house rules

Brooke Williams is on her own, starting at a university and living away from home. She’s sharing a house with Harper, whose family owns the house, and with Jeremy, who hasn’t yet shown up. That meant that Brooke had her choice of rooms. She chose the smaller one, without the large stain on the wall, but she did discover that her room had the mouse. She was starting to reconsider her room choice, but she thought maybe she could name the mouse and have adventures with him, so she decided to stay.

But she did wonder about the rules of the house. Harper had said that they were, “No pets, no romance, no unnecessary drama.” But Brooke thinks there should be more. There should be rules about the kitchen and the bathroom, about cleaning up and having guests over. She is prepared to suggest her ideas, along with a number of apps they can use to share chores and create house shopping lists. But what she wasn’t prepared for was coming out of the bathroom after her shower to find Jeremy and his family as he’s moving in.

As if it’s not enough that Brooke is standing there in a towel in front of her new housemate and his family, she realizes with horror that she knows him. He introduces himself saying he doesn’t go by Jeremy. He goes by Jesse. Brooke is sharing a house with the boy who caused her greatest humiliation. But she could handle this. She just needed more rules.

As the weeks go by and Brooke spends time around Jesse, she finds herself increasingly annoyed by him. He is kind and thoughtful. The day she decided to try running and found herself in extreme pain, Jesse was the one keeping a close eye on her, and when he thought her pain had gotten out of control, he insisted on taking her to the hospital. He’s the one who steps up when she runs into her ex-boyfriend in a local bar.

But Jesse was also the one who broke her heart in high school. Can Brooke trust him now, when she really needs someone on her side? Or will he break her heart all over again?

Unnecessary Drama is a sweet rom com by Nina Kenwood that looks at what happens when you’re forced to be around your high school nemesis and how quickly that can turn to attraction all over again. Brooke is a first-class neurotic, trying to plan for every contingency, as if that could calm her anxiety. Jesse is far more laid-back, but willing to support Brooke in her rules. They make a cute couple, and I found myself wanting to root for them early and often throughout this book.

I listened to the audio book, narrated by Maddy WIthington, and that was a really amazing experience. Withington brought these characters to life skillfully, bringing me into this world and keeping me sucked into this story.

I loved this book. I had so much fun with these characters, and I especially loved the ending. The way Brooke used rules to create a safe place around her is lovely, and I loved how she wasn’t judged for her neuroticism but celebrated for it. I think other readers who struggle with anxiety and try to control our environments will find her inspirational. But I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea about this book. While I enjoyed the smart ways Kenwood handled sensitive topics, there were also several scenes where I was almost in tears laughing at Brooke’s adventures. This books is hysterically funny. It’s a rom com filled t the brim with rom and with com, Hug your waiters, everyone. Kenwood is here all week.

A copy of the audio book for Unnecessary Drama was provided by Macmillan Audio through NetGalley, with many thanks.