Roomies

Starred review from October 9, 2017
Lauren’s delightful urban contemporary brings together two New York artists in a modern marriage of convenience. Holland Bakker, an aspiring writer who works as an archivist for her uncles, is looking for her purpose in life but instead finds herself with a husband. Calvin McLoughlin, a handsome and talented Irish musician who plays in the 50th Street subway station, is about to make it big on Broadway, but his student visa has expired; after he helps Holland get away from a violent stranger in the subway station, she offers to marry him so he can stay in the country. Holland, a beautifully flawed and likable protagonist, humorously does her best to manage her growing fondness for Calvin while keeping low expectations for them as a couple. Her interaction with her uncles and brother reveals her fierce affection for them, and her quiet hopes that Calvin will come to love her create sweet romantic tension. In addition to Holland’s running stream of consciousness, the natural dialogue brings out the awkwardness and tenderness in the relationships between the characters. The descriptions and imagery, especially of New York City and Calvin’s music, are fresh and sensual, and the lyrical language creates atmosphere that sets this novel apart from others of the genre. Lauren’s standalone brims with authentic characters and a captivating plot. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary.

Lauren's (Dating You, Hating You, 2017, etc.) latest romantic comedy features a marriage of convenience between an up-and-coming Broadway star and a woman desperately trying to find her place in the world.Holland Bakker isn't expecting to get married anytime soon, but when she's rescued from a drunk who attacks her on a subway platform by an Irish busker, the situation changes. Her knight in shining armor is Calvin McLoughlin, and Holland has had a major crush on him for ages, even memorizing his performing schedule in her local station. To thank him for his gallant behavior, she offers to get him an audition for her uncle's wildly successful Broadway musical. The audition goes better than expected, and Calvin is offered a spot, but there's just one problem: his visa has expired. Impulsively, Holland offers to marry Calvin so he can stay in the U.S., saying the two of them will simply be roommates. It will be a marriage on paper but nothing else. While the setup requires some suspension of disbelief, Lauren makes Holland and Calvin relatable and, most importantly, believable. Holland is the standout character, so used to filling roles for other people--niece, confidant, errand girl--that she has no concept of who she is for herself. While Holland's journey is integral to the lovely, heart-melting romance, her point of view is the only one readers receive, making Calvin's presence slightly less dynamic than it could have been. However, that's a minor quibble given that this book has everything that makes romance novels great: a heroine's journey to self-discovery, a leading man worthy of a woman's love, and plenty of misty tears and full-on belly laughs along the way.Another knockout by Lauren.

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