The Family Upstairs”, I’m in audio-book heaven. This was definitely a lighter, fluffier story than I usually choose or devour, but I DID devour it. So delightful, a touch of edge, so much humor.... and even inspirational to those of us feeling a little “in between” or stuck. The conversations between Joanne and Toby- Oh.My.Gosh... laughed my a$$ off to the point of my husband opening his eyes in bed to see why I was waking him up. And Toby is so awkwardly lovable. Highly recommend!

Jewell and Duff one of my favorite combos

Lisa Jewell and Helen Duff do not disappoint. I have enjoyed a number of Lisa Jewell's books; narrated by Helen Duff and Roommates Wanted is no exception.

Such a great story. I love how Jewell has a knack for making the homes themselves main characters. Watching the transformation of the Peacock House simultaneous to Toby is magical. The story did not have a big twist or wow moment but I truly enjoyed every part of the story. Each character, with their flaws and their virtues, I found to be lovable and interesting. Typically there is a character that you just don't connect to; but in Roommates Wanted I did not find that. Maybe because each person was a small personality part of each of us - I don't really know. But not once did I find myself wishing a chapter away because I wasn't interested in the character and their story.

Favorite narrator!

In a world of bad news, listening to this book was refreshing! This is my favorite narrator. I could listen to her read a dishwasher manuel. She’s so good at various voices...including men and different accents. If you listen to the audio book version, I suggest taking notes on the various characters. There are a lot of them and it gets confusing at times. Lovely story with a happy ending!

Romance that’s actually romantic!

If you’re looking for a fast-paced “wham, bam, thank you ma’am” ... this is not it. This is a book full of life and it’s little side trips, foibles, slogs, and epiphanies. It’s love in it’s most awkward mundaneness, full of longing, self-doubt, misunderstandings, courage, and hope. It’s not just one romance, but a whole household’s worth of romance tangled all together. It’s not fast, but it’s quietly hilarious and good.

Couldn't Finish

I really gave this book a shot but ultimately could not finish it. Halfway through I was so bored with the characters I had to stop. The narration overall was good, I like Duff's voice differentiation, but when listening with my headphones I could hear her swallowing loudly every few minutes and it just irritated me. This book is definitely different than her thrillers, which did not suit me. May be better for some, but fell flat for me.

Delightful

This was the first book by Lisa Jewell that I've ever read and it was just lovely. I was looking for something different from my usual sci-fi and fantasy fare and decided to try this. The summary sounded good but I honestly wasn't sure what to expect. Would it be chick lit, which I abhor? But no, it was a delightful, character-driven story, which I love. It was filled with layered characters who often make the wrong decisions and I wanted to shake them, but it all turns out all right in the end and not in a fairy tale way, thank goodness. I will definitely be buying more books by this author.

The Lonely

Toby lives in a large house with people he doesn't much care for. His father, who's never liked him, is returning to London for a visit and Toby wants to get his life together. He's been stuck since his wife walked out on him a few weeks after their marriage. When an admittedly nosy neighbour decides to help he just may have a chance at change.
Wonderful narration by Helen Duff brings out Lisa Jewell's humour. Loved it.