Review of ‘The roommate arrangement’ by Jae
Stephanie Renshaw is a comedian hoping to get a big break in LA. When she finds an ideal apartment to rent close to the comedy clubs, she jumps at the opportunity. There’s only a catch, the landlords only rent to couples. Stephanie is eternally single but a fake partner couldn’t be so hard to find, can it? Rae Coleman, is a former police officer working as security at one of the top comedy clubs. After getting injured in the line of duty, she likes to keep to herself under a tough exterior. Against her own good judgment, she accepts Steph’s proposition to become her fake relationship and share the apartment with her. After clashing badly, they manage to form a friendship that soon threatens to become more. Can Steph commit to a relationship and can Rae trust someone with her wounded heart?
‘The roommate arrangement’ is part of the universe of Jae’s ‘Just for show‘, which was one of my 2018 favourite books. It was good to reconnect with the beautiful lead couple and meet again the quirky Renshaw family. If you liked ‘Just for show’ you probably like this one too.
This is a very slow-burn romance, typical of Jae. There is not much conflict between the characters and their fake relationship agreement. I’ve noticed that some reviewers complained about the lack of conflict, but for me, a feel-good romance without much drama is up my alley. As usual, Jae builds the characters to perfection; to say that this is an opposites-attract romance is the understatement of the year. Steph is an extrovert, sociable, commitment-phobic comedian, while Rae is an introvert, broody, broken-hearted security guard. The author manages to make both characters absolutely lovable and it’s easy to vouch for them. No complaints from me in that department!
The rest is pure Jae’s prowess: naturally sounding dialogues, pent-up chemistry, funny scenes and cheerful moments. If you are looking for a lesbian feel-good romance book, maybe for the holiday season, this is a safe option. 4.5 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
