The American Roommate Experiment Review

The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas has been out for a couple of years, and has quickly made lists of favorite romance novels. Elena Armas is one of those authors of a particular BookTok fame that has made her works instantly recognizable amongst romance aficionados and TikTok fans alike. Although she’s primarily known for her debut novel, The Spanish Love Deception, her second novel, The American Roommate Experiment has further established Armas as a romance mainstay. This is the first novel that I’ve read by this author, and I was thoroughly pleased with the sweet characters and charming plot. Here is my The American Roommate Experiment review.

The Plot

The novel follows Rosie Graham, a former engineer taking a career risk to follow her dream of becoming a romance writer. The problem is, ever since she took that leap, everything has gone wrong. A bad case of writer’s block threatens her upcoming deadline, and the ceiling to her apartment caves in, forcing her to move into her friend’s vacant studio. The book is told in dual perspective and also follows Lucas Martín, cousin to Rosie’s bff, who is scheduled to be staying in the same studio apartment. When he suggests that they go on practice dates to jump start Rosie’s creativity, Rosie must do her best to resist falling in love for real.

Review

The beginning of the novel finds both main characters going through a soul searching season. Rosie with her career change, and Lucas with his career ending injury. This brings a level of depth and vulnerability to each character that not only increases their relatability, but also adds weight to an otherwise light-hearted novel.

The characters are well fleshed out, both with pasts that add depth to their actions, and we get to see their relationship build day-by-day. The whole storyline occurs within a short 6 week span. And yet, somehow, Armas has made this feel like a well developed slow burn.

This is a classic forced proximity romance where both characters secretly harbor feelings for each other. Is it cheesy at times? Of course. But I don’t mind a little cheese in a cute rom-com.

That being said, this is a rather predictable and somewhat cliched romance novel. Is it the most realistic? No, but as we’ve established, realism is not a big requirement in a cheesy rom-com. However, if you love the close proximity, fake dating, or slow-burn tropes, this novel is sure to please.

Overall, this novel is an extremely cute story filled with humor, heart, and of course, an HEA.

Readers should note this one is Rated R.

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