Roomies by Christina Lauren

January 11th, 2018 Kimberly Review 30 Comments

11th Jan
Roomies by Christina Lauren
Roomies
by Christina Lauren
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Goodreads
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Heat Level: One FlameOne FlameOne Flame

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?

TOPREAD ROMANCE smartfunny well written

Are you looking for a standalone romance that makes you swoon and laugh? Roomies by Christina Lauren delivers a romance with the arrangement trope that had me laughing and swooning in the Big Apple. Filled with passion, awkward moments, and rich characters Roomies gave me all the feels.

Things You’ll Love About Roomies

  • Holland Bakker is a smart, kind-hearted wannabee writer, who works for her Uncle on Broadway. While not musically inclined she has a passion for music. I adored the setup regarding a talented young Irishman and could identify with her on so many levels. Lauren allowed us to be a part of this young woman’s growth and I cheered from the sidelines.
  • Calvin McLoughlin is a gifted musician whose passion is evident with each strum of his guitar. An Irishman with an accent that will melt your panties, and a shyness that makes him endearing I loved how Lauren peeled back his layers.
  • While both characters grabbed my interests neither is perfect and both have secrets which made the arrangement trope work wonderfully. It isn’t often we see the marriage arrangement in modern-day romances, but Lauren made it not only work but feel real. I loved seeing these strangers go from awkward to sizzling. Lauren allowed their relationship to slowly develop giving it depth and friendship. In doing so she allowed the reader to experience all the firsts and fall in love right along with them.
  • Secondary characters added humor, warmth, interference and were well developed. This combined with the settings of the music house, subway, coffee shops and a tiny New York apartment brought the story to life. The performances were wonderful and my only regret is that we couldn’t hear the performances, but Lauren gave us all the feels.
  • The conflict(s) felt realistic and with them, we saw character growth.
  • This is a standalone romance so the reader is rewarded with a resolution in their quest for happily ever after.

Brilliant from beginning to end, Roomies provided all the elements for that romantic book high we all crave. I have no doubt this will rank among my favorites.

Filled with passion, awkward moments, and rich characters Roomies by Christina Lauren gave me all the feels. Share on X

Loveable Quotes

“This is a conversation. Holy shit, I’m having a conversation with the stranger I’ve had a crush on for months.”

“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.”

“There is a high that comes from live shows, a collective energy in a large group of people all gathered for one reason. The beat slices through the melodies and then drops; the crowd bounces and undulates like ripples of water.”

“I catch a flash of bare ass and find religion.”

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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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30 Responses to “Roomies by Christina Lauren”

  2. Angie @ Ba_BAMB

    As a matter of fact, I AM looking for a swoony, funny romance! I have heard nothing but good things about this book. I really need to dive in.

    Great review!

  5. Wattle

    Ah this sounds like good fun! I love the marriage of convenience trope lol definitely adding it to my TBR!

  6. Trish @ Between My Lines

    I catch a flash of bare ass and find religion – LOL! Sounds like a fun read, and I love that it feels realistic and has great characters. Adding to my TBR immediately!

  8. Cyn

    Okay, you’ve convinced me! My favourite trope, a 5 star read/listen and awesome quotes, sounds like this is a must read for me haha. Glad you loved it so much!! Great review, Kim!

  9. Tanya @ Girl Plus Books

    I haven’t seen one single bad (or even lukewarm) review of this one. Everyone raves about Roomies! I’ve never read anything from Christina Lauren but this one is definitely on my radar. And I already like the sound of Calvin. 🙂 Great review, Kim!

  10. Melanie Simmons

    I haven’t tried this author duo yet. I met both of them at RT17. One of them was on the panel, the other showed up in the audience. She didn’t think she would make it, but came anyway. They were a lot of fun.

  18. Quinn @ Quinn's Book Nook

    I so want to read this! I’ve never read a book by Christina Lauren, and I think this is the perfect place to start. I’m so glad you loved it. I wonder how the audiobook is. I would love to hear a great Irish accent!

  21. Nina

    I love that you really liked the secondary characters in the story! They can totally be annoying and not that interesting. 🙂

  22. Heidi

    I put this book on hold at the library right after I finished Autoboyography in November. I should be getting it soon. I hope you will try Autoboyography by this duo. I thought it was an amazing read, and I can’t wait for this one.

  27. Debbie Haupt

    Ok thanks Kim for filling up my 2018 cart already LOL. This sounds fab and I bet the narration is great with a sexy Irish accent

  29. ShootingStarsMag

    That’s great the arrangement trope worked in this one, and that the conflict all felt realistic and just helped the characters more. Sounds like a winner!!

    -Lauren