Holland has gone out of her way for months to catch glimpses of Calvin, a talented musician playing guitar for tips in the subway. She's too shy to actually talk to him but lives for those moments. One day, a terrifying incident occurs that brings them together. Holland learns that Calvin is in the country illegally so for the good of his career, and because she secretly in her heart of hearts wants to, Holland marries him so he can get his green card. That's when the reality of what they've done begins. A beautiful love story about overcoming adversity and triumphing,

4.5 Wine Glass #ARC #Review of Roomies by Christina Lauren
*Posting 1204/17 @ 8pm EST

With Roomies, Christina Lauren weaves a delightful tale of music, love, and mayhem set in the heart of New York that is both fresh and inventive.

This author duo is a bit of a hit or miss for me; some books I really love while others not-so-much, so I wasn't sure what to expect from Roomies when I first opened this book. However....Centered around a cast of lovably flawed characters, I was swept away by this charming story of a fake romance turned all too real. Calvin McLoughlin is a brilliant and gorgeous musician who captured Holland Bakker's heart in the dank depths of the New York subways. But Calvin has no idea that Holland has been watching him play for six long months before she finally finds the nerve to talk to him. After that first painful conversation, the story quickly develops as Holland brings her uncle to listen to Calvin play and later audition for his Broadway musical only to find out that he is in the country illegal and can't accept the position. Of course, the only logical solution is to marry him for a year so that he can get his green card. Calvin is skeptical at first but agrees and these two embark on a whirlwind journey that starts out as adorably awkward but rapidly turns excitedly ardent.

From the onset, I loved Holland's character. She's quirky, fun, and incredibly caring. The story is told from her own point-of-view so readers get a front row seat to her thoughts and feelings. An aspiring writer who has lost her muse, and the niece of two wildly successful uncles, Holland feels adrift in life. When she see's a chance to help her loving uncle, she jumps at it, even if she feels that she's bitten off more then she can chew with a marriage of convenience. I sympathized with her feelings of inadequacy being surrounding by all of these amazingly talented people. She doesn't see in herself what everyone around her does. Holland quickly falls for Calvin's swoon-worthy persona, as did I. Talented, yet humble, Calvin's character intrigues. You know that he has his secrets, but what? He seems to be at the advantage in this relationship. Holland is riddled with doubt and questions her growing feelings for Calvin, and those that he seems to have for her. Is it all a game to him to obtain his dream job and stay in the U.S.? They both hunger for love in this modern day fairy tale and there is no denying the chemistry they share when they both finally admit their mutual attraction.

I could perfectly picture this Broadway musical from the author's vivid painting of each scene and you could feel Calvin's music through Holland's narrative. The romance was balanced with the over-all story, never one overtaking the other. The root of Roomies is Holland's journey of self-discovery and loving herself, but it is also so much more. Heavy with emotion, the angst and sexual tension kept my heard pounding. I found myself eagerly turning the pages and reaching the end all too soon.

Basically, you're not going to want to miss this release from Christina Lauren. It was a thrilling romance with entertaining characters and a unique setting. I was left with a happy sigh and smile at the end, and will definitely be looking forward to more stand-alone romances from the writing team. I recommend you pre-ordering a copy of Roomies today!

I enjoyed this book. I especially liked how Holland grew thru all the situations she faced. The theme was not one you usually find in a romance but it worked. A great cast of supporting characters too.

Reading this book, I laughed out loud, read passages to my sister (which she found amusing too), and stayed up way too late considering I had work the next morning. But I genuinely could not put the book down. This book is a modern day marriage of convenience and talks about the immigration process in a real way and I wanted to cry with joy because yes, immigration forms are the longest and so ridiculous. In a way, this book is like a mixture of The Proposal, The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, and August Rush, which is to say that it is unique and wonderful. The characters are both so amazing and I just absolutely adore Holland. I'm almost 26 and, if I remember correctly, Holland is 25 and her inner voice felt so similar to my own. The worries of whether or not she's doing enough, what she really wants to do with her life, does Calvin actually like her or no? I identified so strongly with Holland.

I also fell in love with Calvin and Holland's relationship, with the way Calvin so obviously valued Holland as a person. The way Calvin took her advice seriously and just respected the hell out of her. I genuinely cannot say enough good things about this book or this relationship. I highly recommend it.

Another wonderful book by Christina Lauren! I could not put it down.

I have a soft spot for Broadway and this hit the mark. Roomies was a case of the right book at just the right time for me. Full of the wit and heart we have all grown to love from Christina Lauren, Roomies almost seemed to have just a bit more. The story relieved heavier on the connection between these two and the drawn out angst that follows them and slightly lighter on the humor and non-stop sex some other stories from them have had. I loved this style but can admit I did miss the dual POV, but that is mostly just a personal preference.

Roomies was a romance like I've never read before! A marriage of convenience between two denying their true feelings. But the real star of the story was the music. It was clear from the start that Holland fell for Calvin's music before she ever even heard the Irishman speak and oddly as it is, I feel the same. Even though I as the reader never got the chance to hear him play, through the way Holland describes it and feels the music I felt like I did too.

Besides the music there was one other aspect of Roomies that had me in love with this story and that was the texts. Using text in books is nothing new for this duo, and they always do it in such a sexy way that has the tension built so high I am dying for more to happen long before it does. Roomies took this to a whole new level and I was sad when it ended. I loved each and every text that Calvin sent to Holland and was already eager for more before I even finished reading one.

Roomies was the best kind of fun. It was deeper than I anticipated and I loved every moment.

4.5 Smooches
~miranda

Well written book. For some reason, this book didn't do it for me. I really didn't like Holland or Calvin illegally here from Canada. I'm sure I will love the next book, just not this one.

I am going to have to be honest here, I didn't love this book as much as I love Christina Lauren's other books. Maybe it is because I am not a theater geek. I don't know. I found this book to be uneventful and drawn out. I put the book down man times to "take a break", hoping for when I picked it up again I would get more into it. But that never happened.

Holland lives in NYC and works on a play. She is crushing on Calvin McLoughlin. He signs in the subway, is Irish, and she is kind of stalking him. One night, she gets pushed on the tracks. Calvin calls 911 for help, but doesn't do more than that. (that part kind of bummed me out.) He has his reasons for not getting more involved, but that is another issue for another time.

Holland gets him a job in her uncle's play and marries him because his visa is expired. The whole thing goes from there pretty much where you think it is going to go.

I loved it. I loved it. I loved it. Such a sweet and enjoyable story. The perfect marriage of convenience story-line that totally exceeded my expectations.

Roomies follows the story of Holland and Calvin. Holland has admired Calvin from afar, but has never had the courage to speak to him..that is until one night, fate intervenes and Holland finally gets up the courage to say something. That night would prove to change not only Holland's path, but also Calvin's. When an opportunity presents itself and Holland presents Calvin with an audition of a lifetime, their lives will once again change. With an expired visa and a marriage of convenience...what could possibly go wrong?? Will Calvin and Holland be able to keep things strictly business? Or will the lines blur and turn into something so much more? There is only one way to find out...

Overall, I thought Roomies was a terrific read. It was fun and entertaining. I loved Holland and found her easy to connect with. She was so sweet and always doing things for others in her life, but she never took her life by the horns. She was a secondary character in her own story-line...that is until she met Calvin. Calvin is sexy and mysterious and plays his guitar like no other. He is extremely talented and should be sharing his gift with the world.

I really enjoyed the relationship with Calvin and Holland. Their romance was a slow burn and I loved seeing them transform from friends who got married to help one another out, to something much much more. Calvin is totally swoon worthy and I loved watching him fall for Holland. I enjoyed watching the two of them try to figure things out and see where their relationship would go. I also really liked that Holland and Calvin were flawed. They had real problems and didn't always think before they spoke. They were perfectly imperfect and just right for each other.

Roomies was a fabulous read from beginning to end. It hooked me from the very first page and I easily devoured it in just one sitting. I thought this story was written well and had just the right amount of drama, intrigue, and sweet and sexy times. A great book to spend the evening getting lost in.

Get ready for an emotional ride! This novel packs in all the feels. The characters are deep and complex and flawed and just SO easy to love. And the descriptions, especially about the music world, are just phenomenal. I even turned on some music as a backdrop as I read at one point.
Holland is so sweet and so relatable. I think many of us have felt like everyone around us has life figured out, like we must be the only ones who aren't quite sure how to proceed in life. Shes awkward, sassy, and just plain funny. And Calvin, wow, he is just the right amount of swoony and heartbreaking. Put them together and you have a story full of ups and downs, with characters you'll be rooting for at every turn.

Holland is a bit perplexed when she finds out the beautiful busker she has a crush on refuses to give a statement to the police after she is knocked off the subway platform by a mugger. Despite this odd behavior, she still thinks he would be the perfect replacement musician in her uncle's outrageously popular Broadway show. Calvin agrees to audition but has to turn down the opportunity because he is living in NYC illegally and is afraid he will be deported back to Ireland.

Deciding to take a huge risk both to help her uncle AND to get to know Calvin better, Holland proposes they marry. They agree but find out that they both are afraid to trust their growing chemistry and intimacy especially as Calvin's career takes off.

Super sweet with some unexpected turns, another awesome Christina Lauren romance!

I did miss the dual POV that they usually bring to their stories, but this is a minor "issue."

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!!