Room for Love

Andrea Meyer’s debute novel, Room for Love, opens with a “roommate wanted” ad that pretty much sums up the plot. Jacquie, the heroine, is a 32-year-old editor who works at a small, low-paying, but respected film magazine based in New York City. She struggles financially, chronically falls for the wrong guys, but has a circle of close friends who look out for her. One day, she comes across the wild idea of meeting guys by answering their “Roommate Wanted” ads. So the story goes.
The lipstick red cover decorated with hearts, cloth hangers and lacey high heel shoes and the colloquial, witty dialogues undoubtedly categorize Meyer’s book as urban chic lit. It’s probably not going to win the Nobel Prize in literature, and it does not offer deep, profound, mid-blowing social insight like the Grapes of Wrath or The Pick Up.
And no, there are no underlying symbols or themes that could potentially give the novel a whole new meaning
However, being light-hearted and simple does not make Room for Love. For one, it is definitely creative. Jacquie’s inventive method of guy-seeking prevents the book from becoming another trashy romance novel. Jacquie owns a small apartment complex in East village. In a city where no one has enough room, Jacquie has enough room for more than one person, but she ignores the obvious and squeezes herself under someone else’s roof. Meyers cleverly ties together the two most important obsessions of New York City–love and real estate– and blends the two in a spicy mixture peppered with poignant heartbreaks and hilarious girl-talks.
The character of Jacquie is also highly relatable. She does not possess magical powers or work a mysterious job that pays a seven-figure salary; she is just a girl who always has her heart broken by boyfriends who can’t even remember her birthday. Meyer’s descriptive narrative and quirky dialogue make the characters come alive. You will laugh out loud at Jacquie and her friend’s comical exchanges, feel sympathetic for Jacquie’s loneliness, and have an urge to “hire someone to break [Jacquie’s awful ex-boyfriend’s] kneecaps.” The story is simple and primary colored, but also fast paced and difficult to put down. Andrea Meyer’s Room for Love is everything you could ask for in a relaxing, weekend read:jokes, twists, and sex in the city.