Member Reviews
4.5 stars rounded down! :)
Super funny and cute!
Despite being mostly against best friends brother/ brothers best friend trope I actually really enjoyed this book! The banter between the fmc and the mmc was beautiful, the pranks mastermind worthy and the buildup.... *chef's kiss*.
I was getting nervous about the fmc's best friend and her accusations, and all over not really being the best but then the fmc told her off beautifully so I was very satisfied,
The couple was super cute and obsessed with each other (which we love) I stayed up until 2 in the morning reading this so definitely recommend!
Also it was dual pov, which is my fav :)
Thank you so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the free copy provided in exchange for an honest review!
Technically a 4.5 star read on my scale, but rounded down to 4 stars for this rating system.
Sarah just turned down a birthday proposal she never wanted, but luckily, she knows her room is still empty in the apartment she shared with her best friend Jess. Brian lost his job and crashing with his parents has quickly lost its appeal. Luckily his sister Jess has that spare room in her apartment. What happens when Brian and Sarah’s rivalry is rekindled over the competition to win the one bed left in the apartment? Could either of them have anticipated how things would change when Jess suggested that Brian pretend to be dating Sarah to get back at her ex?
If you love fake dating, only one bed, rivals to lovers, and best friend’s sibling tropes than this is the book for you. It was such a fun read! I think that Brian and Sarah had excellent chemistry, and you could really believe how their feelings started to develop, against their better judgment, as they spent more time together and learned more about each other. I think even with the relationship moving a bit fast, it still felt completely believable. I only had two small issues. The first being if Jess really was such a good friend to Sarah, I’d have thought she would have seen the changes in Sarah after the breakup and attempted to understand Sarah and Brian’s relationship earlier. However, this is pretty idealistic so it is understandable that it took some time with her history. I also wish Sarah would have given Jace a bit more information about fake dating Brian, or an apology after the fact, because it seemed like he got ignored in the sweeping romance of the later half of the book. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and can’t recommend it enough!
This book was an excellent combination of the enemies to lovers and best friend’s brother trope! I absolutely loved all of the banter between Sarah and Brian. Plus, they were a super easy couple to root for! Overall a fun and slightly spicy read!
BLURB:
Brian Hawkins has had the worst year. He watched his girlfriend marry another man, lost his job and his apartment, and, after a summer under his parents’ roof, has taken refuge with his younger sister. A quiet few months in Philadelphia is just what he needs to clear his head and get back on his feet. But he’s barely unpacked before the bane of his existence, his sister’s best friend shows up. His planned solitude is replaced by pop songs, rom-coms, and bright pink hair. Which would be fine, except there’s only one extra bed, and there’s no way he’s sharing it with her.
Sarah Webb didn’t think anything could be worse than a marriage-proposal-gone-wrong walk of shame to her best friend’s apartment. But she was wrong. So wrong. Because she’s not just staying with Jess, but with Jess’s older brother. Brian is grumpy and stubborn and—not that Sarah would ever admit it out loud—totally hot. He’s also off limits. Which is why she should let him have the bedroom, stop staring at his abs, and keep her distance. But playing nice isn’t in her nature.
As Sarah and Brian pull pranks and place wagers over who can lay claim to the bed, things between the rivals start to shift. Sarah can admit that Brian has his moments, and Brian sees a side of Sarah she usually keeps hidden. When she needs a last-minute date for a charity gala where her doctor-ex is going to be in attendance, Brian seems like the perfect fake date. But as they spin around the dance floor, their fledgling friendship turns to something unexpected—and only one thing’s certain… more than just the bed is up for grabs.
MY REVIEW:
This cute rom-com is a fast read, easily finished in well under an hour. The characters are mostly likeable, although in some parts it comes across as juvenile. The plot is a common one used frequently within the romance world, with an ‘enemies to lovers’ and ‘best friend’s brother’ tropes.
If you have 30 minutes to kill, and feel like a laugh, think about picking up this book.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.
**ARC review**
This book was so fun! I couldn’t put it down and am currently writing this review at 4:30 in the morning! Brian and Sarah had such great chemistry and the banter was to die for! I am a sucker for a fake dating troupe and this was executed so well! Love love loveeeeed this story and can’t wait to go back and read the other two books in this world!
I was excited for this one because the premise sounded really cute, I really wanted to love this book but sadly it fell a bit flat for me. I struggled with the beginning and really had to force my self from DNF-ing. By the time the "fake date" at the gala came about, things picked up but honestly it picked up too quickly. Sarah and Brian's relationship, once it started, gave me whiplash, and I never felt the chemistry and care that was need for them to earn the "I love yous" they exchanged. Some of the references were fun such as the Rocky steps but they didn't necessarily rescue this one for me. I did end up reading the entire book, and I enjoyed some aspects, obviously enough to make to the finish line. This was my first Casey Dembowski book, and I'm not sure if I'll try any others but maybe with the right premise.
Thank you NetGalley and Red Adept Publishing for providing me with an ARC of Get a Room in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Net Galley and Red Adept Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC!
I wasn’t aware this was the third book. Thankfully they seem to be stand alone so i don’t think I missed much by jumping into this book first.
Short synopsis: Sarah fresh off of a break up, after not accepting her boyfriends proposal, retreats back to her old apartment with her old roomie and best friend Jess. Unfortunately for her she finds out Jess already lent the room, HER ROOM, to her brother Brian who is looking for a job after his last company folded. Despite Jess and Sarah’s long friendship, Sarah and Brian never got along.
They fight for the rights to the spare bedroom. Until feelings start to unfold when Brian pretends to be Sarah’s boyfriend at a work event. Will they be able to pursue their feelings? Or will Jess have problems with her best friend and brothers budding feelings?
My thoughts: This was such a cute rom com! I really enjoyed the main characters Brian and Sarah. I loved their cute banter as their relationship progressed.
The second half of the book I was really invested, I wanted Jess to find out so they could be together already!
Jess was probably my least favorite character. I can understand not wanting them to be together but she seemed way too entitled. If they already have such deep feelings towards each other I thought it was rude of her to make them choose.
I fell in love with the ending of this book! I’m a sucker for a happy ending and I think this was written perfectly.
Based off this book I am very interested in checking out Casey’s other books.
Get A Room was a super cute and fun read!
When Sarah breaks up from her boyfriend, she returns to the house she shared with her best friend Jess - only to find Jess' brother Brian has also just moved in.
Jess has made them each promise her that they would never date each other - which obviously should be easy because they hate each other. The fight begins for the only extra bedroom ..who will get the room, and who will get the couch?
I loved the chemistry and the banter between Sarah and Brian! I also adored all the friends/co-workers - they were supportive and kind!
Get A Room is full of some of my favourite tropes:
•forced proximity
•best friend's brother
•fake dating
•enemies to lovers
•forbidden romance
I read this whole book in one sitting!! I loved this cute romcom and adored the golden retriever brother Brian.
It was a brilliant slow burn romance, and while predictable, it was a really fun read.
It was very easy to hate Tyler!! But Brian stole my heart.
Brian and Sarah’s chemistry was electric and loved their character development growth. Jess not so much, she did annoy me. But glad she changed her mind at the end.
After rejecting an unexpected marriage proposal from her one-year boyfriend, Sarah found herself back in the spare room at her best friend Jess’ house. Or, at least, that’s what she thought. What she didn’t know was that that same room was now occupied by her best friend’s brother Brian. The fun thing? They hated each other. That’s how their love story begins.
I truly liked the chemistry and banter between them, but I would have liked them to be friends a bit more before acting on their feelings. Even if Sarah’s previous relationship wasn’t perfect, it felt to me that she moved on way too fast, making me question, in the beginning, the depth of her feelings. Also, Jess’ reaction got me really angry. I think all of them handled bad the situation and made mistakes, but it felt to me that Jess acted just out of pure spite.
Apart from that, the smut was really good, the chapters weren’t too long and the narrative was fluent.
Tropes: roommates, enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, best friend’s brother
TW: explicit language, >1 open-door scene
A cute story with "enemies-to-lovers" and "fake boyfriend" tropes. Good chemistry and growth for the main characters, interesting side characters, except for Jess'character.
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I’m a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope, with a bit of fake dating thrown in, and the banter between Brian and Sarah is seriously good. Both coming out of long term relationships, they spend the first half of the book planking each other to try and get sole use of the one spare bedroom, and the other half slowly realising they are falling in love.
I did NOT like Jess at the end of this book. What kind of rubbish friend makes you choose between them and the love of your life?! Not cool, Jess, NOT COOL.
Overall, a really good read, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Get a Room by Casey Dembowski
I liked the MCs, Brian and Sarah. The title is adorable and caught my eye. Both of these things helped me get over my troubles with beginning of this rom com with steam. How they came to share a room, how they were “enemies” and Jess, Brian’s sister and Sarah’s best friend were not reasonable, necessary or likable in that order. Moving on from there, the MCs had interesting and engaging lives and interaction. Their chemistry had sizzle and sparks. I found their hang ups with ex’s, their maturity levels and their work and friend relationships read true. They grew and bettered themselves with each other and on their own. IMO, Jess, the sister/best friend was immature and/or selfish in all her relationships. I was not a fan but perhaps she will redeem herself in another story. This author is new to me. I enjoyed her book, would recommend and look forward to reading her work again.
4 out of 5 stars
This book had so many things that I love:
1.) Brother's best friend trope!
2.) Forced proximity/only one bed trope
3.) Dual POV
4.) Setting was in Philly- I'm from Philly! I loved all of the mentions about the city.
5.) Grand gesture moment
6.) enemies to lovers trope
I was rooting so hard for Brian and Sarah. Sarah is the best friend of Brian's sister, Jess. Jess made all of her friends promise to never date her brother, and Sarah has held on to that promise for years. Why would she evert think of dating Brian? She hates him.... or does she?
When Sarah's boyfriend proposes to her and she says no, she goes back to her old apartment with Jess. The problem is that her bed is already taken by Brian! With both Brian and Sarah needing a place to stay, they have to make it work in a small apartment. They get on each other's nerves, but when Jess suggests that Brian be Sarah's fake date to a work event, things start to change.
Sarah and Brian feel an undeniable pull to each other, and they start to see that there could be sparks there. I loved how they were truly there for each other, and they would sacrifice anything to be together.
The one reason that I'm giving the book 4 stars instead of 5 is because I hated the character of Jess. She's a terrible, selfish friend, and she's a horrible sister to Brian. The third act breakup also really bothered me. I don't think Jess earned any sympathy or a redemption arc. Her character felt flat, and she came off as immature and bratty.
Overall, there was so much to love about this story. I definitely recommend it!
Thanks to NetGalley and Red Adept Publishing for an ARC of this book.
Get a Room was a delightful story. Even though I feel it was predictable from the beginning, it was a cute story. The timing seemed to be fast but I enjoyed the side characters and the chemistry between the main characters. I felt it was a believable scenario. I would enjoy reading others by Casey Dembowski.
This was so funny and cute!
We have a few fun tropes: best friend's brother, there was only one bed (played differently than usual), fake dating, slowish burn, and enemies (though I'd classify it more as dislike) to lovers.
Sarah and Brian's banter and chemistry are fantastic. I loved watching them slowly fall for each other.
Brian's sister/Sarah's best friend Jess though... not a fan. Her behavior is unsupportive, hypocritical, and more than a little childish. The characters are all in their late 20s and she's pulling high school levels of pettiness. Full star off for my intense dislike of her.
This book is an engaging and fun contemporary romance about enemies-to-lovers, a best friend’s brother love story! The two main characters Sarah and Brian, reach a crossroad in their lives when they end up fighting over a bedroom in her best friends and his sisters apartment. The story starts out as each others sworn nemesis but due to a ""fake" dating setup by his sister, Brian realizes he does have feelings for Sarah. One kiss turns them on their heads and their feelings are growing faster than they can comprehend. The two have amazing banter between them, not to mention the pranks to each other to get the spare bedroom. All of their romantic moments are so swoon-worthy and give off a heart-warming vibe with a few spicy moments mixed in. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy to review.
Story: 4/5 ⭐
Spice: 2/5 🌶️
---
With both their lives in disarray, both Sarah and Brian find themselves fighting over Jess's spare room. Jess happens to be Sarah's best friend but also Brian's younger sister. Sarah and Brian have been at each other's hairs since Jess and Sarah became best friends. However, close proximity and a fake dating situation comes up that slowly changes their feelings towards each other and they eventually fall for the other.
---
This is the perfect Rom com to read after a heavy high fantasy book! It's a lighter read but you really fall into Sarah and Brian's relationship. Their chemistry is realistic and not too fast paced. It starts getting little emotional towards the last portion of the book but Casey Dembowski was able to make me cry (ok not a HUGE feat but still). You're able to see the flaws in each character, they're human after all. Casey does a good job of making her characters relatable and not overly annoying for the reader when they're in conflict. Definitely a good light hearted rom-com read!
Sarah Webb was thrown out of her boyfriend's apartment after she rejects his marriage proposal with a not yet answer. He flips his lid. Not even fully moved in she is forced back to the spare room of her best friend's apartment, but there's a problem.
Brian Hawkins is having a terrible bout of luck. He loses his girlfriend when she springs marriage on him (because she wants healthcare) and then has to watch her marry her best friend only 3 days later. He lost his job, and then, obviously, his apartment and had to spend the summer living with his parents. But now his sister's flat-mate has moved in with her boyfriend so he plans to take over her room. But there's a problem. She's back. She's single and she's his enemy. The brawl for the bedroom begins.
I liked Sarah and Brian. When I first 'saw' them together, throwing verbal punches like hissing cats before a battle, I thought there was no way the author could believable bring them together. But boy did she ever! Brian and Sarah actually go together really well, despite their differences. The nemesis to frenemy to friends to lovers plot arc was beautifully done. It's not often you find a romance novel that pulls that trope of so, apparently, effortlessly. Their lives and relationship perfectly on point. This book was a delight. The only thing that got me was Jess.
Jess the flat-mate/best friend and sister of Brian... Here is a woman who suggests Sarah and Brian fake date (therefore spend a lot of time together) then turns around and claims she felt as through she was being replaced when they actually become friends. She hammers on Sarah for breaking two of their friend rules, yet she broke them too. Too many times to count. She yells at Sarah and Brian for keeping their relationship a secret, yet she had a boyfriend for over 3 months without telling anyone! Sarah broke two rules, she dated Jess's brother and she didn't tell her who she was dating.
Jess lies that she isn't dating, and goes out countless times to meet this man without telling Sarah (basic dating safety one o' one). But for some reason, even though Jess knew they were in some sort of relationship she decides to lose her 'cool'. So, for me at least, that non-best friend behavior out of someone Sarah has known since forever is just...so unlikeable. Best friends should not be that toxic.
I also kind of wanted to shake Sarah for taking that kind of behavior from her bestie without fighting back. And for playing Jess's game and pretending everything was fine for DAYS. I was hoping Jess would have a change of heart after seeing how miserable Sarah was, but no such thing happened. It was Sarah who had to force the issue.
But other than that, I really liked this book. It was a solid, and believable enemies to lovers story.
This is the first book I've read by Casey Dembowski and it certainly wont be the last! (already researching her backlist!) I wouldn't necessarily class this as an enemies to lovers, I feel it is more of a distaste or hate to lovers but mainly due to rules placed by Jess (the sister/best friend).
Because of the rules put in place by Jess, I believe this only accelerates both Brian (the brother) and Sarah's (best friend) dislike for one another. I can't remember a book like this where you truly see an amazing development of all of the characters, including the crappy one you don't want to like, and I feel this only adds to my love of this story.
The way that Sarah and Brian interact, their chemistry and banter is top tier for me. I don't normally read third person books but this really worked here and I realise that I appreciate this more I'm exposed to third person writing. Somehow it makes you feel more like a bystander instead of it happening to you.
I was a little gutted to read the acknowledgements to see that Brian came from another book in Dembowski's called When We Were Thirty and I've seen reviews mention how unlikeable he was but in Get a Room, he came across as the typical geeky brother of your best friend but I can't explain how much more than that he is.
The third act break up, despite knowing it was coming, still annoyed me. This was purely due to Jess' actions, selfishness and disregard to any consequence but Sarah and Brian's relationship honestly overshadowed any of the crap Jess gave.
This book is slightly spicy and where it's written from a third person view, it's kept relatively tame but this book is an absolute slow burn of a read. Only when getting into the 80% ish of the book is when things really started to spring into action and kick off and I can't lie, that made me appreciate the growth, the events, all the intricacies between the characters just that much more.
Get a Room is for lovers of forced proximity, best friends brother (sisters best friend), hate to love, he fell first, dual POV and fake dating.
4 out of 5 stars.