Hard Place

By Gab Torr

Recommended by Anne

“Billy is fresh out of her long-term relationship and hunting for a house, and she can’t decide if Sid and Rhoda are unbearable. But the room is cheap, and if they’re wildly clingy and earnestly political AND a little vague on the drama with the last housemate, she only has to sleep there, right? I had a few cackles during Billy’s grudging journey from wary stray to found family member (the mandatory queer book club is a highlight) but also a deeply observant and tender book that thrilled me with the mess of it all. Good stuff!” -Anne

For years, Billy’s decisions have been made for her by long-term girlfriend Rose, leaving her free not to think for – or about – herself. But when they break up and Billy is left without anywhere to live, she’s forced to take up an unappealing but affordable SpareRoom ad. 

Her new flatmates, Sid and Rhoda, are the kinds of people who talk very seriously about taking accountability, adhering to the flat’s community guidelines and holding space for one another. Meals are communal by force, polyamory is assumed, and whatever the problem, capitalism’s usually to blame. Yes, Rhoda’s parents own the flat, but that doesn’t matter: they’re unapologetically political and loudly queer, and slowly Billy becomes enmeshed in their radical, vulnerable world. 

But as Billy’s past starts to catch up with her, and all of their boundaries begin to crumble, each of them must reckon with what they truly stand for – and what they’ll sacrifice to hold onto it.

Scribner, 2026