4.5
On 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.
On 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.