A novel by Christina Lauren, Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster, December 2017
* An e-galley was provided by Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster and Edelweiss for an honest review.
Roomies by Christina Lauren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love Christina Lauren's characters. Most are quirky, have lots of depth, and are given unique backgrounds. The main characters in ROOMIES are no different. Holland Bakker lives in an New York City apartment mostly paid for by her uncle. She's in a no-growth theater job, provided by the same uncle. And almost every day she goes out of her way to listen to a guitar busker in a subway station near her work. Calvin Mcloughlin is that busking guitarist. He is a guitar virtuoso who changes his repertoire depending on the day of the week and picks up odd music jobs wherever and whenever he can. One day he rescues Holland from a purse-snatcher, and thus their story begins.
The main theme of the book seems to be allowing yourself to be who you really are. Holland stumbles through life working in the theater where her uncle's play has become a smash success. Neither she nor her parents expect very much from her, and she lacks the confidence to break out of her stagnant existence and become the writer she wants to be. All of this changes after she starts her relationship with Calvin. Holland grows throughout the story to where she eventually feels confident to break out of her mundane life. Calvin has a special musical gift that he hasn't allowed to develop. (I'll not tell you why, because that is a main premise of the book.) He gets a huge opportunity to play for an influential group and finally allows himself the chance to break out of his self-imposed semi-isolation.
The secondary characters are not the stereotypical types of friends and family you normally find in books about a single working girl in a big city trying to find herself. Her best friends are her uncles, a married gay couple who look out for her, and a woman who doesn't support what Holland does. Her successful brilliant brother is the darling of her family and is just a phone call away to listen to Holland's woes.
Like Lauren's other books, ROOMIES is a light-hearted romance with pertinent themes, unusual storylines, and good character arcs. Most of the book deserves 5-stars, but the rushed ending left me unsatisfied and wondering how Holland and Calvin would continue to interact with each other and their families. An epilogue would have addressed my questions. So I'm giving the story a strong 4 stars. ROOMIES is a fun read filled with unusual characters and perfect for filling any spare time you have right now.
If you like this, then you'll like:
Other Christina Lauren books, THE HATING GAME and 99 PERCENT MINE by Sally Thorne, YOU HAD ME AT HELLO by Mhairi McFarlane, PASSION ON PARK AVENUE and the SEX, LOVE & STILETTOS SERIES by Lauren Layne, THE WORST BEST MAN and THE PRICE OF SCANDAL by Lucy Score
View all my reviews