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kaitrates's review against another edition
I loved the premise of this book and it seemed right up my alley. Plus, after a series of less spicy reads I knew this would bring the heat.
And it did. I especially enjoyed and appreciated the mutual masturbation scene as those aren't too common.
However, despite being most of the way through it, I find myself not caring enough about these characters or the plot to finish. Maybe its because I've already read book 2 (side note: I am VERY glad I read that one first as I don't think I'd continue reading this author if I started with this one AND, frustratingly, Naomi annoys me in this book).
It took me this long—and the first PIV scene—to really put my finger on WHY I don't enjoy this book. In short: it reads to me as so painfully straight. There's many examples of this but it comes together in teh first PIV scene where we get, among other things:
And it did. I especially enjoyed and appreciated the mutual masturbation scene as those aren't too common.
However, despite being most of the way through it, I find myself not caring enough about these characters or the plot to finish. Maybe its because I've already read book 2 (side note: I am VERY glad I read that one first as I don't think I'd continue reading this author if I started with this one AND, frustratingly, Naomi annoys me in this book).
It took me this long—and the first PIV scene—to really put my finger on WHY I don't enjoy this book. In short: it reads to me as so painfully straight. There's many examples of this but it comes together in teh first PIV scene
- a detailed account of the BJ she gives him and absolutely no details of him going down on her (after building up his skills the entire book)
- minimal prep for her when we've been told time and again how big he is and how nervous she is in the moment
- reliance on so hard/so wet narrative when these are indicators of arousal, not desire
.
Also because so so much of it is based on miscommunication and them just not talking it out. UGH
It also deeply bothered me how much he couldn't control himself around her, something that was repeated often. I hate this device in no small part because of how it plays into a culture that positions male sexuality as a need (and all the violent repercussions of that). I understand narratively why this choice was made—to highlight how she impacted him vs his work—but even that setup felt off to me. It was one of many moments where it felt like Josh's sexual knowledge only extended to the physical, and not the intimate. Which, in turn, felt weirdly objectifying to me.
As for Clara, well this isn't the first time I've written about my dislike of "poor little rich" characters. I just don't care about the problems of people whom society supports. And yes, rich, thin, able-bodied WW are included in that. There've been a few exceptions to this (Just Like Magic for its pure audacity and bonkers-ness) but The Roommate wasn't it. Also, while I understood her fraught relationship with her body, I wish I had known about those aspects of the book ahead of time.
Even though this wasn't for me, I'm super grateful for the (mostly) positive sex worker rep. I want more of that in romance! And I'll give Danan another shot as I did enjoy The Intimacy Experiment.
Also because so so much of it is based on miscommunication and them just not talking it out. UGH
It also deeply bothered me how much he couldn't control himself around her, something that was repeated often. I hate this device in no small part because of how it plays into a culture that positions male sexuality as a need (and all the violent repercussions of that). I understand narratively why this choice was made—to highlight how she impacted him vs his work—but even that setup felt off to me. It was one of many moments where it felt like Josh's sexual knowledge only extended to the physical, and not the intimate. Which, in turn, felt weirdly objectifying to me.
As for Clara, well this isn't the first time I've written about my dislike of "poor little rich" characters. I just don't care about the problems of people whom society supports. And yes, rich, thin, able-bodied WW are included in that. There've been a few exceptions to this (Just Like Magic for its pure audacity and bonkers-ness) but The Roommate wasn't it. Also, while I understood her fraught relationship with her body, I wish I had known about those aspects of the book ahead of time.
Even though this wasn't for me, I'm super grateful for the (mostly) positive sex worker rep. I want more of that in romance! And I'll give Danan another shot as I did enjoy The Intimacy Experiment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Body shaming and Eating disorder
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