This was really enjoyable—I appreciate the balance between sweet and spice. The landing didn’t quite stick for me for personal reasons, but overall I was delighted throughout my time reading.

⚠️⚠️Excessive heat warning 🌡🌡 in effect for entire length of this book! ⚠️⚠️

Sometimes I pick up these rom-coms so innocently. Perhaps naïve assuming they will be a fun, sweet read with a dash of romance to make me go..."awww”.

And occasionally I come away with a hot🔥 and spicy number that knocks my socks off. As you can guess this was one of those times!

Clara comes from a family with status and wealth. Raised in Connecticut she has always toed the family line. Never straying out of bounds. Until now. Clara takes the biggest leap of her life (at least to this point...as many more are headed her way). She is moving across the country to LA to pursue her lifelong crush.

Only prince charming leaves her stranded and alone within hours of her arrival. Ok, maybe not completely alone. He’s rented out the second bedroom of his apartment to someone from Craigslist. Now that should start the warning bells 🔔 right there!

This Roommate has one of the more shall we say, “interesting” careers. And despite her squeaky-clean upbringing, Clara is getting caught up in her new roomy and his so-called business.

This was a fun and sizzling rom-com. It won’t be for everyone, but for those who like it spicy I think you will enjoy!

The characters were presented well and we basically saw Clara grow up before our very eyes.

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an ARC to read and review.

Witty and realistic goes a long way for me in my romance reads. Danan wrote a strong debut here, with characters to root for and a completely unique premise.

GAH! I had nothing but love for Josh and Clara and everything about this book. The cinnamon roll porn star hero and the (at times prudish) and reserved heroine? Lord have mercy. Total perfection. It was smoking hot and super sweet and had me all up in my feels. I can't wait to read more from Rosie!

So I went into this book thinking it was going to be an adult romance. I wasn't expecting how the story planned out, but boy did I love it! This book is sexy with some great characters. I loved it so much!

This was such a refreshing read! Had never read a book with a main character who does porn. Loved it! Wish a website like that would actually exist, hehe.

Really enjoyed the obvious sparks between the characters, the sexual tension was so hot. Of course it was obvious they'd end up together like it is with every book like this, but it was still such an enjoyable, feel-good read. Can't wait for more from this author!

<em>The Roommate</em> is Rosie Danan's debut contemporary romance release from last year. I've heard nothing but good things about it so I was looking forward to reading it but the massive reading slump of 2020 got to me so I haven't gotten around to it until now. I was really engaged from beginning to end in what was going on with both Clara and Josh. Sure, there were times when I wanted to smack them both upside their stubborn heads but overall, they were great characters with great chemistry and I was rooting for them.

So this book follows Clara Wheaton, a socialite from Connecticut who leaves her life of privilege, responsibility, and expectations for the freedom of living on her own clear across the country. She ran away from the responsibilities of being a Wheaton to figure some things out while she rooms with the love of her life and best friend, Everett. But when she shows up in Los Angeles, determined to make Everett fall in love with her, he delivers some bad news. His band got asked to do a last-minute multiple-city tour and he's leaving...right now. But she's not to worry because he rented his room to someone else so she won't be alone and she can still have her summer of adventure. She just had to do it all without him.

Clara meets her new roommate, Josh Connors, when she gets home and while she had no intention of getting to know him, they talk and he convinces her to stick it out and find out what she's all about. Before Clara knows what's what, she's reunited with her estranged Aunt, she's got a job and she's developed a strictly platonic friendship with her roommate that she really enjoys. Everything was going pretty great until she finds out that her new friend and roommate, Josh Connors, is actually Josh Darling, a sexy porn star and the exact opposite of what her parents would approve of.

Josh is used to people not approving of his job and in extension, approving of him. He enjoys his work, he's free of strings and is living his life the way that he wants to but when he befriends his new roommate, Clara Wheaton, her opinion of him starts to matter, and then before he knows what is what, he's got a giant crush on her that can only end with his heart being shattered because he just knows she doesn't feel the same way. When they go into business together, things really heat up between the two of them but it doesn't come without its fair share of complications.

Seeing these two battle their attraction to each other while trying to figure out their own individual issues made for a great romance. Rosie Danan's writing style flowed well and was easy to follow along with and I thought she told a really engaging story with a charming cast of characters. I'm glad that I read this book and I'm looking forward to jumping into her next book that I have for review.

<strong>4 out of 5</strong>

What a fun, fun read! I initially started reading The Intimacy Experiment, but decided I should go back and start with the first titles in the series. Boy am I glad I did! I loved getting to know Clara and Josh and their chemistry was great. I also really liked the way that Rosie Danan subverted some of the classic romance novel tropes and included information about how the porn industry is run. Can't wait to dive into Naomi's story in The Intimacy Experiment.

THIS is how you write a rom-com, folks! 🔥 ⁣
🙏 @berkleypub @rosiedanan #gifted⁣
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Clara Wheaton uncharacteristically abandons her socialite lifestyle on the East Coast and flies to LA to move in with her childhood friend, Everett, who she is secretly madly in love with. When Clara arrives, Everett announces that he’s going on tour with his band for three months and Clara will be sharing the apartment with a renter that he met on Craigslist while he’s gone. Her gorgeous new roommate, Josh, seems alright until straight-laced Clara discovers that he’s a popular adult film star. ⁣⁣⁣⁣
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The steam factor in this opposites-attract novel is through the roof! I loved seeing the clash between prim and proper Clara and confident and candid Josh. Danan thoughtfully highlights the ins and outs of the adult film industry, societal stigmas, healthy intimate relationships and the importance of women’s pleasure. She pulls it all together with a super interesting plot and a heartwarming romance. The Roommate is a funny, charming, sex-positive read and I highly recommend it for you romance lovers. It’s out today so smash that add to cart button or mask up and run to your nearest bookstore!

The Roommate follows Clara, an overachieving east coast socialite who’s always lived life by the books. After moving to Los Angeles in a failed attempt to chase after her childhood crush, Clara finds herself suddenly roommates with Josh, a charming, laid back LA...porn star.

I loved how this book had such thoughtful discussions about sex positivity and the importance of sex education. The adult entertainment industry is often seen as a taboo topic, and Rosie Danan skillfully validates the work of adult performers yet points out the power dynamics and toxic aspects that can leave performers vulnerable.

This book is told in dual POV, and I found Josh’s narration to be much more enjoyable to read than Clara’s. For one, his personal experience of fighting against the exploitation of sex workers in the industry was a much more interesting story arc than Clara’s coming-of-age journey.

Secondly, Clara’s doe-eyed outlook and naivety just didn’t work for me. Coming from a rich family, she’s left her privileged life to find independence, yet I rarely felt invested in her character except for the moments where she interacted with Josh.

My biggest grievance with this book was the final fight between Clara and Josh that hinges on the miscommunication trope AKA my least favorite trope in the history of fiction. I didn’t find it necessary to move the story along, and despite the characters eventually reconciling, it stunted the romance and chemistry between the two.

While there were heartfelt and funny moments within The Roommate that made me smile, I kept hoping for more. Ultimately, the plot line had golden potential, but the execution of the story fell short of my expectations.

Enjoyed this but didn’t quite love it. The romance builds nicely but the conflict was built around avoiding one conversation - a tired and lazy ploy.

Clara’s struggle against family expectations felt half hearted - since none of that is every experienced on page — unlike Josh with his confrontation with his mom.

The political subplot felt rather flimsy. Definitely for fans of the Kiss Quotient - relates to sex workers, sex education, female pleasure. . Fun but not a personal favorite. ★★★½

What a satisfying, cute read!! It's not exaggerating to say that this book is a game changer. The main characters' banters are super fun to read and I love their wicked sense of humor as well. What impresses me most is definitely the overall concept about porn industry. Yes, since the male character is a porn star, this book revolves mainly around that field and totally presents us a brand-new, relatively original idea about it. That being said, this book totally opens my eyes and proves that what most people disapprove of may not necessarily appear to be what it seems. As profound as that sounds, I'm blown away by how in-depth this story is and more incredibly, the author manages to convey several important messages such as proper sex education. All in all, I'm amazed by this book and I'm glad it successfully showcases its potential to educate the readers in an uplifting yet entertaining way. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Omg, y’all, this book!

I remember reading the summary on NetGalley and immediately requesting a copy… but then I (predictably) waited too many months to actually sit down and read it. (Although I did get to catch a conversation between Christina Lauren and Rosie Danan pre-publication!) While the summary gives a vague ~idea of how the plot will go, it leaves a lot out, too. It’s essentially a meet-cute between two people at different crossroads who partner up because each has what the other doesn’t… but also laugh-out-loud funny, had me texting my boyfriend screenshots with the 🥵 emoji, and was so engaging that I gobbled it up over two nights.

When reading romance, I often find myself either getting all of the pining and wistful, butterfly feelings of courtship and love OR the straight-up x-rated graphic details. Some books have a lot of the former and almost none of the latter. Or sometimes a little bit of the latter but it’s tame or fade-to-black. And then some have a mix of both but the plot itself is lacking or unrealistic or the whole thing reeks of misogyny. What Danan successfully achieved was the perfect mix of two slightly clueless people falling in love while also peppering her book with some of the most blatantly sexual (yet sex-positive) prose I have ever read in a contemporary romance. By making Josh a porn star and Clara touched-starved, she was able to introduce a relationship that made sense both physically and emotionally. Does Josh “need” to give Clara her first partnered orgasm? Absolutely not—but it was certainly fun and sexy to read. The unresolved sexual tension was practically dripping off the page, and I was wistfully reminded of days spent lounging in bed reading fanfic.

Although the plot felt a bit far-fetched for your typical romance novel, I still enjoyed and appreciated how it tapped into current social issues regarding the porn industry, the (often) negative attitude people take toward sex work (and porn in general), and the refreshing take on sex positivity and female sexual pleasure. Would I have enjoyed The Roommate without the sex? Yes. Would I have enjoyed it without the romance? Also yes. The beauty is that I got to experience both—and found a new favorite author!

This was such an amazing read! I really, really enjoyed The Roommate and can’t wait to read Rosie Danan’s next novel. I loved the chemistry between Clara and Josh and had so much fun while reading this book. The banter between them was great and they were so cute together, I’m so glad I finally got around to reading this novel.

Clara Wheaton is from an elite family from the east coast. After she graduates with a PhD in Art History, she decides to move to California to stay with her childhood crush. When she gets there, she finds out that he is about to go on tour with his band, and he has rented out a room in his house to someone else. The man who is staying at Clara’s friend’s house is Josh Darling. What Clara doesn’t know at first is that Josh Darling is a porn star. After Clara learns first hand how good Josh is at his job, she decides to fund a project with him. They create a program to teach women how to have better sex. However, there are possible repercussions, with Josh’s contracted job and Clara’s family’s reputation that could be affected by their new venture.

This was a fun, steamy romance. I laughed out loud when Josh’s job as a porn actor was revealed, because I wasn’t expecting that. There were some funny moments, such as when Clara discovered Josh’s job, but there was also a lot of steamy romance.

Since this story was about porn and sex, there were a lot of sex scenes. I felt like they overpowered the story at a certain point, because there was so much sex. I really enjoyed the rest of the story. There was a lot of tension when Josh’s and Clara’s jobs got in the way of their new project, but I wish the rest of the plot was more prominent in the story.

This is a steamy romance!

Thank you Berkley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this romance. It was refreshing and different. It’s not often the main Character is a porn star. Don’t let the cute cover fool you this book is steamy, but it also had me laughing out loud and rooting for the MC’s the whole way through.

I had seriously high hopes for this one because everyone has been raving and ranting about this on goodreads and bookstagram. So, I went into this was very high hopes.

But, unfortunately this was a little bit of a letdown for me. I struggled to finish this one sadly and I'm not sure why!!! Ugh, it was so sad. I usually LOVE rom coms and these types of romances but it didn't have as much sass and witty banter that I was expecting. I just feel like there wasn't much romance between Josh and Clara and I was expecting so much more.

I do look forward to what Rosie Danan will come out with next and will be reading her next novel.

3/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: 9/15/20
Published to GR: 1/4/21

This read really lived up to my expectations. Clara is a New England socialite with a spotless reputation, despite previous scandals in her family. In a gesture rather unlike her, she moves across the country on a whim to live with her crush, who immediately leaves to go on tour with his band. He has sublet his room to Josh, an adult entertainer, a.k.a. porn star. When Josh and Clara meet, she isn't aware of his profession, but the sparks immediately fly. After Clara discovers Josh's profession, in a conversation it's revealed that she has never been brought to orgasm by a partner, so Josh shows her that it's more than possible.

After weeks of crushing, flirting, and forming a genuine friendship, Josh, Clara, and Josh's ex Naomi form a business plan for a website that teaches partners how to treat women right in bed. Clara has a trust fund and is the silent partner in this business. For Josh, this is a great opportunity, as he's been screwed over by the company he's contracted with and doesn't want to film with them anymore. He provides the voiceovers for the films on their website, since he's contracted not do shoot with another business.

Clara and Josh, as one can predict, fall for one another. I love the concept of the website they've created and the conversations these two have. Of course, once we reach the climax of the story, there are the usual arguments and misunderstandings, but up until that point, these two really have great communication, which makes their will-they-won't-they-actually-kiss-or-have-PIV-sex scenes ultra-steamy at times and ultra-romantic at others - and often both.

These two have a lot they need to overcome in order to be an official couple, though. Honestly, the only reason this wasn't a perfect read for me is I felt, after the Big Argument, Josh did a ton of groveling, and I wanted more from Clara. Earlier on in the novel, Clara denies knowing Josh, though at this point their romance is very obvious and all but official. She apologizes, but I found this more of a big deal than Josh's error. Clara does make a Grand Gesture, but I wanted her to acknowledge why what she did was wrong without an excuse.

Overall, this was a fun, sexy read and the perfect start to 2021. The Roommate is empowering and steamy, and that's all I can ask for in a romance novel. I can't wait to read Naomi's book! This was a 4 star read for me, and I thank NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I had no idea what this book was about when I started, and I double checked: Amazon doesn’t actually say what it’s about. The cover is super cute though! The first three chapters were fairly tame, and I really enjoyed them so I kept listening. DM me if you want to talk more about it, but this isn’t a book I’d recommend. It was fine, and I try to only recommend books I love or think someone else would love. I tried to look at it objectively: if Josh has a different job, would I have liked it more? I’m not sure I would have. It just didn’t feel realistic. Anyways, DM me, and I’ll talk to you about it if you aren’t my mom. (Mom - this is NOT for you.)

Clara is a straight laced rule follower who has never stepped a toe out of line. She's determined to withhold the "proper" image her socialite family demands and because of this, has always colored within the lines. Her latest cross country move is the most daring thing she's ever done and it's to chase her long time unrequited crush to her childhood friend. This move doesn't quite end up with the result she's hoping for though as her friend takes off, leaving her to room with a complete stranger -- Josh, who works in the adult entertainment industry. What could happen in the next few weeks? Everything, as it turns out.

I absolutely loved this book. Clara is someone who I could relate with - her determination to stick to the rules and have everything planned out is so <em>me</em>. She's a little shy, a little awkward and would much rather stay in than navigate a party with strangers. When she meets Josh, sparks fly. Josh is such an adorable, charismatic and swoony man - it is no surprise that he takes Clara by storm. Josh is a fantastic character as well. I really appreciated his many layers. He is dedicated to his work and he's also a genuinely kind hearted person, unwilling to bow to pressures of questionable things in the porn industry but at the same time, knowing his career and livelihood is on the line.

Rosie Danan does a great job highlighting issues that exist in the porn industry. I also appreciated the sex positivity and focus on being shameless. The message is so great especially with the sexist views society has when it comes to sex in men vs women.

The character arcs for both Clara and Josh are great. I loved seeing Clara progress and learn more about herself and figuring out who she is and what she's capable of. Their relationship together progresses perfectly on pace. There are funny moments, sweet moments and the FIRE moments because the chemistry between these two is insane.

In Short...

All in all, this is a romance that should be on everyone's list to read! I'm deeming it one of my favorites of the year. The fantastic characters, riveting relationship and off the charts chemistry makes for the perfect combination! The Roommate is simply so much fun. I love Josh and Clara and absolutely can't wait for the next book!