The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue, is set in Cork, Ireland. The protagonist, Rachel, is a college English major working in a bookstore who becomes BFF and roommate with James, an in-the-closet gay guy a few years older than her, while pursuing her love interest, Carey from Derry. Things get complicated when James begins an affair with Dr. Byrne, one of Rachel’s professors. The real story, however, is the relationship between Rachel and James. It’s a wonderful tale and captures the age and emotion of just entering adulthood. Kirkus Reviews calls it a sensation entry in the millennial-novel genre:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/caroline-odonoghue/the-rachel-incident/