I became a fan of Michelle Angelle’s when I read Hammer My Heart. Meaning to go back to the beginning of their collection, I was gifted the opportunity to read Dear Roomie. I am so happy I did! I will admit I am a little jealous I can’t be adopted by the Russo clan and participate in game night! Realization of this book being fictional aside, I think I actually broke a record on how quickly I finished it – I could NOT put it down. To even begin to explain how much I adored this family leaves me at a loss for words. Definitely intend to go back and read Gabe and Gloria’s stories (two out of the SEVEN siblings). You want a challenge. Try keeping all seven names straight. If you are looking for lots of laughter, an abundance of family love and support, and of course a swoon worthy love story, you are in for a treat with Dear Roomie.

Everyone has rules that they live by in life – don’t go to bed angry, never double dip your chip, wait three days after a date before calling, etc. For Ghita, her rules for dating were simple – don’t date your best friend’s brother. Well that and don’t date a guy who wears hats in his profile pic, furries – ok she has quite a few rules but the most important is not doing anything that would jeopardize her friendship with Nicole. Easy enough until Nicole and Gemma convince Ghita to rent a room to Nicole’s brother Logan in order to help with the costs of her home renovations. Having never met, seen, or engaged with Logan, she would prefer not to have a stranger in her home (even if it is Nicole’s brother) but her options are a roommate or a loan. Deciding on the lesser of two evils, Ghita is determined to focus on launching her new podcast and getting through this situation unscathed. What she wasn’t expecting was the drop dead gorgeous specimen that was going to be occupying her space. Not a problem – she can do this! She just needs to stick to her rules and keep her hands to herself. Trouble is Logan has other plans. Love struck the moment he met her, Logan knows he and Ghita are perfect together, he just has to prove that he is worth ditching the rules for. Good thing he loves a challenge and if the affections of his gorgeous roommate is the prize, he is all in!

This book had me laughing from the beginning. The insane dates (or recalled dates) that Ghita had been on were absolutely hysterical! Some of the moments she recounts, you just want to hug her and tell her to just forget it and ditch the app (even if she built it!) Her relationship with her family was one to envy and the laughs kept coming when the Russo clan got together. The best moments though were between her and her twin sister Gemma. I really hope the authors keeps going with the siblings and write a story about her. I would love for Gemma to have an HEA, especially with how instrumental she was in Ghita’s.

Speaking of Ghita, the way the authors wrote her character was fantastic. She was smart, funny, gorgeous, successful, and determined. Anything she touched turned to gold. While those features in a man would have made him a catch to any woman, in a woman – they acted as a repellant to most men. Ghita couldn’t catch a break. If her date learned who she was, they were intimidated by her, her independence, and her accomplishments. How sad is that! It just showed the double standard of success between men and women in society.

Which brings me to Logan. Kudos to Michelle Angelle for creating yet another worthy book boyfriend. Logan was just perfect. He was sweet, kind, smart, gorgeous, confident – the list goes on! Add that he could dance, cook, and make repairs around the house and someone is going to have revive me with smelling salts! To resist all of that, Ghita is a stronger woman than I could ever be! It also showed a lot about her character and her values if she was willing to sacrifice that perfect package for the sake of friendship. I did love that Logan’s pursuit of Ghita wasn’t made into a conquest to see if he couldn’t overturn her rules. His sincerity and genuine attraction and admiration for Ghita was palpable. 

The way the two characters were so alike and yet so different is why I adored their blossoming friendship. While it was lust at first, Ghita’s rule may have delayed their union but it inadvertently made it stronger. Having to settle for just being friends, they built a solid foundation and really got to know each other. Logan didn’t know where it was all going and could have easily given up and moved on but he became invested in what he and Ghita were building. Same for her, she was determined to stick with her rule but couldn’t deny the connection she was forming with Logan. If that hadn’t happen – if they had slept together when they first met , I don’t think it would have worked out in the long run. Ghita was too skiddish for anything that started on a surface level to go deeper. Logan had to wiggle his way below the surface to make a connection that would last. The best moments though were the internal monologue when they were dealing with their jealously. Logan was trying so hard to not scare her off and Ghita wouldn’t get over herself but the fact that they knew they couldn’t let each other go just made those moments that much funnier.

In terms of the heat for a contemporary romance, while some books have a tendency to get a bit explicit, Dear Roomie keeps it on the milder side. I would still give it an R rating but just barely. The moments between Logan and Ghita are sweet, soft, and sensual. This book focuses more on the build up and insane sexual tension more so then the moment they actually do get together.

Looking deeper, I enjoyed the philosophy behind the concept of rules. It wasn’t seen as a black or white thing. In more cases than one, rules saved Ghita and/or got her to where she was in terms of her success. They helped her navigate moments in her life where she was uncertain. At the same time, she had to learn that some rules are circumstantial. She witnessed what rules almost took away from her sister Gloria and despite the backlash of breaking a rule, the quick resolve helped her finally accept that some risks were worth taking. That entire fall out was absolutely hilarious. I love how her family handles a crisis!

I can’t wait to go back to the beginning and be introduced to the Russo clan. With Ghita’s story down and two more on deck (Gloria and Gabe from previous books), these authors have a family of gold on their hands and my complete attention for any new books down the line.