The premise of The Roommate was really cute, and there were certain aspects of this roommates-to-lovers contemporary romance that I liked. The emphasis on female empowerment, the power of people to change, etc. However, I didn't find the writing super compelling, and it took me forever to get through a 300-page romance (that should've been a page turner). The story was definitely unexpected, but I found myself getting more frustrated than enamored with the two main characters.

A cute book. It is the story of Clara Wheaton is a socialite who has dreams and goals for her future. She decides to move to the other side of the country after her crush invited her. But this offer is too good to be true. Clara arrives at the space where she is going to live, but it will not be with her crush but with a good-looking boy. Clara's roommate is Josh, a boy whom she immediately investigated. The relationship between them would probably be different if Clara hadn't done the investigation. This situation could even represent a scandalous problem for your beloved family. I loved this book because it made me feel so much fun and excitement for the main characters, especially Clara. I find it very valuable to have decided to live far from home. The first impression of her with Josh is funny, and it made her not stop reading the book. I liked the narrative since it kept me entertained and smiling very frequently. I thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Who would have ever imagined a romance that a porn star and a sheltered society girl would have me talking about it non-stop but it has.

The Roommate by Rosie Danan is everything I could have wanted in a romance read and more. It is funny, sweet, and oh so steamy.

The chemistry between Clare and Josh is the perfect amount of angst and swoon and you will be fanning yourself in breathless anticipation.

I could not get enough of this book and everyone needs to read this book.

The Roommate by Rosie Danan deserves all the hype. It's one of my favorite romances I've read this year. It's funny, swoony, and extremely sex-positive. It doesn't villainize sex-workers.

Clara Wheaton, East Coast trust fund baby from a conservative family, moves to LA, after an invitation from her long time friend and childhood crush, Everrett. She hopes they finally can take their relationship to the next level. Once she arrives in LA, Clara finds out that Everett doesn't plan to stick around in the City of Angels, and she ends up sharing a house with Josh, who is subletting a room from Everett, and who happens to be a famous adult performer (a.k.a a porn star). Sparks fly between Clara and Josh, but they are total opposites. Josh is sex on legs, and Clara has never experienced an orgasm with a man. Not to mention, Clara's scandal-averse family will never accept Josh, and Clara is not planning to disappoint her mother or embarrass her family name.

I loved this book, and I adored Clara and Josh together. Also, it was interesting to learn about the adult entertainment industry, with its problems, and the stigma attached to it. I highly recommend this book, especially to those who love opposites attract trope and fans of The Kiss Quotient.

Clara Wheaton can’t believe that she left her privileged East Coast life for a shot at love in California. She should have run back home when everything started to fall apart the minute that she arrived. But pride is a painful thing to swallow.

Then there’s the problem of her new roommate. If she looked up the definition of sin, she’d find a picture of Josh. He’s sex on legs with the face of an angel. And she has no idea how they are going to survive the entire summer living under the same roof.

“Please don’t take this the wrong way, but frankly, Everett didn’t tell me he had to go out of town until right now and, no offense, I’m sure you’re probably nice, but this” – she gestured to the space between them – “falls a little outside my comfort zone.”
“Hey, me too.” He put his hand to his heart. “I’ve seen a lot of made-for-TV movies, you know. You’re exactly the kind of pint-sized, tightly wound socialite who goes crazy and paints the walls with chicken blood. How do I know I’m safe from you?”

Josh Conners doesn’t exactly make his living the conventional way. He doesn’t feel the need to apologize for it either. After all, in Hollywood, there are worse ways to make ends meet. He’s worked hard, has a loyal following and even earned a stellar write up in Cosmo. The last thing he needs is to be stuck rooming with the prim and proper Clara.

Until he discovers that they can make each other burn hotter than the California sun.

Now that they are working together to demystify female sexual pleasure for the masses, Clara works her way under his skin and into his heart. But can their searing summer romance turn into the love of a lifetime?

“Jesus, Clara.” He ran his hand through his hair. “You’ve dated a bunch of lazy assholes if they let you get away with that shit. Sex isn’t about efficiency.”
“Maybe not for you,” she said under her breath.
Josh’s gaze bore through her for a moment, so deep she wondered for a ridiculous instant if he could see through not only her clothes but her skin as well, to the yawning chasm of insecurity underneath.
He got to his feet. “You know what? No.”
She followed the movement of his arms as they crossed in a show of defiance.
“No?” Clara liked her bone-dry lips.
“No,” he said again as if even more convinced of what needed to be done. “This is unacceptable.”
“It is?”
Josh shook out his neck and shoulders, like a swimmer preparing to dive before a race.
“Take off your underwear,” he said, his voice calm and deadly serious.
Clara’s eyes went heavy-lidded at the conviction in his words, but then her mind caught up with her body. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“I’m going to rectify this situation,” Josh stated simply. “Right now.”
“You can’t be serious.” She tried to laugh but couldn’t in the face of his stoic determination. “This is insane.”

The Roommate is a sublime combination of sexy and smart! Not only is Rosie’s Denan’s debut surprisingly soulful, her characters are sweetly awkward in ways that only fan the flames of their feverish chemistry.

But it’s not just about sex. Not to say that Clara and Josh don’t burn up the pages - because, oh my!! It’s also about being brave enough to live life on your own terms. And I simply adored every second of their journey…

I spontaneously combusted from how ding dang _hot_ this book was and it killed me and I am writing this review from beyond the grave.
Listen, this book. I went in being like "well I'm kind of a prude so I don't know if a romcom about an adult film star is really the book for me" but I saw that it was being compared favorably to The Kiss Quotient, which I loved, so I thought I'd read a chapter and see if I was interested. I read the entire book in that one sitting. The characters were believable and relatable and the steam was so satisfying and, like I said, the hotness killed me and I died.
I thoroughly plan on buying my own copy and will insist that all my coworkers I made to read The Hating Game will read this as well. 10/10 stars, for sure.

Thank you Berkley Publishing for the gifted e-copy of this book.

This book was so cute!! It was the perfect combination of tropes for a romcom. Clara moves to California to chase a childhood crush, said crush ditches her to go on tour with his band, and leaves her to share his apartment with a strange guy. Strange guy turns out to be fun and hot and...a porn star.

This book is extremely sex positive, which is refreshing, and steamy without being uncomfortable. The chemistry between Josh and Clara is on point, and their banter is fantastic. I like how it focused on an industry that we don't see much of in literature, and brought up some aspects that we don't normally consider.

I do wish Josh had a different name, because I have read SO MANY books with the male MC named Josh lately. I also wonder if their relationship is, in fact, realistic - I mean with someone as straight laced as Clara, do I really think she'd hook up with a porn star?? I also wonder how her family reacted to this development, if it was indeed for the long haul.

A fun read, definitely recommend to those that enjoy romcoms and don't mind steam.

If you were to ask me what the most hyped romance novel of the last half of 2020 is, without a shadow of a doubt, it’s The Roommate. If you’ve read other reviews posted in this blog, you know I’m mostly terrified of hype, so why did I read this book right away? Simple – a lot of romance bloggers I follow on twitter won’t stop talking about The Roommate, and when I read the blurb, I was hooked. How can I not be hooked!? I was also lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book (I screamed so loud when I saw the email), and as soon as I had enough free time, I sat down and read.

And read. Read. Read some more. Never mind that I have to wake up in four hours for work – I have to finish this book! This hasn’t happened in a while. When I finished, I can barely keep my eyes open because I was so tired, but I had the most gigantic smile on my face. This book is so good! There’s nothing I love more that when the hype for a book is deserved, and it’s incredible to me that this is Rosie Danan’s debut. The Roommate delivers in all fronts!

The Roommate opens with Clara, our heroine, on the way to the house where she’ll be staying for the summer. She’ll be staying with Everett, her childhood best friend, and also the love of her life. Clara is a bit apprehensive since what she’s doing is so out of character, but she’s also confident that Everett will realize that he’s in love with her, and that they’ll live happily ever after. Unfortunately for Clara, Everett literally drops her off in front of the house, gives her a hug, and jets away to join his band on tour. What’s worse is that Everett rents his bedroom to a random guy from craigslist, and now Clara has to live with a stranger. Jeez. Thankfully, said stranger, Josh, is nice and definitely not a murderer, and he and Clara hit it off…. Until she discovers what he does for a living.

The Roommate doesn’t have a lot of characters – most of the focus is on Clara and Josh and how they grow as individuals, as well as how their relationship develops. We see how they get to know each other; how they learn to lean on each other; how they eventually inspire each other; and ultimately, how they work together to achieve a common goal. A big part of what makes this book shine is how well-developed Clara and Josh are. I related so much to the both of them. Clara, after spending most of her life catering to her mother’s whims, decides to spend a reckless summer in Los Angeles. She’s so vulnerable and so out of her depth, but what I adore about Clara is that she’s not scared of facing her fears head on. Josh, meanwhile, despite being looked down on by so many people because of his job, is so kind and is so happy to help Clara. However, Josh is also going through a lot – like so many people, he doesn’t have a relationship with his parents because of his job, and he’s not getting paid enough either despite being incredible at what he does.

Clara and Josh’s relationship is so multi-faceted and has so many layers. They develop a deep friendship almost right away; they become business partners; but at the same time, their romantic relationship develops slowly and surely. Their romantic relationship is the sexiest slow burn! Josh and Clara inspire each other to think better of themselves; that they can push boundaries; that they’re worth more; and that they can be whoever they want to be. Through Clara encouraging him, Josh decides not to compromise his morals and beliefs just for a higher paycheck. Clara thinks of herself as plain and boring, but Josh challenges Clara to see herself the way Josh sees her. She’s more.

Another reason why I loved The Roommate so much is its unflinching portrayal of the sex industry. We learn how adult film stars are treated by studios, and how they are constantly harassed by the people they work for. A common theme in the book is how adult film stars are just like you and me, and I could not agree more. Naomi, Josh’s ex, is an adult film star, also another favorite character of mine. She’s so strong and confident, and I enjoyed how we see her and Clara’s friendship grow. I hate, hate the evil other woman trope and I’m so glad that this was not the case here.

All in all, if you can’t tell by now, I loved The Roommate, and it’s for sure one of my favorite books of 2020. I also just discovered that Naomi will have her own book next year and I AM SO THRILLED, because one, it’s Naomi, and two, we are not saying goodbye to this world!!!

3.5 'Shameless' Stars!
ARC provided by the the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Rosie Danan’s debut novel The Roommate definitely caught my attention with its adorable cover and enchanting blurb. I thoroughly enjoy forced proximity books and this got even better when I realized the protagonists were strangers forced to be roommates. Danan’s debut was sweet, full of sexual tension and entertaining and I am glad I decided to give it a go!

So, as I said, The Roommate is Rosie’s first novel and it tells the story of Clara Wheaton and Josh Darling. Clara comes from a wealthy family, she is a socialite and, all of a sudden she has just decided to move in with her best friend / longtime crush. Problem? Emmett has no idea about her feelings and he is leaving on tour with his band. Enter Josh. Her new roommate. A complete stranger who now Clara has to spend the summer with and share the space. Things get even crazier when Clara discovers Josh’s job and she gets involved in it.

Josh was absolutely the bomb. He was a big tangle of hormones trying to lure her to an untimely end. A bomb masked by cheesy jokes and kind eyes. One that could blow up her whole life if triggered at the wrong moment.

The premise of this story is what got me all excited. Roommates, strangers, their backgrounds and sexual tension? Oh yeah, I loved what this novel promised. Did I get what I expected? Yes. And no. I enjoyed the story as a whole and the back and forth between Clara and Josh. Their strange friendship / relationship was exciting and I definitely enjoyed their interactions. I did expect more though. It took me a while to get into the story and the writing style. It felt slow at the start and the actual romance did not develop until the third half of the book. I found that the spark between the couple was missing until that part and that is what messed it up for me. The last half of the book is what gripped me, it was entertaining and I enjoyed how Rosie developed the romance between Josh and Clara.

“My love for you isn’t an addiction. Being with you doesn’t provide some warped sense of validation for my life. You were never a fling I had to get out of my system. Our love feels like... freedom. The kind people give their lives for.”

Therefore, I am rating The Roommate with 3.5 STARS. It gave me a pleasing reading experience but I just was expecting a bit more. It was a good read and I liked the storyline and the crew of characters introduced. I loved Clara and Josh as couple, their strange connection (being from so very opposite backgrounds) and how their chemistry and emotions developed towards the end. A charming and sweet debut novel that I am sure many romance lovers will enjoy!

Y’ALL. THIS BOOK IS 🔥🔥🔥⁣
Seriously I finished this around midnight “yesterday” and WOW. I woke up today and the first thing I did was purchase a physical copy of this amazing book. I just have to say Rosie Danan has smoothly become one of my new favorite authors! The Roommate was such a ✨pleasure✨ to read!.
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Josh and Clara were such a perfect couple from the get-go. I loved how sweet they were with each other and how they just happened to fall in love without even realizing it. My favorite thing was Josh having such a soft spot for his roomie. The Roommate is full of characters who are good humans, Rosie Donan has incredible skills in being able to flesh these characters out and have us create emotional attachments to them.⁣
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But let’s talk about THE SEX! This is a “raunch-com” and it is absolutely divine! The perspective that is brought forward within the book about the adult entertainment industry is spectacular. It was part of a larger picture to discuss how sex workers are demonized because sex is considered such taboo in society.⁣
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If you aren’t convinced to give this one a chance yet, maybe my ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars rating will convince you!⁣ But seriously, run to this one!

One of the best romances I’ve read this year! Don’t be fooled by the cutesy cover, this one is hot and steamy, and there is much more to this one than meets the eye. Such a fun and fresh premise, cannot wait for the next book in the series!

The Roommate is Rosie Danan's debut novel and what a fun romantic comedy it is–one you don't want to miss! Instantly captivated by the blurb and cover, I knew this was a story I had to read.

Suffering from unrequited love, Clara Wheaton uproots her life in Greenwich and moves out to L.A. to live with her best friend, Everett, whom she's crushed on since forever but of course he's oblivious. Now, said friend is leaving for three months to tour with his band and she's stuck alone living with a total stranger who is renting a room. Enter Josh... well, hello there! This is where the fun truly begins *rubs hands together*. You will absolutely love Josh and all his swagger!

"DO NOT GOOGLE your porn star roommate. No good can come of it."

Uptight and shy Clara soon discovers that Josh is non other than Josh Darling, a very popular adult entertainer. You can say things become a bit awkward at first but soon their close proximity opens up a door for them to become good friends and with time feelings beginning to bloom.

Clara comes to Josh's rescue and decides to help him with a cause they both strongly believe in; essentially saving his career in the process. Soon the chemistry between the two becomes so strong they can't fight it any longer... but fear is a fickle b*tch.

“My love for you isn’t an addiction. Being with you doesn’t provide some warped sense of validation for my life. You were never a fling I had to get out of my system. Our love feels like... freedom. The kind people give their lives for.”

Sexy, funny, and so very sweet, The Roommate is just too irresistible! And happy news, Rosie recently announced a companion novel to this one, featuring a secondary character and I can't wait, Ekkk! 💃🏻


*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Berkley through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

Going in to The Roommate, I knew little about it except that some friends read and loved it and it was apparently steamy. 😏 Considering I was already blushing around the 20% mark, I think it’s safe to say this one delivers on the steam factor. 😝 But what drew me in from the first page was the combination of the author’s whip-smart writing style, the engaging dialogue, and the refreshing new take on the roommate romance trope. ⠀
After Clara Wheaton moves across the country for a shot at romance with her longtime friend and unrequited crush, she finds herself unexpectedly saddled with a roommate she’s never met in a city she’s never been to. Her first act of rebellion after a lifetime of upholding a pristine reputation doesn’t exactly go according to plan, yet her new roommate, Joshua, might be just what she needs to shed the restraints of her family’s and society’s expectations.⠀
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With multifaceted, compelling characters, a slow-building, yet unabashedly erotic romance, and a narrative that’ll keep you riveted to every page, The Roommate is a must-read from Rosie Danan. This book destigmatizes a taboo subject and creates a modern love story that’ll resonate with any hopeless romantic. The Roommate was a 5 ⭐️ read for me and I can’t wait to see what the author comes out with next!⠀

This was so....adorable. I laughed and screamed due to secondhand embarrassment a few times but I feel like it made the story 10x more interesting. These characters were so much fun to be with and I loved how blunt they were about everything??? I’m gonna miss them !!

This book caught me off guard in the best way! A WASP-y young woman moves across country to share a summer house with her childhood crush but instead ends up with a porn star for a roommate. While this setup could have been trite and formulaic, Danan writes all of her characters with such empathy that you want to hug every one of them! A really heartwarming sexy read from a new to me author.

The Roommate is the latest must-read romance. I went into without knowing much or having high expectations so I wasn’t overly disappointed that it still wasn’t THE rom-com that I so desire. (fyi - this isn’t a rom-com but is light, fun & sexy)

Even so, I found a lot to like & a few quibbles along the way.

Clara is a pampered socialite from the infamous Easy Coast Wheaton family. She tries to be the perfect daughter and never cause a scandal that will cause her mother to be disappointed in her, as has befallen so many in the family, including, recently, her brother. She does need a change though and decides to strike out on her own so she heads to LA to live with her best friend Everett, her lifelong crush, and to try to make him see her in a new romantic light. At the last minute Everette bails to go on the road with his band and instead sublets his room with a renter he found on Craig’s List.

Josh is said roommate and is messy and low-key in all the ways that Clara is organized and uptight. He’s pretty great about following her (laminated) list of rules and they make the best of an awkward situation until Clara finds out about Josh’s profession as a porn star.

I love how this book made Clara and Josh go outside their comfort zones without changing who they were at their core. Josh helps Clara push outside her sexual boundaries and reconsiders his judgement of rich socialites, while Clara sees there’s more to Josh and other workers in the industry. They're both good people who make each other even better.

There are sexy times but they both keep getting in heir own way of it becoming more because of Clara’s fear of causing another scandal for her parents and Josh being afraid of failing Clara as he did his parents (who he hasn’t spoken to) after getting into porn.

😍What I loved: Clara really learns to break out on her own. She makes unconventional and empowering choices in her professional life.

Josh is a good guy backed into a corner both personally and professionally. He could have made a lot of bad choices but he thought outside the box and I just really like how that all turned out - especially professionally for all involved..

Josh and Clara were adorable together. Honestly, their sex scenes fell kind of flat (& cliché) for me but I adored those little thoughtful gestures they did for each other & the long conversations they had. There’s also a great grand gesture moment.

😒The not so much: Clara and Josh have a lot of family baggage. This is a HUGE part of the story – it propels the romance and the conflict and wasn’t addressed enough for me. Or at all in one case.

The end was a pretty big letdown for me but overall - the driving force to a lot of these plotlines were ignored or wrapped up too quickly but I will say I'm happy to have read The Roommates. It was the light, sexy fun read I was looking for and solid on the romance front.

The Roommate was a refreshing debut by Rosie Danan that will literally knock your socks off! I loved every bit of it, there wasn't even one little thing that didn't work for me! It was such an unexpected delight. I laughed, laughed so hard I had tears, and then laughed some more. Seriously, by 10% in I was snort-laughing.

It was a perfect mixture of RomCom and steamy! I hadn't read many reviews of the book and mostly decided that I wanted to read The Roommate based on the synopsis... so the big reveal of Josh's profession blew me away. Rosie Danan is a romantic comedy genius! And don't even get me started on how awesome all the body positive messages were and the light that was shown on a industry that is shrouded in shame.

Clara and Josh had swoon-worthy chemistry and they just fit together perfectly. And that sexual tension was another level! The banter between the two of them was great. Their relationship felt like it had a realistic and genuine build up. I loved how Josh helped Clara come out of her shell and finally in to her own person. In return, Clara unknowingly pushed Josh to face his past and decide who he really wanted to be.

I adored Clara's naivety and bashfulness and totally appreciated her transformation. I am also so thankful to Rosie Danan for writing a 'Josh' that lives up to the others that have been some of my all time favorite male characters!

One other pleasant surprise was how much I liked Naomi! I was fully expecting her to be awful. Now I can't wait to see what is in store for her in The Intimacy Experiment!

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Debuts are really tricky thing to nail, but Rosie really knocked it out of the park with this one👏🏼 there have only been two* this year that have made me absolutely ~giddy~ w/ excitement for what the book is doing & what the author has in store, and The Roomate is 100% one of those books. Danan’s authorial voice is charming, endlessly funny, and ridiculously moving as she weaves the romance between Josh and Clara. The concept felt entirely fresh, and now I’m a total SIMP for Josh🥰

The Roommate centers on Clara Wheaton, who (ironically very much like Rebecca Bunch in one of my fave shows Crazy Ex Girlfriend) on a bit of a whim leaves her home and a promising career in NYC to move to LA and live with her best friend & childhood crush, Ethan. But her plans for an idyllic California summer with Ethan are dashed when he leaves minutes after dropping her off at his apartment to tour with his band. Leaving her with no job, no friends, and a frustratingly hot new roommate, Josh Conners. When Clara discovers he’s better known by the name Josh Darling: Porn Star & Clit Whisperer Extraordinare, this East Coast society girl’s life will never be the same (dun dun DUNNNN!!)

There was so much I loved about this book!! Besides how *fabulous* Rosie Danan’s writing is (what a fucking intro!!!!!) and the clever conceit of the story, I think she navigates the wold of adult entertainment with aplomb👌🏼 a good friend who’s worked as a sex worker remarked on how well she captured the banter/goofing around behind the scenes & how good the rep was!

But really what stole the show for me is Josh😍 I mean whats not to love about him??? He’s dedicated to women’s pleasure, he’s a total goner for Clara, and he’s so damn hot & respectful its kinda unfair? Like he’s so kind & just wants to take care of his partner💕 He’s the DREAMMM

Moral of the story, this is a *sublime* book & a stunning debut, snag a copy wherever you buy your books tomorrow!!! Thank you to @rosiedanan and @netgalley for my review copy💚💚💚

This was my first book by this author and I really liked it.

We follow our uptight, east coast socialite, clara, as she becomes unlikely roommates with josh, a laid back LA porn star with more charisma than clara knows what to do with. The opposites attract vibe of the story was really fun and I think the character's personalities complimented each other very well and the dialogue in this story was hilarious. This story also had so many heartwarming, cute moments of domesticity and I absolutely loved to see it. This was the forced proximity trope done right and this relationship was incredibly fun to read about.

The story also delves into discussions about sex positivity, sex education, and it simultaneously validates performers in the adult entertainment industry while also calling out the unsavory aspects of porn production that often leaves performers at risk mentally, emotionally, physically and/or financially. I really appreciated what the book had to say on these topics.

4.5

Another winner in the "Total Escapism from 2020" sweepstakes.

And talk about outside the box! Clara, our heroine, comes from a high powered, wealthy east coast family, from whom she escapes as she chases her lifelong crush. Who has offered her a place to stay. But when she arrives, it's to find a man-cave, and once again, her crush has eluded her.

Ordinarily I don't care for this particular trope, but Danan makes us believe in it. Clara is so emotionally buttoned up that there's no way she's going to see that the guy just isn't into her but can't find a way to let her know.

Meanwhile, there Clara is, on the west coast with no job. She wants to make her own way, to prove she can. So she gets a roommate, Josh, who is everything she isn't. To the max: his job, once she finds out what it is, so croggles her that. . . well, this is where my interest really kicked in.

The beginning was a bit skittish, especially when Josh turned up, but once Clara makes that discovery, things take off. Clara is on the road to self discovery--and so is Josh. Add a bunch of great side characters (shout-out to Naomi, who should have been that tiresome cliche The Nasty, Mean Other Woman, but is complex and awesome in her own way), and a compassionate look at the whole sex-worker trade, and you get this novel.

Another thing in the emotional stakes category that I especially liked was how Danan resolves the lifelong crush thing. There are many people who would rather be in love with a safe target--one that will never actually respond--whether it's a book boyfriend, or rock star, or a person in one's life one fantasizes about without their ever knowing--but this side of emotional issues is seldom dealt with well. I liked Clara's resolution here.

Another thing that cracked me up was Clara's language, her turns of phrase, especially when referring to intimate subjects of any kind.