Review: Roomies

Before I write this review, I just wanted to say: I'm back!  I took an unexpected hiatus (again -- whoops) to spend more time with family and deal with some personal things.  I haven't had much time to read or write anything but -- finally -- things have begun to slow down and fall into place which means I'm back!  I'm excited to start posting and reading again. 

Title: Roomies 
Series: None 
Author: Christina Lauren 
Genre: Adult, Romance, Contemporary 
Publisher: Gallery Books 
Publication Date: December 5, 2017 
Source: Bought 

Marriages of convenience are so…inconvenient.
Rescued by Calvin McLoughlin from a would-be subway attacker, Holland Bakker pays the brilliant musician back by pulling some of her errand-girl strings and getting him an audition with a big-time musical director. When the tryout goes better than even Holland could have imagined, Calvin is set for a great entry into Broadway—until he admits his student visa has expired and he’s in the country illegally.
Holland impulsively offers to wed the Irishman to keep him in New York, her growing infatuation a secret only to him. As their relationship evolves from awkward roommates to besotted lovers, Calvin becomes the darling of Broadway. In the middle of the theatrics and the acting-not-acting, what will it take for Holland and Calvin to realise that they both stopped pretending a long time ago?

Find Roomies online!

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Christina Lauren books tend to be hit or miss for me.  For the most part, I've enjoyed them and I'm happy to say that Roomies is another one of their books I really liked!  While it was a little slow to start for me, I thought the premise was fun and interesting -- it certainly led to a lot of entertaining and swoon-worthy tension and situations between the main characters, Holland and Calvin!

I've come to the conclusion that my favorite romance stories to read are hate-to-love stories and marriages of convenience.  In Roomies, Holland and Calvin make a deal to get married in order for Calvin to pursue his dream as a musician on Broadway.  They go pretty quickly from strangers to husband and wife in order to ensure Calvin's ability to be in the Broadway show.  I loved seeing them quickly and genuinely grow to know and like each other throughout this process -- it was so sweet seeing how they gradually learned to trust and care for each other.  Even better was when they started to realize that their friendship was quickly turning into something more.  Talk about swoon!  

Despite the familiar premise of a marriage of convenience, the overall plot was made exciting and new with the inclusion of the Broadway aspect.  I was really interested reading about the show and Calvin's passion for music.  Hearing the way Holland described Calvin's music made me wish I could hear it for myself!  It's clear he's immensely talented and he quickly becomes popular because of his talent.  The added element of Holland and Calvin having to deal with him becoming basically a celebrity was also a really interesting and fun element to read about in this story!  My only real problem with the plot was a few chapters toward the end when it felt like Holland was kinda . . . making problems that didn't necessarily need to be there.  I don't want to spoil anything so I won't say too much but her lack of communication began to frustrate me.  

This is the sort of story that just made me all sorts of happy.  It was full of so much sweetness, swoon-worthy scenes, and intense tension between the two main characters!  I couldn't resist falling for Calvin and Holland and I hope Christina Lauren's next novel is full of all the magic this one was!  

“Do you have cats?” I blink. “Cats?” “I’m allergic.” “Oh.” I frown. This is really where his brain goes first? Mine went straight to bare skin and sex sounds. “No cats.” 

Four Teapots