Roommates

This one was a little weird. Two young women meet for the first time as roommates at college. Julie Decker is full of life and basically goes with the flow. She loves to have fun and is still discovering herself. Peg is the classic farm girl in the `big city' and finds herself attracted to Julie in ways she had never considered. Even though they both acknowledge their underlying relationship, they are simultaneously dating Joe and Charlie. Fearing the possibility of being torn apart, the girls leave college to start a life together. They take low wage jobs and move into a small, cheap room. Needless to say, their lives plunge from stable to risky. After her brother is injured, Peg goes home to help take care of his horses. In the meantime, Julie goes back to school and their life together comes to an abrupt halt. Their lives go on and they lose touch until, as adults with their own children, Peg and Julie reconnect at Charlie's funeral. It seems their attraction has not waned, but their lives are complicated. The only question is, can they overcome the present to realize their past? This one had lots of twists and turns, and was a little confusing at times. However, the characters are believable - especially in their tribulations dealing with their sexuality. The cast is multi-dimensional and multi-generational, including various dogs and horses. This always makes a book more enjoyable for this reader. Bottom Line -- If you're a fan of Calhoun, you'll probably like `Roommates.' If you're not a fan of Calhoun, you'll probably still like it.

I've read all of Jackie Calhoun's novels, and this ranks as one of my favorites (along with Crossing the Center Line and Lifestyles, especially). This book sucked me in from the beginning, taking me back to my own college days as a rather naive young girl, uncertain what to do with my life. Peg, Julie, Joe and Charlie are very real, well-developed characters. The dialogue flows smoothly and the story is compelling, with current events cleverly interwoven. I especially like the portrayal of the sympathetic male characters, and that the book includes many straight as well as gay leading roles. The story deftly manages to portray down-to-earth characters while conveying the "many shades of gray" extant in human lives. A great read for anybody!

I found Jackie Calhoun's newest release, "Roommates," to be a great read. Her characters, Julie and Peg, have true to life joys and problems. Throughout the book, we see how they work their way through tough situations. Seeing the interaction between both women's families, friends and relationships creates a story-line that moves smoothly and gracefully from chapter to chapter. There is something comforting in seeing that disappointments don't always mean total devastion. Life's ups and downs are truly explored in Calhoun's book. If you like to read stories that ring true and that you can relate to, this is the book for you.

I have read all of Calhoun's books and enjoyed them all. Her writing is succinct, down-to-earth, and non-flowery. Early in this book, Peg and Julie are drawn to each other in college. Yet, life changes cause them to break apart and reunite 8 years later. Peg drops out of college for a while and returns home to help her brother run their family horse business, and Julie marries. What woman has made choices she didn't regret? Who cannot say that life hasn't thrown them some curves? This is an honest story with a happy ending and with characters you will care about.

I just wanted to take a minute to thank the author of this book. She is an amazing author. I own a great deal of her books and keep buying more. This is a wonderful story of love, loss and everything in between. The author is very descriptive of the characters and you feel like you are living the story with the characters. I would receommend this book to anyone that wants a to read a great story!