This chapter sample was exceptional and made me instantly pre-order the book because I just had to know what happened next and where it was going to go. Adored her characters but felt like there was more story to tell, especially with Lucas. An exceptional follow up not to be missed!

I really enjoyed reading The Spanish Love Deception at the start of the year so I was very excited to hear Elena Armas had written a second book. I was able to read the opening chapters thanks to NetGalley and then purchased the whole book straight away on please day. I've read a lot of romance books with similar themes recently but this one did stand out to me. I loved both of the main characters and thought their chemistry was great. I really enjoyed reading about there relationship developing and thought the dialogue was very good. I especially loved the dual point of view which added a lot to the story and the characters. I think I liked this book more than her first overall.

I liked how it acted as a sequel to The Spanish Love Deception by including the main characters and continuing their stories but it wasn't overwhelming. This book could still stand on its own and someone who hadn't read the other book could easily pick it up and enjoy without feeling lost. My only criticism would be on the relationship with Rosie and her brother and father - her concern for her brother could have maybe been developed more, but it did work among the other story themes.

Overall, The American Roommate Experiment was a really enjoyable read and I'll deftly be reading anything Elena Armas writes in the future. She took some frequently used romance tropes and executed them very well. I'd definitely recommend to romance fans.

This is a very short sample of Elena Arma's second book. I really enjoyed her debut and reading the first few pages of The American Roommate Experiment, I know for sure that I am getting the full novel. It follows the story of one of the secondary characters in the first book and I am dying to know how the story evolves from her first encounter with her new roommate. In this sample, we can already see the fun tone that the story will have. I am sure it'll be as good as the first one!

The American Roommate Experiment begins with a bang! Rosie’s character was hilarious and she immediately hooked me. I’m excited to get to know these characters and follow their love story. I also loved the connection to the Spanish Love Deception.

*Reviewed chapter sample only*

Reading this sampler made me SO excited for the actual book that I ended up pre ordering it because I needed to know what happened next 👀👀

I loved this so much!

I am an avid fan of the Spanish Love Deception, and even from the start you can see that it isn't following the sae formula, and so it will make another book which is just so special.
Elena Armas has a way of capturing your attention when you are reading her work so that you constantly want to know more and want to see where it goes.

I am very excited to read the rest of this, but what an excellent way to start the book.

One chapter and I'm desperate to read the rest. I can't wait to see the full book in print. The story is definitely going to be up my street...please Elena, release it soon!

One of my favourite books of the year so far, Lucas and Rosie were totally adorable and just everything I needed and more. The whole book left me feeling warm and fussy inside.

I enjoyed this sample but that’s not a surprise as I liked many aspects of The Spanish Love Deception. I look forward to getting stuck in to my pre-ordered copy.

Loved this sampler so much that I preordered the book. If you haven't started the series yet pick it up now!

I am already so intrigued! I love how the characters are from the Spanish Love Deception (which was such an amazing book!) and can’t wait to learn more about Rosie! I can already tell that this book is going to be incredible - and that I am going to fall in love with Lucas! I can’t wait to read the rest!

A good snippet but not enough!

I did enjoy Elena's first book so it's great to meet Lucas in this book.

Excited!

Love is dead. Well not exactly dead. Familial love, friendship and the general stuff that makes the world go round… all fine, but romantic love? Dead. At least for me it is. So it might seem strange that I’m reviewing a romance book when this is not a genre I normally read and I am definitely not in the right mindset at the moment to embrace the heated glances and the heart-warming, tear-inducing scenes that romance novels are all about. They are in the business of happily ever afters and I no longer believed in fairy tales.

So imagine my surprise after being badgered by a friend into picking up and reading a copy of The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas, that I fell so completely and utterly in enamoured with the book and its main love interest, Aaron Blackford. He is now THE standard by which I measure all men and that includes book boyfriends. As I’ve explained countless times to my work colleagues, yes it’s a real thing and no, I will not stop saying ‘book boyfriend’ now that I’ve discovered it’s a thing.

I was extremely happy to learn that Elena had a second novel out soon and the appeal of having a bit more time with Lina and Aaron (who both make an appearance) had me very excited, but I was curious about the direction that Armas would take with her new book. For me, it had a tough act to follow.

The American Roommate Experiment is a standalone novel that takes place after the events of The Spanish Love Deception and follows Lina’s best friend, Rosalyn “Rosie” Graham. Rosie has had a string of bad luck with the ceiling of her apartment collapsing in, writer’s block she can’t shake and a fast approaching book deadline due in a few short weeks. Her only option is to stay over at her friend’s apartment while she’s away, but as it turns out Lina forgot to mention that her attractive cousin Lucas would be coming over to stay. What follows is an irresistible story of fake dating, forced proximity and slow burn friends to lovers that is hard to put down.

This novel has a much more lighthearted and emotional tone than its predecessor. Completely expected as this is a friends to lovers rather than an enemies to lovers tale so Rosie and Lucas can really shine as the fun sweet characters they are without the initial antagonism that Lina and Aaron started off with. It feels more like something straight out of the height of the 1990s rom-coms with its quirky heroine and her loveable flirty friend offering to help her find inspiration for her book through a series of fake dates.

Rosie, as a main character, is delightfully endearing. She babbles and thinks too much; blurting out embarrassing admissions at times she wishes she could take back, but is more direct and open with her thoughts and feelings than Catalina was. Her cringeworthy dating history of assfaces, as Lina calls them, would probably make any woman swear off men altogether, so I was really rooting for her to believe she deserved better. As Lucas put it, “Your bar is so low, Rosie. It drives me insane.”

Each of the dates Lucas and Rosie go on feels purposefully formulaic as Rosie has meticulously charted out the general progression of a literary romantic relationship down to a T. From the first meet-cute and the heart thumping anticipation of the first date; to the grand swoon worthy movie moment gesture you’ll bookmark just so you can read it over and over again. But what really makes this move beyond the classic paint by numbers formula is Armas’ wonderful ability to create characters that feel authentic and relatable.

Lucas Martin is not another Aaron Blackford. He’s a complete gentleman who’s always ready with a flirty comment and an easy smile; definitely a charmer and he knows it. He takes on the challenges of these experimental dates with such sincerity and careful planning that it’s hard not to fall in love with Lucas right alongside Rosie.

The duel POVs in this story is a refreshing change in format and I really loved reading the chapters from Lucas’s perspective. Because of his flirtatious personality, seeing things through Lucas’ eyes made his intentions feel more genuine throughout the experiment when they could have been easily dismissed as the actions of a serial womaniser. Their easy playful banter and mutual pining was incredibly cute and in all honesty who doesn’t want to know what the heck is going on in the other person’s head?

For those who have endured this far into my review waiting for an answer to whether this book has any spicy bits in it and whether it’s any good. Well… Hot damn. Hot fucking damn.

So one question remains, is this better than The Spanish Love Deception? Has Lucas Martin replaced Aaron Blackford as my favourite book boyfriend in my heart? It’s honestly a hard choice as both books are very different in tone and structure. So much so that I honestly believe those who might not have enjoyed her previous book should give The American Roommate Experiment a try because it really is the perfect romcom novel and I can see a lot of people falling in love with this book. It was a very close race, but Aaron and The Spanish Love Deception edged it for me, but purely because of my own preferences and type. Aaron Blackford may have ruined me for all other men, but Lucas is a very close second and if Lucas asked me out for one of his dates, I wouldn’t say no.

Elena Armas never misses. One chapter in and I’m dying to read more. Can’t wait to read the rest of this!!!

You can not simply do this to me. Chapter sampler? No way, I want more! It was just getting started, getting to be good.
But maybe it is for the best, I will reach for the Spanish love deception first since now I know it happens before.
Soooo, overall: I am glad I have read it but cannot say anything more about the book as a whole yet.

Brilliant can’t wait to read the full book, this was so appealing and enticing

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

The chapters I was lucky enough to be sent were great, really engaging and the writing was brilliant. I really felt the beginning of a connection with the main characters so I can't wait to purchase a copy and get it finished!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was lucky to be senile the opening chapters as a sample 😊 I absolutely loved the start of this book! The characters were relatable and the storyline had me hooked! I will definitely be purchasing this book to find out what happens between Rosie and Lucas. The chapters I read were well-written and the story seemed to flow well. It had me gripped as I genuinely didn’t know who this man was banging on her door! Can’t wait to read the rest.

Oh my god I'm so excited for thissss!! I adored The Spanish Love Deception and I just know I'll devour this. Great introduction to Rosie and Lucas and I can already tell this is gonna be a saucy read in an afternoon book!

I cannot wait to read it!!It was so good as far as I read in this sample that make me wanting for more!