Name: Lisa van der Heijden 's review of The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas
Item: The American Roommate Experiment
Rating: 3.5
Author: Lisa van der Heijden

Elena Armas

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.

The American Roommate Experiment

Spanish Love Deception #2

RacquelElizabeth

"Sometimes we keep things from those we love for reasons we don't even understand ourselves." 

alara

There’s no such thing as silly when it comes to dreams. No matter how new or old they are.

But that’s life for you. Intense and heartbreaking.

taci

Another whimper left him, now tangling with his rocky breathing, and it froze me on the spot. Because it sounded like... like he was struggling to get air into his lungs. Like he couldn't breathe. Iy fear propelled me off the bed and forward. Until I was kneling on the Aoor by the couch. I whispered, "Lucas?" But Lucas thrashed from one side to the other as my hands reached out to his shoulders. I rose my voice to a gentle but firm tone. "Lucas, wake up." He muttered something, but it must have been in Spanish, because it was something I didn't understand.

Alexia joined us at the table, and with only two stools available, I jumped off mine and offered it to her. "Please, sit. You're a guest." "Rosie can sit with me," Lucas announced. Frowning, I turned around and found him holding a folding stool in his hand. Where Found it behind a cabinet," he said, unfolding its legs. "Just the one, so we'l share it." 

 "Whoa. Is that honey that you drizzled on yours?" "Yes," he said when he came back and repeated the process with his pizza. “Pear, walnuts, some prosciutto because I couldn't find any jamón that was worth our time, and a little of blue cheese, too." He walked back to the oven, and my gaze followed him this time, getting caught up in the way his back shifted as he slid the spatula in and out. Muscles moved and rolled, making me think of him in the water. Him, a board underneath his body. And him, not able to jump on one anymore. ..Or in other words," Lucas was saying, "any Italian's nightmare."

"You're not defined by a career, Lucas." I let my hand fall on top of his, very briefly, just so I didn't lace my fingers with his like I was desperate to do. "You're way more than just that. You have more to offer, too." 

"I can't do any of it anymore, Rosie," he said, and I could feel the weight behind his words, as if these were rocks he was hardly able to lift. "I... won't be able to surf ever again. Not at the level I did. Not even close." His gaze tipped down to the leg I knew bothered him more than he wanted to show. "So, that career as a pro? It's not exactly stopping me from anything. Especially not dating. What will I be offering anyone anyway, huh?" And oh. Oh my God. This wasn't just a vacation. He wasn't taking time off to recover from anything. And I... Lord, I wanted to wrap my arms around him. To smack myself for asking those questions because it must have been so incredibly hard for him to answer them. 

"L.."I trailed off, my jaw starting to chatter for a reason I couldn't explain. My whole body trembled. And I didn't know why. Lucas," I somehow managed. "I don't even know what to say. I felt him come closer. "No better way to explore the spark and prove to the other person that you're worth the effort." A pause, in whichI heard a few more steps.That you're worth lighting dozens of tea lights." I thought I heard hinm chuckle, but I couldn't be sure. I had been sucked into a vacuum. A Lucas vacuum. “HOW?" I thought I whispered. "Sandro closed early today. Family celebration. So, I thought we could have the place to ourselves."

His chuckle rang in my ears, and I smiled in response. "Tve never been good with my words, Rosie." He came to a stop, his hand brushing my elbow. And only when I turned and met his gaze, he added, “But I make up for it with my hands." I thought my jaw fell open, all kinds of images-involving Lucas's hands- invading my mind. 

"Lucas," I said a little too breathlessly, before stepping back. "Did you forget your keys this morning?" He straightened. And boy, I don't know what was about him in that moment, but he seemed larger than usual. Bulkier, taller. But before I could process that, he took the smallest step forward and let his gaze trail down my body, slowly, in a way I had trouble processing,. Whoa, what... was that? A slow smile bent his mouth. "Nope," he said. Nope. Nope to what? What the hell had been my question?"You look very nice, Rosie. Beautiful." Very nicc. Beautiful.

"You are the Rosalyn Sage?" His mouth formed an O, and even though it was the worst possible moment, I couldn't help but think how much I liked his lips. They were full. Masculine, "Youre the Rosalyn Sage whose book I've been hearing my sister yell about nonstop for months? The book that is a permanent fixture on Charo's coffee table? You-"He stopped himself. "Yep." I sighed. "That's me."

He shook his head and something that wasn't really a laugh left him. "No, Ill be your experiment partner." My breath caught in my throat. My stupid crush--the one I tried so hard to pretend wasn't real

I continued, "He excused himself saying he'd had the worst day at work and downed a couple beers before our date. Told me that he hadn't wanted to cancel me because he liked me so much." And if anything, Nathan had been convincing. "Anyway, all the dates that followed that one were... just like dating multiple men at the same time. He'd be his charming, perfect self and then a switch would be Aipped, and he'd turn into someone completely different. wouldn't know if ld get someone weird, moody, or just.. crazy." A muscle in Lucas's jaw jumped. “Did he ever "No," I stopped him. "It was never like that. He never laid a hand on me. It was more about things he'd say or the way he'd act during a date." Stuff straight out of comedy sketches. Bizarre. "But he'd always apologize after, tell me it was nerves making him act strange because he was crazy about me." And silly naive me believed him every single time. "Anyway."I laughed to make light of the sucky experience. "To sum it up, it turned out he had been testing stuff on me. Scenes. For the screenplay he'd been working on. Lucas sat so still I could barely see his chest moving. I didn't even think he'd blinked for a minute or two. I averted ny eyes, letting them rest on my toes. "I told you it was depressing stuff, Lucas."

"If you are into that kind of boring stuff..."I joked, but he didn't even smile. "Okay, so Ted and I dated for... a few weeks give or take." Six, to be exact. "T'd always been very clear about us being exclusive, not seeing other people because I just.." I shook my head. "It's how I am. He agreed, told me he didn't want to share me, either. Then, one day, by pure chance, I saw him attached to someone else's lips. When I confronted him, he pretended he didn't know me." And that had stung like a bee. "The complete tool made such a scene that I even doubted myself fora second, thinking I had the wrong guy. But nope, it was Ted. And he'd been dating that girl longer than me." Lucas stared at me, remaining oddly quiet. I flled in the silence. "So, yeah, that was Ted. Assface Number Five." 

Together with a new lare of jealousy. "I thought you didn't date anymore. remark for myself. date. I'm not in the market for that. I can't be." He tilted his head, thinking of his answer. "I wouldn't say an expert, but no Was he a serial dater, then? His words from a few days ago came back to me. Lucas had also said that no one had ever broken his heart, but I kept that "You have good memory, Rosalyn Graham," he admitted. "And no, I don't I wanted to dig deeper. Ask him why. "So, you're a dating expert that doesn't date." 

"Rosie," I whispered, closing the distance between us faster. "Hey, cariño, what's going on?" A shaky breath was plucked out of her, her shoulders now falling and her eyes getting watery by the second. "Nothing's wrong," she repeated, right before the dam broke. "There's a freaking hole in the ceiling of my apartment. These stupid repairs are going to take a much longer time than I thought. I'm nveniencing you because I've been lying to my dad for months and can't stay with him. I'm pretty sure my brother is in somne kind of weird business. And I have less than eight weeks left until I have to hand in a manuscript that's nowhere near where it should because I'm stuck. I can't write, Lucas! And here you are, witnessing the complete and utter mess that is my life.

"Oh, I think you don't understand," he cut her off for the second time, and my body moved closer to Rosie's. Our shoulders brushed. Psycho Landlord continued, his smile turning knowing. "You really don't if you think this will be fixed in"-a pause"no time. In fact, I think it will be the opposite of that." I sensed Rosie's body freeze in place at Mr. Allen's last words. So I looked over at her, finding her staring back at him with a hard jaw and a serious frown. At first glance, one would have thought she was unbothered, handling the news like a pro, but then a shaky breath escaped her mouth, and her eyes blinked a couple of times. This was her brave face, I realized. She was putting up a façade, for whose benefit, I didn't know. But I happened not to care, because my hand left my side and reached out in her direction, landing softly in the middle of her back. 

Lucas's voice came from somewhere behind me. I was ready to tell him he had another thing coming if he thought he'd be sleeping on the couch again, that I was preparing it for myself, but the words died on the tip of my tongue when I turned and encountered the sight before me. It wasn't naked calves. It was far, far better than that. It was Lucas. In sweatpants-gray sweatpants--and a thin cotton tee. But the sweatpants.

Lucas broke the silence. “Abuelo had Alzheimer's. He used to confuse me with his little brother. At some point I stopped correcting him and pretended there was nothing wrong with his assumption. So even ifI didn't know if Adele could have been experiencing the same, I..."

I looked over at her, waiting for instructions, but Adele's expression had changed. The blood had drained from her face, her skin paling and her eyes I placed my hand on her shoulder. “Adele? Are you okay? Do you need to sit The woman stared into space for what seemed like a full minute, not going glassy. down?" responding to any of my attempts at moving her or making her return to herself. Alarm pounded through me. I couldn't get her back into her apartment because the entrance was blocked by the loveseat. Calling for help felt like a waste when she wasn't hurt. She was just... not here. As if her mind had left her. Small beads of sweat formed in the back of my neck.

this close. Or close at all. Reminding me of how natural physical contact and touch had always come to me. And how I had isolated myself after what happened. A warning flashed behind my eyes. Step auay, offlimits., You're in no place or shape for any of this. So just as quickly as I'd moved forward, I pushed back.

"You're glad?" A snmall frown tugged at her brows. “Why would you be?" Readying myself, I waited until she took a sip of her coffee, then I said, "Because I think you should stay." Rosie lowered her mug very slowly. "Like, now? For breakfast?" "No, I mean for as long as you want or need to." I let that sink in, then added, "Stay here, in Lina's apartment with me." She arched an eyebrow. “What? I can't." Why not?" I sipped my coffee.

o que é que pode ter acontecido com ele?

"You showered," she pointed out. "And now, you're in a towel." Following the direction of her gaze, I looked down, too, checking for wardrobeor towel-malfunctions, making sure the scars on my knee and thigh weren't visible. Everything was in order and the towel covered the now mostly healed marks. My eyes returned to her face. "Is something wrong?"

Lisa van der Heijden 

didn't fully grab me through the start but it was okay later. 

baobae

Definitely enjoyed this better than The Spanish Love Deception 

A Novel

Sarah

I loved this book more than TSLD, Lucas was an angel, idk what the book gave me ALOT of butterflies, would read it again.

It was so cute, I loved the scenes, but if you don't like slow burns it's definitely not for you I enjoyed the book but it wasn't something that kept me wanting to keep it in my hands but read it on the occasion where I needed something to do or go back to something that's predictable yet comfortable like rewatching the same show over and over whenever you're about to eat

migs

radhika dhawan

this book did not need to be this long. one extra star for all the indirect vampire diaries references

this book could have been 250 pages shorter and still tell the same story. elena can yap so much and it’s literally saying NOTHING. i had the same problem with TSLD too, it was unnecessarily long. i skimmed the last few chapters because it felt like the real story was hidden between a lot of nothing. also my copy was full of grammatical errors? like what is up with that, who allowed this to go to print?

Nicole K

Of course, yet another book I’m mad at myself for not reading sooner. I am obsessed with Rosie and Lucas. Lucas is the epitome of a book boyfriend and him helping her find inspiration for her romance writing? Literal perfection. This was so adorable and really enjoyed reading it. The ending was so cute too which only made love Lucas more. But also as usual the slow burn was slow burning but my patience was very much so awarded. 

Priscilla Stanfield

aleksandra

dnf 23% 

Maybe im not in the mood for this book right now, because it was kinda painful to read.

Julia

UGHH THIS BOOK MADE ME FEEL SO ANGRY ABT BEING SINGLE

Just awful. There was absolutely no chemistry betaeen Lucas and Rosie. Total waste of time 

after the first 20% i started skipping through every chapter in hopes there'd be something exciting coming but the only thing that got me to stop and read was aaron and lina's first appearance

Sophy

I loved Lina and Aaron and I definitely love Rosie and Lucas 😭🫶🏻 OH WHAT I WOULD GIVE TO LOVE LIKE THAT OF THEIRS!!!

sophie

THIS BOOK IS SO FUCKING CUTE OH MY GODDD I CRIED 
4 stars

lexie

the plot makes almost no sense. what? and the lucas leaving feels like a force to have more chapters in before the epilogue. this so cringey. but they have their moments.

shaymaa

Wow, just wow. Elena Armas outdid any anticipation we ever had. The characters are so well-written, and the storyline, oh my god, it's so good; good for my delusional heart. I'm not really into romance, but this was so good. I finished it in less than two days. This book got me out of my reading slump.

Bettina Amarandos 

I loved the Spanish Love Deception & was so excited to read this book, and yeah it was good but it didn't meet the mark. It was just a bit slow and I was hoping for an even more steamy slow burn.

Renata

i just dnf-ed bc at 80% bc i haven't read this since the end of september. 
don't get me wrong it's a good book but i just lost excitement to read it but anyways- from what i read, it was cute and funny and the cameos of aaronlina agh i loved it. lucas and rosie are such a good match. 

- "Like a code?" he asked. "Just for us?"
"Cronut you. How about that?"

- "Rosie: you're supposed to side with me.
Lucas: I'll always be on your side."

- "I'd never hurt her. I could never do
that." Aaron's lips tipped up in a surprisingly bright smile. "I know."

- "Lina and Aaron were going as corpse bride and groom, a job she had taken to heart. The costumes were the closest I'd ever seen to the real thing. Even Aaron was wearing makeup, his eye sockets covered in smoky black shadow, making his blue eyes pop even more than usual. That, together with his height, the two-piece suit, and the undead bride hanging off his arm, was a powerful image. They looked like the power couple of the underworld."

- "You said you wished we'd met at Aaron and Lina's wedding," he said, his expression turning grim. He took one determined step toward me. "I thought that tonight, for this one last date, we could pretend we were doing that. Meeting for the first time."

- "Rosie." He said my name tenderly, so tenderly, that I wanted to beg him to take it back. "Had I been at the wedding," he continued, and my heart stopped beating all over again when he met my gaze, "had I spotted you across that hall, I would have thought wow." He paused, his face lighting up. "That girl takes my breath away, she's so beautiful. And she sure looks like she loves cake."

- "Because I would have known then" - Lucas stepped forward, his chin dipping to look straight into my eyes- "that I'd been single only because no one had ever stolen my attention, scattered my thoughts so effortlessly. So completely. Not the way you did."

- "I would have begged you to save me a dance. Or two. Or every dance until the night was over and our feet hurt. And after that, I would have begged you to please let me take you home with me. To my bed. Into my heart."

- "Every single time I've called you Graham, I've done it to remind myself that I couldn't want you the way I do. Every time I've taken you on a date, I've had to tell myself that it was part of an agreement. And every time I've said I wanted to be your best friend, all I'd wanted was to take from you as much as you could possibly give me."

Tierney Hewitt

oh. my. god!!!!!! i absolutely devoured this book. it made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me literally squeal and kick my legs (many times). it was perfect! i didn’t think it could be better than TSLD, but Elena Armas has proven me wrong. Rosie and Lucas are perfect, i cannot express how much i was swooning over Lucas. he was so wonderful and sweet and warm. i will definitely be reading this again, probably soon. thank you for this wonderful beautiful book Elena, i am so excited to read everything that you ever right. you are very quickly becoming one of my favorite romance authors. IT WAS SO CUTE!!!!!

Emmie

Lo mejor que me ha pasado en un buen tiempo. Tiene todo lo que necesitaba y más. 

Ximena Cespedes

Mia Caven

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Similar to the Spanish love deception, it’s just a fun cheesy story where you’re rooting for the lovers. I truly don’t many quarrels with this at all!

Zoey Novak

Honestly loved the book. I might have a new favorite and if it was shorter it might be a comfort read. 

Slow burn, sappy, relatable, cheesy, steamy, romance. I love this book. Maybe more than A Spanish Love Deception. Would recommend to anyone who loves what I described. 

Alice Perelta

Honestly loved the book. I might have a new favorite and if it was shorter it might be a comfort read. 

Slow burn, sappy, relatable, cheesy, steamy, romance. I love this book. Maybe more than A Spanish Love Deception. Would recommend to anyone who loves what I described. 

It was entertaining enough for me to finish but that’s it. The romance made me roll my eyes one too many times.

Christine

Narrator: Jennifer Jill Araya, Noah B. Perez

I will not lie. I am a little bit disappointed by The American Roommate Experiment. After enjoying The Spanish Love Deception, I had high expectations of its companion/sequel. Unfortunately, Rosie’s and Lucas’ story was not for me.

The story started of strong. It has the same quirky romcom vibe as The Spanish Love Deception. I enjoyed the execution of the forced proximity trope (Rosie and Lucas have to share Lina’s studio because Rosie’s ceiling caved in). Furthermore, I was also surprised by the direction of the plot. The event that drove the story forced developed in something different then I initially expected. The friends-to-lovers relationship was developed well, and I was invested in their relationship. Nevertheless, my enjoyment of the story was severely impacted by the awkward sex scenes (I was cringing so hard), the third act conflict (Lucas was too easily forgiven), and I hated that Rosie’s life was paused after the third act conflict. I get it, it is incredibly difficult if your relationship breaks down, but to completely give up on all other aspects of life for months. It reminded me too much of Bella’s behaviour when Edward left her in the second Twilight book.

Rosie and Lucas were fun characters to read about. They had great chemistry and they truly bounced of each other. Their relationship was convincing because they enjoyed spending time with each other, had things in common, and supported each other in their dreams and ambitions. They also had complete acceptance of each other’s character which was nice to read. They are not the most memorable characters, but they were fun to read, and I was invested in their relationship. I do wish we got to see more of Lucas’ character growth. Most of it happened off page. The side characters were a fun addition to the story. It was great to see Lina and Aaron again. Also, Rosie’s neighbour and both respective families gave the story more body.

The writing style of Elena Armas is fun and full of personality. It is accessible, easy to read and funny. I read oud loud several times. Sometimes dialogue could have been more realistic. Maybe it is just my own personal experience, but I have a difficult time believing that best friends call each other besties all the time. Personally, I do not have to enforce that statement every time I see my best friend. However, the descriptions of the food were detailed and made me hungry. Lastly, I enjoyed the inclusion of Spanish words and phrases.

In conclusion, The American Roommate Experiment is a solid romance story but sadly did not meet my personal preference. You should check this book out if you enjoy quicky rom-com style romances and friends-lover-lovers.

Rating breakdown: plot (3.5/5), characters (3.6/5), writing (3.5/5), worldbuilding (3/5), overall enjoyment (3.5/5)

Trigger warnings: Traumatic accident, death of a parent.

Title: The American Roommate Experiment

Author: Elena Armas

Narrator: Jennifer Jill Araya, Noah B. Perez

Length: 14u 47m

Published: September 2022

Rating: 3.4/5.0

 

I will not lie. I am a little bit disappointed by The American Roommate Experiment. After enjoying The Spanish Love Deception, I had high expectations of its companion/sequel. Unfortunately, Rosie’s and Lucas’ story was not for me.

 

The story started of strong. It has the same quirky romcom vibe as The Spanish Love Deception. I enjoyed the execution of the forced proximity trope (Rosie and Lucas have to share Lina’s studio because Rosie’s ceiling caved in). Furthermore, I was also surprised by the direction of the plot. The event that drove the story forced developed in something different then I initially expected. The friends-to-lovers relationship was developed well, and I was invested in their relationship. Nevertheless, my enjoyment of the story was severely impacted by the awkward sex scenes (I was cringing so hard), the third act conflict (Lucas was too easily forgiven), and I hated that Rosie’s life was paused after the third act conflict. I get it, it is incredibly difficult if your relationship breaks down, but to completely give up on all other aspects of life for months. It reminded me too much of Bella’s behaviour when Edward left her in the second Twilight book.

 

Rosie and Lucas were fun characters to read about. They had great chemistry and they truly bounced of each other. Their relationship was convincing because they enjoyed spending time with each other, had things in common, and supported each other in their dreams and ambitions. They also had complete acceptance of each other’s character which was nice to read. They are not the most memorable characters, but they were fun to read, and I was invested in their relationship. I do wish we got to see more of Lucas’ character growth. Most of it happened off page. The side characters were a fun addition to the story. It was great to see Lina and Aaron again. Also, Rosie’s neighbour and both respective families gave the story more body.

 

The writing style of Elena Armas is fun and full of personality. It is accessible, easy to read and funny. I read oud loud several times. Sometimes dialogue could have been more realistic. Maybe it is just my own personal experience, but I have a difficult time believing that best friends call each other besties all the time. Personally, I do not have to enforce that statement every time I see my best friend. However, the descriptions of the food were detailed and made me hungry. Lastly, I enjoyed the inclusion of Spanish words and phrases.

 

In conclusion, The American Roommate Experiment is a solid romance story but sadly did not meet my personal preference. You should check this book out if you enjoy quicky rom-com style romances and friends-lover-lovers.

 

Rating breakdown: plot (3.5/5), characters (3.6/5), writing (3.5/5), worldbuilding (3/5), overall enjoyment (3.5/5)

 

Trigger warnings: Traumatic accident, death of a parent.

Lisa van der Heijden &
The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas

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Lisa van der Heijden &The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas

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Lisa van der Heijden &
The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas