Review: Roommate Arrangement by Saxon James
SYNOPSIS:
Payne:
In search of: room to rent.
Must ignore the patheticness of a forty-year-old roommate.
Preferably dirt cheap as funds are tight (nonexistent).
There’s nothing sadder than moving back to my hometown newly divorced, homeless, and lost for what my next move is.
When my little brother’s best friend offers me a place to stay in exchange for menial duties, I swallow my pride and jump at the offer.
I need this.
I also need Beau to wear a shirt. And ditch the gray sweatpants. And not leave his door ajar when he’s in compromising positions …
Beau:
In search of: roommate.
Must be non smoker and non douchebag.
Room payment to be made in meal planning, repairs, and dumb jokes.
Since my career took off, I barely have time to breathe, let alone keep my life in order. I’m naturally chaotic, make terrible decisions, and scare off potential dates with my “weirdness”.
So when Payne gets back into town and needs somewhere to stay, I offer him my spare room with one condition: while he’s staying with me, I need him to help me become date-able.
And while he does that, I can focus on my other plan: ignoring that Payne is the only man I’ve ever wanted to date.
REVIEW:
*Book Received in Exchange for Honest Opinion/Review*
I have read Saxon James collaborative work with Eden Finley; so when I saw this book pop up, I decided to give one of her solo projects a go. I find that the older I get, the more I enjoy reading the occasional book with older characters. And while I didn’t love the Roommate Arrangement, I did enjoy it and escapism it provided.
As individual characters, I adored both Beau and Payne…but especially Beau. This quirky, enigmatic, and delightfully awkward man bumbled his way into my heart and I never wanted to let him go. He has spend decades pining, my heart couldn’t help but go out to this man who just can’t seem to let go of his unrequited love. Then there is Payne, who is painfully oblivious (terrible pun intended) but stubborn and determined. I liked individual journey throughout the story, the man we initially meet is uncertain of himself and torn up about his break up. By the end of the book Payne was a pillar of strength and was chasing after dreams he didn’t even know he had, which had me feeling all the warm fuzzy feels.
As a couple, Beau and Payne were sizzling in the bedroom, couch, chair…where-ever they managed to hook up. Their sexual chemistry is off the charts. But emotionally, for me, they just didn’t seem to connect. The feelings and love felt grossly unbalanced throughout the entire story. Beau always loved Payne and even after Payne worked out his feelings and his divorce drama, it still seems like their love is unbalanced. And this unbalance had me feeling lukewarm about their relationship.
In terms of plot, while the divorce and this potential relationship are interesting, it didn’t feel like enough to carry the story. While I enjoyed the read, I also found myself putting the book down instead of being hooked. I never truly fell into the world and characters; it stinks when you end up reading a book as an outsider instead of being immersed. I am not sure if this was just because there wasn’t enough tension or drama to keep me hooked and turning the page or if the plot line was just a little too predictable. Overall, not a bad read, just a read where I wanted more. But I will probably check out the next book in the series.
LINKS:
