Review: The Roommate Situation by Zoe X. Rider

College freshman Shane Hahn finds himself unexpectedly shuffled to a new dorm room--which is fine by him, but his over-involved mother takes one look at toothpick-chewing, motorcycle-riding Derek McClain, his new roommate, and gets on the phone with the school. The school requires that Shane be the one to file the room-change paperwork, but Shane's reluctant.

He's attracted to Derek's independence, even though that independence means Derek has to pay his own way through college, which he does by making leather products (you know: belts, wallets...bondage gear) and selling it online. Shane isn't even allowed to work while he's in school, much less join a band, which is what he really wants to do with his life. Unfortunately, his parents are holding his guitar hostage until he can prove he's taking his future seriously.

When he decides he needs a way to come up with cash--the kind his parents won't find out about--so he can buy a guitar his parents can't take away from him, he turns to Derek with what sounds like a win-win solution: he'll model bondage gear for Derek's online store photos, Derek will get more sales, and Shane will get a cut. The one thing he doesn't factor into his plan is the giddy stomach-flip feeling Derek McClain causes whenever he walks in the room--and what that might mean for them when Derek starts locking leather cuffs on his wrists.

I read this book because a friend was reading it and I couldn't ignore her goodreads updates any longer! Sara has great taste in books and when she loves something that much, I'm pretty sure I will too. The thing is, even with those tempting updates, the cover and blurb nearly put me off! I'm not sure why. Maybe I'm turning into a cover snob (I know exactly which designer I blame for that) and the blurb - while it does tell you what the book is about, it really doesn't do it justice. IMO anyway *shrugs*.

This book is so good. It has the best build up of sexual tension and that first kiss O.M.G. While the blurb makes it sound like it's going to venture into quite raunchy ground (or at least, that was my interpretation) this manages to be hot, with a bit of kink, but not downright porn. Not that there is anything wrong with reading some pornier work but this, this beats that hands down.

I completely fell for Shane and Derek. One hundred percent in love with them both. In fact, I was not ready for it to be the end of their story, not by a long shot. I even found Derek being a smoker sexy and I loathe and detest smoking (I know, I know). The secondary characters are fantastic - particularly Derek's family. I swear I could read more about the whole lot of them. 

The writing is great, it pulls you into the story and leaves you unable to put it down (or apparently find the authors backlist and read every damn thing on it, as anyone who gets my goodread feed will attest to - sorry :/). This is Zoe X Rider's only full length novel to date and IMO it's the best - but I couldn't get enough of her shorter pieces too. If I fall for a writing style I fall hard and this author has made it to my auto-buy list. I would highly recommend if you like NA/college stories, I promise this won't disappoint.