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anabel_unker 's review for:
Never Date a Roommate
by Paula Ottoni
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
Chasing her dreams to become a game designer, Sol Carvalho made the leap from her native Brazil to the chilly Copenhagen for a job at the successful Scorpio games. And while the job isn't exactly what she pictured (making new levels for their most popular matching game every day isn't exactly riveting work), and her social life hasn't taken off yet (it's hard to meet people in a new country, especially when you don't speak the language yet!), and the threat of becoming homeless looms ever closer after her landlord didn't renew her lease-- at least she's doing something adjacent to what she loves. But when her boss reveals Sol is in the running for her dream job, she has to prove that's she's putting down roots and dedicated to her new Danish home. The only problem? Sol doesn't have any roots to put down, so she makes some up.
Enter her fake boyfriend (and new roommate) Erik Storm. Sure he's the sexiest man she's ever met, and yes maybe she starts to catch feelings for him, and absolutely the lines between what's real and what's fake begin to blur-- but surely Sol won't get in over her head... right?
NEVER DATE A ROOMMATE had such promise for me. I loved the buildup-- Sol was such a fun character with so much vibrancy. As a person not in tech, the idea of game development as a career was interesting, and her story as an immigrant finding her place was really moving. However, at about the 55% mark the story felt too rushed and all over the place. I think this book would have benefited from a slower second half and a focus on character consistency/development.
Overall, I am always up for trying out a romance not set in America or Britain-- and while NEVER DATE YOUR ROOMMATE was a fine read, and the potential was there, it wasn't my favorite this time.
Chasing her dreams to become a game designer, Sol Carvalho made the leap from her native Brazil to the chilly Copenhagen for a job at the successful Scorpio games. And while the job isn't exactly what she pictured (making new levels for their most popular matching game every day isn't exactly riveting work), and her social life hasn't taken off yet (it's hard to meet people in a new country, especially when you don't speak the language yet!), and the threat of becoming homeless looms ever closer after her landlord didn't renew her lease-- at least she's doing something adjacent to what she loves. But when her boss reveals Sol is in the running for her dream job, she has to prove that's she's putting down roots and dedicated to her new Danish home. The only problem? Sol doesn't have any roots to put down, so she makes some up.
Enter her fake boyfriend (and new roommate) Erik Storm. Sure he's the sexiest man she's ever met, and yes maybe she starts to catch feelings for him, and absolutely the lines between what's real and what's fake begin to blur-- but surely Sol won't get in over her head... right?
NEVER DATE A ROOMMATE had such promise for me. I loved the buildup-- Sol was such a fun character with so much vibrancy. As a person not in tech, the idea of game development as a career was interesting, and her story as an immigrant finding her place was really moving. However, at about the 55% mark the story felt too rushed and all over the place.
Spoiler
Suddenly, Sol and Erik are dating, then they're no longer okay (despite the fact he left to, understandably, take care of his family and then hyperfocus on the app they were both developing on a time crunch), Sol decides she's afraid to be proud of her Brazilian heritage and then she's proud of it, and then everything works out and the story is over.Overall, I am always up for trying out a romance not set in America or Britain-- and while NEVER DATE YOUR ROOMMATE was a fine read, and the potential was there, it wasn't my favorite this time.