Series Review: Roommates by Mara Jacobs

Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:

Synopsis for In Too Deep (from Goodreads):

I didn’t believe in love at first sight, until I first saw Lucas Kade.

I was giving swimming lessons to children when I first saw him. Turns out one of the kids was Lucas’s little brother. So, I’d be seeing a lot more of Lucas. And that was just fine with me.

I had a lot going on—a freshman at an elite college, first time away from home, and, oh yeah, roommates with a girl I’d been sent to spy on. I wasn’t exactly looking for anything exclusive. Something casual, though, would be great.

But there was nothing casual about my feelings for Lucas.

He was a townie, hiding a secret, and I knew better than to get involved. I was always the sensible one, the peacekeeper.

Before I knew it…I was In Too Deep.

Series: Roommates Trilogy
Author: Mara Jacobs
# of Books: 3 (In Too Deep, In Too Fast, In Too Hard)
Book Order: Connected (almost take place concurrently)
Complete?: Yes
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Heat Rating: Warm
Point of View: First Person, Alternating
Publication Dates: July 2014 – March 2015
Source & Format: Own–eBook

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

I’m not sure how this series crossed my radar. I think In Too Deep shows up as a freebie from time to time and that’s how I learned about it (though I bought it so who knows?). It might have also been a recommended read when I first started my New Adult Romance addiction in 2014. Anyways, I bought copies of the first two books years ago and finally read them as a part of my #ShelfLove 2017 Challenge and followed up with the final book for my 52 Sequel Challenge for 2018.

Anyways, I’m all for secrets and drama and this series looked like it would deliver.

The Plot:

While In Too Deep focuses on a love at first sight relationship, I actually didn’t mind it. For once, this trope was used as an actual plot device in a positive way. Meaning, it worked for the type of story the author wanted to tell. But this book was also surprisingly self-aware. These two knew their feelings were too much, too fast and they actually acknowledged it. Unfortunately, it is a little cliche at times but it was still super enjoyable.

I adored In Too Fast though. I almost wonder if the titles for the first two books should be switched because it seems more accurate for this awesome story. I love the enemies to lovers trope and I knew this was going to be a good one as soon as I met these two in the first book. But this one also had a unique plot and two fabulous leads to carry it–I enjoyed it immensely!

And after such an awesome sequel, perhaps I set my expectations a little too high for the final novel. While I enjoyed the leads and saw how well they worked together, I found the plot was a little repetitive at times and that certain plot devices weren’t used to the best of their abilities.

The Characters:

I liked that these characters seemed to be their own. They each had unique personalities and histories so it made me eager to see all their stories unfold in the other novels.

I do have to say though that I wasn’t a fan of the hero’s POV in In Too Hard; mainly the writing style. They just didn’t sound like him–almost like I was reading the heroine again so it didn’t have a very distinct voice.

The Romance:

It’s passionate and lusty but they also have great connections. You can see why each pair would be drawn to each other, even if things move faster than I like. And if you don’t like copious amounts of sexy times in your books, this series is pretty mild about those steamier moments.

Series Rating: 3.5/5

In Too Deep 3/5 | In Too Fast 5/5 | In Too Hard 3/5

These aren’t mind blowing romances by any means but they are a fresh set of stories that have unique elements, solid characters and charming romances.

Read if You Like: New Adult, romances, more sweet than sexy
Avoid if You: want more steam, want deeper stories/characters