Conor Brady is the hottest man I have ever laid eyes on. Ever. He’s also my new roommate. In the past few days, I became jobless, homeless, and boyfriendless.
So, I did what any 28-year-old woman with her life together would do: I ran. Far, far away from my life in New York and straight to my big brother’s house in Atlanta.
Only, it turns out that my brother is away on a business trip. And, he failed to tell me that a full-on, godlike hottie—who happens to be a premier house flipper—has taken up residence in the spare bedroom while his enormous new house is being renovated.
There’s a million reasons why I shouldn’t fall for Conor.
But our chemistry is undeniable.
Which means I have a teeny, tiny situation on my hands…
The Roommate Situation is a laugh-out-loud funny, swoony, closed door romantic comedy. Expect some mild language and suggestive jokes alongside sizzling hot chemistry and tension you could cut with a knife—all without the explicit scenes.
Katie Bailey is an Amazon top 25 bestselling author of rom coms with relatable characters and tons of chemistry. Her aim with every new love story she writes is to give readers a good laugh, maybe even a bit of a cry, but definitely leave them with a new book boyfriend.
When she’s not busy writing, Katie spends her time chasing twin tornado littles, cursing the cold Canadian winters she endures each year, chugging coffee by the bucketload, and crushing on her husband, who’s the real life inspiration behind all of the fictional men she’s written.
You can connect with Katie on Instagram @authorkatiebailey
This one had so much potential. I'm left disappointed.
The first 16% of the book was a page turner. After that it kinda went downhill because by that time the main characters had already decided that they were in love. That realization was a bit too rushed for me. But that's just me. I prefer when the characters become friends then gradually fall in love.
I also felt no connection to any of the characters. There was far too much flirting between the MCs before actually getting to know each other. Their "connection" to each other felt superficial.
It felt like all they spoke about were their feelings for each other. It was the same thing over and over.
There were a lot of cringe moments, especially after the 50% mark. It became so cliché.
Another thing I didn't enjoy was reading Conor's part. He spoke in hindsight and it felt like reading a journal entry.
As for Jess, she's pretty immature for a 28 year old. Very quick to jump to conclusions and it's annoying.
So much potential to be a cute/adorable story. But it fell flat.
3.5⭐ Genre ~ romantic comedy Series ~ Only in Atlanta #1 Others in the series ~ The Neighbor War Setting ~ Atlanta, Georgia Publication date ~ June 15, 2021 Est page Count ~ 278 (31 chapters) Audio length ~ 7 hours 24 minutes Narrator ~ Julia King, Christopher Rourke POV ~ dual 1st Featuring ~ characters in their late 20's, a bit of insta~love, roommates to lovers, brothers best friends, best friends sister, close proximity, no steamge
Jess & Conor Jess is moving into her brother's house after her breakup. She wasn't expecting it to already be occupied by her brother's friend, Conor.
Within 5 minutes of us meeting Conor he vacuumed and 7 minutes later dinner is on the table. Sounds like a keeper to me. He's really sweet, too.
Jess has a tough time trusting since her ex boyfriend cheated on her. She could have used a bit more confidence.
Regarding the insta ~ blah because obviously this is usually based on looks alone.
Overall, it had some fun and cute moments, but we have the dreaded 3rd act crap per usual. I could've went without the Carla drama, too. (I've returned the book now, but I think that was her name)
Narration notes: I'm happy with the narration. Julia actually sang, which I don't think I have ever heard a narrator do.
romance: 5/10 (honestly the romance was weirdly physical, focusing on each other’s bodies and things. It rubbed me the wrong way and was one of the main reasons why I didn’t finish this book. There were mentions of a past relationship that was hinted at being sexual. And a few of Conor’s friends sleep around and are known as playboys)
cursing: 1/10 (Just hell and damn up to 27%)
violence: 0/10 (none)
other: mentions of drinking/drunkenness
tropes: Brother’s best friend? Idk
first person, present tense
–OVERVIEW–
Okay guys, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Katie. She is such a kind and sweet human being and I’m fortunate enough to have had conversations with her in the past.
But UNfortunately, this book just didn’t hit.
Honestly, I would rather bang my head against a brick wall then have to read this book again
There are quite a few reasons as to WHY I didn’t like this book, but I’ll start with my least favorite and the leading factor.
1. In my biased opinion this book is too sexual Before you jump the gun, no, there isn’t any spice. BUT there doesn’t have to be spice for attraction between the characters to be based mostly, if not, entirely off of physical appearances. This kind of main attraction is a turn off for me. When I read a book, I’m here for the emotional connection. I don’t want to hear every two seconds about Conor’s strong jaw or Jess’ full figure. No. I want the characters to bond and be drawn to each other in ways that have nothing to do with outward appearances. This could totally just be a me thing, but it is a big deal for me. Also one of the main reasons why I couldn’t stand Powerless. Lust in books just isn’t it. It went like this Jess (internally): Oh my gosh, my brother has a roommate?!? Why didn’t he tell me? Better question, why is he so hot?! Conor (internally): Yo, where’d this psycho chick and her potted plant come from? Yk what? Who cares, she’s hella fine. Jess: So, uhm, you single? Conor: Oh, yeah. I just imagined that we’re married. Jess: Oh cool.
Like help? ✋😭
2. It read like Wattpad Katie, you know I love you, you know I do. But the difference between this book and So That Happened or I Think He Knows is staggering. Compared, this book is a dumpster fire. The attraction was rushed, the dialogue was choppy, the characters were like blank sheets of paper.
3. The Characters were dull There's only a certain amount of same old same old I can stand. And this was the most unoriginal thing I've ever consumed. Now it's not like I expect a masterpiece from a romcom, that would be unfair, but I can't stand when every character is like every other one I've seen in a different font. Once, it's good. Twice, it's meh. Thrice, it's please just stop. I want emotional attachment. I want to feel connected to characters. I don't want it to feel like I'm reading about two mannequins act out a sorry excuse for a love story
If you’re considering reading one of her books please, oh, please start with So That Happened. If I had read this book of hers first I never would have picked up another of her works again, that’s for sure.
-BUDDY READ WITH-
⤷Violet sorry another one of our buddy reads was a flop, also sorry it took me so long to try and finish only to dnf lol
The Roommate Situation is a sweet cute romance. I want Miss Bailey to pick up the plot with more jazz. Such as more sassy banter, quirky and perhaps more in depth characters development. Alas, the plot, the cuteness just stuck.
I have to admit, I am bit bored. Especially in the middle. Connor is too sweet to everyone. Jess seems to stuck being cute awkward. The plot is also stuck. No hidden plot not exciting twist. Overall I do not hate nor like the book. My impression is: standard.
» And Then Some - Alex Sampson « 0:53 ─〇─────3:09 ↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺
✧˚ · In life, seasons are inevitable, and sometimes things have to fall apart completely to yield real growth. And no matter how tough that feels in the moment, the eventual growth is worth the pain of loss. Because beyond loss lies something new. A new beginning in life. · ˚✧
⭐⭐⭐️⭐️- 3.5 Stars Dual 1st Person POV Spice Level 🌶️ - 1/5 (a few passionate kisses and mention of cuddling in bed together) Age rating - 13+ Content warnings: Talk of someone having an affair, one or two cuss words...that's it
⁺˚⋆。° 🪴 My Thoughts 🪴 °。⋆˚⁺ I went into this book with super high expectations after reading So That Happened (if you haven't read it you HAVE to! Please it's the best rom com I've ever read, Bttm has got nothin on it), and I was actually pretty let down. Though this was her first novel and a lot of the stuff I didn't like about it was understandable because of it. If I hadn't read So That Happened first, I would never pick up another one of her books after I had read this. So to put it blankly it was good-ish? In my opinion the writing wasn't great and the fmc was super annoying, but the romance was absolutely adorable. I'll get into more of my pet peeves with this book in the plot section, but first I need to give a shout out bc this was a buddy read!
Lon: Your excitement was the only thing that made me want to finish this at first, and I'm so glad I did! Though ahem...you're rating was generous. Love you sm girlie! 💞 Ari: Bestie you need to start this book lol 💀
⁺˚⋆。° 🎨Plot 🎨 °。⋆˚⁺ The plot was good, except it was really cheesy and extremely cliche. And y'all were these feelings RUSHED (These aren't spoilers btw bc they're on like the first page): So she was in a relationship for 6 years and he cheated on her, so she quickly moved to Atlanta but started drooling over the guy she met that very day. Like I get it was an unhealthy relationship, but dang that was fast...especially after just having her heart broken. Then the very next day, it switches to Conor's pov and he's talking about coming home to her when they're married and her making him dinner every night... Whoa, back it up, buttercup!! You haven't even known of her existence for a whole 24 hours. Slow it down!
Also this is a very weird thing that bugged me, but I swear these people took a shower in about every single chapter. One of them was always "Wet from recently showering" or "Had to shower before they left." I counted over 16 times and then I gave up...like why is that so necessary to add? Did they have an affinity for taking a shower or something?
One last thing...there was a mention of both of them seeing sweat on each other's neck and forehead at one point and wanting to LICK it…EW what the heck?! NO. Sweat is literally just the same substance as pee. Idek why they find that attractive but holy CRAP is that unsanitary and gross.
⁺˚⋆。° 🏠Characters 🏠 °。⋆˚⁺ ➥ Jess: She actually really wasn't that annoying at the beginning of a book...but at the end of the book? Yikes girlie. Conor showed her every single reason why he could trust her and she randomly yelled at him for lying for no reason, and then she set him up on a date with another girl and she got mad about it. Seriously? He treated her like a princess and then she treated him like trash. She is just an overall red flag ngl. It was enjoyable seeing her pov for some parts though, I absolutely love how quirky she was. ╰┈> Love Letter - Knox ♫₊˚. ➥ Conor: This MAN. This is what I call a green flag, he was so respectful to her and respected all of her boundaries. And the scene where he got defensive with her ex?! Eeeeeeeek. Katie Bailey seriously writes the best book boyfriends ever. He was literally so adorable and I would always be so excited when I got to his pov. His inner monologue 🤌 ╰┈> Catch My Breath - Alex Warren ♫₊˚. ➥ Courtney: Holy crap, she's me.
⁺˚⋆。° 🔨Conclusion🔨 °。⋆˚⁺ I know I slammed it pretty hard, but it genuinely was a really cute book. I would definitely suggest you read Katie Bailey's other books first though because they're a lot better. Some scenes just genuinely made the book worth reading.
Thank you so much for reading this review, I would appreciate it so much if you gave it a like. Happy reading! 🥰
I would rather floss my teeth with barbed wire than stay in either of my brother's rooms for even an afternoon. Brother's are disgusting little trolls that crawl from whatever sewage heap they've taken up residency for the week to use your bathroom unannounced because they've desicrated their own beyond repair. And I love them. But under no form of torture would I subject myself to step foot in their bathroom and willingly take a shower.
That being said... I hated everything about this book. I think I have a legitimate problem. I think I've really just found out that I'm an unhappy hag looking for romance in Kindle unlimited and just finding things that other people see as endearing to be unbearable.
This book promised insta-love and boy, did it deliver. I actually wasn't too mad about this since the author didn't try to hide it at all but wow, was it quick. Conor's first line was about how her eyes reminded him of some kind of Gelato that he wanted to dive into. Which is honestly the quickest I've seen an auther go for the main plot.
The MC just... She just irritated me. Her main complaint is that her boobs are too big to fit in bras? Idk. She says that a lot in the first chapter. This wouldn't be too bad if she didn't completely downplay the fact that her ex cheated on her and basically kicked her out for a young blonde. It was almost like her list of shitty things started off with her boobs, then the heat, then moving and then finally the destruction of her six year relationship.
Jess made so many excuses for the woman that her boyfriend cheated on her with that I actually started to want to hear a story from her POV. I mean she sounded like a Rockstar. She's like this successful financial consultant who's nice and cute and apparently a lot more put together than Jess who screams and throws plants at every available moment. While I don't think that the other woman should be the focus of your anger, I do think that if she knew what she was doing than she should have some blame directed at her. She did a shitty thing. Let's not gloss over it because she's attached to someone even shittier.
This whole books just seemed oddly out of focus. The romance was rushed, the emotions were strangely off mark and the clear setup for the next installation with Courtney and Aiden was handled poorly in my opinion. The first time we meet her, Courtney basically slut shames Jess at Aiden's doorstep because she thought Jess was one of Aidens lovers. And then proceeded to not apologize when she realizes that their siblings. Yummy. Let me jump right into that book.
This is totally Wattpad vibes in every possible way.
Our main character Jess is really not like the other girls, and while she doesn’t purposely put down others, she constantly makes snide comments that paint other women in a negative light. The author also seems to rely on traditional high school mean girl tropes for some of these other women, but for actual adults. It’s honestly unrealistic of how women actually act.
Our love interest, Conor, also has similar revelations about women in general, except for Jess of course. She has “girl next door” energy and that just makes her soooo different and deserving of his love.
Personally, I cannot stand this trope, and it makes me think that the author has not talked to another woman in 10 years.
Conor and Jess are also just boring. They have the personality of a wooden spoon, so I guess they deserve each other?
Another failure, this book is way to instalove. They fall in love so quickly that it’s unbelievable. And with the final chapter, an epilogue if you will, taking place only 10 months later, a little ridiculous if you ask me.
The writing also just felt really corny, like I said, Wattpad vibes. There were tons of jokes that felt millennial trying to imitate gen z, which did not come across well. I found myself laughing not out of humor, but out of pity.
I felt like I only finished this book out of obligation. It was sitting in my kindle unlimited and I felt like I had to keep reading. Did I like this book? No not really. I was simply curious on where it was going most of the time.
I’m about to do a deep dive on the internet to find out if this author has a brother IRL because I would have to be pretty desperate to sleep in my brother’s bed (without washing the sheets when he didn’t know I was coming?! 🤢) but I would NEVER ask either of my brothers to stand in for my husband to help me birth a baby. Give me ANY female or a literal stranger first. This just wasn’t a good book and I’m unlikely to read another book by this author. Another reviewer said that the book felt “out of focus” and I think this about sums it up. Something was off and it just didn’t work.
This. This book is the definition of what a RomCom is to me. From the moment the story opens with Jess fleeing a bad relationship with her little potted plant to the moment the final scene ends, my heart and attention were captured. The humor, the banter, and the sizzling attraction were sweet and fun, and kept me laughing and smiling.
Jess and Conor have a hilarious meet cute and the awkward encounters just kept coming. Jess is the type of girl who doesn't realize who she is and what she has because she's down on her luck and hasn't had the kind of man who builds her up. Conor is perfection--sweet, with a glint of mischief, and a loyal, gentlemanly nature.
I loved their interactions and enjoyed every minute of how the story developed--especially when the challenges popped up. Such a fun, darling story!
Content: mild+ romance (kissing, innuendo, but all closed door); mild language
How adorable was this story?! I flew through it — it’s light, fluffy, and set in such a fun world with a cute backstory. This was my first Katie Bailey read and I’m officially hooked! Conor and Jess were such a fun duo, and their dynamic kept me smiling the whole way through. If you love a good close proximity trope with sweet, closed-door romance vibes, this one’s for you. Totally a feel-good, everyone-can-enjoy-it kind of read!
Jess was dumped by her serial cheater ex and to make sure she wouldn’t fall back to him again, she thought to crash at her brother’s home for the time being. But turns out her brother was out of state and he already has a roommate, a Greek God-like handsome man. But this is not the time to get involved with a new man when she’s jobless and homeless, but boy is he yummy…
I know right? Who am I reading a close-door romance 🤣 But this was so fun! I want to thank Shay for suggesting this book and buddy reading it with me, I truly enjoyed this book. Jess is so relatable and funny, she was in a vicious toxic cycle with her ex, and moving out of state is the best move she ever made. Connor my man, is just so stinkin’ cute and good boyfriend material. They both have chemistry from the start, but each has reason to not pursue something right away. I love the progress of their relationship from practically strangers to friends and then lovers, their banter is so much fun!
If you like sweet and funny romcom with no spice (cause you don’t need it!), this is for you. I will keep picking Katie Bailey’s book, as her writing is just so witty and fun, love it!
this book has the lovely trope of 'Hero falls first', i love that! he's her brother's roommate and the moment they met sparks fly, after that they start a flirty friendship that was so cute to read
if you want a cute romantic comedy this book is for you.
Well here we go folks another go-to Romcom author added to our lists 😁 Author Katie Bailey has snatched herself a place by showing off the world her love for writing by releasing an amazing debut novel
Jess is such a sweet person You know she's the kind of girl you get attached immediately because there's a string of connection that connects us to her immediately as we all have a similar part of herself in us
Conner is absolutely everything a girl wants and someone who knows what and how valuable true love is and also how valuable ppl are
The continued banter, fun, and jokes crack you up throughout the book... I enjoyed Courtney and Aidens fun part too.. all of them together just hit the book off...I can't wait to read the next book in this series And BTW from this book I've learned that I should never go an Octo - date 🤣🤣 Their romance is absolutely swoony and also clean - a fact to appreciate and enjoy
not me reading this book for smut to get out of my reading slump, spoiler alert: there was no smut💀 WHY did no one mention this in any review? why? WHY?
3.5,anyways enough rant, this book was very cutesy, lovie-dovie book, some things were unnecessary in this book. it lowkey reminds me of sarah adams's books, but for a debut book this book is a good start indeed!!
jess jess was cute, literally so adorable & you instantly get attached to her. i blame FUCKING JOHNNY(on a side note: if u name a character johnny, i will laugh hard idk why its nonsensical) &his piece of shit bestfriend MARK to always destroying jess's personality & confidence.johnny was a big red flag fr, . regardless, so jess was an artist and basically homeless(hence the roommate-shifting), from the way connor appreciated her paintings swoons literally got me all in the feels🎀. i didn't like that she didn't seem to care abt her health in the beginning but glad she was improving & also jess is a plant lady, LOVE THAT🥺
connor just the way connor is described in this book, OMG SO FUCKING HOT😩. his pov🦋🦋🦋 dude was literally such a simp & whipped over jess. my man is literally so sexy & brooding, has OCD(i appreciate a man who is clean😭), also cooks and his worth ethic has me head over heels in him. he's literally so caring of his loved ones and always protecting them. his love language is acts of service and words of admiration & I'm here for it🙌 WHAT CAN THIS MAN NOT DO?!
aiden literally want to read abt him, he gives me possessive & grumpy vibes🤠 courtney i literally wanna know more abt u, color me intrigued i mean she literally works in a dog company GURL YOU'RE LIVING THE DREAM💅 mia u are literally so charming & RIGHT all the time, ily💕 ollie kid, i love you so much. YOU ARE A LITERAL CUTIE & A 2YEARD GODDAMMIT! HE HAS BETTER MOVES THAN ME😏 contact me pls!
jess&connor connor was the moment in this relationship. he literally cared so much abt jess. jess having trust issues becoz of her ex and acting it out on connor(UGH HATED IT🙄) their relationship was literally so cute & was literally like high school romance. the fact that they literally were alone & aiden was gone to L.A literally 75% of the book, i didn't like it becoz we want TENSION & forbiddness !! nevertheless, their dates & them working together & appreciating each other were literally my FAV MOMENTS from the book <3
courtney&aiden i literally don't know if i want to read abt them, the reason for them fighting is so stupid💀 LMAO
Such a cute, fun summer read! ☀️❤️ Had me giggling and falling in love with all the characters. If you love Sarah Adams type romcoms, you will adore this one too! 😍 can’t wait for Aiden and Courtney’s book next
I want to read everything Katie Bailey publishes! She has such a great, easy, fun, sizzling writing style and I just really love it!
I really loved Jess & Connor! Separately & together. The forced proximity, roommate situation was a fun reading experience. Especially when they tried so hard to both ignore their feelings.
I wish Jess had had a bit more confidence in herself, but her growth was amazing, especially with such a GOOD man behind her.
I loved the house flipping aspect! And the “friends that feel like family” theme that ran throughout the story.
It really was just an adorable book and I can’t wait to read the next book.
I listened to this in audio, and really enjoyed it! (I don’t normally do audiobooks.) But the narrators did a great job bringing the characters to life!
EXCUSE ME !!! You have have have to read this omfg it was so incredibly amazing i loved it more than anything conner brady is a new book boyfriend that we should all love and appreciate. Such a cute funny story i would definitely recommend
Honestly 2 stars is generous. Also I didn’t even finish it, but I figured 78% of it should count towards my reading goal.
I understand this is the author’s debut novel, so there is some grace, but not enough grace to make up for the atrocity that is this book.
The romance is cringy insta-love, and the second hand embarrassment I got from Jess was very annoying.
The narration was awkward and not enjoyable. Especially Conor’s POV.
It’s clean besides a handful of light curse words (d*mn, h*ll, and *ss) and then some intense kissing scenes and lots of sexual comments and jokes. I can’t say if there’s any fade-to-black in the last 22%, but based on other reviews I doubt it.
Side note: the amount of times Jess and Conor used the word “sexy” to describe each other was so obnoxious. If I had to guess, I’d estimate it was used 60+ times. C’mon, you couldn’t find a better way to describe someone other than “hot and sexy”?
I’ve heard this author’s more recent writing is better, so I might try her again, but this book was atrocious and I would not recommend it to anyone.
You know these kind of books that you know how it will end, but even like that they swipe you off your feet? Jess and Conor’s story was like that.
After leaving her asshole, cheating ex, Jess packed up her life and moved into her brother’s house to start fresh with her life, but what she didn’t know was that he was out of town and there was someone else living there already— Conor Brady.
The brother’s best friend, who was allegedly a player, and needed a place to stay while he reformed his own house. But hidden behind all that sexy body, was a very caring person with lots of love to give.
These two had a very funny first encounter, and their attraction hit right away, but beyond that they turned out to be good friends, and I loved that. I loved how he supported and always saw the best in her.
This story brings the best of the trope, the cliché of “forbidden” romance, forced proximity, sexual tension and hot kisses (not on page sex though), stupid exes, and a lovely friendship between the main characters with lots of LOL moments.
If you are searching for something light and fun, you won’t regret reading The Roommate Situation. It was a great debut book, and I can’t wait to read the next one in the series!
This book was just adorable! I‘m usually not a fan of brother‘s best friend, especially when they‘re adults because I feel like authors tend to write the brother always super mad and upset about it. I personally don‘t get it because why would you be best friends with someone that you wouldn’t even trust your sister with?!
Anyways, in this book it was the perfect amount of surprise, protection and acceptance and made me fall in love with Aiden so much more.
Jess and Conor were great. I loved their banter and all the flirting. It was cute and funny and they’re perfect for each other. (Sidenote: the voice of Conor‘s narrator.. LOVED it)
Biggest plus for me: They actually communicated instead of creating absolute unnecessary and immature drama!!!!!