Ms. Wilson has such a way with crafting a great story. Lovable characters, great dialogue, and fantastic, sucks-you-in plot lines. Madison gets cut off from her uber wealthy family because she wants to be a teacher (THE HORROR!) She is determined to show them that she doesn't need them or their money by making it on her own. Too bad she doesn't really know how to do that, exactly.
I LOVE that this novel wasn't dual POV. It was purely 1st person from Madison's perspective and I loved it for that. Seriously. It allowed me as the reader to be in the same position as Madison for the whole book: does he like her? What did that look mean? What did he mean by saying that? It was great. It was refreshing, especially in a genre where I know the ending before I read the first word.
I loved Madison. Not just because she was a teacher, but the realistic nature that was written was icing on the cake. She really wanted to be out from under her family's thumb, and every move she made harkened back to that. She had her insecurities, her moments of "girl, what are you doing?", but one of the best things about her was her determination. I loved that she clearly was infatuated with Tyler, but was very concerned with respecting his boundaries.
The side characters were wonderful additions who really added to the overall story. Her friends, her family members, even Pigeon. It was slow burn (thank God, because they meet each other at the beginning of the book. No insta-love here!) yet fast paced story line that had more awkward "oh honey" than angst. It was sweet, it was playful, it was entertaining.
I LOVED THE TWIST. Seriously. I wasn't expecting it. And this was a book where I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop (in like, I'm on the edge of my seat in the best way possible way). I didn't see it coming. I thought it was executed perfectly. And I actually think my jaw might have dropped when her mother started speaking. Well. Done. Ms. Wilson. Well done.
The only things that irked me were super small and probably only bug me: 1. I've started noticing a small trend in Ms. Wilson's novels where some of the funny one-liner type quips are straight from internet memes. This wouldn't be an issue if I didn't spend so much time online, so now I'm about to go reevaluate my own life. 2. The scene where Madison and Shay meet, where Madison is supposed to go into the one sorority house during rush. Sorority rush doesn't work that way. Fraternity rush does. I know this is small, inconsequential, and stupid for me to notice. Like I said, I'm reevaluating my life right now.
Also, I wish I could've found out why Tyler had the rule in place to begin with. I was hoping for a cute, funny anecdote about his former roomie/stalker.
Should you buy this book? Yes. And if you've never read Ms. Wilson before, check her other books once you're done. (Still waiting on Netflix to do this.) Would I recommend this book? To my girlfriends and to my students. It's clean, in sexual nature and in language, it's fast paced, and most importantly, it makes me super grateful for my own parents and upbringing.
Did I mention I loved it? You will too.
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Roommaid: A Novel
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Reviews with images
Wilson Hits The Mark
Roommaid is a clever portmanteau describing a domestic living arrangement where one serves a dual role as roommate and maid. The plucky (and often daft) heroine in Roommaid is a young school teacher by the ungainly name of Madison Huntington, who is seeking a clean break from her wealthy and privileged upbringing in Houston's staid, old money upper crust. The same class in the same city that served as the backdrop for Blood and Money, Thomas Thompson's true crime tale of murder and deceit in Houston's River Oaks. Mercifully, the only blood shed in Roommaid comes from an unfortunate crafting accident. As for the story, Madison finds herself serving as domestic support for the handsome and (seemingly) wealthy Tyler Roth, who has won Madison's heart but just doesn't know it yet.In a genre replete with banal writing and clumsy storytelling, the author Sariah Wilson has managed to distinguish herself with Roommaid. This is a clever tale well told and fun to read. She weaves an engaging story involving Madison and Tyler that manages to include plausible romantic sentiment. The story does not get outside of itself as it winds its way to a surprise ending that keen observers will be able to see coming around the bend (the author foreshadows freely).Roommaid succeeds because of strong characters. Romance is a character-driven genre, and the author manages to breathe some life into Madison and her supporting cast, investing them with a degree of accessibility, authenticity and a refreshing (and often humorous) honesty. She sketches the bad ex-boyfriend and the vain, manipulative mother in broader strokes, but overall Roommaid wins because Madison and her BFF's feel accessible.Of all the story elements Wilson wove into this tale, the one that deserves special mention is unexpected and unlikely invocation (for this genre) of the late abstract-expressionist artist, Mark Rothko. Houston serves not just as the backdrop for Roommaid, it also happens to be the location of one of Rothko's most celebrated art installations - the Rothko Chapel. The ecumenical chapel in the heart of old Houston is comprised of a series of Rothko neutral color panels. Whether invoking Rothko was calculated to flesh out Madison's old money bona fides, or just a happy accident on the author's part, I don't know. But it added a refreshing dimension to the story, which served to lift Roommaids from the muck of its more prosaic peers.Photo:Mark RothkoUntitled, 1949Oil on canvasNational Gallery of Art, WashingtonGift of the Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc.Copyright 1997 Christopher Rothko and Kate Rothko Prizel
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2020
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2021
Roommaid is a clever portmanteau describing a domestic living arrangement where one serves a dual role as roommate and maid. The plucky (and often daft) heroine in Roommaid is a young school teacher by the ungainly name of Madison Huntington, who is seeking a clean break from her wealthy and privileged upbringing in Houston's staid, old money upper crust. The same class in the same city that served as the backdrop for Blood and Money, Thomas Thompson's true crime tale of murder and deceit in Houston's River Oaks. Mercifully, the only blood shed in Roommaid comes from an unfortunate crafting accident. As for the story, Madison finds herself serving as domestic support for the handsome and (seemingly) wealthy Tyler Roth, who has won Madison's heart but just doesn't know it yet.
In a genre replete with banal writing and clumsy storytelling, the author Sariah Wilson has managed to distinguish herself with Roommaid. This is a clever tale well told and fun to read. She weaves an engaging story involving Madison and Tyler that manages to include plausible romantic sentiment. The story does not get outside of itself as it winds its way to a surprise ending that keen observers will be able to see coming around the bend (the author foreshadows freely).
Roommaid succeeds because of strong characters. Romance is a character-driven genre, and the author manages to breathe some life into Madison and her supporting cast, investing them with a degree of accessibility, authenticity and a refreshing (and often humorous) honesty. She sketches the bad ex-boyfriend and the vain, manipulative mother in broader strokes, but overall Roommaid wins because Madison and her BFF's feel accessible.
Of all the story elements Wilson wove into this tale, the one that deserves special mention is unexpected and unlikely invocation (for this genre) of the late abstract-expressionist artist, Mark Rothko. Houston serves not just as the backdrop for Roommaid, it also happens to be the location of one of Rothko's most celebrated art installations - the Rothko Chapel. The ecumenical chapel in the heart of old Houston is comprised of a series of Rothko neutral color panels. Whether invoking Rothko was calculated to flesh out Madison's old money bona fides, or just a happy accident on the author's part, I don't know. But it added a refreshing dimension to the story, which served to lift Roommaids from the muck of its more prosaic peers.
Photo:
Mark Rothko
Untitled, 1949
Oil on canvas
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Gift of the Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Christopher Rothko and Kate Rothko Prizel
In a genre replete with banal writing and clumsy storytelling, the author Sariah Wilson has managed to distinguish herself with Roommaid. This is a clever tale well told and fun to read. She weaves an engaging story involving Madison and Tyler that manages to include plausible romantic sentiment. The story does not get outside of itself as it winds its way to a surprise ending that keen observers will be able to see coming around the bend (the author foreshadows freely).
Roommaid succeeds because of strong characters. Romance is a character-driven genre, and the author manages to breathe some life into Madison and her supporting cast, investing them with a degree of accessibility, authenticity and a refreshing (and often humorous) honesty. She sketches the bad ex-boyfriend and the vain, manipulative mother in broader strokes, but overall Roommaid wins because Madison and her BFF's feel accessible.
Of all the story elements Wilson wove into this tale, the one that deserves special mention is unexpected and unlikely invocation (for this genre) of the late abstract-expressionist artist, Mark Rothko. Houston serves not just as the backdrop for Roommaid, it also happens to be the location of one of Rothko's most celebrated art installations - the Rothko Chapel. The ecumenical chapel in the heart of old Houston is comprised of a series of Rothko neutral color panels. Whether invoking Rothko was calculated to flesh out Madison's old money bona fides, or just a happy accident on the author's part, I don't know. But it added a refreshing dimension to the story, which served to lift Roommaids from the muck of its more prosaic peers.
Photo:
Mark Rothko
Untitled, 1949
Oil on canvas
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Gift of the Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Christopher Rothko and Kate Rothko Prizel
Images in this review
