The Roommate wasn’t quite as frustrating as the previous title. In fact I was enjoying this one up until around the 80% mark where the direction the story took wasn’t one I agreed with for the simple reason that it didn’t make sense in the narrative and felt unnecessary to me, but I digress. Let’s start from the beginning.

I really liked the concept of this book. A socialite type woman who goes chasing her lifelong crush cross-country just to end up being left in dust and rooming with a guy she doesn’t know who also happens to be a porn-star. This sets up for an opposites attract type scenario where she is very uptight, a bit stuck up too and he’s a very laid back type person who’s open about pretty much…all things, but instead of clashing, the two of the them found a way to compromise and work well as roommates first, then friends and eventually lovers.

The romance between Clara and Josh felt well paced, there was a good balance between both cute and hilarious dialogue, domestic scenes and hot smut which was EXTREMELY well written, this genuinely has one of the most memorable oral sex scene I’ve ever read about and I gotta give credit to the author where it’s due. The story didn’t grip me and wasn’t set up to be a new favorite but not every single book has to be, I was enjoying it and having fun with everything it was doing up until around the 80% mark. Now where the story missed the mark for me is the final conflict, or what is commonly called the third act break-up.

I want to preface by saying that I do not have any issues with the actual story breakdown, it’s a formula that works in romance but the conflict that results in a breakup has to be convincing enough for me to buy into it, it has to bring something to the relationship, but sadly here, it didn’t. It was overly dramatic and instead of focusing on a single conflict, everything that could have gone wrong went wrong and it was all over the place and over the top. Especially since there was an external conflict that was big enough to completely disregard the possibility of a break up and still give the story some pretty high stakes to develop on and that’s what made the break up unnecessary and quite frankly annoying to me. It wasn’t needed for some good character and relationship development, especially since not every single thing that was done and said to provoke the conflict was properly addressed at the end.

What I genuinely loved about The Roommate though is the discussion around two things.

1- Sex work and the negative brush it’s always painted with. The way sex workers, including porn stars are always seen as lesser than while the same people who judge them still benefit from and enjoy their services. With a special focus on the porn industry and how corrupt it is as well, since that’s what Josh does for a living.

2- Albeit a bit binary, it opens the discussion on the focus on male pleasure in the porn industry and how most of what is made there is made with that in mind while putting unrealistic expectations on women and not taking into consideration what they might enjoy etc… and thus resulting in giving a false image to everyone involved in the equation.

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!

When I started this book, I was unsure how I felt about it. I definitely felt like it was a little all over the place, with a lack of world building and background. I felt like I was missing something. As the story went on, these issues resolved themselves and I was captivated. I loved the secondary plot line about Shameless, and I loved the way that the characters forced each other to change and question their perspectives and implicit bias. There was heart, there was humour, and of course there was a great love story.

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.

It is really rare that a romance surprises me with a 5 star rating. I thought The Roommate would be your typical enemies to lovers trope and boy was I wrong! The story line was fresh and exciting and the language was far from cringe. Aside from the romance aspect the commentary on the adult entertainment industry was so intriguing. You can tell Rosie Danan did her research and cares about the people often overlooked in that industry.
What I enjoyed most was how the story took the tired concepts of the boy next door, the uptight prude, and the ex-girlfriend and completely changed how we usually view them in a romance novel. I can't wait to read the spin-off featuring my favorite side-character Naomi!

I loved this funny, adorable, and super steamy romance! Clara is a socialite from a proper, well-to-do family who gets stuck with a stranger as a roommate after her childhood crush leaves her high and dry. Josh is a porn star who knows he shouldn't fall for a girl like Clara. Their romance was compelling and full of chemistry. This is definitely a steamy book with the right amount of sex scenes!

I loved that The Roommate touches on the stigma around pornography as well as some of the issues within the industry. Josh fights back against unfair treatment and unsafe conditions in the porn world, and a chunk of the novel centers around Clara and Josh working together to create a healthy, sex-positive resource called 'Shameless' that is described as porn meets sex ed. So much of the book is centered around keeping sex workers safe and prioritizing women's bodies--I'm so here for this!

The only reason this isn't a five star read is the lack of diversity. The two main characters are cis, straight, and white, with most of the supporting characters also of the same identities. There is a side character who is bisexual, and during a casting scene, there is a brief mention of "people of all body types," but there were otherwise no mentions of BIPOC, queer & trans, or disabled folks. I would have really loved to see intersectionality touched upon with 'Shameless.' I still loved this book, but when recommending it to readers at my library, I'll be combining it authors like Talia Hibbert or Alisha Rai. I'll definitely read this author's next novel and hope that it is more intersectionally diverse.

I need a cold shower...a VERY cold shower to get my head on straight after reading The Roommate!!

An unlikely lease on love, yup that’s for dam sure. This is a story about two total strangers who end up having to live together. Total opposites now forced to live under the same roof and slowly leave their comfort zones. Right there I was pretty intrigued but based off of that description I wasn’t expecting the main character Josh to be a porn star! After that I was totally hooked, I almost fell off the couch I was so excited. The story took such a fun and unique turn and was something I’ve never read before but am so glad it exists!

My favorite take away from this book was the theme of breaking people’s expectations and doing what makes YOU happy even if it means risking everything and doing something that scares you. So many of us build our lives around other people’s expectations (or lake of them), but expectations are an illusion. By trying to please everyone, we end up pleasing no one — ourselves included. That’s why most people don’t live the life they want. Everyone feels frustrated and disappointed and that’s what are our main characters struggle with throughout the book. I absolutely love the line, “more often than not, the scary things, the ones you spend the most time and energy talking yourself out of, are the ones that make life worth living.”

Bravo Rosie Danan on your brilliant debut I am seriously OBSESSED with it! It’s sexy, funny, smart, all in a totally feminist way. Its become an instant favorite of mine. I can’t stop talking about this book!! Pre-order The Roommate NOW because it’s officially available on 9/15/20.

THANK YOU NETGALLEY FOR THE ARC!

I love the premise of this book. I really love Josh and Naomi. I can't stand Clara. The book was great.

I will be interviewing Rosie for the What to Read Next Podcast. Her episode will go live on publication week.

Clara thinks she will be living her dream in CA as roommate to her high school crush, Everette. Upon arrival, things are not as they should be and Clara ends up living with a stranger, a tall, sexy, stranger. Well written but somewhat predictable, you can easily see where the story is going. I am conflicted about recommending this book as what first appears as a rom com, girl meets boy, will they or won't they, also feels like a veiled attempt to legitimize the porn industry. Rosie Danan's The Roommate, is a fun, sexy book, but the fact that so much of it centers around a romanticized version of a very problematic industry, could be very off putting for some readers. Ms. Danan should have possibly boned up (pun intended) on the truth behind the porn before writing this novel.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of The Roommate by Rosie Danan.

Publishing Date: September 15, 2020.

OH. MY. GOD. This book was amazing, truly like nothing I have read before. The Roommate was a forced roommate romance. A major porn star meets your uptight socialite. The tension in this book could kill someone.
This book is all about female orgasms and sexual pleasure, but it includes a lot of sex descriptions that might make some people uncomfortable.
The two main characters are absolutely hilarious right from the start with the flirty banter and EXTREME tension. I mean sometimes it made me legit want to scream at them.
I thought Naomi, the ex-girlfriend, was going to be problematic but turns out she’s her own badass bitch, and now Rosies writing a second book about her called The Intimacy Project.