Responses
it's only slightly better in the novel bc we at least see it played out instead of a rushed flashback, but it's still too fast tbh, specially considering that the MC >has< money to both get the boiler fixed and get an hotel room that accepts cats (ik he doesn't want to touch the money, but this would be to make the car safe so

The jump to them living together didn't fell natural at all. I don't know what it felt like in the novel but here it feels like the author was like "let me use any excuse to force them closer". It could have been better, they already have an acquaintance in common so that could've made them gradually closer instead of this jump