Marriages of convenience are so . . . inconvenient.
Rescued by Calvin McLoughlin from a would-be subway attacker, Holland Bakker pays the brilliant musician back by pulling some of her errand-girl strings and getting him an audition with a bigtime musical director. When the tryout goes better than even Holland could have imagined, Calvin is set for a great entre into Broadway—until he admits his student visa has expired and he’s in the country illegally.
Holland impulsively offers to wed the Irishman to keep him in New York, her growing infatuation a secret only to him. As their relationship evolves from awkward roommates to besotted lovers, Calvin becomes the darling of Broadway. In the middle of the theatrics and the acting-not-acting, what will it take for Holland and Calvin to realize they both stopped pretending a long time ago?
ROOMIES is a backstage drama set in the New York City Theatre world. Don’t be fooled by the title and book cover. This is a page turner. And if you are a Broadway Junkie, you are in for a double treat.
Christina Lauren latest novel tells a story of a fake marriage that leads to real passion. There is more drama behind the scenes than on stage. It delivers everything you want: sexual tension and a sexy leading hero wrapped in an innocent romance. Its so much about the theater of real life and real issues – struggling career, starving musician.
This amazing duo team has taken the fake marriage theme and given it the perfect twist. This is not the usual sexy CEO with intentions of seduction. Told in first person POV from Holland Lina Bakker, we have a recent graduate living in New York City with a MFA and writer’s block. Her apartment and her job, basically as a stage hand, she owes to her uncles, one who is the musical director of the current Broadway hit – think Hamilton!!!
An opening becomes available for a musician and Holland thinks she knows the perfect person to step into the role. She’s had a secret crush on him for month – Calvin Aedan McLoughlin. He’s a subway street performer who moves her to take the subway even when she doesn’t need to just to see him and hear him play. The opportunity arrives to make her move with Calvin —at least temporarily. A joking comment about marrying Calvin to secure his place in the musical is no longer a laughing matter. But what happens when the fake marriage becomes more than just an act?
Prepare for a roller coaster ride. Prepare for bouts of laughter as Holland and Calvin navigate falling in love after saying “I Do”. You will be swept into the spotlight of love, jealousy, betrayal and forgiveness. The story gets better as you continue to turn the pages. I want more Christina Lauren.
P.S. I’m not so sure you would call Calvin “saving” Holland from an attacked in the subway. What do you think? Drop your suggestions below.
I was honored to gifted an advance reader copy from Simon & Schuster/Gallery Books via netgalley for review purposes.
BUT FIRST, BOOKS 