A review by kj468
Roommate Arrangement by Saxon James

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

A great first installment to a new Saxon James series :) I adored Payne & Beau so much, and just wanted to wrap them both up in my arms and give them a hug.
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pov: dual first person
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rep: MLM, gay MCs, suspected undefined neurodivergence (Beau; I saw some anxiety & maybe autism spec and/or ADHD traits)
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tropes: friends to lovers; brother's best friend / best friend's brother; and they were ROOMMATES; fresh starts; friends with benefits, fwb with feelings; pining
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ratings: funny: 2 // ease: 5 // spice: 4 // plot: 4 // romance: 5 // overall: 4.5

Likes:
  • Payne is so unbelievably sweet with Beau. I adore all the little things Payne does for him, like leaving him paper cranes with messages on his desk, being careful not to interrupt him while he's writing, making him dinner and never being upset that Beau is too wrapped up in writing to eat it right away.
  • Payne indulging Beau in all of his writing experiments & never acting like they are weird or dumb, or making Beau feel shame about them. 
  • Payne's constant insistence that Beau doesn't need to change (even -- especially -- when it's Beau himself arguing he needs to change) to find happiness in a relationship
  • Beau is such a great character. I love how he's both lacking confidence & is anxious but also, totally confident and in control of himself when it matters. The way he gets lost in his writing is very relatable.
  • It's refreshing to see an MC prioritize fixing the shit in his life before he fully commits to a relationship, clearly wanting to be the best possible version of himself for his partner.