The Roommate Arrangement by Samantha Markum

The Roommate Arrangement

Samantha Markum

Margaret K. McElderry Books · Hardcover · January 27, 2026

When Blair accidentally becomes college roommates with her brother’s best friend, sparks fly in this hilarious rom-com from bestselling author Samantha Markum, perfect for fans of Lynn Painter and Emma Lord.

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Who it’s for
A light, conversational romance pick with an easy comic pulse.
Genres
Romantic Comedy for Teens, Contemporary YA Romance, College & Uni YA
Published
Margaret K. McElderry Books, January 27, 2026

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About this book

When Blair accidentally becomes college roommates with her brother’s best friend, sparks fly in this hilarious rom-com from bestselling author Samantha Markum, perfect for fans of Lynn Painter and Emma Lord. Blair might be a little type-A, but she never thought of herself as completely overbearing…that is, until her two best friends drop her from their housing arrangement a week before her pre-college summer coding program is about to start.

Continue reading

Blair knows if she switches to an on-campus dorm, her parents will make her give up her expensive sculpture class with her dream mentor in order to pay for it. Desperate, she agrees to be the fifth roommate to four off-campus sophomores who are also in a last-minute bind. But things get complicated when one of her new roommates turns out to be her brother’s best friend, Jamie Atwater. Blair begs Jamie not to tell her brother about the new living arrangement. Her brother would go straight to their parents, who would definitely not approve, and all her plans would fall apart. So they strike a deal: she’ll help him finish coding the app he’s building if he promises to keep her secret. Spending more time together shouldn’t be a problem. Sure, Jamie has a new haircut, a mysterious tattoo, and a year’s worth of earned muscle, but it’s not like Blair is noticing. After all, they’re only roommates, right?

Playful Sparks

A light, conversational romance pick with an easy comic pulse.

Come here for

  • playful YA romance energy
  • book-club-friendly sparks

Expect

  • college-age romantic comedy
  • a familiar-adjacent read if you liked The Roommate Arrangement

Where it sits

Romantic Comedy for Teens90%
Contemporary YA Romance39%
College & Uni YA31%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Coming of Age
  • Funny YA
  • Contemporary YA Romance
Authors
Samantha Markum
Publisher
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published
January 27, 2026
Format
Hardcover
Reading lane
Coming of Age