I’ve loved him from afar.Though most times he’s only a foot away. I’m smart enough to know he’ll never be anyone’s forever.He checks all the bad boy boxes. Tattoos. Check. Motorcycle. Check. Chip on his shoulder. Check check.If he wasn’t my neighbor and friend I may have thrown myself at him. Okay, yeah. I wouldn’t. Because guys like Dylan don’t want a woman who writes kid’s math textbooks under … writes kid’s math textbooks under him in bed. Instead, I pathetically savor morsels of moments where I have his sole attention.
That was until his archenemy moved in with me. Now suddenly, Dylan’s moving in too and warning off the first guy in a long time who’s showing me interest. Could he finally see me as more than a friend, or am I just a prize to win and show off to his enemy?
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Dylan Phillips owns the tattoo shop Ink Envy has just moved across the hall to a new apartment when his former foster brother Jax Owens moves into one of the empty bedrooms to help Rian Wright with the rent.
Rian Wright write math textbooks and has had a crush on Dylan for so long but is afraid to tell him how she feels. Rian is also under constant pressure by her parents to do more and they enter her into a very tough math competition.
When Jax begins flirting with Rian, Dylan knows he must act or lose his chance with Rian forever but will she see the real him? Does Dylan really care for Rian or is he just after her because Jax is interested?
When things begin to spiral out of control will Dylan and Rian be able to find their way out or are they destined to fall apart before they even really begin?
This was another awesome book in this series that I just can’t get enough of!!
I loved this story as we knew there was super underlying feelings for awhile now and I have been waiting for this story to learn everything!
I liked Dylan and he really wasn’t like what we thought he was going to be like He really had feelings for Rian but didn’t feel like he was good enough for her because of his background. I really liked getting to know him more and really understand how he grew up and it made other things make a lot more sense. I liked that he prided himself on his shop and at a certain point when he was desperate for help he did what he didn’t want to do in order to keep it afloat and I really respected him for that.
Rian was super smart and enjoyed her job as a text book writer but for her parents it didn’t seem like it was enough and therefore she found herself in the math competition to make them happy. I hated that she was doing things to get their approval and really wasn’t doing what made her happy. It was interesting seeing how she viewed Dylan but really never knew him until this book.
The accident was both heartbreaking and a blessing as it made Dylan and Rian spend more time together but so much was at stake but I loved how everyone rallied around so Dylan didn’t lose the shop.
The chemistry between Dylan and Rian was through the roof but initially both were afraid to act on it. I loved when things finally started happening but then my happiness seemed to be short lived when the author threw us a few more obstacles!! My heart was breaking a few times as I understood why both Dylan and Rian were so worried about where their life was leading them!
The end was so heart warming and I really loved that Rian was going to follow her own dreams and nobody else’s!!!
I hope we get a story next about Jax and a certain single momma!!!
The Rival Roomies was an easy to read, fun romance and I enjoyed it. This novel included friends to lovers and opposites attract tropes into one delightful novel.This is Rian and Dylan’s story and I enjoyed seeing how their relationship evolved from friends to more. These two were opposites but I loved how they related to each other and how perfect they were together.
I also loved the cast of secondary characters who balanced and supported the main characters. This is the third novel in the Rooftop Crew series and although I did not read the previous two books I was able to easily follow along. With humour, steamy scenes and two likable main characters, this novel was an entertaining read and I would recommend it to all lovers of contemporary romance.
Rian and Dylan have been friends and next door neighbors for a long time. Rian is the quite, woman with her nose in a book. Dylan is a bad boy that owns a tattoo shop and drives a motorcycle. They avoid their feelings for each other due to fear of rejection. When Jax, Dylan’s ex-best friend ends up moving in with Rian things go too far. Dylan ends up moving in as well and now the three are roommates. Dylan and Rian are an awesome couple and I love the banter between them.
I have been looking forward to Rian and Dylan’s story since the beginning of this series and Piper Rayne did not disappoint. This story is filled with laughter, love, friendship, heat and emotion. I devoured it in one sitting and couldn’t get enough. Rian is the nerdy girl. She writes math text books for children. She loves to bake and has a crush for her roommate Dylan. She is shy and reserved and afraid to go after what she wants. Dylan is a tattoo artist and is the classic bad boy. He is just as attracted to Rian as she is to him but thinks she deserves better. They have been keeping their mutual attraction to themselves. The title of the book is perfect, because an old friend, Jax moves in and shows an interest in Rian all bets are off and he isn’t going to let his friend get his girl. I enjoyed the push and pull between Rian & Dylan. Their chemistry was addicting. Dylan has a few hang ups that stand in his way a bit and there were times I was frustrated with his inner dialogue but in the end I adored it overall. 4 STARS.
*ARC received in exchange of an honest review.
This is your standard friend to lovers romance except they live together. Dylan knows Rian has feelings for him and it’s mutual. They are both hiding feelings until it’s too much and the fallout is cute to watch. I liked this book but didn’t love it. Which isn’t a bad thing, I just never felt a romantic connection between Rian and Dylan but more of friendship. I like the previous books in this series and will read new ones but I wish I had felt more with this story. I’m sure some people will love it.
4 stars
I love basically anything by author duo, Piper Rayne, so even though I somehow missed book 2 in this series, I was excited to read Rival Roomies. The books are standalones but you’ll definitely benefit from reading the series as the characters are very much entwined.
Rian is the quintessential good girl, she’s sheltered, brilliant and adorable. She also knows her way around a pastry. Despite all she’s accomplished, she struggles to live up to the lofty expectations of her parents and their relationship is fractured over their inability to love their daughter for who she is. So Rian built a new family with her rooftop crew and they love her just as she is. As good girls often do, she falls for the bad boy of their group. Over the years, she and Dylan develop a tight friendship but sadly, he still doesn’t give her the time of day in the romance department. When a new roommate, and Dylan’s longtime frenemy, moves in as their other roommate, sparks fly and the balance their friendship relies upon is threatened.
Dylan is crazy about the little math genius and beautiful baker but as a foster kid, he’s lost too many people to cross the line with Rian. He likes everything about her but her friendship means too much to him to make a move. He’ll never be good enough for her but he’ll be damned if he lets Jax have her. Maybe the old “you never know what you had until it’s gone” is true. Is it too late for their happily ever after?
I’ll be honest, Dylan frustrated the hell out of me for a good portion of this book but his friends helped him pull his head out and after that… well let’s just say, Dylan gives good book boyfriend material. These two were perfect together and I loved their cute relationship. Thankfully the angst wasn’t overly long and it added another layer to the story. This was a great book and I can’t wait for all the other stories in the series; however, let it be known here and now, I’m a Jax girl! I fell in love with that tatted up bad boy and cannot wait for his story!
AnnMarie – Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
I believe this is my first book by this author and I was engrossed from the beginning. I love a good friends-to-lovers story and this one just sucked me in. I didn’t have any background from the previous books but you can tell Rian and Dylan have been dancing around each other for a while. It takes a third person to make Dylan move his butt in gear. It’s fun, sexy, emotional at times.
This is the third book in the Rooftop Crew series. I would say this is a stand alone, but in the previous books, we do get to see Rain’s crush on Dylan.
In the previous books, I didn’t think Dylan was feeling the same way. That is until Knox brings Jax back and he moves in with Rain. This his feelings come out.
The funny thing is… EVERYONE already knew how he felt. Jax figured it out right away.
We get Dylan’s back story. We also meet Rain’s parents. Oh how I wish Dylan would have told them off. I’m happy Rain grew a back bone.
This sets up Seth’s book next. But I’m wondering if Jax will get a book.
P.S. I should be really mad at Rain. with having to do the remote learning with my 5th grader…I hate Pearson math!
I have to admit I went into this book without a lot of love for Dylan. I kind of wanted Rian to realise she deserved more and for Jax to be awesome and sweep her off her feet. But luckily for me Piper Rayne knew what these two needed better than I did and that didn’t happen.
Even luckier for me was the fact that we got Dylan’s story and I fell madly in love with him. The arrival of Jax and their history made Dylan open his eyes and pull his head out of certain places. And I am so glad that he did because he was the perfect boyfriend for Rian. I understood his insecurities and I loved that he figured out he was the perfect person for Rian and he fought for it.
And my perception of Rian was way off as well. I had her pinned as this meek, mild mannered, doormat who was just going to accept whatever scraps of attention Dylan was prepared to cast her way, while watching him screw every warm body that passed his door. So I was super excited to see her grow a back bone and realise that she deserved someone who wanted her. And Jax was the perfect catalyst for her as well.
I have developed a massive crush on Jax from this book as well. And being a foster mum and knowing how badly the system knocks these kids about my heart broke for the tiny bit of information we got about his past. I seriously think him and Frankie are going to be a great match up. But I am already preparing myself for the angst, cause I think it’s going to take him a bit to realise his worth. Not that I am disappointed to get Evan and Seth’s book next, I already think Evan is awesome.
Ooh! I enjoyed getting lost in this book! Rian and Dylan have been dancing around each other for awhile. He moves in with her as she gets a new roommate, Jax. Jax and Dylan have a past. And it’s almost another roommate. It is thick in the air and Rian feels the animosity between them. It’s a past they’ve never addressed. Rian is a smart woman, but she’s never let Dylan know her feelings. Dylan doesn’t think he’s good enough for her. I enjoyed watching the dance between them, but then something serious happens. And it wakes Dylan up. I liked how he had to work through the past that was living in the apartment while coming to terms with his feelings for Rian. The chemistry was through the roof and I was cheering them on! I couldn’t inhale this book fast enough and I definitely recommend it.
This book was perfectly adorable and I enjoyed every second of the funny back and forth banter. Rian has always had a thing for her friend Dylan but he’s never paid her much mind past a friend but that all changes when she gets a new roommate, Jax. Dylan decides he also needs to live with Rian too purely as a friend lol. Couldn’t get enough of this story
Have loved Rian and Dylan since the series started! I loved their story. How the actions of our parents can weave through our self image and influence the way we live our lives. Loved reading how they grow together and realise they need to stay together.
Overall Grade:
Who doesn’t love a “bad boy” meets “good girl” story? You know the one where you hope the bad boy dirties up the good girl and the good girl helps the bad boy embrace a life that toes the “straight and narrow”? If that’s your romantic interest, then Piper Rayne’s The Rival Roomies is your book. Now, the title is a little misleading. Quite honestly, it doesn’t quite match the book’s blurb. The rivalry exists between Rian’s new roommate, Jax, and her friend (and crush), Dylan, although that rivalry isn’t necessarily for Rian’s attention. It’s a ploy to get Dylan to go after Rian.
Now, to be fair for this review, you must know that I did not read the first two books in The Rooftop series. Thankfully, Piper Rayne does a brilliant job of offering enough of the backstory for the first two books that, if you haven’t read them (as I did), you will not be lost in the story of The Rival Roomies. Maybe you don’t fully understand the depth of Rian’s interest in Dylan or Dylan’s reticent towards relationships, yet Piper Rayne doesn’t make you feel like you missed too much, which is a huge plus for this book.
This story is the classic heroine has a huge crush on the hero and she wants more from him, but he doesn’t “do” relationships because his background makes it impossible for him to do them well. Even more, he worries that the heroine and he have nothing in common, so how would a relationship work between them? Instead, the hero denies himself, and his $exual frustration over her grows deeper as each day passes. Eventually, the hero pulls his head out of his ar$e, and they fall deeper into the relationship. I’m not sure that Piper Rayne is doing anything different with this story, but they’ve placed it in the midst of a series that allows the focus of this story to really be more about friends as family.
Since I am Professor Romance, I am always looking for the meaning behind the words of a romance. In this case, The Rival Roomies is a layered story about friends to lovers or opposites attracting. For one, Dylan, the hero, and Jax, his former best friend and current nemesis, are former foster children. Struggling with the insecurities of their pasts, they make choices that derail their happiness. They do this because, as Piper Rayne suggests, they don’t feel worthy of the good life may bring them. Dylan has huge abandonment issues that almost destroy his eventual relationship with Rian. Even more, he uses those fears to keep him away from a relationship with Rian. Piper Rayne deftly crafts his character to illustrate the fears so often found in relationships, and they offer him a meaningful, fulfilling relationship to show how love can bind our wounds.
While Dylan struggles with personal insecurities, Rian’s characterization underscores the message of friends who become family. Her vulnerabilities exist because her parents’ expectations for her life are founded in their own selfishness. While her past looks vastly different from Dylan’s, we learn quickly that Rian’s struggles are no less profound. Again, Piper Rayne’s careful storytelling highlights the idea that challenges exist no matter background and income level. Both Dylan and Rian carry hurts into a relationship that could easily derail their relationships, but Piper Rayne intuits the power of friends to help us through our pain. Even though Rian’s parents are awful, her friends act as her family and empower her to love Dylan.
The Rival Roomies is a good story. It utilizes some of our favorite tropes in romance, and it manifests the continued idea that our family can be whomever we want it to be. Woven through that idea is a story of two friends who eventually embrace their attraction and, in the end, find the happiest of happy endings. If you love a little salty with your sweet romance, then grab Piper Rayne’s The Rival Roomies.
This is the book I’ve been waiting for. Dylan and Rian have had me intrigued from the first book in the series. I love a good friends to lovers romance. I’ve been a big fan of Rian’s and this book proved why. I love her personality. Plus she likes to bake and so do I. She’s has such a big caring heart which you can tell how much by the family she has created with her friends. This is a book I couldn’t put down. I gobbled it right up. I love the roof top crew and I liked getting to know the newest guy Jax. Jax and Dylan have a history so that is intriguing all in itself. Once you start reading this one don’t plan on stopping. Dylan and Rian are going to suck you right in. I love some set ups for the future books. It makes me want them right now. I thought the epilogue was absolutely perfect. It gave me an ending perfect for Dylan and Rian’s book. They make one adorable couple.
I absolutely adored this book, and couple! I’m giving it 5 out of 5 stars. This review is for an ARC, and reflects my honest opinion.
I loved Rian in the previous books; she seemed a lot like me, and reading this confirmed my assessment. She was sweet, but also sassy. She loved baking, and was good at math (although I’m nowhere near her level). I thought her and Dylan were enough of opposites that they worked, but not too different that they didn’t fit amazingly together.
Dylan was a bit of a jerk previously with how he ignored Rian’s obvious crush. But he made up for it, and I finally understood his reasoning somewhat. I absolutely adored him; tattooed heroes will always be a win for me. My heart went out to him for everything he went through as a child, along with Jax and Knox. There were definitely some emotional moments, so be prepared. Also can I just say that I need Jax’s book now; he was a pleasant surprise.
This was another fantastic read by this duo of authors. The Baileys will probably always be my favorite series of theirs, but this group of friends might end up being a close second. I highly recommend you check out any book written by them.
Sometimes it takes almost losing someone to embrace your true feelings. I love the humor and romace this story is all about. The writing is perfection and I couldn’t put this book down. The twist on being roomates made this even more enjoyable. The banter and interactions are everything you could want in a romcom. This is one book you don’t want to miss out on.
I loved this book from the first page, and couldn’t put it down. It was well written, with the Piper Rayne flare, was full of emotion, and a set of awesome characters, including someone new to the Rooftop Crew.
Rian and Dylan’s story is a a friends to lovers read. Both have been holding their feeling to themselves so as not to upset the vibe within their close group of friends and in fear of loosing the other forever.
This was a beautiful love story where the smart girl gets the bad boy. One of my favourite tropes.
Looking forward to more from this series.
This is the first book that I have read of the Rooftop Crew, but I will be going back to read the previous two. This is the story of Dylan, and Rian. They have both been dancing around their feelings for each other that everyone sees, but they don’t. There is the worry that coming together may break their friends a part if something every happens between them. Enter Jax. He has history with Dylan, and him moving into the apartment forces Dylan to explore his feelings for Rian in a way he hasn’t before. Will they make it together, or will they forever stay apart.
I have been so looking forward to this book in the series and finally getting to see Rian and Dylan explore if they could be more than friends. To say that Piper & Rayne gave us an AMAZING story is an understatement. I have loved all of the books thus far but this is literally my favorite book of the series thus far and I don’t know if anything can top it (but I wouldn’t put it past them).
We were introduced to both Rian and Dylan in the previous 2 books. There was just something about Dylan that drew me in from the get go and I felt just like Rian that I couldn’t wait for him to show up where I could learn more. Rian has been fascinated with Dylan for a long time but she has never had the nerve to do anything about it so she lusts/loves him from afar and just stays friends.
Unfortunately for Dylan a previous friend of his, Jax, returns and moves in with Rian. Dylan can’t stand it and he moves in to so he can keep an eye out on Rian. An amazing story ensues that is so very good that I couldn’t stop reading.
I absolutely love this series and all of the Rooftop Gang. It was great to catch up with the previous couples as well and then the friends we still are getting to look forward to in finding their love. I am so excited for Seth, Knox and Jax books.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I just love this series! Each book gets better and better.
This is Dylan and Rian story.
I loved that they both had feelings for one another and they didn’t come right out and say it. The conversations with Jax and the both of them are great.
Dylan is a bad boy who is major swoon worthy.
Rain is smart and beautiful
If you need an escape I would highly recommend reading this but start with book one so you know the rooftop crew.