I expected to enjoy this one more than I did but it kinda fell flat. It was steamy but I just didn’t feel Clara and Josh's connection?

I also wished it was more laid out what joshs job was just for transparencies sake.

rating: 3.5/5 (rounded up for amazing writing)

I only heard amazing things about this book from fellow romance lovers, and wanted to love it so badly. But for some reason, it just fell a little flat for me.

What I loved: The writing was incredible! It was funny and sexy; I legitimately found myself giggling aloud at some points. The character development felt real and I enjoyed following the growing attraction between Clara and Josh. And I love any book set in my hometown; I did not envy Clara re-learning to drive in LA traffic!

What I didn't love: I feel like the story fell apart a bit at the end. I am all for a HEA, but this seemed a bit too implausible, too neat of a bow tied on Josh and Clara. I was also surprised by the content of this novel; I didn't read any summary prior to reading about this being set in the Adult Entertainment industry, and it caught me off guard. I'm not sure I would have picked this up if I knew the full context of this story.

Overall, I would recommend this book to any romance lover who enjoys quipy dialogue and steamy storylines.

Here’s the deal: When you pick up The Roommate by Rosie Danan at the bookstore on September 22nd, make a pit stop to grab some wine and a fan because this book was STEAMY🔥. I skimmed the synopsis before reading it because with a title like The Roommate and a cover as beautiful as this, I figured I knew all I really needed to know about what was waiting for me inside…boy was I in for a surprise…

Recap:

Clara the consummate socialite: over-achieving, well-mannered, predictable. But every Wheaton has their weakness. When Clara’s childhood crush invites her to move cross-country, the offer is too much to resist. Unfortunately, it’s also too good to be true.

After a bait-and-switch, Clara finds herself sharing a lease with a charming stranger. Josh might be a bit too perceptive – not to mention handsome – for comfort, but there’s a good chance he and Clara could have survived sharing a summer sublet if she hadn’t looked him up on the Internet…

Once she learns how Josh has made a name for himself, Clara realises living with him might make her the Wheaton’s most scandalous story yet. His professional prowess inspires her to take tackling the stigma against female desire into her own hands. They may not agree on much, but Josh and Clara both believe women deserve better sex. What they decide to do about it will change both of their lives, and if they’re lucky, they’ll help everyone else get lucky too.

What I loved:

–I’m a sucker for roommate romances. The tension and chemistry that comes out of these stories is usually right up my alley & TR was no different.

–The conversations surrounding the porn industry. In case you’re like me and skimmed the synopsis: Josh is an adult entertainer. And the hot topics surrounding the industry such as mistreatment of cast and crew, sexual harassment and stereotypes that come along with working in the industry were sooooo well done.

–Shameless & Shame. The idea of shame played a huge role in the story in general (i.e. Clara worrying what her family will think of her if they find out about Josh, Josh leaving his family behind and holding back with Clara because he worries that she think what society thinks of him because of his profession, and so on). Their entire idea for the Shameless website was great. I love that they wanted something to help provide education and fight against the stigma of female desires.

–Josh. *Sigh* What a great love interest. In a tweet, Danan said that in many ways Josh’s personality was inspired by Nick from the tv show New Girl & I totally got it! He was so sweet, kind and thoughtful. I adored when the POV focused on him.

Why I didn’t give it 5🌟:

-The first 25 percent of the story felt a tad rushed for me.

-There were a few moments when the third person POV switched from Clara to Josh & it took me a second to realize that there was a switch in POV.

Rating ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ .5/5

Steam Level: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥/4 (aka did I mention that Josh is an adult entertainer?)

3.5 stars
Romance is not my go-to genre, but I have decided to challenge myself and read a genre I do not normally gravitate too, and start reading the many stories it has to offer. I have heard nothing but great things about The Roommate and I can honestly say I concur with the majority of those opinions. The Roommate is a romance book featuring great sex positive romance, excellent communication between both character and steamy, fan yourself sex scenes. There were some misses such as it felt like the book maybe dragged on a bit too long. Overall, The Roommate is a fun and steamy romance that many readers will fall in love with.

I read YA so much I've forgotten how nice it is to read about characters my own age sometimes. I really loved this book! Clara's pretty relatable for me as she's in her late twenties and hasn't experienced much, doesn't know what to do with her degree, and is terrified of driving. I really liked the dynamic between her and Josh, who's outgoing and seemingly fears nothing but confrontation and intimacy, which is also pretty relatable.

I felt like the romance is well-written and they're dynamic is really cute. Also, as this book involves the porn industry, there's quite a lot of sex scenes and those are very well-written, too. This book is cute and romantic and it also brings up an important conversation about the exploitation of sex workers and how society looks down on them. Loved it!

This was a very sweet and steamy romance.

Clara has moved across the country at the whim of her childhood best friend and long time crush. But he is completely oblivious to her feelings as he has always been. Instead, he informs her that while she still securely has a room in his home, he has a major opportunity with his band and is renting his own room out to some guy from Craigslist.

Luckily, instead of being a total creep, new tenant Josh surprises Clara with his demeanor. She is immediately at ease with this stranger... until she learns of his profession, that is.

While the two get closer over the summer they must cohabitate, the two decide to work together to come up with a business plan involving what women want when it comes to sex.

Strange as that may seem, the enticing turns this book quickly takes warms you up to these notions very fast. This was a very empowering sexy read that I will not forget any time soon. We get to see Clara, who was once this prudish perfect socialite, turn into a strong woman who gets a major grip on what she deserves in the bedroom. All the while, we get Josh... who is just the sweetest guy who is thrown completely for a loop at how immediately he falls for this reserved summer roommate.

I enjoyed the main characters and their story. I liked how romance novel tropes of were turned on their heads with the supporting characters. I will recommend this book for people who are looking for a romance that's just a little bit different.

Omg I loved this book! So fun & sexy. Loved the whole message. Will definitely recommend to romance fans!

First thing's first -- THIS BOOK IS STEAMY!!! I mean I thought my iPad was going to catch on fire hot! I am incredibly impressed by what a talented writer @rosiedanan because the book is super steamy, not at all raunchy, and had such substance! I absolutely LOVED it! The storyline was so entertaining and each chapter left me wanting to read more and more!

The dynamic/relationship between Josh and Clara was perfection. I could actually see the scenes play out in my head it was written so well and they had such great chemistry. I’m also glad that although Elliott was her longtime “love” she wasn’t harping on him too much in the story (that always bothers me!)

This is a must read in my book so go ahead and pre-order this and thank me later! 😜

Thank you @berkleyromance @netgalley and @rosiedanan for the eARC!

An amazing debut by author Rosie Danan! The MCs were both relatable, sweet and, most importantly, lovable. Fiercely sex positive. I found the pacing lacked at times, but really, for a first novel, The Roommate was delightful and I will definitely be first in line to read what Ms. Danan has next in store! Highly suggested!

Hello, it is I, Founder, President, and CEO of the Bitches Who Love Good Dialogue™ Club, and I hereby bequeath The Roommate BWLGD-approved.

When it came to banter and never-ending sexual tension, Rosie Motherfuckin' Danan DID NOT COME HERE TO PLAY. She delivered a saucy, hilarious, and heartfelt story that was truly sex-positive and also sex work-positive, and I greatly enjoyed every second of it. Josh is quickly slithering his way up the book boyfriends leaderboard, and I loved Clara's arc really unpacking what it looks like to take risks in life. She has a couple of beautiful monologues towards the end of the novel about what it means to love that left me simultaneously tearing up and cackling.

I'd say the only real drawback for me was we never got a full account of Clara's family history and why they loom so large for her (and in the minds of American society). Even just a few pages scattered throughout the novel explaining the Wheaton family's notable scandals and giving us a little more interaction with her mom and dad would've sufficed and added more depth to Clara's character; her family background was harped on so much without any actual explanation. (I also wanted more of Aunt Jill! She sounded rad!)

Thank god this book is being turned into a movie, because I need this franchise to take all of my money. This one's somewhere between 4-4.5 stars!

This book is such a fun romp through sex-positivity, pleasure and opening yourself up to love! I adored Josh, an adult performer who takes pride in his work and refuses to be ashamed of what he does best.

Josh and Clara were a super cute couple and it was so fun watching them pull down their guards and fall for each other. The conflict felt realistic and I loved how they were able to overcome their obstacles together. I also appreciated that there was no crazy ex-girlfriend and that Josh wasn't shamed for being a porn star/sex worker.

There are no words to describe to you how excited I was when I finally got approved for an ARC of The Roommate. I literally squealed. I have been hearing nothing but amazing things about this book for months. And I was SO JEALOUS of everyone who’d already read it. I’ve had it pre-ordered for months, so of course, as soon as I had access to the ebook I downloaded and devoured it. And guys. It lives up to the hype.

Clara Wheaton is an east coast princess who does all the right things in life. But when her childhood crush invites her to move in with him in Los Angeles, she decides to, for once, do the impulsive thing. So you can imagine her reaction when said crush tells her the moment she lands that he is going on tour with his band and has rented out the other room in his house to a guy Clara has never met before. Josh Darling turns out to be nice and not creepy and not too bad looking either, but Clara has some serious anxiety about the whole situation. Luckily, Josh turns out to be pretty good at soothing her nerves. Clara meets up with her estranged aunt, who hires Clara to work at her PR firm on a district attorney’s campaign. And she also reveals to Clara that Josh happens to be a super popular porn star. A porn star on hiatus as it were, as Josh is trying to renegotiate his contract after being taken advantage of by a slimy producer. Honestly, I don’t want to give too much away because this story is so unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Suffice to say, stuff gets sexy and they live happily ever after.

I know I talk a lot about books that make me want to quit writing because I know I’ll never be able to write anything as good, and this is definitely one of those books. From the first page, I was completely sucked in to the story, enamored by these characters, and in love with Rosie’s voice. Like there were many, many moments where I just put the book down and blinked a lot because a line or a sentence or a turn of phrase was so brilliant. And then on top of gorgeous writing, you have a pair of characters who are so endearing and real and lovable and perfect. I loved Clara’s insecurities and Josh’s heart. I loved that Josh’s ex-girlfriend Naomi is treated like an actual person and not just a crazy ex. I loved how Clara found herself and her independence and Josh learned to open up. It’s perfection.

And then on top of all that, this is a book that is unabashedly sex positive and feminist in a way you don’t see very often. And romance is definitely leading the charge in sex positivity and feminism, but The Roommate takes it to a whole other level. I am not lying when I say I loved every single second of reading this book. It is one I will return to again and again, and I am so excited to see what Rosie comes up with next!

I'll admit, I was unsure about this book. The cover makes it look like a YA novel and I didn't know how I felt about a porn star hero. But I was wrong! I LOVED it! The hero is delightful, not at all what you would expect when you hear "porn star". The book walks the fine line between being affirming of sex work and acknowledging the issues within the industry. It is also HOT, make no mistake, but it's also a really sweet story of a woman finding herself. If you're scared, I get it, but it's so good!

I loved this! Sex positivity and female empowerment woohoo! I enjoyed the first half more than the second half though. I managed to read most of it in one sitting!

What do you get when a somewhat OCD/neurotic good-girl who is known for being a prude moves to LA and finds out her surprise male roommate is an adult film star? GOLD! ROMANCE GOLD - That’s what! Gotta love fiction. The Roommate is a rom com lovers dream come true. SO addicting. Heat warning: it gets explicit.🔥

I adored this book. I laughed out loud, I swooned, and I could not stop turning the pages. Right from the start I was completely hooked. I also really loved the bigger message of women owning their sexuality, taking charge of their bodies and forgetting all the judgements society places on them. It’s a book about breaking social stigma.

I officially need more books from Rosie Danan. This was a debut novel, and I predict she is going to do exceptionally well as an author. She writes sexy and sweet like no one else. Because the book centers around the adult entertainment industry, I can see how more conservative readers would find this too risqué. However, I thought the way it was done was unique and empowering for females.

3.5 stars. I requested THE ROOMMATE by Rosie Danan on NG as soon as I saw @squibblesreads mention it on Instagram. Let’s start off with this is a white cishet relationship.

Ok, the good:
+ Sex positivity/normalization of female sexuality
+ Josh makes a very charming and heartwarming male MC
+ Interesting side characters (please tell me there’s a companion book in the works focused on Naomi)

The meh:
- Clara, the female MC, is a WASPy socialite. This trope is so damn old and no one cares about rich white women anymore
- The subplot about her other job and the conflict around that seemed so painfully obvious
- I’m done with the whole “women can’t drive” thing (even if the female MC grew up in NYC)

This book is VERY open door steamy so if you prefer chaste or closed door, I’d skip this one. The sex scenes were great in this book but a lot of the plot fell flat for me.

Thanks, NetGalley and Berkley Romance, for the digital ARC!

This book is very engaging with very likeable characters. Steamy and spicy with a very touching romance. Humourous dialog.

Clara Wheaton comes from a wealthy family that has had its share of scandals so she has spent her privileged life being the good girl. After attaining more academic degrees than a thermometer, Clara takes off cross country to California at the invitation of the man she has a long standing crush on much to her families’ dismay. When her hopes walk out the door with as her ersatz boyfriend to be leaves, Clara is stuck with a stranger as a roommate. Josh just broke up with his girlfriend whom he also works with so he needed a cheap place to crash.

Clara is stunned to find out what this seemingly slacker type does for a living. As they get know one another, it seems opposites do attract; however, his profession would send her family into a tailspin of epic proportions. Josh’s “career” is that of a porn star. He and Naomi, his former girlfriend, are quite the popular couple in the skin flicks. Josh is dissatisfied with the lot of a porn performer when it comes to money and managing his career. Clara is less than pleased with her hopes and dreams being dashed, and her lackluster sex life which is the opposite of Josh’s experience.

They combine forces to make big changes in each of their lives while trying to avoid acting on the major attraction between them. Both of them have some self-esteem issues while trying to learn to be successful adults. Clara thinks she has to be perfect for her family while Josh feels he is not good for much other than being a porn star. Clara’s cash and Josh’s connections in the industry lead then to become independent producers of their own to improve sex for women.

So, I feel conflicted about this book. The writing is good, and I understand it is supposed to be a rom-com yet the porn business has a lot to answer for and little of it good. It’s true in the story Josh describes how many of his coworkers are taken advantage by scurrilous people who run the adult films; however, with all the abuses that women suffer including sex abuse and trafficking as well as those people who become addicted to porn in a unhealthy way, I have trouble finding this story amusing or funny. The synopsis is a bit misleading and should mention more clearly Josh’s connection to this controversial industry.