Review: The Room Mate (Roommates, #1), by Kendall Ryan

The Room MateThe Room Mate by Kendall Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

***I was provided an ARC of this book in exchange for honest feedback.***

If you’re in the mood for something heartwarming and fun, ‘The Room Mate’ is a fantastic choice. It was just the kind of light-hearted, sweet story that I needed to balance out all of the darker stories that I usually gravitate toward. It was a sentimental, feel-good romance that was highly enjoyable.

I have to admit that I was a little skeptical after reading the blurb. The idea of Cannon being some sex-god that women became obsessed with after getting a taste of what he could do between the sheets was a little far-fetched for me. My response was something along the lines of “Oh, please!”

That being said, I’m glad that I didn’t let that initial impression scare me away. This ended up being a great book. I found myself laughing at the sexually-charged banter between Cannon and Paige. It was just such a fun read.

The story begins with Cannon being evicted from his apartment after an incident with his crazy ex-girlfriend. A busy medical student, he doesn’t have the time to find another apartment. Since he’ll likely be moving in two short months to begin a residency, he can’t commit to a new lease either.

Paige is the best friend of Cannon’s sister. When she is contacted by her best friend, who asks her to let Cannon stay with her for awhile, Paige reluctantly agrees. She has known Cannon since they were children and is willing to sacrifice a couple of months of comfort to help out her bestie.

Only, Cannon is no longer the nerdy boy that Paige remembers from her childhood. He has grown into a sexy, successful man that she can’t keep her eyes off of. The sexual chemistry between the two is off the charts right from the start. A few chance encounters only serve to heighten the sexual tension between the two.

It doesn’t take long for their curiosity and lust to win out. It was bound to happen and it did. If they thought that their attraction was something that would wane once they got a taste, they were wrong.

Despite their intense chemistry and the “rightness” of them together, there is plenty of reasons whey these two should not be together. Paige’s friendship with Cannon’s sister is a huge deterrent. Cannon’s career is another. The two decide to keep their relationship casual and hidden.

When a series of tragic events unfold, their relationship is put to the test. Emotions run high and the poor decisions pile up. In no time at all, whatever they had been building seems to have disintegrated.

This book is a standalone that is part of the ‘Roommates’ series. All in all, I thought that this was a fantastic read. It was fun and light-hearted. This is one to save for a day when you need a unicorns and rainbows kind of story. Ms. Ryan delivers the emotional connection and angst that you need, as well as a HEA that will leave you feeling satisfied.

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Review: Ten Below Zero, by Whitney Barbetti

Ten Below ZeroTen Below Zero by Whitney Barbetti
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I’ve read a lot of fabulous books over the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately, ‘Ten Below Zero’ wasn’t one of them. Was I harsher on this book because I had read so many spectacular books around the same time? Maybe. It is possible that I would have given this a 4-star rating if I had read it at some other point in time. However, it paled in comparison to the other books that I’ve read recently.

The story is about two damaged individuals that form a friendship, and later a romantic relationship. They help each other come to terms with their “issues” and face some hard truths. Most of this bonding occurs over the course of a long road-trip together after they check out of their day-to-day lives.

Although this story was okay, I never felt any type of strong connection to either of the characters. The heroine, Parker, was a withdrawn and socially inept lady that was a total doormat for her nasty roommates. She went through the motions, but never formed any attachments or had any concern for others. After escaping the clutches of a serial killer, she survived each day, but never really lived.

Everett was also tough to relate to. More often than not, I found him to be rude and insulting. He is an alcoholic with a brain tumor. Despite being relatively young and otherwise healthy, he decides to forego an operation that may save his life. Meanwhile, he constantly harasses Parker about the fact that she isn’t really “living” her life. Hypocritical much?

Together, these two were just overwhelmingly depressing. I just couldn’t get into this story or relate to the characters. I listened to the Audible edition and despite the good narration, I had to force myself to finish this story. It just seemed to drag along, like a dark cloud hanging over my head.

That being said, the writing was good. It just wasn’t the story for me at this time. I had a really hard time concentrating on this one. In the end, it picked up a little, but not enough to make me care about the characters or where they were headed. The whole story was just kind of “meh” for me.

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