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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Listening to this on audio made the story better for me, I think.
Hypocrisy in the way Holland dealt with conflict made me a bit ragey, but overall good book!
Hypocrisy in the way Holland dealt with conflict made me a bit ragey, but overall good book!
A cute, fast read. Lots of great rom-com feels. I liked the musical setting and the chemistry that Holland and Calvin shared.
Spoiler
I struggled a bit with the main protagonist though. I understand that she was lacking in self-confidence and direction, and she was really averse to facing conflict. But it felt like Calvin repeatedly made himself emotionally available to her and was at least 98% clear that he had real feelings for her and wanted to act on them. Holland's inability to just ask directly in those moments was frustrating. He was putting himself out there, not just for sex, but to say he cared deeply for her, and she would just stand there questioning him in her head, rather than just ask. She seemed to still need him to say more??? Similarly, the final conflict of Calvin lying to his family felt a little far fetched and detached. It just didn't fit his character development to me and I was disappointed in that was the plot device used to break the trust in him.
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.
Looking for a quick, fun, and yes, sexy read? Holland has a crush on a guitar playing subway busker, unaware of his Juilliard background. When she introduces him to her uncle, a famous playwright looking for a unique musician, Holland comes up with a way to keep her Irish musician, Calvin, in the country and available to take the job. Not literary fiction, but a really fun book.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i liked this book much more than i expected too, really good, would have been a five star but there were a couple of communication things that didn’t do it for me
This book is gushy, giggly, sexy fun.
Christina Lauren has guaranteed herself an auto read on my romance list.
Christina Lauren has guaranteed herself an auto read on my romance list.
I'm just rating this high because I'm both an immigrant and a musician so, hey, I get it. It's tough for everyone out here.
But truly, this is one of the girls' earlier works and it very much shows. The craft is a little more than raw, and it was incredibly jarring to turn the page into the next chapter and "woah, we clearly just switched authors." True reaction.
It's the same problem I had with The Unhoneymooners. The moment those two left Hawaii, you can SEE that manuscript changed hands. It was like you were *reading* the same book but with entirely new characters who held but a mere resemblance of the ones on earlier chapters. It's a very jarring experience, and because my dislike for The Unhoneymooners runs deep, I was sitting there fuming, thinking "Which one was it? Which one of you ruined it?" While picturing Christina and Lauren's faces.
I never got to find that out, unfortunately. So I just blame both.
I really enjoyed the story on this one, however, so neither of them of them went as far as to ruin it. Wish we would have seen more of the music and immigration aspect, tho. But hey, I love Broadway, and the story was unique and creative, so I'll overlook the faults for you, my loves.
It was a first of its kind for me, so in my opinion, it deserves a read for the concept alone. You might love it way more than I did, if you can be less critical than I was ❤✨
But truly, this is one of the girls' earlier works and it very much shows. The craft is a little more than raw, and it was incredibly jarring to turn the page into the next chapter and "woah, we clearly just switched authors." True reaction.
It's the same problem I had with The Unhoneymooners. The moment those two left Hawaii, you can SEE that manuscript changed hands. It was like you were *reading* the same book but with entirely new characters who held but a mere resemblance of the ones on earlier chapters. It's a very jarring experience, and because my dislike for The Unhoneymooners runs deep, I was sitting there fuming, thinking "Which one was it? Which one of you ruined it?" While picturing Christina and Lauren's faces.
I never got to find that out, unfortunately. So I just blame both.
I really enjoyed the story on this one, however, so neither of them of them went as far as to ruin it. Wish we would have seen more of the music and immigration aspect, tho. But hey, I love Broadway, and the story was unique and creative, so I'll overlook the faults for you, my loves.
It was a first of its kind for me, so in my opinion, it deserves a read for the concept alone. You might love it way more than I did, if you can be less critical than I was ❤✨
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Este es el primer libro que leo de las autoras y ya entiendo porqué tienen tantos éxitos.
Si bien lo escuché, me pasó algo que no me suele pasar con los audiolibros que es: no quería parar de escuchar. Usualmente escucho los audiolibros mientras hago alguna tarea rutinaria: limpiar, doblar la ropa, lavar los platos, el skin care… pero en este caso la narración/historia era tan fluida que sin darme cuenta me quedaba escuchando, incluso cuando ya había terminado de hacer lo que estaba haciendo en primer lugar.
Si bien el comienzo de la historia tiene ese dejo de esto no pasaría en la vida real lo que viene luego es mucho más esto definitivamente pasaría en la vida real, por lo cual no me disgustó tanto ese principio.
Una de las cosas que más me gustó, aparte del exquisito acento de Calvin, fue la protagonista: Holland, porque me recordó muchísimo a mí. Ese sentimiento de estar en un limbo de tu vida, no saber lo que estás haciendo, lo que quieres hacer, dónde estarás en 10 años… I get it girl. Y me gustó mucho el mensaje que dejan las autoras al respecto de ese aspecto. Me llegó justito al cora.
Es de esas historias que te hacen creer que el amor existe, y yo vivo para esa clase de historias.
Si bien lo escuché, me pasó algo que no me suele pasar con los audiolibros que es: no quería parar de escuchar. Usualmente escucho los audiolibros mientras hago alguna tarea rutinaria: limpiar, doblar la ropa, lavar los platos, el skin care… pero en este caso la narración/historia era tan fluida que sin darme cuenta me quedaba escuchando, incluso cuando ya había terminado de hacer lo que estaba haciendo en primer lugar.
Si bien el comienzo de la historia tiene ese dejo de esto no pasaría en la vida real lo que viene luego es mucho más esto definitivamente pasaría en la vida real, por lo cual no me disgustó tanto ese principio.
Una de las cosas que más me gustó, aparte del exquisito acento de Calvin, fue la protagonista: Holland, porque me recordó muchísimo a mí. Ese sentimiento de estar en un limbo de tu vida, no saber lo que estás haciendo, lo que quieres hacer, dónde estarás en 10 años… I get it girl. Y me gustó mucho el mensaje que dejan las autoras al respecto de ese aspecto. Me llegó justito al cora.
Es de esas historias que te hacen creer que el amor existe, y yo vivo para esa clase de historias.
this was so fun and easy to read!!! i loved it! i felt that it needed a little more time at the conclusion– it was a little abrupt. but overall i really enjoyed it :)