Synopsis
Clara Wheaton is the consummate good girl: overachieving, well-mannered, and utterly predictable. When her childhood crush invites her to move cross country, the offer is too good to resist, and unfortunately, it’s also too good to be true.
Suddenly Clara finds herself sharing a house with a charming stranger. Josh might seem a bit too wise – not to mention handsome – for comfort, but there’s a good chance he and Clara could have survived sharing a summer sublet if she hadn’t looked him up on the internet…
Once she learns how Josh has made a name for himself, Clara realises living with him might destroy the reputation she’s spent years building. But while they may not agree much, both Josh and Clara believe women deserve better sex. What they decide to do about it will change both of their lives, and if they’re lucky, they’ll help everyone else get lucky too.
Clara Wheaton expected to reunite with her long-time crush Everett in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, for the summer. However, when she arrives at Everett’s place, she finds that he has sublet his room and gone off with his band on tour. Now Clara must come to terms with the fact that she will spend the summer alone and find a way to coexist peacefully with her moody roommate, Josh. The book follows Clara’s story as she navigates the highs and lows of this unexpected summer.
There is an instant attraction between the two, and it’s a cute, funny (not laugh out loud, but a few giggles) romance with the tension around sex and the fact that Josh is a porn star. The book is written in the third-person narrative and the chapters alternate between Clara and Josh. I liked this, and I enjoyed getting into both of their heads.
If you’re looking for a cosy and heartwarming (with a bit of smut) to read this spring, this book should be on your list! The dynamic between Clara and Josh is a sight to behold, making them one of the cutest couples. The writing does not go overboard with its complexity or imagery, making it easily digestible for everyone who will take the time to read it. Plus, some of the lines are powerful and beautiful, particularly when Clara opens up about her feelings for Everett – demonstrating how closely connected these characters are deep inside.
Clara – The Roommate by Rosie DananYou can spend a whole night wondering if he’s ever going to pull you in unexpectedly and capture your breath in the middle of a sentence. Or lean in slow slowly one morning that the wanting curls your toes and singes your fingertips.
I found Josh’s character particularly endearing and wanted to learn more about him. His flaws added depth and complexity; they made him more appealing than Clara, who was cute but less intriguing. I was delighted when snippets of his backstory were thrown between chapters, building on the narrative and providing a fascinating insight into the characters’ lives.
It’s a slow burner; it needed more of them as a couple. There were streamy moments, but when they finally had sex, I felt let down. I’d read three-quarters of the book before this moment and lacked the lustre of previous encounters. It was still hot and cute, and felt separated from the porn, which I think is what Rosie was going for, but I felt cheated that it was so close to the end without giving much away.
As millennial characters, they have earned a reputation for having difficulty communicating openly and honestly about their feelings and issues. In this story, the two characters suffer from this same issue, discussing matters with lots of assumptions, resulting in annoyance and unresolved tension when they both choose to dramatically storm off rather than sit down and actually discuss the cause of the argument correctly.
I had high expectations when I started reading this book, especially since it was so popular on booktube and booktok. Unfortunately, I struggled to get invested in the story; usually, it doesn’t take me this long! The ending especially threw me off; it felt rushed and unsatisfying. It’s still quite unnerving how lacklustre the ending was!
I still enjoyed it, so I gave The Roommate a solid three stars. It was good, and I would read more novels by Rosie and recommend it as a cute, easy read.
Star rating. 3/5 stars.
Have you read this book yet, or do you plan on adding it to your TBR? Let me know by commenting below.
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