the american roommate experiment ending

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I finished {The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas} today and I have some thoughts

So this book is the follow-up of {The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas} and I rated that book 5/5 stars which is why it's so disappointing that I didn't love the second one and only rated it 3.5/5. It was good, I enjoyed it and read it in three days, but there's so many issues with it in my opinion.

Rosie as a character is a little ehhhh. Firstly, she's just quit her job to start working as a romance author full-time after her debut novel became successful and she's currently trying to write her second one. I think Hannah Grace's books have just permanently turned me off any references to romance books in actual books because way too often it feels self-inserty and like a desperate attempt to relate to the reader. But making Rosie a romance author writing her follow-up to her successful debut novel? Keeping in mind that this book is Elena Armas's second novel and a follow-up to her successful debut novel it feels...way too self-inserty for me.

Rosie also comes off as a little quirky and relatable in a very 2016 way if that makes sense. There's a lot of moments that will go like this: ""You don't get a pass just because you're handsome," the last word slipping from my mouth. Oh God, did I really just call him handsome? I did. Fuck." and it just keeps going like that for a while. I get she has a huge crush on the guy and is nervous around him, but I just can't understand not being able to control what you say? Idk, it's never happened to me that I can remember, but in this book it's constant.

There were also two medium sized plotlines that were just sorta dropped. First one was that Rosie quit her job and had been lying to her family for half a year about it because she was scared of their reaction at the news. Cool, especially considering the drama with Olly and how close she is with her dad. But the plotline is solved off-page, as in Rosie briefly recounts her dad's reaction for the reader's benifit and that's that. It's just a little disappointing how that was handled, it's not a big one on its own, but it adds to this rushed feeling towards the end that I couldn't help but notice.

The second one is super disappointing to me. One of the main premises of the book is that Rosie has been sorta obsessed with Lucas for a while, following him on Instagram before even having met him and saving some of his pictures. Like borderline cyber-stalking behaviour and it was interesting! It's so common in romance books (for good reason, don't get me wrong) that the MMC falls first and falls harder, so it was interesting to see a book that did the reverse and had the FMC fall first and *way* harder. But the plotline seems to have been almost forgotten halfway through? Rosie will occasionally mention it, but it seems mostly to just be there to remind the reader that Rosie has been obsessed with Lucas for a while and not to actually drive that plotline anywhere. Because when it's resolved it's so anticlimactic. You would expect that Lucas would maybe feel violated at this, frustrated that Rosie kept this from him. Especially considering she tells him all this during one of the most emotional scenes in the book (at the airport). Maybe that could've been the reason Lucas didn't wanna take a chance with Rosie? (Because sidenote, the conflict and reason for their breakup felt a little forced to me) But no, when Lucas hears about this he's shocked first but then flattered. And it's never brought up again. Again just very disappointing that this huge thing Rosie was keeping from Lucas was just resolved in one paragraph when it could've been so much more, you know?

And the ending felt mega rushed. I knew the page count as I was reading and as I kept reading I was thinking like "Wait how is everything gonna be resolved in just X amount of pages?" (spoiler, it isn't.) If I could change one thing I would've made it so Rosie's plan at the airport worked and that Lucas said fuck it and they decided to go for it. Not every book needs a third act breakup (part of the reason I love Hannah Grace's books a lot is because they avoid that). And I'm not saying to have zero conflict towards the end, but why have this dramatic end to their relationship that goes on for weeks (months?)?. Because it felt as though the breakup was added out of obligation and that Armas hated writing that part of the book and wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. But the result of that is that there's two dramatic scenes in close succession (airport and NYE) that could've just been combined into one and served the same purpose. The epilogue felt too short and cheesy for me too, but that's probably just me and my love for long epilogues lol.

As for things I liked... I liked Lucas as a character a lot, a little more than Aaron even I think. He's cocky and aware of Rosie's attraction to him which was a fun dynamic to read. I think this counts as a friends to lovers which was wholesome even if it meant their attraction to each other was a little too obvious at times. Like they both wanted each other and it was so obvious but Rosie kept assuming Lucas was just being friendly lol. The slow burn hit good for me too, which is important to me, and the smut once the dam broke was good too even if I wish there was a little more of it. There's probably more I like, but it's harder to write about things you like than dislike for whatever reason lol.

But overall a 3.5/5, which is disappointing to me because of how much I liked the previous book. It was good, but it wasn't amazing, and the major issues I mentioned just dragged it down for me.

Review: The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas

A follow-up to The Spanish Love Deception , The American Roommate Experiment follows Lina Martín’s best friend, Rosie Graham, and cousin, Lucas Martín. When Rosie’s ceiling caves in, she decides to borrow her best friend Lina’s apartment since Lina and Aaron are on their honeymoon. But, unbeknownst to Rosie, Lina has already lent her apartment to her attractive cousin (and Rosie’s internet crush) Lucas, who is traveling in America. Even though Lina’s studio apartment only has one bed, Lucas convinces Rosie that they can temporarily cohabitate. Shortly after, Rosie, who has recently quit her job to pursue her dream of being a romance writer, comes up with a plan to go on a series of experimental dates to combat her horrible case of writer’s block and meet her impending deadline. When Lucas discovers Rosie’s plan, he volunteers to be Rosie’s “fake” date even though his time in America is temporary.

The American Roommate Experiment is a contemporary rom-com featuring the friends to lovers, forced proximity, there’s only one bed, and fake dating tropes. It deals with themes and topics such as change in career and lifestyle, imposter syndrome, mental health and self worth, family and companionship, and love and heartbreak. In addition to fans of The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas, The American Roommate Experiment would be perfect for fans of A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings, Book Lovers by Emily Henry, By the Book by Jasmine Guillory, Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon, Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur, and Wait for It by Jenn McKinlay. It seems the moral of this story is that you should embrace change and know your own self worth; “You’re not the same, but you don’t need to be. Because you’re here, with me. Opening your eyes every morning and smiling at the world in a way only you know how to do. You lost something, but you didn’t lose everything, Lucas. You didn’t lose yourself; you just…changed.”

In my opinion, the best thing about The American Roommate Experiment was Lucas and Rosie’s relationship. Their “experimental” dates, while being totally romantic and swoonworthy, often went hilariously awry (my favourite was when Lucas and Rosie tried to pick “their song” on their first experimental date)! It was enjoyable to see whilst Lucas and Rosie’s feelings grew, they also helped each other to deal with personal struggles and come to terms with big life changes. Furthermore, I appreciated that the characters’ struggles (e.g., imposter syndrome, career-ending injuries, job and lifestyle changes, writer’s block, self worth and mental health) were very realistic and relatable. Having previously enjoyed The Spanish Love Deception , Lina and Aaron still play supporting roles in The American Roommate Experiment , so it was great to see what my favourite characters were up to post happily ever after!

On the downside, I found that The American Roommate Experiment was extremely slow to start and that it took a while for the plot to be set-up and the story to get going. It also seemed like some of the information at the beginning of the novel could have been compressed so that the rising action (the experimental dates) could have started sooner. I personally didn’t see the need for Rosie’s brother’s storyline (it didn’t seem essential to the main storyline) and, even though Lucas was swoonworthy and sweetly protective, I found some of the experimental dates to be overly cheesy at some points. I was also surprised that there was very little spice in Lucas and Rosie’s story despite there being a lot of mutual pining; the spice levels were like that of The Spanish Love Deception . Lastly, since Lucas lives in Spain and is only in New York temporarily, there was a sense of impending doom throughout the novel because there was an ever-present time limit on Lucas and Rosie’s “experiment”.

Overall, even though the plot was a slow to start, I enjoyed Lucas and Rosie’s sweet relationship and comical “fake” dates. If you enjoyed The Spanish Love Deception , you’re definitely going to want to read Lucas and Rosie’s story!

The American Roommate Experiment is available from Amazon , Book Depository , and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of September 6th 2022.

Will you be picking up The American Roommate Experiment ? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Review: Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

From the author of the Goodreads Choice Award winner The Spanish Love Deception , the eagerly anticipated follow-up featuring Rosie Graham and Lucas Martín, who are forced to share a New York apartment.

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.

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Book Review: The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas

If The Spanish Love Deception hadn’t already tipped you off about the kind of writer that Elena Armas is then it’s follow-up will confirm it: Elena Armas is a romance writer for romance lovers, and her second novel makes it clear that she’s just as much a fan of the genre as her readers are. The American Roommate Experiment feels like an homage to all things romance, bringing together so many of the genre’s favourite tropes, nods and scenes in a book that is just as heartwarming and emotional as it is fun and sexy. And best of all, it’s also packed with the most delicious kind of slow-burn tension that will keep readers turning the pages and eager for more.

Picking up a little while after the Spanish Love Deception epilogue, Aaron and Lina are newly married and away enjoying their honeymoon, giving Lina’s best friend Rosie the perfect place to stay when she’s forced out of her apartment after the ceiling literally caves in on her. Unbeknown to Rosie, however, Lina has promised her older cousin Lucas – the man that Rosie has been harbouring a bit of a crush on – that he can stay in her apartment while he visits New York for a few weeks before heading back home to Spain.

After a misunderstanding leads to a misplaced call to 911 and a meet-cute worthy of the movies, Rosie and Lucas agree to becoming temporary roommates, at least until Rosie can find somewhere else affordable to stay. But a broken apartment isn’t Rosie’s only problem – she also happens to be a romance writer on a deadline who’s suffering from a bad case of writer’s block. Ever the knight in shining armour, Lucas has a solution for that too and offers to take Rosie out on a series of experimental dates to kickstart her romantic inspiration. With nothing to lose, Rosie doesn’t hesitate to take him up on his proposal – but Lucas’ time in New York has an expiration date and, as their dating experiment begins to stir up some very real feelings, it quickly becomes clear that six weeks together just may not be enough.

Once more, I buried my face in his chest. But this time, I let myself lean into him. Completely. I gave myself the green light to give up. I inhaled his scent and relished how warm and big and solid he was around me. I took as much strength from him as he was willing to give me. And I imagined this, his hug, his body, him, being my safe haven. My normal. My bad days, my good days. My every day.”

Following up a hugely successful and beloved debut like The Spanish Love Deception was always going to be a difficult task, but The American Roommate Experiment proves it’s up to the job very early on when it plays its hand against its older sibling and introduces one of the biggest differences between both novels: the dual POV. The opportunity to get inside the heads of both main characters is something that truly elevates a romance novel for me, and the fact that TARE gives both Rosie and Lucas their own narratives and the space to explore their feelings for the other gives this fake dating/forced proximity storyline both emotional grounding and helps to build the ever-growing unresolved sexual tension between the pair beautifully.

Individually, both Rosie and Lucas are fantastic characters. Effortlessly charming and naturally flirtatious Lucas is a friendly, supportive ray of sunshine throughout, but he’s also hiding a huge secret from his family and continuously putting off having to deal with the consequences. Rosie, meanwhile, is strong, capable and reliable but also shy, vulnerable and filled with self-doubt after making the decision to give up her stable job to pursue her passion instead. When they come into each other’s lives, both are in need of a distraction, some inspiration or both, but their chemistry, unwavering support of one another and genuine care for each other is immediately evident, even if their insecurities and doubts mean that the slow-burn move from roommates to friends to lovers comes with a heavy side dose of mutual pining too.

However, one of the best things about reading an Elena Armas book is that it’s clear that she’s a romance fan first and foremost, and The American Roommate Experiment is truly a book for the romance readers. There are lots of readers’ favourite romance tropes at play in this novel with fake dating and forced proximity (in an apartment with only one bed) just for starters, and as the story continues it reads almost like a checklist of fun and flirty moments that are sure to get readers talking. It turns the book into a treasure trove of discovery for romance readers, from grey sweatpants and food fights to grand gestures and timely downpours, but it definitely helps that the novel is self-aware enough to poke fun at this too, with romance writer Rosie coming up with a series of dating ‘phases’ for Lucas to study and implement in their plot to jumpstart her romantic inspiration.

With swoony, steamy scenes, cute domestic moments and joyful romantic dates, The American Roommate Experiment is a book that is a lot of fun throughout, but also one that’s grounded by the more serious, emotional elements too. It isn’t always done perfectly and the balance isn’t always right – the subplot with Rosie’s brother Olly and her family dynamic, for example, had a lot of potential, but ultimately felt underdeveloped – but it does go a long way towards adding depth and realism to the story, and helps solidify Rosie and Lucas as characters a reader can feel a true connection to as well.

Like The Spanish Love Deception before it, The American Roommate Experiment does feel a little slow to start, a bit long overall and is built on a foundation of a series of very particular circumstances coming together in a perfect storm, but that doesn’t stop it from quickly becoming an engaging, romantic joy of a novel with authentic characters and a whole lot of chemistry. Spanish Love Deception fans will be happy to see Lina and Aaron return in these pages, but this book rightly belongs to Rosie, Lucas and all the romance readers looking for their next, unputdownable read.

The American Roommate Experiment is published by Simon & Schuster on 6 September 2022

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The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas Book Review

“‘Maybe you could even treat this as . . .’ She trailed off, then continued more enthusiastically. ‘As research. Field work. As if you were running an experiment. Pick a man and do whatever you need to get those creative juices running. You don’t even need to tell him.'” (pg. 234)

Author: Elena Armas

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

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The Spanish Love Deception

Spoilers Contained Below

To all those with new dreams,

Gosh, you know those books that just make you smile, laugh, and feel like have literal bubbles in your chest? You know the book that you can’t put down, but yet you want to put the book down because you never want the book to end? You know the book that has your whole heart before you even know it? You know the book that instantly becomes your book?

The American Roommate Experiment is that book for me 💙💗💙.

I would love to live off of the feeling I felt when I read The American Roommate Experiment .

I literally do not know what to do with myself now that the book is over and there’s this piece of me that still wants to live wrapped up in Elena Armas’s world. Like, where do I even start? How do I human?

I just loved loved loved The American Roommate Experiment and that’s it. That’s the review 😂.

Joking. I need to talk about every little scene and detail I loved because I want to remember how this book made me feel, even though the words I write in this review cannot encapsulate every ounce of pure giddiness and joy I felt while reading The American Roommate Experiment .

The American Roommate Experiment is a stellar—phenomenal—companion to The Spanish Love Deception (TSLD), and dare I say better. No, I double dog dare because that’s how confident I am in that statement. The American Roommate Experiment was so fun, hilarious, cute, sweet, charming, and absolutely precious. I loved how many tropes were in this book because the tropes were a reader’s dream!! I also loved the main characters with Sophie’s kindness, but spunkiness, or should I say ballsiness. And I LOVED Lucas, which I will go into a whole rant about later. But I LOVE Lucas. He’s such a sweetheart and a charming young man and a dream.

I kind of laughed about this to myself before writing this review, but I feel like I’m really in my nice guy era 😂. Not that that’s something to laugh about.

But before writing this book review, I was re-watching Shadow and Bone , and do not judge me when I say I loved Darklina. Now now, you cannot tell me that the Darkling in the books had more personality and was more intriguing than Mal and Alina’s relationship in the books. Mal had the personality of a rock in the books—DULL. Also, Ben Barnes 😅!!! Yea, tell me I’m wrong. So yea, I was a Darklina stan. But I was re-watching it today and the Darklina moments didn’t hit as hard as they did the first time 🤧. I still love Ben Barnes, but I was starting to, dare I say it, like Mal 😂 because I could actually see how good of a guy he was and has been to Alina. For sure, the show gave him more personality and more of an adventure than the books, but gosh, I was like, “What’s wrong?” I absolutely didn’t like Mal before and gagged at the idea because of how boring he was in the books. But gosh, something about a nice man who didn’t manipulate her, really got to me. I’m in my good-man era. Like legit, get yourself a good man. I still like the Darkling as a character because he’s interesting, but man, don’t get yourself a bad boy, but a good man 👏🏼.

I digress 😂.

Sorry, that was an absolutely unnecessary tangent, but that’s where my headspace was at, and it just made me think about Lucas and how is the epitome of a good man.

Anyway, I loved everything about The American Roommate Experiment from the romance, the tropes, the adventures, the dialogue, the grand gesture—purely everything.

We got glimpses of Rosie in TSLD, but I feel like we didn’t really get to know her.

And was it a joy to get to know Rosie 😊.

I really admired her kind and tender-heart that wanted to help other people. Rosie was also very family-oriented because she grew up with her dad and brother, Olly. They didn’t have it easy, and the dad was mostly the provider in doing everything he could for his kids, which I respected and loved. When Rosie went to college, she got an engineering degree, which was not something many women did. Rosie’s dad was incredibly proud of her because Rosie was a successful woman and built a life for herself where he didn’t need to worry about. I thought the dad’s pride was so cute and how he told everyone who lived near them about Rosie, and then how Rosie got a new promotion at InTech.

Rosie was also quite a romantic, so much that she was now a romance author 💙.

“‘I think I would still be happy working for InTeach if I hadn’t found something that I . . . finally loved. Something that made me understand what really loving what you do is. Something that completed me in a way engineering never did, even if I didn’t yet know and was never unhappy.'” (pg. 54)

I loved that 💙.

I was kind of confused at first when she alluded to leaving her job because she just got promoted at InTech in the last book, so I was like, “Why would she leave her job if she just got promoted?” But she was doing something that brought her heart joy, and I loved that. I wished we got to see glimpses of Rosie typing or writing, just some sign that she was working on a book in TSLD because her becoming an author felt out of the blue for who we knew in TSLD.

The thing was not everyone knew Rosie was a romance writer because she wrote under an alias. She wrote a romance about a time traveling military man, which sold very well. Rosie was offered a book deal, so she quit her job at InTech to pursue writing full-time. I could understand how terrifying that must have felt for Rosie to give up her job—the one thing she was sure of—to pursue a job that she had no idea where it would go. Rosie took a leap of faith for writing. But that’s what life is about—taking leaps of faith. I loved that she trusted her heart to do what brought her true love because I feel like most adults work to live and don’t live to work. Not that there is a right way to go about work or life itself, but I grew up with many people saying that they hated their job, and it always made me feel disheartened that these people would go to work everyday, for most of their day, and they would hate it. And we wonder why so many people are miserable or unhappy. It’s sad. So I am a strong believer that you should do what you love or have a bit of love for. Because maybe what you do isn’t your true passion and you do your true passion on the side—a side job—and that’s okay, but I would wish for everyone to do what makes them happy. Being a teacher is what I always wanted to be, and now that I am a teacher, I feel so much love right now for what I do, that I wish everyone to feel that way about what they do.

Rosie’s dad and brother didn’t even know she was an author because she was terrified to confide in them. She didn’t want her dad to feel disappointed in her after everything he sacrificed for her to go to college and get a stable job. Also, that must have been extremely nerve-wracking to tell her dad that she quit her job after he gloated to the whole neighborhood that his daughter got a raise at a big tech company. I know the dad was happy and there’s nothing wrong with boasting about his daughter he was proud of, but that made the situation more complex—how could she tell her dad she was no longer that big tech person 🥺? I also highly understood how she felt like no one would understand why she would give up her job. Writing romance books seemed like a frivolous, ridiculous dream then a stable career. Even the idea of “romance” books has this stigma of being raunchy or stupid because it’s “romance,” but to be quite honest, if anyone were to be a romance author these days, they for lack of a better word, SLAP 👏🏼 😂.

I mean, if you can write a 300 page book with characters with just the right tension and the right trope the right backstory, the right side characters, setting, trauma, hardship, love, dialogue that flows well?????? That’s such a feat to be proud of, and gosh knows writing a book and then selling it is a whole other business that is unheard of. It’s wild. I have so much credit for authors in general. One of my dreams is also to be a published author one day, so I researched how to become published . . . and it’s a process. The publishing process truly is by chance and I didn’t realize how much of a business it is. I have been wanting to write publishing blog posts for a long time because the process is so much more complex than I thought, so I should, but then again, I’m no expert. But yea, romance writing is a market and romance books are so popular, how could not be proud of someone who writes a whole world that other people imagine and it becomes their world?

Incredible.

However, I felt for Rosie because was insecure about being a new writer. She had imposter syndrome.

“I just wished I felt confident in theses new shoes I had slipped on. But I didn’t, not right now. Mostly because . . . could someone who had written one single book be considered a writer?” (pg. 53)

Abs-freaking-lutely.

I read the acknowledgments before starting this book because I have grown to love reading the community it takes to write a book. In the acknowledgments, Elena Armas wrote about how this story felt more personal, which makes sense. TSLD got a lot of hype and blew up because of book-tok and the recent surge of people in the book community. I mean, that’s how I heard of TSLD. And that’s so amazing that there’s more people in the book community than I grew up with, but having a book be so hyped, creates this pressure to live up to that hype in the following books. I would not know how to handle all that pressure because it almost feels like you are writing to the people rather than yourself when writing is a solitary endeavor that starts with writing a book that you need to write.

I think most first books we write are stories we needed to write for ourselves.

I wrote books, and there’s just one that I wrote when I was eighteen that was purely from my heart and for myself. So I know the feeling.

But a second book, I feel like, would be trying to live up to what a first book was, when it’s hard to put so much pressure on what that book can be because you don’t want to fail. That’s a difficult feeling to reconcile with.

” . . . every day that passed without me writing a single word or being able to access whatever had been inside of me for so long, I felt like it was falling. Like I was failing.” (pg. 54

I felt that 🥺.

“‘ . . That’s probably why it’s so hard for me to talk about it. Because this new thing, this new dream, seems so fragile. Like I’m holding it in my hands, but the feel of it is so . . . new, so unfamiliar, that’ I’m terrified I might drop and shatter it, so I just . . . stand there and look at it in silence.'” (pg. 54)

When you finally achieve your dream, that dream feels so precious because you don’t want to lose it.

love the way Elena Armas put into words such a common feeling of what your heart speaks when you are on top of your dream, looking down, not sure how to move forward. It’s scary, it’s fragile, like any step you take can break what you have and your dream is gone—slipped right from under you without ever starting it.

The feeling above is how I felt when I started as a teacher this past year. The first semester, I had absolutely felt like an imposter. I was twenty-one-years-old, in charge of seventeen five year olds–a child looking after children. I had no idea what I was doing and how to teach kids so young. I didn’t feel like I belonged there in front of the classroom. But I also felt so much pressure to be this great teacher for my students, and for my school because they hired me. The principal was very selective with hiring someone, and the fact that she hired me made me feel like she saw something in me to hire me. I didn’t want to fail her or let her down. But there were so many voices in my head from people who always told me I couldn’t be a teacher because I was too quiet and shy, and those voices really got to me and made me doubt myself everyday leading up to starting. But when I did start teaching, I realized how much those voices were voices that weren’t mine. I knew what I could do, and I could teach. And I did. But each day, I was terrified that I would suddenly get fired or the rug would be pulled out from under me and it would feel like my dream would be taken away before I ever got a chance to live it.

So that’s why I could highly related to Rosie and Elena in how dreams are so precious because they are born of love.

But dreams are also so worth it when you do give yourself a chance to believe you can do it.

Rosie was having a heavy bout of writer’s block because I feel like all the pressure she put on herself for her sophomore book. Also, she didn’t want to feel like sacrificing her job at InTeach wasn’t worth it to go after her dreams.

Thus, cam Lucas Martín and the experiment breaking down her door 😂.

I liked how the beginning of this book started on an exciting note with the idea of someone breaking into “her” apartment made. Really the “burglar” was Lucas Martín, my man 👏🏼!!!

Rosie was in Lina’s empty apartment because Rosie’s apartment was literally breaking down with the roof concaving in and her looking up at her neighbor’s unmentionable bits through his robe 😂. However, Lina had promised her cousin Lucas the apartment while she was away on her honeymoon with Aaron. Rosie didn’t know that Lucas was coming, so she thought he was a burglar, hence, feeling absolutely apprehensive when she heard a sound coming from the door. We knew about Lucas from TSLD from how Rosie hinted at liking him from her social media stalking. I don’t blame a girl for liking a guy through his social media page because gosh knows we live in the 21st century and liking someone from their social media is not as weird these days 😅. But I did question a lot in the beginning if she liked Lucas because he was attractive or she liked the idea of him. I mean, I find myself liking the idea of someone far too often because, I too, have never been lucky in the dating aspect and so we romanticize any guy that we think is the right one.

So Rosie knew who Lucas was when she heard his voice. I wanted to laugh-cry when she opened the door and saw him lying on his back. She wasn’t nervous that he was a guy she didn’t know, she was terrified because she was a guy she knew far too well and that was awkward considering they never met. I wanted to cringe for her when she said it was nice to finally meet you, insinuating she knew of him and always wanted to meet him. But I loved how he played along and didn’t make Rosie feel awkward and said later that it was nice to finally meet her too 🥺.

Lucas was just sooooooooooo sweet. Like melting your heart on a scorching summer day sweet. Like giving you cavities sweet.

Unbearably sweet.

He was just so kind because he thought Rosie felt uncomfortable around him—the way she tensed up—so he left the apartment and said it was no big deal and that he would find some place to stay. He also said that they could forget this “break-in” ever happened and start over, which I felt was sweet because she really liked him and was probably mortified. So him saying he was going to look past whatever awkwardness that day was so nice of him. He was just so kind to know how she felt even if the nerves weren’t the reason he thought it was.

Also, the fact that he didn’t find a place to stay and slept at a dinner across the street 🥺💙! I was like, awww Lucas. What a nice man.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED having the double perspective. Authors who do double perspectives, are doing something right 👏🏼. Period. I just love being in the mind of the main character and love interests to see what they are feeling and thinking about the situation because often times when I read from the main character’s perspective, it’s not really how other people perceive them or what the situation is about. So it’s so refreshing to have both perspectives because both perspectives is truly double the joy and makes the book so much fun.

Lucas didn’t really sleep at the dinner, but he went to the dinner to find something to eat, but then he realized he lost his wallet, so he had no more money. He had to cancel his card and file for a new one to be shipped from Spain, which sucks, but also like wow that they would send a card so fast. He fell asleep when he was trying to look for a place and Rosie just happened to see him the next day when she was getting her dad’s favorite pastry.

I loved their banter and their little get-to-know-me game 🥺. They were just so incredibly honest with each other, the kind of honesty reserved when comforted by the fact that a person doesn’t really know you. And I loved how wonderful a listener Lucas was when Rosie opened up about quitting InTech and being an author. When listening to someone and being non-judgmental, it truly opens up this well of undeniable trust between that person and the person opening up. Rosie also just needed someone to be honest with because I could tell how much her lies were hurting her.

I freaking LOVED how when Rosie returned from visiting her dad, Lucas was in the apartment and made a whole a** meal 😫💙!!!

Excuse me?????

Okay Gordon Ramsay.

I loved how they chatted and ate together, and how cute it was when he said he enjoyed her company because traveling a lot was lonely, so it was nice to have a meal with someone 🥺. I also loved how much deeper their conversation got from that morning and how she felt like an imposter being a new writer, but he just sat there and validated her.

They were also highly similar in what they were going through.

Lucas wasn’t ready to talk about why he was on a three-month trip, the last leg of his trip being three weeks in New York. Lucas was a professional surfer and would travel everywhere to surf. He was supposed to go to Lina and Aaron’s wedding where he would have met Rosie, but he never went. When Rosie said he didn’t go to Lina and Aaron’s wedding, that raised flags for me because obviously something had to have happened for him to not go. I don’t think Lucas would have missed his cousins wedding unless it was something important. And then Lucas had this dream of drowning when he was in the dinner before Rosie woke him up. So in my head, I figured Lucas had a surfing injury where he almost drowned.

What happened was Lucas was in France at the time for a surfing competition and the beach and a spot that was dangerous for its shore break and could hurt your spine or break a bone. Lucas, I guess, rode the wave and he hit the shore break where he broke his knee and injured his right leg, which is why he had a limp in his right leg—a limp he tried very hard to disguise the whole book. The accident happened sometime around Lina’s wedding, but he was in France and couldn’t go anymore because he was injured. As soon as he could walk without a noticeable limp, Lucas stopped physical therapy and left for Spain to his abuela’s house. Afterwards, he went on a “vacation” to get out of the house because deep down he didn’t know what he was doing and that scared him.

The narrative that I got from Lucas was that he thought lowly of himself because of his accident—like he wasn’t strong anymore and was a broken man.

“‘I went under, Rosie. Sunk straight to the bottom.’ ‘You didn’t . . . You’re here. Breathing. Whole. Alive.’ Lucas’s features pinched. ‘You lost so much that day, and yet, you’re here.'” (pg. 293-4)

Lucas calling himself a broken man not only hurt my heart, it hurt my spirit 💔.

He wasn’t a broken man just because he broke his right leg and couldn’t surf the same way again. He was a man who was injured and his whole life changed, but that didn’t mean he was broken.

But his situation did suck.

That sucks to achieve your dream and be successful at it, all for it to be taken away in one moment. That’s heartbreaking. No wonder he said he experienced heartbreak.

I never realized how heartbreak didn’t need to be a person, so much as an experience.

Lucas had a difficult time speaking about his injury to anyone because the pain was as fresh as the limp in right leg. He should have stayed for physical therapy to get better, but I think he was so hurt by losing something important to him that he didn’t see the point of getting better fully if he couldn’t surf anymore. He was lost at what to do with his life now that he couldn’t do what he loved first. That’s so hard. I would feel lost and hopeless.

I loved this moment later in the book when Lucas had a nightmare, and Rosie laid by his side on the couch to be there with him through his nightmare like he had been there for her through many things. I just loved how she wanted to look after him the way he looked after those he loved. Because I do agree that sometimes the people who take care of other so much forget to take care of themselves, that it’s like, who is taking care of them? Who is there for them? So I loved that Rosie showed him she cared by being there.

So in many ways, he was just as scared as Rosie when it came to the future—Rosie with her dream making her nervous and Lucas with his dream lost and not knowing what he was doing anymore.

I loved how after they ate dinner that night, he didn’t really want Rosie to leave because part of him felt like she needed to stay at Lina’s place for a reason. I loved how absolutely repulsed and protective Lucas was of the condition of Rosie’s place when he visited with her later. I freaking laughed was like, “I can see his balls,” but Rosie cut him off before he could mention the balls part. I could not when Lucas got her a cronut the next day because she went off on the landlord and everyone because she really wanted a cronut and she was upset. I LOVED when Lucas just gave her a hug without saying anything or her asking because he could just tell that she needed someone to be there for her when she was falling apart and her apartment was literally crumbling. Lucas was just so sweet in giving her his shoulder to cry on. And the fact that he remembered she wanted a cronut was even better because, again, get you a partner who is a good listener 👏🏼.

I loved how he tricked Rosie into watching TV with him on the couch and he let her pick a show to watch. I laughed when she picked some paranormal drama that I bet looked a lot like Vampire Diaries or something, but Lucas joked about how he was watching his show. I loved how he watched it because Rosie liked the show. Rosie fell asleep during the show, and it was so cute that he carried her to Lina’s bed so she could rest better. What a gentleman 🥺. Like literally, so gentle.

And the way that he treated her—cooked for her, listened, carried her to the bed—-was so kind, so trusting.

“‘You know you’re safe with me, right?’ Oh. Something in my stomach took a deep dive at the seriousness in his tone. ‘I know,’ I told him. And I meant it. I did know I was safe with him.” (pg. 59)

And he always promised her to keep her safe.

I mean, how could you not LOVE Lucas 😫💙!!!!

I just LOVED Lucas. He was literally like sunshine in a human being.

Lucas was a good-listener, he was supportive, he could COOK, he was respectful, he kept his word, he loved dogs, and he gave the BEST hugs.

Tell me that’s not a whole a** man 👏🏼🤪!!!!

Lucas Martín is a literal dream.

“I was starting to understand that where Lucas Martín was concerned, chances were, I’d never find anything I didn’t like. And what was much worse, nothing I didn’t love.” (pg. 84)

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

After that first night where she accidentally stayed, they came to an agreement where they would both stay in Lina’s apartment where she would sleep on the bed and he would sleep on the couch. I kind of had a feeling they would fight over who would sleep where because Rosie would insist on the couch because she was intruding on him, but I loved how he was like, “Don’t fight me on this.”

I loved loved loved Rosie and Lucas as roommates.

“There were about a hundred rules in the Roommate Handbook for Civil and Not Creepy Cohabitation that I might have broken by looking at his crotch.” (pg. 88)

I would have LOVED to live with Lucas. I mean, he said he would cook meals for them and she said she would buy the groceries, which is a great deal. Free meals? Sign me up. I also loved the overall sense of initial awkwardness of living together when they didn’t really know each other. I FREAKING CRACKED UP when they were getting ready for bed and Lucas wore gray sweatpants because of course 😂. Whenever I hear about gray sweatpants and men, all I can think about is the gray sweatpants ween thanks to Lauren from Wild ‘Til 9 (a podcast). Rosie was definitely checking him out, and I loved how Lucas was such a good sport about Rosie obviously ogling him.

That’s the other thing I liked about Lucas: he was cocky and confident, but in a funny way that didn’t come across arrogant or wrong. I just loved his humor 😂.

“‘Oh yes.’ Rosie nodded her head vigorously. ‘Totally. You could stroll around completely naked and I wouldn’t even bat an eyelid.’ ‘Good,’ I answered, letting her think I believed her. I didn’t. She’d be affected. . . ‘I’ll make sure to remember that. Nakedness, okay.’ ‘Awesome,’ she croaked. ‘Really great.'” (pg. 65)

I bet Rosie was beating herself up in her head for being so dumb as to say she wouldn’t mind if he walked around nude. Like heck, she wouldn’t mind 😂. I just loved how he played along and she just went with it too.

I liked the cute moment when Charo, Lucas’s sister, called and she talked Lucas’s ear off. Then Lucas reintroduced Charo to Rosie, where Charo wanted to catch up with Rosie and talk about how she had been single. Like my gosh, this woman could not not say that in front of the guy she obviously liked 😅. I laughed when Rosie faked hearing a fire alarm and then Lucas got on because he also wanted the call with Charo to end. They were so in-synch together, that their blooming relationship was endearing.

They just had such a nice routine together where Lucas would make dinner and then they would watch their show, which turned out to be the paranormal show. I loved how Lucas was so into the show now, and they had their own little thing they bonded over with the show. I loved that. wish for that with someone 🥺. I also loved how they got to know each other on an intimate level that had no expectations—they could be themselves. Rooming with someone in a relationship I think feels different because you know the person, but you never knew the person so far as to see them every waking moment—how they wake up, what they look like when they wake up, what their routines are, etc. So when moving in with someone, I feel like it can be a jarring, not in a bad way, to realize that there was more to this person’s life than just dating or seeing each other once in a while. Now you’re their for their whole day—their life.

With Rosie and Lucas, there was no pressure or expectation to appear perfect or like you had it all together. They were honest and real, which meant so much more. I loved how Rosie and Lucas fought over the remote when she “hid it.” I loved that he called her Bella Durimente, Sleeping Beauty because she hit her knee on the table getting up when trying to go to bed. But then he said “yeah, not Bella Durimente. You’re a tougher princess” (pg. 87). I also liked that he gave her space to write during the day and went out to sight see. He was so respectful of letting her work even though he wanted her company. I also thought it was SOOOO CUTE when he talked to her before bed because they both couldn’t sleep. I wanted to melt when he asked her “How many words away from your dream are you?” (pg. 89).

******MELTS******

HOW SWEET!?!?!??!?!

Like what? That’s an unreal question!!!

Lucas Martín believed in her dream so much that he was interested in her progress, and supporting her. I loved when he was like, “I’m #TeamRosie.” 😫

Over the course of the book, whenever he got home, it was like he had his own little I Love You Lucy moment with asking Rosie “How many words away from your dream are you?” I could not with this man. He’s just too good. Love love love.

As if I really could not love Lucas further, he had to go and agree to be Rosie’s experimental dater.

No matter how hard Rosie sat at her computer, nothing would come to mind. As someone who has attempted to write manuscripts and who has written a manuscript in complete, it’s freaking hard to sit in front of a computer, drawing inspiration when all you’re staring at is a white screen with a blinking cursor. It’s daunting, especially with the pressure Rosie felt. But I also understood where she came from from having a lack of inspiration. I was on a roll from 2018 where each year I would work on a manuscript or toy with the idea of a new book, but in 2020, I just couldn’t write as freely as I used to. I haven’t been able to sit down and write a book each summer like in 2018 because ever since 2020, I just felt really dry of inspiration and unmotivated to write. Especially in 2020, I wasn’t going out and experiencing things for me to feel inspired about people or memories for me to want to write. There was a time in 2020 where I felt like something was wrong with me like I was losing my passion for writing. But I was really just lost.

Rosie was in the same place where I did feel like she had pressure and a lack of experiences or things in her life that excited her to write. I like to think I’m a writer of experience and feeling—that I draw inspiration from things I do or what I observe because gosh knows I’m an observer. Oh my gosh, I never felt more seen when Rosie was in a coffee shop and she saw this man in a tux and was thinking up all the plots of why he was in a tux. I laughed because that’s exactly what my brain would do whenever I would go out, and it’s still something my brain does, but not as much as I would like it to since becoming an “adult.” But I loved the mention of a writers-brain and imagination.

“A pang of jealousy surged through me. The good kind. The kind of longing that made me wonder if I’d ever find what they had. Ironically, this had been the kind of longing that had pushed me to flirt with the idea of writing all that time ago. To bring to life the kind of love that never seemed to happen for me.” (pg. 109)

I felt that 🥺💙.

We write stories we wish were real or were things that happened to us. We write stories of people we wish we could be or meet.

There’s also this feeling that not many talk about and how you’re happy for people who are in relationships, but there’s also a part of you that feels sad because you want that kind of love one day. Or at least, that’s how I feel sometimes. Sorry, I love love. Anyway, I loved how Rosie had a conversation with Lina because she needed her best friend to reassure her about making the right choice to write. But also, no one hypes a person up better than a best friend because they know who you are, and they know your fears like the back of their hand. I liked Lina’s idea of getting back out there to get experience in romance she could use as inspiration, but I also agreed with Rosie that using someone for research felt wrong, especially if they didn’t know about it.

You could tell Lucas’s repulsion was just OOZING off of him. He said, you set the bar below low.

“Your bar is so low, Rosie. It drive me insane.” (pg. 193)

But gosh, what trash she dated 😑. No judgment on Rosie because she couldn’t have known how these people were beforehand. Gosh I know most people meet people on dating apps these days, but I still don’t know about that. I mean, someone cheating on her? I’m sorry, kissing another woman is definitely cheating and using her for screenplay inspiration 😦. JAIL. What is that?!?!?! Literally, dated her and would act like Jekyll and Hyde, stringing her along all so he could better his play. Absolutely awful. I also felt for Rosie that she stayed in these relationships because she had the hope that these people actually loved or cared about her. I don’t fault her for being in these awful relationships, but she truly deserved better than someone cheating on her, suing her, and not treating her like the queen she deserved to be treated like. Honestly, how dare these guys she dated call themselves men. They are jokers.

Lucas offering to pretend to date her for experiment-sake was perfect because first, he was starting to very well like her and I felt like doing this experiment was going to help him know her better. And two, she would also get to go out with Lucas, which had been her dream. the only thing that sucked was how this experiment would blur the lines of being roommates and friends. I knew for sure that they were both going to start feeling like these dates were real and they would fall in love with each other, but that was something they were going to have to navigate when they came to it. Haha, not Lucas literally saying he promised not to fall in love with her when we know exactly that is what he is going to do. You don’t fool me Lucas.

UUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHH 😫. The four dates were EVERYTHING and more. Perfection.

Lucas can be a professional date planner because hot damn.

Literally 😂.

I loved every single thing about the dates they went on. I loved the giddy first date, the interested second date, the tense third date, and the win-you-over last date. There was not a bad date that Rosie and Lucas went on.

I mean, Lucas might say differently because his dates ended badly, but his dates be dating 👏🏼!

Even his before dates be dating in how he got her a matching New York hat from the one he sent her a picture of and she said she loved.

The first date was taking Rosie to the record store so she could buy “their” song 🥺💙.

Just writing that sentence made me feel all sort of goose bumps. I mean, where’s that kind of energy in real life 😂.

I loved how Elena Armas captured the nerves of going on a first date even if their date was experimental–the nerves were real.

I loved how hard Lucas MILKED the role of experimental date.

HE ate, feasted, consumed, devoured, and left no crumbs.

He said, I studied my material. He said no independent variable tonight because you go be dependent on me 🤪.

(picture credit to the TeenVouge Compliment Challenge Video)

I loved how they walked around looking for the right song, and how Lucas joked around with her about being very picky. I also loved how they shared embarrassing stories with each other and how Rosie didn’t want their song to be a Coldplay song because she had her first kiss to a Coldplay song. I CACKLED when Lucas’s instant reaction to Rosie saying that was, “What the he** did he do?” (pg. 144) like he just knew the story was awful. My gosh, this boy asked her to the dance and he was so nervous, but he kissed her and threw up all over her. I could not 😳. I felt sorry for the boy, but also that’s an uncomfortable situation to be in. I also laughed the mostest when Lucas told the story about his first time failing to lose his virginity. He was a typical heterosexual boy whose parents weren’t home and he was “doing his thing” 😅 as Lucas put it, and then the abuela came in and basically whooped his a**. I wondered what happened to the girl, Lorena. I would have felt embarrassed for myself if I was Lorena because she was probably naked and caught too. Young love 🤪.

Rosie ended up choosing Dancing Queen by Abba because they were getting kicked out of the records store. I loved loved loved how Lucas bought a record player from some random lady’s basement for Rosie. I loved loved loved when Lucas eased her into dancing with him and how they also sang at the top of their lungs together. Just what a cute and fun moment. Also, I laughed when Lucas thought to himself how Rosie couldn’t sing, but still loved the way she was so free and effervescent when she sang or danced that her hitting wrong keys was more than okay.

I’m just going to keep using the word love because there’s no better word for saying how much I loved how he carried her to the kitchen counter when they heard a rat and she freaked out. I loved when she said, “Please, tell me that’s not a rat!” And Lucas was like, “I can’t tell you that because he would never lie to her.” 😭. Even the simplest things, what a man of honor. But you know what got me? When he took the rat outside and told Rosie, “You’re safe,” because he promised her that she would always be safe with him 😭.

Lucas Martín had no business setting my expectations even higher

I liked how after their first date, their relationship didn’t change, bu there was still a lot of cute banter because they understood each other more. I could not stop smiling and laughing with their texts, especially when Lucas texted her #TeamRosie and xoxo, you know you love me because she joked he was gossip girl. I didn’t get his follow-up message until I read that xoxo text back and I could just hear Kristen Bell’s voice 😂. Great job Elena Armas.

#Iwantwhattheyhave 🤪. For real, though.

The second day was a date idea I would absolutely love to go on and dream of going on—or something similar: he took her to Alessandro’s where they cooked pizza together.

I loved how Lucas gained Alessandro’s trust in such a short time because that said a lot about Lucas’s character. I loved how Lucas set the whole restaurant up with rose petals and tea lights, and how nervous he was to have tea lights because he promised not to burn the place down. I just thought the whole date was so cute because Lucas loved to cook, and he wanted to share that with her. He went in early to prep the dough and everything, and they were going to choose their own toppings. I loved how Lucas loved watching Rosie cook because usually the roles were reversed. I CACKLED when Rosie was checking him out yet again and he’s like, “Nice to know you’re a** woman” (pg. 175) 😂. I could not.

I loved how they had a flirty food fight!!!!

“‘You want me messy or cute, Rosie?’ My belly took a deep dive at the quality of his voice, of his gaze, of his words. I swallowed. ‘Both.’ . . . ‘You can’t have both. Choose. What will inspire you tonight, Rosie’ ‘Messy,’ I breathed out. . . . ‘Then I’ll make a mess of you, too.'” (pg. 187)

Is that a chokehold or is that just me 🤪?

No DUH, they burned the pizza. I felt awful because Lucas felt awful that he ruined two dates with the rat and then the pizza, which he shouldn’t feel bad because his dates were so thoughtful and fun. I personally wouldn’t have minded any of the mishaps that happened because he couldn’t control that. I loved how Rosie was kind in reassuring him that they could get Japanese food and watch TV, and everything would be alright. I loved how Lucas secretly fell in love with chicken karaage. It just made me sad that he thought he wasn’t good enough for Rosie because of his date failures. Lucas’s was so hard on himself not just in the past two situations, but in general. He just didn’t see what others saw in him—what a gem he was.

“‘You shouldn’t be content with a date that ends up with you scraping an oven clean . . . or standing on top of a counter, terrified. . . You deserve so much better than any of that. Whether it’s an experiment or not, you deserve more.'” (pg. 193)

Before going to bed that night, Rosie said she wished she met Lucas at Lina and Aaron’s wedding because of how good a man he was to her—that if they met sooner they could have shared something already in that time.

In between the second and third date, Lina and Aaron came back.

I liked how much Lina and Aaron were interwoven in this book, but Lina was low-key more unhinged when she saw that Rosie and Lucas were together in her apartment. I mean, she kind of had good reason when she felt like her best friend was sleeping with her favorite cousin without her knowing. Lucas also came out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel while Rosie looked like she just rolled out of bed, soooo 🙈. It looked exactly how Lina assumed.

I just didn’t like how Lina yelled at Rosie and warned her off of Lucas as if Lucas was the bad guy. Just because Lucas tried to sleep with someone when he was younger and gave off this debonair attitude, didn’t mean that he was a player or awful. I wish people saw Lucas in a better light than assume he would break hearts. I understood Lina’s protective nature over Lucas though because he was her favorite cousin and she didn’t want to beat him up if he broke Rosie’s heart. But she should have been thinking how cool it would be if things with Rosie and Lucas did work out. She could literally call Rosie family at that point.

I freaking LOVE Aaron and how he knew what was up with Lucas 😂. I thought Aaron would have been more male-protector role because Lina was angry and he knew Rosie, but his freaking knowing grin at Lucas was hilarious. Aarons’ been there, pinned for that.

You know, I thought the book couldn’t get better after the music date and the cooking date?

I was WRONG.

A masquerade ball?!?!?!?!??!?!

Let’s go 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼!!!

Sign me up. Sign me up for these dates!

Lina and Aaron invited Rosie and Lucas as “friends” to the masquerade ball or auction event thing from TSLD. I FREAKING LOVED that they were going to a ball together. I loved how they had matching vampire costumes inspired by the show they watch together. I could not when Lucas showed up with a corsage for Rosie because he remembered that her prom date didn’t get her one.

We love a territorial Lucas. He was by Rosie’s side all night, trying to seep his eyes above the horizon if you know what I mean 😉. Hahaha. But my GOSH, Elena Armas really had to go and make this ball STEAMY and SPICY.

“It made me want to dip my head and place my nose at her neck. Take a good, honest whiff, as if I were nothing more than an animal. Like the unsophisticated man I was.” (pg. 228)

I’m sorry, what???? Repeat it louder for the people in the back. An UNSOPHISTICATED MAN 👏🏼.

When that dude spilled his drink on Rosie’s dress, all propriety went out the window.

Lucas followed Rosie into the bathroom to help her dry off, and Rose knew EXACTLY what she was saying when she kept repeating, “I’m so wet.” Absolute jail 😂. Yea, because how else was a man who was interested in her supposed to react when she kept saying she was wet. We know she meant the dress, but Lucas was probably imaging something else. I love the zipper trope and you cannot say you don’t enjoy it as well. It’s the shaking and fragile fingers for me.

Okay, Lucas. He said, I am no longer serving Edward Cullen because my Jacob is coming out tonight because I am letting the animal come out. I freaking laughed when there was a line about how Lucas wanted to howl at the moon 😂. In all seriousness, I liked how we have seen Lucas be nothing but the proper gentleman and of the utmost sophistication and respect around Rosie, but there were moments that made him question his gentlemen-ness because he wanted more with her.

I really wanted Lucas to not be noble when he was in the bathroom stall with Rosie. Sorry, not sorry. I felt heart-wrenched for Rosie when Lucas closed his eyes and she thought he didn’t want to look at her because he wouldn’t like what he saw. That’s not why he’s closing his eyes sis. But when she said she needed him to look at her, I was like, “Lucas.” He needed to open his eyes, not in a perverted way, but so she knew that he liked her. I mean, I respected he even shut his eyes in the first place and turned his back.

I WANTED TO SCREAM when Lina walked into the bathroom just when things were getting good 😫.

And not Lina joking if Lucas was hiding with her in the stall. Little did she know.

I was more surprised that they acted like nothing changed when they were literally going at it in that stall. I would have liked for things to feel awkward even, welcomed the awkwardness. Just something to show that what happened was real or effected them. I knew Lucas was jealous the minute he saw Rosie talking to Adrian, said guy in the suit I mentioned earlier. Adrian was the contractor for her apartment and told her that her apartment was ready to be moved in on Friday. A big part of me revolted at the idea of Rosie not being with Lucas—not being roommates. I didn’t want her to move out because that meant their time together was coming to an end.

The reason Lucas was jealous was because Adrian was wearing a suit and it looked like Rosie was flirting with him. My lips did a whimper pout at how Lucas looked down at himself probably thinking “man, I don’t have a suit to impress her.” 🥺 However, Rosie kindly turning Adrian down to spend time with Lucas who had bought them dinner and was excited to share something with her. I mean, I loved how a nice guy was interested in her because she struck up conversation, but she has something more with Lucas, something that made her heart beat a little bit faster—-like falling in love.

“And I. . . I wasn’t okay.” (pg. 263)

MY MOOD the ENTIRE book.

The last date near about RUINED ALL MY HOPE IN REAL MEN 😂😭.

I mean, WHAT. A. DREAM.

First of all, I loved when he spoke Spanish to her, too. I loved how he really amped up speaking Spanish to Rosie because he realized the effect it had on her. And don’t even get me started on how he called her ángel. If your partner doesn’t call you àngel or angel, do not accept less!

Second, can we just have moment for the effort Lucas and Aaron went through to set up Rosie and Lucas’s last date 😫💙!!

I mean, c’mon! Lucas planned a rooftop night date where there were string lights—because nothing says romance more than muted lights—a screen, a blanket, cake, and a whole GARDEN.

Sobs are about to ensue with how Rosie’s dad always

“Remember to pick the boy that will plant a garden for you instead of just getting you the flowers, Bean.” (pg. 268)

This reminded me of the Inej Ghafa quote about how a man who really knows. your heart will know your favorite flower. Rosie’s dad really said don’t settle for the flower, he should plant you the whole a** garden 👏🏼! in many ways, I liked that the dad was reminding Rosie to not settle for someone who would just give you one beautiful thing that could be easily picked or bought. But someone who truly loves you, will go through the effort to plant something for you—make something with you.

So when Lucas took her to a rooftop garden, the moment was just perfect 💙.

But what really had me in a chokehold 😅 was how he said that he was trying to recreate Lina and Aaron’s wedding because Rosie always said how she wished she met him at their wedding, so he was giving them a do over 😭😭.

My brain just couldn’t fathom how thoughtful one person could be.

I kept thinking about back when they first met and how he said let’s start over, and now on their last date, they were starting over back to the very beginning, which seemed fitting.

Lucas made the exact strawberry cake that was at Lina and Aaron’s wedding, he had the music that played at their wedding, and he had a whole a** slideshow of pictures from their wedding to imitate the scene. You cannot tell me this dude was being fake. At all. Nope. I loved how Aaron went behind Lina’s back to help Lucas with putting up the string lights and getting the video together; Aaron did it for love 😅.

They were just so cute, making up this scenario of what would have happened if they met that day, and how much they would have flirted. I wanted to cry when Rosie thought Lucas didn’t want her, but he really did, he just didn’t believe he deserved her.

“‘If you want anything from me, you only have to ask.” Lucas’s forehead came to rest against mine, his breath no leaving him shakily. ‘Don’t you see that I’ll break my back to provide anything you could possibly need? Have I not made myself more obvious?'” (pg. 275)

I loved when they started dancing together, but GOSH Elara Armas really said let’s make the audience absolutely lose it and she made them kiss in the rain 😭!!!!!!!!!! Honestly, at this point, I would have been disappointed if they didn’t do something as iconic as kiss in the rain 😂. I loved loved loved the kissing in the rain, which truly became a freaking storm, which I was starting to think they needed to get the heck out of there. But also, I wanted them to keep kissing on the roof and have their moment.

Of course, when they started to really kiss, they had to be interrupted by a freaking phone call!

Low-key upset.

Rosie’s brother called, saying that he needed her and was ready to come home. That’s was an important phone call to answer, so understandably she and Lucas left to go to the brother.

Rosie’s family situation was complex in the way that the brother was hiding something because he barely wanted to go home and communicate with his family. The brother not talking to the dad and Rosie, made them feel awful like they did something wrong to push him away. There was one moment where Rosie saw Olly outside of a club and he had a black eye and everything. I mean, if I was Olly’s sister I would feel terribly concerned because being beaten isn’t healthy, and that situation didn’t look healthy or safe. I would have also felt terrible because I was his sister and should protect him or should do something. But she didn’t know what to do when she didn’t know what Olly was doing.

You know, there were soooo many favorite parts of this book, but my hands down favorite part that really got to me—glittered every heartstring–was when Lucas asked Rosie if she needed a hug 🥺💙.

“‘Hey, Rosie?’ I sighed. ‘Yeah?’ He looked at me with something that was a lot like that intestinally from our experimental date, but different. Fiercer. Softer. ‘Do you want a hug?’ he offered.” (pg. 171)

Rosie came home after seeing Olly all beaten up, and she felt helpless about what to do. She was ready to break down, but she also felt sucky because she had cried so many times in front of Lucas that she didn’t want to ask for a hug or need a hug because she didn’t want to take more from him or seem needy. So Rosie said she didn’t need a hug when obviously everything about her body language was saying she absolutely did.

But there was just something so precious about him reading her to know that she wasn’t okay and needed to be comforted. I can’t even describe the amount of times where I broke down and all I wanted was someone to see me and give me a hug or a shoulder to cry on, so I felt like I wasn’t alone or like my heart was breaking by itself. If only I had a Lucas or someone like him who saw something so sad in me to offer something that could be so light.

The most beautiful part of this scene that makes it my favorite was how he knew that she needed hug even if she said no because he knew she felt embarrassed form breaking down so much. So he said:

“‘Do you think you can give me me, though? Maybe I’m the one who needs it.'” (pg. 171)

Lucas didn’t need a hug, he just wanted to give her a reason to hug him so it would feel like she was helping him—giving him something—rather than her feeling bad about needing to be comforted again; Lucas wanted Rosie to think she was giving a hug for him, when really the hug was still for her.

I mean, 😭. That’s it. Just tears.

And Lucas gave valid, but not real real reasons about why he needed a hug like he missed Taco his dog or he had a hard day. When they did hug, I could just feel the strength and love encompassing Rosie in that moment and how much Lucas wanted her to feel safe and feel better. I could just imagine how good of a hugger Lucas was. His hugs could cure wars. When he said that he felt better now, I tearing up! He felt better because he made her feel better and she felt better because he gave her a hug when she needed it.

The power of a hug. I need a good hug after reading this book.

If I’m being quite honest, I thought the brother side-plot was a bit underdeveloped or wasn’t as fleshed out as I would have liked it to be if we were going to include such a plot. I just felt like there was this mystery of why the brother was awol, and then when we found out why he was awol, I had more questions than I did answers.

From the get-go, I guessed either Olly was a stripper or a drag queen because he worked as a dancer in a club, making good money. I was leaning towards wanting Olly to be a drag queen because I felt like that plot line would have ben so interesting and meaningful to develop in the sense that he would feel ashamed or embarrassed to tell his family that he was doing drag. I would just like to say that there is absolutely nothing, NOTHING wrong with doing drag, but in the story, I felt like Olly wasn’t confident about sharing what he was doing, so that’s why I would assume if he was a drag queen, he would have felt that way about telling his family. Because it’s terrifying to open up to your family when they know you as one way when that’s not who you feel on the inside or who you want to be. Olly being a drag queen would have also been such a powerful moment between Rosie, the dad, and Olly if Olly was a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, and he wanted to come out to his family.

Olly was a stripper though, which there is nothing wrong with that. But I still am kind of confused why he was stripping when he was in college. I mean, broke college student is real, but I don’t think for a second his dad wouldn’t have supported him if he needed it. Rosie would have also helped Olly if he needed it, but he never let them in. Apparently, he was caught up in some girl trouble where someone named Lexie wasn’t safe, so he was a stripper for some dude named Jimmy who owned a club-bar-thing. I still don’t get what kind of trouble Lexie was in or what Olly did exactly to help her get out of trouble. Like how did he know for sure Lexie still wasn’t in trouble? How did Olly know Jimmy wouldn’t go after him again when Olly left? I don’t know. I just didn’t think the whole secret stripper thing made sense.

But I was peezed 👏🏼.

When Jimmy kicked Lucas in his right leg, I wanted to FIGHT. Someone give me a purse so I can swing it like Rosie 😂. Gosh, I loved how Rosie was ready to swing her purse at Jimmy because he kicked her mans. I loved though how Lucas didn’t fight back when Jimmy was obviously goading him for a fight, but Lucas said he was a man of his word and told Rosie he wouldn’t engage, and I loved that. I love a man of his word. I also loved how he wouldn’t have let Rosie go into the club alone or even go behind the curtain by herself because they were a team. I loved that they were a team now.

I have a bone to pick with Elena Armas 🤪.

First, it was Lina walking in when Rosie and Lucas were about to on. Second, it was the phone call from Olly that ruined their steamy rooftop kissing-in-the-storm moment. Third, it was Olly literally being on the couch so they couldn’t do anything 😂. She was doing them dirty. Honestly, the opposite dirty; Elena Armas said PG-13.

Not that Olly on the couch really stopped them from trying anything. Haha, I was literally for them in all their lavender haze glory, but also I could only imagine if I was Olly on that couch, how GROSSED out I would have felt if I heard my older sister and her “boyfriend” canoodling five feet away.

Also, not the steamy shower scene. I have no words for what went down in that shower 🙈. I legit thought that Lina was the one who walked into the apartment when Rosie was with Olly talking to the dad. I was going to say how mortifying I would have felt if I was Lucas and Lina walked in. But thank goodness Lina was’t there. I would like to say though, I would have loved to know what happened when Rosie brought Olly back home and they had a family conversation. I felt like that would have been such a pivotal chapter to bring family healing, but it almost felt like the Rosie and Olly going home chapter was missing—like a chunk of the story wasn’t there.

After all the dates and drama, Rosie was moving out of Lina’s apartment because her apartment was mixed and Lucas was going home soon. The experiment was pretty much over because Rosie was writing again. I was really sad to see Rosie leave the apartment because it almost felt like her apartment wasn’t hers anymore because of how much love and life Lucas and Rosie breathed in Lina’s apartment. Rosie was texting Lucas on one of her nights back at her apartment, and she said that she wanted him back in a joking way, but not really. All I could think of after that text was how Lucas said that he would do anything for Rosie if she just asked, and sis just asked for him back. When he showed up at Rosie’s door in the middle of the freaking night because she said he wanted him back . . . a man of his word 👏🏼!!!

They finally had a intimate moment together away from phones and bathroom stall walk-ins, and it was every bit of spicy as well as worked up to in this whole book. I laughed when Rosie was like, “Oh, gosh,” and Lucas was like, “Not gosh, Lucas,” because he wanted Rosie to say his name in that moment. I liked the morning after and how Rosie found Lucas dancing in her kitchen, cooking them breakfast. I mean, what a homey and cute moment. I cackled when Lucas saw Rosie in his hoodie and he was like, “you know what? how about you keep all my hoodies, t-shirts, pants, too” (pg. 340) 😂. We love his selflessness. Joking.

The ending really had me upset, frustrated, and hurt (for both of them, mainly Rosie if I’m being honest).

Lucas was going to leave New York soon, and it made sense how Rosie didn’t want to say goodbye to him because goodbye felt like forever—like they were never going to see each other again. I truly thought it was the wrong move when Lucas did leave without saying goodbye to Rosie. I mean, not saying goodbye was what they talked about and it was probably easier. But really? Leaving in the middle of the night without saying anything was cowardly. Sorry Lucas. He should have at least gave Rosie a goodbye in her apartment even if it pained him to face her. At least, then he would have had said his piece or whatever to him before he wrongfully left. I still didn’t understand why he was going when there was nothing in Spain that was keeping him there. He still needed to extend his visa to stay in America if he wanted, but he was running away again because he didn’t want to fully process his injury to move forward.

And that meant leaving the best thing that happened to him. Honestly, I was shouting what a loser for him to give up on someone he loves because he thought he was not enough when he was. I knew he was going to regret his decision.

You often regret the love you did not follow if your heart rang true.

When Rosie ran through the airport, I wanted to applaud for Elena Armas for giving us such a tropey airport moment, but also for Rosie who took a chance at being the protagonist of her own story. Her whole monologue came from the heart, and I was incredibly proud of her for speaking how she felt, even confessing to having stalked him online. But she waned to be with him, and bro needed some brain cells if he didn’t realize that she didn’t run through that freaking airport just because she wanted him to stay—Rosie loved him. No one would ever go through that much effort or be so vulnerable if it weren’t for love.

But all Lucas had was shame for himself, and when he didn’t respond to Rosie, I wanted to SCREECH. IDIOT. You lost her. That tiny step away from him must have felt like the ocean that was going to separate them.

I would have shattered on the ground if someone I love and laid my heart bare to didn’t seem to return that fervor. I could just feel both of their hearts breaking and Lucas was breaking it. He broke her heart, he deserved to feel guilty 😢. When that single tear fell . . . I was done. I was not okay. How dare he.

I mean, I still loved Lucas, but gosh, what an idiot.

I wanted to give Rosie the most comforting hug ever after that day in the airport. I loved the feel of raw heartbreak in how our usually sunshiney Rosie felt blocked by omnipresent storm clouds. I loved how she went to her dad’s house because she knew that what she felt with Lucas was true heartbreak and she needed the comfort of home and someone who had always protected her. I bet the dad wanted to break Lucas’s face for breaking his daughter’s heart so badly. I loved the moment when Lina came to comfort Rosie because she wasn’t Lucas’s cousin in that moment, she was Rosie’s best friend. Lina kind of knew the heartbreak was coming, just not the severity of what Rosie would feel. I liked how gentle Lina was with Rosie and didn’t tell her I-told-you-so or make her feel more awful. Lina tried to understand the very real love she saw between Rosie and Lucas, but I also felt like Lina was trying to understand what went so wrong when Lucas left if Lucas loved Rosie as much as she and Aaron knew. Honestly, if there was anyone who I felt could get through to Lucas’s idiot actions and thoughts, it was Lina and his abuela.

Not Lina literally blowing up his phone, and then texting him about a serious emergency. I mean, a woman’s got to do what a woman’s got to do.

I respected how Lina respected Rosie’s privacy in the heartache and that Lina was more loyal to her best friend. When Lina told Lucas that Rosie ran to the airport out of love, again, I was like, WHAT AN IDIOT. How did he not know she loved him? I think he had to know but was denying it because he thought he didn’t deserve her love because he wasn’t the man he could be for her. But when Lina told him that Rosie’s new book was basically a love letter to him . . . 😭. I knew Rosie’s new book had to draw inspiration from Lucas and how he made her feel, but man, if she’s writing a love story based on you, she obviously LOVES you. And he broke her heart 🙃. I wished we got to see some of Rosie’s writing to see the parallels between her characters and her romance with Lucas. I think that would have been sweet. Imagine in the grand gesture that Lucas recited a line that the love interest in her book said. That would have been a beautiful moment.

I was more surprised it took Lucas soooooo long to get it together to finally make it up to Rosie!!! Dude really waited until New Years Eve to make his grand gesture move. Okay, but I understood that he needed to figure out what he wanted to do and he needed time to better himself before going to Rosie to hopefully grovel to take him back. But it broke my heart how Rosie wasn’t even in the holiday spirit because he heart was so shattered and scattered to the wind 😢. I know what it’s like to lose some holiday cheer, and it sucks. Also, it sucks when you feel like everyone around you is happy and then you’re miserable because you’re going through something hard.

“And that took time to . . . deal with, to learn how to live with the notion of missing a future I’d barely had any time to imagine. To learn how to live missing him. Because I missed Lucas. I missed being in love with the idea of love, too.” (pg. 368)

When Aaron and Lina couldn’t stop smiling like stupid idiots during New Years Eve, I was like they are up to something. La duh. Either that or they were entirely too drunk. But when Lina told Rosie to make a wish because it might come true, Rosie started to count down and Lucas was right in front of her and told her to open her eyes. I SCREAMED!!!

What a great way to do a grand gesture—like she was wishing on a shooting star that the person she loved would be there just like something in a movie or book, and her wish did come true. I loved loved how he was just there. Took him long enough 🤪.I really liked how the ending didn’t feel rushed with the conversation Lucas needed to have with Rosie about his insecurities and how he needed to be the man she deserved. He was going back to physical therapy and he was also going to go to culinary school to work on his second passion of becoming a chef 😭. I loved that! I knew he just had to be a chef after his passion for cooking and when he met the neighbors who owned a fusion restaurant. I loved loved loved when Rosie and Lucas’s song came on at the end because what a full circle moment that was so meaningful for what they developed in their time together.

The epilogue wasn’t as wholesome as I would have liked, but Lucas surprising Rosie with his early flight home was very cute. They were trying to do long distance because he was in culinary school and she was writing back home. I would have liked maybe a cheesy proposal scene where we got to see Aaron and Lina and how they were doing now. Or maybe Lucas at Rosie’s book launch for her second book and him being the ultimate hype man and then he proposed 😂. Or maybe the epilogue could have been way in the future where Rosie had another book released and to celebrate, we were in Lucas’s restaurant or at the neighbor’s fancy restaurant where Lucas was the chef and they were having a celebration with everyone. There could have been Dancing Queen in the background, tea lights, and strawberry cake. I thought something like that would have been more cute than just seeing them see each other after being long distance.

Obviously, based on this too long review, I loved The American Roommate Experiment with all my heart because the book had so much heart, levity, and love 💙. There really wasn’t a page that didn’t make me smile, laugh, or tear up with angst or frustration. I do wonder what Lucas’s future looks like and what he will do with his culinary degree. I also wanted to know more about Rosie’s career and how she felt about writing—if she would always feel like an imposter in her craft. Overall, a definite read that I will always keep in my heart.

And also, where is my American Roommate Experiment 💙????????? Lucas Martín can break down my door any day 😂.

What was your favorite part of the book? Least favorite part? What did you think of the book?

What’s an embarrassing or sweet roommate experience you had?

Honestly, I haven’t had many roommates, but when I was in college I had a roommate and she was quite nice. I guess, it was awkward when her friends sat on my bed when I wasn’t there and got it all dirty—literal dirt, not the dirty–, and I’m not a confrontational person, but I told her they dirtied by sheets and she said sorry. Awkward.

Let me know below in the comments as I love hearing from you all 💕

I hope you have a beautiful day whenever and wherever you might be reading this 😊.

And as always, with love,

5 Full Bloom Flowers

Characters: I love Rosie’s passion and reltability of the fear of carrying a dream so precious. Also, I LOVED Lucas Martín 💗 Literally a perfect man, and now I’m raising my standards 🤪.

Plot: Everything you would want in a fun, light-hearted rom-com that will leave you laughing and crying with so many incredibly sweet moments that you will be wishing were real

Writing: I liked TARE much more than I did TSLD with the tighter writing and plot. Also, I LIVED for all the cheesy tropey moments—they will never get old

Romance: *sigh* Lucas Martín, that is all 🥺

When sparks fly by helena hunting book…, the bromance book club by lyssa kay…, 10 things i hate about pinky by….

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That Happy Reader

The american roommate experiment by elena armas: book review.

The American Roommate Experiment is a highly entertaining romance novel where two strangers with undeniable chemistry share an apartment under unusual circumstances. I absolutely loved it!

[book-info]

From The Publisher:

My Thoughts:

I loved this book right from the very beginning. The way that Rosie and Lucas are thrown together is a new take on the forced proximity trope. The fact that Rosie had been social media stalking him for months just added to the chemistry.

The premise of the book is a fun one. Rosie is a successful author trying to write a second romance book with a deadline fast approaching. She lacks inspiration and can’t seem to get started. Enter Lucas from Spain who not only lives with her but agrees to take her on a series of dates meant to motivate Rosie to start writing. These dates stimulate more than Rosie’s need to write.

It is this level of electricity between the two that sealed the deal on my love of this book. While each of them tried to deny these feelings knowing that Lucas’ stay in the U.S. had an expiry date. The passion is real and both continue the dates knowing that it will never be able to last.

While the book is part of the author’s Spanish Love Deception series, it can certainly be read as a standalone. This was my original intention. After reading this book, however, I want to go back and read the first book in the series The Spanish Love Deception . There is an overlap of characters in these books.

The American Roommate Experiment has well-developed, likeable characters and is one of my favourite romance books I’ve read this year. I look forward to reading other books written by the author.

What I Liked:

The well-developed, likeable characters
The chemistry between Rosie and Lucas
The excellent execution of the forced proximity trope

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for the ARC of the ebook in exchange for this honest review.

Similar Books I’ve Reviewed:

Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

thathappyreader

Related posts, stacking the shelves #28, book review: last call at the local – a heartwarming romance novel by sarah grunder ruiz @prhaudio @berkleypub #sarahgrunderruiz @garyfurlongvo @karissavacker, monday matters #25.

lifestyleseason

Great review! This sounds like a wonderful book that I will definitely check out! The characters and the plot sound really good!

Thank you! I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did!

Love this review! 100% Adding to my never ending TBR list xoxo

Thank you Gee! I hope you enjoy it!

ellegracedeveson

Usually I can take or leave a romance books (especially at the moment) but this one has defiantly got me interested! I love the sound of the chemistry between the two characters. Thank you for sharing such a amazing, in-depth review lovely. I’ll be checking this out asap! Xo

Elle – ellegracedeveson.com

Thank you Elle! I hope that you enjoy it!

According to Chren

It’s great that her secret career is a romance writer. We also loved the forced together trope.

Thank you! It’s such a fun trope!

Wendy Williams

I love a forced proximity trope! And the fake dating sounds like fun.

It was a lot of fun Wendy! Thanks for reading.

It’s hard to resist a Lucas when you are a young writer with a thing for romance, hehe. Great review, thanks for sharing with us!

Thank you Vanessa!

Courtney Jorstad

Sounds like such a fun read! I can feel the tension already just from your review.

Thank you Courtney! There was definitely tension in this book!

readandreviewit

Great review! I love forced proximity books and this one sounds absolutely amazing, the chemistry sounds off the scale! I’ve actually just started reading The Spanish Love Deception too which is a weird coincidence, haha! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts.

That is a coincidence! I can’t wait to read your review of it!

This sounds like a fun book, Jodie. I also enjoy forced proximity books and knowing they don’t dislike each other, is a fresh change. Great review, Jodie.

Thank you Carla!

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REVIEW: The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas

Posted July 12th, 2022 by Sara @HarlequinJunkie in Blog , Contemporary Romance , HJ Recommends , Review / 2 comments

‘I thought about how he always gave away his smiles so selflessly. About how much he had given me in the short amount of time we’d known each other. And as I held him, I couldn’t help but wonder if someone had ever done the same for him.’

Little does her new temporary roomie, Lucas, know that Rosie has already heard all about him from Lina. And that she’s been dying to meet him. But she didn’t think it would happen at one of the lowest points in her life and at a time when complicated seems to be the status quo. On the plus side, Lucas doles out hugs that could cure anyone’s worst day. He cooks like he’s the head chef at a five star restaurant. And he also comes up with a solution to Rosie’s predicament: he’ll go on four dates with her to hopefully spark some romantic creativity in her uncooperative brain. But as Lucas wows her in their daily lives and on their “platonic” dates, they both end up with more feelings involved than expected. And that could spell trouble for when Lucas heads home to Spain, leaving behind the one person he can’t see himself without.

‘Rosie was out of my league. Women like her didn’t go around with men that had lost so much, who had nothing left to offer. Men that wouldn’t even stay in the country for more than a few weeks.’

Author Elena Armas will surely have your heart skipping a beat with this modern, sensual romance that was achingly sweet and absolutely delightful. Be prepared for The American Roommate Experiment to take the fake dating trope to a whole new swoony level.

My hands tightened against her wrists as I leaned down, and I pressed my lips on her skin when I said, “I want to do the noble thing, Rosie… But I’m finding it really hard when all I want to do is sinful things to you.”

I know this is Elena Armas’s second novel but to me it already feels like she’s perfected the art of the slow burn romance. Seriously. Lina and Aaron in The Spanish Love Deception started it all off. (Yes, they made appearances in this book!!) And now Rosie and Lucas have put their own spin on fake dating as well as slowly but surely falling in love over time. I loved that they became close friends right away. And that Lucas–in his kind, protective, caring way–offered to help Rosie break her writer’s block by going on “experimental” dates with her. Of course as a reader, I could see where it was headed: straight to complicated and awkwardness. But Rosie and Lucas went into it with the best of intentions so I couldn’t fault them for trying to keep it platonic.

As with her debut, Armas created a story that had me so wrapped up in it that I didn’t want to see it end. With some characters we’ve already met–Rosie, Lina, Aaron, Lucas’s family in Spain–and some awesome additions (Adele and Olly, to name a couple), it felt like we were immersed in the cast’s lives and like they could be our own friends or neighbors. Rosie ended up being as loyal and charming as I knew she’d be after watching her have Lina’s back in book one. Although my heart broke for her a couple of times here. But her struggles only proved just how strong Rosie was when she picked herself back up each time.

Then there was Lucas. Talk about the perfect–well, almost perfect–book boyfriend! He was sexy, compassionate, talented, selfless, did I mention sexy?, and unfortunately was a bit of a tortured soul after a fairly recent accident changed his life. It was so interesting to see how Lucas and Rosie took care of each other. Considering they were the ones who usually took charge of family and friends, it was something new for them to have someone take care of them instead. Even though that created a few problems. But I think readers will adore how Rosie and Lucas’s romance worked out in their sigh-worthy ending filled with *three* grand gestures.

QOTD: Would you go out on a platonic date with someone as an experiment to help them with research?

From the author of the Goodreads Choice Award winner The Spanish Love Deception, the eagerly anticipated follow-up featuring Rosie Graham and Lucas Martín, who are forced to share a New York apartment.

2 Responses to “REVIEW: The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas”

Banana cake.

sounds great, added to my wishlist.

shygirl19748

It was so good! ALL the emotions and simply lovely characters. Happy reading to you! 🙂

The American Roommate Experiment

53 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-8

Chapters 9-12

Chapters 13-16

Chapters 17-20

Chapters 21-24

Chapters 25-28

Chapter 29-Epilogue

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Summary and Study Guide

The American Roommate Experiment (2022) is a contemporary romance novel by Elena Armas. This New York Times bestseller follows the coincidental romance between the spontaneous but uncertain Rosie and Lucas, her best friend Lina’s cousin—a man she’s ogled from afar via social media—as they find themselves being roommates. With a few recurring characters, it is technically a follow-up novel to The Spanish Love Deception (2021), which was also a New York Times bestseller and, as of 2023, is slated for a film adaptation.

This guide is based on the Kindle e-book edition.

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Plot Summary

The American Roommate Experiment opens with Rosie Graham facing a series of calamities: Her apartment ceiling collapsed due to flooding, so she is staying in her best friend Catalina “Lina” Martín-Blackford’s apartment. Lina, the protagonist of Elena Armas’s previous novel, The Spanish Love Deception , is on her honeymoon in Peru. Suddenly, a man arrives and tries to enter Lina’s apartment, claiming he has a key. Rosie mistakes him for a burglar, but after some banter, she realizes the man is Lucas Martín , Lina’s cousin. Rosie has been following Lucas’s social media, hoping to meet him at Lina’s wedding, which he did not attend. Lucas is friendly and charming, and when he realizes Rosie is uncomfortable, he insists she stay in the apartment and he go to a hotel. She reassures herself that the two will not meet again.

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The next day, Rosie prepares to visit her father in Philadelphia, hoping to tell him and her younger brother, Olly, that she has left her engineering job to pursue writing and has recently been offered a publishing deal. She is an avid reader-turned-writer of romance novels but knows her father is proud of her stable engineering career. She spots Lucas in a diner and realizes he slept there. The two chat over breakfast, and Rosie shares her anxieties about her career change, while Lucas is cagey about why he left Spain for a three-month trip to the United States (explaining his absence from Lina’s wedding). Later, Rosie notices her brother, Olly, avoiding discussion of work and finds herself unable to tell their father about her career change when he is clearly worried about Olly.

Upon her return to New York, Rosie and Lucas decide to share Lina’s apartment—without notifying Lina, as she is on her honeymoon. They are both attracted to each other, but each privately decides to stay friends. They befriend Lina’s neighbor, Adele, an older woman living with dementia. Lucas impresses Rosie with his cooking. After a frustrating day arguing with her landlord over apartment repairs, Rosie confesses that she has barely written any of her book, which is due in eight weeks. Lucas overhears Rosie on the phone with Lina, pondering a return to dating in the hopes of inspiring Rosie’s manuscript. She is pessimistic about this, as her dating history is full of disappointment. Lucas offers to be her partner in a dating experiment, constructing ideal dates so Rosie will not have to involve strangers. Because she still has a crush on him, Rosie agrees.

Lucas plans their first date to a record store, where Rosie selects ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” for their soundtrack. They dance and flirt but are soon interrupted when a rat comes out of a record player box. Their second date involves making pizza, during which Lucas explains that his surfing career is over because he injured his leg. The pizzas burn as the two almost kiss. Lucas castigates himself for failing to be the perfect boyfriend, but Rosie assures him that he surpasses her exes. Meanwhile, she continues to worry about Olly, who has a job at a nightclub with men who appear threatening to his safety.

Lina eventually returns, stunned and disappointed to find that Rosie and Lucas are living together and said nothing. She worries Lucas will hurt her best friend with a casual relationship, but they assure her that they are just friends. She confides to Rosie that her family is worried about Lucas, leading Rosie to realize she is the only one who knows about his accident and related panic attacks. Adele’s daughter, Alexia, comes over for dinner and suggests to Lucas that he train as a chef, but he dismisses the idea.

Rosie and Lucas attend a Halloween masquerade ball with Lina and her husband, Aaron. When Rosie is soaked by a stranger’s drink, Lucas helps her clean up, and the two nearly pursue the sexual attraction between them until Lina interrupts. Lucas is clearly jealous when he sees another man ask Rosie out, and she also feels conflicted. He softens when he learns she organized the arrival of his sister, Charo, and dog, Taco, to help him with his panic attacks. Meanwhile, Rosie’s writing improves, inspired by her dates with Lucas.

During Rosie and Lucas’s third date, Rosie confesses her romantic attraction. They embrace but are interrupted when Olly begs Rosie for help. Rosie and Lucas learn that Olly has been working at an adult entertainment club. They rescue him from the club’s cruel owners, and Lucas is injured in a scuffle—leading Rosie to feel guilty. Rosie and Lucas slowly become a couple. She returns to her repaired apartment but soon summons Lucas. Lucas claims he does not deserve her as a man with no career prospects but reciprocates her love. They have sex and spend Lucas’s last week in New York together. Rosie also finishes her book and thanks Lucas for his help.

Rosie follows Lucas to the airport, confessing her love and offering to go to Spain with him—but he refuses her offer. He still sees himself as unworthy of her devotion. Rosie is devastated, and Lina apologizes for not supporting her sooner. Lina reads Rosie’s book and calls Lucas, telling him that as angry as she is at him for hurting Rosie, Rosie’s book is proof of his worth.

On New Year’s Eve, a pessimistic Rosie agrees to attend a party with Lina and Aaron. Lucas surprises her at the stroke of midnight, explaining that he felt unworthy of her but now understands that he needs to face his past. He is seeking therapy and plans to pursue culinary school in New York to be with her. Overjoyed, Rosie accepts his offer. In the Epilogue, Lucas arrives in New York a year later, ready to move in with Rosie and begin his new life.

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The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas: A Book Review

The front cover of The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas book.

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The front cover of the book 'The American Roommate Experiment' by Elena Armas.

What are your thoughts on The American Roommate Experiment?

Would you recommend the american roommate experiment by elena armas .

I'd love to know your thoughts on this book review!

21 comments.

Love this review, Lucy! This would make an amazing summer read, I'll definitely check this out for sure! x Penny / whatdidshetype.com

It's definitely the perfect Summer read! x

I absolutely loved reading your review Lucy! Rosie and Lucas sound like such endearing characters xx Lenne | lennezulkiflly.com

Thank you Lenne! They are really lovely and endearing characters, that's why I loved the book! xx

Sounds like a good light hearted summer read x

It's a great Summer read Chloe, I hope you get the chance to read it for yourself! x

I don’t think I have read this author before, but the title and cover would have made me a little interested already. I still have a few books that need to be read, now I am on summer break from uni I am hoping to finish them so I can purchase some more. Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Lauren - www.bournemouthgirl.com

I hope you manage to read some books on your Summer break Lauren, this would be a good one to start with!

Great review! This sounds like a perfect romance book, ideal for reading on the beach this summer!

Thank you lovely, this book is definitely a beach-worthy read!

This seems like a really nice read! I like a good slow-burn romance! It’s funny because I believe I think of life too much like a romance novel. lol. I keep thinking something like in these books or movies might happen to me one day and I’ll meet Mr. Right the same way these heroines met their men. Life doesn’t really work that way, but you never know! lol. Thankyou for this cute post!

I like a good slow-burn romance too! I'm the same, I'd love my love life to have a happy ever after like the romance books, but it'll never happen!

I haven't read anything from this author but it sounds like a lovely book to read whilst relaxing by the pool.

It's the perfect poolside-read Kelly!

I actually got this book for my birthday in May so I've not read too much of your review in case of spoilers - but what I've seen means I am going to love it! Rosie https://www.loverosiee.co.uk

Fair enough Rosie! I'm sure you'll enjoy this book! x

This sounds like such a lovely read, I still have a book on my kindle to-read list that you recommended before but I love the sound of this one too! Gemma Louise

I'm sure you would love this book too Gemma! I hope you get around to reading it lovely x

I enjoyed this book too, although I haven't read anything else from Elena Armas yet! it's nice you also liked and would recommend this book, thanks for sharing! :)

You need to read another one of Elena Armas' books, they're so good, I still need to read the Spanish Love Deception!

Sounds like this would be a great summer holiday read. Super easy breezy! X

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The American Roommate Experiment Summary & Study Guide

The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas

(approx. 4 pages at 400 words per page)

The American Roommate Experiment Summary & Study Guide Description

The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Armas, Elena. The American Roommate Experiment . Simon & Schuster, 2022.

When the ceiling of Rosie Graham’s apartment caves in, she takes advantage of her best friend’s spare key. Lina is on her honeymoon with her husband, Aaron, and is not replying to Rosie’s frenzied calls. As Rosie is settling into Lina’s studio apartment, someone else tries to get in. Rosie assumes it is a robber and calls the police. It turns out to be Lina’s cousin, Lucas Martín, to whom Lina promised the apartment for a few weeks.

Rosie feels starstruck meeting Lucas: her Instagram crush. She was disappointed when Lucas did not attend Lina and Aaron’s wedding. Lucas is a surfer recovering from a recent injury. Lucas insists Rosie remain in the apartment while he goes to a hotel. Rosie finds him the next morning sleeping inside a diner. She was on her way to Dad’s place to meet her brother, Olly, who she is worried about. When Lucas wakes, they chat. He says he cannot go to a hotel because he is waiting on a credit card replacement. Rosie tells him how she recently quit her engineering job to start a career as a romance writer.

After a brief visit to Dad’s, Rosie returns home to find Lucas cooking. Rosie feels awkward and shy. He proposes they live together for the duration of his stay. He will go out sightseeing while Rosie writes during the day Rosie consents. After dinner, they watch TV together. Rosie picks a vampire show for them.

The next day, Rosie’s writing is interrupted by a strange noise outside. Adele, Lina’s elderly neighbor who suffers from Alzheimer’s, is attempting to move furniture by herself. Lucas comes to the rescue. He does not contradict Adele when she calls him Mateo: her dead husband's name.

Lucas asks Rosie for a hug afterwards. Adele reminds him of his grandfather, who also had Alzheimer’s. Lucas cooks them dinner. They watch their show.

The next day, Lucas bumps into Rosie outside Lina’s apartment after sightseeing. He accompanies her to see her landlord about the damage to her apartment. The contractor, Aiden, is handsome and kind. Rosie breaks down that night about the chaotic state of her life. Lucas reassures her that it is okay to lose control sometimes.

The following day, Rosie is too distracted thinking about Lucas to write. When Lina finally calls, Rosie conceals that she is staying with Lucas at Lina’s place. Lucas interrupts the call to present Rosie with cronuts: the food she was craving the night before. He asks her about her exes. She tells him about some of the toxic men she has dated. Lucas suggests he be Rosie’s experimental boyfriend. He hopes it might help her get over her writer’s block. They agree to go on four dates. Lucas promises not to fall in love with Rosie.

One week later, Lucas takes Rosie on their first date to a record store. He has her pick out their soundtrack. Rosie selects ABBA’s Dancing Queen, which they dance to together in Lina’s apartment. They are interrupted by the sight of a rat. Lucas catches it in a box. Just then, a woman knocks on the door. It is Alexia, Adele’s daughter. Alexia thanks Lucas for checking in on Adele every day.

Olly does not show up to Dad’s but waits for Rosie at the train station afterwards. He has a black eye and explains that he is a stripper. His boss arrives and takes him away in a car. Rosie is distressed when she gets home, so Lucas hugs her.

The next evening is Rosie and Lucas’ second date. Lucas takes her to Alessandro’s: the pizza place across the street. It is empty except for a path of candles lighting the way to the kitchen. Lucas explains that they are cooking pizzas for their date since he knows how much Rosie likes watching him cook. They flirt and nearly kiss before they notice their pizzas are burning. Back at Lina’s, Rosie orders them takeout. Lucas is embarrassed by his failed date.

Lucas emerges from the shower the next morning to find a very angry Lina accusing him of sleeping with her best friend. Rosie does her best to explain the situation. The women leave for their favorite café to chat. Lina warns Rosie that Lucas is an expert charmer. Meanwhile, Lucas reassures Aaron he would never hurt Rosie. That evening, Lucas cooks dinner for Rosie, Alexia, and Adele. Alexia—a top chef—insists that Lucas is an incredible cook.

Aaron and Lina invite Lucas and Rosie to a Masquerade Ball. Lucas and Rosie go as their favorite couple from their vampire show. Lucas feels protective of Rosie at the ball and goes with her to the bathroom when someone spills a drink on her. Lucas closes his eyes while Rosie changes. She orders him to open them. He starts touching her but is interrupted by Lina’s arrival. Rosie exits the stall alone to save face.

A week later, Rosie is disappointed that her bathroom rendezvous with Lucas changed nothing between them. While writing in her café, she sees Aiden. Lucas shows up just as Aiden is asking Rosie out on a date. Rosie declines his offer.

As they are walking back to Lina’s, Lucas is faced with his sister, Charo, and his dog, Taco. Rosie secretly arranged for them to surprise Lucas, moving him deeply.

Lucas takes Rosie to Alexia’s restaurant for their next date. After a delicious dinner, they head to the rooftop greenhouse. Lucas serves Rosie the exact cake from Aaron and Lina’s wedding. He explains that he wanted to recreate the atmosphere since Rosie once said she was sorry they did not meet then. When it starts raining, Lucas offers Rosie his jacket. She cries. She tells him she wants him to want her in the same way. They kiss. As they discuss having sex, Olly calls. He needs them to pick him up from the nightclub he works there.

Lucas and Rosie rush to the nightclub. Rosie makes Lucas promise not to get into a fight. Olly’s boss, Jimmy, does not want to let Olly leave. Jimmy trips Lucas, making him fall on his injured knee. Rosie threatens to beat Jimmy up with her purse. Lucas tells her to let it go. The trio escapes.

That night, Olly explains that he got into stripping to be near a girl but now wants no part of that life. He sleeps on the couch while Lucas and Rosie take the bed. As they lie together, Lucas relives the gruesome details of his surfing accident. Rosie reassures him that he is not broken, only different.

After dropping Olly off at Dad’s, Rosie returns home to find Lucas masturbating in the shower. She masturbates with him. Later that day, Lucas and Lina help Rosie move back into her now-repaired apartment. That night, Rosie texts Lucas to tell him she misses him. He arrives at her apartment shortly after. They have sex.

The next morning, Lucas leaves for his flight back to Spain without saying goodbye. Rosie shows up at the airport and offers to leave with him. Lucas says that she should not uproot her life just for him, then leaves.

Heartbroken, Rosie takes comfort in spending time with her family and Lina. She finishes her book, in which Lina recognizes traces of Lucas. Lina calls Lucas to call him an idiot and explains that Rosie is in love with him.

Months later, Lucas shows up at a New Year’s Eve Party to profess his love to Rosie. He explains that he wanted to take time to work on himself in order to be his best possible self for her. He requests their song, Dancing Queen, and asks her to be his girlfriend. Rosie says yes. Lucas and Rosie date long-distance for a year while Lucas waits for his acceptance into a New York City culinary school. He surprises Rosie by arriving a day earlier than he said he would.

Book Review: The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas

Have you read The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas and want to start her second book, the American Roommate Experiment? You’ve come to the right place!

Here you will find everything you need to know about the American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas.

Published in 2022, the American Roommate Experiment is the sequel of the Spanish Love Deception.

In this book, Elena Armas wanted to give Rosie, Catalina’s best friend, her happy ending and that’s exactly what she does.

So, if you want to know whether this book is for you or not, keep on reading.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost for you!

The American Roommate Experiment Cover and Quick Introduction

Author : Elena Armas

Published : 2022

Number of pages : 401

Category : Contemporary Spicy Romance

Themes and tropes: Fake Dating, Roommates to Lovers, Slow burn

Set in: New York City

Where to buy: Amazon | AbeBooks

Rating : ⭐⭐

Boyfriend Rating: 💍💍💍💍

Likelihood of reading a sequel: ❤️❤️❤️

The American Roommate Experiment Summary

Book Review The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas

The American Roommate Experiment is the sequel to The Spanish Love Deception however, it could be read as a standalone as well.

This book is all about Rosie (Catalina’s best friend) who quit her job as an engineer at InTech to pursue a career as a romance writer.

At the beginning of the book, the ceiling of her apartment collapses so she decides to go and crash at Lina’s apartment who is currently on her honeymoon in Peru.

During the night, someone tries to get into the apartment. She initially thinks it’s a burglar but it turns out to be Lucas, Catalina’s (handsome) cousin.

Eventually, they decide to keep living in the same apartment while Rosie’s apartment is being renovated.

She tells him about his life and the fact that she is a writer and doesn’t know what to do about her current writers’ block.

He offers to go on experimental dates so it would trigger her romantic side and hopefully get her more inspired to write her book.

As you can imagine, eventually things will go a bit further.

The American Roommate Experiment: Is it for you?

The American Roommate experiment Elena Armas

Yes it is for you for if you love:

Very slow burn romance books
Spicy books
Love story between two people from different countries
Lovely and handsome men who cook

No it’s not for you if you don’t like:

Very slow burn romance. I won’t lie this is a very very slow burn so you have to patient

I also wouldn’t recommend it if you are triggered by the following topics: parent abandoning her children.

The American Roommate Experiment Review: My Opinion

The American Roommate experiment Elena Armas Front

Now that you know the main bits about this book, it’s time that I tell you what I thought.

Overall, I really enjoyed the American Roommate Experiment but I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite either.

Things I loved about The American Roommate Experiment

I loved both Rosie and Lucas.

Rosie is such a good person. She was such a good friend to Catalina in the first book and it’s very nice to see she gets her share of happiness as well.

She is a very considerate person and has such a good heart. It’s hard not to get attached to her.

Lucas is also such a brilliant man. He cooks for her all the time and looks after her as well as other people. He has a kind heart and is also someone you get attached to.

I also love the fact that it was a love story between people who live in different countries and will eventually have to do long distance and deal with visa issues.

Love has no borders but borders can make things difficult so it’s nice to see this kind of love story.

I also loved how romantic the dates he organised for her were. It was super cute.

Of course, I also enjoyed the spicy chapters and there are quite a few so definitely a plus!

I definitely loved the part where she went to the airport. I know it was kind of cheesy but I felt kind of so proud of her for doing it and putting herself out there.

Finally, I loved seeing Rosie becoming more confident and finally being proud of being a romance writer.

Things I didn’t like about The American Roommate Experiment

While I do like slow burn romances, this one was a very slooooow burn. The story doesn’t keep going as well as it could and can be boring at times.

I also didn’t necessarily like the part about her brother and his problems. Not because of the problems themselves but I just didn’t think that it was a part of the story that was bringing that much to the table.

It made the story even slower than it was.

The American Roommate Experiment Review: The Characters Ranked

The American Roommate experiment Elena Armas Back

Here are my favourite characters from The American Roommate Experiment book.

Rosie. She is just such a lovely girl. She is a great friend and she is so attentionate to Lucas but also everyone in her life. She has such a kind heart and you just want her to be happy.
Lucas. While the man is a bit troubled because of his surfing accident, he is an amazing roommate and boyfriend. He does grand gestures like nobody and is also so lovely to Rosie during the entire time he lives with her. He looks after her and remembers everything about her. He does small things that are actually so big and lovely such as bringing her cronuts.
Catalina and Aaron. While they are not that present in that book, they are still there at times. And Catalina is just as funny as in the first book and Aaron just as in love so it was great to have a bit of a snippet of what their life became.

Best The American Roommate Experiment Quotes

“Rosalyn Graham,Will you be my best friend?My roommate.My Dancing Queen.My (experiment) life partner.My heart.Will you be mine, just like I’m completely, hopelessly yours?”
‘Cronut you’
‘Do you think you can give me one though? Maybe I’m the one who needs it’
‘No you’re not cute, you’re beautiful’
‘I wanted to scream. At the world for being so unfair. At him for going after my heart like this’

FAQs about The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas

Now that you know everything about our review of the book, it’s time to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about The American Roommate Experiment.

What is the genre of The American Roommate Experiment?

It’s a contemporary spicy romance book set in New York City featuring a former American engineer, now romance writer, Rosie and former Spanish professional surfer, Lucas.

Is The American Roommate Experiment part of a series?

Yes, it is the sequel to Elena Armas’ debut book, The Spanish Love Deception.

Is The American Roommate Experiment a spicy book?

Yes it is, there are quite a few spicy chapters in there.

How many spicy chapters are there in the American Roommate Experiment?

There are 5 spicy chapters in the book.

Can a 14 year old read The American Roommate Experiment?

No, there are quite a few spicy chapters in the book so this is recommended for 18+.

Do Rosie and Lucas sleep together?

Of course! But it is a slow burn and there are actually quite a few other steamy chapters before they actually sleep together.

What is The American Roommate Experiment about?

It’s about Rosie, a romance writer who ends up sharing an apartment with her best friend’s cousin who she has been internet stalking for months.

Is The American Roommate Experiment a happy ending?

Yes it is. I’m not going to lie, for a long time it looks like Rosie won’t actually get her happy ending and she certainly gets her heart broken but she does eventually get her man.

Is The American Roommate Experiment enemies to lovers?

No it’s not, it’s a fake dating rom com book. If you want to read a enemies to lovers book, you should read the prequel, the Spanish Love Deception.

the american roommate experiment by elena armas

i received a copy of the american roommate experiment from simon & schuster au in exchange for an honest review.

star rating

The american roommate experiment review, buy your copy now.

i started reading this book without realising it was a sequel to the spanish love deception. while it’s technically a sequel, if you don’t plan on reading the first book, i think it can be read on its own. (obviously, if you plan on reading the spanish love deception, i would read that first, as there’ll be spoilers).

firstly, my favourite thing about the american roommate experiment is the realistic romance. armas knows how to write an appealing romantic plot.

secondly, the plot itself was engaging from start to end. despite being a fairly lengthy book, i wasn’t bored for a second. i kept wanting to pick the book up and continue reading.

i also really loved the characters. rosie and lucas were loveable and charming people. i found them to be realistic representations of real people.

my biggest dislike of the whole book is the sex scenes. the ones from this book, coupled with the ones from the first book: i’m convinced armas doesn’t know how to write a proper sex scene. either that, or she engages in the corniest real life sex.

my only other issue with this book is that rosie felt like an author insert. once i realised the similarities between the two, it kept disrupting my thoughts as i was trying to read. (i wish i didn’t know).

overall, i highly recommend this book if you enjoy romance novels. while it’s a sequel to the spanish love deception, i feel like it’s a completely separate book. it’s written in a very different way to tsld.

mighty ape | paper plus | the nile | whitcoulls | the warehouse

a venom dark and sweet, by judy i lin

The Lies We Tell, by Katie Zhao

jason side: identity, by ibrahim shabazz

hooked, by emily mcintire

It sounds like a good book overall. I tend to speed read through sex scenes anyway, so that part probably wouldn’t bother me.

i think i need to start doing it! it’s uncomfortable to read (for the most part). i know some people enjoy it, but it’s not really for me. speed reading sounds like a good idea!

elena armas

New york times, sunday times & international bestselling author, instant new york times,, usa today, sunday times, globe & mail and international bestseller indie next & library reads pick b&n best books of 2022 goodreads choice awards best romance nominee, and soon to be published in over 25 languages.

the-american-roommate-experiment-9781668002773_hr copy.jpeg

"Elena Armas is the undisputed queen of slow burn, steamy, deliciously swoony romcoms." —Ali Hazelwood, NYT bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis

"their chemistry was fire ... these two characters truly leap from the page. delicious fun from start to finish" —christina lauren, nyt bestselling authors of the unhoneymooners, "a novel that is fun, fresh, and sexy as hell." —jodi picoult, nyt bestselling author of wish you were here, about the american roommate experiment.

From the author of the Goodreads Choice Award winner The Spanish Love Deception, the eagerly anticipated follow-up featuring Rosie Graham and Lucas Martín, who are forced to share a New York apartment.

Content Warnings (mild spoilers) for The American Roommate Experiment

I Couldn't Get Enough Of "The American Roommate Experiment" By Elena Armas, So I Sat Down With Her To Talk All About It

"At the end of the day, the romance genre is not so much about making up things or reinventing, but about the journey to that happy ending, and the voice that takes you there."

BuzzFeed Staff

Elena Armas smiling; the cover of The American Roommate Experiment

Elena Armas has been deemed the Queen of Slow Burns when it comes to romance novels, and we're starting to see why. Her first novel, The Spanish Love Deception , debuted last year, took the internet by storm, and instantly became an overnight sensation on TikTok. Now, with the recent release of her second book, The American Roommate Experiment , Elena is finding her footing as a new author and learning to embrace this newfound success.

Armas's latest novel, The American Roommate Experience , follows Rosie Graham, a young woman who recently left her high-paying engineering job to pursue a career in romance writing and who is dealing with writer's block, and her lackluster dating history doesn't seem to bring her any inspiration. To top it off, the ceiling in her bedroom caved in. While her apartment is being repaired, Rosie decides to stay at her best friend Lina's place while she's on her honeymoon. But Rosie should've checked with Lina first, because Lina already promised her apartment to her cousin Lucas Martín — also known as the man Rosie has secretly been Insta-stalking for months. Rosie must figure out if living with her crush will be just the thing she needs to break her writer's block or if it will become the biggest mistake of her life.

I had the opportunity to chat with Armas via text for our Read Receipts interview series about developing her new book, her favorite type of male lead, BookTok, and more!

BuzzFeed: Hi Elena! This is Morgan Murrell from BuzzFeed. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today. How are you?

Elena Armas: Hi Morgan! 🥰 Thank YOU for having me! It’s really my pleasure. I’m good — ready to chat your ear up, haha. How are you?

Believe me, the pleasure is all mine! I’m a big fan. I can’t wait to hear all about your journey, so let’s jump right into it!

That's so sweet, thanks! Let's do it!

Congratulations on your new book, The American Roommate Experiment ! It was such a fun read. What inspired you to keep this book in the same universe as The Spanish Love Deception ?

Thanks so much! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed reading about Rosie and Lucas's shenanigans. To be honest, I think a part of me always knew that I would write Rosie's HEA (Happily Ever After). So, when I saw that most people were having fun reading TSLD I just didn't think much of it, and threw myself at it. This, of course, happened months before TikTok changed things around.

I love that! Speaking of TikTok, your books are truly having a moment on TikTok (and beyond)! What has been your reaction to the global outpouring of love? When did you first realize the popularity of your books was beginning to grow?

I couldn't be happier about how TikTok has changed the book industry (and my life). As someone who was a book blogger for years before I ever decided to write or publish myself, I think I can say that this app has been a total game changer — for everyone, really, from readers to aspiring and published authors, to publishing houses. As for my reaction to the outpouring of love, I think I just started processing what happened. It really took me a whole year to come to terms with how much my life had changed in such a short period of time.

Looking back, I think there was a definite moment that kind of switched things around for me in terms of how popular my debut became. There was this one TikTok that showed a girl relating to the plot of The Spanish Love Deception as if it was her own life. Back then, I wasn't really active on the app, but I started getting tagged in this TikTok from the few hundreds of people who followed me. I remember smiling at how cute the video was. It made me so happy that she loved the story enough to create something like that. The following morning, that TikTok had millions of views, and my book had sneaked into the Top 100 on Amazon. It was like that first domino piece that fell and started everything.

Aww, that’s so special! Whether it’s a story we can relate to on an emotion level or a fictional boyfriend we wish was real, books truly have a way of changing our lives for the better.

They really do.

I was actually going to ask if there was a TikTok that stood out to you, but you beat me to the punch.

I have many, but that one definitely holds a special place in my heart.

Earlier you mentioned that you knew you wanted to focus on Rosie for your next book. What about Rosie gave you “main character energy”?

I think that her sweetness and selflessness would be the obvious answer, but it was actually the way she acted as the perfect contrast to Catalina's crazy while being just as vulnerable. I always saw Rosie as a character with potential for many hidden layers. You know, those little things we are more wary to show because we want to be strong for everybody else? That's how I saw her when I was writing The Spanish Love Deception , so I couldn't not explore that and give her that happy ending she deserved.

What was the most challenging and rewarding part about developing Rosie as a character?

Aww, I love that you felt that way about her!

I think the most challenging part to write was her journey as a writer. I was able to draw a lot from personal experience (minus the writer's block, luckily). Dissecting one's fears on the page is not as fun as it might seem. BUT after seeing so many readers relating to Rosie, I can firmly say that THAT is extremely rewarding. I really adore all the love she has been getting from readers everywhere, maybe because many of Rosie's insecurities are actually mine? Probably.

Does it ever scare you to draw inspiration from your personal life when it comes to things like that?

Oh, absolutely! To offer a clear visual, it can feel like walking out in the street naked: almost always terrifying, and depending on the day, possibly liberating.

Okay, now let’s get into everyone’s imaginary boyfriend in their head: Lucas Martín! Lucas had me hooked from the beginning. He’s so lovable and passionate. He always puts the needs of others before his own, which shows just how big his heart is. Tell us a little bit about how you crafted his storyline.

Queue to happy sigh: Ah, Lucas! That fictional man really caught me by total surprise. When I first started crafting him, as you very well put, the only thing I knew was that he would be oh so flirty and a sunshine kind of hero. You know, all smiles. What I'd never imagined was that he would turn into that huge of a man. Lucas was a pleasant surprise for someone like me, who has always loved a grumpy hero over any other kind of hero. Thinking back, it's probably because he was the first male character's head I ever really got inside of? Unlike The Spanish Love Deception , The American Roommate Experiment is written in dual POV. That sort of forced me to dissect Lucas's traits and motivations in a different way. Not to give him more depth necessarily, but to connect more with all that depth, and that translated into me falling hopelessly in love with his character, AND creating what I see as the ultimate golden retriever man.

I realize now that my answer is NOT about the storyline, haha, sorry. I got carried away fangirling over him.

Haha honestly, your answer is perfect! You hit the nail on the head with the “ultimate golden retriever man” line.

I'll never get tired of saying that, as much as he has some (hidden) darkness to him.

You might’ve already answered this while getting “carried away” with my last question, but because you were used to writing about the grumpy hero (cue Aaron Blackford from The Spanish Love Deception ), were you at all hesitant to create a male lead with such a different personality, after seeing how much fans fell for Aaron?

I was actually excited to do that. My reasoning really was: "I'm going to create the exact opposite to Aaron Blackford." When I started writing the first draft of TARE , it was before TSLD blew up, so my main goal was to explore my craft as a writer. It's also why I was set in giving the dual POV a try and using a very different dynamic to the "enemies to lovers" or the "he always loved her" tropes that we find in TSLD . Little did I know, though, that Aaron Blackford was about to become a...movement of sorts — at least in my DMs. He really is a movement in there.

You mentioned exploring different dynamics as your reasoning for writing from a dual POV for TARE . How did that evolve your writing experience as an author? And how are you hoping it increased the reader’s experience?

I think I wouldn't be able to say how it changed my writing, as that's something so hard to measure myself considering how new I am to writing and how much I have to learn about myself in that department. I can say, however, that I hope my readers take away something new from every book I write. Ideally, something that stood out to them and made them love a story, or a trope, or a character that perhaps they might have read about before. At the end of the day, the romance genre is not so much about making up things or reinventing, but about the journey to that happy ending, and the voice that takes you there. In my opinion, of course.

And what a journey it’s been! By the way, how did you come up with the book title TARE ? And which titles came in at a close second?

Picking a title for TARE was actually easy because I needed to follow the lead of its predecessor. Coming up with The Spanish Love Deception 's title, on the other hand...well that was a long a dreadful process, haha. I'll just say that the book was called Love in Spanish Is a Four Letter Word for a long time. I'm glad I changed it though; as much as TSLD is a mouthful, the other would have been a lot of hard work to fit into a cover.

I love that you keep your Spanish culture at the root of your books. Why was it important for you to incorporate that into your characters/stories?

As a reader, I've always thought that diversity and diverse stories should be the norm. Life and love are diverse in real life, so why would literature portray something else? As for the Spanish culture, as a Spaniard, I just felt like if I was going to write one single book in my life, it had to include all these things that represented me and would make me feel like I was being seen as a reader.

That’s beautiful! And as a Black bookworm, I couldn’t agree more!

I noticed both books also share a common theme in them: weddings. First, Lina needed to find a date for her cousin’s wedding, which is how Aaron Blackford entered the equation. And with the most recent book, Rosie was hoping to meet Lucas at Lina’s wedding, but he never showed up. Was that a coincidence, or is there some significance behind choosing a wedding as a focal point for each story?

That was a very lucky coincidence that made sense in terms of plot and connections between the two books. But I'll confess that the spark of the idea for TSLD came about with a wedding invitation, so it's kind of a beautiful homage to it, now that you mention it.

That’s so sweet! I swear I’ve been smiling this entire interview.

Aww, I have too! I am a rambler, and rambling about love and books is my fave kind of rambling.

I’ve enjoyed every minute of it!

Okay, your book dedications have always stood out to me, because I truly feel like you’re talking directly to the reader. If you could give your fans a dedication note right now, what would you say?

Ugh, that's a toughie! I think it would something like, "To all the girlies blasting Midnights on repeat, I SEE YOU!" It's exactly what I've been doing.

I haven’t had the chance to listen to the album in full…don’t judge me, LOL.

I would never! But OMG, I can't wait for you to pick which song represents you the most. I feel like that's what we've all been doing this last week.

Which song did you choose?

I think I've been "Lavender Haze" this week.

I’ll be on the lookout for that one.

Okay, we're nearing the end of our interview, and we always like to ask authors how they'd describe their work using emojis. So, if you could describe The American Roommate Experiment using three emojis, what would they be?

Lastly, I know your book is only a month old, but is there anything you’re working on that fans should know about?

As a matter of fact, I am. I'm currently working on novel number three. This one will not belong to the TSLD + TARE universe, but it will still be a rom-com with all the things I love in romance. For now, I can say that it revolves around the soccer world, it's set in a small town, and both our leads will be oh so grumpy! I'm not lying — I can confirm they spend the first quarter of the book glaring at each other. Which we all know is code for fire emoji.

I can't wait! Elena, thank you so much for chatting with me. It was truly the highlight of my day!

Thank YOU, Morgan! It was so much fun and the highlight of my week; I swear it's been such a lovely break from all the writing. Hope you'll have me back! 💜

Learn more about Elena Armas by visiting her website, or find her on Instagram and Twitter . You can buy The American Roommate Experiment wherever books are sold.

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About The Book

About the author.

Elena Armas is a Spanish writer, self-confessed hopeless romantic, and proud book hoarder. Now, she’s also the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Spanish Love Deception , The American Roommate Experiment , and The Long Game . Her books are being translated to over thirty languages—which is bananas, if you ask her.

Product Details

Publisher: Atria Books (September 6, 2022)
Length: 400 pages
ISBN13: 9781668002773

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Raves and Reviews

“This was a slow-burn romance—I loved Rosie and Lucas together!” — FIRST For Women

"Rosie and Lucas’ connection deepens with every swoony, steamy date – you’ll want to get swept up, too." — USA Today

“For a slow-burn rom-com featuring an introvert, an extrovert, forced-proximity fake-dating, some undeniable chemistry and a masquerade ball, pick up The American Roommate Experiment (Atria) by Elena Armas, author of 2021’s fan favorite The Spanish Love Deception .” — PARADE

“This sweet dual-POV romance will leave your heart aching for more!" —Buzzfeed

“This friends-to-lovers trope will have readers rooting for the couple as things turn steamy. Though it’s a follow-up to The Spanish Love Deception , Armas’s contemporary romance can be read as a stand-alone; perfect for readers who love Emily Henry and Tessa Bailey.” — Library Journal

“Armas’s adorable follow-up to Booktok sensation The Spanish Love Deception will delight fans even as it stands on its own… Armas does a fantastic job showing her characters’ developing feelings and allowing the romantic tension to drive the plot. This is a treat.” — Publishers Weekly

“A frothy, playful delight! In her slam-dunk follow-up to The Spanish Love Deception , Armas gives us the sunshine honey Lucas Martín, and strong, vulnerable Rosie Graham and throws them into a god-tier forced proximity romance that had me literally grinning so hard at the pages! Their chemistry was fire, but it was the way their genuine love and support for each other evolved on page that had me swooning. Armas’s writing flows like a riveting conversation, pulling the reader in immediately, and these two characters truly leap from the page. Delicious fun from start to finish!” —Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling authors of The Unhoneymooners

“Elena Armas is the undisputed queen of slow burn, steamy, deliciously swoony romcoms—everything she writes is utterly delightful and has me squeeing in pure joy. Reading The American Roommate Experiment was some of the best-spent hours of my life, and I cannot wait to see what Elena has in store for us next!” —Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis

“What happens when a romance writer gets trapped by her own tropes? A novel that is fun, fresh, and sexy as hell.” —Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of Wish You Were Here

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To acquire wisdom, one must observe

Booktok worth it or not: ‘the american roommate experiment’.

Victoria Morrongiello
February 17, 2023

Well folks we’re back with another book. I’m actually doing these retroactively because I went on a reading spree the other week, so boy oh boy do I have content for you. This week’s review is brought to you by the lovely Calli Morvay ’26 who is now also enabling my reading addiction and being my supplier.

Basically here’s my deal. I watch Instagram Reels a lot (which is TikTok two weeks late)—though I feel like I should note that I’m getting much better about my screen time. On Instagram Reels people review and rate their most recent reads. I then go on a hunt to obtain said reads being reviewed to find out whether they deserve the hype or not. Occasionally I’ll find books that aren’t getting nearly as much hype as they should and then direct you toward those reads.

This week is actually our first spin-off book review of this column. I don’t normally support spin-offs because usually they’re with characters you didn’t really care about, but when this was offered to me I couldn’t say no.

Without any further wait, this week’s victim is “The American Roommate Experiment,” by Elena Armas.

The name Armas may sound familiar to you if you frequent BookTok. That’s because she is the author of the hit “The Spanish Love Deception” which people went absolutely crazy for on BookTok. Like, she easily joined the ranks of fan favorites like Sally Thorne in the romance genre. That being said, I have read “The Spanish Love Deception” and I really enjoyed it. It’s exactly what you want it to be—a cute little romantic book. The plot focuses on the love story between Aaron Blackford and Catalina Martin in an ever-so-slightly steamy slow burn. People went crazy for Aaron Blackford, I mean he is the epitome of the joke “man written by a woman” and should be the bar for every man in the real world. “The American Roommate Experiment” takes the main character from “The Spanish Love Deception,” Catalina, and focuses on her best friend, putting her love story center stage for this novel.

We’ll start with the good for this book. The plot is pretty alright. Rosie is looking for her inspiration for her next big romance book, a new career she is pursuing after her first book was a hit. After some structural issues with her apartment she goes to crash at Catalina’s place which she thinks is getting robbed because of the pounding at the door. Now enter our love interest, Lucas Martín. Lucas asked Catalina if he could crash at her place while she was away and he was in town—this all unknown to Catalina. Now the big plot twist—Catalina has had a huge crush on Lucas but never acted on it. We’ve all been there folks. Fast forward like 100 pages, Lucas strikes a deal with Rosie that he will give her inspiration for her next book by taking her out on a series of dates. With one condition—don’t fall in love with each other.

She’s so romantic it isn’t even funny, like sometimes I sit down to describe the plots of these romance books and I’m like no I swear to god it wasn’t that cheesy but then I’m like damn maybe it was that cheesy. I was raised on Hallmark movies so my metric on this is really messed up.

Rosie is a pretty great lead; she’s witty and strong willed but also a hopeless romantic. That being said I don’t love how big a deal she makes in changing her profession considering she was already successful with her first novel, but a minor flaw.

While overall I did really enjoy this story, there were parts that I felt could’ve been executed differently. For starters it’s a very long exposition for the novel. Like really long. It takes like 100 pages to get to the point of the story. Now if this were a thriller or a mystery which needed to be set up I would forgive the book instantly. This is a romance book, I read these so I don’t have to pay attention to things. I was legit sitting there waiting to find out why I was reading it. Like it was good writing but I had no idea where the story was going or how the characters were going to mesh together. This did in turn make some other parts of the book feel rushed in comparison. I then consulted my friends who had already read it who agreed that it’s a lot of exposition for a romance novel that doesn’t need much setting up. Like it’s not that deep: girl likes boy, boy likes girl but friend zone and trying to become something more.

Now mind you, I may not have needed as much of the exposition because I had read “The Spanish Love Deception” and the first part of the book does give you a run down of those characters. This is great for readers who want to pick up this story as a one off and not have to read “The Spanish Love Deception” first.

Comparatively I liked “The Spanish Love Deception” significantly better than “The American Roommate Experiment.” But at the end of the day they’re both cute romance books that make you feel happy. Some differences: “The Spanish Love Deception” is an enemies-to-lovers (workplace rivals) whereas “The American Roommate Experiment” is friends-to-lovers. So choose your poison if you know what I mean.

Also Lucas is no Aaron. Comparing the leads of the stories, I definitely feel that I liked Aaron and Catalina better than I liked Rosie and Lucas. That being said, the bathroom scene at the costume party was top-tier (the girlies who get it get it). Now this was neither a plus or a minus for me, but I feel like “The American Roommate Experiment” was much steamier in comparison to Armas’ first novel in this universe. Like I mean significantly. Now maybe I’m not remembering “The Spanish Love Deception” but there were parts of “The American Roommate Experiment” where I was like I should not be reading this in public. It wasn’t insanely explicit, I just think for my taste perhaps it was more than I usually commit to. That is all I will say on that.

Tune in next time for when I review “Ariadne” by Jennifer Saint.

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The American Roommate Experiment: From the bestselling author of The Spanish Love Deception

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The American Roommate Experiment: From the bestselling author of The Spanish Love Deception Kindle Edition

Print length 414 pages
Language English
Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
Publisher Simon & Schuster UK
Publication date September 6, 2022
File size 1665 KB
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Word Wise Enabled
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ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09MDK73N9
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster UK (September 6, 2022)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 6, 2022
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1665 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 414 pages
#3,300 in Billionaires & Millionaires Romance eBooks
#4,955 in Clean & Wholesome Romance (Kindle Store)
#8,092 in Fantasy Romance eBooks

About the author

Elena armas.

Elena Armas is a Spanish writer, a self confessed hopeless romantic, and much to Mr. B's dismay, a proud book hoarder. After years of devouring HEAs and talking––okay fine, yelling––nonstop about them, she has finally taken the leap and decided to create some of her own.

She hopes these stories make your heart skip a beat or two, your palms a little sweaty, and your cheeks flush in that rosy pink that makes other people want to peek at the page you are reading.

♡ NEWSLETTER: authorelenaarmas.com/newsletter

♡ FACEBOOK: facebook.com/authorelenaarmas

♡ FACEBOOK READER GROUP: facebook.com/groups/elenaarmasreadersgroup

♡ INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/thebibliotheque

♡ TIKTOK: tiktok.com/@thebibliotheque

♡ TWITTER: twitter.com/elenaarmasbooks

♡ PINTEREST: pinterest.com/thebibliotheque

♡ WEBSITE: www.authorelenaarmas.com

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The American Roommate Experiment

Unabridged Audio Download

Rave and Reviews

About The Book

About the author.

Product Details

Publisher: Atria Books (September 6, 2022)
Length: 400 pages
ISBN13: 9781668002773

Browse Related Books

Fiction > Romance > Multicultural & Interracial
Fiction > Romance > Romantic Comedy
Fiction > Romance > Contemporary

6 Romances Featuring Book Lovers Falling in Love - Off the Shelf
9 Romances We’re Pining After This Fall and Winter - Off the Shelf
Our 18 Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2022 - Off the Shelf

Raves and Reviews

“This was a slow-burn romance—I loved Rosie and Lucas together!” — FIRST For Women

"Rosie and Lucas’ connection deepens with every swoony, steamy date – you’ll want to get swept up, too." — USA Today

“This sweet dual-POV romance will leave your heart aching for more!" —Buzzfeed

“What happens when a romance writer gets trapped by her own tropes? A novel that is fun, fresh, and sexy as hell.” —Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of Wish You Were Here

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Book Cover Image (jpg): The American Roommate Experiment Trade Paperback 9781668002773

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I finished {The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas ...
The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas Rating: 3.71⭐️ out of 5⭐️ Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door Topics: contemporary, multicultural, forced proximity, friends to lovers, dual pov
The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas
Content warnings HERE (some spoilers) The American Roommate Experiment is a standalone novel that takes place some time after the epilogue of The Spanish Love Deception and follows Rosie (Lina's best friend) and Lucas (Lina's older cousin).There's forced proximity (lots), an unrequited secret crush, THE EXPERIMENT or in other words yes, A DATING EXPERIMENT, late night cooking, megawatt ...
The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas
The American Roommate Experiment is a stand-alone sequel to The Spanish Love Deception. I suppose if you loved Armas' first book, you will enjoy this one as well. ... At the end of the day, it's a wildly popular show and, to my way of thinking, that is enough for it to rest on its considerable laurels. 2. Reply. Carrie G Guest. Reply to ...
Review: The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas
You lost something, but you didn't lose everything, Lucas. You didn't lose yourself; you just…changed.". In my opinion, the best thing about The American Roommate Experiment was Lucas and Rosie's relationship. Their "experimental" dates, while being totally romantic and swoonworthy, often went hilariously awry (my favourite was ...
Book Review: The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas
The American Roommate Experiment feels like an homage to all things romance, bringing together so many of the genre's favourite tropes, nods and scenes in a book that is just as heartwarming and emotional as it is fun and sexy. And best of all, it's also packed with the most delicious kind of slow-burn tension that will keep readers turning ...
The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas Book Review
The American Roommate Experiment is a stellar—phenomenal—companion to The Spanish Love Deception (TSLD), and dare I say better. No, I double dog dare because that's how confident I am in that statement. ... The ending really had me upset, frustrated, and hurt (for both of them, mainly Rosie if I'm being honest). ...
The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas: Book Review
The American Roommate Experiment is a highly entertaining romance novel where two strangers with undeniable chemistry share an apartment under unusual circumstances. I absolutely loved it! Publishes: September 6 by Simon & Schuster Canada, Atria Books. Genre: Multicultural Interest, Romance. Length: 400 pages. [book-info]
REVIEW: The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas
In The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas, After self-publishing a romance novel that became a smash hit and then being offered an actual book deal, Rosie Graham left her engineering career behind her. The one thing she didn't foresee was her muse, writing mojo, inspiration-whatever you want to call it-disappearing.
Book Review: The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas
Reviews. By Carolina Moriello. "Life was too short, too brittle, to keep secrets and live in half-truths. Even when we thought that we were protecting those we loved. Or protecting ourselves. Our hearts. Because the reality was that without honesty, without truth, we never lived fully.". When Rosie Graham's ceiling caves in—literally ...
The American Roommate Experiment: A Novel
"The American Roommate Experiment" is a charming and heartwarming novel that takes readers on a delightful journey of friendship, self-discovery, and cultural exchange. Set against the backdrop of a bustling university campus, this story explores the complexities and joys of living with a roommate from a different country.
The American Roommate Experiment
The American Roommate Experiment (2022) is a contemporary romance novel by Elena Armas. This New York Times bestseller follows the coincidental romance between the spontaneous but uncertain Rosie and Lucas, her best friend Lina's cousin—a man she's ogled from afar via social media—as they find themselves being roommates. With a few recurring characters, it is technically a follow-up ...
The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas: A Book Review
There wasn't too much drama and the book had a lovely flow. I love the slow burn of this book and Elena Armas does that extremely well. I love the main characters Rosie and Lucas, both are loveable and kind-hearted. You can definitely feel the chemistry between them from the get-go. Rosie reminds me of myself with the way she talks to her crush ...
The American Roommate Experiment Summary & Study Guide
The American Roommate Experiment. Simon & Schuster, 2022. When the ceiling of Rosie Graham's apartment caves in, she takes advantage of her best friend's spare key. Lina is on her honeymoon with her husband, Aaron, and is not replying to Rosie's frenzied calls. As Rosie is settling into Lina's studio apartment, someone else tries to get ...
Book Review: The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas
Here you will find everything you need to know about the American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas. Published in 2022, the American Roommate Experiment is the sequel of the Spanish Love Deception. In this book, Elena Armas wanted to give Rosie, Catalina's best friend, her happy ending and that's exactly what she does.
The American Roommate Experiment: A Novel
The American Roommate Experiment. : A Most Anticipated Book of 2022 by Cosmopolitan, Goodreads, PopSugar, and more! From the author of the Goodreads Choice Award winner The Spanish Love Deception, the eagerly anticipated follow-up featuring Rosie Graham and Lucas Martín, who are forced to share a New York apartment. Rosie Graham has a problem.
The American Roommate Experiment: A Novel Kindle Edition
The American Roommate Experiment Author: Elena Armas Number of pages: 397 Dual POV Forced Proximity Fake Dating Friends to Lovers ⭐️ 3.5 🌶️ 2 The American Roommate Experiment is a sequel to The Spanish Love Deception but can honestly be read as a stand-alone.
the american roommate experiment by elena armas
the american roommate experiment review. i started reading this book without realising it was a sequel to the spanish love deception. while it's technically a sequel, if you don't plan on reading the first book, i think it can be read on its own. (obviously, if you plan on reading the spanish love deception, i would read that first, as ...
THE AMERICAN ROOMMATE EXPERIMENT (2022)
about The American Roommate Experiment. From the author of the Goodreads Choice Award winner The Spanish Love Deception, the eagerly anticipated follow-up featuring Rosie Graham and Lucas Martín, who are forced to share a New York apartment. Rosie Graham has a problem. A few, actually. She just quit her well paid job to focus on her secret ...
Elena Armas, The American Roommate Experiment & TikTok Fame
Armas's latest novel, The American Roommate Experience, follows Rosie Graham, a young woman who recently left her high-paying engineering job to pursue a career in romance writing and who is dealing with writer's block, and her lackluster dating history doesn't seem to bring her any inspiration. To top it off, the ceiling in her bedroom caved in.
The American Roommate Experiment
Elena Armas is a Spanish writer, self-confessed hopeless romantic, and proud book hoarder. Now, she's also the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Spanish Love Deception, The American Roommate Experiment, and The Long Game.Her books are being translated to over thirty languages—which is bananas, if you ask her.
BookTok worth it or not: 'The American Roommate Experiment'
The plot focuses on the love story between Aaron Blackford and Catalina Martin in an ever-so-slightly steamy slow burn. People went crazy for Aaron Blackford, I mean he is the epitome of the joke "man written by a woman" and should be the bar for every man in the real world. "The American Roommate Experiment" takes the main character ...
The American Roommate Experiment: From the bestselling author of The
The American Roommate Experiment: From the bestselling author of The Spanish Love Deception - Kindle edition by Armas, Elena. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The American Roommate Experiment: From the bestselling author of The Spanish Love Deception.
The American Roommate Experiment
Elena Armas is a Spanish writer, self-confessed hopeless romantic, and proud book hoarder. Now, she's also the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Spanish Love Deception, The American Roommate Experiment, and The Long Game.Her books are being translated to over thirty languages—which is bananas, if you ask her.

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The American Roommate Experiment Summary & Study Guide

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