The American Roommate Experiment (Spanish Love Deception, #2) by Elena Armas

The American Roommate Experiment (Spanish Love Deception, #2) Reviews

• 
  Zoe (Marauders version)

  Ngl I'm having very unfictional feelings about very fictional characters
  
  This book was so good, so so good, with delicious romance and my amazing cinnamon roll Lucas Martian
  
  AKA my new book boyfriend
  
  (Maybe just as good as Aaron Blackford but lets not talk about that)
  
  this review has minor spoilers about gestures made by Lucas, and a lot more you have been warned
  
  But just know this quick breakdown if you haven’t read it yet and wanna know if you should: both povs, sunshine H that is so, so romantic and has set the bar even higher, phrases that are in spanish that are really the most romantic shot ever. And heart wrenching romance. Give it a go. Ps skip to the bottom of the review for a quote in bold. Thank me later.
  
  Anyways back to the review, you know what, let's talk about it. Because Lucas is just too good not to talk about. As once said by Taylor Swift, “I like shiny things but I’d marry you with paper rings.”
  
  The amount of effort Lucas put into those ‘experimental’ dates. You know he’s a keeper when you tell him that you wish you met him at your best friend's wedding and he bakes the freaking cake that was at the wedding dances with you on a rooftop and sets the entire thing up for his ‘best friend’ it’s giving Marinette and Adrien vibes.
  
  I’m the biggest sucker for extroverted boys with floppy brown hair, huge egos and will flirt tirelessly with you because you are the one and only and that was Lucas to a T. He was a big ball of sunshine and the smile didn’t disappear from my face the entire time I was reading this book.
  
  And his presence in the flat/studio apartment whatever you wanna call it was like a warm spring day. His amazing cooking, that he cooked everyday for Rosie btw, the flirty comments thrown in Rosie’s direction, the constant smiling and the phrases in spanish (that were totally the most romantic toe curling shot ever).
  
  Deslumbrabte. Como el mismo sol
  
  Translation: dazzling. Like the sun itself
  
  Don’t even get me started on the other three dates that he prepared for her. The bar is now high people. I expect this and no less.
  
  First he took her to a record store so they could find there soundtrack/song I love that 😭😭. And then they danced to it with a record player he found. The thought that had gone onto this 🥹🥹
  
  Secondly, the pizza date where both him and her made pizza together. Me and Rosie were very distracted with Lucas kneading the dough. It was so cute tho ✋🥹😭 I can’t with Lucas being his usual extroverted self flirting all the time and Rosie trying not to burst at the seams because she’s trying not to turn as red as a tomato. I love them
  
  And third the masquerade ball. THAT AARON WAS INVITED TO, WE GOT TO SEE THEM AGAIN AARON AND LINA I LOVE THEM. HE AND LUCAS’S BRO CODE WAS EVERYTHING. Anyways, the masquerade ball was the best. Them dressing up as characters from ‘their’ show. They have a show. I love them so much. And the fact I’m 98% sure it’s The Vampire Diaries makes me love that even more. It was the start of everything and god it was delicious.
  
  And you know what made it even better, we got both POV we were in Lucas’s head as he become slowly more and more obsessed with Rose and OH it was satisfying. It’s just so good when the girl falls first but the guy falls harder.
  
  But then we got to hear all his thoughts about how he thought he didn’t think he deserved Rosie because he was ‘broken’. When I tell you my heart broke for him. I was heartbroken. How could he think that? He was perfect. Doing all this for Rosie, all while keeping a smile on your face? I love him. If you didn’t already know bahaha.
  
  I loved when Rosie was so obviously checking Lucas out and he would say something like “like what you see?” Like yes sir I do, I’ll inflate your ego for you.
  
  AND THEN WHEN THEY FINALLY FUCKED THEY KEPT GETTING INTERUPTED LIKE STOP ✋ I WANTED TO READ THAT.
  
  When he left for Spain ngl I ugly cried it hurt me so much to see that. And how they were both so sad about it 😭😭 they loved each other so much it hurt me. Their banter, their jokes, I loved it all <33
  
  I know i said before that he may be as good as Aaron Blackford but who am I kidding, no one can top Aaron. He is the standard. And the standard is sky high.
  
  But I will say Lucas is still amazing and I love him <333
  
  Also, you’ve probably noticed that I haven’t talked much about Rosie and that’s because in that first chapter what she did gave me very much second hand embarrassment. It was really awkward. She wasn’t like an amazing character that I was rooting for the entire time but she was okay.
  
  I didn't really connect to her, thats probably why, i'm not an aspiring writer and we are not similar. Maybe if we were then I might have liked her more.
  
  (there were some bad parts to this book I will admit but im not letting anything disappoint me, ive been waiting for this book for months, if i reread ill go into more detail for you, but for now this book will be positive in my mind)
  
  
  So no one sees that spoiler that skips down to the bottom:
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  I’ll leave you with this quote:
  
  I felt his hum fall in my skin. “Not god” he said before retracing my opening with his tongue. “Lucas”
  
  And a huge thanks to my best friend Ty. For helping me write this because I had no idea how to write a good enough review for this amazing book.
  
  She also gave me: I'm having very unfictional feelings about very fictional characters
  Which is genius
  
  And a bunch more I'm sure you will read in future reviews. One honourable mention right now for one I love
  
  I still love to read fairytales, it's just a bit dirtier now.
  
  She is a literary genius
  
  Love you babes <3
  
  
  
  {previous review }
  *whispers* Please let me see Aaron again, please let me see Aaron again , please let me see Aaron again, please let me see Aaron again, please let me see Aaron again, please let me see Aaron again, please let me see Aaron again, please let me see Aaron again, please let me see Aaron again, please let me see Aaron again, please let me see Aaron again, please let me see Aaron again.
  
  
  
  Oh and I almost forgot! I'm excited to see Rosies strory!
  
  Update: holy fuck Elena said AARON WILL MAKE AN APPEARANCE MY LIFE IS NOW COMPLETE IM SO EXCITED
• 
  Ali Hazelwood

  edited to add: i can't believe i forgot to report my fave quote:
  “Lina me va a cortar las pelotas.”
  
  okay so hi. i have much to say.
  let's start with: AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
  
  and then let us continue with: ijshfgiahiadfhgiarehgoerijroigheagnaeirgnjaerbgajrbgrsjhtbrhk
  
  and now let us be profesh: OUR EXPECTATIONS WERE HIGH, BUT HOLY SHIT DR. ARMAS.
  
  I kinda don't know where to start. Okay so: this is Lucas' story of course, and we know him from 1) cute pics of him and Taco, his doggo (who, we find out in this book during one of the sex scenes, once had diarrhea) (i promise it doesn't detract ELENA MAKES IT WORK) 2) the fact that Lina is his cousin and 3) the fact that when Rosie saw him on IG, she thought he was cute.
  
  Now. It's been a while since TSLD and Rosie, my girl whom I love, has been quietly thirsting after Lucas' instagram even since (as one does) (one = me. no matter what people say, Hyun Bin's instagram and I are a FAMILY.) So, Rosie is an engineer like Lina, but recently quit her job to write romance novels full time. (As an aside, her first book is like, a reverse Outlander type of deal, and I want to read it.) (Also her pen name is Rosalyn Sage which I love, I want to republish all my books under that name). Anyway, Rosie is in the midst of some big life changes, and that's when the roof of her apartment falls on her (literally.) She ends up having to stay in Lina's apt while Lina is gone (I'M NOT GONNA TELL YOU WHERE LINA IS BUT I WILL LET YOU WILDLY SPECULATE ,MUAHHAHAHHAHAHA) and oooops, Lucas is also staying there (MUAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH X2) and there is only one bed (MUAHAHHAHAHAHA X 10000).
  So, Lucas is a professional surfer who's taking a few weeks off and currently traveling around the US because he needs a change of scenery following Things (TM) that Happened (TM). Now, something I looooved about TARE is that both Lucas and Rosie are in a really fragile moment in their lives because of various reasons that have to do with career, family, writer's block, the expectations of the people around them, etc. And what they need is a friend. Someone loving and supportive. And when they're both feeling super low...
  
  THEY FIND EACH OTHER. AND IT'S GLORIOUS. I mean, they have one of the best meet ugly in history, but after Lucas crash lands into Rosie's life they almost immediately have a connection and HE. IS. SUCH. A. SWEETHEART. He’s so charming and just genuinely nice and flirty. HE COOKS DELICIOUS FOOD!!! Also he is sooo supportive of Rosie’s life choices. Just. Just. LUCAS. *SWOONS* (I mean there is a scene guys where she needs a hug but she won’t admit it so he pretends to need one bc he misses Taco and i'm like... this man. i love this man.)
  Anyway, they sort of strike up a deal where he's going to help her get back into writing romance by showing her that dates can be good and fun (which leads to some deliciously meta moments since this is a romance novel) and of course... they start falling for each other, but they are both acutely aware that:
  
  1) he lives in Spain and he's only in NY temporarily
  2) if they hook up, Lina will shank Lucas
  3) he is recovering from something tough and feels like he has nothing to offer
  SO THEY TRY TO RESIST AND THERE IS DELICIOUS SLOW BURN TENSION AND GUYS. GUYS. GUYSSSS.
  (Oh yes the book is dual POV which is 900/10, A++++).
  
  But also, bc I know the people want to know: do we see Aaron?
  Yes.
  Do we see Lina?
  Yes.
  Do we see Aaron and Lina together?
  YUP.
  Is it perfect?
  *nods and wipes tears*
  
  CRONUT YOU FOR THIS BOOK, ELENA
  
  Disclosure: Elena and I share the same literary agency (SDLA); I received an ARC from the publisher (I think? Maybe from our agency? It's a mystery. We shall never know.)
• 
  Ayman

  Girl idk even where to begin but i can say that i’ve never felt an ache this fucking strong in my heart like i did when reading this book. The slow burn quite literally stabbed me in the heart, slit my throat, and carved its name onto my chest. it was so excruciatingly painful but in all the right ways.
  
  these characters are lovable from the start. this spin on acquaintances to friends to lovers was done so passionately that it made my heart cry tears of joy. the longing, the aching, the undeniable chemistry Rosie and Lucas have for one another had me clutching my chest the entire way through.
  
  Introverted Rosie was very relatable. idk there was just something so refreshing reading about her and the way she lusted for Lucas even before officially meeting him. her undeniable crush. her confidence and radiant energy growing and developing throughout the novel was just perfection. the entire way through i was like “yeah she’s just like me fr.” God this book had me in a headlock 🫣
  
  Lucas omg wow. he is just so easily lovable and funny and cute and hot af may i add. he was the perfect extroverted contrast to Rosie. and omgg he’d do that thing where he’d speak Spanish and Rosie would be like “hey what does that mean?” and he’d lie and say something silly like “it means i’m hungry” when in reality he just spitted out the most poetic romantic shit ever. like the sluttiest thing a man could do is flirt with you with his mother tongue 🫠 this man had me so distraught 😩 and dare i say he’s better than aaron blackford? i love them the same, i cant choose ughhh
  
  i was acting very questionably while reading this book. i was up all night finishing it and screaming into my pillow at times. Lucas has just a way with words that had me thinking very unhinged things…and the way he’s just so down and deep for Rosie…honestly it pissed me tf off because i know men like him just simply don’t exist in real life.
  
  anyways, this book is worth the read and it is better than TSLD when comparing the two. from the writing, to the plot, characters, romance, and the conclusion. i was literally crying reading the ending because it felt like a “finally about fucking time” moment.
  
  thank you atria publishing for the ARC
• 
  Elena Armas

  Content warnings
  HERE (some spoilers)
  
  The American Roommate Experiment is a standalone novel that takes place some time after the epilogue of The Spanish Love Deception and follows Rosie (Lina’s best friend) and Lucas (Lina’s older cousin). There’s forced proximity (lots), an unrequited secret crush, THE EXPERIMENT or in other words yes, A DATING EXPERIMENT, late night cooking, megawatt smiles, prancing in towels, hawt hawt steamy showers and a sunshine hero with some alpha sprinkled on top. OH, AND A MASQUERADE BALL. And remember, this is a SLOW BURN romance.
  
  Order your copy :)
  
  All links US
  
  All links UK
  
  All links CANADA
  For international folks: amazon or
  bookdepository
  
  All info on authorelenaarmas.com
  
  Yes, to me, Lucas Martín has all the stars.
  AND YES, you will get to see AARON and LINA.
  
  
• 
  elena ❀

  go girl give us nothing! 🤩
• 
  chan ☆

  official dnf <3
• 
  Warda

  DNF at page 160.
  
  Listen, I’m all for a bit of cheesiness, but this was of the worst kind. It was on every single bloody page. It was sickening.
  
  And the cheese was beyond bland. There was no flavour to the characters or the story.
  
  I don’t know whether this is a permanent DNF or a temporary one. I think if I ever do decide to pick it up, I’ll be on my period. There’s no way I’ll be able to hack the cheese otherwise.
  
  ——————————————
  
  I definitely preordered this. Just look at that cover! Does it not make you happy?!
• 
  ellie

  Elena Armas’ publishing agent: “so, how many tropes and cliches do you think you can wri—“
  
  Elena Armas: YES.
  
  all i got from this was that there is not an original thought in Elena Armas’ brain.
  
  this felt too... tropey. as though Elena Armas tried to think of as many popular tropes as possible and threw them into a melting pot to create this book.
  
  and tropes aren’t bad whatsoever— tropes can be the foundation of a story, the basic/generic ideas that initially get us (as readers) intrigued by the book, and we can then decide from the tropes whether we think the story is for us or not. but when you rely too heavily on the tropes and construct a story around them, i think it’s glaringly obvious and results in a story that lacks depth and uniqueness. and that’s what happened here for me.
  
  i know there’s recently been wider conversations within the book community and the publishing industry regarding what’s been dubbed “tropification”. im not gonna get into all of that, but i think this book was undoubtedly influenced by the latest trend of how tropes are dominating the romance genre.
  
  on top of this. the inner monologues of both characters were incredibly repetitive. Rosie and Lucas both thought the same things over and over again, to the point i was skimming chunks of pages because i had read the exact passage a few pages prior. while some of the “cute” lines Lucas fed Rosie were so unoriginal, i just didn’t feel anything at all. it just heightened the fact (to me, anyway) that the book was catering to the Instagram reel/TikTok trend of posting an out of context scene or piece of dialogue from a book that will have you on your knees, so you decide to go pick the book up... and find out the book isn’t even that good and the scene in question was actually pretty underwhelming.
  
  it was just far too jumbled and mismatched, not knowing what it wanted to be because the cliches and tropes were continuously stacking up, almost competing with one another. and this made for a pretty inconsistent read. like Rosie’s “unrequited crush”, for example, but it was pretty clear that Lucas liked her back almost immediately. (and because of this, you can’t tell me this was a slowburn romance— it was just insta-love masquerading as a slowburn).
  
  and i was totally down for the roommates/forced proximity aspect, but then the fake-dating was also thrown into the mix... and it just meant the book had too much going on, and while trying to juggle it all, lost any semblance of structure and direction. i think the story should have just been roommates to lovers OR fake-dating, not both.
  
  i just... it all felt so basic. there’s just no subtly. Lucas drops a compliment or sexual innuendo about Rosie every few sentences. and Rosie, every damn time, is like “OH super weird! it sounds like he’s flirting!? like he likes me?! impossible”. and originally, it was understandable with the type of person Rosie is, and i sympathised because ive always been really bad at knowing when someone flirts with me. but ffs, by the tenth compliment that was dropped in the span of a chapter, i couldn’t bare it any longer.
  
  her oblivious and klutzy nature was cute and fun at first, too, but got exhausting real quick. especially when it’s heightened by the fact that Rosie has never had any dating luck and it’s ALWAYS been super embarrassing. nearly every one of them have used and discarded of her. this is just a personal pet peeve though when it comes to romcom style romances— heroines who are constantly shit out of luck and never know a moment of peace make me wanna gauge my eyeballs out with a spork. let the ladies breathe, please.
  
  and their first smutty scene 💀💀💀 yall should have seen my face i was APPALLED.
  
  
  
  like why did you guys have to do it THERE?!?!!?? i skipped the whole thing. i know they eventually stopped but... y’all shouldn’t have even started, pack it up!!
  
  the scene that followed was good, though... i just couldn’t get over the first it was weird as fuck. i can’t even put it in a nice way it just ruined the vibes lmao.
  
  but it wasnt all bad. there were a handful of cute moments that actually felt authentic between Rosie and Lucas rather than a stilted, manufactured trope— him hugging her after she sees her brother was sweet, i liked it a lot, as well as the scene towards the end with Lucas’ dog, Taco.
  
  the Masquerade Ball and their final “date” were probably my favourites!! both fun, steamy and full of tension. the ball scene was the first time i really felt their chemistry and was convinced they had a real connection beyond the tropes forcing the connection. (although the phrase ”fuck you silly” actually made me curl my nose up, that almost ruined the whole vibe i can’t lie). then their final date was just so full of honesty and they were finally laying all of their cards on the table.
  
  while i also enjoyed him saying sweet things to Rosie in Spanish that she didn’t understand and he told her it was something super ordinary when in fact it was cute af. the little gestures that Armas incorporated worked so well. it was the big, grand ones that were suffocating because they were just so obvious and unauthentic. and there were too many of them.
  
  your readers aren’t dumb, you don’t need to shove so much down their throats. they can pick up on the small, minute cues you’ve laid out. and that elevates an authentic romance. i think if she’d stuck to that rather than the big tropes, this would have excelled.
  
  and Lina was annoying af as a side character (i legit skipped every interaction Rosie had with her because she was unbearable), so i have finally made the executive decision to not read TSLD. sorry, Aaron babe, but you’re not worth it if i have to slog through Lina’s POV for a whole damn book. goodbye.
  
  just overall, it’s pretty unoriginal. it’s not a bad book, it’s just... nothing new or special. cliches and tropes aren’t the bad guys here, they can be utilised exceptionally when they’re not solely relied upon to shape the novel and the characters are fully fleshed out. but neither Rosie nor Lucas were. they were very generic to me. Lucas was a cookie-cutter boyfriend, an amalgamation of all the “swoony” characteristics most readers like in a hero, and because of this was just rather bland. he could be anybody.
  
  
  
  honestly, i think if the trauma of his past had been fleshed out properly beyond him briefly telling Rosie about it in a moment of vulnerability at the end, it would have elevated him so much more.
  
  Rosie was fine. i didn’t mind her. like Lucas, i wouldn’t be able to identify her out of a line up, that’s for sure. just pure indifference. i just expected more from this since, when i was lucky enough to read the first chapter a bit early, i really liked what i read. the rest didn’t live up to it at all.
  
  by the last 15% i was skimming like crazy. i truly didn’t care anymore and it feels like ive wasted a whole day reading a book i didn’t really like :/
  
  ****original review of the first chapter [26/08/22]****
  
  

  And just when I thought I’d collected myself enough to say something else— hopefully marginally smart— his lips stretched. That puzzled look dissolved completely, giving way to a smile and whatever words had climbed to my mouth crumbed.
  Because he was smiling. And it was big and bright and quite frankly, beautiful in this blatant way you don’t really know what to do with.

  
  
  just a disclaimer: when i requested this, i assumed the sampler was a lil bit longer than a single chapter, so trying to gauge how to rate this isn’t easy. originally i decided on three but ive changed it to four because i did really like this, but my rating is definitely subject to change when i read the whole book.
  
  but, i can give my brief, vague thoughts instead.
  
  (also, side-note: i have never read
  The Spanish Love Deception so my brief thoughts here are in no way influenced by the previous book).
  
  

  ⟡ it was immediately engaging— it was unique and fun, and i found myself laughing a few times.
  
  ⟡ Rosie was funny, charming and endearing. she was witty and maybe a bit quirky, but in a cute way. i instantly liked her!
  
  ⟡ Lucas seemed lovely with a humorous and playful energy about him.
  
  ⟡ the book jumps right into story straight away— i love when authors do this, rather then a slow build up. i just want to be in on the important stuff straight away, otherwise im bored to tears waiting for something to actually happen.
  
  ⟡ Rosie and Lucas’ first interaction, again, was pretty funny. it wasn’t trying too hard to be quirky, but instead felt authentic in a way that showcased both MCs personalities.

  
  
  it’s safe to say i definitely want to read this when the rest is released, despite having zero interest in TSLD. i may even pick it up if i end up enjoying this one!
  
  thank you to NetGalley, and Simon and Schuster UK for the sneak peek!
• 
  Cristiina♡Reads

  Lovers from a afar, shared proximity, and a chemistry between two soulmate seeking lovers that will fill you with angst and tender, emotional romance of the best kind...
  
  
  
  **SIGHS** This book... this story... this romance! What can I say other than the fact this was a true refreshing love story to read. One that I have not read in such a long time. That's mostly due to the fact that I have been on a cliche band of just reading smutty romances, insta-love romance, etc. But with that being said, my love for this story is pure. To me, this was such a comfort romance that made me take my time to thoroughly appreciate and enjoy. And both Rosie with Lucas together, know how to make that ideal romance couple that as a reader makes you just instantly swoon over them.
  
  It's the beauty of Lucas, the way his personality is. That's what attracts you to keep on reading and wanting more of him. More of his sunshine personality, but still shows signs of vulnerability that makes him this beautiful kind man. More of his tender careful attention that he has towards Rosie, listening to her, caring for her, loving her. Even when he doesn't even know that he is doing it. He is just... Lucas Martin.
  
  And then we have Rosie... my gosh dear Rosie. An independent woman, who seeks not only for validation in herself, but is also nervous of her family finding out the truth towards the path she has taken. Rosie is a strong character that demonstrates the inner battles of herself. But at the same time, just knows what she wants. That's why when she first "meets" Lucas, you just know that these two are meant to be. They are both two individuals seeking for that love and passion that nobody has been able to give them in the way they are looking for. Rosie instantly knows and does not question it;
  

  “And I imagined this, his hug, his body, him, being my safe-heaven. My normal. My bad days, my good days. My every day..."

  
  As their experiment starts to evolve, Lucas starts to notice that his heart is eating him alive. Eating him from the inside out, his heart is taking control of him. But he struggles to let himself be the person that Rosie wants him to be. With the all beautiful flaws, Rosie wants him and only him. And Lucas, after time just knows that he wants her and only her. His happiness comes second, while hers comes first. Her battles and obstacles come first and he is not afraid to fight them for her. To conquer them with her. That's why this story is refreshing. It takes you to another world of tender yet careless love that makes you giggle, cry, and just utterly swoon.
  
  This dual pov romance has everything and anything you may need in an emotional story. Do not be deceived by my review though, because once Lucas gets his hands on Rosie... his body controls him in the best of ways. And if you know what I am talking about... you just know. **wink wink** Elena has a keen talent for making me crave more of her writing. And I am looking forward to seeing what else she has in store for all of us romance readers.
  
  PS. For those Aaron lovers, you do NOT want to miss out on this story. Because Lina and Aaron do show up, and they are just... AHHHHHH SO GOOD!
  
  ARC BETA kindly provided by my bestie Elena, in exchange for an honest review...
  
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• 
  Cindy

  Didn’t feel any chemistry between the characters and some of the things that happened were unintentionally funny, i.e. the love interest saying he finds yellow paint attractive after he sees a picture of the main character dressed as a Minion, the love interest calling her an “avenging angel” after he stops her from throwing her purse at an attacker, etc. The best parts about these types of books are the smut scenes but this couple was constantly getting interrupted and giving me blue balls too. How dare you!
• 
  jessica

  this is the ultimate fluff. the perfect kind of perky, happy-go-lucky romance you want that comes with a happily ever after tied with a nice, pretty bow.
  
  but its the kind of lighthearted tropetasticness that begins to feel like over-the-top cheesiness if you arent in the mood for it. and, unfortunately, i dont think i was.
  
  which is just too bad because i really do think this is a cute book. but i just didnt feel whole-heartedly invested in the story until near the end when the tone starts to settle down a bit and the characters become a more grounded. so again, i just dont think i was in the mood for something so unserious.
  
  not a bad book by any means, it just didnt personally capture my full interest at this particular moment.
  
  ↠ 3 stars
• 
  SK

  It could not create the same magic as The Spanish Love Deception.
  
  Let's go over the tropes in this one-
  ✔️Dual POV
  ✔️Fake dating
  ✔️Roommates to friends to lovers
  ✔️Forced proximity
  ✔️Masquerade Ball
  ✔️Slow burn
  ✔️Yearning for each other
  ✔️Girl falls first
  ✔️Spice (1.5/5)
  
  So despite such amazing tropes, what went wrong? Buckle up, cause this review borderlines a rant review. *sigh*
  
  So we have the FMC- Rosie Lina's best friend who quit her job and wants to be an accomplished writer. She already has one major published book, but due to a writer's block- she is unable to write the second one.
  
  I don't wanna be the one to call out the author on that. But it all felt a bit too personal. Like Elena Armas was talking about her own struggles. It did drag on and felt like a narrative of her personal complaints. Sorry not sorry, but this is constructive criticism.
  
  Then we have the MMC- Lucas who is Lina's cousin, and that's all there is to his personality? He does have his own sweet moments but it's not enough. Sadly, the author could not write Lucas the way she wrote Aaron Blackford - with love.
  
  The book does start really well. But the problem started when I was 200 pages in, and the characters had barely made a move on each other. It's still supposed to be a romance book right?! I get it, it's a slow burn, the characters are yearning for each other. But how is it that I'm halfway through the book and all I know is they like Pizza?! How do you manage to babble for so long?! It's at this point I start losing interest in romance and the book as a whole. Sadly, even Aaron and Lina's presence could not save it.
  
  Look, Elena is a very talented writer. She knows how to make you laugh, cry and swoon. But if the author does not have a heart to write, why force yourself? Take a break, re-read your draft and then publish. The second half of the book went on and on to no avail.
  
  We have one interesting character - Olly, Rosie's brother. I think he holds a lot of potential and maybe it's his story we get to read next? I personally was more invested in him than Rosie and Lucas.
  
  Look, don't get me wrong, Lucas and Rosie are quite likable but while I wanted something that makes me feel things all I got was a boring story. The spice is good, I'll give it that. But I had stopped caring about the story by the time it happened 🤷‍♀️ I ended up skimming through fair bit once I hit the 300 page mark.
  
  It does have its sweet moments, I did like the ending. It was quite satisfying and absolutely adorable, which is why I rate it three stars instead of two.
  
  If you want to read this, go ahead. Maybe you'll like it more than me. But I personally had high hopes. So yeah, am disappointed.
• 
  TrippyBooks

  If u didnt like the Spanish Love deception u wont like this either.
• 
  Ali Hazelwood

  *AGGRESSIVELY BEGS FOR AN ADVANCED COPY*
• 
  Nilufer Ozmekik

  Holly smoke! This book is freaking hot! You keep hyperventilating! You just keep hearing fire alarm! That freaking, sizzling, sex oozing chemistry between Lucas and Rosie put the entire chapters into fire!
  
  I loved this second book of the series so much more! It’s genuine, it’s entertaining, it’s soooo ROMANTIC! Especially the experimental dating ideas Lucas comes up with are brilliant!
  
  Lucas was selfless, caring, sweet, playful, sex god who is also hell of chief! And Rosie is sweet, kind hearted, fixer, also selfless, perfect heroine!
  
  The characterization is perfect! The highest rate of chemistry pouring out from the chapters captivates you.
  
  The plot is also intriguing with forced proximity room-ance and friends to lovers tropes!
  
  Can you imagine to stuck in a tiny studio with hottest Spanish god: a surfer/ a cook/ the guy you’ve been drooling over and stalking on social media for a year as you suffer from writer’s block!
  
  Poor Rosie Graham moves to her best friend Lina’s apartment after ceiling off her own apartment nearly collapses on her! And she has no idea that Lina’s hot cousin Lucas she’s daydreaming decides to use his spare key to crash at the same place at the last minute.
  
  Both of them finally come to an understanding they should share the apartment, becoming close friends. Lucas also offers Rosie to go out four experimental dates to help breaking her writer’s block!
  
  But now Rosie has second thoughts about this experimental dating decision. Because five weeks later, Lucas will pack his bags and leave the continent for good! But what if their dating is something more than experimental, what if everything is real?
  
  Lucas still deals with the injury of his leg and his emotional distress. He thinks he’s not good enough to make a woman happy but what if he embraces his fears, taking a chance for his own HEA!
  
  No more words! I wish I can give this book 10 stars! This is one of the best romance books I’ve devoured this year! I HIGHLY ABSOLUTELY EXTREMELY RECOMMEND IT!
• 
  martina

  i'm so excited to see what elena does with rosie's book! and it's friends to lovers, with the forced proximity trope 🥺🥺
• 
  Bryce Rocks My Socks

  Lucas Martín's Application to be your next fave book boyfriend
  
  1. he cooks
  (a) in nothing but boxers
  (b) and a pink apron
  (c) while he dances
  2. pick u up cronuts when ur craving them (it's giving five taco energy)
  3. speaks to u dirty talk in Spanish
  4. will read ur writing
  5. checks in on her elderly neighbour every day
  6. he has separation anxiety from his dog
  (a) who is a therapy dog
  (b) who we learn once had diarrhea (during a sex scene)
  7. there's only one bed
  8. literally written by a woman and then within the story is... written by a woman
  9. best hugger
  10. once said this: “Not god” he said before retracing my opening with his tongue. “Lucas”
• 
  Júlia

  I was like: there is no way this is gonna be worse than The Spanish Love Deception.
  
  Spoilers: it was

  DNF @ 20%
• 
  Aviva’s Library

  Unfortunately, I did not love this book. It felt very similar to alot of other books I’ve read in the past - the two most prominent ones being Josh and Hazels Guide to Not Dating mixed with a bit of Beach Read… and I just didn’t feel like this was anything special or unique.
  
  I didn’t latch onto either of the characters, I found a lot of moments to be pretty cheesy, and I almost felt like the story was written with the booktok/booksta community in mind… knowing all the tropes and elements that’ll make an average romance reader swoon - and I do not mean that as an insult to any reader who loved this story - if you gave me this book two years ago, I probably would have given it 5 stars… but I’m much pickier now and this one just didn’t stand out to me as something different or original. I guess I was expecting more, idk.
  
  I also don’t think that instant attraction mixes very well with slow burn. If they are both drooling over each other from day one and there’s no forbidden aspect keeping them apart - then the slow burn just doesn’t make sense and becomes an unneeded tease. There was also a lot of side plots going on that weren’t needed or important to the story and every single time a scene wasn’t about Rosie and Lucas, I got bored.
  
  I also feel like there were a couple of missed opportunities. A big one being with Lucas and his ingury/career issue. I feel like it was there to give us a ‘damaged character’ but it didn’t end up diving deep into it. There was also a wasted opportunity with the one bed situation - plus there was no real groveling at the end (one conversation does not count - especially when you specifically point out the importance of groveling in romance books)
• 
  Matilda

  2 stars 🍑
  
  if elena armas’ goal was to put me to sleep then she’s certainly succeeded! my grade in OB will be thanking her immensely because i studied all afternoon yesterday to avoid touching this sleepfest
  
  reading this review may ruin the reading experience, so…spoilers!
  
  i think we need to set the record straight about friends to lovers…
  
  childhood friends >>>>>> new friends
  
  new friends is incredibly hard to pull off because it’s hard to develop that connection between 2 strangers without having some sort of indifference between them. like...they were practically lusting after each other from the get go. this book did new friends particularly bad.
  lara wonderfully laid it out on her review, but lucas (H) and rosie (h) had way too much trust, way too soon.
  
  for example, how was rosie spilling her biggest secret to lucas on their second meeting ever…a secret only 2 people in the entire world knew (i.e. lina and aaron)
  
  plus, it felt like there was zero development???
  
  
  
  the fake dating did nothing to progress their relationship, to me anyway. idk why but lucas’ flirty behavior during their experimental dates felt actually fake to me. isn’t the point of a fake dating trope supposed to be when we realize it’s not fake, but the heroine doesn’t??
  
  

  “I feel that. Poor little guy.”
  “You get sweaty hands, too?”
  Lucas made sure he was meeting my gaze when he said, “I would if I was trying to work up the courage to kiss a girl like you.”

  
  
  the conflict at the end + the separation was stupid. it was just lucas being an idiot boy. there was no reason for any of it.
  
  the author really threw every trope imaginable at our faces and expected us to love it🧍🏻‍♀️ waiting for the day that romance authors move away from putting together random tropes that last 2 pages just so they can say they had them...*cough* one bed, gray sweatpants, fake dating *cough*
  
  let me list every single trope in this book:
  ↠ fake dating
  ↠ formed proximity
  ↠ friends to lovers
  ↠ girl obsessed + crush
  ↠ cinnamon roll hero
  ↠ slowburn + “spice”
  ↠ roommates
  ↠ quirky heroine
  ↠ scarred hero
  ↠ best-friend’s cousin
  
  
  
  don’t even get me started on the amount of secondhand embarrassment i got from lucas & rosie’s first meeting 😖
  
  also, LINA WAS SO FUCKING ANNOYING!!!!!! her whole scolding towards lucas and rosie’s “relationship” was so dumb. i love how her excuse for not supporting any sort of relationship between was that lucas has never brought a girl home to meet his family 🤓🤓
  
  i have to admit that there were a couple cute moments, which is why this book is getting an extra star. the shower scene???? that was actually hot af 🫶🏼 i love when the h walks in on the H while he’s jacking off.
  
  what wasn’t cute was them getting steamy in a public. bathroom. absolutely NOT🤢🤢
  
  also, i liked the parallel between their first meeting and them reuniting at the end 🥰
  
  

  “I couldn’t wait a second more to start our new life together, Rosie. I’ve waited enough. I’ve waited a lifetime without me knowing. So why don’t you open this door and let me show you?”

  
  
  the only thing that could have saved this book is if lucas and rosie got struck by lightning when they were standing on a roof during a storm, having their first kiss. now THAT would have been interesting 😮‍💨
  
  
• 
  Larissa Cambusano

  y’all it took me so long to read this because I eve been in the worst reading slump. ever. but i have officially ✨finished✨
  
  lucas was.. wow. amazing. cinnamon roll but also funny and outgoing? also hot? CAN COOK? bye. perfect. aaron blackford is still my #1 tho, but i did love lucas. rosie was really sweet and relatable, and i loved seeing her gain confidence throughout the book. the ending was very cheesy and yet it really got me, ngl.
  
  overall i liked it a lot. there were definitely some parts missing, if that makes sense? it didn’t hit as hard as tsld for me. but i still had a good time. it was more fluffy and fun!!
  
  rosie & lucas saying each other’s name in every sentence tho… that was annoying.
  
  the lina & aaron appearances. thank u for that elena armas. 🦋🦋🦋
• 
  Penny

  it honestly pains me to write this. i had high hopes for this book and i really wanted to like it, but the more i read, the less i enjoyed it. i'm too exhausted to write a proper review but i still want to rant a bit 😂
  
  🗽 if you're gonna make a slowburn THIS SLOW i expect the characters to go from point A to point Z and through all the steps in between. i expect each interaction to add something to their relationship. i'm not the biggest fan of friends to lovers but if you're going down that route, then i expect them to slowly go from two random people, to friends, to good friends, to something more. but imo, there's barely a difference in the way they interact in their second scene together, their tenth one and their 334897th one. they instantly trust and like and are attracted to each other. which is good for them i guess, but not for me.. cause then why are they hooking up so late in the story? the "slowburn" serves no purpose at all when they're just repressing their feelings from the very beginning. say what you want about Catalina's irrational dislike of Aaron in TSLD, but at least she changed her feelings throughout the story. i felt 0 development here.
  
  🗽 the heroines' sense of humor in this series is definitely not for me 😭 and this is coming from someone who gave TSLD a 5 star rating, but there's only so much quirkiness i can take. i liked Rosie but the secondhand embarrassment was REAL. there was no better reminder that Lucas was fictional than whenever he would laugh at her embarrassing remarks, cause any sane person irl would've run out of there so quickly skfkdsk i feel mean but i said what i said.
  
  🗽 the fact that i saw so many quotes from this book in the past few months honestly did TARE a disservice. most of the "swoon-worthy" moments were spoiled for me and whenever i got to those quotes from Lucas, i was just like "ah.. already saw this on ig 🤷‍♀️".
  
  🗽 what was the purpose of the dating experiment? i felt NOTHING during those dates. absolutely nothing. i felt more during their little domestic moments. i've seen some reviews already saying this and i agree, there were just too many tropes floating around. i think they could've just been roommates and it would've been enough, no need to add so many things.
  
  🗽 "croughnut you", Lucas saying Rosie reminds him of a flower (no shit!)... the cringe, oh my god. but the worst part?? him whispering "dulce de leche" in her ear while she looked at him like 😍🥵 LMAOOOO it's giving the omelette du fromage scene from dexter's lab. just pretend i'm inserting that gif here cause i'm too lazy to look it up 🧍‍♀️
  
  🗽 Aaron, te amo. that hasn't changed 😌 but why was Lina a little more annoying here...? 😭
  
  🗽 i want to end this on a positive note: there were still cute moments. both Lucas and Rosie were likable MCs. i liked how much they were there for each other. that moment when Lucas pretended he needed a hug just so he could give her one 🥺 it made me so softtt. but i don't know, it really fell short on every other aspect 💔
• 
  ritika

  DNF @ 3%
  
  i cant, its so awful.
  
  i made it until the point where rosie tried to call the cops on lucas then they had some insta-love moment and i literally cannot its so cringy and just downright bad. literally just 4 pages in and i almost threw my kindle out of my balcony.
  
  
  
  atleast the first book was slightly more tolerable.
• 
  Isa Cantos (Crónicas de una Merodeadora)

  “I read you like you were my favorite book, Rosie. Like I’ve memorized you”.
  
  The American Roommate Experiment es el libro de romance slow burn más slow burn que he leído en la vida, pero lo amé muchísimo.
  
  Aquí todo empieza porque Rosie, la mejora amiga de Lina, de The Spanish Love Deception, tiene varios problemas en su vida. Uno de ellos es que renunció a su trabajo en la compañía de ingeniería para dedicarse completamente a ser autora de libros de romance, pero las cosas no están saliendo muy bien porque tiene una fecha de entrega muy pronto y está en un bloqueo de escritura tremendo, pues siente que no tiene inspiración. Por otra parte, su apartamento acaba de sufrir un gran daño… y es que se le cayó parte del techo encima, así que literalmente no tiene en dónde vivir en ese momento, por lo que decide aprovechar que el apartamento de Lina, que en ese momento está en su luna de miel con Aaron, está vacío. Entonces Rosie recoge sus cosas y va hacia allí, pero lo que no sabe es que el primo de Lina, que se llama a Lucas, también se está quedando allí.
  
  Y la cosa no acaba en ese momento, pues Rosie tenía muchísimas ganas de conocer a Lucas en la boda de su amiga en España, pero él nunca fue, así que su crush se quedó solamente como un crush de stalkearlo en Instagram. Entonces encontrarse con él en persona es algo que nunca se esperó, pero, por cosas extrañas del destino, terminan compartiendo ese apartamento y haciendo un experimento. Para que Rosie tenga más inspiración para su novela, Lucas va a salir con ella en una citas falsas para darle esos momentos románticos que le hacen falta a su novela… y a su vida.
  
  Ya se imaginarán cómo se desarrollan las cosas cuando hay proximidad forzada, cuando hay un súper crush de por medio, cuando la tensión crece y crece y cuando empiezan a salir en estas citas falsas y Rosie se da cuenta cada vez más de lo perfecto que es Lucas. Es dulce, atento, cariñoso y muy buena persona, ¡yo en serio lo amé! Y, obvio, al mismo tiempo Lucas también se va dando cuenta de la mala idea que tuvo al ofrecerse para esas citas falsas, pues claramente está empezando a sentir cosas muy, muy fuertes por Rosie… y digamos que no son fáciles de controlar.
  
  Para mí, definitivamente lo mejor del libro fue Lucas. Me pareció absolutamente espectacular. Además, es un hombre que está escondiendo un gran secreto y que no está de viaje, paseando por el mundo y por Nueva York, porque sí. Antes solía ser un surfista competitivo, pero algo pasó en su vida y está intentando encontrarse de nuevo, hacer las paces con lo que le sucedió y crear un nuevo camino para él mismo porque en realidad se siente muy perdido. Y a pesar de que está empezando a sentir estas cosas increíbles por Rosie, siente que no puede atarla a él por todo el equipaje que trae consigo, porque no se siente suficiente para ella. Es uno de los protagonistas más hermosos y boyfriendleables que he leído en la vida. Ojalá un Lucas en la vida real. Un Lucas con su perro. ¡El perro es muy importante!
  
  Rosie, por otra parte, es una gran protagonista porque siempre tiene en la cabeza todos estos ideales de las novelas de romance que se chocan con el bloqueo que está teniendo. Me encantó también cómo habla todo el tiempo de su crush con Lucas y de lo imposible que sería tener algo con él. Y una de las cosas que más amo es que es una protagonista que tiene la lengua muy larga, no se corta con lo que dice, tiene pensamientos muy pervertidos y muy sucios y eso me mataba de la risa. Obviamente disfruté muchísimo de la interacción de ella y de Lucas porque en un punto ya estuvo muy claro que los dos estaban muy, muy, muy colados por el otro, pero no estaban haciendo nada por miedo, porque Lucas tenía una fecha límite de estar en Nueva York y se devolvería España, porque Rosie tenía miedo de lo que Lina pensara si se metía con su primo y demás. ¡Ah! Y es que obvio hay unos cuantos cameos de Lina y Aaron cuando vuelven de su luna de miel. Y fue súper divertido volverlos a ver, sobre todo a Aaron porque aunque siempre es súper callado y misterioso, sabía todo lo que estaba pasando.
  
  Y, bueno, cuando por fin llegan los momentos épicos de romance que hemos esperado a lo largo de todo el libro, cuando por fin se resuelve toda la tensión… uf. Les juro que Elena Armas no decepciona. Todo es tremendo y Lucas… maaaadre mía. Voy a dejar que se imaginen el resto. Pero sepan que todo es increíble y, de hecho, el ritmo de este libro me pareció muchísimo mejor que el de The Spanish Love Deception, así que eso es una gran mejora.
  
• 
  alerleees

  no one will ever top aaron blackford
• 
  Gillian

  “I love you Rosie. I love you like I’d never loved anyone before. And I’ll love you for the rest of my life if you let me.”
  
  This was a rom-com about chasing your dreams, self-confidence, love and family. The American Roommate Experiment follows Rosie as she tries to break her writers block and moves in to her friend's place because the ceiling in her apartment breaks. But Rosie doesn't realize that Lina offered her apartment to her cousin, Lucas. Then Lucas comes up with a great idea to fix her writer's block, he will take her on experimental dates to give her inspiration, but only if she doesn't fall in love with him.
  
  This book was good, but the characters felt flat and the pacing was inconsistent. The pacing was good in the beginning, but it slowed down in the middle. The plot was interesting, but in the middle it was boring at times. I liked Rosie, she is independent, kind, and helpful, but at times she was clueless. I liked Lucas, he is kind, sweet, selfless but he felt flat. I was hoping Lucas would have more complexity and depth. I loved Taco, he is so adorable! I liked the side characters especially Aaron, Lina and Rosie's dad. There were a few cute moments between Lucas and Rosie, but many were too cheesy. The chemistry between the characters was good, but I felt that a spark between them was missing. I really liked the ending and I'm glad it ended on a happy note.
• 
  marwah

  I-
  I can't put into words how much I love this book. I simply can’t.
  if you need me I will be locked up in my depression cave room crying and listening to new years eve on repeat.
  goodbye.
• 
  Laurens.Little.Library

  DNF at exactly 50%. This one was painful; the more I read, the more miserable I became.
  
  
  I break things down in lots of detail over on TikTok. I promise this one is worth it -- 37K people agree
• 
  Emmy

  I ate this shit uppp! Lucas was giving EVERYTHING & Rosie was so relatable
• 
  Julia Lewis

  no two characters have ever said each other’s names more