Sat and read the book in one sitting. I enjoyed the characters and the dual POV. The tropes in this book were well executed and had me rooting for the characters to be together. There was a lovely light hearted humour that ran throughout the book…all i’m gonna say is pink and lace and had me laughing at 4am. But also touched on some more serious topics. Definitely worth the read!

Camilla Isley has became a fav author of mine , however this book I was so annoyed with the FMC Hunter like it made the book miserable at parts and I k would have to put the book down . She has been into Dylan for a long time I get it but it became what felt like obsessive .

I really love Camilla Isley, okay? I love her. She's a Swiftie, she gets me out of every book slump, I love her.

Will I stop complaining about some stuff in the books? Never.

So: The Roommate Experiment is Dylan and Hunter's novel. The story has been teased since This Is Not a Holiday Romance, which starred Dylan's sister Nina and his best friend Tristan. Their story was also alluded to in the second novel, If The Ring Fits.

Hunter had been in love with Dylan for 11 years, yet she hadn't made that move. That's widely relatable... until we find out that Hunter is literally perfect. Dylan describes her as a Victoria's Secret model, super tall, always extra fit, the most gorgeous woman he's ever seen. Yet he hadn't acknowledged her for years.

While her unrequited love would've made sense if she were normal, making her absolutely perfect kinda ruins the fun. What are the odds of her being this perfect, fit, smart, and everything, yet she wouldn't get a second glance from Dylan for over a decade? Come on.

I feel like rom-com authors nowadays focus so much on writing the perfect book boyfriend (don't worry Dylan, your turn is coming) that they completely forget to write relatable women. The fact that all the women are extra tall, gorgeous, and thin BUT CURVY IN ALL THE RIGHT PLACES is just how men write women and it's exhausting.

Now about Dylan: this absolutely perfect Adonis who actually cleans up after himself, gets upset about forgetting the dishes, and cooks and bakes, despite being a successful finance hotshot but also an avid gamer? Yeah right. Sure. This is even more impossible than all the romance. Sure, we write to forget the day-to-day struggles, but this is more sci-fi than Dune.

The Roommate Experiment also left me high and dry. I've been complaining about the third-act breakup in Camilla Isley's novels since... the beginning, I guess?. But their relationship happened immediately.

I physically can't wait for the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books, everyone should read this gem.

This was a fun read. It was well written for the most part, there were a few instances where the phrasing threw me a little bit but generally it was easy to read. The plot was well paced, until the end. I feel like it all ended very suddenly. There was definitely tension but it could have been drawn out more, especially with Dylan, I could have done with more pining from him. But I definitely rooted for Dylan and Hunter. Hunter annoyed me at times and Olivia felt like a cartoon villain in the end, which I wasn’t a massive fan of.
All in all, this was a fun, easy read.

I hadn’t read the first two books in this series, and, while I definitely didn’t need to know Nina and Tristan and Rowan and Adrian’s stories, I will probably go back to read them.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Roommate Experience is a heartfelt, slow-burn romance that explores the tension, humor, and vulnerability of unspoken love.

For eleven long years, Hunter has quietly carried a torch for Dylan—her best friend’s older brother—ever since they first met during her college days. What began as a harmless crush has grown into a deeply rooted longing that has brought more heartache than hope. When her best friend Nina moves in with her boyfriend (who also happens to be Dylan’s closest friend), Hunter unexpectedly finds herself sharing an apartment with the one man she’s never been able to forget.

Dylan, blissfully unaware of Hunter’s feelings, is in a new relationship with the seemingly perfect Olivia—who, as it turns out, may not be quite as flawless as she first appears. As cracks begin to show and red flags surface, Dylan starts to question what he truly wants in a partner. Meanwhile, Hunter does everything she can to keep her emotions under wraps—navigating awkward encounters, emotional slip-ups, and the challenge of living in such close quarters with the man of her dreams.

As their tight-knit friend group subtly nudges them together, Dylan begins to see Hunter in a new light—realizing that maybe the person he’s been searching for has been right in front of him all along. With a blend of laugh-out-loud moments, emotional depth, and tender romance, The Roommate Experience is a charming, if predictable, tale that will resonate with anyone who’s ever loved from afar and dared to hope for more.

The Roommate Experiment by Camilla Isley is a friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, SLOW burn romance.

Hunter has been secretly in love with Dylan, her best friend’s older brother, for the past 11 years, despite him barely having her in the friend zone. Hunter is now imagining their happily ever after now that they are roommates, only to find out that Dylan has a new girlfriend. This is the third book in the Funny Feelings series and can be read as a standalone (I have not read others in the series). There was a lot of funny banter between characters and hilarious situations they got themselves into. The book was incredibly slow burn, with their first kiss not coming until about 90% of the way through. I would have liked for the Dylan/Olivia relationship to end sooner so we had more time to read about Dylan and Hunter together. It felt like they went from just friends to “I love you” in seconds. This was a fun and light read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

My first ARC and 25 book of the year!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Close proximity, slow burn, friends first, sister’s best friend, best friend’s brother, mixed feelings, crossing lines, successful FMC, chosen family, sensitive MMC. A great easy holiday romance read with likeable characters (maybe except from Olivia 🫣) and predictable plot but still didn’t stop me from enjoying, especially while my MMC was watching the football

The Roommate Experiment by Camilla Isley was an incredibly enjoyable and fun read. While I noted a few instances of incorrect grammar, the writing style was still very easy to read.

Overall, it was a very upbeat likeable contemporary romance. I loved the normalisation of endometriosis and dyslexia, it felt refreshing to see these conditions genuinely represented in literature and all the emotions that go with these. The main love interests were funny and relatable. The main love interests were funny and relatable and their relationship had chemistry while still being grounded in everyday life.

I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn’t connect with it :( I liked the idea of the plot and the roommate trope but I just didn’t feel invested in these characters. I like a slow burn but this felt TOO slow then very intense and full on at the end. I couldn’t really feel the chemistry between Hunter and Dylan and their interactions just felt really awkward to me.

Overall it was a cute, easy read - perhaps not enough spice for me. Maybe if I had read the other 2 books in the series first I would have connected with it more.

Given 2 stars as it was well written and contained multiple Taylor Swift references, which is always a plus for me.

Devoured this book. I love a forced proximity, friends to lovers trop. Hunter and Dylan's chemistry was great and I enjoyed watching Hunter fight her attraction while Dylan was discovering his. Fun, easy read.

The Roommate Experiment was a cute, easy read — perfect for when you’re in the mood for something light and fun. The setup had so much potential (forced proximity + slow burn = yes please), and there were definitely some sweet moments and laugh-out-loud scenes.

That said, it didn’t totally hit for me. The MMC spent the first 2/3 of the book being really annoying and thoughtless and I found myself wondering whether he was really deserving of our FMC. When he got himself sorted out things improved but it felt like it took a while to get there.

Still, if you’re looking for a low-drama romcom with a cozy vibe, this might be your thing

The Roomate Experiment - Camilla Isley
This is the first time I have come across Camilla Isley's work, and I believe that this book is part of a series. I would definitely like to see what the previous 2 books were like. I love a good romantic series.
This was a cosy, easy, roommate to lovers romance novel. I had it finished in a few hours.

Hunter finds herself living with her crush of 11 years (who also happens to be her best friends brother) when her 2 besties move out. Hunter has fantasies of cooking together, cosy movie nights that slowly turn into a romantic relationship. These hopes are quickly dashed when Dylan mentions his new girlfriend. What has she done??? Living with her 11 year crush who is now DEFINITELY off limits 🙈

This was definitely a sloooow burn with the action ramping up quite quickly in the closing pages. I liked the 2 main characters, especially Dylan. Their friend group is also so lovely, a group of pal anyone would be very lucky to have. The book is funny, sweet and is a very easy, chill read. Would be interested in reading the previous books in the series too.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Grateful as always to @netgalley and to @theboldbookclub

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️-4 Stars

One of my favourite tropes will always be roommates, and this one was so fun, it was a real slow burn but growing affection from the mmc, but also had pining from the fmc so it was best of both worlds! I loved that there was obstacles in the way but also, they were inclose proximity which meant they were constantly interacting with each which felt so real.

I was really drawn into the two main characters in this book, it was making me want to pick up and keep reading their story, the funny scenarios they got themselves into, had me laughing, they were silly but so much fun.
It had a few harder topics they shared with each other, that I felt were handled well and had just enough in the book to show how they struggled and how they helped each other, and not too much that it was over done.

It was the third book in a series, I hadn’t read the other two and really didn’t feel like it took away from my enjoyment, the characters from the other books were in the story but it was well enough explained that I didn’t feel like I was an outsider to the group which I often feel when reading interconnected series out of order.
I really want to read more from this author now as I really clicked with her writing.

Thank you to Boldwood Books for giving me this Advanced Copy, in return for an honest review through NetGalley , all opinions are my own.

I think I would’ve enjoyed this story a lot more if Dylan’s relationship with his girlfriend hadn’t taken up such a significant part of the plot. It really overshadowed the potential romance between Dylan and Hunter, which was abit frustrating, especially since I absolutely adored If The Ring Fits. I was completely invested in Rowena and Adrian’s story, so I went into this, hoping for a similar level of emotional connection. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite deliver in the same way.

Aside from Dylan and Hunter becoming roommates, not a lot seemed to happen. Most of the book focused on Dylan’s inner conflict about his current relationship, while Hunter kept his distance and silently longed for him. That dynamic could’ve been compelling, but instead, it felt like the story was stuck in limbo for too long without much progression.

The romance itself was pitched as a slow burn, but it didn’t feel particularly satisfying. Their connection didn’t really start to develop until near the end, and by then, it felt rushed and somewhat awkward, lacking the build-up and emotional payoff I was hoping for.

Overall, there were glimpses of potential, but the pacing and focus didn’t quite work for me this time around.

This was a great book! I previously read the two other books in this series, following the relationships of Nina/Tristan and Rowena/Adrian from their friends group. These other books were a great lead-in to this story, and it was fun to see overlapping timelines, but Hunter & Dylan’s story was robust enough to be read as a stand-alone.

I loved both the main characters and the supporting characters of this book - they were all well-developed and I could empathize with them and their struggles. The plot was believable, the friends were all supportive and loving (especially with some fun scheming) and there was great humor!

Overall, I would highly recommend this book and any others by this author! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this free advanced copy - this is my honest and voluntary review.

This trilogy, too, after the Nina and Rowena stories came to an end with Hunter and Dylan and their slow-burn romance. Of the three books, the second one in my opinion is the best, but I liked all of them and then the characters of the three friends were really realistic, sometimes more so than the stories involving them to tell the truth...
Anyway, once again Camilla Isley did not disappoint me and now I will wait for the next book or series.

Anche questa trilogia, dopo le storie di Nina e Rowena é arrivata alla fine con Hunter e Dylan ed il loro slow burn romance. Dei tre libri, il secondo secondo me é il migliore, ma mi sono piaciuti tutti e poi i personaggi delle tre amiche erano veramente realistici, a volte piú delle storie che le vedevano coinvolte a dire la veritá...
Comunque anche stavolta Camilla Isley non mi ha delusa e ora mi metto ad aspettare comodamente il prossimo libro o serie.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

The Roommate Experiment by Camilla Isley is another winner by one of my quickly becoming favorite authors.

Hunter has crushed on her best friend's brother, Dylan, for a long time and he barely knows she exists until he's forced to ask to use her spare bedroom and she is over the moon. Complication? Dylan has a girlfriend.

The two become friends and as their relationship blooms, Hunter is determined to get control over her feelings, but will she actually be able to do it?

We know how that goes - and reading how the author weaves their way to each other was a delight. Both main characters were a delight, and I enjoyed them immensely. Once they fell for each other, everything happened fast, but I'm justifying that with their background of knowing each other beforehand.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I really enjoyed this book.

This is the third book in the "Funny Feelings" series by Camilla Isley and while it can be read as a stand-alone you will probably enjoy it more if you have read the other books before.
After her two former roommates and best friends have both moved in with their boyfriends Hunter has agreed to share her appartement with Dylan (the brother of one of her best friends) on whom she has had a crush since she met him 11 years ago. At first Hunter fantasizes about him falling in love with her but when it turns out Dylan has a girlfriend things are completely awkward.
I have read and loved the other books in the series and couldn‘t wait to read this book. As the other books it is very entertaining and has a lot of funny situations. I enjoyed reading it and read the book in one day but I have to say that while I really liked it I liked it not as much as the other books in the series. It was VERY slow-burn and I really had trouble relating to the main characters for a long time. I also thought that it was rather unbelievable how fast Dylan's feelings turned around in the end.
All in all a very entertaining and enjoyable romance by Camilla Isley.

This was my first book by the author I didn’t realise there was others but I will 100% be reading them. It was a slow slow burn and nothing really happened between the 2 characters till the very end of the book however I did love the scheming they had going on and it kept things interesting.

It was a good read however I think Dylan’s confession could have had more to it and it felt very rushed

Camilla Isley’s The Roommate Experiment is a light, easy-to-read contemporary romance that plays with the classic “forced proximity” and “friends-to-lovers” tropes to deliver on sweet moments and familiar rom-com vibes, but doesn’t quite break new ground.

That said, the plot is pretty predictable, and while the book is charming, it doesn’t offer many surprises or emotional highs. The characters, though likable, feel a little surface-level, and their journey leans more on sweet, safe storytelling rather than deep emotional development.

The Roommate Experiment is a cute, comforting read ideal for fans of soft, straightforward romance, but it may leave readers wanting a bit more spark or complexity. A decent pick for when you need something light and undemanding!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced digital copy - all thoughts and opinions are my own!