Hilarious and hot! Rosie Danan had a tough needle to thread making a male porn star a swoony hero, but damn did she do it. This book is romantic and smoldering and laugh out loud funny (seriously, I barked out laughing so many times reading this), and all that while being really freaking empowering and sex-positive. I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next.

Well, that was fun! I knew it was going to be an opposites attract storyline based off the synopsis, and I wasn’t disappointed. East coast socialite good girl overachiever meets West coast carefree porn star. Like I said, fun.

When Clara throws caution to the wind and switches coasts to follow a lifelong crush, it was the first time she did anything remotely daring. But when she lands in LA her childhood best friend and crush ditches her to go on tour with his band and leaves her with a roommate that he found on Craigslist a few days before. Lucky for Clara, Josh is cute and willing to work with her roommate agreement and laminated rules.

When she finds out that Josh is an adult entertainer she does what anybody would do; she Googles him. And boy was there a lot to Google. As someone who never watched porn, Clara thought it would be crass, but she found it rather artistic and arousing. She soon realizes that she’s been missing out on a lot and with the help of Josh she learns to take charge of her own pleasure. Inspired by Josh and her willingness to acknowledge that women deserve pleasure from a partner (not to just take matters into their own hands when said partner doesn’t live up to expectations) they come up with a business plan that champions the right for a female orgasm.

While working towards their relationship the author also brought to light some players in the porn industry and how mistreated and underrepresented some employees were. She emphasized that sex work was in fact real work and not something that should be stigmatized. She also showed that there are many reasons someone may choose to do porn and those reasons are valid and need not be judged. She humanized sex workers and challenged us to think beyond the stigma and preconceived ideals of what a sex worker should be.

But she also showed us that porn stars have got some moves. Whew boy! Talk about some spicy scenes. Overall this was incredibly fun and I’d definitely recommend it.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley publishing for releasing this ARC to me in exchange for an honest review.

The cover I saw with hearts all over it is all wrong because while it is a good story, it is not sweet. It is explicit.

I almost gave up when I realized she was supposed to fall for a porn star because it sounds ridiculous, but it actually worked. Both characters helped each other grow as people throughout the novel in ways only they could.

I had no idea what I was in for when I picked up The Roommate by Rosie Danan, but I absolutely adored it. {Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for my advance reader copy.}

I am a sucker for a fun, flirty romance novel, so when I started to see The Roommate pop up across bookstagram, I crossed my fingers and requested a copy, and then I squealed when I was approved and subsequently downloaded it onto my kindle. I mean, the book is pink and covered in hearts. It couldn't have been more on brand.

But this is what happens when you don’t read summary blurbs. You’re caught completely off-guard when you realize one of the main characters is an *ahem* adult entertainment star.

Context: I grew up incredibly conservative, wearing a purity ring, and chanting “True Love Waits.” I was not prepared. AND YET.

This book blew me away. The characters were so refreshingly real. Clara was rich and privileged without being off-putting. Josh Darling--his stage name--was so down to earth and charming. I learned quite a bit about the adult entertainment industry--it’s definitely more nuanced than one might think. And their whole business endeavor together--creating an educational online resource about women’s pleasure? Let’s just say I wish it were real. It was such a simple concept, and yet such a revolutionary one.

Anyway, I hate reviews that spoil the book, so I won’t say more, but just know that like all good romances, Josh and Clara get their happy ever after. Their whole story just made me so darn happy. And I love reading books that are so sex-positive. Characters who just love their bodies and feel good in their own skin? That’s the kind of person I want to be. And I’m getting there, slowly, one day at a time.

If you're a sucker for sweet yet racy romances, The Roommate should definitely be on your TBR.

I want to preface this by saying: this is my own personal issues. I'm sure many will love this book. But when I requested the arc, I was anticipating a fun and flirty close proximity, enemies-to-lovers between unexpected roommates.

Instead, THE ROOMMATE is an erotica about a wound up girl falling for and starting a porn business with her new roommate, who happens to be one of the top adult entertainment stars of all time. It's extremely graphic and what I imagine is the porn movie equivalent.

If that sounds up your alley, you will love this. I personally draw the line at books that are just under the steaminess level of The Kiss Quotient and The Bromance Book Club.

Thank you to Berkeley Romance for the arc. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book for a light, fun read. I loved the plot, I loved Josh and the whole narrative of creating an equal pleasure resource and taking down The Man in Josh's industry. However...I had such a hard time liking the main character and her drama. I understood it better as the book went on but it was so frustrating. I also felt like the characters just weren't super well rounded so I had a hard time feeling invested in them. Except give me all of the Josh because he is perfect. I'd love to read more books like this with more of a connection to the characters.

The synopsis grabbed me immediately.  I did enjoy watching Clara and Josh both transform while reading I wanted just a little bit more.

I wasn't sure if I could imagine Clara being so willing to partake in some of Josh's suggestions or to find herself in the position of going into business with him so easily but I was able to get past the unsure feeling and enjoyed the interaction between these two characters.

Josh's profession is a bit daunting for Clara the socialite but they both learn a bit about each other and themselves as the book progresses.  The growth of the characters and their relationship was enjoyable to watch and a bit scandalous to read at times (lots of blushing from both Clara and me, while reading!)

Clara Wheaton moved all the way to LA to room with her crush from childhood. What better way than convincing him that they should be together than being roommates first?

Her plan backfires as soon as she gets to California. Turns out Everett, her childhood crush is in a band and they're leaving - like right away. Her roommate now is someone she doesn't even know and she's not sure how to feel about it. Clara eventually finds out that her new roommate Josh is a pleasure professional and she's not entirely sure how to feel about that initially.

Enter Josh - oh Josh. Josh has got to be one of the best book boyfriend there is. He's so sweet and caring and really tries to get to know Clara better. I love that there was such a deep emotional connection between the two of them. They knew each others hopes and dreams and didn't mock them, instead tried to elevate each other.

This book was HOT HOT HOT. The sex scenes had my kindle steaming! I don't want to give the plot away too much - but I absolutely love the way the sex was portrayed in The Roommate. Sex isn't something that should be ashamed of or made to feel "dirty," and I love the way Rosie Danan is able to portray that in The Roommate.

The Roommate had everything that I love to read in a romance. It had the perfect amount of sexual tension mixed with scenes that had me laughing. At the same time I also have so many scenes highlighted that had my heart completely in my throat. I felt giddiness, excitement, angst, happiness and longing from this wonderful book. I cannot wait to re-read it again!

Do yourself a favor and pre-order The Roommate so you can fall in love with Clara and Josh. The Roommate releases September 15, 2020

A feisty, sexy, smart rom-com, and I loved every second of it! Clara is made of the kind of invisible steel that I love in heroines, and Josh is so sweet while also just being a smoldering hot coal of a hero. I can't wait to read whatever Rosie Danan writes from here on out.

Omg, y'all. This book has the premise of my dreams and it was SO. MUCH. FUN. It centers around the romance between an uptight, shy girl named Clara and her porn-star roommate Josh and if that interests you at all I DEFINITELY recommend checking this one out. It was sassy and sexy and just an all around good-time lol. However, with all that being said, I do think I may have gone into this one with my hopes just a liiiiiiiittle bit too high. I did still REALLY enjoy it and a 4 star rating is obviously nowhere near a bad rating, but based on the premise I went into this thinking it would be an insta-favorite and it just didn't quite reach that level. TL;DR: This wasn't a new favorite, but it was fun and fast and I recommend!

Tired of waiting for life to finally start happening for her, newly minted PhD Clara Wheaton seizes the opportunity to spend a carefree summer in LA with her childhood flame: Everett. Except moments after Clara arrives in LA, Everett announces that he's leaving to tour with his band, and that he's sublet his room to some guy from Craigslist. Clara is crushed, because she possibly jeopardized her job choices and reputation to be with Everett. Josh, Clara's new roommate, is charismatic, funny and connects with Clara in ways that no man ever has before. However, Josh has a whole life and career that might be more than Clara can handle, plus isn't she still in love with Everett?

I very much so enjoyed the Roommate! Josh and Clara's chemistry and banter kept me turning page after page. Danan's exploration of the adult entertainment industry from its darker, problematic realities to its potential to educate and empower consenting adults was thought-provoking and interesting. I'd suggest the Roommate to readers who enjoy Helen Hoang' and Sally Thorne's books.

I wish this book had a different cover! It's a sweet, sexy story and the cover doesn't do it justice! Clara Wheaton is a buttoned up good girl who follows her unrequited crush from Connecticut to California only to find out he's taking his band on the road and leaving her with a Craigslist roommate. A quick google search reveals that her new friend is a super popular porn star! The perfect mix of steamy & romantic, I recommend this one even if you aren't drawn in by the cover.

The overarching premise of this book was what enticed me to request it - a roommate to love story is one of the best tropes because it's natural. This book, however, threw in a few plot twists that made the roommate dynamic even better! Danan was able to take a "taboo" topic and show a different viewpoint. As the "taboo" topic isn't readily discussed, it was nice to see it portrayed in a way didn't stigmatize the topic. I actually believe that this book de-stigmatized this "taboo" topic.

I highly recommend this book! It's a very enticing story in that the characters and their issues are relatable and their emotions are realistic. There was one point that I was internalizing the fear that the characters were experiencing - that's hard to accomplish! I'm looking forward to recommending this book to my friends!

🏠 House Rules:
Do your own dishes
Knock before entering the bathroom
Never look up your roommate online

➽ Close proximity
➽ Adult entertainment
➽ Dual POV, third person

➽ Josh. Yes, another Josh and I'd say he lived up to the expectations of the other Josh's in the book world. Goofy and kind. Boy next door appeal.
➽ Clara. Cardigan-loving and action movie connoisseur. She's awkward and lovable. Clara's obsession to please her parents never went beyond the surface. There's family "scandals" that scarred the family but was never explained. What does her family even do? So ambiguous. Maybe I might've missed it??
➽ Steam steam steam. It got hot. So be aware for my nonsteam lovers.

➽ Personally, I wasn't a big fan of the writing 🙈
➽ Majority of the story focused on the steam. The end wrapped up real quick.
➽ Not enough depth for the amount of inner struggles that both Josh and Clara had.

This book came as a nice breeze of surprise for me. I have always been a sucker for roommate romances and this one delivered on all counts.
Clara uproots her entire life from New York to LA on the chance of being roommates with her life long crush and bestfriend but instead finds herself sharing an apartment with a total strange who just might be the most happening thing in the adult entertainment industry.
The chemistry between Clara and Josh was fireworks right from the start. But the relationship also had just as much tenderness and sweetness interspersed within all the steaminess. I loved Josh’s character and how he is unapologetic about his chosen profession but I also loved how the author was able to bring in a vein of vulnerability which made it all the more believable. I wish a little bit kore about how Clara faces her insecurities and faces upto her family was included because the lack of it made her character appear a bit flat.
I also really appreciated the progressive, sex- positive premise of the book and would love to try more of this author’s works.
Definitely recommended

In this laugh out loud contemporary romantic comedy, Rosie Danan introduces two highly mismatches roommates stuck with each other for the summer. In an unexpected turn of events “The Roomate” brings Clara & Josh into uncharted territory. Full of steamy wit and humor, Danan’s novel is a delight...and quite an education!

4.5 stars
Oh how I loved this book. It was an unexpected awesome read that I knew nothing about going into, and it made it all the difference. No spoilers here, But I loved Josh before I knew his job and that made him even more lovable. something about the characters, their stories and the plot all worked for me.

Go into this one blind and see how much more you will enjoy it!

The Roommate by Rosie Danan is one of the most anticipated debuts in 2020 for the romance community. The story is about straight laced Clara who thinks she's agreed to live with her childhood crush for the summer. But when she arrives on the West Coast she finds out she's sharing a lease with handsome and charming Josh. After some internet sleuthing Clara finds out that Josh is famous in an unexpected way. Needless to say it's shaping up to be a life changing summer.

This debut has been talked about a lot on social media so of course I took the chance to review it when it became available on NetGalley. I love giving unknown authors a read because I'm always on the lookout for new talent, and Rosie Danan impressed me with a lot of her skills early on. She writes in a very fun and engaging style that kept my interested through most of the book.

I wanted to like this book more because it had so many pieces that I usually enjoy. An A-type heroine, a charming hero, roommates to lovers, a heroine wanting to distance herself from her family, these are all catnip to me. But this book failed me in one major way and that was there was no warning about how the hero became famous until the heroine finds out in the novel. I am happy that all types of heroes are getting their stories told and I believe everyone deserves an HEA, That being said I am not personally interested in reading books where characters engage in some sort of sex work. I think a better warning of this information could have been supplied by the blurb so I could have avoided this story.

This gets two stars for very competent writing, I just could not connect with the characters. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

3.75/5 stars!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the E-Arc of this book!

I greatly enjoyed reading this book, and it really took me by surprise. I went into it expecting to get a cute "and then they were roommates" trope romance with lots of fluff, and instead got an amazing romance that starts with the "and then they were roommates" trope, discusses the porn industry, is super feminist and strong, has amazing banter, really great characters that are well thought out, and a great cast of side characters that helped pull me into the story.

There aren't a lot of romance books, or books in general, that talk so openly about sex and sex education, especially in terms of talking about the porn industry. I think that this book was really incredible, because it was really informative about an industry not a lot of us talk about openly, and showed how talking about sex is super important and how sex is NOT something to be ashamed of. This book talks about a lot of important topics and discusses them in a great way without making the reader feel like they're being taken out of the romantic story.

The only thing I wanted more from this story was resolution with a few things—a scene or two of Clara and Josh meeting each other's families. I just felt that between the last scene and the epilogue, I as a reader missed a lot of important scenes that would have been nice to see. But other than that, I really enjoyed reading this book.

Thank you for reading!
Caden

Josh and Clara could not be more different. Josh is a college dropout, and Clara has a PhD in art history. Josh comes from a lower middle-class family, and Clara’s from a family of socialites.  Clara has a hard time talking to handsome men, and Josh is a porn star. However, as the novel progresses, they realize that they have more in common than they’d previously thought. *Insert groan here* (Just kidding, I love this trope).  Of course, they also have the most important thing that a romance novel needs--witty banter and great chemistry.  

There are other characters in the book that are also worth noting. I particularly loved Clara’s aunt Jill and Josh’s “coworker” Naomi. They were both fun and likable characters--either of which I would love to see starring in the next Rosie Danan book.  

The plot is quite simple, and the book relies heavily on a few tropes which I love. The roommates forced into cohabitation who, of course, fall in love, and the opposites attract.

Despite having read the blurb of the book, I was quite surprised by how steamy this book is.  Sometimes I think that publishers don’t realize how much we judge a book by its cover, and the cutesy pink hearts did not prepare me at all for way lay under the cover.

At first, I was irritated by the way the author seemed to be glorifying the porn industry; HOWEVER, as I read on it became clear that she turned this novel into a critique of the corrupt way that things are run.  I wanted to bring this up in my review, because at the very beginning of the novel, it seems to be all hunky dory, and I almost stopped reading because it gave me a queasy feeling. I want to warn readers that it gets more realistic and self-aware as the novel progresses. 

Another thing that I do still find annoying is when the blurb on the back of the book is misleading. They didn’t make a “rule” not to Google each other. In fact, Clara tells Josh about her rich family and their drama almost right away, and Clara doesn’t even have to Google Josh.  She finds out about his career path from her aunt who recognizes his picture (LOL).

I recommend this book for anyone looking for a steamy, yet sweet romance.

*This review will be posted to https://powerlibrarian.wordpress.com/ and other platforms on August 26, 2020*