Review: THE ROOMMATE by Rosie Danan

Review:  THE ROOMMATE by Rosie DananThe Roommate by Rosie Danan
Also by this author: The Intimacy Experiment
four-stars
Published by BERKLEY on September 15, 2020
Genres: Romance, Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 336
Source: Netgalley
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FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

 

 

 

 

 

I went into Rosie Danan’s debut novel, The Roommate, spoiler free and just have to start off by saying this book is such a breath of fresh air.  The Roommate is a rom-com about a socialite and an adult entertainer (yep, a porn star) that I didn’t even know I needed in my life.  The premise, with its focus on the porn industry, is so unique and the main characters, Clara, Josh, and Josh’s ex, Naomi, are just so precious that I wanted to be bffs with all of them.

The characters are what really sold me on this story, mainly because they weren’t at all what I expected them to be like based on the usual stereotypes associated with socialites and porn stars.  Clara is pretty much the exact opposite of a Paris Hilton type.  She’s sweet, awkward, and lacks confidence when it comes to most areas of her life.  When the story opens, Clara has also just quit her job and moved from New York to California to live with her childhood crush because she has misread his signals and thinks she’s heading toward her happily ever after.  Instead of happily ever after, however, Clara finds herself shacking up with a random male roommate her crush has found on Craigslist and sublet his place to while he goes on tour with his band.  Talk about awkward!

Josh, the roommate in question, is just as endearing as Clara.  At first he comes across as very arrogant – he’s obviously proud of his ability to please women, but he’s also very charming, fun, and sweet, and pretty soon Clara warms up to him and so did I.  I grew to love him even more as Clara gets to know him better and it becomes clear that some of that arrogance is just a front.  Josh has a lot of layers to him, and just like with Clara, some of those layers are filled with insecurities, fears, and doubts.   I just loved how real both characters felt and how their relationship developed.  Yes, they certainly have their sexy, steamy moments filled with delicious banter, but they also have a lot of sweet, heartfelt moments that made me smile.

The Roommate also has its fair share of drama, some revolving around family expectations, but also specifically drama that revolves around the porn industry.  I really loved how Danan portrays all of the adult entertainers as scrappy underdogs fighting the greedy corporate villains for what is rightfully theirs.  She gives the readers an interesting look at what goes on behind the scenes and I really liked the depth it added to the story.  I also adored Josh’s ex, Naomi.  She’s Josh’s partner in most of his adult films and she’s also a badass in her own right.  I read that there will be a companion novel that focuses on Naomi, and I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy!

If you’re looking for a fresh, sexy, and heartfelt romance with perfectly imperfect characters that will have you wishing for a happy ending, The Roommate is the book you’re looking for.

four-stars

About Rosie Danan

Rosie Danan writes steamy, big-hearted books, articles, and tweets about the trials and triumphs of modern love.

The New York Times calls Rosie Danan’s debut novel, THE ROOMMATE “a book about people expanding into their best possible selves…warmly funny and gorgeously sexy.” The rom-com has been optioned for film, and a companion book THE INTIMACY EXPERIMENT is forthcoming April 6, 2021 in both the US and UK.

After participating in the writing mentorship program Pitch Wars as a 2018 mentee, she was thrilled to rejoin the organization as a 2019 and 2020 mentor.

When not writing, Rosie enjoys jogging slowly to fast music, petting other people’s dogs, and competing against herself in rounds of Chopped using the miscellaneous ingredients occupying her fridge.

As an American expat currently living in London, she’s developed an incurable fondness for electric kettles.

27 replies
  1. Sophie
    Sophie says:

    I am so happy that you loved it too Suzanne! I completely agree with you on the layers of the characters and it being a fresh story.

    • Suzanne
      Suzanne says:

      Me neither! When I first started reading, I had one of those “I don’t know how I feel about this” moments, but it really did work perfectly as a backdrop.

  2. Tanya @ Girl Plus Books
    Tanya @ Girl Plus Books says:

    I thought this one was a lot of fun. There were times I truly wanted to shake Clara senseless (or actually shake some sense INTO her) but overall I liked her. And I really liked Josh. It was interesting how insecure he really felt and I loved seeing him stand up for himself and others.

  3. Sam@wlabb
    Sam@wlabb says:

    This book really was a breath of fresh air. It surprised a lot. What I loved most was seeing Clara grow so much. She faced her fears and pushed for what she wanted. It was just great overall for me

  4. Kelly
    Kelly says:

    I read a review for this one, must have been a few months ago now and gosh, it just sounds incredibly sweet, hilarious and a feel great summer read. I can imagine there’s a lot of misconceptions about the porn industry, like sex workers or adult dancers as well. These are people getting by and I imagine how much intolerance and prejudice they face daily, especially female porn actors and men believing they have access to them. I’m horrified for Clara though, imagine moving across the country then being stuck with a complete stranger. Makes for a brilliant read though. I’m so glad you enjoyed this one Suzanne, can’t wait to grab a copy for myself!

  5. verushka
    verushka says:

    This little gem keeps getting the best reviews, and I feel like I fall in love with it every time i nread a new one!

  6. Anne - Books of My Heart
    Anne - Books of My Heart says:

    I just read this one finally so I could come read your review. Excellent review. I really liked the characters and the development too. I already have the ARC for the next one The Intimacy Experiment about Naomi. I’m excited to read more about her.

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