Okay so, I wanted to like this. I really did. I was offered access to an ARC and the blurb sounded interesting and said it was perfect for fans of three authors, two of whom I usually enjoy. However, I discovered two things right at the end: 1. the author likes to write complicated people, make the audience think, and focus on the messiness of life; and 2. it is book one of a series, the type of series where the story doesn't wrap up. I've come to realize that I very much prefer related/interconnected standalones in a series so it makes sense why the pace felt slow and off the entire time I was reading. I understand now why the character growth was so minimal and slow, and I can usually get behind unlikeable characters but I could tell these weren't meant to unlikable and I just did not like them. I do wonder now if I would have been less bothered if I knew they had more time as I read? I seriously wanted to stop reading, and checked how much was left SO OFTEN but wanted to see it through in case something happened. Had I known it was a series going on, I probably would have stopped early or even not read it at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC. The book is released on Sept 20/23.

0.5 stars (I actively did not enjoy this book but somehow finished it)

Ariella has everything she’s ever wanted. So why is she not happy? In a desperate attempt to answer that question she moves out of the home that she shares with the only man she’s ever loved and rents a spare room from a coworker. Caleb is her total opposite and drives her more than a little crazy. She’s not sure she can survive being his flat mate. But Aari isn’t sure who she is, and she knows she’ll never figure it out if she stays inside her ex’s orbit. And she has to make this work.

Caleb is more than a little resistant to the idea of a female flat mate, especially one as stale and stuck up as Ariella. But she’s willing to pay an obscene amount over his asking price so he can’t refuse. He has no idea what he’s getting himself into…

This story was nothing like I thought it was going to be. It was real and gritty and it gave me lots of feels. I was fully invested. I was just as surprised about Caleb capturing my heart as he was about Aari capturing his. But I loved him. I can decide if I’m mad or elated that their story isn’t over 😂.

This was seriously such a good story by Ola Tundun! I cannot believe this was a debut. It does not read like a debut at all!

If you like slowburns, forced proximity, and he falls first, but also, realistic, messy, and emotional, give this book a try!

Arielle is on the hunt for a new apartment after a very recent breakup. Arielle has been sheltered and is ready to take on a new challenge.

Caleb is on the lookout for a roommate. Playboy Caleb is living in up as an unscrupulous bachelor.

Caleb comes across as a bully.

There is so much back and forth in this book.

-womens fiction
-slow burn

The cliffhanger was not appreciated. But I could understand because the ending was coming fast with barely any resolution. Another full length story would be too much.

Strangers to roommates to lovers slow burn

TW
-Drugging
-SA
-Domestic violence

Really enjoyed this book and the will they won't they of Arri and Caleb however the abrupt cliffhanger ending was extremely disappointing. This book is already long, and did feel quite drawn out, for this genre of book so to end like this was frustrating.
That being said I want to know what happens next so would like out for the sequel.
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy romance, will they /won't they and enemies to lovers style books.
Thanks to @netgalley for the advance copy.

I really liked the book.

When Ariella walks out on her fiancée and moves in with Caleb, Ariella's life is about to change. But, little Caleb knows that his world will turn upside down with his new roommate. Living together learns them new things, but also makes them see each other for the first time. What will happen once Ariella realises that she has to choose between her old and a new life? And what will Caleb do?

I like the book. It was easy to read and the characters were relatable. I did think the ending was a bit weird and veeeery rushed, but that might be down to a second book that will be published later. Because of the volumes alcohol and all the times that sex and stuff were mentioned, I got a bit annoyed with the one-sidedness of things.

We start with Ariella, who’s a woman stuck in an engagement with Jasper who’s a family friend. Her and Jasper’s relationship starts off rather rocky as he’s been in love with her since they were kids but never expressed it until her 21st birthday. When they officially start dating, it’s on Jasper’s terms. He tried to curate a perfect life for them and in doing so, stopped being present.

Ariella leaves Jasper and moves into a flat with her co-worker Caleb. Caleb is a notorious womanizer and everyone in their office is aware of his antics. After a few weeks they grow a friendship which eventually becomes intimate due to Ariella wanting to “move on” from Jasper. THINGS GET MESSY, but eventually Ariella and Caleb end up together… I think.

I feel like this book had a lot of potential, however it fell flat around 45% mark. Majority of that had to do with a lot of unnecessary side stories. I’m all for character development, but some of the placement for those plots didn’t add to the storyline.

Caleb’s affection for Ariella LITERALLY came out of nowhere. There weren’t enough crumbs to lead me to believe he started to like her more than just a friend. The main plot of this book is self discovery for Ariella and Caleb, but I feel like we didn’t spend enough time with Ariella changing her habits outside of her relationship with Jasper. She basically fell into doing everything she did for Jasper with Caleb. If Caleb and Ariella were a real couple, they’d need A LOT of therapy or they’d break up.

The storyline with Jack and Lou should’ve been omitted. There wasn’t a resolution at the end and left the story with a giant cliffhanger on whether Jack stayed in the relationship with an abusive Lou. I’m all for representation of toxic relationships in books, but it was written in a way that didn’t show the seriousness of situations like this.

I thoroughly enjoyed Ariella’s family and Em and Caleb’s interactions. Those scenes felt fleshed out and gave the main storyline more umph. Specifically Ariella’s mom and Em were my favorites as they felt the most supportive to the main characters.

Overall, this book gets a hard 2 out of 5 for me. Lots of potential but ultimately feel flat.

I was given the opportunity to read an arc via Netgalley and it did not disappoint. This book is easy to get into the main characters Caleb and Aarie dynamic is fun to see grow. The way Aarie is working to find herself was very relatable. But perhaps what got to me the most is the very realistic ending that this book provided and I cannot wait to see what happens next for Caleb and Aarie.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read an ARC for this book

Short Review: 3.5/5 ⭐️” Ola Tundun approaches the main characters emotions and actions so realistically, that my delusional self couldn’t even process it right”

Long Review: Just completed the ARC to this beauty today ! I just want to preface this review by saying love triangles stress.me.out.!!! And that being said I was on a little emotional roller coaster while reading Roommates by Ola Tundun . A beautiful one too ! The story was set in London which always gives me cozy vibes and is about Aari , a POC that has been in a very long term relationship and questions if that relationship is even what she wants anymore . I find this extremely realistic and to be expected but what sets this train wreck in motion is the fact that the FMC just up and left with only a note to her then fiancé !! Am not only did she leave but she moved in with another man , Caleb , who is also her coworker and standard playboy of the story . So you can only imagine the shenanigans these characters get up tooooo . Ola Tundun approaches these characters emotions and actions so realistically, that my delusional self couldn’t even process it right 😭 I strongly suggest you give this book a read when it gets published, which is on MY BIRTHDAY might I add 🥰

The first half of to thirds of this book is definitely 5 stars. It’s the kind of book that you can’t put down. It wasn’t graphic sex, which was nice. The main character has escaped a relationship with a close family friend of almost all her life. She loves him, but felt suffocated. She moves in with a complete playboy from her office. The main character Arielle is a talented cook and very much an introvert. She comes from a close knit family who adores her ex-fiancé so all are surprised and upset that she left him. Her playboy roommate, Caleb, ends up not being super shallow and is positively affected by living with her. There are some side characters that add depth to this novel. I don’t want to give away any spoilers. It’s a good book, but the ending left me wanting more,

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I will not lie to y'all; the cover immediately caught my eye while scrolling. The cover and the synopsis gave Rom-Com, and you know I love a good Rom-Com. Roommates is about Ariella Mason, a natural perfectionist who rents a room in her co-worker Caleb Black's apartment after some relationship problems. Now, while Ariella is the introverted perfectionist, Caleb is the charismatic playboy with the ever-revolving door.

When I started this book, my mind had the story going in a very fluffy direction. The story was a lot more emotional than I was expecting. You really felt for Ariella once the reason she needed to rent a room suddenly began to unravel. You form an attachment to Ariella and Caleb as the story goes on and watch them grow into themselves while trying to start a connection with each other. There was a lot of miscommunication between the two and too many unsaid words. That is not really my jam, but I know some people love that slow burn and the miscommunication. Their back-and-forth of "Are they or aren't they?" wore on me after a while. Once you got to the ending, it felt abrupt. You grow this attachment to them, and it ends. In a world where almost every book has an epilogue now, you definitely want a decent ending when you get to the end of the book.

Thank you, Storm Publishing and NetGalley, for this ARC for an honest review. #Roommates #NetGalley

This is a good book for high school students. It was vey interesting and you would want to keep reading to find out what happens next.

Roommates….

I have to admit, this book did give me a little anxiety! I do a close proximity, start as roommates and become closer. Ariella and Caleb take you on that journey.
Their relationship might cause you some stress as it did me. Ariella comes to live with Caleb because she just doesn’t like where her life is headed. She has a relationship with Jasper but doesn’t even say goodbye when moving out.
Along their journey both Caleb and Ariella do some not so smart things! It’s kind of hard to feel any love or closeness with them as they start developing feelings for each other. I struggled with that!
I think this is a good debut novel and I would definitely read more from this author.

I *mostly* enjoyed this book! I am a sucker for a good forced proximity trope, especially when it's as well done as this one! I wasn't crazy about the ending, but I will say that being left wanting more is a nice surprise after reading many books that wrap up with a nice little bow, Roommates broke that mold. There were times when I felt that the story was a little dragged out, but overall I think that for a debut novel this attention grasping and a fresh take on the realities of getting out of a committed relationship and having to come to terms with your actual feelings about the person/situation. I do wish some of the more triggering topics had a bit more a fore-warning from the author/publisher (multiple forms of abuse, drugging, panic attacks). Overall a pretty good read, and would read from this author again.

Thank you to Netgalley for the copy of this book in exchange for a review.

📖: Roommates by: Ola Tundun | 📅 Pub Day: Wednesday September 20th, 2023

As soon as I finished this book, I needed moreeeee! The dialogue, the plot, the growth, THE COMMUNICATION….A+👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 with a love triangle that could easily rival Edward and Jacob or Conrad and Jeremiah. The characters were lovable, even when they were a little messy or emotion driven.

Perfect for fans of:
✨Strangers/coworkers to roommates to….???
✨Love triangles
✨Strong character development
✨Foody literature
✨Real gritty familial relationships
✨He falls first
✨Close proximity
✨Opposites attract

My only super nit picky complaint (which is not even a real complaint more of a personal preference) is that I think some page breaks/visual delineations/section breaks (ie: a simple line or icon of some sort) in the chapters between scenes that change the plot, setting, and or time period would change would be helpful because while reading from time to time I was taken out of the story and had to realign my thoughts to figure out where the story was at that particular moment!

Other than that small tidbit I absolutely LOVED this book and it is super high on my list of favorite books of 2023! Also I can’t wait to read the next book from this author whenever that comes!

5⭐️

Special thanks to @stormbooks_co and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book on its publication date.

Oh my goodness, where to start. For a debut novel this is exceptional.

Roommates follows ariella after she decides she isn't happy in her relationship. Maybe not handling it the best way, she leaves without so much as a goodbye. Needing somewhere to stay, she moves in with Caleb Black, a work colleague. Ariella plans to spend time with herself, and figure who and what she wants. Her ex, jasper, is desperate to get her back but Ariella just doesn't know if he is the one for her. When Caleb starts blurring the lines of friendship or more, who will Ariella pick?

This book is a beautiful story of finding yourself in a world of confusion. The journey Ariella goes on is inspiring and opens up a very important question. Can you really know who you want, if you don't know who you are?

3 Stars - Cliffhangers. This is a longer read for this style of book and it ended in a cliff hanger. Not cool.

Let's talk positives: Each character was fully fleshed out, and scenes were not soley pushed by dialogue. I appreciated the setting of scenes and description of the world without it waning on.

Let's talk not so positives: I didn't feel a spark or much chemistry or "uplifting". It felt like the romance was only reliant upon proximity and convenience. With the MC's life happening, I was expecting some "pull yourself up and dust your self off", but I wasn't seeing it.

This is still a solid read, I just wish there were a few tweaks in tone and of course, the ending.
https://hausofroses.blogspot.com/2023/08/earc-review-roommates-by-ola-tundun.html

Old Tundun's Roommates is a realistic & authentic read. Ariella and Caleb couldn't be poles apart, but together, they bring out the best and learn to navigate the worst. The push and pull between the protagonists amidst personal and professional fronts had me rooting for them from the beginning. The mix of humour, wisdom, chemistry, and reliability was well-infused throughout the book.

I have to ping the trigger warnings of crippling anxiety, panic attacks, elements of cheating and unwilling drugging, which could be interpreted as non-consensual sex. An interesting perspective is that the women are the perpetrators. The ending, albeit abrupt and unexpected, got me bad! I can't wait to see how Ariella and Caleb's futures unfold.

Thank you Storm Publishing & NetGalley for providing an e-ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.

Really enjoyed the book! It's great💗💗💗

"Thank you so much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC.

Now, let’s get into it. ‘Roommates’ follows Ariella, a reserved young professional who decides she needs some space from her relationship boyfriend/lifelong best friend. After building up the nerve, Ariella decides to respond an ad posted at her job looking for a flat mate.

Ariella’s coworker and new flat mate, Caleb, is a seemingly unbothered playboy, and the two of them couldn’t be more different. Throughout the book, Ariella and Caleb force eat other to grow and change in ways neither of them could have imagined. It’s a great slow burn friendship-turned-romance; however, the cliffhanger was so abrupt, it gave me whiplash. For that reason alone, I give the book a 3 out of 5 stars. Rating may change depending on how solid the follow-up.

Ola Tundun’s debut novel Roommates will leave you both satisfied and craving more.

Our girl Ariella opens the story as a shy and unassuming girl who seems rather boring, until she decides to start making big moves for herself. The development and growth we see her and Caleb, her new roomie, go through keeps you locked in and incredibly invested early on. The chapters switch between the two main characters and gives excellent perspective of their situations. You may find yourself screaming at your book for the characters to just “come out and say it, already”!! Not to fear, Ariella’s best friend and coworker is there to be the witty voice of reason and to encourage pettiness and some sneaky spying action. The story ends with room for growth, so I’m waiting patiently for part two.