🌿 REVIEW 🌿⠀
The Roommate by Rosie Danan⠀
⠀
Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for the #gifted copy!⠀
⠀
This book was honestly so much fun to read. I went into it expecting the typical roommates to lovers trope and got something so completely different. Can you say STEAMY? Clara and Josh were both such great characters and I loved how well they complimented each other. Their banter, sarcasm + chemistry was wonderful. The whole book I was shouting JUST KISS ALREADY. ⠀
⠀
Aside from Clara + Josh, my favorite part was how supportive Clara and Josh’s ex-girlfriend were of each other. New girl and Ex-girlfriend hating each other trope? We don’t know her!! The Roommate totally took that annoying cliche, turned it around, and said YES we are here to support other women and raise them up!!!⠀
⠀
While this book is fun and enjoyable, it also discusses important themes and topics that people tend to shy away from. This book is sex positive + is about women having agency over their sexual wants/needs while also shedding light on the sex industry and the harassment sex workers experience. Rosie Danan really said f you to society norms in this one and i’m HERE for it. ⠀
⠀
Overall, I picked this book up expecting something different and was pleasantly surprised with what I got instead. I highly recommend if you love a good rom-com with some steam, sex positivity and hella supportive friends.⠀

Absolutely phenomenal!! What's not to love about this book? Clara and Josh had chemistry for days! I swear I needed a fan to read this story. Just their glances at each other were smoldering. But the story was more than just sex. It had so many laugh out loud moments, but also emotional, heart tugging ones. Clara and Josh fell in love as they found themselves and I just adored everything about it.

Refreshingly sex-positive and progressive in its portrayal of the sex work industry. Danan's writing brings the leads' chemistry to life and makes for some very steamy scenes. Their backgrounds, particularly Clara's, are a bit vague, but ultimately not really the point. Some good chuckles throughout, too. Would recommend to contemporary romance readers who are up for a medium-high level of spice and open to underrepresented viewpoints.

I was intrigued by the premise of this romance as soon as the blurb was released. A porn star and an uptight east coast elite thrown together as roommates satisfied both my love of the forced proximity trope and my need for something fresh and new in the romance genre.

Readers are introduced to Clara, who has moved across the country so that she can finally find out if her BFF from childhood is also her true love. And to Josh, the darling of the porn scene who truly enjoys giving women pleasure, but senses that his life may be changing when he refuses demands made by the company who owns his contract.

The Roommate is a sex-positive, charming romance that was just what I needed. This couple had tremendous chemistry and even though I expected a little more angst to their relationship, there was surprisingly little until a late in the book break up that doesn’t even last that long. What you do get is a great strangers to friends to lovers to in love romance, a lot of super hot sex scenes, and a sweet HEA.

Recommend.

4.5
I got the Arc for this book I’m doing the review a few days late I know but I definitely recommended. It’s a book that you can laugh and learn.

Josh and Clara are really funny and I feel that you can related a lot to Clara in some ways. I love the way author explain and make Clara get out of get confort zone.
Josh is someone who you can see he is really sweet even when bad things happened to him.
I’m real,y easy to please when comes to book and did book didn’t disappoint even thought it is in 3rd person I still enjoyed I feel like if it wasn’t I wouldn’t love it as much as I did.
And it’s not fully 5 starts because I didn’t like how rush the epilogue was but overall I loved the book and I look forward to read more from this author.
Also the side characters were really funny I wish we had more backgrounds about some of them but not everything can happen.
Read this book please 🥺

** I've received this digital copy in advance by @phinternational in exchange of an honest review*
*Attention, there will be some little spoiler*

This book use an usual trope and develops it in something quite original and peculiar: a girl that has never taken a risk in her life because of her family history and reactions about scandals and a pornstar come to live together.
Two very different people that when they're in the same room make sparkles, and I'm not talking about physical attraction, but something more related to how much they well mix together.
Their dialogue were interesting and funny since the very beginning, the way they speak and move and touch each other expresses very well how they develop something more deep than a mere body need.
What unfortunately has been a clichè is their way of thinking: she is convinced she's not worth of male attention and that he doesn't want something serious; on the other side he's absolutely attracted by her, but at the same time he thinks that a girl raised in confort couldn't stay with someone that works in the pornography system. It would be cool if it had been the premise of something more, but at the end the "problem" is just that and I was a little bit disappointed.
It's a real pity, because the writing style is very enjoyable, the theme of fear to overcome and personal confidence to acquire were very interesting, plus the issue of blackmailing and workers exploitation by big industries could have been a strong plus point (not to mention that some phrases really touched my heart) but all of this wasn't enough because it has just scraped the surface of its real potential.
Let me clarify, I think, for the depth the author wanted to have this story, this book misses and needs something more: some introspection for both of the characters, more pages and events to take a look and develop or change their relationship with their family, and more interaction with other people, because it's more difficult than being confident with its own partner. Plus, the idea to discover porn business with its performers and problems has been very interesting, but even in this case it could be exploited more and not be just a sort of background. All has been fixed so quickly it results too simple.

I expected more from this author, but if this is her first book the premises are good.

#phrinternational #ad #partner #netgalley

This book was VERY good! It was such a feel good read. It was funny, it was sweet, it was sexy in the best possible ways! I loved Joshua! I loved his communication between him and Clara. Clara was almost a little too prim to be true. I don’t know a lot of socialite families, so that just might not be something I truly understand. It just seems like something that wouldn’t be so relevant now. Out of the two characters, I related to her the least. But in the end, it was such a sweet and sexy story. My whole thing is....we never got to see how her family truly reacted to Clara’s choice in career and man. Her mother has been apparently worrying about during the whole book and there was no consequences for Clara lying about staying with a stranger....not the most important bit, but it felt like a lot of build up with no pay off. But overall. This was five stars.

The Roommate by Rosie Danan was an opposite attracts story that was fun to read. With a easy-going porn star and an awkward and uptight woman, what can go wrong? Clara is as straight and narrow as they come. Josh is anything but. And now they are unlikely roommates. Their story was funny and charming as you see them explore out outside their comfort areas.

Happy reading!

I haven’t read a contemporary romance in over six months, side dishes in other genres and a historical here or there sure, but I haven’t been in the mood for a straight up romance. I accepted The Roommate by Rosie Danan because the publisher was over the moon excited by it, and I honestly got swept up in her enthusiasm. I am so happy I listened to her!

When it came down to read it, I admit I began reluctantly. But, let me tell you by the end of the first chapter I was completely hooked. The Roommate is a refreshing, original, and sexy tale with lovable, flawed characters that I rooted for.

I went into this cold, so I learned about Josh right along with Clara. Eep! First, Clara Wheaton is adorable, flawed and smarter than she gives herself credit for. She also doesn’t like to take chances. She is very relatable.

Despite excelling in a few departments and being able to eat donuts and still rock the jeans, Josh has his own insecurities and hangups. He’s a good guy who just needs to believe in himself.

The whole setup was cute. The romantic build-up with its sexy moments melted my kindle. I was afraid it might get awkward and this could have totally been weird, but it was perfect. I have zero complaints. Zero.

I laughed, cheered for our couple and held my breath when things got rough. The drama was low key thanks to outside forces and a little growth from our heroine.

If you are looking for the perfect, feel good romance to curl up with The Roommate is it.

A delightful romance, with a strong focus on sexuality as a thing to be explored and celebrated. I also love seeing a woman come into her own.

The premise (uptight, shy girl from a wealthy family meets porn-star roommate) is awesome, and the book promised a feminist flair, so I was incredibly excited about it! While the conflict was flimsy at times, overall I enjoyed the way the trust was built between Clara and Josh and how the book tackles issues in the sex-work industry.

When I started reading the roommate, I knew exactly one thing... it was a romcom. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Well, believe me when I say I was surprised at Josh’s secret but also quite intrigued. And I related to Clara in so many ways (aside from the socialite part...).

The way Josh and Clara’s relationship progressed seemed so natural... and it was so fun to read! I got lost in this book and read it in just two days... and wanted more! I would love to see a sequel around some of the supporting characters, just to stay in Josh and Clara’s world.

This book was definitely steamy... but the relationship was not an insta-love type. I would highly recommend The Roommate to any romcom lover!

This was so fun! Opposites attract, lots of sex positivity, and sexual explorations. It’s a unique romance novel approach that explores topics rarely mentioned, like sex worker etiquette while also teaching our heroine how to let her hair down. Our heroine is a straight-laced trust fund baby that is finally taking a leap of faith that takes her across the country. However, not all goes according to plan and she has to learn how to let life take her on a new unexpected journey. With the help of our hero, she’s navigating a path filled with porn, sex and lots of new friends.

I enjoyed this a lot! It was really fun and I really liked the dynamic between the two characters. I found their banter really worked well on-page. I also found the backdrop of the porn industry and the conversations around it interesting and it's definitely something I have not read about before.

I did however dislike the main characters on their own, and while Josh grew on me (he's like an annoying puppy that you have to end up loving), I found that Clara constantly got on my nerves. I also found the conflicts in to be a bit unrealistic, both because of the subject matter but also just in general. And while the conversations around the industry of adult films were interesting, they lacked nuance for me, and I feel like realistically there should have been a bigger conversations between the characters themselves that would have been to their relationship.

Ultimately though, I was rooting for this relationship and I really enjoyed how sex-positive this was, so I would still recommend this, it just was not my favorite romance ever. Still fun.

Josh is a porn star who's proud of his gifts on and off the camera. Clara is a straight-laced socialite from the East Coast who dropped her entire life to move to the opposite coast to room with her forever-crush, Elliott. Only when she arrives in LA, he picks her up and literally drops her off at the house telling her he's going on tour with his band and that he's rented out the other room. Even despite this inexcusable and god-awful behaviour, she still lusts after him. Come on, girlfriend. Josh finds Clara's buttoned up demeanor amusing and slightly appealing but he has no intentions of getting mixed up in her mess. His best intentions don't hold up though when he finds out Clara has been researching his day job.


As she and Josh get involved she helps him see a bigger future for himself. One where he has control over his name and his career. They come up with a brilliant project and marketing idea and decide to pursue it. They both become advocates for sexual empowerment, especially for women. Clara evolves into a vastly different person from the one who first arrives in LA.

The story also removes the 'othering' of adult entertainers by giving us a glimpse into the workings of that world. It can definitely be manipulative and because those in porn are treated as inferior by the rest of 'polite society', they don't get the attention or support they deserve when it comes to asking for better working conditions.

I thought The Roommate was charming and it’s kind of different from some other romances I’ve read recently but there's one thing that was nagging at me as I read it. Clara is super conscientious about her family's image - she's either thinking about it or talking about it - and thanks to shady family history she knows the consequences of bad publicity. Which is why I thought I'd missed something when she seems to jump into something with Josh. If she's always so worried about not letting her family down, how does she reason this out in her head? To be clear, I'm not asking for Clara to justify her decisions. I just wanted a better understanding of how she went from point A to point B when she's otherwise always consumed with propriety. My confusion was spurred on by her taking a job working for her aunt who's been ostracized by her family for unbecoming behaviour. This aunt has since gone on to have a successful PR career and has recently landed a high profile client and Clara is brought in to work closely with them. Clara's actions seem out of character for someone who’s a list-maker, rule-follower and who's so intent on not drawing any negative attention to her family. My point is that it's not clearly shown how she compartmentalized everything because she's smart and incredibly thoughtful, so surely she would've known that there'd be repercussions if someone got wind of her side projects.

Regardless, The Roommate is a fun and enjoyable read. It's honestly quite a sweet story about that journey towards owning one's sexuality and being unashamed of it. There are also other things that take up space in the story such has the lives of the adult performers. They aren't just presented as just porn stars but as multi-dimensional individuals with their own fascinating backgrounds. The Roommate was something a little different and I'm happy I read it.

Thank you Berkley for my review copy
.
Am I on fire? I mean that literally....if you stand too close to this book you are going to be hot...🔥. I stood too close...and I’m not sorry!
.
It has been a while since I read something naughty, sweet and funny. I loved it. Rosie is an author to keep your eye on.
.
I love it when novels give women power. I truly believe fighting like a girl should be the glass ceiling. Fight gurl.
.
Clara was one of those women I cheered for. Rosie took a stereotypical brand of woman and shattered that image. Josh was the same. You go in with an expectation of what kind of man he would be (greasy is the word that comes to mind) and says nay, nay. You are going to love him. Just wait and see. I was here for it.
.
You can read the synopsis to get the gist. I will be recommending this book. Now, if we are being fair. I wouldn’t recommend it for some. It is Steamy....with a capital S. I mean. Wooo, I blushed the entire way through. Didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. Just be aware. The cover makes you think a good ol RomCom....it’s more. It is very sexy and if that is not for you, neither is this book!
.
I can’t wait to see what Rosie brings us next.

I knew this book would be steamy, but I didn't expect it to be so sweet too! What I loved most was Danan's ability to deal with taboo topics with depth and care. On paper, Clara, a privileged socialite, doesn't sound like my favorite type of heroine, but I absolutely adored her! She is flawed, but inquisitive and kind. She and Josh had amazing chemistry, and I loved how sweet and caring he was with everyone in his life. I love that Danan didn't go with the usual and make Josh's ex, Naomi, a villain.

This book was fun from Strat to finish (*wink*)!

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC!

This contemporary romance was extremely steamy. Clara, an east coast socialite, has moved to Los Angeles to pursue her long-time unrequited love. When she gets there, she discovers he will be gone the entire summer, and he has rented out his room in the house she'll be living in. This is where Josh comes in, who she soon discovers is a porn performer. Josh in very swoon-worthy, and he soon falls for Clara as they get to know each other. There's great discussions of sexual stigma, body image, the exploitation rampant in the porn industry, and classism. But the shining moments are the hot AND sweet hook up scenes, Clara slowly letting/making herself try and experience new things, and Josh's passion for equal-opportunity pleasure.

Spicy as all get out, and I learned so much about the adult entertainment industry. Oh, how I adored the idea of Shameless!

I loved how this one started (opposites attract/strangers roomies/forced proximity/unrequited feels) then became a bit wary of the unfolding. I guess you could say I expected more conflict and resulting angst from the set up. I also had issues with the heroine's character development, she would act so out of character sometimes, almost fake in her endeavors. The Roommate was overall an easy, fun and sexy read.