Rating: 4.25🌈
Roommate Arrangement (Divorced Mens Club #1) by Saxon James was a lovely contemporary romance. The first in a new series revolving around a group of newly divorced men, James manages to set the foundation by introducing the group, grounding them in a interesting small hometown who’s abandoned penitentiary now serves as a tourist attraction, and a useful location for scenes to the characters themselves.
The first couple we meet begins with a man who’s returning to his hometown after a devastating discovery that his husband has been cheating on him for years. Now in the process of getting a divorce, he’s fleeing home to his friends and a place to recover.
That’s Payne Walker. Feeling lost, without a job, home, and until the apartment is sold, little savings. While his brother and family are acting as his support and cushion, we , through James’ lovely writing , empathize with Payne as he returns to Kilborough.
Waiting there, at the Kilborough Brewery , a town draw, are Griffin, Art de Almeida, owner of the brewery and startup of the DMC (Divorced Mens Club) and Orson. Plus Marty, Payne’s brother. The kil bro group of their adolescence years.
On the outskirts is Beau, Marty’s best friend and a successful fantasy writer. Beau has always harbored a deep crush on Payne when they were growing up. But his own social awkwardness and younger age always made him feel him unable to say anything.
Beau’s a terrific character. A socially awkward person, who’s passion for writing and own innate nature makes for a messy and lonely home life. When writing, he’s buried in his characters and plots, unaware of time passing. When blocked and unable to move forward, everything grinds to a halt, again forgotten.
When Marty suggests Payne as a roommate to help Payne get some needed breathing room from Marty’s overcrowded house, it looks to be a great way for both men to temporarily solve some problems.
James’s plot of a slow forming friendship that also turns into a romance is so charming. From a blanket fortress to a walk through the famous penitentiary, the men start to move towards something real and substantial.
There’s not a lot of deep angst after the beginning. But more a thoughtful removal of obstacles and a heartwarming romance that’s sure to engage you.
As this is just the beginning of the DMC series, it’s such an enjoyable start that I’m looking forward to the rest of the stories.
Need a new contemporary romance to read? Here’s one I’m recommending!
Divorced Men’s Club :
🔹Making Him Mine #0.5
🔹Roommate Arrangement #1
🔹Platonic Rulebook #2
🔹Budding Attraction #3 – Nov 23, 2022
Synopsis:
Payne:
In search of: room to rent.
Must ignore the patheticness of a forty-year-old roommate.
Preferably dirt cheap as funds are tight (nonexistent).
There’s nothing sadder than moving back to my hometown newly divorced, homeless, and lost for what my next move is.
When my little brother’s best friend offers me a place to stay in exchange for menial duties, I swallow my pride and jump at the offer.
I need this.
I also need Beau to wear a shirt. And ditch the gray sweatpants. And not leave his door ajar when he’s in compromising positions …
Beau:
In search of: roommate.
Must be non smoker and non douchebag.
Room payment to be made in meal planning, repairs, and dumb jokes.
Since my career took off, I barely have time to breathe, let alone keep my life in order. I’m naturally chaotic, make terrible decisions, and scare off potential dates with my “weirdness”.
So when Payne gets back into town and needs somewhere to stay, I offer him my spare room with one condition: while he’s staying with me, I need him to help me become date-able.
And while he does that, I can focus on my other plan: ignoring that Payne is the only man I’ve ever wanted to date.
———-
Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 