Review: The American Roommate Experiment

At this point I'm simply writing all my reviews when I'm sleepy af. I got a total of two hour sleep in the past 3 days and I fear I'm gonna crash soon if I don't sleep. Adulting is so hard it's physically taking a toll on me. Like I hate my degree so much it's affecting my mental and physical health.

Rosie Graham has a problem. A few, actually. She just quit her well paid job to focus on her secret career as a romance writer. She hasn’t told her family and now has terrible writer’s block. Then, the ceiling of her New York apartment literally crumbles on her. Luckily she has her best friend Lina’s spare key while she’s out of town. But Rosie doesn’t know that Lina has already lent her apartment to her cousin Lucas, who Rosie has been stalking—for lack of a better word—on Instagram for the last few months. Lucas seems intent on coming to her rescue like a Spanish knight in shining armor. Only this one strolls around the place in a towel, has a distracting grin, and an irresistible accent. Oh, and he cooks.

Lucas offers to let Rosie stay with him, at least until she can find some affordable temporary housing. And then he proposes an outrageous experiment to bring back her literary muse and meet her deadline: He’ll take her on a series of experimental dates meant to jump-start her romantic inspiration. Rosie has nothing to lose. Her silly, online crush is totally under control—but Lucas’s time in New York has an expiration date, and six weeks may not be enough, for either her or her deadline.

QUICK THOUGHTS AND REVIEW: 3.8/5, I FELT LIKE THAT THE STORY SEEMED VERY UNDERDEVELOPED. IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORKED ON MORE.   

Possible Trigger Tags:

1. Mentions of dementia

2. Panic attacks

3. Injury

4. Brief mention of drugs

5. Violence

6. Sexual content

WHAT DID I FEEL ABOUT THE  BOOK'S: 

1. Writing Quality: The writing was pretty interesting though. I do love how Armas makes the proper use of comedic timing because I was having a lot of fun and cracking up while reading this book. Like I really enjoy the comedic timing and I really enjoyed the whole writing style because it was easy flowing. Though I was pretty confused at first as to what's happening. Or maybe I'm just dumb like that.

2. Character Development: So I have a few words to say about this.

Rosie: The fact that I kept giggling solely because my name's also Rosie and I'm trying to be  a good writer is so relatable because being the absolute dumbass I am, I was like 'hey look, that's me in a story', except for the fact that I am a broke college student who hates their degree and Rosie here is a person who quit their well paying job. Anyways, I really find her relatable in some cases, except for the fact that I am such a scaredy cat that I might never be able to do something that I might actually want. Anyways, moving on. I do think Rosie as a character is really relatable and the fact that she bottles stuff up because she's always afraid of inconveniencing everyone else or just doesn't want to deal with the judgment that follows through, it's very real. 

Lucas: I felt like his character was very on the surface. He has a past and a career that was ruined due to his decisions but  that's all we get to see about Lucas. He's a good chef, a caring person, but I don't see such depth in him. And it makes me sad because Lucas could have been developed as such a great character, but it all just seems very over the surface for me. Lucas seems a very great character, and maybe to some readers he might actually even be one but for me, he's just a few lines on paper.

Their dynamic: Now coming to their dynamic, it also seemed very superficial for me. I do understand the forced proximity trope and I do think that it was a great idea but it lacked proper execution. Their dynamic about having a dating experiment was also a great idea but I feel like the stress could have been properly given on the actual date and how Rosie felt instead of Lucas and Rosie having an intense eye-fucking session. I understand Lucas gets immediately attracted and I also understand that Rosie develops a crush on Lucas by seeing his Instagram way before, but girl, I need some good material. I really need some material that I can base their romance on. 

There is some pretty domestic fluff that makes you go 'aw' and some great humour in that makes you double over with laughter, but I think the chemistry and the romance lacks when it counts. Though the smut's pretty nice, I love the way Lucas makes sex talk with her and it makes my insides melt for that. Like seriously, I love some good dirty talk in sex. And the fact that he calls her 'preciosa', it just makes me go kjefouwe;bf.

3. Couldn't put it down- Ness: 5/10, I finished the book pretty quickly, but I don't think it was a read that interested me much.

4. Plot: So what I really enjoy is the plot. Two people, completely 'supposedly' opposite from one another will have to live in the same flat because one's roof caved in and the other needs a place to stay. And when one offers to be the other's romantic muse, what could actually go wrong in a 'fake it till you make it' arrangement? The answer is everything. Everything goes wrong. The lines get blurred, feelings grow stronger and the faking doesn't seem like faking anymore.  And I really love how Lucas and Rosie aren't oblivious to their own feelings for the other person because it's a really annoying thing. Though I must say I was kinda angry at Lucas's obliviousness because dude, you do all the bookish boyfriend things for a girl who's insanely into romance and  is a romantic author you expect her not to fall in love with you? Like that's fucking bullshit and we all know that.

OVERALL, AN OKAY READ, not really sure I'll ever want to read it again.