My first foray into these co-authors work.. Holland has been secretly going down in the subway listening to this musician who plays the guitar. Unbeknownst to him she's being doing this for months. Being raised by her uncles Robert(the broadway director) and Jeff(the account) has giving her the ear for quality music and that is how she knows that this individual this young man music is quite exquisite. One night she finally decides to go close and compliment him on his music. As she eventually backs away and heads to the train still shocked that she finally met "Jack" as she calls him she is attacked by a homeless man who pushes her. She comes awake later in an ambulance wondering what has happened to her only to see Jack who is Calvin watching from afar..
Later on she wondered why he never let the EMT/police knows that he witness what happened and was the one who called it in.
So begins this story of a talented musician who just needed a break to be heard and got that by marrying a woman who has been secretly infatuated with him. This is my first book about marrying to stay in USA so current for today's time. I loved that Calvin didn't try to be intimate right away with Holland. I like the process of them getting to know each other building up to the ultimate lovefest. Being a New Yorker it was great to see the process of how a broadway show gets set up and be made. My only negative about this book is I would have loved an epilogue. Reviews on goodreads and amazon.

What can you say bad about Christina Lauren.. absolutely nothing. They once again proved to be magnificent authors by giving us the perfect love story with a bit of heart break. They know how to tear you down and build you up all in one book. Holland and Calvin have a love that I can't explain you have to read to fall in love with these two characters. This is a MUST READ!

It's been over a day since I finished reading this book, and I still find myself thinking about the characters. I feel like that's the sign of an excellent writer at work - the characterizations are so spot on, so mesmerizing, so real. I've always enjoyed Broadway, so reading a bit about some of the behind the scenes work that is done to make such a hit show work was fascinating as well. The details included did not detract from the story but enhanced it greatly. Holland is interesting, and funny, and very down to earth - she is great as a narrator because she evokes your sympathy and gets you to root for her. Her infatuation with Calvin, and how it unfolds into a real relationship, with its own troubles and strengths, makes for a great read. This is the first book I've read by this author, but it won't be the last.

Holland Baker is kind of just floating through life. She works a job that’s not really her passion and she kind of just stands on the sidelines and watches life go by. The one thing she is very sure about though is the guy who plays the guitar on the subway. He is HOT. She’s dreamed up a whole lifestyle for this guy, even his name. When a would-be mugging brings them together Holland learns more about Calvin (that’s his actual name) and she’s even more taken with him. When her Uncle’s play loses its lead musician Holland wastes no time introducing the two. Soon Calvin is being offered the gig of a lifetime, only problem, he’s not in the U.S. legally. Much to the dismay of those who know her, Holland does something very un-Holland like….she acts on impulse. She offers to and weds Calvin. Finding themselves married to virtual strangers, a putting up a major charade for immigration Holland and Calvin have to figure out if it’s really a charade after all.
It took me quite a while to get into this story, the actual plot was good but it just didn’t grab me the way I thought it would. As usual with me, the female character seems to be my least favorite. I liked Calvin but I had quite a time trying to like Holland. In the end I don’t think I ever did get around to liking her. Her insecurities drove me bananas. As much as I liked Calvin, it kind of weirded me out a little that he so eagerly fell right into marriage thing. It was almost like he was just waiting for someone to swoop in and agree to temporarily marry him. What I did like about Calvin was his honesty, for the most part he more or less but his feelings out in the open. The only time his honesty came into play was telling his family about Holland.
For the most part this was an okay read. Did I love it? No, but I liked it enough. It didn’t make me feel all warm and fuzzy the way I thought it would but it did make my heart pitter-patter a bit.

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

Calvin sure knows how to play with a girl's hormones, even if he's not doing anything, “ah.” I’m overheated. “No. We’ll need to talk to Robert at some point, but I took the rest of the week off to, um . . .” I have to turn away to reach for the coffee filters . His body is insane. His body hair is the best balance of there-but-not-furry. Calvin is half naked in my apartment and I am completely losing my shit right now. I need to get some distance and some caffeine. I gesture vaguely to him across the room. “To study.” I think Calvin may be a tad bashful, “don’t look,” he says, grinning over at me. “I gotta pee, and I’m going to walk naked to your bathroom because I think you ripped my clothes off by the front door.” I loved this bok, I fell in love with Calvin the man's accent sure can get the blood revving.

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!!