The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas | Book Review
- dessimalakov
- Sep 4, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 5, 2024
From accidental roommates to unexpected romance: perfect for fans of "The Spanish Love Deception"
Author: Elena Armas
Publication Date: September, 6th 2022
Genre: Romance
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 1
Official Description:
In The American Roommate Experiment, Rosie Graham's life is in chaos. After quitting her stable job to pursue her dream of becoming a romance writer, she faces crippling writer's block and a literal ceiling collapse in her New York apartment.
Seeking refuge in her best friend Lina's place, she discovers that Lina’s charming cousin, Lucas Martín—whom she has been secretly crushing on—is already staying there.Lucas offers Rosie a lifeline, inviting her to stay with him while he proposes an unconventional plan: a series of experimental dates to reignite her romantic inspiration.
As they navigate this unexpected arrangement, Rosie must confront her feelings for Lucas and race against the clock to meet her writing deadline. With Lucas’s time in New York limited, will Rosie find the muse she desperately needs, or will their moments together slip away?
Join Rosie and Lucas in this delightful rom-com filled with laughter, heart, and undeniable chemistry. Will their experiment lead to love, or will Rosie's fears hold her back? Dive into The American Roommate Experiment for a charming tale of romance, friendship, and self-discovery.
Warning: This article might contain spoilers!
The American Roommate Experiment Elena Armas
My Thoughts
This book had all the ingredients for a solid rom-com:
A fun plot where Rosie is left stranded after her ceiling collapses, so she crashes at Lina's place while she's on her honeymoon. And surprise—Lucas is also staying there.
The right characters: Rosie, Lina's best friend, and Lucas, the mysterious cousin, fit perfectly into the setup.
A few intriguing side characters, like Rosie’s brother, who might just be the next lead in a future book?
Unfortunately, the execution fell flat for me. There was so much potential for witty banter (Rosie’s stalking him online - come on) or a quick dive into a roommates-with-benefits scenario. Instead, we get two characters who spend most of the book dancing around their feelings.
They have this immediate attraction, yet there’s no playful bickering or tension—just a lot of tiptoeing. I get that rom-coms often save the best moments for later, but if the buildup isn’t engaging, I’m just going to skim through.
Also, there was a bit too much kitsch for my taste. Lucas is dropping one perfect, swoon-worthy line after another, portraying him as the most flawless male specimen to ever walk the earth. But where are the edges, the imperfections? I need some grit. Rosie, on the other hand, is nothing like the confident, hilarious best friend we met in "The Spanish Love Deception." It's like two completely different characters.
Once Rosie and Lucas decide to try out these "dating experiments" in order to draw inspiration for her novel, the tension between them becomes more heated. It is clear that there is absolutely not pretence between both, I mean Lucas makes it actually pretty clear where he stands and still she takes forever to admit her feelings.
I’ll admit there were some cute moments, and I liked (sort of) the ending, but overall, it felt lacking. So, I’m giving it a 3-star rating. When it comes to steam and spice, there was definite tension since the first page - by the end it gets a bit steamier but still on the innocent side, I give it 0.5 on the spice scale.
It’s a shame because it had all the right elements for a great rom-com.
The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas
Disclaimer: I have added an affiliate link for your convenience so you can directly purchase the book if you are intrigued. This also means that I will receive small commission. This does not affect inclusion in my reviews or the overall rating of the book.
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