I received an e-galley of The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas from Simon and Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review.

For fans of The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas, The American Roommate Experiment will be a nice return to this contemporary world as we explore Rosie's story in this book. I first read The Spanish Love Deception because of the hype around it on bookstagram - and upon reading it, I could quickly see what the hype was about. The romance, the chemistry between the two characters - it hooks you in - and this continues in The American Roommate Experiment.

What I liked:
- As I previously mentioned, I enjoyed reading the chemistry between Rosie and Lucas which was there from the get-go
- The fake/experimental dating trope (we all know how that always plays out)
- Lina and Aaron's roles in this story made sense and did not feel like token appearances considering how Lina and Rosie were established best friends since TSLD

What missed the mark:
- I felt like there was much more to some of Lucas' story that was not explored enough and his journey towards healing was just summarized so quickly to wrap it up for the romance that I felt a little emotionally cheated
- Was Lucas just a little too perfect at times? I know he had his own traumatic experiences and such - but the ways in which he treated Rosie was just so perfect to the point that it was edging towards unbelievable? I'm sure that's not something that people usually have a problem with but perhaps I like my fictional men to be just a little less perfect

THE AMERICAN ROOMMATE EXPERIMENT commences shortly after the epilogue of THE SPANISH LOVE DECEPTION; told in the alternating perspectives of Rosie (Lina’s best friend) and Lucas (Lina’s cousin).

Rosie is an ex-engineer turned romance novel writer. She is working on her second book and lacking inspiration, but with her deadline fast approaching she needs to get writing! Lucas is hiding from everyone close to him that he was injured while preparing for a surfing contest in France and has come to visit the United States for 3 months to change his thoughts. When they decide to do a series of experimental dates to inspire Rosie’s romance writing, things get interesting!

It took me a while to really get into the story (read: 50% of the book). It is absolutely a slow burn and I don’t think I was mentally prepared for it. HOWEVER, that being said, once we hit the sweet spot I was hooked!

Rosie and Lucas’ relationship is slow to develop, but it feels truly genuine and realistically written. It is evident from the get-go that there’s some chemistry present between them, but as they progress from strangers to friends their mutual attraction fully blossoms.

It was really nice to see Lina and Aaron included in this story too! I know many people would choose Aaron Blackford as their book boyfriend, but I think Lucas takes the win in my books!

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Atria Books, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.</i>

I went into this unsure about the whole “sharing a bed/room cliche” but Elena Armas completely made it her own and hooked me in. Lucas is in America hiding from her own past demons, hoping to distract himself enough to forget them, and Rosie is trying to find inspiration for her second novel to cement her career as a writer. When Rosie’s apartment ceiling collapses and Lucas arrives stateside that same day, to the same apartment that Rosie is seeking solace in, what could go wrong (or right)?

The American Roommate Experience is such a fun, heart wrenching slow burn where you’ll find yourself completely immersed and captivated in Lucas and Rosie’s relationship/friendship. I’d definitely recommend to anyone who’s a fan of slow burns!

The American Roommate Experiment follows Rosie and Lucas as they take on a dating experiment, stemming from forced proximity, only for it to lead to the romance of their lifetime.

This was another cute romance book! I didn't find it that special as it did read quite formulaically, but I loved Rosie's character and seeing her self-confidence grow over the pages. Lucas was a compelling love interest and it was endearing to read about his feelings for Rosie. Their chemistry didn't feel as sizzling hot as Lina and Aaron's (from The Spanish Love Deception), instead coming from a place of friends turned lovers who have always held a sense of appreciation for one another.

Overall, I personally enjoyed Elena Armas' first book better, but this was still a solid, enjoyable read!

things i liked:
♡ Lucas Martín…even more than Aaron Blackford.
♡ more grasping & not as boring.
♡ much better writing.
♡ THE TENSION.
♡ Taco.
♡ a (very minor & unimportant) character named Jake Jagielski…because One Tree Hill, duh.

things i didn’t like:
♡ Rosie literally stalked Lucas.
♡ the constant interruptions when they were having a moment…again.
♡ Lucas’s self-pity in thinking he wasn’t good enough for Rosie.

would i recommend?
yes, yes, yes. this was 10x better than TSLD. more tension, more drama, more action. it was also less repetitive and had a much better plot. i loved Lucas and Rosie together and i think that the author really improved her writing between TSLD and this. i also think it can be read as a standalone.

Oh my gosh! I so didn’t want this book to end. Every interaction between Rosie and Lucas had me swooning. I could’ve read 100 more pages of them just interacting and being so cute. It started off as sort of strangers to friends to best friends to lovers trope and there was nightmare trope! We get to see a couple of little snippets of Lina and Aaron which I loved! I missed those two so it was super fun to see them interacting. Lucas was so cute right from the beginning, I love how much he would tease Rosie. They instantly clicked but it wasn’t insta love which I so appreciate! It was more slow burn with some cute teasing and flirting that Lucas would do. Also the tension? The tension was so so good! The spice was also incredible and all around this book was so fun to read. I highly recommend this one! I seriously enjoyed it!

Cronut you (Thank you) @simonschusterca for this amazing arc!

Elena Armas took my heart by storm with The Spanish Love Deception, so anticipation and excitement was high for The American Roommate Experiment. and BOY was I not disappointed. This brought the same wit and banter as TSLD but the friends-to-lovers trope brought a different type of angst and connection. Armas writing style is engaging and beautiful. Easy to read. Page turning. And the tension/spice was top tier. Those scenes weren't over the top or gratuitous, but added to the story and relationship.

It's a truth universally acknowledged that 𝗔𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱 is a #1 Book Boyfriend. Grumpy, looks like Henry Cavil/Superman, has big hands and pines from afar.

In The American Roommate Experiment, the author who brought you Aaron and The Spanish Love Deception (TSLD) is back again, adding to your dream boyfriend list. This book starts exactly the same as TSLD- frenetic misunderstanding forcing two people together. This time our female MC is Rosie, Lina's beloved best friend and our male MC is Lucas Martin, Lina's cousin from Spain. Continuing TSLD tradition, this is a slooowww burn romance. There is also the one bed trope, forced proximity and even a pinch of fake dating. This time we get Rosie AND Lucas' POV which I think addresses some gaps from the first book where readers felt that Aaron's feelings kind of came out of nowhere.

In full transparency I didn't love TSLD as much as everyone else and while I had higher hopes for this one, it wasn't a large improvement from the author's sophomore debut. I found the subplots unnecessary and the overall plot didn't connect with me as much as the workplace misogyny/My Big Fat Greek wedding craziness of the original. The plotline basically boiled down to: two people who have just met and are attracted to each other pretend to date for no good reason and then pretend they can't be together for no good reason. Overall, it lacked the charm and urgency of TSLD. I did however love Lucas and thought she did a good job bringing to life a character who was almost the exact opposite of Aaron..

Do I think this book will still sell like crazy and blow up all over Instagram? Yes, so my review is likely only relevant for those who were ambivalent about TSLD and unsure whether they should read the sequel.

Thank you to NetGally and Simon and Schuster for an advanced eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Without giving much away, this was a pleasant romance. It has all the fun tropes you'd ever want like forced proximity and fake dating, and this book takes place in one of the best settings—good old NYC (even though the story didn't focus on this aspect as much).

Rosie and Lucas have a slow yet genuine love story. I liked how they developed a friendship first before stepping into another territory in their relationship. I adored the scene in which they danced to classics, and I enjoyed the conversations they had especially after Lucas would cook meals for them. The steam was also quite delightful. Rosie and Lucas were cute.

With that, I think this book just needed more depth. Although it nailed the romance, I felt as if Rosie's issues with her family weren't fully covered and, in essence, felt rushed overall just so Rosie can get that HEA. The writing, too, felt like I was reading things from a teenager's perspective. This didn't seem like a New Adult romance imo because of the way Rosie narrated the book, which is bizarre because she's supposed to be such a highly acclaimed author?? I didn't find this part realistic.

Anyway, I was a little disappointed with this one because of how popular The Spanish Love Deception is, but it just wasn't the book for me. Would I read this again? Probably not. I don't think I'll read the first book either just because I now know what happens to the couple in that one. If you were a fan of TSLD, however, this will be up your alley.

Thank you @simonschusterca and @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

THE AMERICAN ROOMMATE EXPERIMENT by Elena Armas

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I absolutely LOVED the Spanish Love Deception and I was not disappointed with TARE! Elena Armas delivers yet again, but this time it's a Friends-to-Lovers, Forced Proximity, Dating Experiment MASTERPIECE.

The mutual pining. 😍 Lucas Martín. 😍 Getting to see Catalina and Aaron again. 😍 Pure happiness.

⚠️ Warning: do NOT start reading this a quiet evening in if you are working the next morning. You WILL look up eventually and realize you have to get up in 5 hours. You have been warned.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I HAVE NO ADEQUATE WORDS TO EXPLAIN HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!!! This is seriously one of the best romance books I've read in so long. I didn't think I could love this more than The Spanish Love Deception but here we are?!?!?!!? Lucas is the ULTIMATE book boyfriend. Everything about him was literally perfect. This book was so swoony and even though it was the SLOWEST burn, the tension kept me totally intrigued the whole way through. Absolutely obsessed!!!!!!!

The American Roommate Experiment is about Rosie, who recently quit her corporate job to pursue her dream of being a romance writer. Only she hasn’t told her family and is still writing under a pen name. After her apartment roof caves in, she goes to stay at her best friend Lina’s, only to find the place promised to Lina’s cousin. Lucas is staying in NYC for a few weeks to explore after his life has dramatically changed, and they agree to be roommates…Lucas walking around in a towel and cooking beautiful dinners each night doesn’t help things stay platonic.

I love love loved Lucas as a love interest, and the quick cameos from Lina and Aaron from The Spanish Love Deception. I enjoyed reading this book, it was an easy one but I hardly remembered the plot immediately after finishing. What stuck with me was Lucas and his lovely personality and love for food, however there were some disjointed parts. A perfect easy summer read.

I loved TSLD, but somehow LOVE The American Roommate Experiment even more! The FMC, Rosie, is an author, and the MMC, Lucas Martìn is seriously the top tier book boyfriend 😍😍 he has a dog named Taco, can cook, is considerate.

This book was everything. With dual POV, lots of banter, tension & steam.

Honestly what more could one want or need in a book?!

HUGE THANK YOU to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the advanced copy of Elena's newest book in exchange for an honest review 😍😍😍

The biggest smirk known to man tilted the corner of his mouth. "Whenever you're done checking me out."

oh. my. god. This was so good and I cannot wait for everyone to read it and scream about it with me. We all know we love Rosie, our secret romance writer with a viral debut book leading her to get traditional publishing contracts for her next book, leading her to quit her job. Lucas however, Lucas now, one of if not now my current favourite book boyfriend. This relationship between them is my dream, the respectful friendship that might be just a little too flirty and tension filled to the teasing without tugging at unfair insecurities.

Their relationship balances cute and funny with flirty and steamy (, and emotional/physical baggage and traumas.) The two of them treat their experiment with one foot in and one foot out the door almost at all times, with their "This is the best date I've ever had thank you so much, Roomie. Bestie. FRIEND." of it all.

I loved how much Lina and Aaron from the previous book The Spanish Love Deception are in this book too. Which I think so people might hate? But I always hate in standalone series books where you're expecting to see the previous couples and they're mentioned like twice. As well it's not annoying in your face, you can clearly tell they're important people to the series. The majority of the relationship in this books takes place in Lina's old apartment while she's on her honeymoon, when they come back there's cross over but it's expected. This is Lina's best friend and her cousin who've never met suddenly close friends with awkward tension around Lina in her single bed studio - of course she's got questions and wants to meddle.

Trying to not give away and spoil everything, this book was so good. I loved TSLD but this one is just so much more. Another one of those "if you love/liked the first book you'll love the second and if you didn't like the first one there's a good chance you'll like this one" type series.


( SPOILERS. because the spoiler html doesn't work apparently)


p.s Charo's story when? I love her and she's in this book enough I'm seeing potential [ with the little secret around her trip to New York. When Lucas "noticed how Charo stopped Rose from saying anything more," about the flight to New York. The fact she's the only one who's mainly in Spain. Also nobody has told her that Rosie is actually her favourite author under a pen name... (hide spoiler)]

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4757400292?type=review#rating_495485551

Not gonna lie, this was probably my most anticipated read of the year. Ever since the pandemic, I’ve dived headfirst into reading almost exclusively rom coms. (Because there’s nothing like a fun romance and promised HEA to help you forget the horrors of the world!) And like many others, I fell in love with The Spanish Love Deception with its classic fake dating premise and enemies-to-lovers style romance. So I was beyond eager to get my hands on a copy of The American Roommate Experiment as quickly as possible. And I’m happy to say – I was not disappointed. I had a great time reading this friends-to-lovers romance and learning about our new protagonists Rosie and Lucus. Lina and Aaron from the first book make some great appearances too, which was always fun to see. All the classic tropes you can expect are there: the meet-cute, forced proximity, and (most importantly) THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED. All the good stuff. Yes, it’s unbelievably cheesy, but it’s also fun and earnest in the best way.

Looking forward to all of Elena Armas’ future projects!

This book, this story, this romance! What can I say other than the fact that this was a true and refreshing love story to read? One that I have not read in such a long time. To me, this was such a comfort romance that made me take my time to thoroughly appreciate and enjoy. And both Rosie with Lucas together, know how to make that ideal romance couple that as a reader makes you just instantly swoon over them.

It's the beauty of Lucas, the way his personality is. That's what attracts you to keep on reading and wanting more of him. More of his sunshine personality, but still shows signs of vulnerability that makes him this beautiful kind man. More of his tender careful attention that he has towards Rosie, listening to her, caring for her, loving her. Even when he doesn't even know that he is doing it. He is just... Lucas Martin.

And then we have Rosie... my gosh dear Rosie. An independent woman, who seeks not only for validation in herself, but is also nervous of her family finding out the truth towards the path she has taken. Rosie is a strong character that demonstrates the inner battles of herself. But at the same time, just knows what she wants. That's why when she first "meets" Lucas, you just know that these two are meant to be. They are both two individuals seeking for that love and passion that nobody has been able to give them in the way they are looking for. Rosie instantly knows and does not question it;

As their experiment starts to evolve, Lucas starts to notice that his heart is eating him alive. Eating him from the inside out, his heart is taking control of him. But he struggles to let himself be the person that Rosie wants him to be. With the all beautiful flaws, Rosie wants him and only him. And Lucas, after time just knows that he wants her and only her. His happiness comes second, while hers comes first. Her battles and obstacles come first and he is not afraid to fight them for her. To conquer them with her. That's why this story is refreshing. It takes you to another world of tender yet careless love that makes you giggle, cry, and just utterly swoon.

This dual pov romance has everything and anything you may need in an emotional story. Do not be deceived by my review though, because once Lucas gets his hands on Rosie... his body controls him in the best of ways. And if you know what I am talking about... you just know. **wink wink** Elena has a keen talent for making me crave more of her writing. And I am looking forward to seeing what else she has in store for all of us romance readers.

Funny and sweet, this story has it all. A leading lady that has been drooling over a man from afar for a while and now that she's sorta starting to find herself he just so happens to walk into her life at the worst timing. A leading man, that on the outside seems carefree and happy but won't let anyone close to find out that there is something wrong. These two set off fireworks the whole book and it made me blissfully happy.

This book was very much a "not for me" moment. I loved Lucas and Rosie as characters but the actual writing fell incredibly flat for me , it suffered from being written in first person and honestly, her inner monologue for the first half of the book was downright obnoxious.

I went in really excited for the tropes and the story but the writing fell very flat and awkward and made the story incredibly hard to read.

4.5 stars and THANK YOU SO MUCH for the opportunity to read this ARC!!

Now, I do not believe that this and the Spanish Love Deception have the best writing of all time. Some of the dialogue is stilted and cringy, but more in a romcom way than a ...bad writing way. My other qualm with this book was that Rosie felt a little underdeveloped.

However, the last few chapters of this made me happy sob like a baby on the tube in London while my boyfriend looked at me like I was crazy. The conclusion was so sweet (there is miscommunication and they're both dumb but it works out fine so who cares) and UGH. The smut was also excellent.

I love it

Below is my review as found on Goodreads!

(4.5/5 stars)

Gosh, how I wish that this wasn't an ARC so that I could include some of my favourite quotes as I usually do with my reviews, but I digress. Going into this book, I was a little blind since I have not read The Spanish Love Deception (a mix of not getting a hold of it + the disappointment that many people expressed). If this is also you, don't scratch this 'sequel' off your tbr just yet, because it works wonderfully as a standalone!

Now, where do I even begin. I finished reading quite literally with tears going down my face (my friend can attest to that), tears of pure joy and happiness at the story concluding right in front of me. Lucas Martín is the epitome of a man written by a woman. Maybe my standards for men are going to skyrocket, but it is precisely his character that kept me engaged in the plot and wanting to turn the page. He struggles to be vulnerable but encourages Rosie to open her heart. He makes a few mistakes but it is all because he cares for others and does things for them on instinct. Elena Armas has given readers a love story that we all deserve: finding a partner for life, but most importantly, a best friend.

If you're looking for a cute romance that will give you lighthearted banter, close proximity, awkward encounters that are realistic and don't emit secondhand embarrassment, and an overall wholesome read, then keep your eye open for September 6th.