"Never Date a Roommate" is a quick and charming story set in Denmark. Sol, a game developer from Brazil, meets Erik, a former game developer who needs a roommate. They hit it off and become friends, but their relationship slowly turns into something more. The plot mixes friendship and work drama with the sweetness of budding romance.

The author paints a vivid picture of the characters, Danish and Brazilian cultures, and the setting in Denmark. The book is rich in detail, making it easy to get lost in the story. It also helps you understand the differences between the characters' cultures. For instance, I learned about the Danish concept of "hygge" through the book's descriptions.

Erik and Sol are captivating characters. Their chemistry is palpable, and you can feel their hesitations and desires as they navigate their relationship. Erik is a great love interest, supportive and encouraging of Sol's ambitions in game design. He sees her worth and helps her see it too.

Overall, "Never Date a Roommate" is a delightful read, earning a solid four stars from me.

A super quick super cute read! I loved the setting of Copenhagen and the culture differences of the two main characters. I loved the two main characters and always love me a friends to lovers story. I thought the work “games” that they had to attend was a little strange and out of the box, but this was a light escape read so I let it go. The ending felt a tiny bit rushed but I loved how it all came together. This book releases July 30 and I’d highly recommend reading it!

Very sweet and very fast paced story! The author certainly has such a way with words that makes this book very easy to get sucked into! I fear I may never get out! I cannot wait for the release of this title! I will be purchasing a copy!

A quick, fun read! The story of the immigrant experience felt incredibly authentic. Clinging to that dream life while a job becomes a golden cage – oof, did that ever resonate! I also loved the peek into Danish culture -- made me want to bump Denmark up my travel list. And the app they were working on sounds so good -- I need someone to build it for real.

The writing wasn't flawless, but it felt genuine for someone whose first language isn't English. That added a layer of charm and authenticity. The pacing and the romance felt rushed at times, but the fake dating trope was well-executed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Harlequin Books, and Paula Ottoni for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

Never Date a Roommate is a sweet, fast-paced story set in Denmark. The main character, Sol, is a game developer from Brazil working for a video game company. She meets Erik, a former game developer, who needs a roommate. Luckily, they meet each other right when Sol also needs a place to stay, and from there, they become friends, but their relationship continues to develop throughout the book to lovers. There is intrigue, interest, and deception related to friendship and work in the plot of the book mixed with the sweet romance of a budding relationship.

The author does an excellent job of weaving together the plot with detail about the characters, cultures of Danish Erik and Brazilian Sol, and location in Denmark. The book was a vivid picture that wove together the exposition of the story with intricate visual details of the story and setting. The author certainly has a way with words that made this book engaging and easy to get sucked into. It was also easy to understand more about the different cultures of the two main characters and the differences and similarities between them. For example, I had heard of the Danish term "hygge" before, but was not clear on the meaning until reading this book due to the specific details provided by the author.

Erik and Sol are intriguing characters. Their passion builds throughout the book and the tension between them is written well. It is easy to feel the palpable yearning and hesitation of them both as concerned with a relationship with the other. Erik is a strong book boyfriend - he himself is resilient, powerful, giving, loving, ambitious and sweet. He encourages and pushes Sol in her work with video game design and is unafraid to utilize her expertise in his own design work as well, which I consider a plus. He is a person that sees the worth in Sol and pushes her to see the worth in herself throughout the book.

This book was a sweet and engaging read with a strong four star rating from me.

I recently read the book Never Date a Roommate by Paula Ottoni and found it to be a delightful and engaging romance novel. The story follows Sol Carvalho, a Brazilian game developer who moves to Copenhagen to advance her career. To do so, she needs to convince Viking look-alike Erik Storm to be her roommate and fake boyfriend.

The characters in the book are well-developed and likable, and I enjoyed the dynamic between Sol and Erik as they navigate their fake relationship. The author does a great job of building tension and chemistry between the two characters, making their eventual romance feel both satisfying and believable.

What sets this book apart, however, is its setting. The descriptions of Copenhagen and its culture are vivid and fascinating, and I found myself completely immersed in Sol's experience of the city. The book also touches on some deeper themes, such as the challenges of navigating a new culture and the importance of taking risks to achieve one's dreams.

Overall, I would highly recommend Never Date a Roommate to anyone looking for a fun and engaging romance novel with a unique setting and well-drawn characters. The book is a perfect escape from reality, and I found myself completely engrossed in Sol and Erik's story.

CONS:
- writing feels childish at certain points, very much like picking petals off a flower of “he loves, he loves me not” and the random third act break up 91% in was just a waste of plot in my opinion.
- The time jumps were hard to keep track of as well, they were just having a blast together and so in love and suddenly it’s been weeks since that moment and they’re actually upset with each other right now.
- Sol was kinda all over the place at times, one minute she was happy and confident in herself then randomly she didn’t want to show who she was or her Brazilian background.
- her love for Erik seemed fast paced? I felt like she was really attached to him because she was alone and didn’t really have anyone in Copenhagen. And instead of her character developing by making her own friends in the company and developing her own routines it was all about her and Erik being together. It felt like she was infatuated with him and he tolerated her.
- I also felt that Sol could be very selfish, she loved Erik but was really upset when he was like 1000% dedicated to completing the app she was ENCOURAGING him to put out ASAP! He was “neglecting” her just like he did in the past but she’s not helping him on the app so he obviously has to be the only one to finish it up which means he’ll be busy?
- I also felt like we didn’t really get to know anything about Erik, he just kinda felt like a background character sometimes. The majority of the book was about Sol and her family. I think this book could’ve been really good if it was marketed as Sol discovering herself in Copenhagen and her falling for her roommate as a subplot.

Despite this list of cons I will say that the book was still a fun read, and even educational. I learned so much about Danish and Brazilian culture which I thought was a really fun way to show more insight into the main characters. The romance was really sweet when these two were “dating” for fun season! and their ideas for the app were so cool to read about, especially in the end when you get to see it all coming together.

I wish the app was real because it sounds fun! there was also some spicy scenes thrown in the mix, I skipped over them but from what I skimmed I’d say the spice was about a 3/5. Everyone’s spice scale is different but this fell right in the middle of spice but not too spicy. I am really happy that I got to read this book and be able to share my honest thoughts and reviews🤍

This was a very relatable read for any woman in the workforce. Sol's got ideas that keep getting stolen by her nemesis, who honestly seems clueless at his job. She's up for a promotion and willing to do anything to get it. Unfortunately, she's suddenly homeless and at the mercy of the only available roommate in Copenhagen or she will be forced to return home where her job prospects are limited to returning to the family business. Convincing Erik to be her fake boyfriend when he used to work for her company surely won't go wrong, will it? Their chemistry is instant and fun to watch. She easily breaks through his "absolutely no dating" rule. It's even relatively easy to forgive his flaw of getting consumed by his work. If I wanted anything more from this book, it would have been more interaction between Sol and Erik. Seeing them together, getting to know each other, their dates through the city - that's where the magic was. Even when they were on the fake work dates, their chemistry was off the charts. Erik sure made me swoon!

This was a short fun read! At times it felt awkward, and clunky, but I loved the characters and their relationship! The plot of this book felt well thought out and doesn’t fall into a lot of the common traps that books with the fake dating tropes often have. I loved that Sol has other relationships outside of her relationship with Erik, her family and best friend, as well as her coworkers really made it feel complete. Don’t hesitate to pick up this book if you come across it!
Thanks to netgalley for the arc!

3.5⭐️

Marisol ‘Sol’ Carvalho is a Brazilian game developer currently living in Copenhagen, Denmark. She is in desperate need of a new apartment when she comes across the hunky Danish Viking, Erik Storm, who is looking for a roommate. She convinces him to let her move in, and when he finds out she works at the same place he used to work, he gives her tips to help get a promotion. To help her seems like she has roots in Denmark they start fake dating.

Never Date a Roommate is relatively short for a full length romance novel, so some aspects felt rushed and I wanted more. Additionally I felt a disconnect with myself and the characters bc the conflict between the pair didn’t seem to make much sense.

Overall, this is a quick, steamy, fun, fake dating romance that I would recommend to readers who enjoy fake dating, hot Viking men, and diverse romance.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for giving me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

Rating- 3.75

Never Date a Roommate follows Sol, a game designer from Brazil currently chasing her career dreams in Denmark. However, when she is forced to find a new apartment in the incredibly competitive housing market of Copenhagen, she finds herself matching with the very guy who could solve all of her problems on a dating app. After convincing him to let her stay in his place, only under his strict rules of nothing romantic EVER happening between them (so obviously that means nothing), she begins to battle her way towards a promotion.

But then she is forced to again ask Erik, her sexy roommate, for another favor, in the form of being her fake boyfriend. And thus begins a mashup of some of my all time favorite tropes, and while it was a quick and fun read, I found myself wanting for more.

The book is fairly short, and because of that, some of it feels rushed. Sol and Erik, for example... I felt like their relationship so rapidly changed from 'we can never be more than roommates' to 'damn I want to jump your bones', and that made it seem inorganic. There were many moments that I loved between them, but I think that the author, if she had chosen to make the book just a touch longer, could have given us more from those interactions. I wanted to know more about Erik's family and his ex- honestly, I just wanted to know him a bit more. He had a lot of swoony moments, to be sure, but again, I felt like there were times that we could have gotten more out of his character and his interactions with Sol.

In addition to their love being a bit quick, I felt like the reconciliation was the same. Their conflict, honestly, didn't make enough sense for me to truly feel invested in their struggles and angst. I was just frustrated at them both, but I can recognize how that is an effective way to play on the emotions of readers... however, here, it just didn't fit as well as it could have.

I did like the side characters, but again, I wish we got a little more of them. It was nice to see Sol find her place and her friends in this new city, so far from what she knows, and while I know that the author wanted to represent some of the struggle that comes with finding your place, I thought that the friendships she had outside of Erik could have really shown that.

The spice was written really well and those moments had a lot of chemistry, but I don't know how I feel about the expression 'come in' during sexy time... to each their own, though.

Overall, this was a quick, steamy, low-stakes read that could definitely fill that need for a fun romance! If you're into hot Viking men and a few hours of escapism, I would pick this one up! Despite the things that I didn't like, I did enjoy myself and am curious to see more by the author!

3.5 stars

On the surface this felt like a book I would enjoy. It’s got roommates to lovers, fake dating, a fun setting - all things that I like. However, I found that just didn’t connect with this book. The writing was a little clunky at times, it felt like I was being talked at rather than a cohesive narration (I’m not sure how to describe this but I guess parts felt like an interjection where the narrator was talking directly to the audience but not in an intentional way). I also didn’t love the fmc. She was very hot and cold and didn’t really seem to have her own personality. She jumped back and forth between emotions in a way that didn’t really make sense.
The workplace aspect was also super weird to me. The employees are forced to compete in these absurd games outside of work hours (presumably unpaid) where two of them are competing for a promotion and the rest are just… there? It didn’t make a lot of sense to me.
The last 50 or so pages of this book were so chaotic and rushed that I had a hard time keeping up. The third act conflict seemingly came out of nowhere and then everything g else didn’t really make sense either.
I had high hopes for this one but unfortunately it just wasn’t what I was hoping for

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC!

I think this book was good. I requested it because it sounded interesting, and it was. The cast of characters was interesting and all so different from one another. I love the setting and environment this book created it really helped to create well rounded and dynamic characters

Marisol's lease is about to end in exactly 10 days. With nowhere to go, she plans to leave the company she's currently been with for a time now. Because what else can she do? She desperately does not want to go back home to her mother, nor does she want to lose everything she's worked for here.
She hears of a possible job promotion from her boss, and her plans change.
She must find a new apartment. She's desperate. Enter, hot viking, Erik Storm. He blindly turns Marisol down about the room he has up for rent, but what he doesn't realize is that he accepts her request to go on a date. Marisol happens to come across Erik's online dating profile on a site, and they "match".
The two hit it off, and once she comes clean with him, she ends up moving in.
As the story goes along, Marisol manages to hilariously get herself into a mess of things, and then needs a fake danish boyfriend. Enter, hot Danish* viking, Erik Storm, again.
This hilarious romcom is full of fake dating, forced proximity, and is a slow burn romance that'll simmer throughout the book. I generally steer clear of slow burn romances because they tend to make me doze off. I read this book in a day. Nothing about it had me dozing off. It's a 4 star read for me, and if I could, I'd make it 4.5 stars. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin for allowing me to read this ARC.

I love a silly little romance. I liked how the mmc continuously encouraged the fmc to be herself and not to depend on him to help her fit in and that she was special in her own way. It was also fun to read about a nerdy couple where both sides are nerds and it isn’t just one half. I loved all the representation of LGBT+ in the side characters. Overall, this book is a great read and I recommend it.

Never Date a Roommate proved to be a captivating and enjoyable book. The characters were well-crafted, and their development throughout the story was engaging. If you're looking for a book that combines an entertaining premise with well-developed characters and a heartwarming love story, Never Date a Roommate is a must-read. I highly recommend it for anyone seeking a delightful and engaging literary escape.

This book was so sweet. The banter was top tier and the romance was really good. I absolutely loved this book. The story line was unique and I really loved it.

I was drawn in to this book by the cute cover and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. The connection between Sol and Erik was ELECTRIC. I really felt for Sol when she would have her internal struggles reminiscing about Brazil but then wanting to stay in Denmark. I loved that Erik kept pushing her to be herself and to be proud of where she is from. I would really like to give this 4 stars but I felt like things went on a little too long in certain places. But I would still recommend this book! Very cute!

I ended up enjoying this one more than I thought I would from the outset. I enjoy a good friends to lovers with lots of tension and falling in love with the person. While both parties were attracted at first sight, the didn't act on anything. I would have enjoyed it more if there that wasn't present but it still worked for me.

Also, this book is set in Europe and the author did an amazing job getting the tone and vibe perfectly right.

A lovely slow burn read in the same vein as Mhairi McFarlane!

Thank you to Harlequin Books for this ARC. The beautiful cover and the title so enticed me. I love a good roommate trope but other than that, I didn't really know what to expect going in. Marisol "Sol" Carvalho (a POC lead thank you!) moved to Denmark with a dream to build her own life and her happiness. A desperate situation leaves her scrambling to find a room to live in. Enter Erik Storm, who looks exactly like how you might picture him, shoulder-length blonde hair, blue eyes and great build. He has an open room and after much persuasion, she moves into his second bedroom. An opportunity for a work promotion has her needing a fake boyfriend and well... you can kind of see where this goes.

What I didn't expect, was that even though the romance was blooming very slow and steady between the characters, the FMC really did struggle with finding her happy place independently and dreading the idea of having to pack up her things and go home. There was a cultural aspect that she was warring with, wanting to blend in with the country she moved in but also keeping the parts of her that she came from. Luckily, the MMC was supportive in having her not change who she was in order to shine.

I loved that the characters became friends to lovers. It's one of my favorite tropes! He makes it clear that falling into a romantic relationship would be a disastrous idea but the tension is undeniable as they get to know each other. There are definitely a couple things that I wasn't a huge fan of (the lack of communication, her stubbornness, his apathy) but overall, the book created a lovely atmosphere and I'm ready to pack my bags and visit Denmark.

This is for all you slow burn lovers. It does pay off in a (very) steamy shower scene. ;)