Book Review - The Roommate Experiment by Camilla Isley

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Title: The Roommate Experiment

Author: Camilla Isley

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 27th May 2025

Rating: 4 Stars

Could there be room for attraction?

Hunter has secretly been in love with her best friend’s brother Dylan for years, despite barely registering as a blip on his radar. She’s not even in the friend zone—more like friend zone adjacent. But her luck is about to change: Dylan is taking over her spare room, and she's being promoted to roommate. Could this be the moment Dylan finally notices her?

Not so fast. When Dylan moves in, he carries more than just boxes—he brings complications. Suddenly, the dream of living under the same roof turns into a daily struggle. Dylan is off-limits, for reasons Hunter couldn’t have anticipated, and the closer they get, the harder it becomes to ignore her feelings.

But Hunter’s determined to keep her heart in check—no matter how difficult the task. She just has to avoid ogling him in a towel. Definitely don’t imagine what’s under the towel. And try not to swoon when he bakes cookies.

But after he saves her from a terrible date and they’re forced to share a sofa bed at his parents’ house, her emotions reach a breaking point. She’ll have to either move on or move out. Will she tell him the truth—or lose him forever?

The Roommate Experiment is a roommates-to-lovers, forced proximity, STEMinist rom-com perfect for fans of Lynn Painter, Sarah Adams, and Abby Jimenez.

I'm very conflicted about this book  - don't get me wrong I enjoyed it, and by the time the action and flirtation heated up, I was unable to put it down. 

But it runs along the exact same time line as If The Ring Fits, so if you have read the previous book in the series (which I did only a few weeks ago so it was still fresh in my mind), then you know exactly who will end up with you (as it was revealed in the previous book), and other bits with the friendship groups, are all things I have already read from one perspective, so didn't' really need to see it again.   

It's one of those devices that authors use occasionally in series that always bugs me and I'm just not keen on. 

That doesn't make the book any less great, just made it harder for me to totally enjoy it as much as I normally enjoy a Camilla Isley novel.   I feel like you need to have read at least the previous book to fully understand all the references to Rowena, so it probably can't stand alone, but equally had I skipped the middle book I would have possibly enjoyed it more. 

Hence I'm totally torn. 

It's a very slow build of the romantic tension between Hunter and Dylan. Hunter's dates to keep her mind off the fact she is now living with the guy she has been secretly in love with for over 10 years, are hilariously bad.  

Dylan's relationship with Olivia is hard to read, I just didn't take to her, and felt for him a lot, especially once he realises he isn't as into it as he should be.  But some of his dilemmas really showed him as a truly lovely guy. 

I love the characters, I especially loved the final quarter of the book, and there are many many moments to laugh at, as Dylan and Hunter get used to living in the same apartment, with some memorable scenes. 

On the whole I really did enjoy the book. 

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.