Book Review: Get a Room by Casey Dembowski

About the Book:

Title: Get a Room

Author: Casey Dembowski

Page Length: 310

Publication Date: July 18, 2023

Synopsis: Brian Hawkins has had the worst year. He watched his girlfriend marry another man, lost his job and his apartment, and, after a summer under his parents’ roof, has taken refuge with his younger sister. A quiet few months in Philadelphia is just what he needs to clear his head and get back on his feet. But he’s barely unpacked before the bane of his existence, his sister’s best friend shows up. His planned solitude is replaced by pop songs, rom-coms, and bright pink hair. Which would be fine, except there’s only one extra bed, and there’s no way he’s sharing it with her.

Sarah Webb didn’t think anything could be worse than a marriage-proposal-gone-wrong walk of shame to her best friend’s apartment. But she was wrong. So wrong. Because she’s not just staying with Jess, but with Jess’s older brother. Brian is grumpy and stubborn and—not that Sarah would ever admit it out loud—totally hot. He’s also off limits. Which is why she should let him have the bedroom, stop staring at his abs, and keep her distance. But playing nice isn’t in her nature.

As Sarah and Brian pull pranks and place wagers over who can lay claim to the bed, things between the rivals start to shift. Sarah can admit that Brian has his moments, and Brian sees a side of Sarah she usually keeps hidden. When she needs a last-minute date for a charity gala where her doctor-ex is going to be in attendance, Brian seems like the perfect fake date. But as they spin around the dance floor, their fledgling friendship turns to something unexpected—and only one thing’s certain… more than just the bed is up for grabs.

LINKS:   Goodreads   |    Amazon

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My Review:

Get a Room is another engaging and fun contemporary romance by Casey Dembowski! I love the characters, the amazing banter, and the enemies-to-lovers, best friend’s brother love story!

Sarah and Brian are at crossroads in their lives when they end up fighting over space in an apartment with her best friend, who is also Brian’s sister. Though they begin as enemies, their feelings toward each other slowly change, though I have a sneaking suspicion some of that animosity and antagonism is really how they dealt with their underlying feelings and chemistry. They have amazing banter, and the chemistry between them is *chef’s kiss* fantasticness. They actually start pranking each other to get the spare bedroom, and some of the pranks are hysterical. I love these scenes because they highlight the changing relationship and ease Sarah and Brian have with each other. And their romantic moments are so swoon-worthy – lovely and heart-warming with a few spicy moments too!

I also like the character growth throughout the story, especially with Brian. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like him because, as a minor character in When We’re Thirty, he was pretty unlikable. However, gaining his perspective on everything definitely changed my opinion of him. It really makes you think about how different stories are when told from different people’s perspectives.

At the start, Brian is floundering. He has no job, no friends, he’s in a new city, and he’s struggling. It was great to see him slowly finding himself, new friends, his self-confidence, and more. I also like that he resolved some of his regrets from the past. I feel like he owned his mistakes and found the closure he needed. Sarah shows a lot of growth too, and she is also layered and interesting. I love how passionate she is about her job and how she refuses to let her ex sabotage her position. She starts to fight for herself, which is great to see.

Some of the actions of Sarah and her best friend frustrated me toward the end of the book, and I wanted to shake some sense into both of them. But at the same time, I think those actions show more layers to the characters. They are all flawed, and they make mistakes, and they learn from them. Their characters are realistic and compelling, and even when they don’t make the best decisions, I understood why they reacted in certain ways.

A few characters from Dembowski’s previous books have minor roles in Get a Room, which is fantastic! I always love seeing what has happened to the characters and relationships from other books. However, this totally works as a standalone, and you can easily read it without having read the author’s other books. It’s a heart-warming, fun, and entertaining contemporary romance!

Special thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Rating:

Favorite Parts:

• The romance.

• The humor.

Tropes:

• best friends brother
• forbidden romance
• enemies to lovers
• fake dating
• forced proximity