The House Mate (Roommates, #2) by Kendall Ryan | Rating: ★★★★☆

Kendall Ryan does it again! What do you get when you stir in sexual tension between two amazingly complex characters, a live-in situation, one cute kid and a whole lot of potential angst? A fantastic love story to wrap yourself up in. You know the drill with Kendall Ryan; this queen of romance knows how to keep readers feeling electric and compelled in her character's relationships and this book is no different.

In The House Mate, we meet a new kind of "bad boy" leading man--Max Alexander is a newfound father with a whole new lifestyle change and the soon-to-be object of his affection, Addison Lane. As per usual, the chemistry between the two leads sizzles right off the pages and as lines between them blur, the further a girl falls into their connection.

What I liked most about The House Mate was that it was so very different from the previous two installments in the Roommates series. Whereas the previous two novels followed an entirely different, and ultimately similar trope, Kendall Ryan steps out of the routine with the relationship between a single dad and his nanny. Ah, yes, this isn't exactly a fresh and new connection but Ryan, as usual, makes it her own and continues to revitalize a tired genre.

The story begins with Max and one night that changes everything. Prior to the novels setting, he had a short lived relationship with a woman--this woman went on to have a child. Flash forward to a year later, she finally decided to drop the bomb in one of the most angst ridden ways possible--by leaving the baby girl, Dylan, with him. Max is, of course, completely startled by the simple fact that he has a daughter he didn't know about.

Unlike most men who find themselves in such a situation, Max works through his shock to care for his daughter and truly loves the baby. He certainly has some struggles but he is more than up to a challenge, that much is clear from the getgo. In order to continue to provide for Dylan, and to still work, he is forced to hire a nanny.

Enter Addison--down on her luck, but very sweet and altogether caring. Addison is: intelligent, humorous, creative and exactly the sort of person you'd want around your child. She, too, is up to the task in caring for Dylan. When she takes the job, she is very hopeful for her future and it's impossible to not want good things for her. She's that kind of character.

Warm. I think that's all that can be used to describe Addison.

Together, they almost instantaneously form this sort of team with one another. A single unit that isn't quite what either expected. Partners in so many ways--they both care for Dylan and eventually care for each other. The attraction is always there in the background and it's obvious that they are suited for each other in ways that other partners could have never been.

Quite quickly, they form a family and become everything. Although, certain speed bumps stand in their way that cannot be said in my review without accompanying spoilers. I will say that readers should trust in Kendall Ryan to lead the story to the endgame readers will desire--The House Mate is the quintessential Ryan novel full of love, life and the little things that get in between.

I really and truly enjoyed The House Mate and fans will surely be satisfied in the relationship of Max and Addison.