Thank you to Camilla Isley, NetGalley, and Boldwood Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
WOW! I didn’t know if there was going to be a way to top Rowena & Adrian’s story but this blew my *crew* socks off! While their friend group is advancing life stages, moving in with boyfriends, having a marriage of convenience, Hunter & Dylan are forced to become new roommates so they each don’t have to face the terror that is the NYC housing market. Hunter has been best friend’s with Nina, Dylan’s sister, for 11 years and has had the biggest girl crush on him. Dylan is dealing with his sister dating his best friend and no longer having his #1 bro around 24/7. Hunter & Dylan’s banter was great and their chemistry is off the charts!!! You can cut the tension with a knife. Definitely what I would consider a slow burn but not tortuous in the slightest. The epilogue was amazing, but that’s because I’m partial to far in the future epilogues. I was so happy with how this story ended. I’m assuming it’s the last of the funny feelings series and was wrapped up so perfectly. I loved this friend group! ALSO I’m toe-tally team cats. Meow.

I was super lucky to get this gem as a ARC read from NetGalley. I've read many of Camilla Isley's work prior so when I saw she had something new coming out. I of course had to give it a shot. Wow talk about a slowwww burn lol. It was kind of exhausting honestly to watch Dylan drag out his breakup with his something else of a girlfriend. I'm like dude come on now!!! But he finally did it, thank goodness! Cause honestly it was getting a little annoying. I felt so bad for Hunter. I couldn't imagine being in love with your best friend for 11 years before he FINALLY realizes your the one. Although I'm sad the book was almost over before we actually saw them together. I would have loved to see more of their story, and how it all pans out. Hopefully she'll continue their story in the next book.

ARC review
Publication date: 27 May 25

3,5 stars

“The Roommate Experiment” by Camilla Isley is the final book in the "Funny Feelings" trilogy.
The books are interconnected standalones, but I would recomand reading them in order.

I received a digital copy of the book from Boldwood Books (via Netgalley).
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

After her roommates moved out, Dylan moves in with Hunter.
He is one of her best friend's (and former roommate) brother and the guy she has been secretly in love for years.

What you can expect:
- roommates to lovers
- forces proximity
- (very) slow burn
- tension with a bit of spice (not explicit/fade to black)

I read and liked the previous book in the series, "If the Ring Fits", so I expected to like this one as well.

There were some things that I enjoyed:
- woman in STEM that manages to get her bosses respect
- the friendship between Hunter, Nina and Rowena
- the book is funny
- the emotional connection between Dylan and Hunter

But there were a few things that I did not enjoy as much:
- Dylan's hesitation in breaking up with Olivia
- there was too much build up to the relationship and then a fast ending

Overall it was a fun and quick read, but I did not like it as much as the previous book.

The slow burn to end all slow burns. Dylan, honey, you could be less of a gentleman because you could have had Hunter so much sooner!!

I don't totally understand why Hunter didn't just profess her feelings for Dylan in the years before. If they were only acquaintances at that point, I would think the rejection would have hurt less. She would have lost so much less than after they started becoming better friends.

Dylan truly has it made. Being in the investment industry with dyslexia must be so hard. I would think that 3/4 of the job is reading stats and documents. Also, I don't think dyslexia has the stigma that it did a few years ago. Hunter would never have a problem with something like that. I think she is just happy that he is paying attention to her.

It was fluffy and everything a rom com should be yet it did nothing for me. The female main character lacked self respect and that rubbed me the wrong way.

Fast read.
Was hoping for a little more spice but the buildup was well done.
The characters were all likable.

Will definitely recommend.

This book pleasantly surprised me! It had tropes I liked, which made me want to read it, but the fact they were executed so well hooked me in. I enjoyed the fact it was slowburn, I feel like we got to see the friendship and relationship progress realistically! Hunter's inner dialogue cracked me up!!

“I never want to wake up without you,” I tell him, my voice thick with emotion. Dylan presses a tender kiss on my forehead. “You won’t have to. We’ve got forever, Hunt.” It’s not about keeping score; it’s about showing up for each other and taking on what the other can’t. Real love is knowing you don’t have to be perfect to be enough. Dylan and Hunter’s love story is real, funny, sweet and feel of feelings. Great end to a great series. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy. This is my honest review.

This forced proximity romance was just simply amazing. Loved it from the start. Can't wait to discover more of this author.

Camilla Isley didn't disappoint! The tension between the caracters was just simply WOAH!

Thank you Boldwood Book Club and NetGalley for this ARC!! I really loved this book, Dylan and Hunter were great characters. Both so real, messy and raw. Just a really cute, lighthearted story! First book i have read by Camilla Isley, and won't be my last. Pub day is 5/27/25!

I always look forward to Camilla Isley's books and this one was especially fun! The roommate trope is one of my favorites and she did such a great job with it. Highly recommend!

I love how the is started out!! It’s such a good slow burn. Olivia annoyed me and she seemed super clingy. The banter was wonderful. The friend group was always positive and very caring. I do wish they got together sooner so we could have seen more of them. Overall it’s a great book and I did enjoy the slow burn.

Having read Camilla's previous book 'If The Ring Fits' back in December which I thoroughly enjoyed I certainly wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to read the next book in the Funny Feelings Series, and this book certainly didn't disappoint.

This was an absolutely delightful read, which only took me a day to read, it was soooooo......good!!

Loved how Hunter was trying to control her crush over Dylan and it just kept failing. Although this was a slow burn, it worked so well, as when they eventually get together it is absolutely superb.

This book is so well written, and even though not at all spicy, the tension between Hunter and Dylan in itself is fantastic and beautiful and makes you want to carry on reading to find out what happens next.

Will certainly be looking out for more of Camilla's books in the future.

I ended up DNF’ing this one—not because it was bad, but it just wasn’t clicking for me.

It had all the tropes I usually enjoy and I’ve really enjoyed books by Camilla in the past, so I was surprised when I couldn’t quite get into it. The writing was easy to follow, but it felt a bit too formulaic and didn’t hold my attention.

Totally a case of “right book, wrong time” (or maybe just not the right fit for me), but I can see this one being a hit for others!

Thanks you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

uuuugggghhhhhhh I love Camilla Isley so much!! Her writing style is so fun and the different characters are fantastic.This one was no different! Hunter has been in love with Dylan for 11 years and due to some unforseen circumstances they are now roommates. With this new development, it's only a matter of time before Dylan finally sees what's been in front of him the whole time. The banter and relationships between all the different characters was fun and if you've read If the Ring Fits, then you'll have fun reading about Adrian and Rowena from a different point of view! Absolutely loved it! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️3.75-4/5 🌶️0.5/5

Tropes:
🥞Slowburn
🥞She falls first
🥞And they were roommates ✨

Hunter has had a secret crush on Dylan for years which hasn’t been a problem until Dylan moves into the spare room and they become roommates✨

I enjoyed this book a lot and it was such an easy quick read for me, Hunter and Dylan both had enough going on that I was never bored and I really loved that we got to see some of the characters from previous books ( Rowena and Adrian still my favs). Who knew someone could be seduced by a ponytail and rolled up crew socks? I did also appreciate the Tristan and Nina meddling aspect and the Taylor Swift references✨

The only thing that I struggled with and why this wasn’t a 4-5 star read is that Dylan and his “girlfriend” Olivia really bordered on a miscommunication trope which is my worst nightmare and I was getting very frustrated (I’m also a cat person iykyk) although… on the other hand it is a testament to Camilla Isley’s writing because I hated Olivia as much as Hunter did.

I think if you’re a fan of Sarah Adams or a big slow burn fan you will enjoy this ( things really kick off at the 90ish % mark). Also important to note that the spice is closed door but it is briefly described so if you’re a big open door spice lover this may not be your cup of tea.

Big thank you to NetGalley & Boldwood Books for the ARC, it’s your fault I was up until 1am finishing this 🫶🏻

I love a Camilla Isley book and this one did not disappoint. My only wish is that these two would have realized things a little sooner so we could read more about it! I loved both Dylan and Hunter. I did not like Olivia. She was so annoying to me! I love a good roommates to lovers story! I have read Nina and Tristin’s story so I was glad we got Hunter and Dylan’s. You won’t be disappointed reading this story or any by this author!

A brilliantly funny romantic comedy!

👀 Forced proximity
💭 Best friends brother
🏠 Roommates to lovers
😂 Friendship group banter

FMC Hunter has secretly been in love with her best friends brother Dylan for years, but he is oblivious!

When the two end up becoming roommates, and Dylan gets a girlfriend, tensions rise and Hunter tries to keep her feelings in check...

Great representation of dyslexia and how it is experienced in a corporate setting.

The humour between the friendship group and the individual characters was amazing!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

As the third book in this series, I was looking forward to The Roommate Experiment—both because I’ve loved the first two, and because it’s a brother’s best friend/friends-to-lovers story. I love these tropes: the forbidden spark of a sibling’s best friend, the slow burn of friendship turned romance. That said, while I did enjoy this one, it ended up being my least favorite of the trilogy. Let’s dive in.

Hunter has been in love with Dylan—her best friend Nina’s brother—since the moment she met him 11 years ago. Back when she shared an apartment with Nina and their other best friend, Rowena, it wasn’t so bad keeping her feelings under wraps. But now Rowena’s moved in with her fake-fiancé, Nina has moved out with her new boyfriend (who also happens to be Dylan’s best friend), and Dylan finds himself without a place to stay. Naturally, he moves in with Hunter, taking one room as his and another as his office. Hunter hopes this new arrangement will finally push things into motion, that Dylan might start to see her as something more. The only catch? He just started seeing someone else. Cue the emotional chaos.

Let’s start with Dylan, because I have thoughts. He’s not without redeeming qualities—he’s protective, thoughtful, a talented cook, and can apparently hold his own on the basketball court. But I struggled with how long he strung Olivia along. It’s clear he’s not that into her, even in his internal monologue. And while I understand the hesitation to break up with someone who’s going through a personal tragedy, letting her invite herself to your friend’s engagement party is… a choice. Also, he claims to love dogs but seems weirdly judgmental about “dog people”? Red flag.

As for Hunter, she’s a decent main character, but I didn’t connect with her the way I did with Nina or Rowena. I understand not telling Dylan how she felt when they first met—she was young and intimidated. But 11 years? That’s a long time to pine. At some point, you either need to say something or give yourself the closure to move on. Still, I appreciated her standing up for herself in other areas, especially when it came to her career. Her verbal takedowns of both a terrible date and a toxic coworker were easily her best moments.

Spice-wise, I don’t go into contemporary romance expecting it to happen every time, but this felt especially light—especially compared to the first two books in the series. After making us wait so long for the characters to get together, having their steamy scenes happen behind closed doors felt like a letdown.

There were a couple of small things that took me out of the story too. Dylan’s POV didn’t always feel particularly “male”—for example, at one point he narrates how the water from the shower drips down his shoulders, and it just didn’t feel like an authentic detail for his voice. There were also a few odd phrasings or small errors, like the group throwing “breadcrumbs” at each other during dinner (croutons, maybe?) or a confusing “no” from Dylan when it should’ve been “yes” based on the context.

It makes me a little sad to rate this a 3 when I gave the first two books in the series a 4 and a 5, but this one didn’t land the same way for me. Still, it won’t stop me from picking up future books from Camilla Isley—she writes entertaining, warm-hearted stories, and I’m looking forward to what she does next.

Generally I enjoy Camilla Isley’s books because they’re an easy, enjoyable read — I liked this one more than the others because it seemed a little more realistic and had some more realistic dialogue than the others