❄️ Mini Book Review ❄️

Title: Roommates
Author: Ola Tundun
Series: Roommates, #1
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Release: September 20, 2023
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Ebook | Audiobook
Length: 417 pages
Finished: January 2nd, 2023
Thoughts:

Oh my goodness, OH MY GOODNESS! What a way to start the new year. I have no idea what I was expecting, but this book took my soul for the day. I literally sat at 6pm and finished this book at 1am with maybe two breaks. It was THAT GOOD. This is one of those series that needs to be a movie or a tv show. I need this on the screens pronto!

The feeling of the story and chemistry between Caleb and Ariella is so real. SO REAL. This could happen to you or your best friend, and having that feeling that you can relate made me love it so much more. Ola is a fantastic writer with such a beautiful observant style. She builds the scenes around you, instills the feeling of the MCs within you. It was such a delightful reading experience. I am a fan! She is now Autobuy for me!

Caleb is an absolutely sexy MMC. Not because of sex appeal alone, but because of his heart and when he recognized he loved that girl…woo! Nothing was going to stop him! Ariella, our FMC, is so pure, trusting, and humble. Because she was constantly surrounded by such a protective loving family, when she recognized that she wanted to go out into the world and find out who she is, you have to root for her. She cares soooo much about everyone and everything and seeing people try to hurt and manipulate her broke my heart. But she is such a strong woman who truly fought for her own. I LOVED THAT!

I read along with the audiobook and the narrator, Savannah Davies was fantastic! I really hope she narrates the sequel, Complicated.

The ending broke my heart for Caleb (it is also triggering moment) and I hope to explore that situation more in the sequel. I want to avenge my boy!!! Luckily I have the ARC for “Complicated” and will start that ASAP. I highly recommend this series.

This one had all the pieces of a good RomCom but I didn't feel the chemistry. It wasn't bad but I didn't love it.

This was very trope-y and did a good job, but I can't say I ever felt really bought into their love story... maybe because there was so much happening. I do think if you really love Mhairi McFarlane's books but wish they had dual POV, this might be more your speed.

I guess the main audience for this book will be female, but as a male I can claim to have thoroughly enjoyed Ola Tundun's debut novel. Exploring relationships ups and downs and challenging the honesty of the central characters. Thanks as always to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to sample the work of another new author.

This book was just a mix of toxicity and miscommunication, and also toxic behavior. When I was reading this, I was confused multiple times because I was wondering how grown adults can react like that. For me, when you’re an adult, you can control how you react sometimes or come back on your reaction when you see that it wasn't the way you wanted to react.

So when I read this, I was like why don’t they just speak or explain what they’re feeling? During the book we are not in the contacts where they can’t speak, they can’t sit for a minute, they can’t be grown adults and have a conversation. They are roommates and they don’t speak.

I think this book wasn’t made for me because when I see grown adults reacting like that, I can’t take this book seriously and enjoy it.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for sending me this arc. all opinions are my own. now, regarding this book i have a lot of mixed opinions. i feel like the pacing was pretty good and the book is filled with tropes i loveeee. i also like how their relationship developed and it was very interesting and entertaining to read about. however, i constantly found myself frustrated with the actions of the characters which sometimes made this book very annoying to read. the story also had a slow start which made it difficult to get into. overall, i thought this book was pretty good with a couple minor issues.

I received a copy of this for my honest feedback.

This book did not turn out how I thought it would. Our FMC leaves her fiance with a post-it note and move in with our MMC that she kind of knows from work. It's an opposites attract story, but there are some darker themes in it such as grooming, and sexual assault. I thought it was written well, but I just don't love the characters, especially the FMC.

Thank you for NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to read this, I had high expectations for it. The cover and title caught my eyes and I really liked the idea through the description. However, it did not meet my expectations. Not even a little bit.
Up until 40ish% it was okay. Not what I expected but still okay. It was easy to read and fly through and I was grateful for that at first considering the kind of reading I get through in law school lol but as it went on I realized it was all "this happened and he said that then I did this"

A HUGE issue for me with this book is how the author touched on so many subjects all at once. I think it's better to mention less subjects and dive deep into them than mention a ton and end up with them being surface level. So for example, I liked Ariella's family overall but they just appear eventually so I didn't form any attachment to them and so on. Maybe things like that are the basis of the continuation of the series but personally I don't think it needed any. Maybe if it's another character's story like maybe Jasper or Jack but not Ariella.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was really looking forward to this especially after reading the blurb and although it was an enjoyable quick read felt it was missing a bit of the punch I was hoping for.
The story follows the main characters of Ariella and Caleb who end up roommates after Ariella splits up with her partner. They are initially like chalk and cheese with their own ups and downs but after time end up getting to know each other and a slow burn friendship ends up in something more.
It was a nice easy fast read, which is good, and as a debut it was a good book, and I look forward to reading more books by this author.

I love the angst between the characters and the banter was everything. Definitely a five star read for me. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

This was a okay read

I enjoyed it, like it did not love it.
Just an average 3 stars book for me.

This book was so good. I laughed, I got upset with the characters and loved every word of it! I will so be reading more from Ola Tundun!
I just reviewed Roommates by Ola Tundun. #Roommates #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

I didn’t enjoy this one. Unfortunately, I found most of the characters to be pretty unlikeable for most of the story. Caleb wasn’t so bad in the last quarter of the book, until it all got ruined in the final act. I also didn’t understand how the story set Jasper up to be an antagonist, but then in the end, even Caleb admits that he’s a good guy???

While it was a happy-ish ending, there were some elements near the end that I deeply disliked, including what I would consider to be a rape scene. It wasn’t addressed in the story as rape, but it was clearly a non-consensual situation. It was completely unnecessary in every way, and remained unresolved for the remainder of the book.

The romance that developed between Caleb and Ariella (the point of the plot) was really sweet, but that hardly redeemed the rest of the story. I really struggled with Ariella as a character for most of the story. Her constant lack of self-awareness drove me crazy. There’s a lot I disliked about her, unfortunately.

I feel conflicted though, because I think Ola Tundun did a good job of creating a tricky situation for the characters to navigate. And they navigated it like humans—imperfectly. The characters in this book were complex and layered, but not lovable. At the end, it all still felt too much like a grey area for the ending to be truly happy. Tundun definitely knows how to engage a reader. I just didn’t enjoy the plot of this story.

There aren’t enough words to express how much I loved this book.

Roommates follows Ariella Mason, who has the perfect life, career, and fiancé. All that anyone could ever hope for. Except, she still feels unhappy and like there’s something missing. Caleb Black, a colleague, has a room in his flat for rent. Ariella shows up with her bags asking to rent this space. During this time, Ariella hopes to focus on herself and figure out who she is without her fiancé and the life they’ve created. Jasper, her fiancé, is still madly in love with her and wants to make things work. She finds a friend within Caleb, except things between them don’t stay so clear. With true thoughts and feelings start to come to the surface, who will Ariella Mason choose?

The dialogue 🤌🏻 the plot 🤌🏻 the spice 🤌🏻 ALL DELIVERED.
This book is ✨perfect✨ for fans of:
• Love Triangles
• He falls first
• Forced proximity
• Coworkers to Friends to Lovers
• Cliffhangers

While it may be an unpopular opinion, I LOVED the ending. It completely caught me by surprise because it was something I never expected, ripped my heart out, yet left me wanting more. The only thing I would’ve asked for was a bit more background on the characters lives, especially Caleb Black but still the character development was top tier and did it’s job well.

Got to love the roommates to lovers trope. I really liked the forced proximity, and how it was written. Overall, it was a very cute love story.

This wasn't good. It was hard to find a connection with the characters and see them as people because we weren't truly brought into their world; it was very tell instead of show. I feel bad saying it was bad, but I barely got 3 chapters in and had to put it down as it was alienating to the reader.

This was so confusing, the two perspectives were so disjointed and some of their thoughts read a bit cringey.

"Home used to be a place where I happily shut myself away, but with you here it's a place where I feel safe to open up."

I really enjoyed reading Roommates by Ola Tundun over the last few days. The beginning really drew me in - what was Ariella up to, and why?! I enjoyed finding out about her and her relationship to Jasper, as well as why she ended it on a postit note and by packing up and moving out in the space of a few minutes before he got home from work. I enjoyed seeing Caleb discover why Ariella is the way she is, and going from being reluctant flatmate to good friend. Caleb was funny and smart and thoughtful, and I loved Ariella's guts in standing up to people, even if her indecision about her own feelings drove me crazy at times. When I had only 5% left of the book, I found myself wondering how on earth this story is going to be resolved in just a few more pages?! As it turns out, it ended as it began - in the middle of a scene. But it sounds like there will definitely be a sequel, so I'm excited for that!!

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC of Roommates - it has been a pleasure! ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 from me.

When I started this, I was not particularly keen. Ariella is an unusual character and I found her decisions and ways of handling situations perplexing. Caleb is a playboy and it is suprizing that he agrees to Ariella rollercoastering him into agreeing that she becomes his flatmate. As I got more into the book, I got to know the characters better and to like the main two characters more and I did end up enjoying the book .
Ariella remains an enigma, do people like her really exist ? By that I mean veering from hiding emotions, obsession with her ex to showing great understanding with Caleb's family and friends.. The plot did grab me by the end though and I am glad I have finished it. Emotions are well dealt with , conversations are natural and descriptions of people well done.
A good read , thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

4,75 stars - rolling up to 5.

I absolute adored and loved this book, the characters gripped me quite fast, and I love how it shows life with its ups and downs. There was this one scene that gave me the ick so for me its not a full 5 stars, but it still gave me the giggles, kicking the feet and smiling emotions all over. Also really fun that Norway was mentioned quite abit!

Thanks the publisher and Ola for letting me read this. Ola seems like such a sweetheart. :)