So at first I just wanted to kick Aidan. He's supposed to be reforming himself but has such nefarious plans for Jerry and Aster. But as I read on I had quite a few giggles and how his plans blow up in his face. One good thing though is that at least he actually begins to make an effort to change himself to be worthy of Aster. Then that twist in the book that puts them both in pretty much the same boat and then it's Aster's turn to face reality. I really like how they both turn out in the end.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book, although I went into this book with really high hopes, as I'd previously enjoyed all of Keyes books that I had read, I was unable to finish this book. But thank you once again for the chance.

4.5 stars! What a refreshing New Adult romance! I loved the storyline and the conflict it presented. Before you worry, this had no cheating! I know some of you can’t tolerate it, so no need to stress. Aidan didn’t allow for that…but he certainly wasn’t an angel by any stretch of the imagination and that’s what I loved about him.

The story started out totally from the male point of view of Aidan. He was rough around the edges and had a tough past, but instead of continuing down the wrong path he took a fantastic opportunity. He embraced his new life, but he was still a guy and had some of the same tendencies or inclinations he always had. It was just his nature, but to me, he was more mature.

Aidan at first I assumed was a gorgeous masculine tatted up manwhore bad boy….except he wasn’t.

Aster at frist was a blond, sweet, wholesome goody two shoes…except she wasn’t.

I can’t say any more than that…because I’m a massive spoiler-phobe.

I liked Aidan and Aster’s chemistry right from the start even though it wasn’t intense. It was more of a slow burn which built a friendship first. I actually liked that because I could savor every single gesture and look, and when I turned the page I always had hope that something more was going to happen. The whole restraint vibe is one of my favorites!

While both Aster and Aidan had baggage they both had to work really hard to overcome, they still had chips on their shoulders and it always haunted them. I was really worried at one point!! But they did overcome so many more obstacles, and it wasn’t easy. Then there’s a twist. The book soon changes to Aster’s point of view. Of course there was fallout I expected that to happen but I didn’t expect THAT. But all that made it real, and they got their HEA.

The romance was great – from the friendship to the banter, which could be hilarious, to the sexual innuendos, to the sexy times, to the deep love…it had everything. Total New Adult package!

Rec it? YES! A great slow burning romance that drew me in from the start, a great addition to your TBR if you love NA!

Happy reading!

funny, sweet, charming and hopeful! that's definitely just a few of the many words, I would use to describe this incredible book!

If you haven’t read Julianna Keyes before, this is a great book to start with! It’s not part of a series, there’s no connections to any other books so it’s a great place to start with an excellent author.

The title of this one gives away some of this book – which I completely appreciate. I like knowing what I’m getting into with a book and this one is such a redemption story and I love a good redemption story! I’ve told so many people to read this book – and to keep reading past a few chapters, because the hero is such an ass in those first few chapters. But I promise you that there is a good redemption coming…really.

Aidan moves into a new apartment at the beginning of the book with a nice guy, Jerry. Upon meeting Jerry’s girlfriend, Aster, he decided he has to have her. Aidan sets out to make that happen pretty much immediately. The dislike for this MC sets in pretty quickly, which is kind of impressive all on its own. His actions just are not…decent. Now, he doesn’t do anything to make him irredeemable but it comes close to that point. Aidan breaks the couple up essentially ruthlessly without caring how that would effect either his roommate or his roommate’s girl – only with his eye on the prize.

However, upon getting to know Aster he realizes first impressions really aren’t everything. This is where Keyes shines in my opinion. She did a wonderful job of painting a picture of kind of the perfect girl from the outside, but upon closer inspection there’s more to the story obviously. That sounds simplistic and easy to do…but I don’t think it is. Or I would have come across other books with this exact same premise carried out the same way. And quite frankly, I haven’t. The getting to know you stage of Aster and Aidan extends for quite a while through the book and it takes the reader through twists and turns with some angst thrown in, but not angst to a ridiculous degree. Again – that’s a hard thing to balance and Keyes does it incredibly well here.

Aidan is definitely redeemed by the end of the book. I kept telling my book friends that he would be, and to keep reading past his douche moments because it was coming! Keyes is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me as she hasn’t disappointed me once. I highly recommend jumping in with this book and then immediately going to her backlist!

Rating: 5 stars

Reviewer: Melinda

Title: My Roommate’s Girl

Author: Julianna Keyes

Release Date: June 12, 2017

I asked for this book based on the positive reviews, however I really do not agree with them, and that is actually goo, because we all have and this author brought out our emotions. I disliked Aiden, he was a horrible person, horrible. Supposedly he was someone who was trying to change, yet from the beginning he was going after Aster, trying to break up the relationship between Jerry his new roommate and his girlfriend Aster. Now Jerry is this really nice guy, always happy, and he did not deserve this treatment, now do not get me wrong, I do not condone cheating at all, under any circumstances, however, Aiden plied him with constant alcohol, and then put a prostitute to work on him, even seeing him struggling trying to not get turned on by this girl, he saw Jerry struggling and how miserable he was, my heart went out to Jerry, and I am a person who hates, hates cheating, but I was more upset with Aiden. Now Aster, wasn't the best, after finding out her story, and the why she was with Jerry, but still, I would not wish Aiden on anyone, so I kind of wished, I had spend this time on another book. The writing was not bad, so I still gave it three, because others did appreciate, just not me.

Unfortunately, this title archived before I was able to download. Oh how I wanted to read this one.

I had high hopes for My Roommate’s Girl in spite of the premise, because I adored Julianna Keyes’ Undecided. She wrote amazing chemistry, characters and plot in Undecided and even though I had a few issues with Undeclared I still enjoyed it. My Roommate’s Girl was something else entirely for me. I was expecting to be upset with Aiden’s actions in the beginning, because hey, there’s nothing good about plotting to steal another guy’s girl, but I thought I’d get a big character turn around, and he’d redeem himself by the end. I didn’t really get that. Yes, I did feel a little bit of remorse on Aiden’s part for his actions and the grief it caused Aster and Jerry, but not much.

Aiden never came off as a particularly nice guy; he seemed mainly out for his own selfish interests without much thought for other people. I can’t honestly say what Aster saw in him, I didn’t feel like he stood out in any way, except that he got a second chance with a dream scholarship after messing up big time in his teenage years. Did he appreciate that second chance? Yes, but I don’t think he really embraced it, and it felt like he was just doing the minimum to keep in the program and get by. The move he pulled on Jerry, (Aster’s boyfriend in the beginning and Aiden’s roommate), was so completely selfish and such a dick move! Talk about entrapment. I think Aster should’ve given poor Jerry a second chance, especially after how understanding and accepting he ended up being with her in the end. I kept waiting for Aiden to somehow show me that he was worth all the trouble he caused. I don’t ever feel like he completely redeemed himself and I was supremely disappointed with his actions at about the 80% mark.

I didn’t feel much in the way of chemistry to sway my opinion and feelings, either. Oh, well. Not every book will work for every reader. Onto the next one.

My Roommate's Girl is so not what I expected. And that's a very good thing. I was expecting a really steamy story where manwhore takes one look at his new roommie's girl and sets out to seduce her, disregarding the roommate and the girlfriend's feelings on the matter. What I actually got was a study of a deeply flawed man who sets into motion a set of actions that affects everyone: himself, the girlfriend, the roommate; and ends up as two flawed individuals finding love, acceptance, commonalities and healing in the least likeliest of places.

Aidan is said manwhore, only he's not actually a manwhore. He may have been once upon a time, but he isn't at the start, nor at any point throughout My Roommate's Girl. Aster is the roommate's girlfriend. Jerry is the roommate. Adian is part of a program wherein people go to college rather than going to prison. Aidan had gotten caught stealing cars one too many times, and a judge gave him a choice: college or prison. Because he's not stupid, he chose college. "I'm here because the judge told me if I didn't go to college I'd be going to jail instead. I'm not an idiot. I took it. I took the scholarship they probably could have given to some kid who wasn't faking his gratitude. But hey, I figured I'd made a living taking things that weren't mine--why stop now?" He meets his new roommate's girlfriend, Aster, and boom, he wants her and decides eventually that he will get her. But to do that, he needs to break Aster and Jerry up. "But Aster's a nice person, a good person. She's not going to f*** me if she has a boyfriend. So the boyfriend will have to go." And...there you go, eventually, they break up after Aidan pays off a prostitute to give Jerry a bj, and Aidan now has his chance right in front of him. Only, he doesn't really grab the chance. Instead, he and Aster somehow become friends, good friends. And Aidan starts falling deeper and deeper and feels guilty for his part in the breakup, but, because he is who he is, he doesn't come clean about his part in the breakup. It isn't until Aster lets loose on Aidan and he realizes just how bad he messed up, that things start to happen for them. But, only after Aidan finds out that Aster wasn't really who he thought she was, that just maybe they're not as different as he had thought.

As the two find their way into a relationship, I was cringing, because I just knew the inevitable explosion was going to be ugly, and it was. But, the wrapup was kind of a beautiful thing, and Aidan, and even Aster did a lot of character growth. Kudos to Julianna Keyes for this thoughtful, well written story. It's a big step outside the norm of romances these days, and I really ended up appreciating its uniqueness.

I know a lot of romance readers steer clear of NA books. I get it, I do. It’s difficult to achieve the right balance writing about college kids maturing into adulthood – and not a lot of writers are able to do it well. One writer who does successfully navigate this transitional time period is Julianna Keyes. My Roommate’s Girl gets the tone, the emotions and the relationships just right. It’s sexy, romantic and the plot – though unusual – is entertaining and engrossing. There are twists, funny PoVs and bad decisions – but it all works. This is NA at its best.

Aidan has been given a second chance. After another arrest for boosting cars, the judge gives him a choice; go to jail or participate in a second chance program for troubled kids. Aidan, who has a history of making poor decisions, finally makes a good one and he heads to the fictional Holsom College. But the scholarship comes with caveats: stay out of trouble with the law (duh), maintain a minimum GPA, and participate in the schools’ Promise & Potential Program. He’s managed to balance all three, but heading into his third year, he’s concerned the distractions of living on campus are jeopardizing his second chance. He convinces his program director to let him rent a room in town, and My Roommate’s Girl details how this seemingly good decision goes awry when he follows it up with a spectacularly bad one.

From the few texts they’ve exchanged, Aidan knows Jerry, his new roommate, is pre-med, a meticulous recycler, and, from his appearance when they first meet, a fan of polo shirts and the color purple. Jerry helps him bring in his few belongings and everything is fine until he introduces Aidan to his girlfriend Aster. Aidan looks at Aster and he’s done. He wants her.

Almost from the moment he meets Aster, Aidan plots to break up her relationship with Jerry and claim her for his own. When his plan succeeds – oh, it’s a terrible, horrible, sneaky plan – he feels bad for Jerry, but not bad enough to stay away from Aster. A week passes, and one late night he finds himself walking past the dorm where she is a Resident Adviser. When he hears his name, he turns to find Aster helping a drunk resident into the dorm. His offer to help is just the opportunity he needs to inveigle himself back into her life.

Under the guise of helping her get over Jerry and being a good friend, Aidan finds reasons to spend more and more time with Aster – hoping their friendship will turn into more. He alternately feels sorry for his roommate and guilty about his role in the break-up, but it doesn’t deter him from pursuing Aster. After weeks as ‘just friends,’ she agrees to go out with him on a date (he thinks), and Aidan is convinced their relationship is going to change. But when he arrives (with flowers), Aster pretends she forgot and has other plans. Despite alarm bells ringing LOUDLY in Aidan’s head telling him something is off about her behavior, he confronts her and asks why she’s lying. The tension builds until Aidan, frantic, kisses her. When the kiss quickly turns passionate, Aidan is overwhelmed with how right it is, until Aster…

Well, I’m not going to tell you! But it isn’t what I (or Aidan) expected! Aster’s response to the kiss, and the twist that takes place shortly afterwards, move the novel in a completely new direction. And introduces Aster’s PoV.

You’d be forgiven for thinking Aidan reads like a bit of a selfish asshole up to this point and… well… he is. Sort of. He tries to fight his desire for Aster, but when they aren’t together, he’s fantasizing about her and when they are… well, it’s all he can do to keep his hands to himself. When Aidan plots to break up Jerry and Aster, he knows it’s wrong but does it anyway. And lives to regret it. But it’s a bit too simple to say Aidan is a bad guy who does bad things. As the story unfolds, we see how hard he’s trying – and mostly succeeding – at changing his life. But he has TERRIBLE impulse control. Unfortunately for Aster, he’s classic bad boy catnip – handsome, slightly dangerous, rough around the edges, tatted up – with a witty and wry sense of humor, and a great big soft spot for her. I not-so-secretly loved him, and frankly, Aster doesn’t really stand a chance once he targets her. His PoV is alternately awkward, painful and hilarious, and it’s hard not to root for him despite his despicable behavior.

Aster is all the things Aidan thinks she is – good, pure, and sweet – but as the second half of the novel slowly reveals, there’s a whole lot more to Aster than meets the eye. She’s also smart, fierce and resilient. At first she’s a bit too good to be true, and I love that Ms. Keyes never shies away from that characterization. Instead, she enhances it by slowly and relentlessly peeling away Aster’s sunny facade to reveal her painful and heartbreaking backstory. She’s more than a match for Aidan and gives as good as she gets. I loved her PoV, and it’s a nice little bonus to re-wind the first half of the book through her eyes. Suffice it to say, her version is similar (she falls pretty hard for Aidan), but different in some very significant ways.

One of the major strengths of Ms. Keyes’ writing is her talent for dialogue. Conversations and PoVs are crisp, sharp and often very funny (and dry) – and I frequently find myself wincing/laughing/groaning as I read along. She also writes great principals with smoking hot chemistry. After the twist that splits the book, the relationship between Aidan and Aster changes. I don’t want to spoil the story (I do – but I won’t!), but I can tell you they’re a dynamic and perfect pair. The past – his and hers – features prominently in the second half of the novel, and it’s a tense, sexy and frustrating journey to their happily ever after. Sigh. I loved them.

I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention two terrific secondary characters who play pivotal roles in this story – Jerry and Missy (a friend of Aster’s). Much like the excellent secondary characters in the Burnham College books, these two pop off the pages. Though the break-up (orchestrated by Aidan) was Jerry’s fault, you can’t help feeling sorry for him and I hope Ms. Keyes finds a way to write a redemptive story about this loveable loser. Missy is Aster’s over-the-top friend who sort of has the hots for Aidan and plays on his frisbee baseball (?!) team. When Aidan pursues Aster and then… (ha! I’m not going to tell you), Missy engages in her own delightfully deranged version of revenge. She’s great, Jerry’s great… fingers crossed Ms. Keyes decides to give us more of these characters.

My Roommate’s Girl is proof – yet again – that Julianna Keyes is a masterful storyteller. Her NA books are the perfect blend of romantic, funny, and entertaining. I enjoyed every bit of it and I bet you will too.

Aiden was given a second chance. He vowed to stop stealing. But temptation in the form of Aster, might be too much for them. She is his roommates girl and he wants nothing more then to steal her away from his roommate Jerry.

I really loved this story and the characters. There are a few surprise twists, I didn't see coming. But I loved cocky Aiden. I also love that there is a lot of growth in these characters.

This book amazed me. I just loved it. There are a lot of college romance novels on the Market but this is unique in it's storyline. The story starts in the POV of the male main character Aiden. He is in a program for trouble teenagers that forces him to join college. He is moves in with his friend and meets Aster, the friends girlfriend.
From here the book starts to progress. Aiden wants Aster in every way and how/if he gets her - you have to read the book.
I just loved the way Julianna Keyes wrote this story. It has lots of aspects and twists and turns. That makes it so good that you just have to read on. The twists are so fun and clever that you can not imagine how they turn out.
The book has twists, turns, drama, romance, humor, chemistry and some steamy scenes.
The support characters could have had more to say in the book, but they still have a meaning. Hereby I am a naive boyfriend and the parents.
I would have loved some more steamy scenes, but it is young people so that comes later on.
Aidans POV is the first 20 chapters and I would have liked that it was a dual POV from early in the book because that could have answered some of the questions about Aster and her feelings.
A real and beautiful romance. A book about personal growth.
I can only recommend the book. Worth the time reading!

I'm so happy to receive an ecopy of this book, considering it's been so long since I ever wanted to read this lovely one. I just found it on goodreads and people been talking about this one nonstop, that's the first thing I ever declared myself to try my luck to request it on NetGalley. And I was so happy to get accepted to review it.

First of all, let's talk about the cover. People keep saying "dont judge a book by its cover", but honestly, who doesnt love the book cover. it's pretty amazing.
Second of all, I love the story pretty much. The story plot is understandable, so I didnt need to read it twice or so to get the point of it. Lastly, I just love the book very much. You guys definitely need to check it out, if you love a book with romantical story inside. :)

Somehow I couldn't quite fully connect with this book. A certain spark was missing to get me really invested.

Aidan is a real bastard at the beginning, I disliked him. But he grows on you so sneakily, at some point he gets much more depth to his character and he is more likeable.

Aster was such a goody two-shoes at first, quite boring really. I was very excited when she turned out to be the exact opposite because then she was a more exciting character.

Despite the characters growing on me throughout the book I still think how the plot progressed was boring. The plot in itself was interesting and quite original but I wished for more and it didn't deliver. I will definitely check out Julianne Keyes' other books, though.

I've enjoyed Julianna Keyes previous book so the blurb intrigued me. It certainly started out as curiosity what with a title like that plus the whole second chance to a felon thing. I had no clue where this would go to it seemed straightforward enough but I don't know how I felt about a guy purposely devising ways to get rid of the boyfriend/roomate in this scenario. Given that Aidan had this bad boy edge and go getter way about him. Oh the temptation is real with a girl like Aster.

Aidan somewhat succeeds but the foil in his plans he didn't realize. Like an Tom and Jerry where the plan is outwitted. Well played author. It went in a different direction than I thought when you think you know someone you don't and if you look beyond the surface there's more. It also served as an important turning point for them.

I really enjoyed how the author's writing style brings out the clever and smart aspect of this story. The concept of characters who got a second chance and is learning what to do with it. Aidan might look like the guy from the wrong side of the tracks and Aster might be perfect on the outside both have a story to tell.

What I like about this story is that it depicts the college experience finding oneself learning to adapt and mistakes along the way. It has the essence of a good NA and nicely done too. I have a new author of this genre I look forward to. Everyone deserves a second chance.

The only other book by Julianna Keye’s that I have read was Undecided. Which I really enjoyed. (Like, wow I didn’t realize I could enjoy New Adult books so much-enjoyed.) This one started off rocky for me. I liked that Aiden was trying to turn his life around but I instantly disliked him for what he did between Aster and her boyfriend. It completely turned me off to his character and I began to loose interest about 25% into the book. Thankfully it was well written and I found myself just continuing it to see what happens. When we find out more about Aster’s background and begin to read from her point of view and I was hooked again. (Highlight for spoiler: she’s apart of the same program as Aiden and was in jail. She’s had a hard life and does not trust anyone.) So naturally I was yet again swept away into Julianna’s twisty, complicated romances and had to finish the book. What followed was a whole lot of steamy romance and a crap storm of complications neither could have ever seen coming. I enjoyed the character growth in both Aster and Aiden and I especially enjoyed watched Aiden again and again try to learn from his mistakes and do better.

Not my favorite but still enjoyable. My Roommate’s Girl is good for those that like well written New Adult steamy romance with a touch of bad boy/girl. Expect lots of angsty plot twists and bad decisions.

Love Aster and Aidan's story. Aiden action lead by selfish motives leads him to question not only his motives but himself and his relationships and the people affected. Aster thought she was happy until Aiden destroyed her illusion. This book is filled with twists, forgiveness and second chances. Recommended read

When I first saw this book on NetGalley I didn't know what to think about it. First of all, this book was written by Julianna Keyes. I read a couple of her book before and I really enjoyed those. However, I wasn't sold with the concept of this book. I just couldn't see how this would work because let's be honest, Aiden would have to do something bad to "steal" his roommate's girlfriend (and he did it). So yeah, this could have been a big problem to me (and it was, in the beginning) but I quite enjoyed this book.

Let's talk about the characters first. I'm going to be honest here, I didn't like them in the first 20% of this book. Actually, I wasn't enjoying this book that much in the first 20%. Aiden was an a**hole and he just wanted Aster because she was hot. He didn't even care if she was happy in her relationship or not. Aster, I don't know... I really didn't trust her at all (and it turns out I was right not to do it. However, both of them grew on me. Aiden was really an a**hole but ended up being a good kind of a**hole. He grew so much during this book. He did something wrong but he really felt guilty for it (even if that's not an excuse) and he ended up realizing there are more important things in life. Aster... she was different. She was one of those girls who hasn't had an easy life and who are trying to get a way out of that situation but she was more than that too. She was such a strong girl and she really knew what she wanted. To be honest, she was quite a surprise to me but after learning her story I completely understood her behavior. I did love these two together. First of all, they helped each other a lot but they also understood each other. It also helps that they had a great chemistry.

Being my third Julianna Keyes book I kind of knew what to expect from it, but just like I said, I really didn't like the first 20% of this book and that includes the writing. However it got so much better. I also really liked that there was a change of the POV after a certain something happened. In the beginning this book is told only from Aiden's POV but at one point it changes to dual POV. I loved how the author incorporated this so she could hide a few things.

Overall, this book didn't start out the best way but I ended up loving it anyway. If you're into romances and bad boys you should definitely read this one.

4 Surprising Stars!

My Roommate's Girl by Julianna Keyes tells the story of college students Aidan and Aster. After being caught for stealing cars, Aidan is left with the choice to either go to college, as part of a program that aims to help troubled youth while providing them with a free education, or to jail. Obviously, he chooses college.

As a third year student, Aidan is excited to be moving into an apartment with a roommate and not being stuck in the residence halls. This is how he meets, Aster (his roommate's girlfriend). He decides he immediately wants her, or at least to have sex with her, and he sets a plan in place to get what he wants.

From the outside, Aster is your everyday girl next door. She works as a residence advisor at her college, has plans for law school, and is dating a pre-med student. When she meets her boyfriend's new roommate, little does she know things in her life are about to change. Aster has her own secrets and past she's determined to keep hidden, but will Aidan be able to see beyond her outside appearance and really see her?

This is the first book I've read by this author and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. After the first few chapters, I was pretty much set on the fact that I would hate this book. Why? Because I hated the fact that a guy was purposely trying to break up a couple just because he wanted to hook up with the girl. I hated the way Aidan went about his plan and it honestly just irked me. However, I kept reading and I'm glad I did.

I was quite surprised when Aster's own secrets came to life. I honestly didn't expect it and as someone who finds some books quite predictable, this was an added bonus. I definitely think this is what sets this book apart from other books with the same theme. Instead of a book about a boy trying to get a girl, is was more about a boy and girl trying to figure out their lives and I thought that was refreshing.

The writing is great, the characters are nicely developed and interesting, and the plot takes you where you might not expect it. Honestly, I thought this book was going to be more or a comedic fight for a girl type situation, but it is the exact opposite.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

That’s the second book of this author that I had the pleasure of reading. I get the necessity for character building, but I have to admit I struggled to finish this one. It had some pretty exciting moments but at the same time, some parts were too long, and I found myself skipping through the main characters’ inner monologue. It seemed like Aster would go on and on about how she pictured her perfect life with Jerry, life devoid of passion, yet full of the things which she always wanted like stability and safety.

Aiden, the converted bad boy, who is trying to fit into the college life, without giving into all the temptations that ruined his teenage life and made him into a criminal. Apart from the description of his tattoos, there is hardly any mention of what he looks like up to like the middle of the book, which annoyed me a little bit. I just couldn’t seem to picture him in my head and it might be that I’m just imaginarily challenged.

Anyway, I did expect a lot from this story, since I loved the Burnham College series.