ive relatable stars.
I requested Roomies from NetGalley because I've seen a lot of raves for Christina Lauren's books but I haven't read them before. Well, I appreciate being gifted this ARC because I am impressed. This book is a great introduction to new-to-me authors and I will be adding their books to my TBR mountain ASAP. What's admirable is that they are two writers but Roomies has one unified "voice". You cannot tell who wrote which part. It was so seamless.
I normally don't read NA books, I feel that they're too young for me. I also don't usually read first person singular POV. I broke both of those rules for The Hating Game. I'm glad I did it again for Roomies.
When I say I can relate, I mean it. Holland's background is so different from mine but I took to her right away. Being mid-20s and still not knowing who you are, who you want to be? Having a crush on a musician not because of their looks but because of their artistry? Being snarky about someone's grammar? Going through USCIS interviews to validate/defend marriage with someone from another country? Been there, done them.
Calvin might share in the title, but Roomies is 100% Holland's book. The development of her character from the beginning until the end is tremendous. She grew up. She found herself. She wasn't just a niece, a wife of convenience, a friend who's always there. She became her own person, independent and strong. I love that.
I also love that everyone in the book feels real. Holland, Calvin, the uncles Robert and Jeff, Brian, Lulu, Davis, Dougherty, Lulu, and others are people you know, people you can imagine existing in New York, in LA, in Des Moines, in Galway.
Calvin is a heartthrob but he is oh so human. As someone who followed all the rules before legally being able to remain here in the US, I thought I would resent how easy things were for him, how lucky to have been the object of Holland's crush. But, as I kept reading, I realized that I couldn't be resentful of how fast the process was going for him. Because it wasn't truly fast and it wasn't very easy. He had to go through four years of being an overstaying illegal, having to tell lies to his family, having to swallow his pride and busk on the subway, being fearful of the authorities. These were communicated beautifully in the book. I thought it was well done by the authors how he came about his legal status in the end. Very convenient, but acceptable.
The dialogue flowed smoothly. The situations, the characters' actions and reactions were all realistic, plausible. There was no suspension of disbelief. I laughed, I cried, I gushed with the romance, I blushed during love scenes, I got angry, I sympathized. I felt everything Holland went through. That's why I am giving Roomies all the five stars. Books that engaged all my emotions usually get the top score. Roomies deserves nothing less.
I requested Roomies from NetGalley because I've seen a lot of raves for Christina Lauren's books but I haven't read them before. Well, I appreciate being gifted this ARC because I am impressed. This book is a great introduction to new-to-me authors and I will be adding their books to my TBR mountain ASAP. What's admirable is that they are two writers but Roomies has one unified "voice". You cannot tell who wrote which part. It was so seamless.
I normally don't read NA books, I feel that they're too young for me. I also don't usually read first person singular POV. I broke both of those rules for The Hating Game. I'm glad I did it again for Roomies.
When I say I can relate, I mean it. Holland's background is so different from mine but I took to her right away. Being mid-20s and still not knowing who you are, who you want to be? Having a crush on a musician not because of their looks but because of their artistry? Being snarky about someone's grammar? Going through USCIS interviews to validate/defend marriage with someone from another country? Been there, done them.
Calvin might share in the title, but Roomies is 100% Holland's book. The development of her character from the beginning until the end is tremendous. She grew up. She found herself. She wasn't just a niece, a wife of convenience, a friend who's always there. She became her own person, independent and strong. I love that.
I also love that everyone in the book feels real. Holland, Calvin, the uncles Robert and Jeff, Brian, Lulu, Davis, Dougherty, Lulu, and others are people you know, people you can imagine existing in New York, in LA, in Des Moines, in Galway.
Calvin is a heartthrob but he is oh so human. As someone who followed all the rules before legally being able to remain here in the US, I thought I would resent how easy things were for him, how lucky to have been the object of Holland's crush. But, as I kept reading, I realized that I couldn't be resentful of how fast the process was going for him. Because it wasn't truly fast and it wasn't very easy. He had to go through four years of being an overstaying illegal, having to tell lies to his family, having to swallow his pride and busk on the subway, being fearful of the authorities. These were communicated beautifully in the book. I thought it was well done by the authors how he came about his legal status in the end. Very convenient, but acceptable.
The dialogue flowed smoothly. The situations, the characters' actions and reactions were all realistic, plausible. There was no suspension of disbelief. I laughed, I cried, I gushed with the romance, I blushed during love scenes, I got angry, I sympathized. I felt everything Holland went through. That's why I am giving Roomies all the five stars. Books that engaged all my emotions usually get the top score. Roomies deserves nothing less.