I really loved and enjoyed this book. Really a wonderful story, I loved the characters and there chemistry together.

I immediately wanted to do a reread of this book the minute I finished it! It was one of those books that made me think “now what do I do with my life” after I was done. The characters are captivating, partly due to the fact that neither is perfect. Holland was a character I easily related to. Scrambling through life, not quite sure what to do, a lot due in part to her fear of failure. She’s never been a risk taker, and doesn’t know (or doesn’t want to) stick up for herself.

In an impulsive move, Holland ends up proposing marriage to this guy, Calvin, a street musician she has a crush on, even though they’ve never spoken. The reason behind her proposing is so that he can stay in the country (he is here illegally) and be the lead guitarist in her uncle’s Broadway show (which happens to be his dream). I really liked how the story progressed, but I will say I was left a little bit wanting at the end. It just wrapped up a bit too quickly for my liking.

In romance novels, you’ll find every kind of guy under the sun. However, it does seem that the regular good guy doesn’t show up as much – and the regular good guy is my favorite. Calvin was just that. He’s truly a good, nice, genuine guy. Does he make mistakes and missteps? Yes. But his intentions and actions up to and after those mistakes speak to the fact that he is a man of good character.

Overall, it was a truly enjoyable read. Fun, heartwarming, and swoon-inducing. Not only are the characters relatable, the writing, particularly about Calvin’s music is vivid and captivating. I hope to read more books by this wonderful duo that is Christina Lauren very soon!

If you are up for a sexy Irish musician, an awkward, yet adorable heroine (that's all of us, amiright?!), a dash of Broadway drama, and zany antics-- ONE-CLICK THIS ISH RIGHT NOW!

Christina Lauren's newest book is amazing! It is super sexy and witty. She makes me fall in love every time I pick up one of her books!

Holland Bakker has become obsessed with wanting to listen to a musician who plays in different subways in New York. She knows which days of the week where he plays and adjusts her schedule to hear his music, but not able to speak to him. One night while listening she is pushed by a stranger on to the tracks and he is the one who rescues her. Weeks go by and she by chance meets him at a bar where he is playing with a band. Days later when a musician walks out on her uncle who is a music director for the theater that she works for, she takes him to the subway to listen to him play. Asking him to come back to the theater everyone is blown away by his talent and the way he plays the guitar. Upstairs and being offered a job he has to turn it down because he let his visa expire. Calvin McLoughlin is from Ireland, and went to Julliard only to let his visa expire. Getting odd gigs and playing in the subway is how he makes it. Days later Holland decides to do something that is so far out of her normal that it not only shocks her but everyone around her. This though will her uncle who is important to her and it will help Calvin. She asks Calvin to marry her. He agrees after discussing it. He is working and they are living together and like every fake couple they fall in love. Everything is happy right? Wrong, his family comes over from Ireland and calls her by his old girlfriend name. He does not correct them and there lies the problem. She loves him, but to him she is a roomie. Now there is a lot more to this story will they get together? All of the characters are good from the two main, to her uncle’s, and the mean boss we have all had one of those, but what really is good is the author takes you on a journey of growth and you get to see all of the characters grow. This really makes the story work and just adds to an already wonderful book. Very much worth the read.

Christina Lauren can do no wrong! This is one of my new favorite books and I can see myself reading it over and over again!

Loved everything about this book. Christina Lauren always bring it with these awesome, sexy and sweet stories. Can’t wait for more!!

I read a lot of contemporaries in my end-of-year rush, but one of my favorites of the month — if not the year — was this lovely ARC by power duo Christina Lauren. As a former professional journalist who is obsessed with musical theater and a certain male lead from Outlander, I feel like this “marriage of convenience” story gave me everything I needed. I literally laughed out loud countless times due to the shenanigans between our two MCs and recommend this to anyone looking for a quick and coquettishly charming read. Full RTC.

This was one of the most original books that I've read in awhile, but its length was off putting. I felt like I was dragged through their relationship foreeeever.

There was a lot to like about Roomies. A sweet loveable heroine who can’t seem to figure out who she is. A handsome, talented, thoughtful hero who wants to follow his dreams. New York City. A marriage of convenience – a tried and true trope. However, after a promising start for Holland Bakker and Calvin McLoughlin, where they meet and fall in love and explore their attraction with the backdrop of a Broadway production, it devolves into a somewhat unbelievable romp. The last third of the book was a bit long and there was too much time spent in Holland’s head and it was a whiny place to be. While I applaud Holland for finding herself and her muse, having her live in misguided misery for months when a simple conversation would have resolved her relationship woes was annoying and sucked some of the fun out of the story for me. B for the first half/C for the ending.

Here's the thing, I have a lot of mixed thoughts on this book.

There were scenes that I laughed at or sighed over or just plain enjoyed.

And I am a fucking sucker for an Irish hero, so there's that.

But I'm not sure that I really loved the romance, I was very disappointed by the lack of sex [remember when Lauren used to do SUPER HOT scenes? Yeah, I miss those days. Now we get off-page PG-13 mentions, if that.], and the entire set up for this story is . . . tonedeaf at best. Illegal immigrant hero who is trying to stay in the country? OH AND HE'S WHITE AS FUCKING SNOW? Yeah, yeah, okay, nothing wrong with that.

And don't even @ me with "Oh, but this was probably written/sold to the publisher a few years ago, so don't take it so personally with today's politics!" Fuck that! "Today's politics" is not NEW, immigration and how our country treats and views immigrants of color is not NEW, I'm sorry if you're just now hearing about it Susan but it's not fucking new, so it doesn't matter WHEN this book was written, it's still relevant.

Also, as many have pointed out, the fact that the heroine [like many from Lauren, come to think of it] has so much privilege that she just gets these jobs that don't actually exist, but she's the boss's niece so it's cool? Yeah, don't get me started on all that.

Like I said, I have some issues with this book. And those parts were more like 2 stars, MAX, for me.

[By the time I started this book, my library also had the audiobook, which I decided to use. This part of my review is only relevant for the audiobook, not the ARC I received from NG.]

Add to that the narrator who often slipped into a half-Irish accent during the THERE'S-NO-IRISH-ACCENT-FROM-THIS-CHARACTER-RIGHT-NOW parts? That was annoying. Now, either she got better in the second half of the book or I just stopped noticing by then, I'm not sure which. But man, it was super annoying when I *was* noticing it.



But . . . there were little parts that I liked. Their "fake" text messages, for one. The vibrator scene and conversation. The "I was going to surprise you with a BJ under this restaurant table but SHIT my uncles tagged along with you" scene. Things like that, I really did enjoy. But not enough to raise my overall rating beyond a generous 3 stars.

So I liked this one, but I had some issues, and most importantly I'm not going to just ignore the white illegal immigrant part (or just how white and cishet this NYC is -- oh, sorry, most of the theater guys were apparently gay but the rest of NYC was straight, which, NAH, stereotypical much? FFS.]

I really do miss Lauren's older books. With DYHY and now this one, I feel like they're quickly moving towards chick-lit and women's fiction and that's not what I'm interested in. I hope they go back to writing some actual romances again, too, but I'm not holding my breath at this point.

A solid romance from two who know their bread and butter.

Any positive buzz you may have heard about this read is justifiable. I read this book nearly a month ago and I still find myself thinking about it. It's the kind of love-story that you can see coming, but the writing duo known as Christina Lauren took a marriage of convenience trope to a new level. This slow-burn romance is not one to miss.

The beginning of Holland and Calvin's story comes about from some unusual circumstance, but everything about them is electric. Watching the development of their relationship is an experience. So much of the story is about growth, about Holland finding permanence in a temporary life, about Calvin creating a real place for himself in New York. About two people beating the odds.

Any initial angst seems to come from Holland overthinking things, but I loved her spirit and generosity. The story is well paced and when the real drama kicks in, my heart was smashed. Calvin's decision making skills left a bit to be desired, giving Holland much to contemplate and transforms the story into one about hope and redemption.

I always seem to find myself completely absorbed in a Christina Lauren book. The characters are always three dimensional. It's another stunning read from this duo and once again they deliver on another favorite for the year.

"It’s exactly the way the story needs to unfold through music. It feels nostalgic . . . I’m already regretting the end."

I loved this story which brought back all kinds of memories of the 1990 movie GREEN CARD. That is a good thing because I've always loved that movie and have watched it many times.

Holland Bakker is an archivist for a popular Broadway musical. There was definitely nepotism working when she got the job. Her uncle is the musical director and composed the show. She's a bit lost in what she actually wants to do with her life. She graduated from Yale and then Columbia with a degree in English and an MFA in Creative Writing. So what's she doing WAY backstage in musical theater?

For the past few months she's been taking every opportunity to watch a busker who plays classical guitar in the subway and, when the opportunity presents itself, she suggests to her uncle that he audition this busker, Calvin McLoughlin, for a vital spot in his musical.
The only problem - Calvin is in the U.S. on a long expired work visa.

Funny, sexy, heartwarming, romantic, sad, glad, and all kinds of emotions are in this book. One thing I kept thinking while I was reading it was that I'd love to hear the soundtrack for this story - or at least Calvin's portions.

I heartily recommend this to all the romantics out there.

I received this book from Gallery Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read the book and leave an unbiased review.

Roomies by Christina Lauren
Standalone Contemporary/NA Romance
I haven’t read a lot of Christina Lauren books, but I am so glad I chose Roomies! Having a son who is a gifted guitar player, I loved the musical aspect of the story. Set in New York City’s Broadway district, Roomies was a unique and refreshing departure from most of the recent novels I have read.

*Note: I tell a little about the story here, but no more than the blurb. You can skip to the likes and dislikes and down & dirty if you don’t want that.

Holland Bakker lives in New York working for her uncle’s husband, the musical director of the hottest show on Broadway. They treat her like their own and have done so much for Holland, she feels she owes them everything. With a masters degree in writing, Holland’s dream of becoming a great novelist have gone nowhere because she has had writers block since she graduated. Her lack of self confidence has her standing on the sidelines of life, and the brightest part of her week are the nights she passes through the subway station to see the handsome and crazy-talented guitar player busking for cash.

She has been going out of her way to watch him play for months and months and finally gets the nerve to speak to him. Turns out Calvin is from Ireland, and his sexy Irish accent makes him even swoonier.

When her uncle’s husband loses his lead violinist in his show and can’t find a replacement that comes even close, Holland suggests Calvin. Turns out he is everything they could ever want for the show. The only problem? He has been here illegally for 4 years since graduating Julliard. Though she just officially met him, Holland has a suggestion.

“So we’d be married, and I’d get to be in the show?” he asks. “Just like that?”

“I think so. You’d have your dream, and Robert would have his new musician.”

“I’d also have a beautiful wife. What would you have? Other than a famous Broadway musician husband, that is.”

He thinks I’m beautiful? I hold his gaze from across the table, not blinking, barely breathing. “I’d get to help my uncle. I owe him so much.”

Holland is all about everyone else, but never about herself. And she didn’t quite think this through.

Ugh. I’ve married him, and he has no idea I’ve been writing Holland/Hot Busker fic in my head for months. How is this a good idea?

They’ve committed to a year of marriage. She has been crazy about him for a year and he didn’t even know. Now she is married to him, things are going well, and has no idea if he is with her for the green card or for HER. It’s tough to tell. And as readers, we aren’t really sure either, because we don’t get his side.

I have a temporary job, a temporary marriage. Will anything ever be permanent? What the hell am I going to do with my life?

I loved watching Holland grow and become the star of her own story. And I loved Calvin’s role in it.

“I don’t like to think of you playing a side part in your story. (…) You’ve suddenly become a very large part of mine,” he says quietly. “And I yours. No? Why not make it epic?”



Likes:
Holland’s growth throughout the book.
The descriptions of his playing.
Her uncles.
I felt like the authors really understood the music.
The setting in New York.
It was on the longer side and I felt like the characters were well developed.
A unique take on the fake marriage trope.
Dislikes:
I can’t get over how much it needed an epilogue. I felt almost like it was missing a chapter at the end.
The lack of his POV – I felt like we really needed it at times.
The Down & Dirty:
I really enjoyed this unique, very well-written story. Calvin & Holland were adorable together and I loved watching the fake relationship develop into something very real. Holland’s lack of self-esteem at the beginning and her growth throughout the story were a pleasure to read about. There was some angst but not too much, and the descriptions of the music were written beautifully. I highly recommend this original take on the fake marriage trope and look forward to reading more from this writing duo.
Rating: 4.5 Stars, 3 Heat

ARC supplied by Netgalley

I had a hard time at first with this bright, breezy first-person female narrated contemporary romance about a young woman who jumps in to offer a marriage of convenience to an Irish busker she's been crushing on after she arranges for him to audition for her uncle's new musical and he wins the part, but it turns out his U.S. visa has expired. Twenty-five-year old Holland, who is working as a glorified errand girl for her uncle's Broadway musical production after earning her MFA at Columbia and finding herself suffering from writers' block, is pretty immature, which did not endear her to me. But once I realized that this was part of the point of the novel—Holland needs to grow up and start taking responsibility for herself and her life as an adult—I felt more comfortable reading her story.

As her beloved uncle Jeff says, "Holland tries to see herself clearly and seems to end up in a pretty good place. But I also think she sees herself as a supporting character, even in her own life story" (Kindle Loc 1793). "Supporting" is key here; Holland is the type to do a lot for others, as well as let others take care of her and guide her life choices. The story goes on to show Holland just how true this is, and to push her to put herself in the starring role.

Holland's "husband," Calvin McLoughlin, is an amazing musician, something Holland envies. Will she ever have a passion for anything, the way Calvin has for his guitar, or the way her uncle has for his playwriting? "I get only one shot at this, and right now, I'm finding my value only in being valuable to others. How do I find value for me?" (2442)

Is Holland wrong for keeping it a secret how long she's had a crush on Calvin? Is Calvin pretending to fall for Holland so that he'll be able to keep the job that is making him famous? Will the secrets they're both keeping explode in unfortunate comedic romance ways? Romance readers want to know...

I personally love the “Marriage of Convenience” trope but Christina Lauren did it with lots of charm. Holland is a girl that is lost and trying to find herself. Holland loves her family and friends and will do anything for them but she is taking a back seat to her own life. She discovers Calvin in the subway and grows infatuated with him and his music. Holland thinks Calvin will be perfect for her Uncles Broadway show so she steps in to help make it happen.

This story was sweet and as I said charming. I found Calvin to be really endearing and I was rooting for Holland to come out of her shell and figure her life out. If you are a fan of Christina Lauren books you are going to love Roomies.

This was a fun story with great characters and a unique setting. Love the glimpses of Broadway backstage drama. A fake marriage trope is not common in modern romances. I think the authors handled it well, but it did feel off step at times. It was not realistic in any way, and with what is happening in the real world right now with immigration, this at times felt like a privilege world's fairy tale. Just unfortunate timing. But I still enjoyed the story and the characters. I'll try another Christina Lauren again in the future.

Calvin McLoughlin and Holland Bakker’s first interaction was pretty extraordinary and it was one that ultimately saved Holland’s life, so it makes sense that she would want to return the favor, and while her assistance is beyond what a stranger should do, it also makes sense given Holland’s selfless nature of always putting others in front of herself.

Even though Calvin and Holland become husband and wife for reasons that have nothing to do with love, their backwards relationship provides them with the perfect opportunity to get to know one another and to perhaps realize that what started off as a glorified showmance just might be the best thing to ever happen to their lives as well as their careers.

The setting of Roomies is a secondary character in its own right; New York City as well as Broadway provide the perfect medium to play pretend and to get swept away in the illusion of love that’s become second nature to both Calvin and Holland. The theater is where both characters shine and while Calvin may be the star of the performance, he’s only one part of the dynamic duo and they both need to be front and center in order to make their union believable.

The fake marriage/marriage of convenience trope is one that I’ve read quite a few books in, and I was pleasantly surprised that Christina Lauren’s take on it added new twists and an array of new issues to deal with in this commonly used plot line.

Calvin and Holland are both interesting characters, and as they get to know who one another is, readers also get that insider information, making it easy to see just how much of a gentleman and good guy Calvin is and just how loving and compassionate Holland has always been and continues to be with Calvin, her Uncle and those who mean something to her.

Calvin and Holland’s relationship is a slow burn because they know nothing about one another when they become husband and wife; the whole ‘getting to know you’ step in their courtship has to be done after the fact and because of the type of person Holland is, the build-up of their feelings is a gradual process - one that needs to be treated with care, resulting in a whole lot of sexual tension and a bevy of lust filled exchanges.

I’m a huge fan of Christina Lauren, and the interesting story line as well as the dynamic characters created in Roomies showcases exactly why so many romance readers can’t wait to get their hands on a story from this dynamic duo!

4 Poison Apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)