Roomies by Christina Lauren (Epub)

Description

Marriages of convenience are so…inconvenient.

For months Holland Bakker has invented excuses to descend into the subway station near her apartment, drawn to the captivating music performed by her street musician crush. Lacking the nerve to actually talk to the gorgeous stranger, fate steps in one night in the form of a drunken attacker. Calvin Mcloughlin rescues her, but quickly disappears when the police start asking questions.

Using the only resource she has to pay the brilliant musician back, Holland gets Calvin an audition with her uncle, Broadway’s hottest musical director. When the tryout goes better than even Holland could have imagined, Calvin is set for a great entry into Broadway—until his reason for disappearing earlier becomes clear: he’s in the country illegally, his student visa having expired years ago.

Seeing that her uncle needs Calvin as much as Calvin needs him, a wild idea takes hold of her. Impulsively, she marries the Irishman, her infatuation a secret only to him. As their relationship evolves and Calvin becomes the darling of Broadway—in the middle of the theatrics and the acting-not-acting—will Holland and Calvin to realize that they both stopped pretending a long time ago?

User’s Reviews

“This book has everything that makes romance novels great: a heroine’s journey to self-discovery, a leading man worthy of a woman’s love, and plenty of misty tears and full-on belly laughs along the way. Another knockout by Lauren.” (Kirkus

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ I knew nothing of this book’s premise or plot going into the novel. As per my usual, I will download anything that is written by this fabulous writing duo. So as I started reading it, I was a bit dismayed that it took so long to get to where the two characters finally meet. It was absolutely slow to start, and had this been a book by any other author, I would have set it down and not finished. But again, I love this writing team of CLo and pushed on. It took until 65% of the book for the characters of Holland and Calvin to finally consummate their marriage of convenience. Interpret that how you will, but it finally got to that level of intimacy – which is probably both realistic and fair if these two characters were IRL.The last quarter of the book was touching, heartbreaking and lovely. There’s a twist – which I always love – and you will cry for Holland as she experiences her first adult heartache. From there, the book finishes flawlessly – but suddenly. I felt like I was pushed off the cliff with no warning signs. It just STOPS. So I wouldn’t catagorize this as one of their Top 5, or even their Top 10, but it’s still a lovely book with impeccable writing.

⭐ 4.5On her way home after a fun night out, a little-too-drunk Holland Bakker is somewhat-attacked by a homeless man while waiting for the subway. She’s rescued by the very talented street musician who may or may not be the reason she takes this particular way home everyday.When Holland’s uncle’s extremely popular Broadway musical is left without its lead musician, Holland immediately thinks of her savior, Calvin McLoughlin. The problem: Calvin is in the States illegally. Wanting to help out her uncle, and recognizing Calvin’s talents for what they are, Holland proposes a marriage of convenience in order to get Calvin eligible to stay. The plan seems simple enough, they’ll stay married for at least a year, convince immigration of their “love match”, all while Calvin is garnering success doing the thing he loves most in the world, make music. But what happens when the feelings between Holland and Calvin move from convenience to true? Can either believe the other’s motivations when their relationship started on a lie?I really loved this take on the marriage of convenience trope. It wasn’t difficult to see that, yes, eventually Holland and Calvin would form feelings for one another. But what was great about this particular romance was the idea of being in the relationship for all the wrong reasons, and trying to figure out if those are the only reasons why Calvin and Holland are together. Would Calvin have given Holland another glance if he didn’t need this in order for his dreams to come true?Filled with a lot of fun and zany antics, I loved the heart of this story. Since it’s told from Holland’s point of view, her side of the story takes more weight than Calvin’s does. Holland has a MFA in creative writing, but after graduation, she’s hit major writers’ block and has barely been able to power on her computer, not wanting to be faced with her lack of work progression. So instead Holland has been kind of meandering throughout life for the past couple of years. She affords her apartment because her loving uncles help pay for it. She has a job working in the theater that houses her uncle’s production because….well, her uncle. One of the first decisions she’s actively made has been a whirlwind marriage. And as her feelings for Calvin deepen she questions what it is she truly wants. What direction she wants her life to take. It’s a very relatable storyline for anyone who has struggle with the “what next” scenario after high school and / or college which I would guess is many people.Calvin’s situation is a direct contrast with Holland’s. Holland who has the opportunity and the means to achieve her goals, she just can’t find the words or the inspiration. Calvin, though, has the inspiration and the talent to achieve his goals, but he doesn’t have the means and if opportunity doesn’t present itself soon he’ll be deported. The true weight of Calvin’s dilemma is probably more than Holland’s but it doesn’t really come across as such since we only get Holland’s point of view. I would have liked to see just a bit from Calvin’s point of view seeing as how the life he’s built for himself hinges on the idea of he and Holland’s union appearing realistic.Probably one of my favorite things about the story was the relationship Holland has with her uncles, who, since she was the youngest of six, all but raised Holland as their own. The love and affection they have for Holland (and vice versa) is sweet. And I love how supportive they are of her during her time of feeling aimless.Roomies is a perfect read as we start to wind down this year and begin moving into a new year. Its messages of trying new things and not giving up on your dreams work well with upcoming resolutions. It was a book that I didn’t want to end, but just couldn’t put down. One of my favorite romantic reads this year.

⭐ I don’t know why I try. I’m really just not a fan of this genre. Full disclaimer I did not finish this one. It was too unrealistic and simple and I just found it very boring and ridiculous. Nothing about it gripped me.To begin, I don’t see the appeal of the green card marriage troupe in romance. How is such a situation at all romantic and not just tragic and complicated? The levity taken in this troupe is absurd and not sexy at all. Because of this, I found most of the plot to be silly and the main characters to be…unintelligent to say the least. I kept finding myself stopping every few pages so my mind could wander and it took me forever to get anywhere in the book. I know Christina Lauren gets a lot of fan love & that’s great. Some people need books like this. It’s probably a great book for romance readers. It was just soooo troupe(y) you know? Simple plot line, generic female protagonist (“who doesn’t understand her own value/worth/talent”), misunderstandings between the two main characters and a guy who’s too good to be true, yadda, yadda, yadda. Congrats, all the boxes are checked! It felt like such a formula book. I am not a person for formula books. I was bored and just couldn’t wait for it to end. Then I gave up. The best thing I could say about it was that the writing was simple and straightforward. Christina Lauren know how to tell a story and give you a good sense of what’s going on. So that’s a plus. And that’s basically all I can say about it.

⭐ Since I enjoyed Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating and My Favorite Half-Night Stand, I had a feeling Roomies would be right up my alley, since it’s about Broadway and has elements of 90 Day Fiance.I really enjoyed this novel the whole way through. The chemistry between Holland and Calvin was off the charts, even when they weren’t admitting it was there. I loved the New York City vibe and that a Broadway show was at the center of the story. I was jealous of Robert’s job and all the accolades that came along with it, even though it sounded stressful at times. The story was so entertaining and I definitely worried for Holland and Calvin as to whether they would get away with their arrangement.If I could, I would devour all of Christina Lauren’s novels, one right after the other, but that wouldn’t be fair to the rest of my books. I do plan on adding another one of theirs to my queue soon and am excited for their upcoming release in 2020, The Honey-Don’t List. I only regret not braving the DC area traffic to meet them when they were in town this past week. (It’s brutal though!)Movie casting ideas:Holland: Skyler SamuelsCalvin: Frank DillaneRobert: Jesse L. MartinLulu: Elizabeth GilliesBrian: Jason Ralph

⭐ 3.75 stars,I rounded up to 4 stars because I didnt care for their last two books so im trying to be more excited about this one and I was . I enjoyed my favorite book writing team again in this sweet quirky book with a loveable character named Holland and her awesome uncles that steal the show ,they really made this read for me. Thank you also for the one liners that had me laughing out loud ” social lubricant “, so very hilarious!!!This is a good read, had some sexy in it but you have to wait because it takes a back seat to Holland building a relationship with Calvin as it should. Holland is the star of this read though no doubt , she is a good character, she is quirky, even her birth was .I wanted to get to know Calvin just as well but we dont get his POV ,it would have helped me with understanding him better but I liked his character overall, just a missed step by the author’s not showing him better .Story is about Holland a 25 years old college graduate who lives in the big city with her uncles trying to figure out her life and then she meets her Irishman.It’s a bit of rollercoaster ride but they get there in the end.It’s definitely a good read, makes you want to go to the theater , it had a few “needed more moments” and I would I have loved a Epilogue, it needed one !, disappointed it didnt have one but it still ends HEA so I’ll deal,I guess.I would have loved to have read about the future for them for sure but again I’ll get over it .I’ll be honest after Hating You /Dating You which to me did not have these talented author’s usual great character connection , witty banter, outstanding storytelling and great reading feels this book thank goodness is a huge comeback from that book for me .Wasn’t a 5 stars read because it had a few missed steps and disconnected moments that I’m not used to by these author’s who are usually flawless with their reads but it was close to what we as fans usually get from this dynamic writing duo and I’m darn happy about that because the last few reads from Christina Lauren were off for me personally and this one was much better! Just pretty please if you read your reviews Christina Lauren please always do a Epilogue because this book really needed one and it didn’t have one and it truly needed one for sure .Another missed step but I’m still a fan

⭐ ‘Roomies’ is an epic combination of the fake marriage trope and the roommate trope. ‘Roomies’ is about Holland and Calvin; Holland has had a crush on Calvin for a long time, however, she doesn’t actually know his name, so she calls him ‘Jack the Busker’. Jack aka Calvin plays the guitar at a subway station that Holland uses, the thing is that Holland is totally in awe of Calvin’s music talent. So one night, with a little liquid courage she goes up to him and briefly talks to him, but she chickens out and ends up being in an accident, so Calvin comes to the rescue. To show her thanks to him, she manages to get him an audition with her Uncle, a director.Although there is just one problem… Calvin doesn’t have a visa, so after Holland’s evil boss sarcastically tells her to marry him for a visa, she actually keeps pondering on it and decides that she will tell him and let him decide. For some crazy reason he agrees, she’s so surprised, so that’s what they do. Buy the book to join them on their crazy ride.The authors manage to actually turn a trope that we all know about (let’s face it, it’s not a new trope, but we still adore it) and made it into something really original. I loved reading the story. What absolutely blew my mind was how selfless and caring Holland really is, she was willing to help out a complete stranger (which she had a crush on but still it’s really admiring, we need more people like her, in this world). I can keep on blabbing about another ten reasons why you should read this book ORRRR you can go and buy it now! I promise you won’t regret it 😉 Happy Reading!

⭐ I was torn on whether or not I should read this book– I’ve really enjoyed a whole bunch of Christina Lauren’s work but heard mixed reviews on this one. It is much more of a “romance” novel than an erotica novel (which is how I would characterise the Beautiful series, personally), but it definitely wasn’t as sweet or heart-felt as Autoboyography, which became an instant favourite for me.The story gives us Holland, an MFA graduate with a serious bit of writer’s block and a lack of direction in her life, and Calvin, an Irish man who came to study at Julliard years before and overstayed his student visa by four years. She hears him busking at a subway station and becomes transfixed by his music and makes stopping by to listen to him a regular thing– and then he happens to be there the night that she’s mugged at the platform. He doesn’t do anything heroic or attempt to help her (in an effort to avoid the police and revealing his status) and all of this is fresh on her mind when her uncle’s Broadway show (a hit that seems to be on par with Hamilton in the story) loses its leading violinist. Holland suggests that her uncle come to hear Calvin play music and they decide to hire him on as a guitarist for the production, before they become aware of his immigration status. Spurred on by a horrible boss who makes a reckless suggestion, Holland proposes a marriage of convenience so that Calvin can work for the production and because she, as it comes out in the story, is a “supporting character in her own life” (OUCH RIGHT). Anyway, romance, misunderstandings, mutual attraction, and immigration interviews ensue.Things I Loved:- Holland never tried to be anything other than what she was– a privileged girl from a good background who had hook ups with people in high places and who was just… stuck. I feel like it was honest. Other readers seemed irritated by her character, calling her immature and irritating, but I didn’t perceive her that way at all. Had she been whiny and *unaware*, I would have had a serious issue, but she was self-reflective and hated herself all the more for it.- Holland and her relationship with her uncles. fantastic.- Okay, her uncles are both fantastic. They’re great characters and I really enjoyed their presence in the narrative and felt like it balanced the main relationship well.- When they had problems, they TALKED. It may have taken a day, but characters actually freaking talked about active problems. There was plenty of angst and tension, but not over stupidly obvious stuff.Things I Liked:- Calvin was alright. He was less fleshed out at some points than I would have liked, but his passion and desire to do what he loved was a very good contrast for Holland (and a good sparking point) and Holland’s access to means meant that the relationship was fairly well-balanced.- It wasn’t too steamy. I am still coming around on reading more physical intimacy, so the Beautiful series was… a lot for me. But this struck a nice middle ground.Things I Didn’t Like:- I felt like Lulu was entirely unnecessary as a character from beginning to end. I literally didn’t understand the point of her at all.- The trope of “and now the characters need to give each other several months of space to figure stuff out” at the end is a thing Christina Lauren embraces and takes to an extreme and it drives me absolutely mad.Overall, this was a cute, super fast read– it was a good popcorn read. I’d recommend it if you’re a fan of music or theatre or the arts in general and are looking for a swift, fluffy book between more intense books. If you’re big into the Beautiful series, then this isn’t going to live up to your standards.Stars: 3.5/5

⭐ I have been following these two talented writers since before they were officially published, and I have been buying their books ever since to thank them for the hours of entertainment and thought-provoking introspection their words have given me. I have loved being able to read and re-read their fun plots and magnificent character development, and in particular, the way they build a relationship out of the small moments two people share, until I am just as in love with the characters as they are with each other.And then came “Dating You/Hating You.” I guess I was due for a let-down—not everyone can be perfect every time, right?—but boy, was I disappointed. So much so, I was not sure about reading “Roomies.” But I am so, so very glad I took the chance.”Roomies” is everything I expect from these two writers: fun and funny, tender and confusing, unbelievable and then they make me believe. Has the story been done before? Of course! But isn’t that true for all romance stories? And isn’t part of why we love them and read them because they give us a certain predictability that helps us relax into the words in the way heavy-duty, highly challenging literature cannot?But here’s the thing about Christina Lauren: they write so well, the characters are so lovingly developed, the plots insane—but insanely great—that I could almost believe their books are the literature of the romance genre. This book gave me hope at the beginning of 2018, when the real world is entirely too real. This book made me laugh, sigh, groan, and sweat—and doesn’t all good reading do that?!So I’m glad to “be back,” reading the sweet, crazy, lovely words of Christina Lauren again, and if you enjoyed their Wild Seasons series in particular, I think you will be charmed and delighted by “Roomies.”

⭐ I don’t think I’ve loved a book this much in a long time.It wasn’t that the plot was particularly innovative or moving, though it’s a trope I enjoy. It wasn’t that it was set in NYC, where I also reside. It wasn’t because it’s a Christina Lauren, even though that’s the whole reason I picked it up in the first place.I fell in love with these characters. They are all so unique and specific. They aren’t perfect and some of them are a straight-up dumpster fire (looking at you, Lulu). They’re human. And I appreciate that more than words can express at the moment.Something about Holland resonated with me. I’ve felt her pain and confusion. I know what it’s like to be lost and working too long at a job that really should just be a job, a stepping stone to something bigger and better. Her emotions, her reactions, her complicated situations all hit home for me. It has been a long time since I’ve had such a clear, crisp image of a character. I wanted to reach into the pages and give her a hug.I recognize that not everyone will enjoy this as much as I did. I didn’t think I would love it this much. I thought it would be an entertaining, light(er)-hearted read that would perfectly wrap up my vacation. But for me, it was all that and so much more. And that deserves praise.I will recommend this to everyone.

⭐ I love the writing duo of Christina Lauren, their “Beautiful” series is one of my favorites. This book, however, was really disappointing. Where was the character development for Calvin? Where’s the epilogue? Where was the steam! The sexy times are minimal and vague. Very vague when compared to previous books. Honestly, I wondered if they had switched to a new publisher and been asked to dial back the steam from nuclear to lukewarm. The writing is definitely there and Holland and her uncles are well written, but Calvin seemed more like an outline. Wish I had loaned from the library, not interesting enough to read again.

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