Series: Funny Feelings #3 (Standalone)
Publication Date: 27th May 2025
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/RoommateExperiment
Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223606076-the-roommate-experiment
Genre: Contemporary Romance
3 Stars
One Liner: Some nice moments
Book Blurb:
Could there be room for attraction?
Hunter has secretly been in love with her best
friend’s brother, Dylan, for years, despite barely registering as a blip on his
radar. She’s not even in the friend zone—more like the friend zone adjacent.
But her luck is about to change: Dylan is taking over her spare room, and she's
being promoted to roommate. Could this be the moment Dylan finally notices her?
Not so fast. When Dylan moves in, he carries more
than just boxes—he brings complications. Suddenly, the dream of living under
the same roof turns into a daily struggle. Dylan is off-limits, for reasons
Hunter couldn’t have anticipated, and the closer they get, the harder it
becomes to ignore her feelings.
But Hunter’s determined to keep her heart in
check—no matter how difficult the task. She just has to avoid ogling him in a
towel. Definitely don’t imagine what’s under the towel. And try not to swoon
when he bakes cookies.
But after he saves her from a terrible date and
they’re forced to share a sofa bed at his parents’ house, her emotions reach a
breaking point. She’ll have to either move on or move out. Will she tell him
the truth—or lose him forever?
The Roommate Experiment is a
roommates-to-lovers, forced proximity, STEMinist rom-com perfect for fans of
Lynn Painter, Sarah Adams, and Abby Jimenez.
***
My Thoughts:
The story comes in Hunter and Dylan’s first-person POVs.
Though the book can be a standalone, I would recommend reading book #2 first. Even better if you start at the beginning (I didn’t). But I read the previous book (If the Ring Fits), and it helped. That’s because the events in both books take place at the same time. Seeing Hunter and Dylan from Rowena and Adrian’s POVs first makes this book less awkward.
It’s interesting to revisit a few scenes from the
previous book from other POVs. I like such experiments (another reason I
recommend reading book #2 first).
This is my fourth book by the author. While I had
minor issues with the previous three, I happily rounded up the rating to 4
stars. Unfortunately, this is the weakest one so far.
Firstly, there’s no denying the touches of humor in
the narration. The writing style is light even when it deals with serious
issues like dyslexia and endometriosis. This prevents the story from feeling
too heavy or overwhelming.
Hunter’s crush/ obsession with Dylan feels
authentic. It is painfully embarrassing at times, but that’s exactly the point.
It was supposed to be that way, given she harbored feelings and spun fantasies for
over a decade. Her reluctance, jealousy, anger, frustration, hopelessness,
etc., come out very well.
Dylan started decent but then got on my nerves. I
tried to be patient and see things from his perspective, but there’s a thin
line between being good and being a coward. Despite his other noteworthy
qualities, he didn’t impress me. The break-up scene was crucial for his
character arc, and it was messed up big time.
Not really sure how to classify Olivia. Clingy?
Dense? Optimistic? No idea!
There are some spicy scenes towards the end, though
it’s a fade-to-black and a closed door. The last quarter rather ups the sexiness,
which wasn’t necessary, but okay!
Since this is the last book of the series, we get a
combined epilogue. I like it a lot. It has happy developments and leaves one
element on a hopeful note; the right way to conclude this series.
To summarize, The Roommate Experiment is a
steady-paced and lighthearted romance that touches upon a couple of health
issues (lightly). While it is not my favorite (Adrian is still the winner), I
will continue to enjoy more books by the author.
Thank you, Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood
Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about
the book.
#NetGalley
***
About the Author – Camilla Isley
Camilla Isley is an engineer who left science behind
to write bestselling contemporary rom-coms set all around the world. She lives
in Italy.
Follow the Author:
Facebook: @CamillaIsley
Twitter: @camillaisley
Instagram: @camillaisley
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/CamillaIsleyNews
Bookbub Profile:@CamillaIsley
***
This has been a stop on the #TheRoommateExperiment blog tour by Rachel's Random Resources (@rararesources). Thanks for stopping by!
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